Response of Selected Soil Microbial Populations and Activities to Land Conversion

A native shrub–steppe ecosystem converted to a series of irrigated agricultural fields was evaluated for biological indicators that may signal changes in soil processes during the initial stages of conversion and disturbance. Nine sites including undisturbed native shrub–steppe and center-pivot-irri...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis 2013-07, Vol.44 (13), p.1976-1991
Main Authors: Cochran, R. L, Collins, H. P, Alva, A. K
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
agroecosystems
Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions
Bacteria
Biochemistry and biology
Biological and medical sciences
Biomass
Chemical, physicochemical, biochemical and biological properties
composts
disturbed soils
Ecosystems
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
indicator species
irrigated farming
irrigation
land use change
Microbial biomass
microbial populations
Microbiology
mixing
nitrification
nitrifying bacteria
nitrogen
Physics, chemistry, biochemistry and biology of agricultural and forest soils
Soil science
Soil sciences
substrate-induced respiration
tillage
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Summary:A native shrub–steppe ecosystem converted to a series of irrigated agricultural fields was evaluated for biological indicators that may signal changes in soil processes during the initial stages of conversion and disturbance. Nine sites including undisturbed native shrub–steppe and center-pivot-irrigated fields with 1, 2, and 3 years of cultivation following conversion were evaluated. Cultivated fields had greater populations of culturable aerobic and pseudomonad bacteria, greater populations of nitrifying bacteria, increased nitrification potential, greater values of microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN), and different rates of substrate-induced respiration compared to native sites. Disturbance and soil mixing from field development, tillage, irrigation, compost amendments, and residue incorporation contributed to shifts in soil microbial populations and activities following conversion. Differences observed in microbial characteristics were influenced more by conversion of the native ecosystem to an irrigated agroecosystem and the addition of compost than by the length of time of cultivation.
ISSN:1532-2416
0010-3624
1532-2416
1532-4133
DOI:10.1080/00103624.2013.790405