Estimation of active soil microbial biomass by mathematical analysis of respiration curves: Calibration of the test procedure

• Published in: Soil biology & biochemistry 1987, Vol.19 (3), p.261-265
• Main Authors: Van De Werf, H., Verstraete, W.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Biological and medical sciences; Chemical, physicochemical, biochemical and biological properties; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Microbial ecology; Physics, chemistry, biochemistry and biology of agricultural and forest soils; Soil; Soil science
• ISSN: 0038-0717; 1879-3428
• DOI: 10.1016/0038-0717(87)90007-1

The biokinetic properties of the active component of the soil biomass were estimated in a range of soils by mathematical simulation of the respiration curve obtained after the soil was amended with glucose. Microbial communities appeared to vary considerably with regard to their affinity for substrate, their maintenance coefficient and particularly the amount of active microbial biomass they contain. In soils from undisturbed natural ecosystems, the active biomasss component was on average about half that in arable agricultural soils. In a wheat field, the active but not the total microbial biomass was significantly stimulated by the growth of the crop. In the soils examined, the active biomass comprised 4% to 49% of the total soil biomass. A 10 h procedure is described for estimating the active soil biomass component, by monitoring either O 2 consumption or CO 2 production.