Effects of acidification and liming on carbon and nitrogen mineralization and soil organisms in mor humus

• Published in: Water, air, and soil pollution air, and soil pollution, 1989-05, Vol.45 (1-2), p.77-96
• Main Authors: PERSSON, T, LUNDKVIST, H, WIREN, A, HYVONEN, R, WESSEN, B
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Biological and medical sciences; Chemical, physicochemical, biochemical and biological properties; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Organic matter; Physics, chemistry, biochemistry and biology of agricultural and forest soils; Soil and water pollution; Soil science
• ISSN: 0049-6979; 1573-2932
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00208579

The aim was to determine if changes in C and N mineralization after acidification and liming could be explained by changes in the soil organisms biomass. Strong acidification reduced C mineralization and increased net N mineralization in both soils. Weak acidification resulted in similar but less pronounced effects. Liming initially stimulated C mineralization rate, but the rates declined, indicating the an easily available C source was successively used up by the microorganisms. Liming also increased net N mineralization in the C:N = 31 humus, but not significantly in the C:N = 44 humus. Strong acidification generally affected the amounts of FDA-active fungal hyphae, nematodes and enchytraeids more than the other treatments did. The increases in net N mineralization after acidification and liming could only partly be explained by the decreases in biomass N in soil organisms. Mineralization of biomass N from killed soil organisms could at the most explain up to about 30% of the increase in net N mineralization after strong acidification.