Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription or Fee Access

Comparative Study of Soil Biochemical Properties at Two Broad Leaved Forest Stands of Meghalaya Differing in Altitude

R. Laldinthar, M. S. Dkhar

Abstract


Monthly and depth wise variation in soil biochemical properties (soil microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen and respiration) were studied for a period of two years. The study sites selected were two different broad leaved forests of Meghalaya, (i) at Upper Shillong (1861 msl) and (ii) at Mawkyrdep (889 msl). Soil microbial biomass was estimated following chloroform-fumigation incubation method of Anderson and Ingram (1993). Soil respiration was measured following the method given by Mac Fayden (1970). The results showed that all these three properties were higher at the high altitude forest stand as compared to the low altitude forest stand. They were also higher at the surface soil layer than at the sub- surface soil layer. It can be concluded that the high altitude forest stand has higher microbial diversity and activities along with large pool of organic matter.

Keywords


biochemical properties, forest, soil

Full Text:

PDF

References


Dalal R.C. Soil microbial biomass – what do the numbers really mean? Aust J Exp Agric. 1998; 38: 649–56p.

Powlson D.S., Jenkinson O.S. The effects of biocidal treatments on metabolism in soil-Il. Gamma irradiation, autoclaving, air-drying and fumigation, Soil Biol Riochester. 1976; 8: 179–88p.

Jenkinson D.S., Ladd J.N. Microbial biomass in soil: measurement and turnover. In: EA Paul and JN Ladd, Eds. Soil Biochemistry 5:415-471. New York and Basel: Marcel Dekker, Inc; 1981.

Li Q., Lee A.H., Wollum I. Microbial biomass and bacterial functional diversity in forest soils: effects of organic matter removal, compaction, and vegetation control, Soil Biol Biochem. 2004; 36: 571–9p.

Smith J.L., Paul E.A. The significance of soil microbial biomass estimations, Soil Biochem. 1990; 6: 357–96p.

Zeng D.H., Hu Y.L., Chang S.X. Land cover change effects on soil chemical and biological properties after planting Mongolian pine (Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica) in sandy lands in Keerqin, northeastern China, Plant Soil. 2009; 317: 121–33p.

Stockdale E.A., Brookes P.C. Detection and quantification of the soil microbial biomass-impacts on the management of agricultural soils. School of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, King George VI Building, University of Newcastle, Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE1 7RU, UK Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, Hertfordshire AL5 2JQ, UK; 2006.

Huaqin X., Runlin X., Tongqing S. Effects of different fertilization on microbial biomass carbon from the red soil in tea garden, Front Agric. 2008; 2(4): 418–22p.

Liang C., Cheng G., Wixon D.L., et al. An absorbing Markov Chain approach to understanding the microbial role in soil carbon stabilization, Biogeochemistry. 2011; 106: 303–9p.

Valentine R., Matteucci G., Dolman A.J., et al. Respiration as the main determinant of carbon balance in European forest. Nature. 2000; 404: 861–5p.

Minako A., Yukiko S.B., Wan R., et al. Differences in soil respiration between different tropical ecosystems, Appl Soil Ecol. 2006; 34: 258–265p.

Jia B., Zhou G., Wang F. et al. Partitioning root and microbial contributions to soil respiration in Leymus chinensis populations, Soil Biol Biochem. 2006 (in press).

Moyano F.E., Kutsch W.L., Schultze E.D. Response of mycorrhizal, rhizosphere and soil basal respiration to temperature and photosynthesis in a barley field, Soil Biol Biochem. 2007; 39: 843–53p.

Anderson J.M., Ingram J.S.I. Tropical Soil Biology and Fertility. A Handbook of Methods 2nd Edn. UK: C. A. B. International Wallingford; 1993.

MacFayden A. Simple methods for measuring and maintaining the proportion of carbon dioxide in air, for use in ecological studies of soil respiration, Soil Biol Biochem. 1970; 2: 9–18p.

Wang Q., Zhou D., Cang L., et al. Indication of soil heavy metal pollution with earthworms and soil microbial biomass carbon in the vicinity of an abandoned copper mine in Eastern Nanjing, China, Eur J Soil Biol. 2004; 45(3): 229–34p.

Jin H., Sun O.J., Liu J. Changes in soil microbial biomass and community structure with addition of contrasting types of plant litter in a semiarid grassland ecosystem. J Plant Ecol. 2010; in press.

Lima R.A.F., Moura L.C. Gap disturbance regime and composition in the Atlantic Montane Rain Forest: the influence of topography. Plant Ecol. 2008; 197: 239–53p.

Arunachalam A., Arunachalam K. Influence of gap size and soil properties on microbial biomass in a subtropical humid forest of north-east India, Plant Soil. 2000; 223: 185–93p.

Xu M., Qi Y. Soil-surface CO2 efflux and its spatial and temporal variations in a young ponderosa pine plantation in northern California, Global Change Biol. 2001; 7: 667–77p.

Dullinger S. Weak and variable relationships between environmental severity and small-scale co-occurrence in alpine plant communities, J Ecol. 2007; 95: 1284–95p.

Wu Y., Schoenau J.J., Li F., et al. Influence of tillage and rotation systems on distribution of organic carbon associated with particle-size fractions in Chernozemeic soils of Saskatchewan, Canada, Biol Fertil Soils. 2007; 42: 338–44p.

Singh J.S., Gupta S.R. Plant decomposition and soil respiration in terrestrial ecosystems, Bot Rev. 1977; 43: 449–528p.

Raich J.W., Tufekcioglu A. Vegetation and soil respiration: correlations and controls, Biogeochemistry. 2000; 48: 71–90p.

Araujo A.S.F., Leite L.F.C., Santos V.B., et al. Soil microbial activity in conventional and organic agricultural systems, Sustainability. 2009; 1: 268–76p.




DOI: https://doi.org/10.37628/ijbb.v1i1-2.45

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.