Abstract
Soil has multiple functions, including the provision of habitat to organisms, and most biological activities occur in the surface soil. Due to the negative effects of soil erosion, efforts for soil conservation are being made, including the development of a reliable index that can help assess soil quality. In this study, the physical and chemical properties and biological genes from grassland topsoil were analyzed, in order to identify surface soil organism markers that could be used as a soil quality index. Six spots of grassland topsoil were analyzed, one high-quality and five low-quality, based on a web-based soil quality assessment module. Consequently, eukaryotes and prokaryotes with different soil quality ratios were compared and examined. The following bacteria and archaea have the potential to be used in soil quality assessment: circulation of materials including nitrogen, Nitrospira spp., Candidatus Nitrososphaera, and Candidatus Nitrosotalea; biological purification, Geobacter spp.; pathogens, Burkholderia spp., Paraburkholderia spp., Pseudomonas brassicacearum, and Rhizobacter spp.; antibiotic secretion, Candidatus Udaeobacter; and material degradation Steroidobacter spp. and Rhodanobacter spp. This study provides primary data for identifying biological markers for soil quality evaluation. In the future, a wider variety of data need to be accumulated to develop a highly reliable index related to soil quality.
Highlights
IntroductionStores carbon, contributes to the internal water cycle, provides essential components to organisms, and serves as a habitat for organisms, including plants and microorganisms [1]
Published: 14 October 2021Soil purifies pollutants, stores carbon, contributes to the internal water cycle, provides essential components to organisms, and serves as a habitat for organisms, including plants and microorganisms [1]
The surface soils with a high soil quality had higher organic content of 1.36 g/kg, an available phosphate of 64.57 mg/kg, and β-glucosidase of 4.32 mg PNP/kg h, compared to the surface soils with a low soil quality
Summary
Stores carbon, contributes to the internal water cycle, provides essential components to organisms, and serves as a habitat for organisms, including plants and microorganisms [1]. The surface soil contains high concentrations of organic matter and abundant microorganisms; it is the layer where most biological activities take place within the soil, thereby serving as a space for the main networking [2]. The surface soil, the top soil layer (30 cm), has major functions, as it is rich in organic matter and microorganisms and, serves as a source of nutrients and water for plants (MOE, 2021; Surface soil information portal system, http://pyoto.araon.org/ (accessed on 12 July 2021). The amount of carbon stored within 2 m of soil in the global carbon cycle is 2400 Gt, and the management of surface soil loss is expected to enable a preemptive response to climate change [5].
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
