Effects of elemental sulfur and soil compaction on microbial biomass carbon and soil enzyme activities

Abstract

The soil enzymes and microbial biomass play a key role in nutrient cycling and sensitivity to management and environmental change compared to most physical and chemical properties. Thus these parameters have been monitored as essential indicators of soil quality. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of sulfur and soil compaction on microbial biomass and enzyme activities. Therefore a greenhouse experiment was designed at four levels of sulfur (0, 500, 1000 and 2000kgha-1) and three levels of compaction (C0, C1, C2). Microbial biomass carbon, urease and arylsulphatase activities were determined. The results showed that application of different levels of sulfure dicreased microbial biomass carbon but urease and arylsulphatase activities dicreased at the highest levels of sulfur. Microbial biomass carbon and arylsulphatase activitiy were not influenced by soil compaction but the highest of soil compaction dicreased urease activity.