Abstract
We tested the hypothesis that soil microbial activity in an Acacia mangium plantation in South Sumatra, Indonesia, is limited by phosphorus (P) availability and not nitrogen (N) availability. An incubation experiment was conducted and soil respiration rates were measured after the addition of glucose, N, and P in different combinations on soil samples obtained from an Acacia mangium plantation. Results showed that P addition significantly stimulated CO2 emissions, suggesting that soil microbial activity in the studied Acacia mangium plantation is limited by P availability. P addition also increased microbial P, supporting our suggestion. Meanwhile N addition did not increase, rather reduced CO2 emissions, showing that N was not the main limiting factor for microbial activity in the studied soil. However, N addition significantly increased microbial N, implying that the composition of the microbial community changed. Our study suggests that P fertilization to an Acacia mangium plantation might stimulate the soil microbial activity to accelerate the soil organic matter decomposition.
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