Microbial diversity in three floodplain soils at the Elbe River (Germany)

Abstract

Microbial communities in floodplain soils are exposed to periodical flooding. A long-term submerged Eutric Gleysol (GLe), an intermediate flooded Eutric Fluvisol (FLe), and a short-time flooded Mollic Fluvisol (FLm) at the Elbe River (Germany) with similar organic carbon contents (C org) between 8.1% and 8.9% were selected to test the quality of phospholipid fatty acids (PLFA), soil microbial carbon (C mic), basal respiration (BR), metabolic quotient (qCO 2), and C mic/C org ratio to characterize and discriminate these soils with microbial parameters. The three floodplain soils can be differentiated by C mic and by total PLFA-biomass. Due to the different flooding durations and the time since the soils were last flooded C mic and PLFA-biomass increase in the order GLe<FLe<FLm. Both parameters correlate significantly ( r = 0.999 ; p < 0.05 ) . The C mic/C org ratios are low in comparison to terrestrial soils and revealed the same ranking over the three soils like C mic. Contrary, qCO 2 and BR are highest in GLe and lowest in FLm according to inundation regime. The diminished C mic, high BR, and high qCO 2 values in GLe seem to be an unspecific response of aerobic soil microorganisms on the long flooding period and the resulting short time for developing after last flooding as well as the low pH value. Different plant communities and their residues may influence the microbial diversity additionally. The PLFA profiles were dominated by the group of saturated fatty acids that together constituted almost 62–72% of the total fatty acids identified in the soils. In GLe all groups of PLFA, inclusive monounsaturated fatty acids, are lowest and in FLm highest, while in FLe the PLFA fractions show an intermediary amount of the three soils. The FLm had most of the time aerobic conditions and revealed therefore the highest C mic, PLFA-biomass, especially monounsaturated fatty acids, C mic/C org ratio as well as relatively low BR and qCO 2 value. These indicate that microorganisms in FLm are more efficiently in using carbon sources than those in GLe and FLe. All 26 identified PLFA were found in FLe and FLm, while the polyunsaturated fungi biomarker 18:2 ω6,9c could not be detected in GLe. In this long-time submerged soil the environmental conditions which microorganisms are exposed might be disadvantageous for fungi.