Soil Microbial Biomass And Activity In A Cork Oak Savanna

Maria Caldeira,David Fangueiro,Miguel Bugalho,João Coutinho,João Pereira,Xavier Lecomte

doi:10.1038/npre.2010.5401.1

Abstract

AbstractCork oak savannas are composed by a sparse tree canopy (30-70 trees/ha) and a grassland understory predominantly composed of C3 annuals that survive the hot and dry Mediterranean summers as seeds in the soil. Microbial communities can be more or less efficient at converting organic substrates into microbial biomass carbon depending on the quantity and quality of organic matter inputs. The cork oak savannas have two distinct types of plant litter that can affect soil microbial biomass and activity differently: herbaceous litter and the more recalcitrant woody plant litter resulting from the trees. Spatial variability of soil microbial biomass and activity due to the tree-grassland component of cork oak savannas were evaluated in order to better understand the soil carbon dynamics of these systems.To quantify changes in soil microbial biomass and activity, measurements were performed in a Cork oak savanna in Southern Portugal. At this site 8 plots were randomly established under mature cork oak trees and paired with 8 open grassland plots. During one year soil cores (0-10 cm) were monthly collected at each site for measuring soil microbial biomass C and other eco-physiology parameters. Results/Conclusion Soil microbial biomass carbon (Cmic) and nitrogen (Nmic) were always higher under the tree canopy than in the open grasslands. Organic carbon (Corg) was also higher under the tree canopies. The Cmic/Corg ratio relates to the microbial activity and its potential to mineralize organic substances. The Cmic/Corg ratio was lower under the tree canopies than in the open grasslands. Less microbial biomass was supported per unit of Corg. Basal activity was always higher under the canopy than in the open grassland.Trees scattered in the savanna function as islands inducing larger soil microbial communities and higher basal activity under the canopies. Lower Cmic/Corg ratio under the tree canopies suggests a more recalcitrant nature of the litter and a decrease in relative availability of organic matter under the trees.

Highlights

RESULTSCork oak savannas are composed by a sparse tree canopy and a dominant annual grassland understory that survives the hot and dry Mediterranean summers as seeds in the soil
The cork oak savannas have two distinct type of plant litter that can affect soil microbial biomass and activity differently: herbaceous litter and the more recalcitrant woody plant litter resulting from the trees
Spatial variability of soil microbial biomass and activity of cork oak savannas were evaluated in order to understand the contribution of the tree canopy to the soil carbon dynamics of these systems

Summary

RESULTS

Cork oak savannas are composed by a sparse tree canopy and a dominant annual grassland understory that survives the hot and dry Mediterranean summers as seeds in the soil. Microbial communities can be more or less efficient at converting. Herbs organic substrates into microbial biomass carbon depending on the quantity and. Oak litter a) quality of organic matter inputs (Dijkstra et al 2006). The cork oak savannas have two distinct type of plant litter that can affect soil microbial biomass and activity differently: herbaceous litter and the more recalcitrant woody plant litter resulting from the trees

Open grassland

METHODS

DISCUSSION