Soil microbial biomass and activity: the effect of site characteristics in humid temperate forest ecosystems

Abstract

AbstractMicrobial biomass, respiratory activity, and in‐situ substrate decomposition were studied in soils from humid temperate forest ecosystems in SW Germany. The sites cover a wide range of abiotic soil and climatic properties. Microbial biomass and respiration were related to both soil dry mass in individual horizons and to the soil volume in the top 25 cm. Soil microbial properties covered the following ranges: soil microbial biomass: 20 µg C g–1–8.3 mg C g–1 and 14–249 g C m–2, respectively; microbial C–to–total organic C ratio: 0.1%–3.6%; soil respiration: 109–963 mg CO2‐C m–2 h–1; metabolic quotient (qCO2): 1.4–14.7 mg C (g Cmic)–1 h–1; daily in‐situ substrate decomposition rate: 0.17%–2.3%. The main abiotic properties affecting concentrations of microbial biomass differed between forest‐floor/organic horizons and mineral horizons. Whereas microbial biomass decreased with increasing soil moisture and altitude in the forest‐floor/organic horizons, it increased with increasing Ntot content and pH value in the mineral horizons. Quantities of microbial biomass in forest soils appear to be mainly controlled by the quality of the soil organic matter (SOM), i.e., by its C : N ratio, the quantity of Ntot, the soil pH, and also showed an optimum relationship with increasing soil moisture conditions. The ratio of Cmic to Corg was a good indicator of SOM quality. The quality of the SOM (C : N ratio) and soil pH appear to be crucial for the incorporation of C into microbial tissue. The data and functional relations between microbial and abiotic variables from this study provide the basis for a valuation scheme for the function of soils to serve as a habitat for microorganisms.