The Successional Trend of Soil Microbial Characteristics after Reclamation Amended with Arsenic Sandstone in the Mu Us Sandy Land, China

Abstract

Soil microorganisms have played an important role in the formation and evolution of soil ecosystem. Based on sand-binding by arsenic sandstone in Mu Us Sandy Land, to evaluate the effects of land reclamation on soil microbial characteristics, we researched on soil enzyme activities, soil microbial biomass and soil basal respiration rate in different reclamation years. The result showed sandy land reclamation through arsenic sandstone has a positive role in changing the soil texture, accumulation of soil nutrients. Soil catalase activity, dehydrogenase activity, urease activity, alkaline phosphatase activity, invertase activity and arylsulphatase activity increased with the year of reclamation, and significant difference between the different years of reclamation. Soil microbial biomass carbon, soil basal respiration rate and microbial quotient became higher with the increase of the reclamation time, metabolic quotient reduced, that showed sandy land reclamation by blending arsenic sandstone, accelerate succession of the soil ecosystem from low to high range. The results indicate soil enzymes and soil microorganisms play an important role in instructing and predicting the sand soil quality, which provide reference for reasonable sand management measures in Mu Us Sandy Land.