Variation in soil microbial biomass in the dry tropics: impact of land-use change
Mahesh Kumar Singh A and Nandita Ghoshal A B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Centre of Advanced Study in Botany, Department of Botany, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, UP-221005, India.
B Corresponding author. Email: n_ghoshal@yahoo.co.in
Soil Research 52(3) 299-306 https://doi.org/10.1071/SR13265
Submitted: 11 September 2013 Accepted: 5 December 2013 Published: 31 March 2014
Abstract
The impact of land-use change on soil microbial biomass carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) was studied through two annual cycles involving natural forest, degraded forest, agroecosystem and Jatropha curcas plantation. Soil microbial biomass C and N, soil moisture content and soil temperature were analysed at upper (0–10 cm), middle (10–20 cm) and lower (20–30 cm) soil depths during the rainy, winter and summer seasons. The levels of microbial biomass C and N were highest in the natural forest, followed in decreasing order by Jatropha curcas plantation, degraded forest and the agroecosystem. The highest level of soil microbial biomass C and N was observed during summer, decreasing through winter to the minimum during the rainy season. Soil microbial biomass C and N decreased with increasing soil depth for all land-use types, and for all seasons. Seasonal variation in soil microbial biomass was better correlated with the soil moisture content than with soil temperature. The microbial biomass C/N ratio increased with the soil depth for all land-use types, indicating changes in the microbial community with soil depth. It is concluded that the change in land-use pattern, from natural forest to other ecosystems, results in a considerable decrease in soil microbial biomass C and N. Jatropha plantation may be an alternative for the restoration of degraded lands in the dry tropics.
Additional keywords: degraded forest, Jatropha plantation, land use change, microbial biomass, restoration, soil depth.
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