Comparison of soil fungal/bacterial ratios in a pH gradient using physiological and PLFA-based techniques
(2003) In Soil Biology & Biochemistry 35(7). p.955-963- Abstract
- We have compared the total microbial biomass and the fungal/bacterial ratio estimated using substrate-induced respiration (SIR) in combination with the selective inhibition technique and using the phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) technique in a pH gradient (3.0-7.2) consisting of 53 mature broad-leaved forest soils. A fungal/bacterial biomass index using the PLFA technique was calculated using the PLFA 18:2w6,9 as an indicator of fungal biomass and the sum of 13 bacterial specific PLFAs as indicator of the bacterial biomass. Good linear correlation (p < 0.001) was found between the total microbial biomass estimated with SIR and total PLFAs (totPLFA), indicating that 1 mg biomass-C was equivalent to 130 nmol totPLFA. Both biomass estimates... (More)
- We have compared the total microbial biomass and the fungal/bacterial ratio estimated using substrate-induced respiration (SIR) in combination with the selective inhibition technique and using the phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) technique in a pH gradient (3.0-7.2) consisting of 53 mature broad-leaved forest soils. A fungal/bacterial biomass index using the PLFA technique was calculated using the PLFA 18:2w6,9 as an indicator of fungal biomass and the sum of 13 bacterial specific PLFAs as indicator of the bacterial biomass. Good linear correlation (p < 0.001) was found between the total microbial biomass estimated with SIR and total PLFAs (totPLFA), indicating that 1 mg biomass-C was equivalent to 130 nmol totPLFA. Both biomass estimates were positively correlated to soil pH. The fungal/bacterial ratio measured using the selective inhibition technique decreased significantly with increasing pH from about 9 at pH 3 to approximately 2 at pH 7, while the fungal/bacterial biomass index using PLFA measurements tended to increase slightly with increasing soil pH. Good correlation between the soil content of ergosterol and of the PLFA 18:2w6,9 indicated that the lack of congruency between the two methods in estimating fungal/bacterial ratios was not due to PLFA 18:2w6,9-related non-fungal structures to any significant degree. Several PLFAs were strongly correlated to soil pH (R-2 values > 0.8); for example the PLFAs 16:1w5 and 16:1w7c increased with increasing soil pH, while i16:0 and cy19:0 decreased. A principal component analysis of the total PLFA pattern gave a first component that was strongly correlated to soil pH (R-2 = 0.85, p < 0.001) indicating that the microbial community composition in these beech/beech-oak forest soils was to a large extent determined by soil pH. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/135718
- author
- Bååth, Erland LU and Anderson, T H
- organization
- publishing date
- 2003
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- in
- Soil Biology & Biochemistry
- volume
- 35
- issue
- 7
- pages
- 955 - 963
- publisher
- Elsevier
- external identifiers
-
- wos:000184125500009
- scopus:0037628100
- ISSN
- 0038-0717
- DOI
- 10.1016/S0038-0717(03)00154-8
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- ecfd798c-fbf3-43e8-99b9-38a52c94916b (old id 135718)
- date added to LUP
- 2016-04-01 16:44:52
- date last changed
- 2024-05-11 06:30:29
@article{ecfd798c-fbf3-43e8-99b9-38a52c94916b, abstract = {{We have compared the total microbial biomass and the fungal/bacterial ratio estimated using substrate-induced respiration (SIR) in combination with the selective inhibition technique and using the phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) technique in a pH gradient (3.0-7.2) consisting of 53 mature broad-leaved forest soils. A fungal/bacterial biomass index using the PLFA technique was calculated using the PLFA 18:2w6,9 as an indicator of fungal biomass and the sum of 13 bacterial specific PLFAs as indicator of the bacterial biomass. Good linear correlation (p < 0.001) was found between the total microbial biomass estimated with SIR and total PLFAs (totPLFA), indicating that 1 mg biomass-C was equivalent to 130 nmol totPLFA. Both biomass estimates were positively correlated to soil pH. The fungal/bacterial ratio measured using the selective inhibition technique decreased significantly with increasing pH from about 9 at pH 3 to approximately 2 at pH 7, while the fungal/bacterial biomass index using PLFA measurements tended to increase slightly with increasing soil pH. Good correlation between the soil content of ergosterol and of the PLFA 18:2w6,9 indicated that the lack of congruency between the two methods in estimating fungal/bacterial ratios was not due to PLFA 18:2w6,9-related non-fungal structures to any significant degree. Several PLFAs were strongly correlated to soil pH (R-2 values > 0.8); for example the PLFAs 16:1w5 and 16:1w7c increased with increasing soil pH, while i16:0 and cy19:0 decreased. A principal component analysis of the total PLFA pattern gave a first component that was strongly correlated to soil pH (R-2 = 0.85, p < 0.001) indicating that the microbial community composition in these beech/beech-oak forest soils was to a large extent determined by soil pH.}}, author = {{Bååth, Erland and Anderson, T H}}, issn = {{0038-0717}}, language = {{eng}}, number = {{7}}, pages = {{955--963}}, publisher = {{Elsevier}}, series = {{Soil Biology & Biochemistry}}, title = {{Comparison of soil fungal/bacterial ratios in a pH gradient using physiological and PLFA-based techniques}}, url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0038-0717(03)00154-8}}, doi = {{10.1016/S0038-0717(03)00154-8}}, volume = {{35}}, year = {{2003}}, }