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The microbial PLFA composition as affected by pH in an arable soil

Rousk, Johannes LU ; Brookes, Philip C. and Bååth, Erland LU (2010) In Soil Biology & Biochemistry 42(3). p.516-520
Abstract
The influence of soil pH on the phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) composition of the microbial community was investigated along the Hoosfield acid strip, Rothamsted Research, UK - a uniform pH gradient between pH 8.3 and 4.5. The influence of soil pH on the total concentration of PLFAs was not significant, while biomass estimated using substrate induced respiration decreased by about 25%. However, the PLFA composition clearly changed along the soil pH gradient. About 40% of the variation in PLFA composition along the gradient was explained by a first principal component, and the sample scores were highly correlated to pH (R-2 = 0.97). Many PLFAs responded to pH similarly in the Hoosfield arable soil compared with previous assessments in... (More)
The influence of soil pH on the phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) composition of the microbial community was investigated along the Hoosfield acid strip, Rothamsted Research, UK - a uniform pH gradient between pH 8.3 and 4.5. The influence of soil pH on the total concentration of PLFAs was not significant, while biomass estimated using substrate induced respiration decreased by about 25%. However, the PLFA composition clearly changed along the soil pH gradient. About 40% of the variation in PLFA composition along the gradient was explained by a first principal component, and the sample scores were highly correlated to pH (R-2 = 0.97). Many PLFAs responded to pH similarly in the Hoosfield arable soil compared with previous assessments in forest soils, including, e.g. monounsaturated PLFAs 16:1 omega 5, 16:1 omega 7c and 18:1 omega 7, which increased in relative concentrations with pH, and i16:0 and cy19:0, both of which decreased with pH. Some PLFAs responded differently to pH between the soil types, e.g. br18:0. We conclude that soil pH has a profound influence on the microbial PLFA composition, which must be considered in all applications of this method to detect changes in the microbial community. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. (Less)
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author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Arable soil, Hoosfield acid strip, Microbial biomass, pH gradient, PLFA, Microbial community composition
in
Soil Biology & Biochemistry
volume
42
issue
3
pages
516 - 520
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • wos:000274839400015
  • scopus:74149087393
ISSN
0038-0717
DOI
10.1016/j.soilbio.2009.11.026
project
Interaction between fungi and bacteria in soil
Carbon drivers and microbial agents of soil respiration
Effect of environmental factors on fungal and bacterial growth in soil
Microbial carbon-use efficiency
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
3918bc45-f9c4-419e-b709-60efed93ae8d (old id 1568035)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 13:18:21
date last changed
2022-04-21 20:51:58
@article{3918bc45-f9c4-419e-b709-60efed93ae8d,
  abstract     = {{The influence of soil pH on the phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) composition of the microbial community was investigated along the Hoosfield acid strip, Rothamsted Research, UK - a uniform pH gradient between pH 8.3 and 4.5. The influence of soil pH on the total concentration of PLFAs was not significant, while biomass estimated using substrate induced respiration decreased by about 25%. However, the PLFA composition clearly changed along the soil pH gradient. About 40% of the variation in PLFA composition along the gradient was explained by a first principal component, and the sample scores were highly correlated to pH (R-2 = 0.97). Many PLFAs responded to pH similarly in the Hoosfield arable soil compared with previous assessments in forest soils, including, e.g. monounsaturated PLFAs 16:1 omega 5, 16:1 omega 7c and 18:1 omega 7, which increased in relative concentrations with pH, and i16:0 and cy19:0, both of which decreased with pH. Some PLFAs responded differently to pH between the soil types, e.g. br18:0. We conclude that soil pH has a profound influence on the microbial PLFA composition, which must be considered in all applications of this method to detect changes in the microbial community. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.}},
  author       = {{Rousk, Johannes and Brookes, Philip C. and Bååth, Erland}},
  issn         = {{0038-0717}},
  keywords     = {{Arable soil; Hoosfield acid strip; Microbial biomass; pH gradient; PLFA; Microbial community composition}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{3}},
  pages        = {{516--520}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Soil Biology & Biochemistry}},
  title        = {{The microbial PLFA composition as affected by pH in an arable soil}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2009.11.026}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.soilbio.2009.11.026}},
  volume       = {{42}},
  year         = {{2010}},
}