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Influence of forest cover and herbaceous vegetation on the microbiological and biochemical properties of soil under Mediterranean humid climate

Lucas-Borja, M. E. ; Bastida, F. ; Cuevas, César Nicolás LU ; Moreno, J. L. ; del Cerro, A. and Andres, M. (2010) In European Journal of Soil Biology 46. p.273-279
Abstract
The effects of different Mediterranean vegetation cover on the biological and biochemical quality of soil is not well understood. The aim of this work is to evaluate the effects that different types of vegetation (forestry plots, mainly dominated by Spanish black pine (Pinus nigra Am. ssp salzmannii) and herbaceous plots, where overstorey density is lower and natural herbaceous percentage is higher than in forestry plots) have in the biological properties of soil in Mediterranean humid climate. The impact of these plant communities on the biological soil quality was determined by several sensitive parameters related to the microbial activity of the soil such as soil respiration and some enzyme activities (urease, phosphatase and... (More)
The effects of different Mediterranean vegetation cover on the biological and biochemical quality of soil is not well understood. The aim of this work is to evaluate the effects that different types of vegetation (forestry plots, mainly dominated by Spanish black pine (Pinus nigra Am. ssp salzmannii) and herbaceous plots, where overstorey density is lower and natural herbaceous percentage is higher than in forestry plots) have in the biological properties of soil in Mediterranean humid climate. The impact of these plant communities on the biological soil quality was determined by several sensitive parameters related to the microbial activity of the soil such as soil respiration and some enzyme activities (urease, phosphatase and dehydrogenase). Development of vegetation (herbaceous and pines) was also determined and correlated with microbiological and biochemical indicators. Organic matter content in herbaceous sites was significantly higher than in forestry sites, ranging from 5.27 to 6.70 g 100 g(-1) in herbaceous sites to 1.64-2.81 g 100 g(-1) in forested areas. Herbaceous sites showed higher values of basal respiration and dehydrogenase activity than pine areas. However, the decrease of organic carbon content in pine areas led microbial activity enrichment per unit of carbon. These results conclude that vegetation cover significantly impacts soil microbial processes in Mediterranean humid climates, herbaceous vegetation having a more positive influence than forest vegetation on the biochemical and microbial activity of the soil, principally due to the higher accumulation of organic matter from plant remains. (C) 2010 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved. (Less)
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author
; ; ; ; and
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Vegetation, Soil management, Microbial activity, Enzyme activity, Soil, respiration, microbial biomass, enzyme-activities, organic-matter, biological-activity, semiarid climate, plant cover, carbon, nitrogen, size, biodegradability
in
European Journal of Soil Biology
volume
46
pages
273 - 279
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • scopus:77956268943
ISSN
1164-5563
DOI
10.1016/j.ejsobi.2010.05.003
language
English
LU publication?
no
additional info
5
id
ca2a5ba8-8586-4b44-8d56-f26387ca2ec2 (old id 4362804)
date added to LUP
2016-04-04 06:58:12
date last changed
2022-03-23 00:32:53
@article{ca2a5ba8-8586-4b44-8d56-f26387ca2ec2,
  abstract     = {{The effects of different Mediterranean vegetation cover on the biological and biochemical quality of soil is not well understood. The aim of this work is to evaluate the effects that different types of vegetation (forestry plots, mainly dominated by Spanish black pine (Pinus nigra Am. ssp salzmannii) and herbaceous plots, where overstorey density is lower and natural herbaceous percentage is higher than in forestry plots) have in the biological properties of soil in Mediterranean humid climate. The impact of these plant communities on the biological soil quality was determined by several sensitive parameters related to the microbial activity of the soil such as soil respiration and some enzyme activities (urease, phosphatase and dehydrogenase). Development of vegetation (herbaceous and pines) was also determined and correlated with microbiological and biochemical indicators. Organic matter content in herbaceous sites was significantly higher than in forestry sites, ranging from 5.27 to 6.70 g 100 g(-1) in herbaceous sites to 1.64-2.81 g 100 g(-1) in forested areas. Herbaceous sites showed higher values of basal respiration and dehydrogenase activity than pine areas. However, the decrease of organic carbon content in pine areas led microbial activity enrichment per unit of carbon. These results conclude that vegetation cover significantly impacts soil microbial processes in Mediterranean humid climates, herbaceous vegetation having a more positive influence than forest vegetation on the biochemical and microbial activity of the soil, principally due to the higher accumulation of organic matter from plant remains. (C) 2010 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.}},
  author       = {{Lucas-Borja, M. E. and Bastida, F. and Cuevas, César Nicolás and Moreno, J. L. and del Cerro, A. and Andres, M.}},
  issn         = {{1164-5563}},
  keywords     = {{Vegetation; Soil management; Microbial activity; Enzyme activity; Soil; respiration; microbial biomass; enzyme-activities; organic-matter; biological-activity; semiarid climate; plant cover; carbon; nitrogen; size; biodegradability}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{273--279}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{European Journal of Soil Biology}},
  title        = {{Influence of forest cover and herbaceous vegetation on the microbiological and biochemical properties of soil under Mediterranean humid climate}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ejsobi.2010.05.003}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.ejsobi.2010.05.003}},
  volume       = {{46}},
  year         = {{2010}},
}