Pedosphere 18(4): 431--440, 2008
ISSN 1002-0160/CN 32-1315/P
©2008 Soil Science Society of China
Published by Elsevier B.V. and Science Press
| Distribution of soil enzyme activities and microbial biomass along a latitudinal gradient in farmlands of Songliao Plain, Northeast China |
LIU Xiu-Mei1,2 , LI Qi1,2, LIANG Wen-Ju1 and JIANG Yong1 |
1 Key Laboratory of Terrestrial Ecological Process, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016 (China)
2 Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049 (China) |
| ABSTRACT |
| Soil enzymes activities and microbial biomass have an important influence on nutrient cycling. The spatial distribution of soil enzymes activities and microbial biomass were examined along a latitudinal gradient in farmlands of Songliao Plain, Northeast China to assess the impact of climatic changes along the latitudinal transect on nutrient cycling in agroecosystems. Top soils (0-20 cm depth) were sampled in fields at 7 locations from north (Hailun) to south (Dashiqiao) in the end of October 2005 after maize harvest. The contents of total C, N, and P, C/N, available N, and available P increased with the latitude. The activities of invertase and acid phosphatase, microbial biomass (MB) C and N, and MBC/MBN were significantly correlated with latitude (P < 0.05, r2 = 0.198, 0.635, 0.558, 0.211 and 0.317, respectively), that is, increasing with the latitude. Significant positive correlations (P < 0.05) were observed between invertase activity and the total N and available P, and between acid phosphatase activity and the total C, C/N, available N, total P and available P. The urease, acid phosphatase, and dehydrogenase activities were significantly correlated with the soil pH and electrical conductivity (EC) (P < 0.05). MBC and MBN were positively correlated with the total C, C/N, and available P (P < 0.05). The MBC/MBN ratio was positively correlated with the total C, total N, C/N, and available N (P < 0.05). The spatial distribution of soil enzyme activities and microbial biomass resulted from the changes in soil properties such as soil organic matter, soil pH, and EC, partially owing to variations in temperature and rainfall along the latitudinal gradient. |
| Key Words: farmlands, hydrolases, latitudinal gradient, microbial biomass, soil organic matter |
| Citation: Liu, X. M., Li, Q., Liang, W. J. and Jiang, Y. 2008. Distribution of soil enzyme activities and microbial biomass along a latitudinal gradient in farmlands of Songliao Plain, Northeast China. Pedosphere. 18(4): 431-440. |
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