Pedosphere 20(6): 780--788, 2010
ISSN 1002-0160/CN 32-1315/P
©2010 Soil Science Society of China
Published by Elsevier B.V. and Science Press
| Microbial biomass C, N and P in disturbed dry tropical forest soils, India |
J. S. SINGH1 , D. P. SINGH1, A. K. KASHYAP2 |
1 Department of Environmental Science, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Raibarelly Road, Lucknow 226025 (India)
2 Department of Botany, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221005 (India) |
| ABSTRACT |
| Variations in microbial biomass C (MB-C),N (MB-N) and P (MB-P) along a gradient of different dominant vegeta-tion covers (natural forest,mixed deciduous forest,disturbed savanna and grassland ecosystems) in dry tropical soils of Vindhyan Plateau,India were studied from January 2005 to December 2005.The water holding capacity,organic C,total N,total P and soil moisture content were comparatively higher in forest soils than in the savanna and grassland sites.Across different study sites the mean annual MB-C,MB-N and MB-P at 0-15 cm soil depth varied from 312.05 ± 4.22 to 653.40 ± 3.17,32.16 ± 6.25 to 75.66 ± 7.21 and 18.94 ± 2.94 to 30.83 ± 23.08 μg g-1 dry soil,respectively.At all the investigated sites,the maximum MB-C,MB-N and MB-P occurred during the dry period (summer season) and the minimum in wet period (rainy season).In the present study,soil MB-C,MB-N and MB-P were higher at the forest sites compared to savanna and grassland sites.The differences in MB-C,MB-N and MB-P were significant (P < 0.001) among sites and seasons.The MB-C (P < 0.0001),MB-N (P < 0.001) and MB-P (P < 0.0001) were positively correlated with organic C,while the relationship between soil moisture and MB-C,MB-N and MB-P (P < 0.001,P < 0.01 and P < 0.0001,respectively) was negative.The decreasing order of MB-C,MB-N and MB-P along study ecosystems was natural forest > mixed deciduous forest > savanna > grassland.The results suggested that deforestation and land use practices (conversion of forest into savanna and grassland) caused the alterations in soil properties,which as a consequence,led to reduction in soil nutrients and MB-C,MB-N and MB-P in the soil of disturbed sites (grassland and savanna) compared to undisturbed forest ecosystems. |
| Key Words: deciduous forest, grassland, savanna, soil moisture, vegetation |
| Citation: Singh, J. S., Singh, D. P. and Kashyap, A. K. 2010. Microbial biomass C, N and P in disturbed dry tropical forest soils, India. Pedosphere. 20(6): 780-788. |
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