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Carbon dynamics in a 60 year fallowed loamy-sand soil compared to that in a 60 year permanent arable or permanent grassland UK soil

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Abstract

Aims

To determine if the soil microbial biomass in a 60 year fallow soil of the Highfield Ley-Arable Experiment at Rothamsted Research, UK, had maintained its ability to mineralise soil organic matter and added substrates compared to biomasses in a grassland and arable soil of the same experiment.

Materials and methods

Three soils of the same type: a 60 y permanent fallow, arable and grassland, were incubated (25°C, 40% WHC) with and without 1. a labile substrate (yeast extract, C/N ratio 3.6) or 2. more resistant ryegrass, (< 2 mm, C/N ratio 14.6). Measurements included biomass C, ATP, PLFAs and substrate C mineralization.

Results

Mean biomass C and ATP concentrations were:grassland.arable.fallow, as expected. However, substrate C mineralization was less in the grassland than fallow soil, opposite to that expected. Microbial biosynthesis efficiency (measured as biomass C and ATP) was similar in all soils. However, microbial community structure differed significantly between soils and treatments.

Conclusions

The extent of mineralization of both substrates were unrelated to initial microbial community structure, size or soil management. Thus, the biomass in the fallow soil maintained full metabolic capacity (assessed by CO2-C evolution) compared to permanent arable or grassland soils.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the China Scholarship Council for supporting Yuping Wu to study at Rothamsted Research, UK. We thank Dr. PR Hirsh and IM Clark for useful discussion. Rothamsted Research is a Research Institute of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council. We also thank the anonymous referees for their helpful criticisms and comments. The paper is much improved as a result.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310029, China

    Yuping Wu & Jianming Xu

  2. Department of Sustainable Soils and Grassland Systems,Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, Herts, AL5 2JQ, UK

    Yuping Wu, Sarah Kemmitt, Rodger P. White & Philip C. Brookes

  3. The FSA, 25 The North Collonade, Canary Wharf, London, E14 5HS, UK

    Sarah Kemmitt

Authors
  1. Yuping Wu
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  2. Sarah Kemmitt
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  3. Rodger P. White
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  4. Jianming Xu
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  5. Philip C. Brookes
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Philip C. Brookes.

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Responsible Editor: Eric Paterson.

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Wu, Y., Kemmitt, S., White, R.P. et al. Carbon dynamics in a 60 year fallowed loamy-sand soil compared to that in a 60 year permanent arable or permanent grassland UK soil. Plant Soil 352, 51–63 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-011-0979-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-011-0979-4

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