Journal ArticleDOI
Criteria for measurement of microbial growth and activity in soil
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TLDR
The results show that no one measurement of microbial biomass or activity is sufficient to interpret microbial growth in the soil system and ATP was therefore not a specific indicator of biomass in the detailed studies where P concentrations and sequential growth of bacteria and fungi were major factors.Abstract:
Changes in CO2 evolution, phosphatase and urease activity and ATP contents were related to bacterial and fungal biomass determined microscopically during glucose mineralization at different concentrations of mineral nutrients. Similar results were obtained in a sandy loam and a clay soil except that in the clay the increase in microbial and enzyme activities were delayed. Higher initial rates of CO2 evolution were noted after the addition of P to a glucose and N amended soil at C:P ratios greater than 30:1. Increases in phosphatase activity coincided with increases in bacterial and fungal populations only in treatments without inorganic P. Peak rates of CO2 evolution preceded biomass production by 18–24 h, therefore, CO2 evolution rates did not show a correlation on normal regression analysis with biomass. Soil ATP content was influenced by P concentrations and soil type. ATP was therefore not a specific indicator of biomass in the detailed studies where P concentrations and sequential growth of bacteria and fungi were major factors. Soil urease increased with bacterial and fungal populations. It did not respond to P other than through microbial biomass and was highly correlated with microbial biomass. The results show that no one measurement of microbial biomass or activity is sufficient to interpret microbial growth in the soil system. Each of the criteria measured were sensitive to specific conditions affecting biomass and activity.read more
Citations
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Journal ArticleDOI
Short-term assay of soil urease activity using colorimetric determination of ammonium
Ellen Kandeler,H. Gerber +1 more
TL;DR: In this paper, a rapid assay for soil urease in the absence of bacteriostatic agents has been developed, which comprises incubation of soil with an aqueous or buffered urea solution, extraction of ammonium with 1 N KCl and 0.01 NHCl and colorimetric NH4+ determination by a modified indophenol reaction.
Journal ArticleDOI
Regulation of soil phosphatase and chitinase activity by N and P availability
Lydia Olander,Peter M. Vitousek +1 more
TL;DR: In this paper, acid phosphatase and chitinase(N-acetyl s-D-glucosaminide) activity in soil was measured across a chronosequence in Hawaii where N and Pavailability varies substantially among sites and longterm fertilizer plots had been maintained for over 4 years.
Book ChapterDOI
Role of Phosphatase Enzymes in Soil
TL;DR: Soil phosphatases, particularly acid and alkaline phosphomonoesterases, have been extensively studied as mentioned in this paper, because they mineralise organic phosphorus (P) to inorganic P. The effects of agricultural and forest managements, pollutants and any environmental factor on phosphatase activities of soil cannot be adequately interpreted because the currently available enzyme assays do not discriminate between the contribution of phosphat enzymes associated with active microbial cells and that of extracellular phosphatists stabilised by soil colloids.
Book ChapterDOI
Soil Enzyme Activities as Indicators of Soil Quality
TL;DR: Dick et al. as mentioned in this paper discussed soil enzyme activities as a potential biochemical/biological indicator of soil quality and found that soil biological parameters may hold potential as early and sensitive indicators of soil ecological stress or restoration.
Journal ArticleDOI
Active microorganisms in soil: Critical review of estimation criteria and approaches
TL;DR: Because active microorganisms are the solely microbial drivers of main biogeochemical processes, analyses of the active and potentially active fractions are necessary in studies focused on soil functions.
References
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Journal ArticleDOI
Use of p-nitrophenyl phosphate for assay of soil phosphatase activity
M. A. Tabatabai,J. M. Bremner +1 more
TL;DR: In this paper, a simple method of assaying soil phosphatase activity is described, which involves colorimetric estimation of the p-nitrophenol released by the enzyme when the soil is incubated with buffered (pH 6·5) sodium pnphosphorus solution and toluene at 37°C for 1 hour.
Journal ArticleDOI
A rapid and precise method for the determination of urea
J. K. Fawcett,J. E. Scott +1 more
TL;DR: In comparison with other methods in current use, this method has distinct advantages in sensitivity, simplicity, and precision, thus economizing in time, sample volume, reagents, and equipment.
Journal ArticleDOI
The use of fluorescein isothiocyanate in the determination of the bacterial biomass of grassland soil.
Lorne A. Babiuk,Eldor A. Paul +1 more
TL;DR: The number of bacteria decreased in a linear fashion with depth but no relation was found between the numbers obtained by direct microscopy and those by plate counting, but each of the methods showed a high relationship between the size of the bacterial population present at each depth on the differe...
Book ChapterDOI
Biological Significance of Enzymes Accumulated in Soil
TL;DR: The authors' classification of the components of enzyme activity in soil is suggested, and two situations in which the enzymes accumulated in soil play important roles are delimited: (1) the initial phases of the decomposition of organic residues and of the transformation of some mineral compounds; (2) the conditions unfavorable for the proliferation of microorganisms.
Book ChapterDOI
The Generation and Utilization of Energy During Growth
W.W. Forrest,D.J. Walker +1 more
TL;DR: Organisms growing heterotrophically obtain their energy and carbon for growth from organic substrates more reduced than carbon dioxide, which does not necessarily mean that carbon dioxide fixation does not occur;it is an essential feature of the metabolism in manyheterotroph, but carbon dioxide is fixed only during the synthesis of certain essential compounds.
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