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Microbial biomass as an indicator of soil health - Literature Review
Project Details
Project Lead: Terence McGonigle (Brandon University)
Collaborators: Kaylin Liddle (Brandon University), William Turner (Brandon University)
Years: 2016
Project Status: Complete
Funding & In-Kind Support: Manitoba Beef & Forage Initiatives
Scope: Research
Keywords: Soil Health, Soil Carbon
Approach
Previous studies have reported a positive linear relationship between microbial biomass carbon and soil organic carbon. We conducted a meta-analysis to explore this relationship separately for grasslands and croplands using available literature.
Key Findings
Microbial biomass carbon response:
As soil organic carbon increases, there is a corresponding increase in microbial biomass carbon in both grasslands and croplands
An increase in soil organic carbon in grasslands shows larger corresponding microbial biomass carbon response compared to the same increase in soil organic carbon in croplands
The difference between the two systems is possibly caused by a greater proportion of SOC in grasslands being active rather than passive, relative to that in croplands, with that active fraction promoting the formation of MBC.
For More Information:
McGonigle TP, Turner WG. Grasslands and Croplands Have Different Microbial Biomass Carbon Levels per Unit of Soil Organic Carbon. Agriculture. 2017; 7(7):57. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture7070057
Microbe biomass as an indicator of soil health - Brandon University Research Connection, September 2017