Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Distribution of two C cycle enzymes in soil aggregates of a prairie chronosequence

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Biology and Fertility of Soils Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Knowledge of the cycling and compartmentalization of soil C that influence C storage may lead to the development of strategies to increase soil C storage potentials. The objective of this study was to use soil hydrolases and soil aggregate fractionation to explore the relationship between C cycling activity and soil aggregate structure. The prairie chronosequence soils were native prairie (NP) and agricultural (AG) and tallgrass prairies restored from agriculture in 1979 (RP-79) and 1993 (RP-93). Assays for β-glucosidase (E.C. 3.2.1.21) and N-acetyl-β-glucosaminidase (NAGase, EC 3.2.1.30) activities were conducted on four aggregate size fractions (>2 mm, 1–2 mm, 250 μm–1 mm, and 2–250 μm) from each soil. There were significantly greater amounts of >2-mm aggregates in the RP-79 and RP-93 soils compared to the NP and AG soils due to rapid C accumulation from native plant establishment. Activities for both enzymes (μg PNP g−1 soil h−1) were greatest in the microaggregate (2–250 μm) compared to the macroaggregate (>2 mm) fraction; however, microaggregates are a small proportion of each soil (<12%) compared to the macroaggregates (∼75%). The RP soils have a hierarchical aggregate system with most of the enzyme activity in the largest aggregate fractions. The NP and AG soils show no hierarchical structure based on aggregate C accretion and significant C enzyme activity in smaller aggregates. The distribution of enzyme activity may play a role in the storage of C whereby the aggrading restored soils may be more susceptible to C loss during turnover of macroaggregates compared to the AG and NP soils with less macroaggregates.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Angers DA, Mehuys GR (1993) Aggregate stability to water. In: Carter MR (ed) Soil sampling and methods of analysis. Lewis Publishers, Boca Raton, pp 651–667

    Google Scholar 

  • Bailey VL, Smith JL, Bolton HJ (2002) Fungal-to-bacterial ratios in soils investigated for enhanced C sequestration. Soil Biol Biochem 34:997–1007

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bandick AK, Dick RP (1999) Field management effects on soil enzyme activities. Soil Biol Biochem 31:1471–1479

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Beare MH, Parmelee RW, Hendrix PF, Cheng W, Coleman DC, Crossley DA Jr (1992) Microbial and faunal interactions and effects on litter nitrogen and decomposition in agroecosystems. Ecol Monogr 62:569–591

    Google Scholar 

  • Cambardella CA, Elliott ET (1994) Carbon and nitrogen dynamics of soil organic matter fractions from cultivated grassland soils. Soil Sci Soc Am J 58:123–130

    Google Scholar 

  • Deng SP, Tabatabai MA (1996) Effect of tillage and residue management on enzyme activity in soils. II. Glycosidases. Biol Fertil Soils 22:208–213

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dick RP (1992) A review: long-term effects of agricultural systems on soil biochemical and microbial parameters. Agric Ecosyst Environ 40:25–36

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Eivazi F, Tabatabai MA (1988) Glucosidases and galactosidases in soils. Soil Biol Biochem 20:601–606

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ekenler M, Tabatabai MA (2002) β-Glucosaminidase activity of soils: effect of cropping systems and its relationship to nitrogen mineralization. Biol Fertil Soils 36:367–376

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ekenler M, Tabatabai MA (2003) Tillage and residue management effects on β-glucosaminidase activity in soils. Soil Biol Biochem 35:871–874

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Elliott ET (1986) Aggregate structure and carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus in native and cultivated soils. Soil Sci Soc Am J 50:627–633

    Google Scholar 

  • Guggenberger G, Frey SD, Six J, Paustian K, Elliott ET (1999) Bacterial and fungal cell-wall residues in conventional and no-tillage agroecosystems. Soil Sci Soc Am J 63:1199–1988

    Google Scholar 

  • Gupta VVSR, Germida JJ (1988) Distribution of microbial biomass and its activity in different soil aggregate size classes as affected by cultivation. Soil Biol Biochem 20:777–786

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jastrow JD (1987) Changes in soil aggregation associated with tallgrass prairie restoration. Am J Bot 74:1656–1664

    Google Scholar 

  • Jastrow JD (1996) Soil aggregate formation and the accrual of particulate and mineral-associated organic matter. Soil Biol Biochem 28:665–676

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jastrow JD, Miller RM (1998) Soil aggregate stabilization and carbon sequestration: feedbacks through organomineral associations. In: Lal R, Kimble JM, Follett RF, Stewart BA (eds) Soil processes and the carbon cycle. CRC Press, New York, pp 207–223

    Google Scholar 

  • Jastrow JD, Boutton TW, Miller RM (1996) Carbon dynamics of aggregate-associated organic matter estimated by carbon-13 natural abundance. Soil Sci Soc Am J 60:801–807

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Klute A (1986) Water retention: laboratory methods. In: Klute A (ed) Physical and mineralogical methods—agronomy monograph no. 9. Soil Science Society of America, Madison, WI, pp 635–662

    Google Scholar 

  • Metting BF, Smith JL, Amthor JS, Izaurralde RC (2001) Science needs and new technology for increasing soil carbon sequestration. Clim Change 51:11–34

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Miller M, Dick RP (1995) Thermal stability and activities of soil enzymes as influenced by crop rotations. Soil Biol Biochem 27:1161–1166

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Miller M, Palojarvi A, Rangger A, Reeslev M, Kjoller A (1998) The use of fluorogenic substrates to measure fungal presence and activity in soil. Appl Environ Microbiol 64:613–617

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nannipieri P, Grego S, Ceccanti B (1990) Ecological significance of the biological activity in soil. In: Bollag JM, Stotzky G (eds) Soil biochemistry, vol. 6. Marcel Dekker, New York, pp 293–356

    Google Scholar 

  • Nannipieri P, Kandeler E, Ruggiero P (2002) Enzyme activities and microbiological and biochemical processes in soil. In: Burns RG, Dick RP (eds) Enzymes in the environment. Activity, ecology and applications. Marcel Dekker, New York, pp 1–33

    Google Scholar 

  • Parham JA, Deng SP (2000) Detection, quantification, and characterization of B-glucosaminidase activity in soil. Soil Biol Biochem 21:1183–1190

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Six J, Guggenberger G, Paustian K, Haumaier L, Elliott ET, Zech W (2001) Sources and composition of soil organic matter fractions between and within soil aggregates. Eur J Soil Sci 52:607–618

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Six J, Bossuyt H, Degryze S, Denef K (2004) A history of research on the link between (micro)aggregates, soil biota, and soil organic matter dynamics. Soil Tillage Res 79:7–31

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smith JL (1994) Cycling of nitrogen through microbial activity. In: Hatfield JL, Stewart BA (eds) Soil biology: effects on soil quality. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, pp 91–120

    Google Scholar 

  • Tisdall JM, Oades JM (1982) Organic matter and water-stable aggregates in soils. J Soil Sci 141–163

Download references

Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the Carbon Sequestration in Terrestrial Ecosystems Program, Office of Biological Research, US Department of Energy (DOE). Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is operated for the DOE by Battelle Memorial Institute under contract number DE-AC05-76RL01830. The authors are grateful to J.D. Jastrow for facilitating access to the Native Prairie site and to R. Walton for access to the Fermi Laboratory site.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, 902 Battelle Boulevard, Mail Stop P7-50, Richland, WA, 99352, USA

    S. J. Fansler, H. Bolton Jr & V. L. Bailey

  2. USDA-ARS, Washington State University, 215 Johnson Hall, Pullman, WA, 99164, USA

    J. L. Smith

Authors
  1. S. J. Fansler
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. J. L. Smith
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. H. Bolton Jr
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. V. L. Bailey
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to J. L. Smith.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Fansler, S.J., Smith, J.L., Bolton, H. et al. Distribution of two C cycle enzymes in soil aggregates of a prairie chronosequence. Biol Fertil Soils 42, 17–23 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-005-0867-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-005-0867-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation