Summary
A number of biochemical parameters reflecting biological activity (respiration, ATP, enzyme activities) were determined in 0- to 7-year-old lignite mine soils. C (as CO2) and ATP contents and hydrolytic enzyme activities all increased with soil age. The kinetics of CO2 release showed that both labile and recalcitrant C-bearing substrates were mineralized, the mineralization constant of C decreased with soil age, but were always greater than those of native soils. The percentage of N mineralization, which tended to decrease with soil age, resulted in all cases in a predominance of ammoniacal forms. These findings suggest that since organic C and N accumulated with age in these soils, the C and N cycle is established progressively.
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Gil-Sotres, F., Trasar-Cepeda, M.C., Ciardi, C. et al. Biochemical characterization of biological activity in very young mine soils. Biol Fert Soils 13, 25–30 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00337233
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00337233