Summary
The course of respiration rate during glucose decomposition in a soil sample was studied. The whole process of oxidation (mineralization) is divided into two principal parts: the primary oxidation which occurs while the substrate is still present and the secondary oxidation after the disappearance of the substrate. The primary oxidation brought about by two different components: the oxidative component represents the sum of enzyme activity present originally in the soil sample, and the assimilative component is built up during the process by synthesis of microbial enzymes. The size of the oxidative component is correlated with the biological potency of soil. Sometimes, an intermediary stage can be observed at the beginning of the secondary oxidation. A method is given for enumeration of the proportions of the two components involved in primary oxidation. The biochemical and pedological meaning of these data is discussed.
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Drobník, J. Primary oxidation of organic matter in the soil. Plant Soil 12, 199–211 (1960). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01343649
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01343649