Abstract
The influence of a fire retardant (Firesorb, an acrylic–acrylamide copolymer) on the microbial community structure determined by phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis was examined under laboratory conditions using two different textured soils under pine forest. Firesorb was added to unheated and heated soil samples (350°C for 10 min followed by reinoculation, to mimic a forest fire) at three levels of application (none, usual and three times the usual levels), and measurements were made after 12 weeks of incubation. The relative importance of the three factors considered on the PLFA profiles was as follows: soil heating ≫ soil texture ≈ Firesorb treatment. In the unheated soils, Firesorb had a larger effect than soil texture, while the opposite was found in the heated soils. Soil heating reduced the total PLFAs, while Firesorb tended to increase them in both the unheated and heated soils. Soil heating decreased the PLFAs indicative of gram-positive (G+) bacteria and tended to increase the fatty acids associated with gram-negative (G−) bacteria and, to a lesser extent, the PLFA 18:2ω6, considered to be predominantly of fungal origin. Firesorb treatment decreased the G−/G+ bacteria ratio in the heated soils but tended to increase it in the unheated soils, the effect being dose dependent.
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Acknowledgements
The authors thank Stockhausen (Degüssa-Hüls Gruppe, Germany) for providing the acrylamide copolymer and N. Pérez Balsa for technical assistance. This study was supported by the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología and FEDER founds from the EC (Project AGL2001-1242-CO4-01) and by the Swedish Research Council.
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Díaz-Raviña, M., Bååth, E., Martín, A. et al. Microbial community structure in forest soils treated with a fire retardant. Biol Fertil Soils 42, 465–471 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-005-0036-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-005-0036-7