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Soil organic C variability and microbial functions in a Mediterranean agro-forest ecosystem

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Abstract

Five soils characterised by different agro-forest managements, typical of Mediterranean environment and with increasing human impact were chosen in Sardinia (Italy): two vineyards with different management systems, a rotation hay crop-pasture and a forest (Quercus suber L.). The study aimed to investigate the relationships between C storage and microbial functionality in soil under different managements. Pools of total organic C and microbial biomass C were determined, as well as the loss of organic C due to microbial respiration (basal and cumulative) and several microbial indices (metabolic, mineralization, and microbial quotient) as indicators of the microbial efficiency in the use of energy and the degree of substrate limitation for soil microbes. Enzymes were chosen on their relevance in the C (β-cellobiohydrolase, N-acetyl-β-glucosaminidase, β-glucosidase, α-glucosidase), N (leucine aminopeptidase), S (arylsulphatase) and P (acid phosphatase) cycling and were used as indicators of functional diversity in soil. Organic C pools and enzyme activities on average increased noticeably in soils with a lower human impact showing the highest values in forest and the lowest in the vineyards, following the trend of organic matter availability. The trend in functional diversity reflected the increase of microbial pool and organic C availability: the vineyards showed a lower Shannon’s diversity index, whilst pasture and forest sites reached the maximum levels of functional diversity. These soils showed an increase of microbial efficiency in the use of available resources and the decrease of substrate limitation for soil microbes.

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Acknowledgments

The research was funded by the Ministry of University in the context of the FISR SOILSINK research project, Line 1 (national coordinator: Rosa Francaviglia, CRA Rome). The experimental site was chosen on the basis of vegetation and soil surveys made in collaboration with Salvatore Madrau, Simonetta Bagella, Rossella Filigheddu, Maria Carmela Caria, and Emmanuele Farris (University of Sassari).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Agrobiology and Agrochemistry, University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy

    Alessandra Lagomarsino, Sara Marinari, M. Cristina Moscatelli & Stefano Grego

  2. CRA-RPS, Research Centre for the Soil–Plant System, Rome, Italy

    Anna Benedetti & Letizia Pompili

  3. CRA-ABP, Research Centre for Agrobiology and Pedology, Florence, Italy

    Alessandra Lagomarsino

  4. Dipartimento di Scienze Agronomiche e Genetica Vegetale Agraria, University of Sassari, via Enrico De Nicola, 07100, Sassari, Italy

    Pier Paolo Roggero, Roberto Lai & Luigi Ledda

  5. Desertification Research Group, University of Sassari, viale Italia 57, 07100, Sassari, Italy

    Pier Paolo Roggero

Authors
  1. Alessandra Lagomarsino
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  2. Anna Benedetti
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  3. Sara Marinari
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  4. Letizia Pompili
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  5. M. Cristina Moscatelli
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  6. Pier Paolo Roggero
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  7. Roberto Lai
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  8. Luigi Ledda
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  9. Stefano Grego
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Correspondence to Alessandra Lagomarsino.

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Lagomarsino, A., Benedetti, A., Marinari, S. et al. Soil organic C variability and microbial functions in a Mediterranean agro-forest ecosystem. Biol Fertil Soils 47, 283–291 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-010-0530-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-010-0530-4

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