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Microbial Biomass in Broad-Leaved Forest Soils

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Functioning and Management of European Beech Ecosystems

Part of the book series: Ecological Studies ((ECOLSTUD,volume 208))

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Abstract

Long-term analysis of ecosystem processes involves, to a great extent, inventories of element and energy transfers between biotic and abiotic compartments. In terrestrial ecosystems, the heterotrophic activity of soil micro-organisms plays a central role in this element and energy transfer as it involves the release of organic nutrients and mineral elements during microbial mineralisation activities of organic residues from the primary producers. Chronic detrimental impacts would directly affect this vital microbial compartment with subsequent changes in the element and energy budget of a system. For that reason, it is an obligatory necessity to develop a sound knowledge about the size of this microbial pool and the microbial biomass of total fungal and bacterial cells, together with an understanding of its controlling mechanisms. It is most likely that adverse changes in an ecosystem will more easily and at an early stage be detectable at the microbial community level. The objectives of this study were (1) to survey a large number of different forest sites in Lower Saxony for microbial biomass content, microbial growth or activity indices, in order to (2) provide the underlying principles of microbial development in forest soils. All the methods used are well described in the pertaining literature.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Kurt Steffens, Maria Bota and Kirsten Höpker for reliable technical assistance. We are very much indebted for the help of the many forest officers, who suggested forest stands and supplied maps.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Johann Heinrich von Thünen-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Rural Areas, Forestry and Fisheries, Institute of Biodiversity, Bundesallee 50, 38116, Braunschweig, Germany

    T.-H. Anderson

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  1. T.-H. Anderson
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Correspondence to T.-H. Anderson .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Soil Science of Tropical Ecosystems, Georg-August- University Göttingen, Büsgenweg 2, 37077, Göttingen, Germany

    Rainer Brumme

  2. Department of Soil Science of Temperate and Boreal Ecosystems, Georg-August- University Göttingen, Büsgenweg 2, 37077, Göttingen, Germany

    Partap K. Khanna

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Anderson, TH. (2009). Microbial Biomass in Broad-Leaved Forest Soils. In: Brumme, R., Khanna, P.K. (eds) Functioning and Management of European Beech Ecosystems. Ecological Studies, vol 208. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/b82392_21

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