Enzyme activities and microbial biomass in topsoil layer during spontaneous succession in spoil heaps after brown coal mining

• Published in: Soil biology & biochemistry Vol. 40; no. 9; pp. 2107 - 2115
• Main Authors: Baldrian, Petr, Trögl, Josef, Frouz, Jan, Šnajdr, Jaroslav, Valášková, Vendula, Merhautová, Věra, Cajthaml, Tomáš, Herinková, Jana
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01-09-2008; New York, NY Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Betula; Biochemistry and biology; Biological and medical sciences; Calamagrostis epigeios; carbon; Chemical, physicochemical, biochemical and biological properties; chronosequences; ecological succession; Enzyme activity; forbs; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Fungal to bacterial biomass ratio; grasses; Lignocellulose; Microbial biomass; Microbiology; mine spoil; nitrogen; phosphorus; Physics, chemistry, biochemistry and biology of agricultural and forest soils; Populus tremuloides; potassium; Primary succession; Salix caprea; seasonal variation; Seasonality; shrubs; soil ecology; soil enzymes; soil fertility; soil microorganisms; soil pH; Soil science; species diversity; topsoil; trees; vegetation; vegetation cover; Czech Republic; Primary succession; Enzyme activity; Lignocellulose; Microbial biomass; Fungal to bacterial biomass ratio; Seasonality; Top soil; Spontaneous; Lignocellulosics; Fungi; Soils; Lignite; Enzymatic activity; Seasonal variation; Bacteria; Soil science
• ISSN: 0038-0717; 1879-3428
• DOI: 10.1016/j.soilbio.2008.02.019

Changes in the activity of extracellular enzymes (cellobiohydrolase, β-glucosidase, β-xylosidase, chitinase, arylsulfatase and phosphatases) and the changes in microbial community and abiotic properties in the topsoil layer, as well as soil abiotic properties during primary succession were investigated in a brown coal mine deposit area near Sokolov, Czech Republic. The study considered the chronosequence of 4 post-mining plots, 4-, 12-, 21- and 45-year old. The 4-year old site had no vegetation cover. Herbs and grasses (mainly
Calamagrostis epigeios) were present on the 12-year old plot, shrubs (
Salix caprea) occurred on the 21-year old plot and tree cover (
Betula spp. and
Populus tremuloides) developed on the 45-year old plot. Soil pH gradually decreased with site age, while the content of P, K, C and N peaked in the 21-year old site, being significantly lower in the 45-year old site and much lower in the 4- and 12-year old sites. Phosphatase activities were strongly affected by seasonality while the activities of all the other enzymes measured were more influenced by the effects of succession age and soil layer than by seasonality. Succession age was also the most important factor affecting the total and bacterial PLFA contents, followed by the effects of soil layer and season while for the fungal biomass content-related properties (ergosterol, fungal PLFA and the fungal/bacterial PLFA ratio), season was the most important. Activities of individual enzymes in the topsoil (0–5
cm depth) were significantly affected by both site age and season. Cellobiohydrolase and β-xylosidase were more affected by site age while chitinase and phosphatases were more affected by season. Enzyme activity increased with succession age. Comparison of the effect of site and season on enzyme activity showed that season played a principal role in the enzyme activity of the entire 0–5
cm component of topsoil, as well the soil layers when evaluated separately.