Changes of Soil Microbiological Properties during Grass Litter Decomposition in Loess Hilly Region, China

Yun Xiang, Shaoshan An, Man Cheng, Lijun Liu and Ying Xie
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Yun Xiang: State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, China
Shaoshan An: State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, China
Man Cheng: State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, China
Lijun Liu: Shanxi Research Academy of Environment Sciences, Taiyuan 030000, Shanxi, China
Ying Xie: Shanxi Research Academy of Environment Sciences, Taiyuan 030000, Shanxi, China

IJERPH, 2018, vol. 15, issue 9, 1-11

Abstract: Litter, the link between soil and plant, is an important part of nutrient return to soil. Deeply understanding the effect of litter decomposition on soil microbiological properties is important for the sustainable development of grasslands. Three plants ( Thymus quinquecostatus Celak., Stipa bungeana Trin. and Artemisia sacrorum ledeb.) leaf litter were selected. A simulation experiment using the nylon bag method was conducted to measure the soil microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen, and soil enzyme activity during litter decomposition. The results showed that the decomposition of three leaf litter enhanced soil microbial carbon and nitrogen. The change rate of soil microbial carbon and nitrogen decreased as Ar.S > St.B > Th.Q. The activities of soil invertase, soil urease, and soil nitrate reductase were significantly improved by the coverage of leaf litter. After 741-day litter decomposition, the change rate of soil invertase was from 16.7% to 33.2%. The change rate of soil urease was highest in the Th.Q treatment; St.B treatment and Ar.S treatment followed, and lowest in the control. The change rates of soil nitrate reductase in the St.B and Ar.S treatment were >1000% higher than those of other treatments. The response of soil enzyme activity to litter decomposition “lagged” behind the change of soil microbial biomass. The significant increase of soil microbial biomass and enzyme activity demonstrated that litter decomposition played an important role in maintaining soil ecological function.

Keywords: litter decomposition; soil microbial biomass; soil enzyme activity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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