Soil organic carbon is significantly associated with the pore geometry, microbial diversity and enzyme activity of the macro-aggregates under different land uses

No Thumbnail Available
File version
Author(s)
Bhattacharyya, Ranjan
Rabbi, Sheikh MF
Zhang, Yaqi
Young, Iain M
Jones, Andrew R
Dennis, Paul G
Menzies, Neal W
Kopittke, Peter M
Dalal, Ram C
Griffith University Author(s)
Primary Supervisor
Other Supervisors
Editor(s)
Date
2021
Size
File type(s)
Location
License
Abstract

Microbial activity strongly influences the stabilization of soil organic matter (SOM), and is affected by the abiotic properties within soil aggregates, which tend to differ between land uses. Here, we assessed the effects of SOM and pore geometry on the diversity and activity of microbial communities within aggregates formed under different land uses (undisturbed, plantation, pasture, and cropping). X-ray micro-computed tomography (μCT) revealed that macro-aggregates (2–8 mm) of undisturbed soils were porous, highly-connected, and had 200% more macro-pores compared with those from pasture and cropping soils. While the macro-aggregates of undisturbed soils had greater soil organic carbon (SOC) contents and N-acetyl β-glucosaminidase, β-glucosidase, and phosphatase activities, those of cropped soils harboured more diverse bacterial communities. Organic carbon was positively associated with the porosity of the macro-aggregates, which was negatively associated with microbial diversity and positively associated with enzyme activity. Thus, the biophysical processes in macro-aggregates may be important for SOC stabilization within the macro-aggregates.

Journal Title

Science of The Total Environment

Conference Title
Book Title
Edition
Volume

778

Issue
Thesis Type
Degree Program
School
Publisher link
Patent number
Funder(s)
Grant identifier(s)
Rights Statement
Rights Statement
Item Access Status
Note
Access the data
Related item(s)
Subject

Agriculture, land and farm management

Soil sciences

Microbial ecology

Enzymes

Science & Technology

Life Sciences & Biomedicine

Environmental Sciences

Environmental Sciences & Ecology

Land use

Persistent link to this record
Citation

Bhattacharyya, R; Rabbi, SMF; Zhang, Y; Young, IM; Jones, AR; Dennis, PG; Menzies, NW; Kopittke, PM; Dalal, RC, Soil organic carbon is significantly associated with the pore geometry, microbial diversity and enzyme activity of the macro-aggregates under different land uses, Science of The Total Environment, 2021, 778, pp. 146286

Collections