[go: up one dir, main page]
Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Microbial biomass and its activities in salt-affected coastal soils

  • Short Communication
  • Published:
Biology and Fertility of Soils Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Seasonal fluctuations in salinity are typical in coastal soils due to the intrusion of seawater in the groundwater. We studied the effect of salinity on the microbial and biochemical parameters of the salt-affected soils of the coastal region of Bay of Bengal, Sundarbans, India. The average pH values and average organic C (OC) contents of soils from nine different sites cultivated with rice (Oryza sativa) ranged from 4.8 to 7.8 and from 5.2 to 14.1 g kg−1, respectively. The average electrical conductivity of the saturation extract (ECe) during the summer season was about five times higher than that during the monsoon season. Within the nine sites, three soils (S3, S4, and S5) were the most saline. The average microbial biomass C (MBC), average basal soil respiration (BSR), and average fluorescein diacetate hydrolyzing activity (FDHA) were lowest during the summer season, indicating a negative influence of soil salinity. About 59%, 50%, and 20% variation in MBC/OC, FDHA/OC, and BSR/MBC (metabolic quotient, qCO2), respectively, which are indicators of environmental stress, could be explained by the variation in ECe. The decrease in MBC and microbial activities with a rise in salinity is probably one of the reasons for the poor crop growth in salt-affected coastal soils.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
$34.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

References

  • Alef K (1995a) Soil respiration. In: Alef K, Nannipieri P (eds) Methods in soil microbiology and biochemistry. Academic, London, pp 214–219

    Google Scholar 

  • Alef K (1995b) Estimation of the hydrolysis of fluorescein diacetate. In: Alef K, Nannipieri P (eds) Methods in soil microbiology and biochemistry. Academic, London, pp 232–233

    Google Scholar 

  • Alexander M (1977) Introduction to soil microbiology, 2nd edn. Wiley Eastern Limited, New Delhi

    Google Scholar 

  • Anderson TH (2003) Microbial eco-physiological indicators to assess soil quality. Agric Ecosyst Environ 98:285–293

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Anderson TH, Domsch KH (1993) The metabolic quotient for CO2 (qCO2) as a specific activity parameter to assess the effects of environmental conditions, such as pH, on the microbial biomass of forest soils. Soil Biol Biochem 25:393–395

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bandyapadhyay AK, Bandyapadhyay BK, Yadav JSP (1982) Effect of different crop rotations on salinity of coastal soils of Sundarban (West Bengal). J Indian Soc Soil Sci 30:242–244

    Google Scholar 

  • Bandyapadhyay BK, Maji B, Sen HS, Tyagi NK (2003) Coastal soils of West Bengal—their nature, distribution and characteristics. Bulletin No. 1/2003. Central Soil Salinity Research Institute, Regional Research Station, Canning Town, West Bengal, India, pp 1–62

    Google Scholar 

  • Batra L, Manna MC (1997) Dehydrogenase activity and microbial biomass carbon in salt-affected soils of semiarid and arid regions. Arid Soil Res Rehabil 11:295–303

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Brookes PC (1995) The use of microbial parameters in monitoring soil pollution. Biol Fertil Soils 19:269–279

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Burns RG (1978) Soil enzyme. Academic, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Chander K, Dyckmans J, Joergensen RG, Meyer B, Ranbuch M (2001) Different source of heavy metals and their long-term effects on soil microbial properties. Biol Fertil Soils 34:241–247

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dick RP (1994) Soil enzyme activities as indicators of soil quality. In: Doran JW, Colemen DC, Bezdicek DF, Stewart BA (eds) Defining soil quality for sustainable environment. Special publication no. 35. SSSA, Madison, WI, pp 107–124

    Google Scholar 

  • Garcia C, Hernandez T (1996) Influence of salinity on the biological and biochemical activity of a calciorthird soil. Plant Soil 178:255–263

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Garcia C, Hernander T, Costa F (1994) Microbial activity in soils under Mediterranean environmental conditions. Soil Biol Biochem 26:1185–1191

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gupta SR, Singh JS (1981) Soil respiration in a tropical grassland. Soil Biol Biochem 13:261–263

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Heinemeyer O, Höper H, Kleefisch B, Blagodatski S (1999) Differenzierung von aktiver und ruhender mikrobieler Biomasse in Böden mittels Resprameterici-Erprobung und erste Ergebnisse von Messungen an Böden unterschiedlicher Genese. Mitt Dtsch Bodenkdl Ges 91:626–629

    Google Scholar 

  • Kaur B, Aggarwal AK, Gupta SR (1998) Soil microbial biomass and nitrogen mineralization in salt affected soils. Int J Ecol Environ Sci 24:103–111

    Google Scholar 

  • Kucera CL, Kirkham DR (1971) Soil respiration studies in tall grass prairie in Missouri. Ecology 52:912–915

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lenka KC (1996) Challenges and opportunities of research development in coastal agriculture. J Indian Soc Coast Agric Res 14:1–5

    Google Scholar 

  • Mallouhi N, Jacquin F (1985) Essai de correlation entre proprietes biochimiques d'un sol salsodique et sa biomasse. Soil Biol Biochem 17:23–26

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nannipieri P, Greco S, Ceccanti B (1990) Ecological significance of the biological activity in soil. In: Bollag JM, Stotzy G (eds) Soil biochemistry, vol. 6. Dekker, New York, pp 293–355

    Google Scholar 

  • Nelson DW, Somers LE (1975) Organic carbon. In: Alef K, Nannipieri P (eds) Methods in soil microbiology and biochemistry. Academic, London, pp 59–60

    Google Scholar 

  • Ohya H, Fujiwara S, Komai Y, Yamaguchi M (1988) Microbial biomass and activity in urban soils contaminated with Zn and Pb. Biol Fertil Soils 6:9–13

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ragab M (1993) Distribution pattern of soil microbial population in salt-affected soil. In: Lieth H, Al-Masoom AA (eds) Towards rational use of high salinity tolerant plants, deliberations about high salinity tolerant plants and ecosystems, vol. 1. Kluwer Academic, Dordrecht, The Netherlands, pp 467–472

    Google Scholar 

  • Rietz DN, Haynes RJ (2003) Effects of irrigation induced salinity and sodicity on soil microbial activity. Soil Biol Biochem 35:845–854

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sardinha M, Muller T, Schmeisky H, Joergensen RG (2003) Microbial performance in soils along a salinity gradient under acidic conditions. Appl Soil Ecol 23:237–244

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schnürer J, Rosswall T (1982) Fluorescein diacetate hydrolysis as a measure of total microbial activity in soil and litter. Appl Environ Microbiol 43:1256–1261

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sommers LE, Wilding RE, Gilmour CM, Beck SM (1981) The effect of water potential on decomposition processes in soil. In: Parr JF, Gardner WR (eds) Water potential relation in soil microbiology. Special publication no. 9. SSSA, Madison, WI, pp 97–117

    Google Scholar 

  • Sparling GP (1997) Soil microbial biomass, activity and nutrient cycling as indicators of soil health. In: Pankhurst CE, Doube BM, Gupta VVSR (eds) Biological indicator of soil health. CAB, Wallingford, pp 97–119

    Google Scholar 

  • United States Department of Agriculture (1954) Diagnosis and improvement of saline and alkali soils. In: Richards LA (ed) Agriculture hand book no. 60. Oxford & IBH, New Delhi, pp 1–160

    Google Scholar 

  • Vance ED, Brookes PC, Jenkinson DS (1987) An extraction method for measuring soil microbial biomass C. Soil Biol Biochem 19:703–707

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Van Gestel M, Ladd JN, Amato M (1992) Microbial biomass responses to seasonal change and imposed drying regimes at increasing depths of undisturbed topsoil profiles. Soil Biol Biochem 24:103–111

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zahran Z (1997) Diversity, adaptation and activity of the bacterial flora in saline environments. Biol Fertil Soils 25:211–223

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Agricultural Science, University of Calcutta, 35 Ballygunge Circular Road, Calcutta, 700019, India

    Sudipta Tripathi, Sabitri Kumari & Kalyan Chakrabarti

  2. Department of Agronomy, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, West Bengal, 741252, India

    Ashis Chakraborty

  3. Department of Statistics, University of Calcutta, 35 Ballygunge Circular Road, Calcutta, 700019, India

    Arindam Gupta

  4. Central Soil Salinity Research Institute, Regional Research Station, Canning Town, West Bengal, 743329, India

    Bimal Kumar Bandyapadhyay

Authors
  1. Sudipta Tripathi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Sabitri Kumari
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Ashis Chakraborty
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Arindam Gupta
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Kalyan Chakrabarti
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Bimal Kumar Bandyapadhyay
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kalyan Chakrabarti.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Tripathi, S., Kumari, S., Chakraborty, A. et al. Microbial biomass and its activities in salt-affected coastal soils. Biol Fertil Soils 42, 273–277 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-005-0037-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-005-0037-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation