Soil enzyme activities, microbial communities, and carbon and nitrogen availability in organic agroecosystems across an intensively-managed agricultural landscape

• Published in: Soil biology & biochemistry Vol. 68; pp. 252 - 262
• Main Authors: Bowles, Timothy M., Acosta-Martínez, Veronica, Calderón, Francisco, Jackson, Louise E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier Ltd 01.01.2014; Elsevier
• Subjects: agricultural land; agroecosystems; Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Biochemistry and biology; biogeochemical cycles; Biological and medical sciences; carbon; Central Valley of California; Chemical, physicochemical, biochemical and biological properties; community structure; environmental factors; enzyme activity; enzymes; FAME analysis; fatty acid methyl esters; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; fungi; green waste; growing season; Landscape heterogeneity; landscapes; Lycopersicon esculentum; Microbial biomass; microbial communities; Microbiology; nitrogen; nutrient management; Organic agriculture; Organic matter; organic production; phosphorus; Physics, chemistry, biochemistry and biology of agricultural and forest soils; saprophytes; Soil enzyme activities; soil enzymes; Soil microbial communities; soil microorganisms; soil nutrients; Soil organic matter; soil pH; Soil science; soil texture; Solanum lycopersicum var. lycopersicum; sulfur; tomatoes; Central Valley of California; INE, USA, California; USA, California, Central Valley; Organic agriculture; Soil enzyme activities; Soil organic matter; Soil microbial communities; Landscape heterogeneity; FAME analysis; Microbial biomass; Microbial activity; Organic matter; Rural environment; Available nutrient; Nitrogen; Carbon; Agroecosystem; Agricultural landscape; Heterogeneity; Soils; Enzymatic activity; Soil science; Fatty acid methyl ester; Microbial community

Variability in the activity and composition of soil microbial communities may have important implications for the suite of microbially-derived ecosystem functions upon which agricultural systems rely, particularly organic agriculture. An on-farm approach was used to investigate microbial communities...