Rewetting and litter addition influence mineralisation and microbial communities in soils from a semi-arid intermittent stream

• Published in: Soil biology & biochemistry Vol. 41; no. 1; pp. 92 - 101
• Main Authors: McIntyre, Rebecca E.S., Adams, Mark A., Ford, Douglas J., Grierson, Pauline F.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier Ltd 2009; Elsevier
• Subjects: Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Biochemistry and biology; Biological and medical sciences; biomass; carbon; Carbon mineralisation; Chemical, physicochemical, biochemical and biological properties; community structure; Eucalyptus; Flood pulse; floodplains; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; microbial activity; Microbial biomass; Microbiology; mineralization; nitrogen; Nitrogen mineralisation; Phospholipid fatty acids; Physics, chemistry, biochemistry and biology of agricultural and forest soils; Pilbara; plant litter; riparian areas; saturated conditions; sediments; semiarid soils; soil microorganisms; soil pore water; soil respiration; Soil science; soil water content; soil water movement; species diversity; streams; Substrate limitation; Western Australia; wetting front; Western Australia; Phospholipid fatty acids; Substrate limitation; Flood pulse; Nitrogen mineralisation; Microbial biomass; Pilbara; Carbon mineralisation; Litter; Phospholipid; Nitrogen; Fatty acids; Carbon; Substrate; Soils; Flood; Intermittent; Mineralization; Semi arid zone; Soil science; Rewetting; Microbial community

Nitrogen (N) and carbon (C) mineralisation are triggered by pulses of water availability in arid and semi-arid systems. Intermittent streams and their associated riparian communities are obvious ‘hot spots’ for biogeochemical processes in arid landscapes where water and often C are limiting. Stream...