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https://hdl.handle.net/2440/44274
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Type: | Journal article |
Title: | Limitations of soil microbial biomass carbon as an indicator of soil pollution in the field |
Author: | Broos, K. MacDonald, L. Warne, M. Heemsbergen, D. Barnes, M. Bell, M. McLaughlin, M. |
Citation: | Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 2007; 39(10):2693-2695 |
Publisher: | Pergamon-Elsevier Science Ltd |
Issue Date: | 2007 |
ISSN: | 0038-0717 1879-3428 |
Statement of Responsibility: | Kris Broos, Lynne M. Macdonald, Michael St. J. Warne, Diane A. Heemsbergen, Mary B. Barnes, Mike Bell and Mike J. McLaughlin |
Abstract: | The size of the soil microbial biomass carbon (SMBC) has been proposed as a sensitive indicator for measuring the adverse effects of contaminants on the soil microbial community. In this study of Australian agricultural systems, we demonstrated that field variability of SMBC measured using the fumigation–extraction procedure limited its use as a robust ecotoxicological endpoint. The SMBC varied up to 4-fold across control samples collected from a single field site, due to small-scale spatial heterogeneity in the soil physicochemical environment. Power analysis revealed that large numbers of replicates (3–93) were required to identify 20% or 50% decreases in the size of the SMBC of contaminated soil samples relative to their uncontaminated control samples at the 0.05% level of statistical significance. We question the value of the routine measurement of SMBC as an ecotoxicological endpoint at the field scale, and suggest more robust and predictive microbiological indicators. |
Keywords: | Soil microbial biomass carbon Field variability Ecotoxicological endpoint Metal toxicity Robustness |
Rights: | Crown copyright © 2007 Published by Elsevier Ltd. |
DOI: | 10.1016/j.soilbio.2007.05.014 |
Published version: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2007.05.014 |
Appears in Collections: | Aurora harvest Earth and Environmental Sciences publications Environment Institute publications |
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