Microbiological Characteristics оf Cambisols фrom Western Balkan Mountains (Bulgaria)

Kostadinka Nedyalkova, Radka Donkova, Hristo Valchovski

Abstract: Changes in microbial population density and basal soil respiration of Cambisols from Western Balkan Mountains due to the influence of vegetation cover (grassland, pine forest and beech forest) were studied, and their relations with soil properties were examined. It was found that microbial counts were the highest in the soil under grassland, followed by soils under beech forest and pine forest. Bacterial groups (ammonifying, spore forming, oligonitrophilic and mineral nitrogen utilizing) prevailed in the grassland. Fungi were predominant in the soil under pine forest. Basal soil respiration, as assessed by CO2 evolution, was the highest in the beech forest (93,80 mg CO2/100g/24h), followed by the grassland (67,96 mg CO2/100g/24h) and the pine forest (64,39 mg CO2/100g/24h). Positive correlation between basal respiration and soil organic carbon content was found. The study clearly confirmed the impact of vegetation cover on microbiological parameters of Cambisols from Western Balkan Mountains.

Keywords: Balkan Mountains; Cambisol; CO2 evolution; microbial population density; soil respiration

Date published: 2017-07-26