Plant Soil Environ., 2013, 59(3):95-100 | DOI: 10.17221/548/2012-PSE

Impact of poplar on soil organic matter quality and microbial communities in arable soilsOriginal Paper

C. Baum1, K.-U. Eckhardt1, J. Hahn2, M. Weih3, I. Dimitriou3, P. Leinweber1
1 SoilScience, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany
2 Landscape Ecology and Site Evaluation, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany
3 Department of Crop Production Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences,

Poplars grown in short rotation coppice on agricultural land are a promising bioenergy crop. This study aimed to evaluate the soil organic matter (SOM) quality and viable microbial consortium under six-years-old poplar (Populus maximowiczii) and under wheat (Triticum aestivum) at a test site in central Germany. The SOM molecular composition and stability was determined by pyrolysis-field ionization mass spectrometry (Py-FIMS). The microbial consortium was assessed in terms of microbial phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) profiles. Py-FIMS and the PLFAs agreed in showing crop-specific differences in the SOM quality and in the associated microbial communities. Higher proportions of carbohydrates, long-chained fatty acids, sterols and suberins at the expense of N-containing compounds under poplar than under wheat were associated with lower concentrations of microbial PLFAs in the organic matter. A higher ratio of total fungal to bacterial (f/b) PLFAs, a lower ratio of Gram-positive to Gram-negative bacterial PLFAs and lower biomass of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in the organic matter were revealed under poplar than under wheat. Lower N- and increased C-availability in the SOM promoted fungal vs. bacterial colonization, increased the SOM stability by a lower decomposability and caused SOM accumulation under poplar.

Keywords: bioenergy; soil carbon storage; phospholipid fatty acid profiles; Populus; short rotation coppice

Published: March 31, 2013  Show citation

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Baum C, Eckhardt K-U, Hahn J, Weih M, Dimitriou I, Leinweber P. Impact of poplar on soil organic matter quality and microbial communities in arable soils. Plant Soil Environ. 2013;59(3):95-100. doi: 10.17221/548/2012-PSE.
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