Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Vertical Distribution and Activity of Soil Microbial Population in a Sandy Desert Ecosystem

  • Published:
Microbial Ecology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The vertical distribution of a microbial community on a temporal and spatial (vertical) scale under the Tamarix aphylla salt-resistant plant was studied. The uniqueness of this plant is in the creation of “islands of salinity” beneath the plant, due to salt excretion and leaf shedding at the plant base. Our working hypothesis was that the activity and biomass of the soil microbial population and the ratio between bacterial biomass and fungal biomass will decrease toward the driest season. Soil samples were collected beneath and between plants under the T. aphylla canopy down to the 0- to 50-cm depth at 10-cm intervals. The substrate-induced respiration method was used to estimate the total soil microbial biomass (MB), CO2 evolution, metabolic quotient (qCO2) index, and MB of both the fungal and bacterial communities. A significant difference was observed (p < 0.05) in MB and qCO2 index between the different soil layers in the control samples, whereas there was no significant difference in the soil samples in the vicinity of the plant (p > 0.05) between the depths, due to the plant rhizosphere effect.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6
Figure 7

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Alon, A, Steinberger, Y (1999) Response of the soil microbial biomass and nematode population to a wetting event in nitrogen-amended Negev desert plots. Biol Fertil Soils 30: 147–152

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Anderson, JPE, Domsch, KH (1973) Quantification of bacterial and fungal contributions to soil respiration. Arch Microbiol 116: 113–127

    Google Scholar 

  3. Anderson, JPE, Domsch, KH (1978) A physiological method for the quantitative measurement of microbial biomass in soils. Soil Biol Biochem 10: 215–221

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Anderson, TH, Domsch, KH (1985) Determination of eco-physiological maintenance requirements of soil microorganisms in a dormant state. Biol Fertil Soils 1: 81–89

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Clark, FE (1949) Soil microorganisms and plant roots. Adv Agron 1: 241–288

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Eshel, A, Waisel, Y (1973) Ion uptake by barley and corn roots as affected by their salt status. Isr J Bot 22: 204

    Google Scholar 

  7. Evenaril, ME, Shanan, L, Tadmore, W (1982) The Negev: The Challenge of a Desert. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA

    Google Scholar 

  8. Fliessbach, A, Sarig, S, Steinberger, Y (1994) Effects of water pulses and climatic conditions on microbial biomass kinetics and microbial activity in a yermosal of the central Negev. Arid Soil Res Rehabil 8: 353–362

    Google Scholar 

  9. Flowers, TJ, Troke, PF, Yeo, AR (1977) Mechanism of salt tolerance in halophytes. Annu Rev Plant Physiol Plant Mol Biol 28: 89–121

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. He, XL, Mouratov, S, Steinberger, Y (2002) Temporal and spatial dynamics of vesicular–arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi under the canopy of Zygophyllum dumosum Boiss. in the Negev Desert. J Arid Environ 52: 379–387

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Houba, VJG, Novozamsky, I, Vittenbogaard, J, Van Der Lee, JJ (1987) Automatic determination of total soluble nitrogen in soil extracts. Landwirtsch Forsch 40: 295–302

    Google Scholar 

  12. Kaiser, EA, Mueller, T, Joergensen, RG, Insam, H, Heinemeyer, O (1992) Evaluation of methods to estimate the soil microbial biomass and the relationship with soil texture and organic matter. Soil Biol Biochem 24: 675–683

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Krasilnikov, NA (1958) Soil Microorganism and Higher Plants, Moscow (in Russian) (English translation: Israel Program for Scientific Translation, Jerusalem, 1961)

  14. Noy-Meir, I (1980) Structure and function of desert ecosystems. Isr J Bot 28: 1–19

    Google Scholar 

  15. Odum, EP (1969) The strategy of ecosystem development. Science 164: 262–270

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Odum, EP (1985) Trends expected in stressed ecosystems. BioScience 35: 419–422

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Parker, LW, Miller, J, Steinberger, Y, Whitford, WG (1983) Soil respiration in a Chihuhuan desert rangeland. Soil Biol Biochem 15: 303–309

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Powlson, DS, Brookes, PC, Christensen, BT (1987) Measurement of soil microbial biomass provides an early indication of changes in the total soil organic matter due to straw incorporation. Soil Biol Biochem 19: 159–164

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Rowell, DL (1994) Soil Science: Methods and Applications. Longman Group UK, London

    Google Scholar 

  20. S.F.A.S. (1995) Manual-San Plus Analyzer. SKALAR Analytical, Breda, The Netherlands

  21. Sarig, S, Fliessbach, A, Steinberger, Y (1996) Microbial biomass reflects a nitrogen and phosphorous economy of halophytes grown in salty desert soil. Biol Fertil Soils 21: 128–130

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Sarig, S, Steinberger, Y (1994) Microbial biomass response to seasonal fluctuation in soil salinity under the canopy of desert halophytes. Soil Biol Biochem 26: 1405–1408

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Schlesinger, WH, Reynolds, JF, Cunningham, GL, Huenneke, LF, Jarrel, WM, Virginia, RA, Whitford, WG (1990) Biological feedbacks in global desertification. Science 247: 1043–1048

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Steinberger, Y, Whitford, WG (1988) Decomposition processes in the Negev ecosystem. Oecologia (Berl) 75: 61–66

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Wardle, DA (1992) A comparative assessment of factors which influence microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen levels in soil. Biol Rev 67: 321–358

    Google Scholar 

  26. Weisel, Y (1973) Biology of Halophytes. Academic Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  27. Whitford, WG (2002) Ecology of Desert Systems. Academic Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, 52900, Israel

    Ido Shamir & Yosef Steinberger

Authors
  1. Ido Shamir
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Yosef Steinberger
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yosef Steinberger.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Shamir, I., Steinberger, Y. Vertical Distribution and Activity of Soil Microbial Population in a Sandy Desert Ecosystem. Microb Ecol 53, 340–347 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-006-9137-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-006-9137-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation