Changes in soil microbial biomass and community composition along vegetation zonation in a coastal sand dune

Shinpei Yoshitake*, Takayuki Nakatsubo

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

10 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

We used phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis to examine the relation of microbial biomass and community composition to vegetation zonation on a coastal sand dune. Soil samples were collected along 3 line transects established from the shoreline to the inland bush. Total PLFA content and PLFA composition of soils were used as indices of total microbial biomass and community composition, respectively. The microbial biomass was much higher in the inland Vitex rotundifolia zone than in the seaside plots. The microbial community composition also differed among the vegetation zones, with a higher contribution of fungal biomarkers in the inland plots. The microbial biomass increased significantly with increasing soil organic matter (SOM) content, but was not correlated with soil salinity. These results suggest that microbial biomass in the coastal sand dune was controlled primarily by the accumulation of SOM. The microbial community composition also changed with SOM content in the seaside plots, but SOM had little effect in the inland plots. These results suggest that the factors limiting the microbial community composition differed with location on the dune.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)390-396
Number of pages7
JournalAustralian Journal of Soil Research
Volume46
Issue number4
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2008 Jul 1
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Phospholipid fatty acids (PLFA)
  • Salinity
  • Soil organic matter (SOM)

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Environmental Chemistry
  • Soil Science

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Changes in soil microbial biomass and community composition along vegetation zonation in a coastal sand dune'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this