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Volume and activity of micro‐organisms in litter from native and sown temperate pasture species
Author(s) -
HUTCHINSON K. J.,
KING K. L.
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
australian journal of ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1442-9993
pISSN - 0307-692X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1442-9993.1989.tb01424.x
Subject(s) - pasture , lolium perenne , agronomy , phalaris arundinacea , biology , litter , growing season , trifolium repens , temperate climate , zoology , botany , ecology , poaceae , wetland
A serial extraction method was developed to estimate microbial volume in pasture plant litter. Litter from six species was evaluated over four seasons and a five fold range in microbial volume per unit mass was established in the descending order of: Trifolium repens, Lolium perenne, Festuca arundinacea, Phalaris aquatica, Poa sieberana and Themeda australis. The ranking among litter sources was the same for both fungi (F) and bacteria (B) and the ratio F/B ranged from 4 to 10. Accompanying respiration measurements (O 2 ) were made over a range of litter moisture and at temperatures which represented field conditions. Maximum responses of respiration to moisture were estimated for each source and season, along with the Q 10 temperature effects between 5, 15 and 25°C. Potential microbial production and generation times were calculated for the six litters. Differences between litters were associated with microbial standing crops rather than turnover times. However, moisture and temperature appeared to be the major determinants of seasonal responses, for example, Q 10 effects. Microbial parameters calculated for Phalaris aquatica. in the field environment, were in substantial agreement with those from Eriophorum sp. in a tundra site (Flanagan & Bunnell 1976). Residues quality, as reflected by the amount and activity of microbial colonizers, is discussed in relation to the potential of management to enhance biological mineralization of pasture residues.