Skip to main content
ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #103558
Title: RELATIONSHIP OF INTRA-SEASONAL PATTERNS IN BIOLOGICALLY-ACTIVE SOIL C AND MICROBIAL BIOMASS

Author
item Cambardella, Cynthia
item Moorman, Thomas

Submitted to: Agronomy Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/4/1999
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Spatial analysis of soil factors was done in 1992, 1996, and 1997 for a field in central Iowa. Temporal trends were examined every 3 weeks during 1996 and 1997. Spatial patterns for particulate organic matter C (pomc), microbial biomass C (mbc), and potentially mineralizable N (pminn) were not stable across time. Intra-seasonal temporal patterns for the factors were different in 1996 and 1997. In both years, POMC was reduced by 40-50%, but the loss occurred at different points in the growing season for the 2 years. In 1996, mbc peaked in May, decreased through September, and increased in October. Pminn increased between May and August, decreased through September, and peaked in October. In contrast, during 1997, mbc and pminn peaked in May and then remained constant for the rest of the year. Stratifying the data by map unit or landscape position did not increase the stability of the spatial pattern across time.