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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Pullman, Washington » Northwest Sustainable Agroecosystems Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #196315
Title: RELATING MICROBIAL C METABOLISM TO SOIL C STORAGE

Author
item Smith, Jeffrey
item BAILEY, V - PACIFIC NW NAT LIBRARY
item BOLTON, H - PACIFIC NW NAT LIBRARY

Submitted to: Microbial Ecology International Symposium
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/1/2006
Publication Date: 7/1/2006
Citation: Smith, J.L.; Bailey, V.L.; Bolton, H. Relating Microbial C Metabolism to Soil C Storage. International Society of Microbial Ecology, 2006.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Microbial mediated C metabolism in soils is governed by the amount and quality of C substrates. The rate of microbial decomposition of C substrates may influence the decomposability of secondary products. Thus as a hypothesis, rapidly metabolized substrates will be conserved in soils longer than slowly decomposed C compounds. Experiments with 14C substrates were used to monitor substrate utilization and substrate persistence in soils with varying soil organic matter and microbial populations. Soil organic C and N had little influence on C substrate metabolism. There were differences in substrate utilization based on the different metabolic pathways for the substrates. It appears that the more rapid a substrate is utilized in the short-term the longer it will persist in the environment. Thus systems that have litter and other organic substrates that have readily available C and are decomposed rapidly should be able to store more C for longer periods of time.