Effect of litter quality and soil fungi on macroaggregate dynamics and associated partitioning of litter carbon and nitrogen

We investigated the effect of plant residue decomposability and fungal biomass on the dynamics of macroaggregate (250?2000 ?m) formation in a three months' incubation experiment and determined the distribution of residue-derived C and N in the microbial biomass and in aggregate size fractions (250?2000 ?m, 53?250 ?m and <53 ?m) using 13C and 15N data. A silty loam soil (sieved <250 ?m) was incubated with and without addition of 15N labelled maize leaves (C/N = 27.4) and roots (C/N = 86.4). Each treatment was carried out with and without fungicide application. The addition of maize residues enhanced soil respiration and microbial biomass C and N and resulted in increased macroaggregate formation with a higher and...

Categories: Publication; Types: Citation, Journal Citation; Tags: 13c, 15n, Soil Biology and Biochemistry, captan, co2, All tags... ergosterol, incubation, microbial biomass, residue decomposability, water-stable macroaggregates, Fewer tags