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Table 1 Soil and microbial biomass chemistry

From: C:N:P stoichiometry and nutrient limitation of the soil microbial biomass in a grazed grassland site under experimental P limitation or excess

 

Fertiliser treatment

 

0_0

0_30

15_5

15_15

30_0

30_30

pH

5.5

5.7

6.1

5.9

6.1

5.8

Soil C (g)

46.1 (2.50)

48.7 (0.9)

47.7 (2.2)

50.4 (4.2)

56.3 (3.1)

53.6 (4.5)

Soil N (g)

4.4 (0.2)

4.6 (0.2)

4.6 (0.2)

4.9 (0.4)

5.5 (0.2)

5.3 (0.5)

Soil P (mg)

408 (20.1)

536 (66.3)

648 (30.7)

662 (53.8)

716 (31.5)

918 (46.5)

Biomass C_CFE (mg)

1.33 (0.13)

1.52 (0.10)

1.52 (0.20)

1.67 (0.37)

1.89 (0.14)

1.76 (0.45)

Biomass C_SIR (mg)

1.34 (0.13)

1.70 (0.20)

1.73 (0.21)

1.76 (0.19)

1.86 (0.11)

1.77 (0.18)

Biomass N (μg)

181 (28.0)

223 (35.8)

255 (21.3)

265 (40.6)

300 (14.4)

263 (28.1)

Biomass P (μg)

79.0 (12.4)

118 (12.0)

113 (17.7)

127 (24.5)

148 (7.6)

160 (26.2)

DOC (μg)

125 (5.4)

105 (3.5)

107 (3.7)

105 (2.5)

101 (5.0)

97.0 (4.7)

NH4+-N (μg)

3.65 (0.37)

3.24 (0.49)

2.76 (0.35)

2.48 (0.20)

2.51 (0.27)

2.80 (0.23)

NO3--N (μg)

19.6 (2.86)

14.5 (2.04)

16.2 (1.51)

16.0 (2.70)

15.1 (2.1)

14.8 (1.56)

PO4+-P (μg)

8.2 (1.68)

22.0 (2.85)

27.8 (5.21)

31.6 (4.01)

44.8 (4.34)

78.9 (13.29)

  1. pH and C, N and P contents of soils and the soil microbial biomass (in kg−1 soil) in a long-term P-fertilisation trial. Soils received 0, 15 or 30 kg P ha−1 starting in 1968 (0_, 15_, 30_) and 0, 5, 15 or 30 kg P ha−1 since 1999 (_0, _5, _15, _30). See text for details. Microbial biomass was measured by chloroform-fumigation extraction (CFE) or substrate-induced respiration (SIR). DOC is dissolved organic carbon. Data are means, n = 6, with standard error in parentheses.