Influence of humidity on microbial cellulase activity in peat from a raised bog
1995
Nizovtseva, D.V. | Semenov, A.M. | Panikov, N.S.
The dynamics of cellulase activity (CA) was followed during incubation of ombrotrophic peat at different moisture contents. The higest CA was observed at the lowest tested humidity of peat (40 to 60 %). During the course of incubation, CA gradually increased over two weeks, reaching the maximum value of 0.4 mg reducing sugars (RS)/(h dm**3) on the 9th day. Peat with a high mousture content (92-93 %) preserved low CA [0.05 mg RS/(h dm**3)], characteristic for the native peat. On the basis of the dynamic data it was concluded that the rise of CA in dried peat was due to activation of microorganisms, including hydrolytic ones, by the stress of drying and rewetting rather than to optimization of peat water regime per se. This conclusion was confirmed in special experiments with peat samples subjected to drying-rewetting cycles. The highest CA was always observed immediately after rewetting of dried peat. During subsequent incubation under high moisture content (92-93 %), CA remained high, oscillating within the range from 0.4 to 1.0 mg RS/(h dm**3)
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