Microbial eco-physiology of degrading aral sea wetlands: Consequences for C-cycling
2004
Mamilov, A. (Institute of Microbiology and Virology, Almaty (Kazakhstan)) | Dilly, O.M. | Mamilov, S. | Inubushi, K.
The effects of elevated salinity level on the physiology of microbial communities and Ccycling were evaluated in soils located in areas near the degraded Aral Sea. One site on a freshwater wetland (FW) and two sites on a salt water wetland on the eastern (EW) and northern shores (NW) with salt contents of 1.1, 34.3, and 78.9 g LE-1, respectively, were selected. The total microbial biomass estimated by fumigation-extraction and the respiration rate were lower at the two sites with elevated salinity level (EW and NW) than in FW while the amount of extractable organic carbon (EOC) was higher. The EOC/biomass-C ratio as an index of carbon supply was highest in NW where the lowest microbial activity was detected, indicating the restriction of microbial metabolism. Thus elevated salinity level appeared to restrict microbial colonization of organic substrates and C transformation rate but to increase the amount of soil available C. Difference in precipitation (rain events) between 2002 and 2003 did not affect the respiration rate and surface CO2 flux in FW. In NW, the respiration rate increased by more than 5 times, suggesting that in the ecosystems with a high content of available C, elevated CO2 emissions may occur under changing environmental conditions.
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