DISTRIBUTION OF POPULATION AND BIOMASS OF MICROORGANISMS WITH REGARD TO PROFILES OF ZONAL TYPES

摘要

The total reserves of biomass in four zonal soil types is estimated for the first time. A definite correlation is noted between the biomass reserves in soils and the potential respiration intensity. The reserves of microbial biomass are represented mainly by the biomass of eukaryotes (88-99 percent), while the biomass of prokaryotes ranges from 1 percent (Chestnut soil) to 12 percent (Gray Forest soil). According to biomass reserves, the investigated soils form the following series in ascending order: Gray Forest (5.7 metric tons/hectare), Sod-Podzolic (14 metric tons/hectare), Chernozem (15 metric tons/hectare), and Chestnut (32 metric tons/hectare). The biomass of soil microbial cenoses is not concentrated primarily in the upper soil horizons, but relatively evenly distributed throughout the profile.