Soil acid phosphomonoesterase activity and phosphorus forms in ancient and post-agricultural black alder [Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaertn.] woodlands

Abstract

IntroductionSeveral phosphatases are involved in the hydrolysis of organic P compounds but the major role in the organic phosphorus mineralization process is attributed to the phosphomonoesterases. Acid phosphomonoesterase enzymes are the dominant group of enzymes involved in organic P mineralization in acidic soils [1]. These enzymes are produced mainly by plants and fungi and to a lesser degree by bacteria. The level of acid phosphomonoesterase secreted by plant roots has been shown to differ significantly between species, with N-fixing plants (legumes) secreting more phosphomonoesterase enzymes than cereals [2]. Plant available P (P AVAIL ) concentration also increases in soils underlying plantations of N-fixing trees [1], probably due to a higher P requirement by N-fixing plants [3]. The relationship between the available P concentration and phosphatase activity is usually very complex, since a positive, a negative or no relationship between these two parameters is possible [1,4]. There are studies which show that phosphatase activity is inversely proportional to the P AVAIL concentration [5], which confirms the thesis that the production and activity of soil phosphatases, especially the acid form, is connected with the demand of microorganisms and plants for P. Phosphatases are typical adaptive enzymes and their activity increases when plant available P concentration decreases. Kinetics studies indicate that orthophosphate ions, which are the product of the reaction conducted by the phosphatases, are competitive inhibitors of their activity in soil [6]. Other studies have found a significant positive correlation between phosphatase activity and available P concentration. Generally, a significant and positive relationship between phosphatase activity and P availability [7] is obtained in unfertilized soils or/ and those with a low content of nutrients, where P deficiency occurs. On the contrary, in soil where P fertilizers are applied and/ or in naturally fertile soil a significant but negative relationship between both of these parameters can be observed [4].It is a well known fact that trees can alter soil conditions, thus influencing ecological processes such as secondary succession and plant migration. Black alder [Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaertn.] can have a great impact on its habitats and can form a symbiosis with Frankia and with ectomycorrhizal fungi. The actinobacteria provide the tree with N fixed from the atmosphere, whereas mycorrhizal fungi provide P and other nutrients [8], and on the other hand alders provide energy to microsymbionts [9]. Therefore, they play an important role AbstractBlack alder, an N-fixing tree is considered to accelerate the availability of phosphorus in soils due to the increased production of phosphatase enzymes, which are responsible for the P release from the litter. Acid phosphatase activity plays a pivotal role in organic P mineralization in forest soils and in making P available to plants. In order to check whether Alnus glutinosa stimulates acid phosphomonoesterase (P...

The content of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and sulphur in soil against the activity of selected hydrolases as affected by crop rotation and fertilisation

“…Negative correlation confirms the results reported by others (Vong et al, 2004;Kotkova et al, 2008) that a high content of sulphates in soil decreases the activity of arylsulphatase. A lack of the correlation between the content of available phosphorus and the activity of phosphatases is confirmed by earlier reports by Orczewska et al (2012). Significant at p < 0.05; P E-R -available phosphorus, S-SO 4 -2 -sulphur Conclusions 1.…”

Spatio-temporal variations of soil properties in a plot scale: a case study of soil phosphorus forms and related enzymes

“…Kinetics studies have indicated that orthophosphate ions, which are the product of the reaction that is conducted by the phosphatases, are a competitive inhibitor of their activity in soil (Hui et al 2013). Other studies have found a significant correlation between phosphatase activity and the available P content (Orczewska et al 2012). In this study, similar to observation made by Wang et al (2011), no significant relationship was observed between any P form and phosphatase activity, which suggested that P may not limit the system that was studied and that some other masking factors such as site geology may influence enzyme production and activity (Olander and Vitousek 2000).…”

“…Some studies have been devoted to examining the relationship between different forms of soil P and the activity of enzymes of the P cycle and the results have been varied with positive, negative, or no correlations being reported (Miller et al 2001;Wang et al 2011;Orczewska et al 2012). A significant but negative relationship between both of these parameters is often shown in soil on which P fertilizers are applied, and/or in naturally fertile soil (Miller et al 2001).…”

Changes in forest cover in Sudety Mountains during the last 250 years: patterns, drivers, and landscape-scale implications for nature conservation

“…From a practical point of view, historical ecology provides a valuable template for nature conservation and restoration planning: firstly, the ecological continuity of habitats affects recent biodiversity levels [7,8], and secondly, historical ecology allows the setting of restoration references and targets as well as providing an insight into the appropriate location and distribution of habitats to develop landscape-level conservation strategies [3,9,10]. Thirdly, historical land use legacies (e.g., changes in chemical properties of soil) influence site properties by determining their potential for restoration [7,9,11,12].…”