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Enzymatic Activity in a Semi-gley Soil under the Floodplain Forest in South Moravia
Zbl. Bakt. Abt. II, Bd. 132, S. 541-543 (1977)
(From the University of Agriculture in Brno, CSSR)
Enzymatic Activity in a Semi-gley Soil under the Floodplain Forest in South Moravia") Z. Ambroz Summary In three profiles of a somi-gley soil under the floodplain forest , variations were studied in the activities of invertase, amylase , eellobia se , cellulase, proteases, and phosphatases. In the surface soil layer, enzymatic activity was found affected by the soil moi sture at a s ignificant level, whereas in the d eep er soil layers the influence of aeration was more effect ive. Mor eover, significant correlations cou ld be detected between the amount of available nitrogen and protease activity, while the wa ter -soluble phosphorus a cted a s a repressive agent on the aetivity of phosphatases. Existence of co rrela t ions between the number s of mi crobes and enzymes could be d emonstrated for invertase and p ro teases only.
Zusammenfassung In dre i B odenprofilen eines Se mig leys unter Auenwaldbestand wurd en di e jahreszeitlichen Veran de r ungen der Invertase , Amylase , Zell obiase , Zellulase, der Proteasen und Phosphatasen st u d iert . In den ob er en B od en schichten wird d ie en zyma t ische Aktivitiit in signi f ika n te r Wei se durch di e Bod enfeuchtigkeit beeinfluJ3t, in den t ieferen Schichten kommt dagegen di e Aeration starke r in Betrach t . Stati sti sch s ignifika nt e K orrelationen konnten zwi schen dem leicht aufnehmbaren Stick stoff und d er Proteasen-Aktivita t nachgewi esen worden, dagegen wirkt de r wa sserf oaliche Phosphor d sp ressiv auf di e Phospha tasen-Aktivi t at, Eng are korrelati ve B eziehungen zwi schen der Gesarntkoimzahl und der enzymatisch en A ktivitiit konnten nur irn F aIl e de r Invertase und Protea sen festgestellt werden,
In South Moravia, the floodplain forests represent one of the most intact biocenoses left in this intensively cultivated landscape. They represent an azonal type of the deciduous forests of th e temperate zone, which have developed and, to a considerable extent, persists in the floodplain of Dyj e and Morava rivers. Features of this unique vegetation are det ermined especially by a high level of groud water, regular floods , and deep alluvial soil with rich reserves of nutrients. Soils of flo od. plain forests have developed on holo cene material of pr edomin antly loamy and clayey t exture that was transported by floods and deposits on pleisto cene gravel sands. A mor e detailed study of the enzy mat ic soil complex is th e author's subject in th e research of biological pr ocesses in a semi -gley soil under the floodplain forest. It is attempted to find conceptual solutions of the following questions : sp ecificity of some groups of enzy mes, elucidat ion of their origin in the st udied soil, and def'inition of their role in the transformation and cycling of nutrients. I) Ded icated t o Prof. Dr. so, agr, Dr . h . c. Dr. h. c.
GE ORG M ULL E R
on hi s 60th birthday.
542
Z. A~lBROZ
Materials and Methods The soil samples t o be a ba lyzed were taken a t regular monthl y interval s in three profiles at t wo different depths : 2-7 em and 15- 20 em . Three groups of t he en zym at ic complex were studie d : 1) en zymes split ting some saccharides - inver ta se, amyla se, cellobiase, cellulase , 2) en zymes taking part in t he minera lizati on of organi c phosphoru s - neut ra l and a lkaline phosphatase , and 3) enzymes a ffect ing decompos it ion of proteins - neutra l and a lkaline pro tease. Protease ac tivity wa s dete rmined usin g t he tec hn ique suggested by AMBROZ (1971), phosphatase activit y a ccordin g to H U GGI N S and TALALAY (1945), cellulase activity by t he method of A~IBROZ (1973), a nd ac t ivit ies of t he ot her earbohydrases were found by using t he procedure acco rdi ng to SCE R BAKOVA (1968). Setting of the resea rch subject: t he research subject was sit uat ed in the forest stand approx im ately 2 km north of Lednice in Mora via, latitude 48°48'32 ", alt it ude 161 m. The locality of the research su bject is characteri zed by the Ulmeto - Fra xi netum carpineum forest type.
Results and Discussion Soil and climatic conditions in t he st udied region effect ed the natura l enzymat ic periodi cit y of the soil to an appreciable degree. In the surface soil layer a distinct spring maximum could be traced , followed by a depr ession du ring the summer and aut umn season, and t hen by a seconda ry winter max imum . I n the deeper -lying layer, 15-20 em, a more marked increase did not occur un til the beginning of the aut umn. Th e relationship s and corre lations of enzymatic activity to further biological, ph ysical, and che mical properties of the st udied soil were t ra ced , using statistical correlati ons (Table I) . Table 1. Corre lat ion coefficients between en zym e activi ti es and ot her soi l properties E nzym e act ivity
Moisture
Moistur e Temperature
Bac te ria count s
N avai lable
0,6 7+++ 0,73 +++ 0,25 0,55 +++ 0,6 7+++ 0,51+++ 0, 62+++
0, 41+ 0,46 ++ 0,38+ 0, 12 0,27 0, 18 0,3 1
0,63 +++ 0,56 +++
P watersoluble
layer 2- 7 em 0,5 9+++ 0,6 2+++ 0,49 +++ 0,23 0,6 1+++ 0,5 3+++ 0,41 +
Neu tral pr ote ase Alkaline prot ea se In ver tase Amyla se Cellobiase Neutra l phos phat ase Alkaline phosp hata se
-0,39+ - 0,42+
layer 15- 20 em Neu tral p rotea se Alkal ine protease Invertase Am yla se Neu tra l phosphatase Alkal ine phos phatase p 0,01
=
+++;
P 0,02
=
-
0,32 0,71 +++ 0,07 0,69+++ 0,40+ 0,33
++ ;
P 0,05
=
+;
n
=
24.
The so-called to t al count of microbes was found correlating more signifi cantly only with the activities of proteases and inve rtase. Th e low coefficients of correlat ion establishe d between the count s of microbes and t he ot her enzym es suggest ed pr ocesses effecte d by some more specific microflora .
Enzymatic Activity in a Semi-gloy Soil under t he Floodplain F orest in South Moravia
54;:
In the 2-7 em layer the relationship between moisture of the soil and its erz ymati c activity was more distinct . Th e greate r part of these correlat ions was highly significant. Thi s indicates that moisture in t he surfa ce soil layer became the limiting fa ctor for det ermining the activity range of the soil organi sms. Unlike this, the 15-20 em layer revealed exist ence of ot her correlations; aeration evident ly became the decisive fa ct or there, which could be coucluded from the negative correlations between moisture and enzymatic activity. In th is way we could also explain why enzymatic ac tivity in this layer did not rise until t he soil had dried , i.e., during summer and aut umn. Relationship of the soil temp erature alone t o enzymat ic activity was not signifi. cant, but the product of soil t emp erature and moisture furnished highly signifi cant valu es of the coefficients of corre lat ion for the surface soil layer . It is assumed that, during periods richer in at mospher ic precipitations, the influence of soil moisture might not be as profound as that outlined above and, in cont rast , the action of t emperature may prove stronger . Exist ence of correlations betw een enzymatie reactions and the transformations of sub stanc es in the soil could be demonstrated her e for proteases and phosphatases. Th e available nitrogen, determined according to PAZLER, was found correlating with the activit y of either pr ot ease, wherea s the wat er-soluble pho sphorus acted as a repressive agent for the activity of pho sphatases and inhibited mineralization of the organic form s of phosphorus. Th e origin of the enzymes in the studied soil can be traced in the enzymat ic syste m of roots of t he higher plants, part of them comes from the alimentary t ra ct of the arthropods and is accumulate d mainly in t heir excrements. 'Main producers of the soil enzymes, however , are the soil micro-or ganisms, t heir share in the soil enzyme ·activit y being estimated to rang e from 60 to 90 per cent . Enzymatic act ivity is, t herefore, a certain t ot al reflecti on of the biochemical processes that go on in the soil, whereas microbial activity in only a part of t his complex . References AlItBROZ, Z.: The determination of activit es of gelat inase and caseinase in the soil. Bi ologi c du sol (Paris) 7 (1971), 28-29. - On t he st udy of the cellulase complex in soils . Ro stlinna vyro ba (Praha ) 19 (1973), 207 - 212. BERGII1AYER, H. U.: Methods of enzymatic analysi s. New York 1965. SCERBAKOVA, T. A.: K metodik e opredelen ia aktivnosti invertaz y i amylazy v pocve. In: Sb ornik dokladov po fermentam po cvy. Min sk 1968. Au thor's address: Doc. lng. Z. AlItBROZ, esc., Univorsity of Agriculture, Departmen t of Soil Science and Microbiology, Brno (CSSR) , Zemeuelsk a 1.
(From the University of Agriculture in Brno, CSSR)
Enzymatic Activity in a Semi-gley Soil under the Floodplain Forest in South Moravia") Z. Ambroz Summary In three profiles of a somi-gley soil under the floodplain forest , variations were studied in the activities of invertase, amylase , eellobia se , cellulase, proteases, and phosphatases. In the surface soil layer, enzymatic activity was found affected by the soil moi sture at a s ignificant level, whereas in the d eep er soil layers the influence of aeration was more effect ive. Mor eover, significant correlations cou ld be detected between the amount of available nitrogen and protease activity, while the wa ter -soluble phosphorus a cted a s a repressive agent on the aetivity of phosphatases. Existence of co rrela t ions between the number s of mi crobes and enzymes could be d emonstrated for invertase and p ro teases only.
Zusammenfassung In dre i B odenprofilen eines Se mig leys unter Auenwaldbestand wurd en di e jahreszeitlichen Veran de r ungen der Invertase , Amylase , Zell obiase , Zellulase, der Proteasen und Phosphatasen st u d iert . In den ob er en B od en schichten wird d ie en zyma t ische Aktivitiit in signi f ika n te r Wei se durch di e Bod enfeuchtigkeit beeinfluJ3t, in den t ieferen Schichten kommt dagegen di e Aeration starke r in Betrach t . Stati sti sch s ignifika nt e K orrelationen konnten zwi schen dem leicht aufnehmbaren Stick stoff und d er Proteasen-Aktivita t nachgewi esen worden, dagegen wirkt de r wa sserf oaliche Phosphor d sp ressiv auf di e Phospha tasen-Aktivi t at, Eng are korrelati ve B eziehungen zwi schen der Gesarntkoimzahl und der enzymatisch en A ktivitiit konnten nur irn F aIl e de r Invertase und Protea sen festgestellt werden,
In South Moravia, the floodplain forests represent one of the most intact biocenoses left in this intensively cultivated landscape. They represent an azonal type of the deciduous forests of th e temperate zone, which have developed and, to a considerable extent, persists in the floodplain of Dyj e and Morava rivers. Features of this unique vegetation are det ermined especially by a high level of groud water, regular floods , and deep alluvial soil with rich reserves of nutrients. Soils of flo od. plain forests have developed on holo cene material of pr edomin antly loamy and clayey t exture that was transported by floods and deposits on pleisto cene gravel sands. A mor e detailed study of the enzy mat ic soil complex is th e author's subject in th e research of biological pr ocesses in a semi -gley soil under the floodplain forest. It is attempted to find conceptual solutions of the following questions : sp ecificity of some groups of enzy mes, elucidat ion of their origin in the st udied soil, and def'inition of their role in the transformation and cycling of nutrients. I) Ded icated t o Prof. Dr. so, agr, Dr . h . c. Dr. h. c.
GE ORG M ULL E R
on hi s 60th birthday.
542
Z. A~lBROZ
Materials and Methods The soil samples t o be a ba lyzed were taken a t regular monthl y interval s in three profiles at t wo different depths : 2-7 em and 15- 20 em . Three groups of t he en zym at ic complex were studie d : 1) en zymes split ting some saccharides - inver ta se, amyla se, cellobiase, cellulase , 2) en zymes taking part in t he minera lizati on of organi c phosphoru s - neut ra l and a lkaline phosphatase , and 3) enzymes a ffect ing decompos it ion of proteins - neutra l and a lkaline pro tease. Protease ac tivity wa s dete rmined usin g t he tec hn ique suggested by AMBROZ (1971), phosphatase activit y a ccordin g to H U GGI N S and TALALAY (1945), cellulase activity by t he method of A~IBROZ (1973), a nd ac t ivit ies of t he ot her earbohydrases were found by using t he procedure acco rdi ng to SCE R BAKOVA (1968). Setting of the resea rch subject: t he research subject was sit uat ed in the forest stand approx im ately 2 km north of Lednice in Mora via, latitude 48°48'32 ", alt it ude 161 m. The locality of the research su bject is characteri zed by the Ulmeto - Fra xi netum carpineum forest type.
Results and Discussion Soil and climatic conditions in t he st udied region effect ed the natura l enzymat ic periodi cit y of the soil to an appreciable degree. In the surface soil layer a distinct spring maximum could be traced , followed by a depr ession du ring the summer and aut umn season, and t hen by a seconda ry winter max imum . I n the deeper -lying layer, 15-20 em, a more marked increase did not occur un til the beginning of the aut umn. Th e relationship s and corre lations of enzymatic activity to further biological, ph ysical, and che mical properties of the st udied soil were t ra ced , using statistical correlati ons (Table I) . Table 1. Corre lat ion coefficients between en zym e activi ti es and ot her soi l properties E nzym e act ivity
Moisture
Moistur e Temperature
Bac te ria count s
N avai lable
0,6 7+++ 0,73 +++ 0,25 0,55 +++ 0,6 7+++ 0,51+++ 0, 62+++
0, 41+ 0,46 ++ 0,38+ 0, 12 0,27 0, 18 0,3 1
0,63 +++ 0,56 +++
P watersoluble
layer 2- 7 em 0,5 9+++ 0,6 2+++ 0,49 +++ 0,23 0,6 1+++ 0,5 3+++ 0,41 +
Neu tral pr ote ase Alkaline prot ea se In ver tase Amyla se Cellobiase Neutra l phos phat ase Alkaline phosp hata se
-0,39+ - 0,42+
layer 15- 20 em Neu tral p rotea se Alkal ine protease Invertase Am yla se Neu tra l phosphatase Alkal ine phos phatase p 0,01
=
+++;
P 0,02
=
-
0,32 0,71 +++ 0,07 0,69+++ 0,40+ 0,33
++ ;
P 0,05
=
+;
n
=
24.
The so-called to t al count of microbes was found correlating more signifi cantly only with the activities of proteases and inve rtase. Th e low coefficients of correlat ion establishe d between the count s of microbes and t he ot her enzym es suggest ed pr ocesses effecte d by some more specific microflora .
Enzymatic Activity in a Semi-gloy Soil under t he Floodplain F orest in South Moravia
54;:
In the 2-7 em layer the relationship between moisture of the soil and its erz ymati c activity was more distinct . Th e greate r part of these correlat ions was highly significant. Thi s indicates that moisture in t he surfa ce soil layer became the limiting fa ctor for det ermining the activity range of the soil organi sms. Unlike this, the 15-20 em layer revealed exist ence of ot her correlations; aeration evident ly became the decisive fa ct or there, which could be coucluded from the negative correlations between moisture and enzymatic activity. In th is way we could also explain why enzymatic ac tivity in this layer did not rise until t he soil had dried , i.e., during summer and aut umn. Relationship of the soil temp erature alone t o enzymat ic activity was not signifi. cant, but the product of soil t emp erature and moisture furnished highly signifi cant valu es of the coefficients of corre lat ion for the surface soil layer . It is assumed that, during periods richer in at mospher ic precipitations, the influence of soil moisture might not be as profound as that outlined above and, in cont rast , the action of t emperature may prove stronger . Exist ence of correlations betw een enzymatie reactions and the transformations of sub stanc es in the soil could be demonstrated her e for proteases and phosphatases. Th e available nitrogen, determined according to PAZLER, was found correlating with the activit y of either pr ot ease, wherea s the wat er-soluble pho sphorus acted as a repressive agent for the activity of pho sphatases and inhibited mineralization of the organic form s of phosphorus. Th e origin of the enzymes in the studied soil can be traced in the enzymat ic syste m of roots of t he higher plants, part of them comes from the alimentary t ra ct of the arthropods and is accumulate d mainly in t heir excrements. 'Main producers of the soil enzymes, however , are the soil micro-or ganisms, t heir share in the soil enzyme ·activit y being estimated to rang e from 60 to 90 per cent . Enzymatic act ivity is, t herefore, a certain t ot al reflecti on of the biochemical processes that go on in the soil, whereas microbial activity in only a part of t his complex . References AlItBROZ, Z.: The determination of activit es of gelat inase and caseinase in the soil. Bi ologi c du sol (Paris) 7 (1971), 28-29. - On t he st udy of the cellulase complex in soils . Ro stlinna vyro ba (Praha ) 19 (1973), 207 - 212. BERGII1AYER, H. U.: Methods of enzymatic analysi s. New York 1965. SCERBAKOVA, T. A.: K metodik e opredelen ia aktivnosti invertaz y i amylazy v pocve. In: Sb ornik dokladov po fermentam po cvy. Min sk 1968. Au thor's address: Doc. lng. Z. AlItBROZ, esc., Univorsity of Agriculture, Departmen t of Soil Science and Microbiology, Brno (CSSR) , Zemeuelsk a 1.