Carbon and phosphorus biogeochemical cycles in native forest and horticultural areas in the Metropolitan Region of Curitiba, Brazil

Abstract

This study was carried out to understand the dynamics of carbon and phosphorus biogeochemical cycles in native forest and horticultural areas. Soilsamples were collected from native forest and horticultural areas, in four municipalities in the Metropolitan Region of Curitiba, Brazil, and evaluated for: carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus of soil microbial biomass (MBC, MBN and MBP, respectively), total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), inorganic phosphorus (iP), organic phosphorus (oP) and available phosphorus (aP. Soil suspensions diluted at 10-4were spread on plates and phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB) were counted. The analyses showed that horticultural areas soils accumulated 43% more TP whereas they lost 23% of TOC and 19% of TN comparing to native areas. 69% of TP in the native areas was organic (oP) whereas 59% of TP in the horticultural areas was inorganic (iP). Horticultural areas had lower numbers of colony forming unities of PSB than native areas. PSB was positively correlated with the ratio of MBC to TOC (qMic), which in turn, was negatively correlated with TOC and TN. Changes in the soil P fractions suggested a shift inthe soil community bacterial structure and in the values of soil microbial biomass of the two different soil ecosystems. The excessive P addition may stimulate soil microbial attack to soil organic matter reserves, whichmay have consequences for maintenance of soil quality and agriculture sustainability