Evaluation of the effect of tree canopy and dolomitic limestone application on soil microbial activity in the Montado Mediterranean ecosystem

Abstract

The Montado is an agro-silvo-pastoral ecosystem, explored at several levels. On the tree level it can be made up of oaks like cork oak (Quercus suber) and holm oak (Q. rotundifolia). The ground cover is occupied by natural biodiverse pastures that are based on poor soils grazed by animals in an extensive regime. One of the major factors affecting the pasture productivity is the soil acidity [1]. The objective of this work is to evaluate the effect of canopy and dolomitic limestone application for soil acidity correction, on soil microbial activity in the Montado ecosystem. Soil samples were collected in an experimental field (4ha) located in Mitra Farm in February 2022. The soil samples were subjected to laboratory analysis for evaluation of different parameters of microbial activity: dehydrogenase, ß-glucosidase, phosphatase, arylsulfatase and soil basal respiration. All the measured variables were significantly higher under tree canopy (UTC) than outside tree canopy (OTC), and this difference turns out to be smaller in the amended area. These results allow us to perceive the effect of the canopy and soil acidity correction on soil microbial activity in the Montado and provide important information regarding the holistic management of this ecosystem. A phylogenetic analysis of the microbiome to test traits driving habitat associations and better understand how microbial communities change over the studied treatments is foreseen.