MICROBIOLOGICAL STUDIES OF SOME SUBANTARCTIC SOILS

• Published in: Journal of Soil Science
• Main Authors: BUNT, J. S., ROVIRA, A. D.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 1955
• Subjects: Antarc*; Antarctica; Macquarie Island
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2389.1955.tb00836.x; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fj.1365-2389.1955.tb00836.x; http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/wol1/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2389.1955.tb00836.x/fullpdf

Summary A study has been made of the rhizosphere effect of four subantarctic plant associations at Macquarie Island. A stimulation occurred in each case in the rhizosphere, even in the more primitive Azorella selago and Dicranoweisia antarctica associations. No qualitative differences were found between rhizosphere and non‐rhizosphere isolates. The temperature range of most isolates was 10° to 25°C. with a high proportion giving maximum growth at 25° C. Respiration measurements were made on I I soils using the Warburg respirometer and a marked correlation was found between total carbon content of the soil and respiration. The variations in respiratory quotient which occurred were not related to carbon content and were probably due to differences in chemical constitution of the organic‐matter fractions and soil aeration.