Soil microbial activity in three evergreen oak (Quercus ilex) woods in a Mediterranean area.

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews the study on soil respiration and enzyme activities—cellulase, xylanase, invertase, protease, and trealase—in three evergreen oak woods in Southern Italy (Campania). The experimental sites differed in chemical and physical characteristics and microclimatic conditions. The chapter evaluates whether differences in chemical and physical soil characteristics and in microclimatic conditions promote differences in the biological activity of microbial communities. The microbial activity was tested every three months for one year. Microbial respiration showed seasonal variations, with minimum levels in summer and maximum levels in wet seasons, and this pattern closely followed seasonal changes in moisture content. In absolute terms, the highest levels of microbial respiration were found in the Vesuvius soil, which also had the highest organic C content, whereas the lowest levels were found in the Castel Volturno soil. Seasonal variations in enzyme activities were also found with good correlation with soil moisture content. No significant differences in enzyme activity were found among the three studied woods.