Preliminary assessment of the impact of soil microorganisms on greenhouse gas emissions expressed in CO2 equivalent and grass biomass

The pot experiment was conducted to access the soil microorganisms biomass (physiological method - Substrate Induced Respiration) and emissions of N2O, CO2 and CH4 (photoacoustic infrared detection method), and grasses biomass (weight method). The obtained results of analysed gases were converted to CO2 equivalent. There was no effect of the microorganisms biomass on the N2O emissions. The increase in CO2 emissions was accompanied by an increase in the microorganisms biomass (r = 0.48) under the conditions of the I swath and acid soil reaction, as well as the II swath and neutral reaction (r = 0.94). On the other hand, in the case of CH4 emission, such a relationship was noted both swaths under the conditions of neutral reaction (r = 0.51), but a negative correlation (r = –0.71) was noted for the acid reaction only at the II swath. The increase in the grasses biomass with the increase in the microorganisms biomass was recorded only at the II swath in neutral reaction (r = 0.91). In a short period of time, with the neutral soil reaction with the increase in the soil microorganisms biomass, an increase in CO2 sequestration and biomass of cultivated grasses was noted. Information on the determination of the microorganisms groups responsible mainly for the transformation of carbon compounds and CO2 and CH4 emissions from the soils of grasslands would be valuable scientifically.

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Opracowanie rekordu ze środków MEiN, umowa nr SONP/SP/546092/2022 w ramach programu "Społeczna odpowiedzialność nauki" - moduł: Popularyzacja nauki i promocja sportu (2022-2023).