Soil development and microbial functional diversity: Proposal for a methodological approach

The aim of the work was to propose a new methodological approach that relates soil microbial functional diversity to soil development under different moisture regimes. As soil evolution proceeds through an increasing niche separation we expect a link between functional diversity and soil development. Shannon's (H') and Gini (D) diversity indices were calculated using eight enzyme activities (beta-cellobiohydrolase, N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminidase, beta-glucosidase, alpha-glucosidase, acid phosphatase, arylsulfatase, xylosidase and butyrate esterase) in order to assess functional diversity at different scales, from soil horizons (alpha-diversity) to soil profiles (beta-diversity) under different moisture regime (gamma-diversity) and belonging to different taxonomic levels. In addition, the ratio of acid phosphatase to chitinase was calculated as a potential index of soil development Eight soil profiles were selected: four in Northwestern Italian Alps or Northern Apennines with Udic soil moisture regimes (Typic Haplocryod, Mollic Haplocryept, Lithic Dystrudept Lithic Cryorthent) and four in Northeastern Italy where in two cases the water table near the soil surface strongly affects the Ustic soil moisture regime, and intrazonal Aquic regime or Aquic conditions develop (Typic Haplustept, Typic Ustipsamment, Aquic Ustipsamment, Typic Psammaquent). D ranged from 50 to 95%, while the H' ranged from 3 to 2.4 in Lithic Cryorthent and Typic Psanunaquent, respectively. Under Udic moisture regime an inverse relationship between soil profile development and the diversity index was observed. However the lowest the diversity in the profile, the highest the variability of the values obtained within horizons in the soil profile suggesting a link between differentiation of soil horizons and biochemical properties. The Aquic conditions interfere in establishing the relationship between soil profile development and the microbial functional diversity since H' and D increased in Typic Psammaquent with respect to Typic Haplustept (H' from 2.4 to 2.6 and D from 52.2 to 60.4). Finally, the phosphatase/chitinase ratio was related to soil development since the lowest values were obtained in the upper horizons of Typic Haplustept, Typic and Aquic Ustipsamment (from 2.0 to 4.0), while the highest values were obtained in deep horizons of Typic Haplocryod and Lithic Dystrudept (e.g. 39.2 in Bs2 and 28.0 in Bw1). In conclusion, microbial functional diversity assessed using Shannon or Gini diversity indices and phosphatase/chitinase ratio measured at different scales from soil horizons to soil profiles under different moisture regime and belonging to different taxonomic levels, may represent a new approach to establish the interrelationship between pedogenetic processes, soil development and soil microbial functions. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.