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Abstract
Ponder, F. Jr. and F. Eivazi. 2008.
Activities of five enzymes following
soil disturbance and weed control in a Missouri
forest. JEMREST
5:68-76.
Forest disturbances associated with harvesting
activities can affect soil properties including enzyme activity and overall
soil quality. The activities of five enzymes (acid and alkaline phosphatases,
beta-glucosidase, aryl-sulfatase, and beta-glucosominidase) were measured
after 8 years in soil from clearcut and uncut control plots of a Missouri oak-hickory (Quercus
L. – Carya Nutt.)
forest. Understory treatments included subplots with and without weeds and
uncut control plots. Enzyme activity was significantly (p < 0.05)
affected by the presence or absence of weeds. Among the five enzymes
measured, the activity for acid phosphatase, beta-glucosidase, and
aryl-sulfatase were significantly (p < 0.05) lower in soil from
subplots without weeds than in subplots with weeds. Activities for alkaline
phosphatase and beta-glucosaminidase were higher for subplots with weeds than
without weeds, but differences were not significant. Except for acid
phosphatase, enzyme activity did not differ between subplots without weeds
and uncut control plots. Soil phosphorus was higher in subplots with weeds
than in subplots without weeds. Neither soil pH or soil C differed among
understory treatments, but there were significant correlations between them and
enzyme activity. Also, there were correlations among enzymes. Reduced
enzyme activity conserves organically bound nutrients such as N, P, and S in
soil due to the lack of mineralization processes which could lead to critical
nutrient losses in forest ecosystems.
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