Influence of lead on the activity of soil microorganisms in two Beskidy landscape parks

The aim of the study was to assess the potential impact of lead on soil metabolism in two landscape parks localized in the Beskid Śląski and Beskid Żywiecki mountains which were affected, among others, by air pollution from the Upper Silesian Industrial Region, the largest industrial zone in Poland. The study was carried out in six locations with different lead levels in the soil environment. Each plot was equipped with four pairs of vacuum ceramic lysimeters to assess the mobility of Pb in the soil. The metabolic activity was assessed by measuring: soil enzyme activity, soil respiration and by studying community-level physiological profiling (CLPP) using Biolog EcoPlates technique. The soil to the examination was collected near the stands with the lysimeters from two soil horizons (A and B layer). The analyses carried out showed that the factors that had the greatest influence on lead mobility were the organic carbon content and the soil pH. The elevated lead level in the topsoil (layer A) could affect the functional biodiversity of soil microorganisms, but low soil pH was a more likely limiting factor. In the subsoil (layer B), lower lead content was found and its probable effect on soil microbial activity was small. In summary, it can be concluded that the assessment of the influence of heavy metals on soil metabolism is not easy, and the Biolog system has proven to be a sensitive tool for assessing the potential impact of heavy metals on the soil environment.