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Updated: Jun 30, 2026

High-throughput Fluorometric Measurement of Potential Soil Extracellular Enzyme Activities
Published on: November 15, 2013
Linkages between soil-specific enzyme activity and microbial necromass carbon: implications for ecological
Xiaohan Zhou1, Ruiyang Wang1, Xuying Hai2
1Forest Ecology and Conservation in the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Mt. Emei Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, College of Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China.
None:
Ecological restoration can effectively boost soil fertility and microbial activity in degraded ecosystems. Yet, its impact on the relationship between soil-specific enzyme activity (SSEA) and microbial necromass carbon in barren sandy soils is still poorly understood. Therefore, we aimed to analyze the effects of ecological restoration on the SSEA per unit of soil organic carbon (SOCE) and SSEA per unit of microbial biomass carbon (MBCE), as well as their correlation with the necromass accumulation coefficient (AC). To this end, we collected and analyzed soil samples from the grazing land (control) and restored grassland, scrubland, and forestland in a typical degraded sandy land. Compared with grazing land, restored grassland and scrubland had lower SOCE levels of β-1, 4-glucosidase (BG), β-D-cellobiosidase (CBH), L-leucine aminopeptidase (LAP), and acid phosphatase (AP), whereas restored forestland had a higher SOCE level of β-1, 4-N-acetylglucosaminidase (NAG). Additionally, restoring to scrubland and forestland increased the MBCE of BG, CBH, NAG, LAP, and AP, while restoring to grassland, scrubland, and forestland increased the geometric mean of enzyme activity (GMEA) by 59.5, 46.8, and 108.2%, respectively, compared with grazing land. The SOCE of BG, LAP, and AP showed quadratic relationships with SOC, and the MBCE of BG, CBH, LAP, and AP was positively correlated with necromass AC. SOCE and MBCE were substantially affected by ecological restoration. Our results emphasize that SOCE can be used as an indicator of SOC, and MBCE can be used to predict changes in microbial necromass during vegetation restoration.
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