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Comparison Of Microbial Activity In Desert Soils Of The Western United States, Patricia Ann Trujillo Y Fulgham
Comparison Of Microbial Activity In Desert Soils Of The Western United States, Patricia Ann Trujillo Y Fulgham
All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023
Soils from four regional deserts, Great Basin, Sonoran, Chihuahuan, and Mojave, were collected at times throughout the year which would best exhibit microbial response to moisture or vegetation. The soils were analyzed for several chemical and physical properties. Biological and biochemical characteristics, namely respiration, dehydrogenase activity, adenosine triphosphate concentration, proteolytic activity, nitrification potential, and microbial numbers, were measured.
The soils exhibited fluctuations in microbial activity as measured by respiration, dehydrogenase activity, adenosine triphosphate concentration, proteolytic activity, and nitrification potential during different moisture seasons.
Increase in soil moisture as modified by precipitation did not cause a significant difference in respiration or …