Abstract

Soil quality represents an integral value of the compositional structures and natural functions of soil inrelation to soil use and environmental conditions on site. Among the main soil components, differentorganisms and in particular microorganisms play a key role in ecologically biogeochemical processes. Inthis way, soil microorganisms contribute to the maintenance of the matter and energy transfer interrestrial environments. Under anthropogenic stress conditions such as intensive agriculture anddiffusion of pollutants, biochemical activities of soil microorganisms can be differently affected. Severalmicrobiologically-related parameters contribute to provide an ecological evaluation of soil statetherefore, they can be considered as indicators of soil quality.In this regard, we report some preliminary results of a Research Project dealing with three sites, locatedclose to Taranto City, in the South of Apulia Region (Italy), affected by land degradation processes suchas soil organic matter decline and/or organic (PCB) and inorganic contamination. Soil samples werecollected and both chemical and microbial analyses were performed in order to evaluate the quality ofthe soils and to compare the three sites.For this purpose, the main physico-chemical soil characteristics (organic carbon, available phosphorous,total nitrogen, carbonate and water content, texture and pH) were determined. Moreover, somesamples have been analysed by GC-MS and ICP-MS in order to identify organic (PCB) and inorganic(e.g. Pb, Se, Sn, Zn) contaminants, respectively. Finally, the structure and functioning of the bacterialcommunity was studied by evaluating the bacterial abundance (DAPI counts), the cell viability(Live/Dead method), the dehydrogenase activity (DHA), and the Microbial Community Composition byFluorescence In Situ Hybridization (FISH). The overall results showed that the bacterial structure andfunctioning were affected in different way by the organic carbon availability and contaminant occurrence(organic or inorganic compounds), showing how land degradation processes can affect ecosystem soilbiodiversity and functioning.

Autore Pugliese

• Calabrese Angelantonio , Ancona Valeria

Tutti gli autori

• V. Ancona; A. Barra Caracciolo; M. Di Lenola; P. Grenni; V.F. Uricchio;A. Calabrese

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Anno di pubblicazione

2013

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