https://ogma.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Index ${session.getAttribute("locale")} 5 https://ogma.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:45147 −1) and high (50 and 5000 mg kg⁻¹) concentrations of Cd and Pb, respectively, in an artificially contaminated soil. In a laboratory incubation experiment, bio-available and potentially bio-available metal concentrations, selected soil properties (pH, electrical conductivity, total organic carbon and total nitrogen), and microbial parameters (microbial activity as basal respiration, microbial biomass carbon (MBC) and microbial functional groups) were determined at two sampling occasions (7 and 49 days). Metal contamination had no effect on the selected soil properties, while it significantly inhibited both microbial activity and MBC formation. Contaminated soils had higher microbial quotient (qCO₂), suggesting there was higher energy demand with less microbially immobilized carbon as MBC. Notably, the efficiency of microbial carbon use was repressed as the metal concentration increased, yet no difference was observed between metal types (p > 0.05). Based on the microbial phospholipid fatty acids (PLFA) analysis, total PLFAs decreased significantly under metal stress at the end of incubation. Heavy metals had a greater negative influence on the fungal population than bacteria with respective 5–35 and 8–32% fall in abundances. The contaminant-driven (metal concentrations and types) variation of soil PLFA biomarkers demonstrated that the heavy metals led to the alteration of soil microbial community compositions and their activities, which consequently had an adverse impact on soil microbial carbon immobilization.]]> Wed 26 Oct 2022 13:44:24 AEDT ]]> https://ogma.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:36343 Wed 01 Apr 2020 13:32:39 AEDT ]]> https://ogma.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:36281 Thu 19 Mar 2020 17:51:37 AEDT ]]> https://ogma.newcastle.edu.au/vital/access/ /manager/Repository/uon:31377 14C labelled malic acid confirmed the trend of the bulk respiration results. The allophanic soil showed the lowest amount of carbon mineralisation under all experimental conditions. A strong inverse correlation (R² = 0.90 at p < 0.05) was observed between CO₂ emission rate and total sesquioxides (Fe and Al oxides) content. As evidenced by the pore size distribution, micromorphologies and thermogravimetric analyses, the microporous structure and microaggregate formation in the allophanic soil enhanced carbon sequestration. This study indicated that soil carbon stabilisation was related more to the sesquioxides content than to the clay types or their relative specific surface areas]]> Sat 24 Mar 2018 08:44:09 AEDT ]]>