Summary
This field study in Flanders examined which microbial indicators reliably predict soil organic carbon status in arable systems, a priority for EU soil health harmonisation. Both TOC and exogenous carbon input strongly predicted labile carbon pools (HWC and PLFA) and showed significant within-field spatial variability, whereas DNA-based microbial diversity indices (bacterial and fungal) were less responsive to management and spatial factors. The findings suggest that carbon input can serve as a practical proxy for monitoring TOC trajectories in soil health assessments, but that sampling design must account for substantial field-scale heterogeneity.
Regional applicability
Although conducted in Belgium (Flanders), the findings are directly relevant to United Kingdom arable management and soil monitoring policy. The study's emphasis on spatial variability and the validation of carbon input as a TOC proxy align with UK interests in soil health metrics under emerging environmental stewardship schemes and the potential adoption of harmonised EU monitoring approaches.
Key measures
Total organic carbon (TOC), carbon input (C input), hot-water extractable carbon (HWC), total biomass via phospholipid fatty acid analysis (PLFA), bacterial Shannon-Wiener diversity (DivB), fungal Shannon-Wiener diversity (DivF)
Outcomes reported
The study assessed relationships between microbial soil health indicators (hot-water extractable carbon, phospholipid fatty acid biomass, bacterial and fungal diversity) and total organic carbon in arable topsoils across five field trials. It evaluated carbon input from exogenous organic matter as a practical proxy for monitoring total organic carbon changes.
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