Wednesday, November 7, 2007
325-13

Electrogeophysical Methods for Evaluation of Microbiological Activity in Peat Soils.

Lev A. Pozdnyakov, Soil Microbiology, Moscow State University, Faculty of Soil Science, Vorob'evi Gori, Moscow, 119899, Russia

Various processes of the potential microbiological activity in drained peat soils, such as soil respiration, methanegenesis, nitrogen fixation and denitrification were studied and related with chemical properties and morphology of the soils. We suggest a complex of electrophysical methods based on electrical resistivity measurements in situ and in laboratory for evaluating various parameters of soil bioactivity. Field methods of electrical resistivity allow mapping soil contours with similar potential for soil respiration and anaerobic processes. The practicality of electrical resistivity methods for evaluation of soil microbiological activity is also discussed.