The rate of carbon dioxide production is commonly used as a measure of microbial activity in the soil. The traditional method of CO2 determination involves trapping CO2 in an alkali solution and then determining CO2 concentration indirectly by titration of the remaining alkali in the solution. This method is still commonly employed in laboratories throughout the world due to its relative simplicity and the fact that it does not require expensive, specific equipment. However, there are several drawbacks: the method […]

The effect of grazing pressure in sheep production has been studied, but not in relation to soil microbiological parameters or the consequences on soil fertility. The effect of grazing pressure (GP) by sheep on biomass and microbial activity related to C and N compounds cycling in subtropical region soil was studied. Soil samples were collected from the 0-10 cm and 10-20 cm layers in pastures with low GP (5 animals ha-1), high GP (40-50 animals ha-1) and in absence of […]