The Effect of Enzyme Activity on Carbon Sequestration and the Cycle of Available Macro- (P, K, Mg) and Microelements (Zn, Cu) in Phaeozems

Abstract

The study objective was to determine the relationship of selected enzyme activities with carbon sequestration and N, P, K, Mg, Zn and Cu contents in Phaeozem soils. Soil samples were taken from a 10 ha area. A selection of their physical and chemical properties and the contents of the available forms of selected macro- and microelements were determined. The activities of dehydrogenases (DEH), catalase (CAT), peroxidases (PER), alkaline (AlP) and acid (AcP) phosphatase, β-glucosidase (BG) and proteases (PR) were also determined. The relationship between enzymatic soil fertility indices (AlP/AcP, BIF, GMea, TEI, BA12 and BA13) and selected soil parameters was also determined. The research used principal component analysis (PCA) to distinguish significantly correlated parameters of a Phaeozem used for agricultural purposes. The study area showed low TOC and K contents and average P and Mg contents. Significant positive correlations were found between the TOC content and activity of the tested enzymes, evidencing that soil enzymes are an important parameter in carbon sequestration and soil nutrient dynamics.