Abstract

Influence of enzyme activities on microsite, depth and grazing of forage soils of North Gujarat

Author(s): Ratna Trivedi, S.A.Bhatt

The enzyme status of soil influences mineralization kinetics, and thus, the supply of nutrients to plants.We quantified urease, asparaginase, glutaminase, and phosphatase, activity in a sagebrush/grass ecosystem of north gujarat. Enzyme activity was evaluated by depth (0 to 5 cm, 5 to 10 cm, 10 to 20 cm), microsite, and treatment (grazed and ungrazed). For most enzymes evaluated, there was a significant depth x microsite interaction. In general, enzyme activity declined with depth. Moreover, the interspace microsite often had the lowest enzyme activity among the other microsites. Depending on soil depth and microsite, the grazing treatment significantly reduced urease, asparaginase, and alkaline phosphatase activity compared to the ungrazed treatment. Enzyme activity is an important soil attribute and may serve as a robust measure of soil health.