Table 1.
Soil chemical properties used in the freeze–thaw studies
| Soil type | pH | Total C (%) | Total N (%) | DOC (mg C/kg) | NO3 − (mg N/kg) | NH4 + (mg N/kg) | DON (mg N/kg) | MBC (mg C/kg) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meadow mineral | 6.28 ± 0.12 a | 7.92 ± 2.43 b | 0.67 ± 0.19 b | 34.7 ± 3.3 c | <0.05 | 2.20 ± 0.07 a | 6.04 ± 0.98 b | 424 ± 84 b |
| Meadow organic | 6.40 ± 0.16 ab | 24.0 ± 2.9 a | 1.77 ± 0.06 a | 89.5 ± 12.6 b | 1.95 ± 0.75 a | 2.63 ± 1.52 a | 16.9 ± 3.28 a | 1989 ± 61 a |
| Heath mineral | 7.39 ± 0.10 b | 5.51 ± 2.17 b | 0.38 ± 0.18 b | 29.1 ± 1.6 c | 0.37 ± 0.37 a | <0.05 | 5.51 ± 0.74 b | 368 ± 63 b |
| Temperate | 6.10ǂ ± 0.10 a | 3.01ǂ ± 0.16 b | 0.23ǂ ± 0.01 b | 159.8 ± 13.4 a | 2.03 ± 0.85 a | 1.90 ± 0.85 a | 19.9 ± 3.32 a | 610ǂ ± 30 b |
Values are indicative of the mean ± SE (n = 4). MBC represents microbial biomass carbon. All values are expressed on a dry weight basis where applicable. The letters indicate significant difference between soil types (p < 0.05)
ǂData from Roberts and Jones (2012)