Soil biodiversity and carbon dynamics in the long-term (50 years) experiment V140/00 in Müncheberg, Germany

The relationships between primary organic matter, soil biota and soil organic matter are still insufficiently understood, even though knowledge thereof is crucial for both understanding and optimizing sustainable management systems. Long-term field experiments, such as the 50 year V140/00 experiment on sandy soil in Müncheberg, provide the opportunity to analyse soil biota and long-term carbon dynamics in variants subjected to different management. The aim of this study was to relate soil carbon dynamics to soil biodiversity using a combined monitoring and modelling approach. Selected taxa from different functional groups (ecosystem engineers, litter transformers, microfoodwebs) were studied between 2010 and 2013 in treatments with different input of straw, manure and N-fertilizer. In addition, some integrated measures of soil quality were taken. We, inter alia, hypothesized that increased carbon sequestration would coincide with increased soil biodiversity, especially with respect to soil fauna. The results revealed that no simple relationship exists between soil biodiversity and carbon dynamics in the studied soil. The results are discussed in the framework of the ecosystem services concept.