Effects of steam sterilization on soil abiotic and biotic properties

Abstract: Experiments under natural conditions are becoming increasingly important to investigate the impacts of global change on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, but field experiments are not always feasible. Climate or biodiversity chamber experiments can be an alternative, which, however, require large amounts of soil substrate. If only low amounts of target soil are available, high quantities of background soil must be sterilized and inoculated with target soil. One of the commonly used methods to sterilize large amounts of background soil is steam sterilization, because it is simple, fast and cheap. However, there is a lack of knowledge, whether steam sterilization is an effective method to completely eliminate all organisms in the soil (in particular heat-resistant organisms) as well as if and how it alters soil abiotic conditions like nutrient concentrations. Therefore, we tested which organisms survived the sterilization treatment and if the effectiveness can be improved by re.... https://www.soil-organisms.org/index.php/SO/article/view/125

Object Details

• Location: Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Frankfurt am Main
• Extent: Online-Ressource
• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Effects of steam sterilization on soil abiotic and biotic properties ; volume:92 ; number:2 ; year:2020 ; Soil organisms ; 92, Heft 2 (2020)

Contributors, Places and Time

• Creator: Dietrich, Peter ; Cesarz, Simone ; Eisenhauer, Nico ; Roscher, Christiane

Further information

• DOI: 10.25674/so92iss2pp99
• URN: urn:nbn:de:101:1-2023080204155117394861
• Rights: Open Access; Der Zugriff auf das Objekt ist unbeschränkt möglich.
• Last update: 14.08.2025, 10:53 AM CEST