The Microbial Biomass of Carbon Soil between vegetation types and the correlation with soil physical and chemical properties

Authors

  • Gabrielle Whitesinger California State University San Marcos
  • Lucia Rodriguez

Abstract

This study investigated how slope aspect and vegetation type affect microbial biomass carbon (MBC) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in chaparral soils at CSU San Marcos. Using chloroform fumigation-extraction, it was found that MBC was significantly higher under Ceanothus tomentosus than Salvia mellifera (p = 0.007), while DOC was significantly greater on south-facing slopes (p < 0.001). A correlation analysis revealed that MBC correlated with total carbon, and DOC correlated with both carbon and nitrogen. These results highlight the combined influence of slope aspect and vegetation types on soil microbial activity and carbon dynamics in Mediterranean ecosystems. 

Additional Files

Published

2026-04-23

Issue

Vol. 4 No. 1 (2026): Cougar Journal of Undergraduate Research: Volume 4

Section

Research Posters

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Gabrielle Whitesinger, Lucia Rodriguez

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Authors retain copyright of their work. All submissions will be Open Access and distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) 4.0 license, which permits unrestricted production, distribution, and adaptation, provided that citation of the original work is included.