RT Journal Article
T1 Validation of the traditional calorespirometric procedure using external  respirometry to quantify the calorespirometric ratio of soil microbial metabolism
A1 Piñeiro Gómez, Verónica
A1 Lestido Cardama, Yago
A1 Pérez Cruzado, César
A1 Barros Pena, Nieves
K1 Soil microbial metabolism
K1 Calorimetry
K1 Respiration
K1 Calorespirometric ratio
AB The calorespirometric ratio is a metabolic indicator that can be useful in soil science for understanding thermodynamics and the carbon use efficiency of soil microbial metabolism. Calculating calorespirometric ratios for soil microbial metabolism involves the development of calorespirometric procedures using calorimeters of the heat conduction type. The calorespirometric measurements for soil microbial metabolism are recent and their calculation requires sensitive calorimeters and accurate measurements. Their interpretation for soils has been developing during the last years, but accuracy of the methods involved in their calculation are still under question. This paper analyses the precision of the traditional calorespirometric method to yield these calorespirometric ratios by comparison with analysis of respiration measured in parallel using chromatography. Results indicated that the CO2 data obtained by chromatography and calorespirometry are significantly correlated with each other and with the heat rate of the soil microbial metabolism. The comparison of the CO2 data from both methods by the paired sample Wilcoxon signed rank test yielded no statistically significant differences. Nevertheless, small changes in the CO2 determinations, due to the method of measurement or to the reproducibility of these indices in the soil replicates, affected the experimental quantitative values of the calorespirometric ratios. Differences in the quantitative values were large enough in some of the samples to yield distinct interpretations of the results.
PB Elsevier
YR 2025
FD 2025-04-04
LK https://hdl.handle.net/10347/42822
UL https://hdl.handle.net/10347/42822
LA eng
NO Piñeiro, V., Lestido‑Cardama, Y., Pérez‑Cruzado, C., & Barros, N. (2025). Validation of the traditional calorespirometric procedure using external respirometry to quantify the calorespirometric ratio of soil microbial metabolism. "Soil Biology and Biochemistry", vol. 206, 1-10
NO Ilustracións, gráficos e táboas
NO NBP, CPC and YLC were supported by the CONGESTION project (PID2022-119204RB-C22)– “Conservation vs management. Definition of indices for the characterization of the intensity of management and provision of ecosystem services: monitoring and optimization” - funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation. CPC was supported also by the Ramón y Cajal grant (RYC2018-024939-I) and the Project: “Design of forest monitoring systems at a regional scale – Consolidation 2020 - Modalidade C” – Projects of excellence (ED431F-2020/02). YLC is grateful for his grant “Programa de axudas á etapa predoutoral” from Xunta de Galicia (Consellería de Educación, Ciencia, Universidades e Formación Profesional).
DS Minerva
RD 24 abr 2026