Soil enzymes are one of the vital key mediators involved in nutrient recycling and the decomposition of organic matter and thereby in maintaining soil quality and fertility. This Soil Biology volume covers the various facets of soil enzymes, such as their functions, biochemical and microbiological properties and the factors affecting their activities. Enzymes in the rhizosphere, in forest soils, and in volcanic ash-derived soils are described. Soil enzymes covered include phosphohydrolases, lignocellulose-degrading enzymes, phenol oxidases, fungal oxidoreductases, keratinases, pectinases, xylanases, lipases and pectinases. Several chapters treat the soil enzymatic activities in the bioremediation of soils contaminated with pesticides and pollutants such as oil, chlorinated compounds, synthetic dyes and aromatic hydrocarbons. The role of soil enzymes as bioindicators is a further important topic addressed.
Author(s): Madhunita Bakshi, Ajit Varma (auth.), Girish Shukla, Ajit Varma (eds.)
Series: Soil Biology 22
Edition: 1
Publisher: Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
Year: 2011
Language: English
Pages: 384
Tags: Enzymology; Agriculture; Soil Science & Conservation
Front Matter....Pages i-xvi
Soil Enzyme: The State-of-Art....Pages 1-23
Role of Enzymes in Maintaining Soil Health....Pages 25-42
Agricultural and Ecological Significance of Soil Enzymes: Soil Carbon Sequestration and Nutrient Cycling....Pages 43-60
Enzymes in Forest Soils....Pages 61-73
Extracellular Enzymes in Sensing Environmental Nutrients and Ecosystem Changes: Ligand Mediation in Organic Phosphorus Cycling....Pages 75-102
Importance of Extracellular Enzymes for Biogeochemical Processes in Temporary River Sediments during Fluctuating Dry–Wet Conditions....Pages 103-117
Soil Enzymes as Indication of Soil Quality....Pages 119-148
Enzyme Activities in the Rhizosphere of Plants....Pages 149-166
Lignocellulose-Degrading Enzymes in Soils....Pages 167-186
Heterophase Synthesis of Humic Acids in Soils by Immobilized Phenol Oxidases....Pages 187-205
Fungal Oxidoreductases and Humification in Forest Soils....Pages 207-228
Evolutionary-Economic Principles as Regulators of Soil Enzyme Production and Ecosystem Function....Pages 229-243
Controls on the Temperature Sensitivity of Soil Enzymes: A Key Driver of In Situ Enzyme Activity Rates....Pages 245-258
Actinomycetes: Sources for Soil Enzymes....Pages 259-269
Organo-Mineral–Enzyme Interaction and Soil Enzyme Activity....Pages 271-292
The Influence of Pesticides on Soil Enzymes....Pages 293-312
Behavior of Enzymatic Activity in Chilean Volcanic Soil and Their Interactions with Clay Fraction....Pages 313-328
Screening, Characterisation and Optimization of Microbial Pectinase....Pages 329-337
Molecular Techniques to Study Polymorphism between Closely Related Microorganisms in Relation to Specific Protein Phosphatase....Pages 339-361
Production of Ligninolytic Enzymes by White-rot Fungi during Bioremediation of Oil-contaminated Soil....Pages 363-377
Back Matter....Pages 379-384
