Linking rhizoplane pH and bacterial density at the microhabitat scale

PG Dennis, PR Hirsch, SJ Smith, RG Taylor, Eugenia Valsami-Jones, Alexander Miller

Research output: Contribution to journalArticle

11 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Ion-selective microelectrodes and a novel micro-sampling technique were used to investigate the relationship in field soil between Brassica napus rhizoplane pH and bacterial density at a spatial scale approximating a microhabitat. Bacterial densities were observed to increase with decreasing pH, rhizoplane pH measurements varied by up to 1 pH unit over a distance of 1 mm and the mean pH of the rhizoplane at the root base varied by more than 1 pH unit between plants. These findings highlight the appropriateness of investigating the interactions between bacterial communities and their environment at the micro-spatial scale and the utility of the micro-sampling method.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)101-104
Number of pages4
JournalJournal of Microbiological Methods
Volume76
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jan 2009

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