Changes in the fungal-to-bacterial respiratory ratio and microbial biomass in agriculturally managed soils under free-air CO2 enrichment (FACE) – A six-year survey of a field study

In soil ecology, microbial parameters have been identified as sensitive indicators of changes in the soil environment. The Braunschweig FACE project provided the opportunity to study the effects of elevated CO2 (550 μmol mol−1) as compared to ambient CO2 (370 μmol mol−1) on total microbial biomass (Cmic), Cmic-to-Corg ratio and the fungal-to-bacterial respiratory ratio together with total Corg, Nt, C:N ratio and pH over a six-year period. Field...