Reductions in microbial biomass along disturbance gradients in a semi-natural grassland
Soil disturbance is a common phenomenon in semi-natural sandy grasslands, caused by management practices, livestock trampling and erosion. To better understand ecosystem processes when the surface layers of the soil are disturbed, we investigated the effects of disturbance on different functional microbial groups by the use of signature fatty acid analysis. Four levels of disturbance were investig