JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND ECOLOGY, vol.18, no.3, pp.862-870, 2017 (SCI-Expanded)
In this study, after determining some ecological properties of leaves and soils of Thymbra spicata var. spicata L. (Thyme: T, Lamiaceae) cultured at May 2014 and March 2015 in Kadirli district of Osmaniye (Turkey), carbon mineralisation was observed (45 days at 28 degrees C and 80% of the field capacity) in leaves (L) at equal (TL 1x) and half (TL 1/2x) amounts of soil organic carbon content mixed with the thyme soils. Carbon mineralisation was also observed in soils with thyme added at the recommended dose (RD, 10 g/da) and 5 x RD, 7.5 x RD and 10 x RD of Mospilan 20 SP insecticide. C mineralisation in soils was determined by CO2 respiration method under laboratory conditions (28 degrees C, 80% of field capacity and 45 days). While there was no significant difference between plain sample and soils with TL at 1x and 1/2x amounts of soil carbon in May 2014, there was a significant difference between samples without and with TL at 1/2x level of soil carbon content in March 2015 (P = 0.001). In experiments with added insecticide, C mineralisation and its ratio of sample added 50 g/da Mospilan was found higher than both soils added 10 g/da and 75 g/da Mospilan (P < 0.05). In the light of these findings, it was observed that microbial activity slightly decreased after addition of different doses of TL to the thyme soils.