Communications In Soil Science And Plant Analysis, vol.53, no.1, pp.30-44, 2022 (SCI-Expanded)
The objective of this study was to determine the effects of sampling time and depth on some soil properties in a natural olive grove. Soil samples were collected at 0–10 cm (S0) and 10–20 cm (S1) depths in February, May, August, and November between 2013 and 2015 in Cukurova University Campus, Adana, Turkey. The soil properties determined were soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), C/N, soil C mineralization and rate (Cmin) under laboratory conditions, aerobic bacteria and fungi counts. Effect of soil depth on these properties was more significant than sampling time. SOC, TN, soil aerobic bacteria and fungi counts, and Cmin were generally decreased as soil depth increased. Carbon mineralizations in S0 and S1 were lowest in May 2014 and highest in May 2015. In general, there were no significant differences between depths and sampling times in soil bacteria counts and C/N while fungi counts in S0 were significantly higher in S1 in every sampling time (P < .05). SOC was significantly correlated with all soil properties in S1 and positively correlated with TN in both depths (P < .05). In conclusion, heterogeneity of soil properties was more comprehensible in depth than in sampling times.