DISTRIBUTION OF POPULATION AND BIOMASS OF MICROORGANISMS WITH REGARD TO PROFILES OF ZONAL TYPES

The total reserves of biomass in four zonal soil types is estimated fo r the first time. A definite correlation is noted between the biomass reserves in soils and the potential respiration intensity. The reserve s of microbial biomass are represented mainly by the biomass of eukary otes (88-99 percent), while the biomass of prokaryotes ranges from 1 p ercent (Chestnut soil) to 12 percent (Gray Forest soil). According to biomass reserves, the investigated soils form the following series in ascending order: Gray Forest (5.7 metric tons/hectare), Sod-Podzolic ( 14 metric tons/hectare), Chernozem (15 metric tons/hectare), and Chest nut (32 metric tons/hectare). The biomass of soil microbial cenoses is not concentrated primarily in the upper soil horizons, but relatively evenly distributed throughout the profile.