The effect of increasing land use intensity on soil health indicators of Chernozem soils in a suburban area of Hajdúság, Eastern Hungary

Selected soil health indicators of Chernozem soils under different agricultural land use in a suburban area were studied and compared. In the topsoil (0–40 cm) bulk density (BD), total organic carbon content (TOC), total nitrogen (TN) content, ammonium lactate-extractable P, K, Ca, Mg contents were measured, and microbiological communities were characterized by phospholipide-phatty acid (PLFA) markers. Three study sites were on croplands, with different land use legacies, one in complex cultivation area, one in fallow land, and one grassland was serving as referential site, considered to be in close to natural state. We found significantly higher BD, decreased TOC and TN content in the cropland sites compared to the reference site. P-AL content showed higher values at the natural site, but Ca-AL, Mg-AL and K-AL content of the cultivated and mineral-fertilized agricultural sites were higher, or equal compared to the grassland site. Total microbiological activity correlates significantly positively with TOC and TN content and negatively with the BD. Sites with perennial vegetation cover and higher biodiversity showed higher microbiological activity, and for the arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi, actinobacteria and anaerobe bacteria the differences are significant.