METHOD OF ASSESSMENT OF FUNCTIONAL STABILITY OF SAPROTROPHIC MICROBIAL COMMUNITY OF SOIL Russian patent published in 2015 - IPC C12Q1/02 C12N1/00 

FIELD: biotechnology.

SUBSTANCE: method of determining the functional stability of saprotrophic microbial complex of soil is proposed. The composting of soil sample is carried out in laboratory conditions. Using the MST method the evenness of functional spectrum of the microbial community is determined by the formula $$E=1/{{\displaystyle \sum \left(p_i\right)}}^2.$$ Recording the index of evenness of functional spectrum is carried out three times: 0, 15 and 30 days after the beginning of composting. According to the results, the coefficient of variation of the index of evenness of functional spectrum recording expect uniformity of the index of the functional spectrum of saprotrophic microbial community of soil (VE) between the recording periods is calculated. The functional stability of the saprotrophic microbial complex of soil is assessed. The stability is considered high if the value of the criterion VE does not exceed 20%, the average if it ranges within 20-50%, low - 50-100%, very low - more than 100%.

EFFECT: assessment of the functional range of the most mobile, cultivated part of the microbial community of soil, and the soil is exposed to relatively mild stress - composting without additional carbon sources.

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