TheimpactofpHchangesonmicrobialbiomasscarbon(Cmic)andmicrobialbiomassphosphorus(Pmic)wereexaminedfor3redsoilsundercitrusproductionwithdifferentlengthsofcultivation.SoilpHsignificantlyaffectedCmicandPmic.TheCmicandPmicchanges,asafunctionofsoilpH,appearedtofollowanormaldistributionwiththeoriginalsoilpHvalueattheapexandaspHincreasedordecreasedcomparedtotheoriginalsoilpH,CmicandPmicdeclined.Moreover,therewerecriticalpHvaluesatbothextremes(3.0ontheacidicsideand8.0to8.5onthealkalineside),beyondwhichmostofmicroorganismscouldneversurvive.TheeffectofpHonCmicandPmicwasalsorelatedtotheoriginalsoilpH.ThehighertheoriginalsoilpHwas,thelessCmicorPmicwereaffectedbypHchange.ItissuggestedthatsoilmicroorganismsthatgrowinasoilenvironmentwithamoreneutralsoilpHrange(I.e.pH5.5-7.5)mayhaveagreatertolerancetopHchangesthanthosegrowinginmoreacidicormorealkalinesoilpHconditions.
