Soil microbial respiration, biomass carbon and community composition data induced by substrate quality from an agricultural grassland

Abstract

The data presented here are related to the research article entitled ‘Effects ofsubstrate quality on carbon partitioning and microbial community composition in soil from an agricultural grassland’ [1]. Data illustrate cumulative CO2 efflux, microbial biomass C (Cmic), priming effect expressed as priming index (PI) and total phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) profiles. The data were measured during four soil laboratory incubations using a silty clay loam soil under permanent grassland from May until August 2015. The soil was treated with carbohydrates of different complexity (glucose, glucose-6-phosphate (G6P) or cellulose) alone or in conjunction with livestock slurry amended or non-amended with a biological additive. Our data may be of great significance for further studies on microbial respiration and biosynthesis, and microbial community structure following slurry application to soil, alongside the potential beneficial effects of the addition of slurry amended with biological additives.