Die Messung der Katalaseaktivität von Böden

The determination of Catalase Activity in Soils by Dr. Beck 1. The elaboration of a method for the determination of the activity of catalase in soils is described. The method envolves the gasvolumetric determination of oxygen released by decomposition of a H 2 O 2 ‐solution by soils, suspended in buffers in the presence and absence of the catalase inhibitor NaN 3 . 2. The influences of the following factors on catalase activity were studied: Methods for the determination of developed oxygen, enzyme‐ and substrate concentration, inhibition of catalase by NaN 3 , pH‐ and temperature‐optima of catalase and the presence of plant residues in soils. 3. It was found, that there was only a little decrease in catalase activity when fresh or dried samples of soils were stored over a periode of 4 months under laboratory conditions. The catalase activity of different soils showed very good correspondence to the dehydrogenase activity of the soils and less correspondence to the amount of soil respiration and the amylase activity. No relation could be found to the number of microorganisms in soil.