Microbial community changes in heathland soil communities along a geographical gradient: interaction with climate change manipulations

Across all sites and over all the substrates, organic matter content was exponentially, inversely related to enzyme activity. Although the increase in temperature produced by the CLIMOOR roofs was small (on average 0.9 °C), this was sufficient to increase enzyme activity in all sites (on average by 45%). The increase was within the range of seasonal variability at each of the sites. The effect of drought on enzyme activity was more pronounced in the Northern European sites than the southern European, and most moisture limited, site. This suggests that the effect of temperature increases may be observed across all regions; however, the soils of northern Europe may be more sensitive to changes in rainfall patterns than more moisture limited Southern European soils.