Table 2 Microbial biomass (C_mic) and Chao1 diversity index in the O and A horizons at different sites prior to and after the drought and rewetting stress. Asterisks denote significant difference between the values prior to and after the stress within the horizon (p <0.05, pairwise t-test)

Site

C_mic (mg g⁻¹)

Chao1

C_mic (mg g⁻¹)

Chao1

OLK1

0.64

2,679

0.61

2,266

OLK2

1.29

3,110

1.17

1,682

OLK3

1.06

1,953

0.97

1,032

OLK4

2.85

2,249

2.75

2,097

OLK5

1.33

2,499

1.26

2,670

LEG1

1.75

795

1.59

639

LEG2

1.09

628

0.94

411

LEG3

1.29

607

1.15

473

LEG4

1.91

860

1.65

563

LEG5

1.38

912

1.29

n.d.

Mean

1.46^*

1,629^*

1.34^*

1,315^*

OLK1

0.23

2,337

0.20

2,261

OLK2

0.22

2,974

0.18

1,061

OLK3

0.18

2,174

0.17

1,739

OLK4

0.21

1,438

0.18

1,827

OLK5

0.21

3,104

0.21

2,112

LEG1

0.24

778

0.22

589

LEG2

0.11

633

0.08

705

LEG3

0.14

581

0.13

575

LEG4

0.22

1,177

0.21

790

LEG5

0.13

648

0.13

473

Mean

0.19^*

1,584

0.17^*

1,213