Adenosine triphosphate content of the soil microbial biomass

In a heterogeneous group of 11 soils there was a linear relationship (r = 0.98) between ATP content and biomass C content, as measured by the fumigation technique. Biomass can be calculated from the ATP content using the relationship Biomass C in soil = 120 (ATP content of soil).When a soil was fumigated and then incubated for 10 days, both biomass C and ATP fell to about one-fifth their initial values. Both biomass C and ATP increased in a soil incubated for 10 days with glucose, the relative increase in ATP being slightly greater than that in biomass.