Dynamics of microbial populations in soil: Indigenous microorganisms degrading 2,4-dinitrophenol

The mineralization of 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP) and changes in the DNP-mineralizing population over a wide range of DNP concentrations were monitored to evaluate the dynamics of the DNP-mineralizing populations in two soils (soils 1 and 2). Curves of CO₂ evolution were analyzed using nonlinear regression analysis and models incorporating parameters for population size and growth rate. The results of these analyses were compared to independent estimates of the DNP-mineralizing population from most-probable-number (MPN) determinations. The combined results of these analyses showed that 0.1g of DNP g^–1 of soil was too low a concentration to support maintenance or growth of the DNP-mineralizing population, whereas all higher concentrations supported either maintenance or growth of the population in soil 1. Independent estimates of population size showed good agreement between the nonlinear regression and MPN techniques, especially at initial DNP concentrations below 100g g^–1. Estimates of both population size and maximum specific growth rate varied with concentration, possibly indicating the existence of two different DNP-mineralizing populations in soil 1. In the other soil tested (soil 2), the population of DNP-mineralizers was much lower than in the first soil, and no evidence of two populations was obtained. In soil 2, good agreement between the nonlinear regression and MPN estimates of population size was also obtained. Results of this study demonstrate the power of using testable models of population dynamics to obtain useful estimates of parameters of microbial growth and survival in soil.