Abstract: The microbial biomass, basal respiration and substrate utilization
pattern in copper mining wasteland of red soil area, southern China, were
investigated. The results indicated that soil microflora were obviously
different compared with that of the non-mine soil. Microbial biomass and basal
respiration were negatively affected by the elevated heavy metal levels. Two
important microbial ecophysiological parameters, namely, the ratio of microbial
biomass C(C_{mic})/organic C(C_{org}) and
metabolic quotient (qCO_2) were closely correlated to heavy
metal stress. There was a significant decrease in the
C_{mic}/C_{org} ratio and an increase in
the metabolic quotient with increasing metal concentration. Multivariate
analysis of Biolog data for sole carbon source utilization pattern demonstrated
that heavy metal pollution had a significant impact on microbial community
structure and functional diversity. All the results showed that soil
microbiological parameters had great potential to become the early sensitive,
effective and liable indicators of the stresses or perturbations in soils of
mining ecosystems.