The mean size and mean number of microbial organism for soil samples collected from Heald, Hahn and White Island terrestrial soils and White Island marine sediment

Samples of soils collected from Heald, Hahn and White Island were ground in a mortar and pestle with 20ml distilled water. Agar films for subsequent counting were prepared from these soil suspensions. One gram of sediment that was collected from the marine benthos at White Island was also prepared in the same way. Stained organisms were counted in 40 fields with a micrometer eyepiece. The mean dimension and mean number of organisms (biomass) was determined. Microbes from the bethic sediment was comparable with that found for surface temperate and tropical soils. To provide further information on the nature of the organic matter in the sediment on which the bacteriaal population presumable feeds, sediment samples were hydrolysed and their nitrogen distribution ascertained.