Definition

Phospholipid Fatty Acids (PLFA) stands for phospholipid fatty acids. These fatty acids are found in the cell membranes of living organisms. Different groups of organisms have a unique composition of these (PLFA) fatty acids.

Measuring and quantifying the PLFAs can provide a fingerprint of the soil food web. For example, the cell membranes of fungi consist of different PLFAs to those associated with bacteria.

The PLFAs present are measured and quantified using a gas chromotograph-MS.

PLFA diversity

PLFA diversity is the measure of diversity of organisms in the soil. The higher this number, the more resilient the soil is.

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