Phospholipid Fatty Acids (PLFA)
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.
