Soil functioning in natural and planted woodlands on slate waste

Williamson, J. and Jones, D. and Rowe, E. and Healey, J. R. and Bardgett, Richard D. and Hobbs, P. J. (2003) Soil functioning in natural and planted woodlands on slate waste. In: Land reclamation. Balkema, Lisse, pp. 315-318. ISBN 9789058095626

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Abstract

Quarries and minesites are examples of extreme disturbance. Frequently, materials that form soil are scarce and ecological restoration is easier to achieve than productive land. Establishment of soil microbial function is critical to ecological restoration and a key objective of the study. An organic fertilizer containing a mix of sewage and paper sludges was designed to promote soil functioning during the revegetation of slate waste. We compared soil formation under naturally established birch trees (Betula pubescens) on slate waste with that of container-grown seedling birches of local provenance in slate waste amended with either organic or mineral fertilizer. Hypotheses that an organic nutrient source would lead to more rapid establishment of microbial communities and nutrient cycling than mineral fertilizer, and result in a substrate biochemically comparable to that under naturally established revegetation, were supported.

Item Type:
Contribution in Book/Report/Proceedings
Uncontrolled Keywords:
/dk/atira/pure/researchoutput/libraryofcongress/qh301
Subjects:
?? QH301 BIOLOGY ??
ID Code:
10275
Deposited By:
Deposited On:
10 Jul 2008 15:45
Refereed?:
Yes
Published?:
Published
Last Modified:
16 Sep 2023 03:04