Earthworm activity affecting organic matter, aggregation and microbial activity in soils restored after opencast mining for coal

Scullion, John; Malik, Ashish

doi:10.1016/s0038-0717(99)00142-x

Cited by 125 publications

(51 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…Lumbricus terrestris L. was the predominant anecic earthworm on the field site [23] and has been shown to promote aggregation [24]. As supplies of litter were limited, the inclusion of a no earthworm treatment would have compromised the experiment.…”

Section: Experimental Set-upmentioning

confidence: 99%

Elevated CO2 and Tree Species Affect Microbial Activity and Associated Aggregate Stability in Soil Amended with Litter

Al-Maliki

Jones

Godbold

et al. 2017

Forests

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(1) Elevated atmospheric CO 2 (eCO 2 ) may affect organic inputs to woodland soils with potential consequences for C dynamics and associated aggregation; (2) The Bangor Free Air Concentration Enrichment experiment compared ambient (330 ppmv) and elevated (550 ppmv) CO 2 regimes over four growing seasons (2005)(2006)(2007)(2008) under Alnus glutinosa, Betula pendula and Fagus sylvatica. Litter from the experiment (autumn 2008) and Lumbricus terrestris were added to mesocosm soils. Microbial properties and aggregate stability were investigated in soil and earthworm casts. Soils taken from the field experiment in spring 2009 were also investigated; (3) eCO 2 litter had lower N and higher C:N ratios. F. sylvatica and B. pendula litter had lower N and P than A. glutinosa; F. sylvatica had higher cellulose. In mesocosms, eCO 2 litter decreased respiration, mineralization constant (respired C:total organic C) and soluble carbon in soil but not earthworm casts; microbial-C and fungal hyphal length differed by species (A. glutinosa = B. pendula > F. sylvatica) not CO 2 regime. eCO 2 increased respiration in field aggregates but increased stability only under F. sylvatica; (4) Lower litter quality under eCO 2 may restrict its initial decomposition, affecting C stabilization in aggregates. Later resistant materials may support microbial activity and increase aggregate stability. In woodland, C and soil aggregation dynamics may alter under eCO 2 , but outcomes may be influenced by tree species and earthworm activity.

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Section: Experimental Set-upmentioning

confidence: 99%

Elevated CO2 and Tree Species Affect Microbial Activity and Associated Aggregate Stability in Soil Amended with Litter

Al-Maliki

Jones

Godbold

et al. 2017

Forests

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“…Farmyard manure appeared to be more efficacious than compost in changing porosity. The effects of organic amendments on soil porosity may also occur indirectly through their influence on soil fauna (e.g., earthworms) whose feeding and burrowing activities modify porosity (Pe´re´s et al 1998) and aggregation (Scullion and Malik 2000).…”

Section: Modifying Soil Architecturementioning

confidence: 99%

The role of organic amendments in soil reclamation: A review

2012

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Larney, F. J. and Angers, D. A. 2012. The role of organic amendments in soil reclamation: A review. Can. J. Soil Sci. 92: 19–38. A basic tenet of sustainable soil management is that current human activities are not detrimental to future generations. Soils are degraded by natural events (erosion) or industrial activity. A prevalent feature of degraded or disturbed soils is lack of organic matter compared with adjacent undisturbed areas. Organic amendments, such as livestock manure, biosolids, pulp and paper mill by-products, wood residuals and crop residues, are produced in abundance in Canada and could be widely used in soil reclamation. Biosolids production is ∼0.5 Tg yr−1(dry wt.); paper mill sludge generated in the province of Quebec was ∼2 Tg (wet wt.) in 2002. This review paper examines mechanisms through which organic amendments affect soil properties (physical, chemical, biological) and describes the role of organic amendments in reclamation, with emphasis on amendment types and application rates for soil amelioration and biomass production. Single large applications of organic amendments can accelerate initial reclamation and lead to self-sustaining net primary productivity. Readily decomposable organic amendments may provide immediate, but transient, effects, whereas stable, less decomposable materials may provide longer-lasting effects. Using organic amendments for reclamation is mutually beneficial wherein waste products from agriculture, forestry and urban areas help other sectors meet their land reclamation goals.

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“…Earthworms strongly influence the stabilisation of soil aggregates (Scullion and Malik 2000) and their numbers are increased in the presence of grass-based leys (Pfiffner and Mader 1997;Watson et al 1999;Scullion et al 2002). However, the benefits of leys on earthworm numbers may not result exclusively from the presence of the vegetation, but also from the associated lack of soil disturbance.…”

Section: Crop Management Use Of Leysmentioning

confidence: 99%

The role of crop rotations in determining soil structure and crop growth conditions

Ball¹,

Bingham²,

Rees³

et al. 2005

Can. J. Soil. Sci.

187

107

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. 2005. The role of crop rotations in determining soil structure and crop growth conditions. Can. J. Soil Sci. 85: 557-577. Increasing concern about the need to provide high-quality food with minimum environmental impact has led to a new interest in crop rotations as a tool to maintain sustainable crop production. We review the role of rotations in the development and preservation of soil structure. After first introducing the types of rotations in current practice and their impact on yield, we assess how soil and crop management in rotations determines soil structure, and in turn how soil structure influences crop growth and yield. We also briefly consider how soil structure might contribute to other beneficial effects of rotations, namely nutrient cycling and disease suppression. Emphasis is given to the influence of crop choice and, where relevant, interaction with tillage system and avoidance of compaction in the improvement and maintenance of soil structure. Crop rotations profoundly modify the soil environment. The sequence of crops in rotation not only influences the removal of nutrients from a soil, but also the return of crop residues, the development and distribution of biopores and the dynamics of microbial communities. These processes contribute to the development of soil structure. We have identified areas where further research is needed to enable the potential benefits of rotations in the management of soil structure to be fully exploited. These include: improved quantitative linkages between soil structure and crop growth, the consequences to soil structure and nutrient cycling of crop residue incorporation, developing natural disease suppression, amelioration of subsoils by crop roots, the fate of carbon deposited by plant roots in soil and the fate of organic nitrogen in soil. Les auteurs passent en revue le rôle de l'assolement dans l'évolution et la préser-vation de la structure du sol. Après avoir présenté les diverses méthodes d'assolement en usage et leur incidence sur le rendement, ils expliquent comment la gestion du sol et des productions végétales durant la rotation affecte la structure du sol et comment cette dernière agit sur la croissance et le rendement des plantes. Les auteurs examinent aussi brièvement la manière dont la structure du sol pourrait contribuer autrement aux effets bénéfiques de l'assolement, notamment dans le cycle des éléments nutritifs et la lutte contre la maladie. Ils insistent sur l'incidence du choix de la culture et, quand la chose est pertinente, sur l'interaction avec le système de travail du sol et la nécessité d'éviter le compactage si l'on veut améliorer ou préserver la structure du sol. L'assolement modifie considérablement l'environnement tellurique. Les cultures qui se succèdent lors de la rotation n'influent pas seulement sur le retrait des éléments nutritifs dans le sol, mais aussi sur la réintégration des débris végétaux, sur le développement et la réparti-tion des biopores et sur la dynamique de la microflore. Ces processus concourent au développe...

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Earthworm activity affecting organic matter, aggregation and microbial activity in soils restored after opencast mining for coal

Cited by 125 publications

References 34 publications

Elevated CO2 and Tree Species Affect Microbial Activity and Associated Aggregate Stability in Soil Amended with Litter

Elevated CO2 and Tree Species Affect Microbial Activity and Associated Aggregate Stability in Soil Amended with Litter

The role of organic amendments in soil reclamation: A review

The role of crop rotations in determining soil structure and crop growth conditions

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