Responses of Soil Biota to Organic Amendments in Stripmine Spoils in Northwestern New Mexico

Abstract

We examined the effects of organic amendments and topsoiling on the soil biota and decomposition in order to evaluate the relative efficacy of the amendments in restarting soil processes. We studied decomposition of barley straw (Hordeum vulgare) and populations of soil biota on strip coal‐mine spoils in northwestern New Mexico. The spoils had been amended with straw mulch, bark, topsoil, or no organic additives. Decomposition rates were highest in the unmined area and the bark, amended spoils (K = 0.64 yr−1) (K = first‐order rate constant), and lowest on the topsoil amendment and unamended spoil (K = 0.34 yr−1). Few differences were observed in the populations of soil microflora. Where differences were observed, the bark‐amended spoils had the highest populations and biomass. Soil microflora activity, as indicated by decomposition rates, was enhanced by bark amendment. Soil microfaunal populations were highest on the bark‐amended spoils and unmined soil. Important soil mites (soil Acari), the oribatids, were found only in the bark‐amended spoils and the unmined soils. These studies suggest that addition of selected organic amendments (bark) to mine spoils may be as effective in developing a soil as the more expensive topsoil/mulch procedures currently used in reclamation procedures.

The Effects of Organic Amendments on the Restoration of a Disturbed Coastal Sage Scrub Habitat

“…He emphasized that organic matter is the key to stable microbial activity in arid and semiarid ecosystems. Several other studies have also confirmed that the addition of recalcitrant organic matter to disturbed soil results in higher rates of decomposition and mineralization through the development of soil microorganisms comparable to those of undisturbed systems (Elkins et al 1984;Ingham et al 1985;Smith et al 1986;Schuman & Belden 1991). Though there have been studies of the nitrogen cycle of several California ecosystems (Bartolome 1979;Jackson & Roy 1986;Jackson et al 1988;Davidson et al 1990;Hart et al 1993), little research on the effects of organic matter amendments has been performed in southern California, and no literature could be found on the effect of recalcitrant organic matter on soil fungi in this area.…”

Soil biochemical properties in brown and gray mine soils with and without hydroseeding

“…However, their biochemical activities can be slow to re-establish (Chodak, 2009) and may take several decades to reach stable conditions normally found in native soils (Chatterjee et al, 2009;Insam and Domsch, 1988). Soil carbon amendments stimulate microbiological activity (Bendfeldt et al, 2001;Elkins et al, 1984;Lindemann et al, 1984), as can the establishment of herbaceous plants using the additions of fertilizers and lime (Chaudhuri et al, 2015). However, as easily decomposable organic matter is rapidly consumed, an overall decline of microbial activity results if no further additions of external nutrients and organic matter are applied because a reservoir of soil organic matter is lacking in newly created mine soils (Stephens et al, 2001;Stroo and Jencks, 1982).…”

Decomposition of cattle dung on grazed signalgrass (Brachiaria decumbensStapf) pastures in monoculture or intercropped with tree legumes

“…Once returned to the ground, the faecal mass stimulates the activity of soil biota, increasing mineralisation of plant-essential nutrients (Elkins et al 1994;Steinberger et al 1984). Nutrient returns to the soil via excreta will vary with the length of time spent by livestock in the pasture, rate of excretion and decomposition time (Hirata et al 2011).…”