Soil stripping and replacement for the rehabilitation of bauxite-mined land at Weipa. I. Initial changes to soil organic matter and related parameters

Soil Research ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 345 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. D. Schwenke ◽  
D. R. Mulligan ◽  
L. C. Bell
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Organic Matter ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Surface Soil ◽  
Soil Disturbance ◽  
Microbial Biomass C ◽  
Low Grade ◽  
Double Pass ◽  
Organic C ◽  
The Difference

At Weipa, in Queensland, Australia, sown tree and shrub species sometimes fail to establish on bauxite-mined land, possibly because surface-soil organic matter declines during soil stripping and replacement. We devised 2 field experiments to investigate the links between soil rehabilitation operations, organic matter decline, and revegetation failure. Experiment 1 compared two routinely practiced operations, dual-strip (DS) and stockpile soil, with double-pass (DP), an alternative method, and subsoil only, an occasional result of the DS operation. Other treatments included variations in stripping-time, ripping-time, fertiliser rate, and cultivation. Dilution of topsoil with subsoil, low-grade bauxite, and ironstone accounted for the 46% decline of surface-soil (0–10 cm) organic C in DS compared with pre-strip soil. In contrast, organic C in the surface-soil (0–10 cm) of DP plots (25.0 t/ha) closely resembled the pre-strip area (28.6 t/ha). However, profile (0–60 cm) organic C did not differ between DS (91.5 t/ha), DP (107 t/ha), and pre-strip soil (89.9 t/ha). Eighteen months after plots were sown with native vegetation, surface-soil (0–10 cm) organic C had declined by an average of 9% across all plots. In Experiment 2, we measured the potential for post-rehabilitation decline of organic matter in hand-stripped and replaced soil columns that simulated the DS operation. Soils were incubated in situ without organic inputs. After 1 year’s incubation, organic C had declined by up to 26% and microbial biomass C by up to 61%. The difference in organic C decline between vegetated replaced soils (Expt 1) and bare replaced soils (Expt 2) showed that organic inputs affect levels of organic matter more than soil disturbance. Where topsoil was replaced at the top of the profile (DP) and not ploughed, inputs from volunteer native grasses balanced oxidation losses and organic C levels did not decline.

Relationships between labile soil organic matter and nematode communities in a California oak woodland

Nematology ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 18 (10) ◽  
pp. 1231-1245 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew J. Margenot ◽  
Amanda K. Hodson
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Organic Matter ◽  
Microbial Biomass C ◽  
Soil Nematode ◽  
Drift Spectroscopy ◽  
Organic C ◽  
Nematode Communities ◽  
Labile C ◽  
Labile C Fractions ◽  
Labile Soil Organic Matter

Labile soil organic matter (SOM) is an important energy source for below-ground ecosystems but the association of labile SOM and nematode communities is poorly characterised. In this study, soil nematode communities and nematode-derived indices of ecosystem function were characterised and related to SOM lability in an undisturbed riparian woodland (California, USA). SOM lability was assessed by microbial biomass C (MBC), permanganate-oxidisable C (POXC), extractable organic C (EOC), and diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform (DRIFT) spectroscopy. The channel index, which measures the ratio of bacterial-feeding to fungal-feeding nematodes in cp groups 1 and 2, respectively, decreased with labile C fractions and aliphatic C-H enrichment (infrared absorbance at 2920 cm−1) but increased with aromatic C=C enrichment (1620 cm−1) and index of decomposition (2930:1620 cm−1), as did the nematode structure index. These results indicate that nematode communities respond to variation in labile C fractions and SOM composition across a heterogeneous natural landscape, which may reflect observed differences in SOM lability among woody plant species.

Tillage effects on the dynamics of total and corn-residue-derived soil organic matter in two southern Ontario soils

1999 ◽  
Vol 79 (3) ◽  
pp. 473-480 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. D. Wanniarachchi ◽  
R. P. Voroney ◽  
T. J. Vyn ◽  
R. P. Beyaert ◽  
A. F. MacKenzie
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Organic Matter ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Soil Depth ◽  
Reduced Tillage ◽  
Plant Residues ◽  
Organic C ◽  
Tillage Practices ◽  
Loam Soil

Agricultural management practices affect the dynamics of soil organic matter (SOM) by influencing the amount of plant residues returned to the soil and rate of residue and SOM decomposition. Total organic C and δ13C of soil were measured in two field experiments involving corn cropping to determine the effect of tillage practices on SOM dynamics. Minimum tillage (MT) and no tillage (NT) had no significant impact on the soil C compared with conventional tillage (CT) in the 0- to 50-cm soil depth sampled at both sites. Continuous corn under MT and CT for 29 yr in a silt loam soil sequestered 61–65 g m−2 yr−1 of corn-derived C (C4-C), and it accounted for 25–26% of the total C in the 0- to 50-cm depth. In a sandy loam soil cropped to corn for 6 yr, SOM contained 10 and 8.4% C4-C under CT and NT, respectively. Reduced tillage practices altered the distribution of C4-C in soil, causing the surface (0–5 cm) soil of reduced tillage (MT and NT) plots to have higher amounts of C4-C compared to CT. Tillage practices did not affect the turnover of C3-C in soil. Key words: Soil organic matter, 13C natural abundance, tillage practices

Effect of crop rotations and cultural practices on soil organic matter, microbial biomass and respiration in a thin Black Chernozem

1991 ◽  
Vol 71 (3) ◽  
pp. 363-376 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. A. Campbell ◽  
V. O. Biederbeck ◽  
R. P. Zentner ◽  
G. P. Lafond
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Organic Matter ◽  
Microbial Biomass ◽  
Cultural Practices ◽  
Respiratory Activity ◽  
Crop Rotations ◽  
Microbial Biomass C ◽  
Soil Organic C ◽  
Organic C ◽  
C And N

The effects of crop rotations and various cultural practices on soil organic matter quantity and quality in a Rego, Black Chernozem with a thin A horizon were determined in a long-term study at Indian Head, Saskatchewan. Variables examined included: fertilization, cropping frequency, green manuring, and inclusion of grass-legume hay crop in predominantly spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) production systems. Generally, fertilizer increased soil organic C and microbial biomass in continuous wheat cropping but not in fallow-wheat or fallow-wheat-wheat rotations. Soil organic C, C mineralization (respiration) and microbial biomass C and N increased (especially in the 7.5- to 15-cm depth) with increasing frequency of cropping and with the inclusion of legumes as green manure or hay crop in the rotation. The influence of treatments on soil microbial biomass C (BC) was less pronounced than on microbial biomass N. Carbon mineralization was a good index for delineating treatment effects. Analysis of the microbial biomass C/N ratio indicated that the microbial suite may have been modified by the treatments that increased soil organic matter significantly. The treatments had no effect on specific respiratory activity (CO2-C/BC). However, it appeared that the microbial activity, in terms of respiration, was greater for systems with smaller microbial biomass. Changes in amount and quality of the soil organic matter were associated with estimated amount and C and N content of plant residues returned to the soil. Key words: Specific respiratory activity, crop residues, soil quality, crop rotations

scholarly journals Chemical and Spectroscopic Parameters Are Equally Sensitive in Describing Soil Organic Matter Changes After Decades of Different Fertilization

Agriculture ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 422
Author(s):  
Tomáš Šimon ◽  
Mikuláš Madaras
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Organic Matter ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Hot Water ◽  
Organic C ◽  
The Czech Republic ◽  
Spectral Detection ◽  
Total Organic C ◽  
Som Decomposition

The composition and dynamics of soil organic matter (SOM) are decisive factors in soil quality. In this work, total organic C (Ctot), hot water extractable C (Chwl), and aliphatic and aromatic SOM components detected by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy were determined to evaluate SOM quantity and quality in soil samples taken between 2004 and 2017 from 13 field experiments established in different soil and climatic conditions of the Czech Republic. In addition, the C pool index (CPI), lability index (LI), C management index (CMI), and SOM decomposition index (DI) were assessed. Treatments were selected as follows: Unfertilized control (Nil), mineral fertilized treatment (NPK), farmyard manured treatment (FYM), and organic and mineral fertilized treatment (FYM+NPK). Both organic and combined fertilization significantly increased soil Ctot, Chwl, CPI, LI, CMI, and labile aliphatic SOM components (FTIRaliph) in most of the experiments compared to unfertilized treatments (p ≤ 0.05). In contrast, the highest content of recalcitrant aromatic SOM components (FTIRarom) and increased DI were determined in majority of unfertilized soils. Our results show that: (1) fertilization regimes increased both labile and total C pools; the highest increase was nearly uniformly observed for NPK+FYM treatment; (2) SOM chemical and FTIR spectral detection had equal sensitivity to the changes; and (3) none of the parameters or indices tested can be used as a stand-alone SOM quality descriptor.

Soil stripping and replacement for the rehabilitation of bauxite-mined land at Weipa. II. Soil organic matter dynamics in mine soil chronosequences

Soil Research ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 371 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. D. Schwenke ◽  
L. Ayre ◽  
D. R. Mulligan ◽  
L. C. Bell
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Organic Matter ◽  
Surface Soil ◽  
Native Forest ◽  
Mine Soil ◽  
Vegetation Types ◽  
Vegetation Development ◽  
Organic C ◽  
Soil Organic Matter Dynamics ◽  
Organic Matter Dynamics

Concern over the long-term sustainability of post-mining ecosystems at Weipa (North Queensland, Australia) led to investigations of soil organic matter dynamics, a key process linking soil and vegetation development in maintenance-free systems. Paper I of this series examined the short-term effects of rehabilitation operations on soil organic matter. Here, we assess the medium-term development of post-rehabilitation soil organic matter quantity and quality using mine soil chronosequences of up to 22 years post-rehabilitation at Weipa. Soils had been respread either immediately after stripping or after stripped soil had been stockpiled for several years. Sites surveyed were revegetated with native tree and shrub species, forestry (Khaya senegalensis), or pasture (Brachiaria decumbens/Stylosanthes spp.). Three areas of undisturbed native forest were included for comparison. Compared with the undisturbed forest, rehabilitated soils were shallower and more compacted, contained more gravel, and, as a result of topsoil–subsoil mixing, stored less organic matter in the surface soil. Rehabilitated sites respread with stockpiled soil were more compacted and lower in all quantitative and qualitative measures of organic matter than freshly replaced soils. With time, organic matter accumulated in the surface soil under all vegetation types at rates of up to 1.25 t C/ha.year, but new equilibrium levels were yet to be reached. Accumulated organic matter was mostly associated with clay and silt-sized particles, indicating effective cycling of litter to humus. Nitrogen mineralisation capacity increased with time under all vegetation types. The incidence of fire led to increased total and light-fraction organic C, but this was probably as charcoal C. Sites where volunteer grass biomass was reduced pre-planting by late-season stripping or disc-ploughing accumulated less organic C. To optimise post-mining soil organic matter development, we recommend that soil stockpiling be avoided, that more volunteer grasses be retained to ensure continuity of organic inputs, and that attention be focussed on minimising soil compaction and gravel incorporation—both permanent limitations to plant growth.

scholarly journals Nitrogen Immobilisation and Microbial Biomass Build-Up Induced by Miscanthus x giganteus L. Based Fertilisers

Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 1386
Author(s):  
Michael Stotter ◽  
Florian Wichern ◽  
Ralf Pude ◽  
Martin Hamer
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Organic Matter ◽  
Microbial Biomass ◽  
Triticum Aestivum L ◽  
Microbial Biomass C ◽  
Microbial Biomass N ◽  
Miscanthus X Giganteus ◽  
Organic Fertilisers ◽  
Biomass N ◽  
Set Up

Cultivation of Miscanthus x giganteus L. (Mis) with annual harvest of biomass could provide an additional C source for farmers. To test the potential of Mis-C for immobilizing inorganic N from slurry or manure and as a C source for soil organic matter build-up in comparison to wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) straw (WS), a greenhouse experiment was performed. Pot experiments with ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) were set up to investigate the N dynamics of two organic fertilisers based on Mis at Campus Klein-Altendorf, Germany. The two fertilisers, a mixture of cattle slurry and Mis as well as cattle manure from Mis-bedding material resulted in a slightly higher N immobilisation. Especially at the 1st and 2nd harvest, they were partly significantly different compared with the WS treatments. The fertilisers based on Mis resulted in a slightly higher microbial biomass C and microbial biomass N and thus can be identified as an additional C source to prevent nitrogen losses and for the build-up of soil organic matter (SOM) in the long-term.

Influence of soil organic matter on sulfate retention in two Podzols in Quebec, Canada

1999 ◽  
Vol 79 (1) ◽  
pp. 103-109 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Courchesne ◽  
J.-F. Laberge ◽  
A. Dufresne
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Organic Matter ◽  
Ammonium Oxalate ◽  
X Ray Diffraction ◽  
Weighted Mean ◽  
Fine Silt ◽  
Mineral Horizon ◽  
Organic C ◽  
X Ray

The role of soil organic matter (OM) on SO4 retention was investigated by comparing OM content, SO4 retention, and the distribution of Fe, Al and Si compounds in OM-poor (Grands-Jardins, PGJ) and OM-rich (Hermine, HER) Podzols from Québec, Canada. At both sites, four pedons were sampled by horizon; soil pH in H2O, organic C, phosphate-extractable SO4 and, sodium pyrophosphate, acid ammonium oxalate and dithionite-citrate-bicarbonate (DCB) extractable Fe, Al and Si were measured for each mineral horizon. The mineralogy of the clay (<2 µm) and fine silt (2–20 µm) fractions of selected horizons was determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and infrared spectroscopy (IR). Weighted mean organic C and pyrophosphate extractable Fe and Al contents were significantly higher in the HER than in the PGJ sola, while the PGJ soils were richer in amorphous inorganic Al. No trends were observed for inorganic Fe compounds. Chemical dissolution and IR allowed the identification of short-range ordered aluminosilicates, probably allophane, in the OM-poor and slightly acidic to neutral PGJ soils. These materials were absent from the OM-rich and acidic HER soils. Phosphate extractions showed that the weighted mean native SO4 content was five times higher in the PGJ than in the HER soil. Finally, native SO4 was strongly related to inorganic Fe, Al and Si (associated with allophane) at PGJ but only to inorganic Fe at HER. These results indicate that OM indirectly affects SO4 sorption through the influence organic substances exerts on the nature and distribution of pedogenic Fe, Al and Si compounds, such as allophane, in Podzolic profiles. Key words: Organic matter, sulfate, imogolite, allophane, silica, Podzol

scholarly journals Growing Food with Garbage: Effects of Six Waste Amendments on Soil and Vegetable Crops

HortScience ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 52 (6) ◽  
pp. 896-904 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca J. Long ◽  
Rebecca N. Brown ◽  
José A. Amador
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Quality ◽  
Organic Waste ◽  
Sweet Corn ◽  
Mineral Fertilizer ◽  
Plant Nutrients ◽  
Chicken Manure ◽  
Organic C ◽  
Yard Waste

Using organic wastes as agricultural amendments is a productive alternative to disposal in landfills, providing nutrients for plant growth and carbon to build soil organic matter. Despite these benefits, a large fraction of organic waste is sent to landfills. Obstacles to the adoption of wastes as sources of plant nutrients include questions about harmful effects to crops or soils and the wastes’ ability to produce satisfactory yields. We compared six organic waste amendments with a mineral fertilizer control (CN) to determine effects on soil quality, soil fertility, crop quality, and crop yield in 2013 and 2014. Waste amendments were applied at a rate sufficient to supply 10,000 kg organic C/ha over two seasons, and mineral fertilizer was applied to control plots to provide 112 kg-N/ha/yr. The experiment was laid out in a randomized block design with four replicates and three crops: sweet corn (Zea mays L. cv. Applause, Brocade, and Montauk), butternut squash (Cucurbita moschata Duchesne cv. JWS 6823), and potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L. cv. Eva). Amendment with biosolids/yard waste cocompost (BS), dehydrated restaurant food waste (FW), gelatin manufacturing waste (GW), multisource compost (MS), paper fiber/chicken manure blend (PF), and yard waste compost (YW) did not have a negative impact on soil moisture, bulk density, electrical conductivity (EC), or the concentration of heavy metals in soil or plant tissue. Our results indicate potential uses for waste amendments including significantly raising soil pH (MS) and increasing soil organic matter [OM (YW and BS)]. The carbon-to-nitrogen ratio (C:N) of waste amendments was not a reliable predictor of soil inorganic N levels, and only some wastes increased potentially mineralizable nitrogen (PMN) levels relative to the control. Plots amended with BS, FW, and GW produced yields of sweet corn, butternut squash, and potatoes comparable with the control, whereas plots amended with YW, PF, and MS produced lower yields of sweet corn, squash, or both, although yields for potatoes were comparable with the control. In addition, the marketability of potatoes from PF plots was significantly better than that of the control in 2014. None of the wastes evaluated in this study had negative impacts on soil properties, some provided benefits to soil quality, and all produced comparable yields for at least one crop. Our results suggest that all six wastes have potential to be used as sources of plant nutrients.

Impact of long-term cultivation on the status of organic matter and cadmium in soil

2001 ◽  
Vol 81 (3) ◽  
pp. 349-355 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. F. E. McArthur ◽  
P M Huang ◽  
L M Kozak
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Organic Matter ◽  
Significant Positive Correlation ◽  
Soil Organic C ◽  
Organic C ◽  
Total Soil ◽  
Total Organic C ◽  
Soil Cd ◽  
Cultivated Soils

Research has suggested a link between the bioavailability of soil Cd and total soil organic matter. However, some research suggested a negative relationship between total soil organic matter and bioavailable soil Cd while other research suggested a positive relationship. This study investigated the relationship between soil Cd and both the quantity and quality of soil organic matter as influenced by long-term cultivation. Two Orthic Chernozemic surface soil samples, one from a virgin prairie and the other from an adjacent cultivated prairie, were collected from each of 12 different sites throughout southern Saskatchewan, Canada. The samples were analyzed for total organic C, total Cd, Cd availability index (CAI), and pH. The nature of the soil organic matter was investigated with 13C Cross Polarization Magic Angle Spinning Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy (13C CPMAS NMR). The total soil Cd, CAI, and total soil organic C of the cultivated soils were significantly lower than those of the virgin soils whereas the opposite trend was observed for the soil pH and the aromaticity of the organic C. The reduced CAI in the cultivated soils was related to the increase in both the soil pH and the aromaticity of the organic C. No relationship was found between the CAI and the soil organic C content, but a significant positive correlation was found between total organic C and total Cd in both the virgin and the cultivated soils. As well, a significant positive correlation was found between the fraction of total Cd removed from the soil after long-term cultivation and the corresponding fraction of organic C removed. Key words: Long-term cultivation, soil organic matter, 13C CPMAS NMR, cadmium

Changes in soil carbon under long-term maize in monoculture and legume-based rotation

2001 ◽  
Vol 81 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
E G Gregorich ◽  
C F Drury ◽  
J A Baldock
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance ◽  
Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Organic Matter ◽  
Magnetic Resonance ◽  
Soil Carbon ◽  
Crop Residues ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Natural Abundance ◽  
Organic C ◽  
Soil C

Legume-based cropping systems could help to increase crop productivity and soil organic matter levels, thereby enhancing soil quality, as well as having the additional benefit of sequestering atmospheric C. To evaluate the effects of 35 yr of maize monoculture and legume-based cropping on soil C levels and residue retention, we measured organic C and 13C natural abundance in soils under: fertilized and unfertilized maize (Zea mays L.), both in monoculture and legume-based [maize-oat (Avena sativa L.)-alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.)-alfalfa] rotations; fertilized and unfertilized systems of continuous grass (Poa pratensis L.); and under forest. Solid state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) was used to chemically characterize the organic matter in plant residues and soils. Soils (70-cm depth) under maize cropping had about 30-40% less C, and those under continuous grass had about 16% less C, than those under adjacent forest. Qualitative differences in crop residues were important in these systems, because quantitative differences in net primary productivity and C inputs in the different agroecosystems did not account for observed differences in total soil C. Cropping sequence (i.e., rotation or monoculture) had a greater effect on soil C levels than application of fertilizer. The difference in soil C levels between rotation and monoculture maize systems was about 20 Mg C ha-1. The effects of fertilization on soil C were small (~6 Mg C ha-1), and differences were observed only in the monoculture system. The NMR results suggest that the chemical composition of organic matter was little affected by the nature of crop residues returned to the soil. The total quantity of maize-derived soil C was different in each system, because the quantity of maize residue returned to the soil was different; hence the maize-derived soil C ranged from 23 Mg ha-1 in the fertilized and 14 Mg ha-1 in the unfertilized monoculture soils (i.e., after 35 maize crops) to 6-7 Mg ha-1 in both the fertilized and unfertilized legume-based rotation soils (i.e., after eight maize crops). The proportion of maize residue C returned to the soil and retained as soil organic C (i.e., Mg maize-derived soil C/Mg maize residue) was about 14% for all maize cropping systems. The quantity of C3-C below the plow layer in legume-based rotation was 40% greater than that in monoculture and about the same as that under either continuous grass or forest. The soil organic matter below the plow layer in soil under the legume-based rotation appeared to be in a more biologically resistant form (i.e., higher aromatic C content) compared with that under monoculture. The retention of maize residue C as soil organic matter was four to five times greater below the plow layer than that within the plow layer. We conclude that residue quality plays a key role in increasing the retention of soil C in agroecosystems and that soils under legume-based rotation tend to be more “preservative” of residue C inputs, particularly from root inputs, than soils under monoculture. Key words: Soil carbon, 13C natural abundance, 13C nuclear magnetic resonance, maize cropping, legumes, root carbon

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