Thesis (M.Sc. (Soil Science)) --University of Limpopo, 2013 / The study was conducted to assess the impact of mining activities on selected soil physical, chemical and microbial properties on farmlands around three selected mining sites. Nine soil samples were collected from each of the following farms : Hans Merensky, Mogoboya and Leon Tom, Foskor Mine and JCI mining sites, respectively. Additional nine soil samples were collected from non-polluted Waterbok farm that serves as a control for the purpose of comparison. The samples were taken at 0–15, 15–30, 30–45 cm depths at three sampling points on each farm for physical, chemical and biological studies. However, soil samples collected for microbial (fungi, bacteria and actinomycetes) counts were surface (0–15 cm) soil samples. Soil chemical properties determined include pHw, electrical conductivity (ECe), exchangeable acidity (EA), organic carbon, available phosphorous, exchangeable cations as well as heavy metal (i.e. Mn, Zn, Cu, Pb, Cd, As and Sb) concentrations. The physical parameters determined include texture (sand, silt and clay) as well as bulk density. Soil pHw and ECe values decreased with depth; and ranged from 6.94 to 6.50 and from 12.24 to 10.76 mS cm-1, respectively. Exchangeable acidity showed a gradual increase with depth and ranged from 0.72 to 0.80 cmol(+)(kg), while percent organic carbon decreased with depth ranging from 1.41 to 2.19 %. Exchangeable cations, particularly K and Mg increased with depth while Ca decreased marginally with soil depth. Available phosphorous content decreased following increases in distance from the pollution source while heavy met.al contamination decreased with soil depth but increased further away from the pollution source. Significantly high loads of Pb, As and Sb were recorded at all depths on the three farms around the mining sites, which were largely responsible for the pollution but worse on the Leon Tom farm; with Pb constituting the greatest pollutant. The concentration of extractable heavy metals in the studied areas was in the order: As >Sb>Pb>Zn>Cu >Mn >Cd. Cadmium level appeared generally very low in all samples while elevated levels of Mn, Cu and Zn were detected at all depths in the polluted soils.Significant differences in microbial levels were detected at the various sampling points. The highest count of 3.82 and 6.20 CFU g-1 for fungi and actinomycete, respectively were both from the Leon Tom farm, while 6.46 CFU g-1 counts for bacteria was obtained from Mogoboya farm. Interestingly, fungal and actinomycetes activities were more sensitive to heavy metal contamination than bacteria that were significantly increased following soil pollution. / National Research Foundation (NRF)

Intercropping, defined as two or more crops grown on the same land area at the same time, is a sustainable alternative to sole crops. Intercropping has been associated with multiple benefits, such as increased nutrient and soil organic carbon (SOC) cycling, decreased soil erosion and increased carbon (C) sequestration. A common intercropping practice is to integrate cereal and legume crops such as maize (Zea mays L.), and soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.). Most studies on intercropping have focused on yield, weed control, and land use efficiency in the tropics. Few studies have researched C and nitrogen (N) dynamics in temperate intercrops, with respect to soybean and maize residue stabilization. Soil from Balcarce, Argentina, was incubated for 140 days with soybean, maize, or no residue. Throughout the incubation, results illustrated the effect of residue application upon the soil, specifically through significantly higher amounts of light fraction (LF) C and LFN concentrations, soil microbial biomass (SMB) C and SMBN concentrations, higher microbial diversity, lower N2O production rates, in addition to distinct isotopic values in soil fractions and CO2 (p<0.05). Furthermore, it was observed from δ15N-TN and δ15N-LF that treatments with soybean residues included had higher N cycling (p<0.05), emphasizing the importance of including N-fixing legumes in complex agroecosystems. Significant changes over time in SMB and SMCS characteristics, and isotope values (p<0.05) indicated the preferential utilization of relatively young and easily accessible litter. Furthermore, the loss of labile material over the incubation resulted in more recalcitrant forms (such as older C and lignin) to be utilized. Slightly higher SOC, TN, LFC and LFN concentrations, as well as lower CO2 production rates suggested 2:3 (rows of maize:rows of soybean) as a more desirable intercrop design for C sequestration. The 1:2 intercrop design was observed to be more beneficial for microbial community structure, furthering the idea that intercropping is a beneficial alternative to sole cropping. This study improves knowledge in residue stabilization and C sequestration in complex agroecosystems, providing encouragement for the implementation of more sustainable management practices.

The objective of this thesis was to investigate the effects of mammalian grazers, such as microtine rodents and reindeer, (top-down effects) and nutrient availability (bottom- up effects) on the plant community of a tundra heath. I conducted a large-scale fertilization experiment and studied the impact of grazers using exclosures. I measured the effects of fertilization and grazing on soil microbial activity and nutrient cycling. I investigated the responses to fertilization of the invertebrate community, I studied the effects on the quality of bilberry as food for mammalian herbivores, and I looked at how concentrations of nutrients and carbon-based secondary defences against herbivory fluctuated between seasons in unfertilized and fertilized treatments. The results of my thesis show that the plant community investigated is exposed to a strong top-down control by mammalian herbivores. On the fertilized and grazed areas the aboveground biomass of the vascular plant community did not increase compared to unfertilized areas. However, the productivity of the plant community was clearly nutrient- limited. During the eight years of the experiment, on the fertilized areas plant biomass was significantly increased inside the herbivore exclosures In my study mammalian herbivores at comparatively low densities and grazing outside the growing season were sufficient to control the biomass of a heterogeneous plant community. Microtine rodents (Norwegian lemmings and grey-sided voles) preferred the fertilized areas for overwintering. The food plant quality of bilberry for grey-sided voles was improved on the fertilized areas throughout the year. Grazing decreased the nitrogen storage in the aboveground plant biomass. Reindeer and rodents had also important indirect effects on the plant community by decelerating soil nutrient cycling and soil microbial activity. This effect may be accelerated by the impact of herbivore on plant species composition. Graminoids, which contained the highest nitrogen concentrations in their tissues, increased rapidly on the fertilized areas, but their abundance was significantly lower on grazed fertilized areas. The invertebrate community was detritus-based and received their energy indirectly from the litter via soil microbes and detritivores. Fertilization increased the biomass of invertebrate carnivores, but had no effect on the biomass of invertebrate herbivores. Apparent competition between detritivores and invertebrate herbivores, mediated by carnivorous invertebrates predating on both of them, is supposed to keep the densities and grazing pressure of invertebrate herbivores low. Grazing damage by invertebrates was very low and only 0.021 % of the total vascular plant biomass was removed. / <p>Diss. (sammanfattning) Umeå : Umeå universitet, 2001, härtill 6 uppsstser.</p> / digitalisering@umu

Intercropping, defined as two or more crops grown on the same land area at the same time, is a sustainable alternative to sole crops. Intercropping has been associated with multiple benefits, such as increased nutrient and soil organic carbon (SOC) cycling, decreased soil erosion and increased carbon (C) sequestration. A common intercropping practice is to integrate cereal and legume crops such as maize (Zea mays L.), and soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.). Most studies on intercropping have focused on yield, weed control, and land use efficiency in the tropics. Few studies have researched C and nitrogen (N) dynamics in temperate intercrops, with respect to soybean and maize residue stabilization. Soil from Balcarce, Argentina, was incubated for 140 days with soybean, maize, or no residue. Throughout the incubation, results illustrated the effect of residue application upon the soil, specifically through significantly higher amounts of light fraction (LF) C and LFN concentrations, soil microbial biomass (SMB) C and SMBN concentrations, higher microbial diversity, lower N2O production rates, in addition to distinct isotopic values in soil fractions and CO2 (p<0.05). Furthermore, it was observed from δ15N-TN and δ15N-LF that treatments with soybean residues included had higher N cycling (p<0.05), emphasizing the importance of including N-fixing legumes in complex agroecosystems. Significant changes over time in SMB and SMCS characteristics, and isotope values (p<0.05) indicated the preferential utilization of relatively young and easily accessible litter. Furthermore, the loss of labile material over the incubation resulted in more recalcitrant forms (such as older C and lignin) to be utilized. Slightly higher SOC, TN, LFC and LFN concentrations, as well as lower CO2 production rates suggested 2:3 (rows of maize:rows of soybean) as a more desirable intercrop design for C sequestration. The 1:2 intercrop design was observed to be more beneficial for microbial community structure, furthering the idea that intercropping is a beneficial alternative to sole cropping. This study improves knowledge in residue stabilization and C sequestration in complex agroecosystems, providing encouragement for the implementation of more sustainable management practices.

No description available.

Current surface mine reclamation in Appalachia involves returning the land to approximate original contour by grading the surface and planting grasses and early-successional trees. This results in a greatly altered ecosystem compared to the native forest that was there prior to mining. The reclaimed land is usually degraded economically and environmentally because mine soils are usually less productive than the native soils, and because the mined sites do not provide the same level of ecosystem services. This research addressed constraints to the return of the native ecosystem by assessing how mine spoil properties and treatments affect native tree species and soil microorganisms. A 4x2x3 factorial greenhouse experiment was used to examine the growth of one-year-old Fraxinus americana, Quercus rubra, and Liriodendron tulipifera as well as herbaceous plant occurrence and microbial biomass and activity. Three mine spoils, brown, weathered sandstone (BWS), white, unweathered sandstone (WUS), and gray, unweathered shale (GUH) were compared with undisturbed forest topsoil (UFT) to determine their suitability for tree growth. Half of each of the four media was inoculated with a 2.5-cm layer of topsoil. BWS was the optimal spoil material for the growth of F. americana, Q. rubra and microbial populations. Foliar nutrient analysis indicated that L. tulipifera was highly dependent on nutrient levels and was unable to grow well on any of the spoil types due to deficiencies. Inoculation with topsoil increased tree growth on the GUH spoil, and increased microbial activity and presence of herbaceous plants across all growth media. The field study was used to determine what spoil properties most influenced three-year-old Quercus alba growth. This information was used to test a mine quality classification model. Northeast facing sites with sandy spoils high in nutrients, moderate in pH, and high in microbial populations were optimal for tree growth. These variables explained 52% of the variation in tree growth. Tree growth was also highly correlated with tree foliar nutrient levels, further suggesting that tree growth was influenced by spoil nutrients. Microbial biomass and dehydrogenase production were also regressed against soil properties and were dependant on a moderate pH, high nitrogen levels, and low salt content. These variables explained 53% of the variability in microbial biomass and 50% of the variability in enzyme production. These studies suggest that tree growth and soil microbial populations are closely linked, and both are affected by mine spoil properties. During mined land reclamation, mine spoils conducive to tree growth should be selected if return of the native ecosystem is the reclamation goal. / Master of Science

Environmental perturbations are ubiquitous features of ecosystems and shape ecological structure and function. Climate change will alter the intensity and frequency of disturbances and expose ecosystems to novel combinations of useful inputs (subsidies) and harmful inputs (stressors). Coastal wetlands are particularly vulnerable to changing environmental conditions and are increasingly exposed to effects of interacting subsidies and stressors. In particular, the Florida Coastal Everglades, which has experienced accelerated change due to a history of water management practices, is vulnerable to new disturbances associated with climate change. The low-lying Florida Everglades faces multiple disturbances from storm surge, nutrient enrichment, and sea-level rise which will influence its responses to future environmental perturbations. Microbial communities are often used to characterize environmental change because of their high surface area to volume ratio, permeable membrane, and quick turnover rates. Therefore, assessing how microbial function changes can provide insights into how subsidies and stressors interact to alter biogeochemical cycles. I tested how nutrient enrichment can alter ecosystem responses to stress and found that it did not promote recovery in mangrove plants. I examined how long-term exposure to salinity and phosphorus (the limiting nutrient in the Everglades) affected microbial enzyme activity and found that salinity alone acts as a suppressor of enzyme activity but phosphorus addition can mitigate salinity stress in sawgrass soil. I tested how pulses of salinity can affect the microbially-mediated breakdown of organic material and found that the microbial community was functionally redundant and unaffected by saltwater pulses; however, microbial activity was consistently lower in the brackish marsh compared to the freshwater marsh. I investigated how gradients of salinity and phosphorus affected freshwater and brackish soils and determined previous exposure to saltwater intrusion dominates affects microbial function and soil composition. Across these experiments, I found that environmental perturbations alter the microbial-mediated processing of nutrients and carbon, and legacies of previous disturbances influence the microbial response to new disturbance regimes.

No description available.

Herbicides have become a key component in modern agricultural production. Meanwhile, there is a concern that some herbicides persist past the growing season of the treated crop, and negatively influence the production of the subsequently planted crops. Amongst various herbicides used in western Canada, acetohydroxyacid synthase (AHAS)-inhibiting herbicides warrant special attention given their residual properties and acute plant toxicity at low concentrations in soil. Soil residual AHAS inhibitors have the potential to influence both leguminous host plants and their bacterial symbiotic partners; consequently, the use of an AHAS inhibitor in a given year can negatively influence the inoculation success and grain yield of legumes cropped in the following year. <p>The present thesis project focused on one of the AHAS inhibiting herbicides (flucarbazone) and studied its potential for carryover injury and negative influence on the success of inoculation in field pea. A series of growth chamber and field experiments were conducted to test the following null hypothesis: the presence of residual flucarbazone in soil does not affect nodulation of field pea by inoculum rhizobia. <p>A growth chamber experiment clearly demonstrated the susceptibility of field pea to the presence of flucarbazone in soil where the lowest concentration of flucarbazone amendment (5 ìg kg1) significantly reduced the crop growth. In contrast, a field study failed to reveal any negative effects of flucarbazone use on crop growth and N2 fixation. <p>It was concluded that if the weather and soil conditions favour decomposition of flucarbazone as described in the present study, flucarbazone applied at the recommended field rate will not persist into the following season at high enough concentrations to negatively influence field pea growth, grain yields, and inoculation success. To ensure safety of rotational crops, it is important to strictly adhere to the herbicide application guidelines. Additionally, producers are cautioned to be particularly aware of the environmental and soil conditions that may reduce the rate of herbicide degradation.

Herbicides have become a key component in modern agricultural production. Meanwhile, there is a concern that some herbicides persist past the growing season of the treated crop, and negatively influence the production of the subsequently planted crops. Amongst various herbicides used in western Canada, acetohydroxyacid synthase (AHAS)-inhibiting herbicides warrant special attention given their residual properties and acute plant toxicity at low concentrations in soil. Soil residual AHAS inhibitors have the potential to influence both leguminous host plants and their bacterial symbiotic partners; consequently, the use of an AHAS inhibitor in a given year can negatively influence the inoculation success and grain yield of legumes cropped in the following year. <p>The present thesis project focused on one of the AHAS inhibiting herbicides (flucarbazone) and studied its potential for carryover injury and negative influence on the success of inoculation in field pea. A series of growth chamber and field experiments were conducted to test the following null hypothesis: the presence of residual flucarbazone in soil does not affect nodulation of field pea by inoculum rhizobia. <p>A growth chamber experiment clearly demonstrated the susceptibility of field pea to the presence of flucarbazone in soil where the lowest concentration of flucarbazone amendment (5 ìg kg1) significantly reduced the crop growth. In contrast, a field study failed to reveal any negative effects of flucarbazone use on crop growth and N2 fixation. <p>It was concluded that if the weather and soil conditions favour decomposition of flucarbazone as described in the present study, flucarbazone applied at the recommended field rate will not persist into the following season at high enough concentrations to negatively influence field pea growth, grain yields, and inoculation success. To ensure safety of rotational crops, it is important to strictly adhere to the herbicide application guidelines. Additionally, producers are cautioned to be particularly aware of the environmental and soil conditions that may reduce the rate of herbicide degradation.