Enzymatic activities in a semiarid soil amended with different soil treatment: Soil quality improvement

Hueso-González, Paloma; Ruiz-Sinoga, José Damián

Hueso-González, Paloma,Ruiz-Sinoga, José Damián · 2017

Abstract

The use of soil quality indicators may be an effective approach to assess the positive effect of the organic amendment as good restoration methods. Relying on the natural fertility of the soil, the most commonly chemical and physical parameters used to evaluate soil quality are depend to the soil biological parameters. The measurement of soil basal respiration and the mineralization of organic matter are commonly accepted as a key indicator for measuring changes to soil quality. Thus, the simultaneous measurement of various enzymes seems to be useful to evaluate soil biochemical activity and related processes. In this line, Dehydrogenase activity is widely used in evaluating the metabolic activity of soil microorganisms and to evaluate the effects caused by the addition of organic amendments. Variations in phosphatase activity, apart from indicating changes in the quantity and quality of soil phosphorated substrates, are also good indicators of soil biological status. This study assesses the effect of five soil amendments as restoration techniques for semiarid Mediterrenean ecosystems. The goal is to interpret the status of biological and chemical parameters in each treatment as soil quality indicators in degraded forests. The main objectives were to: i) analyze the effect of various organic amendments on the enzimatic activity of soil; ii) analyze the effect of the amendments on soil respiration; iii) assess the effect of these parameters on the soil chemical properties which are indicative of soil healthy; and iv) evaluated form the land management point of view which amendment could result a effective method to restore Mediterranean degraded areas. An experimental paired-plot layout was established in southern of Spain (homogeneous slope gradient: 7.5%; aspect: N170[U+F0B0]). Five amendments were applied in an experimental set of plots: straw mulching; mulch with chipped branches of Aleppo Pine (Pinus halepensis Mill.); TerraCotten hydroabsobent polymers; sewage sludge; sheep manure and; control (without amendment). Five years after the amendment addition, soil from the 12 plots was sampled. Three samples were collected from each plot (36 soil samples in total) from the soil surface, e.g. 0-10 cm, in which most soil transformations occur. Soil indicators analyzed were: i) EC; ii) pH; iii) soil organic C (SOC); iv)total Nitrogen (N); v) Carbon of microbial biomass; vi) Dehydrogenase activity; Phosphatase activity and; vii) basal respiration. According to our results, the straw mulch, pinus mulch and sewage sludge treatments helped to maintain the SOC and N at high levels, five years after the amendment addition and comparing to the control. A similar trend has been registered for the dehydrogenase activity, phosphatase activity and basal respiration. Conversely, regarding to control, when the soils were amended with polymers or manure, no significant differences in soil chemical and biological properties were found. In conclusion, from a land management standpoint, the use of pinus mulch, straw mulch and sewage sludge have been proved as a significant method to increase soil quality on Mediterranean semiarid degraded forests.

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Enzymatic activities in a semiarid soil amended with different soil treatment: Soil quality improvement

Author: Hueso-González, Paloma,Ruiz-Sinoga, José Damián

Year: 2017

Source: https://riuma.uma.es/xmlui/bitstream/10630/13727/1/EGU2017-6805.pdf

Geophysical Resea ch Abs ac s
Vol. 19, EGU2017-6805, 2017
EGU Gene al Assembly 2017
© Au ho (s) 2017. CC A ibu ion 3.0 License.
Enzyma ic ac i i ies in a semia id soil amended wi h di e en soil
ea men : Soil quali y imp o emen
Paloma Hueso González (1), Jakub Elbl (2), Helena D oˇ
áˇ
cko á (2), Juan F ancisco Ma inez Mu illo (1), and
Jose Damian Ruiz Sinoga (1)
(1) Depa men o Geog aphy, Uni e si y o Málaga, Spain ([email p o ec ed]), (2) Depa men o Geology and Pedology,
Mendel Uni e si y, B no, Czech Republic
The use o soil quali y indica o s may be an e ec i e app oach o assess he posi i e e ec o he o ganic amend-
men as good es o a ion me hods. Relying on he na u al e ili y o he soil, he mos commonly chemical and
physical pa ame e s used o e alua e soil quali y a e depend o he soil biological pa ame e s. The measu emen
o soil basal espi a ion and he mine aliza ion o o ganic ma e a e commonly accep ed as a key indica o o
measu ing changes o soil quali y. Thus, he simul aneous measu emen o a ious enzymes seems o be use ul
o e alua e soil biochemical ac i i y and ela ed p ocesses. In his line, Dehyd ogenase ac i i y is widely used
in e alua ing he me abolic ac i i y o soil mic oo ganisms and o e alua e he e ec s caused by he addi ion o
o ganic amendmen s. Va ia ions in phospha ase ac i i y, apa om indica ing changes in he quan i y and quali y
o soil phospho a ed subs a es, a e also good indica o s o soil biological s a us.
This s udy assesses he e ec o i e soil amendmen s as es o a ion echniques o semia id Medi e enean
ecosys ems. The goal is o in e p e he s a us o biological and chemical pa ame e s in each ea men as soil
quali y indica o s in deg aded o es s. The main objec i es we e o: i) analyze he e ec o a ious o ganic
amendmen s on he enzima ic ac i i y o soil; ii) analyze he e ec o he amendmen s on soil espi a ion; iii)
assess he e ec o hese pa ame e s on he soil chemical p ope ies which a e indica i e o soil heal hy; and i )
e alua ed o m he land managemen poin o iew which amendmen could esul a e ec i e me hod o es o e
Medi e anean deg aded a eas.
An expe imen al pai ed-plo layou was es ablished in sou he n o Spain (homogeneous slope g adien :
7.5%; aspec : N170[U+F0B0]). Fi e amendmen s we e applied in an expe imen al se o plo s: s aw mulching;
mulch wi h chipped b anches o Aleppo Pine (Pinus halepensis Mill.); Te aCo en hyd oabsoben polyme s;
sewage sludge; sheep manu e and; con ol (wi hou amendmen ). Fi e yea s a e he amendmen addi ion, soil
om he 12 plo s was sampled. Th ee samples we e collec ed om each plo (36 soil samples in o al) om he
soil su ace, e.g. 0-10 cm, in which mos soil ans o ma ions occu . Soil indica o s analyzed we e: i) EC; ii) pH;
iii) soil o ganic C (SOC); i ) o al Ni ogen (N); ) Ca bon o mic obial biomass; i) Dehyd ogenase ac i i y;
Phospha ase ac i i y and; ii) basal espi a ion.
Acco ding o ou esul s, he s aw mulch, pinus mulch and sewage sludge ea men s helped o main ain
he SOC and N a high le els, i e yea s a e he amendmen addi ion and compa ing o he con ol. A simila
end has been egis e ed o he dehyd ogenase ac i i y, phospha ase ac i i y and basal espi a ion. Con e sely,
ega ding o con ol, when he soils we e amended wi h polyme s o manu e, no signi ican di e ences in soil
chemical and biological p ope ies we e ound. In conclusion, om a land managemen s andpoin , he use o
pinus mulch, s aw mulch and sewage sludge ha e been p o ed as a signi ican me hod o inc ease soil quali y on
Medi e anean semia id deg aded o es s.