Soil and rhizosphere microorganisms in amended coal mine spoils
Topsoil is usually respread over strip-mined land during reclamation. In some instances, spoil could be used as a medium for revegetation. The objectives of this study were to compare microbial parameters in spoil and soil and determine the effect of spoil amendment on these microbial parameters.Representataive samples from a topsoil stockpile, a nonvegetated spoil, a reclaimed area, and an adjacent undisturbed surface soil were collected from the San Juan coal mine near Farmington, N. Mex. Additional samples of spoil and stockpiled topsoil were used in a greenhouse pot experiment to determine the influence of spoil amendment on microbial parameters. The treatments include spoil, spoil plus topsoil inoculant, spoil plus alfalfa hay and fertilizer (both with and without topsoil inoculant), and spoil plus gamma-irradiated sewage sludge (both with and without topsoil inoculant). The pots were planted to Bouteloua gracilis and microbial determinations of the spoil made after 5 months. Later the same pots were replanted to Atriplex canescens and microbial determinations made of the rhizosphere 7 months after planting. Microbial parameters measured included numbers of aerobic heterotrophic bacteria, Streptomyces, fungi, ammonium oxidizers, and aerobic asymbiotic nitrogen fixers, dehydrogenase activity, and fungal genera distribution.
- Research Organization:
- New Mexico State Univ., Las Cruces
- OSTI ID:
- 5721267
- Journal Information:
- Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J.; (United States), Vol. 46:4
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ALFALFA
PLANT GROWTH
SPOIL BANKS
ENZYME ACTIVITY
LAND RECLAMATION
MYCORRHIZAS
SURFACE MINING
REVEGETATION
BIOMASS
COAL MINES
FERTILIZERS
GAMMA RADIATION
MICROORGANISMS
NEW MEXICO
OXIDOREDUCTASES
PLANTS
ROOTS
SAMPLING
SEWAGE SLUDGE
SOILS
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ENERGY SOURCES
ENZYMES
FEDERAL REGION VI
GROWTH
IONIZING RADIATIONS
LEGUMINOSAE
MINES
MINING
NORTH AMERICA
RADIATIONS
RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
SEWAGE
SLUDGES
UNDERGROUND FACILITIES
USA
WASTES
010900* - Coal
Lignite
& Peat- Environmental Aspects
510500 - Environment
Terrestrial- Site Resource & Use Studies- (-1989)