Tree nutrient concentrations, root biomass, soil nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) contents, and enzyme activities were determined in a radiata pine plantation (Pinus radiata D. Don) on a sandy loam soil receiving 19 years of repeated biosolids applications, and the composition of soil microbial groups was assessed using phospholipid fatty acid analysis. Biosolids application significantly increased soil organic N, available P and foliar N concentration, but had no significant impact on foliar P concentration over the long term. Biosolids application improved aboveground tree growth but reduced fine-root biomass. Repeated biosolids applications also altered the composition of soil microbial community and increased the potential activities of N-acetyl-β-glucosaminidase and acid phosphomonoesterase. Changes in soil N and P availability were better explained by variations in the composition of bacterial groups than those of fungal groups. The fungi-to-bacteria ratios were not changed, but arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi were suppressed possibly due to elevated soil P caused by biosolids application. The ratios of Gram-positive to Gram-negative bacteria were significantly increased by biosolids application and were linked to increased N mineralisation rates. In addition, it is evident that variations in soil P availability and the composition of soil microbial groups following biosolids application were not significantly related to foliar P status. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the effects of biosolids application on microbial-mediated soil N and P processes.

Long-term biosolids application alters the composition of soil microbial groups and nutrient status in a pine plantation

Resource scarcity, energy requirements, and environmental pollution resulting from the production and use of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) fertilizer have spurred an interest in a circular approach to nutrient management. An analysis of N and P flows in Ontario’s food systems was carried out to quantify relevant flows and stocks, evaluate alternative management scenarios and identify points of loss to the environment. The results showed that mineral fertilizers accounted for 42 % of N and 90 % of P inputs to Ontario’s food systems. Of the total amount of food produced, 153 kt-N/y ± 27 % and 28 kt-P/y ± 21 % in grain and oilseed were fed to animals. About 58 % (298 kt-N/y) and 29 % (15 kt-P/y) of the annual supply of N and P were lost to the environment. Major nutrient losses were from the crop production system, through erosion, contributing 35 % (103 kt-N/y ± 10 %) and 90 % (14 kt-P/y ± 51 %) of the total N and P lost. Over half of the N and P in the waste subsystem was disposed of in landfills or incinerators, where further N losses occurred through leaching and volatilization. Ontario’s reliance on inorganic fertilizer supply could reduce by 28 kt-N/y and 9 kt-P/y if the current waste diversion rates were to increase by 30 %. No single waste management scenario could effectively circularize N and P flows in Ontario’s food system. However, investment in new technologies might help to recover nutrients from manure and wastewater treatment systems efficiently.

Nitrogen and phosphorus flows in Ontario’s food systems

Mineral products such as coal, aluminum, copper, iron, gold, and mineral sand are examples from the mining industry. Though mining advances global economic prosperity, this industry severely disturbs the land, water resources, and the environment. Mined waste materials such as tailings, subsoils, oxidized wastes, and fireclay are the main causes for land disturbance. Presence of potentially hazardous substances such as heavy metals in elevated concentrations in the mined waste materials has caused land contamination. This chapter provides an outlook to understand soil carbon dynamics in degraded mine lands as impacted by application of biosolids. For this purpose, a meta-analysis is presented in which the effect of biosolids on the soil organic carbon in a series of soils varying in textural class and type is determined. The soils include reclaimed mine soils. Finally, challenges of using biowastes for soil carbon sequestration in mine site rehabilitation, to ensure their sustainable utilization, are discussed.

Spoil to Soil: Mine Site Rehabilitation and Revegetation

Biosolids-Based Amendments Improve Tall Fescue Establishment and Urban Soils

Changes in potentially toxic element concentration and potential ecological risk in topsoil caused by sewage sludge application on forestland: A 3-year field trial

Ouimet, R., Pion, A.-P. and Hebert, M. 2015. Long-term response of forest plantation productivity and soils to a single application of municipal biosolids. Can. J. Soil Sci. 95: 187–199. After 16 to 19 yr, we revisited four experimental trials set up in the early 1990s to evaluate the long-term impact of municipal biosolids applied in forest plantations. Tree growth and the soil were sampled to determine the effects of a single application of biosolids applied at (liquid equivalent) rates of 0, 130, 200, and 400 m3 ha−1. Tree radial growth responded markedly to biosolids in the young plantations, increasing from 18 % for Pinus resinosa to 62 % for Picea glauca, and up to 700 % for Quercus sp. Increases in phosphorus (P) concentrations in the tree foliage in response to biosolids could still be detected in the conifer trials. In the top 0–5 cm soil layer, organic carbon (C), total nitrogen (N), P, and copper (Cu) concentrations and pools increased, while soil compaction and bulk density decreased. In the d...

Long-term response of forest plantation productivity and soils to a single application of municipal biosolids

Handle everyday research tasks with reliable, citation-backed results

Your personal Research Agent to handle research tasks with citation-backed results

Popular Tasks used by Researchers

How can I help with your research?

Meet SciSpace

Get more enhanced response by uploading the PDFs you want me to reference.

No relevant PDFs in your library

SciSpace is the AI research assistant for academics. Run systematic literature reviews on 280M+ papers, and write papers with cited sources. Trusted by 1M+ students, PhDs & researchers.

SciSpace | AI for Research

Analyze PDFs

Code & Manuscripts

Funding & Grants

Literature & Patents

Medical & Clinical Data

Systematic Review

Visualize & Present

Web & Data

Build a Google Scholar-like website for your research.

Build a website

Create charts and images for your research

Create a Chart

Write a paper for submission to a journal

Draft a manuscript

Patent Search

Design eye-catching scientific posters in minutes.

Scientific Poster Generation

Systematic Literature Review

One task is running at the moment. Your messages will be shown right after.

Drag and drop or click here to browse

Loved by <highlight>1 million+</highlight> researchers

Extract a list of specific topics and their sources from unstructured text

Topics

Compare and analyze relevant papers that matches with your search

Papers

Get insights from PDFs and bookmarked papers from your library

My library

Recent searches

Try searching for:

Catch AI-generated content in scholarly and non-scholarly content

{ai} Detector

Ai Writer

Get PDF Summaries, highlighted text explanations 

Chat with PDF

Effortlessly create in-text citations and bibliographies in APA and 2,500 other formats

Citation generator

Get explanations, summaries, and answers on academic papers

Ease up your research workflow with {scispace}'s cohort of exciting AI tools

Elevate your academic writing skills and convey your ideas the way you want

Paraphraser

Explore our range of reading and writing tools

Your file is being prepared and should be ready in a few minutes. If it's a large file, it might take a bit longer. You can close this window, and we'll email you the file when it's done.

You have reached a maximum limit of <strong>{limit}</strong> columns in the table. Remove at least <strong>1</strong> column to add or create another one.

HébertMarc

Author Tools

Chat about Author

Papers

Long-term response of forest plantation productivity and soils to a single application of municipal biosolids