Organic amendments improve soil conditions and denitrification in a restored riparian wetland
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Published source details
Sutton-Grier A.E., Ho M. & Richardson C.J. (2009) Organic amendments improve soil conditions and denitrification in a restored riparian wetland. Wetlands, 29, 343-352.
Published source details Sutton-Grier A.E., Ho M. & Richardson C.J. (2009) Organic amendments improve soil conditions and denitrification in a restored riparian wetland. Wetlands, 29, 343-352.
Actions
This study is summarised as evidence for the following.
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Add below-ground organic matter before/after planting non-woody plants: freshwater wetlands Action Link |
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Add below-ground organic matter before/after planting non-woody plants: freshwater wetlands
A replicated study in 2004–2006 of freshwater marshes alongside a recently reprofiled stream in North Carolina, USA (Sutton-Grier et al. 2009) found that adding compost to planted plots typically reduced plant species richness over three growing seasons, but had no significant effect on vegetation biomass. Total plant species richness was negatively related to the amount of soil organic matter in plots, both one and three growing seasons after amendment/planting. There was a similar but insignificant trend after two growing seasons. Above-ground vegetation biomass was not significantly related to the amount of soil organic matter three growing seasons after amendment/planting (data not reported after one and two growing seasons). However, there was a trend towards higher biomass in plots with more organic matter. For data and statistical models, see original paper. Methods: Around July 2004, twenty-one 20-m2 wetland plots alongside a recently re-meandered stream were planted with various herb species (one plant/m2). Fourteen plots had been amended with varying amounts of compost (a mix of topsoil, wood chips and sewage sludge) whilst seven plots had been amended with topsoil only. As a result, the organic matter content of the plots ranged from 6% to 25%. All plots were tilled after adding compost/topsoil. In September 2004–2006, all plant species were counted in 11 of the plots. In September 2006, vegetation was cut from all 21 plots (three 0.5-m2 quadrats/plot), then dried and weighed.
(Summarised by: Nigel Taylor)
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