Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Long-term impacts of infrequent biosolids applications on chemical and microbial properties of a semi-arid rangeland soil

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Biology and Fertility of Soils Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

A plot study was conducted to quantify long-term (>12 years) impacts of a single biosolids application, and short-term impacts (<2 years) of a repeated application, on semi-arid rangeland soil chemical and microbial parameters. In 2003 and 2004, plots which had received 0, 2.5, 5, 10, 21, or 30 Mg biosolids ha−1 once in 1991 (long-term plots), or again in 2002 (short-term plots), were sampled and analyzed for soil chemical parameters, microbial biovolumes, C and N mineralization activities, Biolog EcoPlate substrate utilization potential, and plant productivity and tissue quality. Repeated applications temporarily exacerbated differences in soil chemical properties among treatments, but after 2 years, soil chemistry trends were similar between short-term and long-term plots. Soils which received a repeated application of 21 or 30 Mg biosolids ha−1 had greater bacterial biovolumes and C and N mineralization activities. In long-term plots, mineralization activities were stimulated only at the highest rate. Biosolids-amended soil communities also utilized Biolog substrates more quickly compared to communities from control plots. Plant biomass increased, whereas plant diversity and plant C/N ratio decreased with increasing application rate for both short- and long-term plots. Infrequent biosolids application had positive ecosystem effects in terms of site management objectives, with relatively low extractable metal levels in soil and greater plant biomass and tissue quality despite reduced species richness.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Barbarick KA, Workman SM (1987) NH4–HCO3–DTPA and DTPA extractions of sludge-amended soils. J Environ Qual 16:125–130

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Barbarick KA, Doxtader KG, Redente EF, Brobst RB (2004) Biosolids effects on microbial activity in shrubland and grassland soils. Soil Sci 169:176–187

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bloem J, Bolhuis PR, Veninga MR, Wieringa J (1995) Microscopic methods for counting bacteria and fungi in soil. In: Alef K, Nannipieri P (eds) Methods in applied soil microbiology and biochemistry. Academic, San Diego, CA, pp 162–173

    Google Scholar 

  • Brandt RC, Elliott HA, O'Connor GA (2004) Water-extractable phosphorus in biosolids: implications for land-based recycling. Water Environ Res 76:121–129

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bremner JM (1996) Nitrogen—total. In: Sparks DL (ed) Methods of soil analysis, part 3. Chemical methods. SSSA, Madison, WI, pp 1085–1121

    Google Scholar 

  • Choi K, Dobbs FC (1999) Comparison of two kinds of Biolog microplates (GN and ECO) in their ability to distinguish among aquatic microbial communities. J Microbiol Methods 36:203–213

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Coleman DC, Crossley DA Jr (1996) Fundamentals of soil ecology. Academic, Amsterdam

    Google Scholar 

  • Cuevas G, Blázquez R, Martinez F, Walter I (2000) Composted MSW effects on soil properties and native vegetation in a degraded semi-arid shrubland. Compost Sci Util 8:303–309

    Google Scholar 

  • Dennis GL, Fresquez PR (1989) The soil microbial community in a sewage-sludge-amended semi-arid grassland. Biol Fertil Soils 7:310–317

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fresquez PR, Aguilar R, Francis RE, Aldon EF (1991) Heavy metal uptake by blue grama growing in a degraded semi-arid soil amended with sewage sludge. Water Air Soil Pollut 57/58:903–912

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • García-Gil JC, Plaza C, Senesi N, Brunetti G (2004) Effects of sewage sludge amendment on humic acids and microbiological properties of a semi-arid Mediterranean soil. Biol Fertil Soils 39:320–328

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Harris-Pierce RL (1994) The effects of biosolids application on native rangeland soils and vegetation. MS Thesis, Colorado State University, Fort Collins

  • Klein DA, Paschke MW (2000) A soil microbial community structural–functional index: the microscopy-based total/active/active fungal/bacterial (TA/AFB) biovolumes ratio. Appl Soil Ecol 14:257–268

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Konopka A, Oliver L, Turco RF Jr (1998) The use of carbon substrate utilization patterns in environmental and ecological microbiology. Microb Ecol 35:103–115

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lodge DJ, Ingham ER (1991) A comparison of agar film techniques for estimating fungal biovolumes in litter and soil. Agric Ecosyst Environ 34:131–144

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Loftin SR, Aguilar R, Fresquez PR (1995) Rangeland restoration with surface-applied biosolids: effects on soils and vegetation of the Rio Puerco Watershed, Northcentral New Mexico. In: Proceedings: the effect of land application of biosolids in arid and semi-arid environments, Colorado State University, 16–19 May

  • Mulvaney RL (1996) Nitrogen-inorganic forms. In: Sparks DL (ed) Methods of soil analysis, part 3. Chemical methods. SSSA, Madison, WI, pp 1123–1184

    Google Scholar 

  • Myrold D (2004) Transformations of nitrogen. In: Sylvia DM, Fuhrmann JJ, Hartel PG, Zuberer DA (eds) Principles and applications of soil microbiology. Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ, pp 333–372

    Google Scholar 

  • National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (2002–2004) Annual climatological summary, station 053006/99999. NOAA, Asheville, NC. Available at http://www ncdc.noaa.gov/onlinestore.html. Cited 20 Dec 2004

  • Nelson DW, Sommers LE (1996) Total carbon, organic carbon, and organic matter. In: Sparks DL (ed) Methods of soil analysis, part 3. Chemical methods. SSSA, Madison, WI, pp 975–977

    Google Scholar 

  • Pascual JA, García C, Hernandez T (1999) Lasting microbiological and biochemical effects of the addition of municipal solid waste to an arid soil. Biol Fertil Soils 30:1–6

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Porazinska DL, Bardett RD, Blaauw MB, Hunt HW, Parsons AN, Seastedt TR, Wall DH (2003) Relationships at the aboveground–belowground interface: plants, soil biota, and soil processes. Ecol Monogr 73:377–395

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reynolds HL, Packer A, Bever JD, Clay K (2003) Grassroots ecology: plant–microbe–soil interactions as drivers of plant community structure and dynamics. Ecology 84:2281–2291

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rhoades JD (1996) Salinity: electrical conductivity and total dissolved solids. In: Sparks DL (ed) Methods of soil analysis, part 3. Chemical methods. SSSA, Madison, WI, pp 417–435

    Google Scholar 

  • SAS Institute, Inc. (2002) SAS/STAT user's guide, version 9.1. The SAS Institute, Cary, NC

    Google Scholar 

  • Schutter M, Dick R (2001) Shifts in substrate utilization potential and structure of soil microbial communities in response to carbon substrates. Soil Biol Biochem 33:1481–1491

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sharkoff JL, Waskom RM, Davis JG (2003) Colorado phosphorus index risk assessment. Colorado agronomy technical note no. 95. USDA-NRCS, Lakewood, CO

    Google Scholar 

  • Soil Conservation Service and Forest Service (1980) Soil survey of Larimer country area, CO. USDA, Lakewood, CO

    Google Scholar 

  • Soltanpour PN, Johnson GW, Workman SM, Jones JB Jr, Miller RO (1996) Inductively coupled plasma emission spectrometry and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. In: Sparks DL (ed) Methods of soil analysis, part 3. Chemical methods. SSSA, Madison, WI, pp 91–139

    Google Scholar 

  • Thomas GW (1996) Soil pH and soil acidity. In: Sparks DL (ed) Methods of soil analysis, part 3. Chemical methods. SSSA, Madison, WI, pp 475–490

    Google Scholar 

  • US Environmental Protection Agency (1991) Interagency policy on beneficial use of municipal sewage sludge on federal land; notice. Fed Regist 56(127):30448–30450

    Google Scholar 

  • US Environmental Protection Agency (1993) 40 CFR-Parts 257 and 503. Standards for the use and disposal of sewage sludge; final rule. Fed Regist 58(32):9248–9415

    Google Scholar 

  • US Environmental Protection Agency Region 8 (1999) Biosolids management handbook, section 2. Available at http://www.epa.gov/region8/water/wastewater/biohome/biosolidsdown/handbook/handbook.html. Cited 11 May 2005

  • Wardle DA, Lavelle P (1997) Linkages between soil biota, plant litter quality and decomposition. In: Cadisch G, Giller KE (eds) Driven by nature—plant litter quality and decomposition. CAB International, Wallingford, UK, pp 107–124

    Google Scholar 

  • Weinbauer MG, Backmann C, Höfle MG (1998) Utility of green fluorescent nucleic acid dyes and aluminum oxide membrane filters for rapid epifluorescence enumeration of soil and sediment bacteria. Appl Environ Microbiol 64:5000–5003

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This research was supported by grant no. CP988640-01 from the Environmental Protection Agency, Region 8.

Author information

Author notes

  1. Tarah S. Sullivan

    Present address: Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA

    Tarah S. Sullivan, Mary E. Stromberger & James A. Ippolito

  2. Department of Forest, Rangeland and Watershed Stewardship, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA

    Mark W. Paschke

Authors
  1. Tarah S. Sullivan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Mary E. Stromberger
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Mark W. Paschke
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. James A. Ippolito
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mary E. Stromberger.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Sullivan, T.S., Stromberger, M.E., Paschke, M.W. et al. Long-term impacts of infrequent biosolids applications on chemical and microbial properties of a semi-arid rangeland soil. Biol Fertil Soils 42, 258–266 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-005-0023-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-005-0023-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation