Fungi in fabricated soils
by Maria V. Kalevitch, Valentine I. Kefeli
International Journal of Environment and Pollution (IJEP), Vol. 29, No. 4, 2007

Abstract: Fabricated soil (FS) is usually used for landscape rehabilitation, and is an excellent example of environmental remediation. These soils were used to revitalise damaged and eroded soils caused by acid mine drainage, a common site in Western Pennsylvania. The ratio of bacterial and fungal microbiota contributes to the health, fertility and sustainability of the soil. The structure and function of the soils foodweb have been suggested for numerous times as a prime indicator of ecosystem health (Bongers, 1990; Coleman et al., 1992; Kalevitch et al., 2003). The measurement of disrupted soil processes, decreased bacterial or fungal activity or decreased fungal or bacterial biomass can indicate a problem long before the natural vegetation is lost (Bongers, 1990). After the exposure of FS to the natural habitat, we evaluated the bacterial and fungal activity in soil as this is an important indicator of soil health. Details on bacterial presence and specifics in application of FS are described in previous publications (Kalevitch et al., 2003, 2004a, 2004b). In this paper, we will concentrate on the role of fungal biomass in FS.

Online publication date: Tue, 26-Jun-2007

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