Effects of Sewage Sludge Application on Plant Growth and Soil Characteristics at a <i>Pinus sylvestris</i> var. <i>mongolica</i> Plantation in Horqin Sandy Land
The application of domestic sewage sludge (SS) may affect plant growth and soil quality through altering nutrient availability. However, the effect of SS application on the plant–soil system in sandy soils is poorly understood. In this study, we established SS application treatment plots (SL, 25 t h...
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MDPI AG
2022-06-01
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/13/7/984 |
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| author | Jie Bai Xuekai Sun Chengbin Xu Xiping Ma Yue Huang Zhiping Fan Xiangyu Cao |
| author_facet | Jie Bai Xuekai Sun Chengbin Xu Xiping Ma Yue Huang Zhiping Fan Xiangyu Cao |
| author_sort | Jie Bai |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The application of domestic sewage sludge (SS) may affect plant growth and soil quality through altering nutrient availability. However, the effect of SS application on the plant–soil system in sandy soils is poorly understood. In this study, we established SS application treatment plots (SL, 25 t ha<sup>−1</sup>) and control treatment plots without sewage sludge application (CK, 0 t ha<sup>−1</sup>). SS was applied to the soil surface of a Mongolian pine (<i>Pinus sylvestris</i> var. <i>mongolica</i>) plantation in Horqin Sandy Land, Inner Mongolia, China, to assess its potential effects on plants and soil. We analyzed tree growth performances (tree height, basal diameter, and diameter at breast height), understory traits (species diversity, coverage, and aboveground biomass), soil physical and chemical parameters (nutrient content, dissolved organic carbon, soil water content, bulk density, pH), and proxies of ecosystem services (soil organic carbon and total nitrogen stocks). The results showed that SS addition not only significantly increased soil nutrient contents, but also markedly enhanced aboveground productivity and plant coverage. Specifically, SS addition decreased soil bulk density and increased concentrations of soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus and mineral nitrogen, and it also increased soil carbon and nitrogen stocks. Furthermore, the addition of SS significantly increased soil dissolved organic carbon contents and enhanced the fluorescence intensities of dissolved organic carbon components (humic acid-like and UV fulvic acid-like) in the topsoil (0–5 cm). This study provides evidence that SS is an acceptable, and possibly preferred organic fertilizer for improving the soil quality and tree–grass growth of Mongolian pine plantations. |
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| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T03:25:43Z |
| publishDate | 2022-06-01 |
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| spelling | doaj.art-b66de191f6104985b5e4a838fb185f9b2023-12-03T15:02:47ZengMDPI AGForests1999-49072022-06-0113798410.3390/f13070984Effects of Sewage Sludge Application on Plant Growth and Soil Characteristics at a <i>Pinus sylvestris</i> var. <i>mongolica</i> Plantation in Horqin Sandy LandJie Bai0Xuekai Sun1Chengbin Xu2Xiping Ma3Yue Huang4Zhiping Fan5Xiangyu Cao6College of Environmental Science, Liaoning University, Shenyang 110036, ChinaInstitute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, ChinaCollege of Environmental Science, Liaoning University, Shenyang 110036, ChinaCollege of Environmental Science, Liaoning University, Shenyang 110036, ChinaKey Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, Institute of Grassland Science, Northeast Normal University, Ministry of Education, Changchun 130024, ChinaSchool of Environmental & Safety Engineering, Liaoning Petrochemical University, Fushun 113001, ChinaDepartment of Biological Sciences, School of Life Science, Liaoning University, Shenyang 110036, ChinaThe application of domestic sewage sludge (SS) may affect plant growth and soil quality through altering nutrient availability. However, the effect of SS application on the plant–soil system in sandy soils is poorly understood. In this study, we established SS application treatment plots (SL, 25 t ha<sup>−1</sup>) and control treatment plots without sewage sludge application (CK, 0 t ha<sup>−1</sup>). SS was applied to the soil surface of a Mongolian pine (<i>Pinus sylvestris</i> var. <i>mongolica</i>) plantation in Horqin Sandy Land, Inner Mongolia, China, to assess its potential effects on plants and soil. We analyzed tree growth performances (tree height, basal diameter, and diameter at breast height), understory traits (species diversity, coverage, and aboveground biomass), soil physical and chemical parameters (nutrient content, dissolved organic carbon, soil water content, bulk density, pH), and proxies of ecosystem services (soil organic carbon and total nitrogen stocks). The results showed that SS addition not only significantly increased soil nutrient contents, but also markedly enhanced aboveground productivity and plant coverage. Specifically, SS addition decreased soil bulk density and increased concentrations of soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus and mineral nitrogen, and it also increased soil carbon and nitrogen stocks. Furthermore, the addition of SS significantly increased soil dissolved organic carbon contents and enhanced the fluorescence intensities of dissolved organic carbon components (humic acid-like and UV fulvic acid-like) in the topsoil (0–5 cm). This study provides evidence that SS is an acceptable, and possibly preferred organic fertilizer for improving the soil quality and tree–grass growth of Mongolian pine plantations.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/13/7/984plantationunderstorysoil improvementsewage sludge applicationsoil carbon/nitrogen stockdissolved organic carbon |
| spellingShingle | Jie Bai Xuekai Sun Chengbin Xu Xiping Ma Yue Huang Zhiping Fan Xiangyu Cao Effects of Sewage Sludge Application on Plant Growth and Soil Characteristics at a <i>Pinus sylvestris</i> var. <i>mongolica</i> Plantation in Horqin Sandy Land Forests plantation understory soil improvement sewage sludge application soil carbon/nitrogen stock dissolved organic carbon |
| title | Effects of Sewage Sludge Application on Plant Growth and Soil Characteristics at a <i>Pinus sylvestris</i> var. <i>mongolica</i> Plantation in Horqin Sandy Land |
| title_full | Effects of Sewage Sludge Application on Plant Growth and Soil Characteristics at a <i>Pinus sylvestris</i> var. <i>mongolica</i> Plantation in Horqin Sandy Land |
| title_fullStr | Effects of Sewage Sludge Application on Plant Growth and Soil Characteristics at a <i>Pinus sylvestris</i> var. <i>mongolica</i> Plantation in Horqin Sandy Land |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effects of Sewage Sludge Application on Plant Growth and Soil Characteristics at a <i>Pinus sylvestris</i> var. <i>mongolica</i> Plantation in Horqin Sandy Land |
| title_short | Effects of Sewage Sludge Application on Plant Growth and Soil Characteristics at a <i>Pinus sylvestris</i> var. <i>mongolica</i> Plantation in Horqin Sandy Land |
| title_sort | effects of sewage sludge application on plant growth and soil characteristics at a i pinus sylvestris i var i mongolica i plantation in horqin sandy land |
| topic | plantation understory soil improvement sewage sludge application soil carbon/nitrogen stock dissolved organic carbon |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/13/7/984 |
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