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The Effect of Mount St. Helens' Ash on Soil Microbial Respiration and Numbers
Author(s) -
Elliott L. F.,
Tittemore D.,
Papendick R. I.,
Cochran V. L.,
Bezdicek D. F.
Publication year - 1982
Publication title -
journal of environmental quality
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.888
H-Index - 171
eISSN - 1537-2537
pISSN - 0047-2425
DOI - 10.2134/jeq1982.00472425001100020003x
Subject(s) - amendment , loam , straw , soil respiration , agronomy , volcanic ash , incubation , soil water , chemistry , environmental science , aeration , silt , environmental chemistry , soil science , biology , volcano , paleontology , biochemistry , organic chemistry , political science , law
Incubation studies were conducted to determine the effect of different levels of Mount St. Helens' ash on soil microbial activity. Ritzville silt loam was mixed with 1% wheat straw ( Triticum aestivum L.) and amended with 0, 10, or 20% ash or 10 or 20% sand. Oxygen uptake by the soil‐sand mixes was significantly greater than by the other treatments, and there was a trend for greater CO 2 evolution by the sand‐amended treatments. These differences likely resulted from an aeration effect and/or differences in the systems caused by the mixtures, and not from salinity or release of toxic elements from the ash. Total bacterial, fungal, and pseudomonad counts in the soil were unaffected by either ash or sand additions with or without a wheat straw amendment during a 20‐day incubation period. These results show that the ash additions to the soil from the volcanic eruption should not adversely affect crop residue decomposition or the microbial flora of the soil as measured by soil microbial activity and numbers.