6
Balancing Soil Health and
Biomass Production
Larry E. Erickson and Kraig Roozeboom
Abstract
Soil is a living ecosystem with many different microorganisms (bacteria,
fungi, and actinomycetes), microfauna (protists and nematodes), mesofauna (arthropods, insects, mites, rotifera), and macrofauna (earthworms,
termites, spiders, and isopods). Biodiversity is beneficial to soil health
and improving biodiversity as part of a phytoremediation project is very
desirable. Adding soil amendments such as compost or manure often
improves soil health. Soil organic carbon is an important variable that
provides carbon and energy for the organisms. At many sites with contaminants soil organic carbon is low at the start of the project. Soil health
affects human health because the concentrations of elements and compounds in harvested fruits and vegetables depend on concentrations in
the soil. If zinc concentration is low in a garden soil, there may be zinc
deficiency in humans because of low concentrations in food from that
garden. This chapter reviews aspects of soil quality and soil health and
addresses the importance of improving soil health as part of a phytroremediation project.
CONTENTS
6.1 Introduction................................................................................................ 116
6.2 Properties of Soils ...................................................................................... 116
6.3 Soil Quality ................................................................................................. 117
6.4 Soil Health Affects Human Health ......................................................... 118
6.5 Improving Soil Health Using Phytotechnology.................................... 119
6.6 Conclusions................................................................................................. 120
References............................................................................................................. 121
115
Balancing Soil Health and
Biomass Production
Larry E. Erickson and Kraig Roozeboom
Abstract
Soil is a living ecosystem with many different microorganisms (bacteria,
fungi, and actinomycetes), microfauna (protists and nematodes), mesofauna (arthropods, insects, mites, rotifera), and macrofauna (earthworms,
termites, spiders, and isopods). Biodiversity is beneficial to soil health
and improving biodiversity as part of a phytoremediation project is very
desirable. Adding soil amendments such as compost or manure often
improves soil health. Soil organic carbon is an important variable that
provides carbon and energy for the organisms. At many sites with contaminants soil organic carbon is low at the start of the project. Soil health
affects human health because the concentrations of elements and compounds in harvested fruits and vegetables depend on concentrations in
the soil. If zinc concentration is low in a garden soil, there may be zinc
deficiency in humans because of low concentrations in food from that
garden. This chapter reviews aspects of soil quality and soil health and
addresses the importance of improving soil health as part of a phytroremediation project.
CONTENTS
6.1 Introduction................................................................................................ 116
6.2 Properties of Soils ...................................................................................... 116
6.3 Soil Quality ................................................................................................. 117
6.4 Soil Health Affects Human Health ......................................................... 118
6.5 Improving Soil Health Using Phytotechnology.................................... 119
6.6 Conclusions................................................................................................. 120
References............................................................................................................. 121
115