Wood-soil interactions in soil bioengineering slope stabilization works

doi:10.3832/ifor0513-002

Wood-soil interactions in soil bioengineering slope stabilization works

MC Moscatelli⁽¹⁾ , M Romagnoli⁽²⁾, S Cenfi⁽²⁾, A Lagomarsino⁽¹⁾, A Di Tizio⁽¹⁾, S Spina⁽²⁾, S Grego⁽¹⁾

iForest - Biogeosciences and Forestry, Volume 2, Issue 5, Pages 187-191 (2009)
doi: https://doi.org/10.3832/ifor0513-002
Published: Oct 15, 2009 - Copyright © 2009 SISEF

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In this work we propose the use of soil quality indicators with the aim of assessing the environmental impact of soil bioengineering works. This study was carried out in central Italy where soil bioengineering slope stabilization works were established using chestnut wood. In particular the goal of this study was to determine the occurrence of a wood-effect, that is changes of soil properties due to the presence of decomposing logs in two sites characterized by different time span since works setting up. The presence of the logs did not affect soil physico-chemical properties. Conversely, soil biochemical properties such as soil microbial biomass, basal and cumulative respiration activities as well as microbial indexes, were influenced by the presence of the logs confirming the role of these bioindicators as early predictors of changes occurring in soil. Although a general positive trend was observed for the biochemical properties at both sites with respect to the control soils, significant differences were recorded mainly at the site where works were established six years before soil sampling. Soil bioengineering slope stabilization works establish a positive feed-back which ultimately can benefit plants; in fact the increase in microbial mineralization activity can enhance nutrient cycling and thus promote adequate growth conditions for the plant cuttings used in the wooden-work.

Keywords

Wood decomposition, Microbial biomass, Microbial respiration, Soil quality, Soil bioengineering

Authors’ address

(1)

Dipartimento di Agrobiologia e Agrochimica, Università della Tuscia, Viterbo (Italy)

(2)

Dipartimento di Tecnologie, Ingegneria e Scienze dell’Ambiente e delle Foreste, Università della Tuscia, Viterbo (Italy)

Corresponding author

MC Moscatelli
mcm@unitus.it

Citation

Moscatelli MC, Romagnoli M, Cenfi S, Lagomarsino A, Di Tizio A, Spina S, Grego S (2009). Wood-soil interactions in soil bioengineering slope stabilization works. iForest 2: 187-191. - doi: 10.3832/ifor0513-002

Academic Editor

Roberto Tognetti

Paper history

Received: May 07, 2009
Accepted: Aug 18, 2009

First online: Oct 15, 2009
Publication Date: Oct 15, 2009
Publication Time: 1.93 months

Open Access

This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made.

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