Brownfield Topsoil Vertical Heterogeneity: Implications for Germination and Soil Microbial Functioning.

ABSTRACT: Soil vertical heterogeneity refers to the variation in soil properties and composition with depth. In uncontaminated soils, properties including the organic matter content and nutrient concentrations typically change gradually with depth due to natural processes such as weathering, leaching, and organic matter decomposition. In contaminated soils, heavy metals and organic contaminants can migrate vertically through leaching or root uptake and translocation by plants and macrobiota, if present, leading to vertical heterogeneity in contaminant concentrations at different depths. Contaminants can alter soil properties, and we investigated the implications of soil vertical heterogeneity for germination and microbial functioning. We collected soil from an urban brownfield and created two condit

SUBMITTER: Dyson EN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11465544 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature