In the northeast region of New Brunswick, the majority of peatlands are mainly used for horticultural purposes. Abandoned peatlands after peat extraction could represent one of the most important ecological resources ...In the northeast region of New Brunswick, the majority of peatlands are mainly used for horticultural purposes. Abandoned peatlands after peat extraction could represent one of the most important ecological resources through their remaining substrates: serving as agronomic, ecological or environmental value-added support to local development; and giving a second economic life to peatlands. To evaluate this innovative peat soil management, a study was conducted on three residual peatlands from the Acadian Peninsula. Their status was described through a physic-chemical characterization. The results suggest that the peat thickness and the mineral horizon characteristics are good indicators to identify these post-harvest peat soils. The studied sites were characterized by a flat topography, poor and unequal drainage inducing a variation of the water table level. The peat thickness ranged from 18 cm to 40 cm, while the thickness of the mineral horizon--mostly sandy--ranged between 20 cm and 30 cm. The chemical properties revealed an electrical conductivity above 50 μS·cm^-1, an acid pH, and a variable cation exchange capacity (1.3 cmolc·kg^-1 to 11.4 cmolc·kg^-1). This preliminary study gives basic knowledge on Acadian Peninsula abandoned peatlands soils and gives information about the conditions of their agro-economic, ecological and/or environmental management.展开更多
The shortages of chemical fertilizers in Cuba in 90s caused the introduction of different research results obtained on this time for the implementation of natural zeolites in the fertilizer industry. It's known as th...The shortages of chemical fertilizers in Cuba in 90s caused the introduction of different research results obtained on this time for the implementation of natural zeolites in the fertilizer industry. It's known as the high capacity of cation exchange of the natural Cuban clinoptilolite, which contributes to reducing nutrient losses, such as ammonia, and keeping the potassium and phosphorus cations available. Extensive tests were done on the field with the objective to evaluate the agronomic effect of incorporating this mineral in fertilizer. The results obtained in this experiment contributed to almost all Cuban chemical fertilizers, which has been incorporated around 15%-20% of natural zeolite clinoptilolite in its composition by Cuban agriculture consumes, reducing the chemical carriers of the fertilizers and decreasing the contamination of the environment. Also this mineral contributes for increases in agricultural income more than 15% in all cases; additionally, a trend can be observed towards gradual recovery of some soil fertility indicators, in which the chemical fertilizers with Fertcel was applied.展开更多
Interactions between microbes and minerals have the potential to contribute significantly to global cycles of various processes and serve as a link between the geosphere and life. Clays and clay minerals occur commonl...Interactions between microbes and minerals have the potential to contribute significantly to global cycles of various processes and serve as a link between the geosphere and life. Clays and clay minerals occur commonly in agriculturally utilized soils, are naturally grown underground (soil and rock) and are used in construction material. Clay minerals serve as natural, geological and technical barriers in geotechnics and environmental geotechnics. Bacteria in turn are ubiquitous in natural soils, subsoils and rocks and are in permanent contact with clay minerals. There are numerous ways in which bacteria can interact with clay minerals and alter them: dissolution, refinement and transformation, reduction of trace elements incorporated in the clay minerals and uptake of trace elements from these minerals, e.g., by the production of siderophores and chelators and enhancement or reduction of azisorbance of trace elements on clay minerals. In addition, bacteria can influence layer charge, cation exchange capacity (CEC), exchangeable cations, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface, swelling and the rheological properties of clay minerals. The field of clay mineral-microorganism interaction is still wide open because of the large potential that the interactions of bacteria with clay minerals in soils and sediments may result in changes in clay mineral properties and behaviors. Fhrther detailed studies on all these tentative changes and underlying mechanisms as well as broad surveys of quantifications of extents and rates of clay mineral-microorganism interactions, especially in mimicking natural systems, are highly required. This review summarizes the influences of various bacteria on the properties of different clay minerals as determined experimentally using viable bacteria.展开更多
文摘In the northeast region of New Brunswick, the majority of peatlands are mainly used for horticultural purposes. Abandoned peatlands after peat extraction could represent one of the most important ecological resources through their remaining substrates: serving as agronomic, ecological or environmental value-added support to local development; and giving a second economic life to peatlands. To evaluate this innovative peat soil management, a study was conducted on three residual peatlands from the Acadian Peninsula. Their status was described through a physic-chemical characterization. The results suggest that the peat thickness and the mineral horizon characteristics are good indicators to identify these post-harvest peat soils. The studied sites were characterized by a flat topography, poor and unequal drainage inducing a variation of the water table level. The peat thickness ranged from 18 cm to 40 cm, while the thickness of the mineral horizon--mostly sandy--ranged between 20 cm and 30 cm. The chemical properties revealed an electrical conductivity above 50 μS·cm^-1, an acid pH, and a variable cation exchange capacity (1.3 cmolc·kg^-1 to 11.4 cmolc·kg^-1). This preliminary study gives basic knowledge on Acadian Peninsula abandoned peatlands soils and gives information about the conditions of their agro-economic, ecological and/or environmental management.
文摘The shortages of chemical fertilizers in Cuba in 90s caused the introduction of different research results obtained on this time for the implementation of natural zeolites in the fertilizer industry. It's known as the high capacity of cation exchange of the natural Cuban clinoptilolite, which contributes to reducing nutrient losses, such as ammonia, and keeping the potassium and phosphorus cations available. Extensive tests were done on the field with the objective to evaluate the agronomic effect of incorporating this mineral in fertilizer. The results obtained in this experiment contributed to almost all Cuban chemical fertilizers, which has been incorporated around 15%-20% of natural zeolite clinoptilolite in its composition by Cuban agriculture consumes, reducing the chemical carriers of the fertilizers and decreasing the contamination of the environment. Also this mineral contributes for increases in agricultural income more than 15% in all cases; additionally, a trend can be observed towards gradual recovery of some soil fertility indicators, in which the chemical fertilizers with Fertcel was applied.
文摘Interactions between microbes and minerals have the potential to contribute significantly to global cycles of various processes and serve as a link between the geosphere and life. Clays and clay minerals occur commonly in agriculturally utilized soils, are naturally grown underground (soil and rock) and are used in construction material. Clay minerals serve as natural, geological and technical barriers in geotechnics and environmental geotechnics. Bacteria in turn are ubiquitous in natural soils, subsoils and rocks and are in permanent contact with clay minerals. There are numerous ways in which bacteria can interact with clay minerals and alter them: dissolution, refinement and transformation, reduction of trace elements incorporated in the clay minerals and uptake of trace elements from these minerals, e.g., by the production of siderophores and chelators and enhancement or reduction of azisorbance of trace elements on clay minerals. In addition, bacteria can influence layer charge, cation exchange capacity (CEC), exchangeable cations, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface, swelling and the rheological properties of clay minerals. The field of clay mineral-microorganism interaction is still wide open because of the large potential that the interactions of bacteria with clay minerals in soils and sediments may result in changes in clay mineral properties and behaviors. Fhrther detailed studies on all these tentative changes and underlying mechanisms as well as broad surveys of quantifications of extents and rates of clay mineral-microorganism interactions, especially in mimicking natural systems, are highly required. This review summarizes the influences of various bacteria on the properties of different clay minerals as determined experimentally using viable bacteria.