Effects on soil organic matter mineralization and microbiological properties of applying compost to burned and unburned soils

Abstract

This study was undertaken in the context of a project of reclamation of a burned forest area applying municipal waste compost (MWC) and it consisted of an incubation experience carried out under laboratory conditions. The objectives of this research were to asses the effect of three doses of MWC added to burned and unburned calcareous soils on a) SOM mineralization and b) soil microbiological parameters. The laboratory incubation experience was carried out with three compost doses (1, 2 and 4% w/w) on a burned soil and another unburned one from an adjacent plot, besides the corresponding control samples. The mineralization kinetics of the organic matter was studied for 92 days. The kinetics data were adjusted to a double exponential model, showing two C pools of different degrees of resistance to mineralization and concentration, with half-life times of 1.9-4.9 and 34-76 days, respectively. In the unburned soil, the initial potential mineralization rate of the labile and stable C pools showed an opposed behavior, increased and decreased with the MWC dose, respectively. However in the burned soil no significant tendencies were observed. Although applying compost tended to increase the size of more labile pool with respect to total mineralizable C, however most of the soil or compost OM did not result mineralizable in the short and medium term. The compost amendment did not increase soil microbial activity.