Manipulating soil microbial communities in extensive green roof substrates
Article
Molineux, C., Connop, S. and Gange, Alan 2014. Manipulating soil microbial communities in extensive green roof substrates. Science of the Total Environment. 493, pp. 632-638.
Authors | Molineux, C., Connop, S. and Gange, Alan |
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Abstract | There has been very little investigation into the soil microbial community on green roofs, yet this below ground habitat is vital for ecosystem functioning. Green roofs are often harsh environments that would greatly benefit from having a healthy microbial system, allowing efficient nutrient cycling and a degree of drought tolerance in dry summer months. To test if green roof microbial communities could be manipulated,we added mycorrhizal fungi and a microbial mixture (‘compost tea’) to green roof rootzones, composed mainly of crushed brick or crushed concrete. The study revealed that growingmedia type and depth play a vital role in the microbial ecology of green roofs. There are complex relationships between depth and type of substrate and the biomass of different microbial groups, with no clear pattern being observed. Following the addition of inoculants, bacterial groups tended to increase in biomass in shallower substrates, whereas fungal biomass change was dependent on depth and type of substrate. Increased fungal biomass was found in shallow plots containing more crushed concrete and deeper plots containing more crushed brick where compost tea (a live mixture of beneficial bacteria) was added, perhaps due to the presence of helper bacteria for arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). Often there was not an additive affect of the microbial inoculations but instead an antagonistic interaction between the |
Journal | Science of the Total Environment |
Journal citation | 493, pp. 632-638 |
ISSN | 0048-9697 |
Year | 2014 |
Publisher | Elsevier |
Accepted author manuscript | License CC BY |
Web address (URL) | http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.06.045 |
Publication dates | |
30 Jun 2014 | |
Publication process dates | |
Deposited | 10 Apr 2015 |
Accepted | 11 Jun 2014 |
Funder | Natural Environment Research Council |
Seventh Framework Programme |
https://repository.uel.ac.uk/item/85996
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