Authors: Esteban Kowaljow María Julia Mazzarino Patricia Satti César JiménezRodríguez
Publish Date: 2010/01/15
Volume: 332, Issue: 1-2, Pages: 135-145
Abstract
The foreststeppe ecotone in NW Patagonia is a semiarid ecosystem affected by natural and anthropogenic fires and overgrazing by sheep Following a wild fire in the driest portion of this ecotone a 3year study was conducted to assess the impacts of a single application of inorganic and organic fertilizers on soil and vegetation recovery Organic fertilizers were composts derived from biosolids and municipal solid wastes Six treatments were evaluated screened and unscreened biosolids compost and municipal solid wastes compost 40 Mg ha−1 inorganic fertilizer 100 kg N and 35 kg P ha−1 and no application Soils were chemically characterized and soil microbial activity was assessed as potential respiration and Nmineralization Vegetation responses included plant cover composition phytomass and N resorption prior to abscission and leaf litter quality of the dominant species Organic fertilizers increased soil organic matter nutrients and microbial activity Plant cover and aboveground phytomass dominated by the native perennial tussock grass Poa ligularis showed a higher increase with inorganic than with organic fertilization While vegetation responded more to inorganic fertilizer due to its higher initial pulse of available N organic fertilizers had a positive impact on soil chemical and biological propertiesThis research was conducted as part of a doctoral thesis Doctorado en Ciencias Biológicas Universidad Nacional de Córdoba and was funded by the Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica PICT02ANPCyT Nr 0812374 and PME2003Nr 03 and the Universidad Nacional del Comahue B120/04 We especially thank JJ Ewel and J Puntieri for useful comments on the manuscript We are also grateful to ALGAR SA for study site facilitation and Autoridad Interjurisdiccional de Cuencas for meteorological data
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