There is increasing interest in amending degraded soils with organic matter to improve soil quality, especially in urban areas where rehabilitation of damaged soils may enhance tree growth and provision of ecosystem services. To assess the potential of such organic amendments for producing a sustained alteration in soil biological characteristics, researchers studied the effects of three organi...

Two cores collected in 2001 and 2004 from Flanders Moss ombrotrophic peat bog in central Scotland were dated (14C, 210Pb) and analysed (ICP-OES, ICP-MS) to derive and compare the historical atmospheric deposition records of Sb and Pb over the past 2500 years. After correction, via Sc, for contributions from soil dust, depositional fluxes of Sb and Pb peaked from ca. 1920-1960 A.D., with >95% of...

In large regions of Europe and North America, peatlands have been exposed to elevated rates of atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition. We investigated the fate of experimentally added N (NH(4)(15)NO3) at two different N loads (1.2 and 4.7 g N m(-2) yr(-1)) and water tables (1 and 32 cm) in intact cores from two peatlands, located in Central and Eastern Canada. The sites receive an estimated total ...

Biogeosciences Discussions This discussion paper is/has been under review for the journal Biogeosciences (BG). Please refer to the corresponding final paper in BG if available. Abstract Peatlands' vast carbon reserves accumulated under low nitrogen availability. Carbon and nitrogen cycling are inextricably linked, so what are the consequences of increased reactive nitrogen deposition for the su...

In this study, the possibility of using tea production waste as a new casing material in mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) cultivation was investigated. Some physical and chemical characteristics of tea waste, fermented tea waste and a mixture of tea waste with peat were compared with that of peat casing, as were their effects on yield. The highest yield was obtained from peat casing. Using tea prod...

the effects of cattle manure vermicompost on the growth and productivity of cymbidium (cymbidium sp.) plants were evaluated under shade conditions. cymbidium was grown in a container medium including 50% pumice, 30% charcoal, 10% vermiculite and 10% peat moss, which was basic plant growth medium substituted with 10%, 20%, 30% and 40% (by volume) vermicompost. the control consisted of container ...

continuous and excessive use of organophosphorus compounds has led to thecontamination of water and soil ecosystems. the degradation of organophosphorusinsecticides, chlorpyrifos, chlorpyrifos- methyl, cyanophos and malathion in mineral saltsmedia were studied. the effect of additional biofertilizers, singly or combined withorganic amendments, on chlorpyrifos and cyanophos degrading activity in...

BACKGROUND Oak moss absolute, an extract from the lichen Evernia prunastri, is a valued perfume ingredient but contains extreme allergens. OBJECTIVES To compare the elicitation properties of two preparations of oak moss absolute: 'classic oak moss', the historically used preparation, and 'new oak moss', with reduced contents of the major allergens atranol and chloroatranol. PATIENTS/MATERIA...