Release of Nutrients From Brown and Gray Sandstone Soil Substitutes in Southern West Virginia
Year: 2010
Type: article
Abstract: For forestry post-mining land uses, native topsoil is the preferred rooting media.When insufficient volumes of native soil are present, which is very common in the surface mining region of southern West Virginia, topsoil substitutes are allowed.Two commonly used topsoil substitutes are weathered brown sandstone, which is found at 0 to 10 m below the land surface, and unweathered gray sandstone, which is brought from much lower depths in the overburden column.Questions exist about the suitability of these two substitute materials to provide adequate amounts of nutrients and to supply these nutrients at a rate sufficient for optimum tree growth after placement and as they weather.The objective of this study was to evaluate the release of selected elements from these materials when repeatedly leached with a weak acetic acid extracting solution (Morgan's Extract).Since brown sandstone is generally composed of finer-sized particles than gray sandstone, samples were sieved into two particle size fractions to eliminate the inherent differences in natural particle size distribution.Samples from these two materials at two size fractions were leached with Morgan's extract (0.62M NH 4 OH + 1.25M CH 3 COOH) by two extraction methods to examine the concentrations of Mg, Ca, P, and K released during four leaching events.The two extraction methods were a shaking procedure and an extractor apparatus procedure.Release of total amounts of Ca, Mg, K, and P were not significantly different between brown and gray or between particle sizes (sieve sizes).Comparison of extraction methods showed the extractor method leached more K and P out of samples than the shaking method.However, more Ca was leached using the shaking method compared to the extractor procedure.
Authors: J. Skousen, P. Emerson
Institution: West Virginia University
Language: English
Subfield: Soil Science
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W4254179799