Abstract
Soils of abandoned and vacant lands in the periphery of cities are frequently subjected to illegal dumping and can undergo degradation processes such as depletion of organic matter and nutrients, reduced biodiversity, and the presence of contaminants, which may exert an intense abiotic stress on biological communities. Mycorrhizal-assisted phytoremediation and intercropping strategies are highly suitable options for remediation of these sites. A two-year field experiment was conducted at a peri-urban site contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons and polychlorinated biphenyls, to assess the effects of plant growth (spontaneous plant species, Medicago sativa , and Populus × canadensis , alone vs. intercropped) and inoculation of a commercial arbuscular mycorrhizal and ectomycorrhizal inoculum. Contaminant degradation, plant performance, and biodiversity, as well as a variety of microbial indicators of soil health (microbial biomass, activity, and diversity parameters) were determined. The rhizosphere bacterial and fungal microbiomes were assessed by measuring the structural diversity and composition via amplicon sequencing. Establishment of spontaneous vegetation led to greater plant and soil microbial diversity. Intercropping enhanced the activity of soil enzymes involved in nutrient cycling. The mycorrhizal treatment was a key contributor to the establishment of intercropping with poplar and alfalfa. Inoculated and poplar-alfalfa intercropped soils had a higher microbial abundance than soils colonized by spontaneous vegetation. Our study provided evidence of the potential of mycorrhizal-assisted phytoremediation and intercropping strategies to improve soil health in degraded peri-urban areas.
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Claims 6
Claim · model-written summary
Spontaneous vegetation established greater plant and soil microbial diversity.
Verbatim
e0“Establishment of spontaneous vegetation led to greater plant and soil microbial diversity”
Claim · model-written summary
Intercropping enhanced soil nutrient-cycling enzyme activity.
- Taxon
- Medicago sativa
Medicago sativat0 - Treatment
- Intercroppinge0
- Outcome
- activity of soil enzymes involved in nutrient cyclinge0
- Direction
- enhancede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Intercropping enhanced the activity of soil enzymes involved in nutrient cycling”
t0“Medicago sativa”
Claim · model-written summary
Mycorrhizal treatment helped establish poplar and alfalfa intercropping.
PopulusNot reportedComparatorDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The mycorrhizal treatment was a key contributor to the establishment of intercropping with poplar and alfalfa”
Claim · model-written summary
Inoculated soils had higher microbial abundance than soils with spontaneous vegetation.
Verbatim
e0“Inoculated and poplar-alfalfa intercropped soils had a higher microbial abundance than soils colonized by spontaneous vegetation”
Claim · model-written summary
Poplar-alfalfa intercropped soils had higher microbial abundance than spontaneously vegetated soil.
Verbatim
e0“Inoculated and poplar-alfalfa intercropped soils had a higher microbial abundance than soils colonized by spontaneous vegetation”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors conclude these strategies can improve degraded peri-urban soil health.
- Taxon
- Medicago sativaMedicago sativat0
- Outcome
- mycorrhizal-assisted phytoremediation and intercropping strategies to improve soil healthe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“mycorrhizal-assisted phytoremediation and intercropping strategies to improve soil health in degraded peri-urban areas”
t0“Medicago sativa”
The same questions in other papers
intercropping · physiology: enzyme activity · Medicago sativa (alfalfa)Results agree
1 paper in the same direction as this paper
- positive
mycorrhiza · growth · Populus (poplar)Results agree
12 papers in the same direction as this paper
- positive
- positive
- positive
9 papers more in this group
See all 13 papers →Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.