Restoring ecological function to industrial barrens via manipulation of soil chemical environments

通过控制土壤化学环境恢复工业荒地的生态功能

• 批准号: 2329655
• 负责人: Nina Goodey
• 金额: $ 42万
• 依托单位: Montclair State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2023-11-01 至 2026-10-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2329655&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Restoring; ecological; function; industrial; barrens

Anthropogenic industrial activities release toxic pollutants into the environment that contaminate air, water, and soil systems. Soil contamination adversely impacts soil microbiomes and lower microbial function, including enzyme production, rendering some soils barren and inactive. Barren soils do not grow plants and fail to provide ecosystem services to their environment. Previous research by the Principal Investigator’s research group has shown that the addition of artificial root exudates (AREs) to soils can significantly increase microbial metabolism and respiration rates in uncontaminated, vegetated soils. However, very limited data and fundamental knowledge are available about the impact of ARE addition on microbial activity in contaminated and barren soils. The overarching goal of this project is to investigate changes in soil microbial respiration, enzyme activity, plant productivity, and microbial contaminant degradation potential that result from the addition of AREs to contaminated and barren soils. To advance this goal, the project research team will investigate the addition and impact of ARE solutions consisting of mixtures of compounds that are found in natural root exudates. The successful completion of this project will benefit society through the generation of new data and fundamental knowledge that could be used to guide the design and implementation of more sustainable and cost-effective solutions from the remediation and restoration of contaminated and barren soils. Additional benefits to society will be achieved through student education and training including the mentoring of one post-doctoral fellow, one graduate student, and two undergraduate students at Montclair State University, an R2-rated Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI). Soils provide vital ecological services that include nutrient cycling and carbon storage. Soil contaminants interfere with these ecological services, decreasing microbial function and rendering some soils barren. Previous research has shown that artificial root exudates (AREs) can increase microbial metabolism and respiration rates in uncontaminated, vegetated soils, but their effects on contaminated, barren soils are not known. The goal of this project is to investigate changes in soil microbial respiration, enzyme activity, and plant productivity that result from the addition AREs to contaminated (post-industrial) and barren soils. The proposed AREs will consist of mixtures of compounds that are found in natural root exudates. The specific objectives of the research are to 1) quantify the optimal doses and effects of artificial ARE addition on microbial respiration and function in model contaminated and barren soils from 3 post-industrial sites in New Jersey; 2) compare the effectiveness of easy-to-implement single - versus labor-intensive repeated artificial root exudates addition schedules in revitalizing contaminated soils; and 3) evaluate the potential of ARE additions to stimulate microbial degradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in contaminated soils. The successful completion of this project has the potential for transformative impact though the generation of new data and fundamental knowledge on the restoration and maintenance of microbial activity following the addition of AREs to contaminated and baren soils including microbial awakening from dormancy, changes in extracellular enzyme activity, and/or soil organic matter availability. To implement the education and training goals of the project, the Principal Investigator (PI) proposes to leverage existing programs at Montclair State University such as the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP) to recruit and mentor undergraduate students from underrepresented groups to work on the project. In addition, the research team plans to communicate and share the project research findings with local and state administrators and stakeholders that are interested in the implementation of novel strategies/solutions to revitalize contaminated (post-industrial) and barren soils in New Jersey.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

人为的工业活动向环境中释放有毒污染物，污染空气、水和土壤系统。土壤污染对土壤微生物群落产生不利影响，降低了微生物的功能，包括酶的产生，使一些土壤变得贫瘠和不活跃。贫瘠的土壤不能生长植物，也不能为环境提供生态系统服务。首席研究员的研究小组先前的研究表明，向土壤中添加人工根系分泌物（战神）可以显着增加未污染的植被土壤中的微生物代谢和呼吸速率。 然而，非常有限的数据和基础知识是关于ARE添加对污染和贫瘠土壤中的微生物活性的影响。该项目的总体目标是调查土壤微生物呼吸，酶活性，植物生产力和微生物污染物降解潜力的变化，结果从添加战神污染和贫瘠的土壤。为了推进这一目标，项目研究团队将研究由天然根系分泌物中发现的化合物混合物组成的ARE溶液的添加和影响。该项目的成功完成将通过产生新的数据和基本知识来造福社会，这些数据和知识可用于指导设计和实施更可持续和更具成本效益的解决方案，以修复和恢复受污染和贫瘠的土壤。对社会的额外好处将通过学生教育和培训，包括一个博士后研究员，一个研究生，和两个本科生在蒙特克莱尔州立大学，一个R2级的西班牙裔服务机构（HSI）的辅导实现。土壤提供重要的生态服务，包括养分循环和碳储存。土壤污染物干扰了这些生态服务，降低了微生物的功能，使一些土壤变得贫瘠。先前的研究表明，人工根系分泌物（战神）可以增加未污染的植被土壤中的微生物代谢和呼吸速率，但其对污染的贫瘠土壤的影响尚不清楚。该项目的目标是调查土壤微生物呼吸，酶活性和植物生产力的变化，导致添加战神污染（后工业）和贫瘠的土壤。拟议的战神将由天然根系分泌物中发现的化合物的混合物组成。本研究的具体目标是：1）量化人工根分泌物添加对新泽西3个后工业化地区污染和贫瘠土壤中微生物呼吸和功能的最佳剂量和影响; 2）比较易于实施的单一人工根分泌物添加方案与劳动密集型人工根分泌物重复添加方案在恢复污染土壤中的有效性; 3）评价添加ARE对污染土壤中多环芳烃（PAHs）微生物降解的促进作用。该项目的成功完成有可能产生变革性的影响，通过产生新的数据和基础知识，恢复和维持微生物活性后，添加战神污染和裸露的土壤，包括微生物从休眠中觉醒，细胞外酶活性的变化，和/或土壤有机质的可用性。为了实现该项目的教育和培训目标，主要研究者（PI）建议利用蒙特克莱尔州立大学的现有项目，如路易斯·斯托克斯少数民族参与联盟（LSAMP），从代表性不足的群体中招募和指导本科生从事该项目。此外，本发明还提供了一种方法，研究小组计划与地方和州管理人员以及对实施新战略/解决方案感兴趣的利益相关者沟通和分享项目研究结果，以恢复受污染的环境（后工业）该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查进行评估，被认为值得支持的搜索.