Carbon Cycling and Soil Remediation Quiz

Carbon Cycling Study and Soil Remediation Research

• The study was conducted by Bryant Sharon Brock and Bob Fahey in the Urban Soil Science Lab and Forest Ecology, respectively, at the Morton Arboretum.
• The focus of the study was on carbon storage in urban systems based on different land use types and soil depths.
• Urban soils are the largest terrestrial sink of carbon, with up to 64% of all carbon in urban systems.
• Different land types, such as shrubland and forest, have varying distributions of carbon in soil depths.
• The study aimed to examine both organic and inorganic carbon in urban systems and their vulnerability to disturbances.
• Factors affecting carbon cycling in soils, such as organic carbon turnover rates and inorganic carbon sources, are sensitive to human management and land use.
• The study utilized data from the Morton Arboretum's tree census in the Chicagoland region, which included information on land use types, tree cover, and species.
• The researchers took soil samples from different land use types in the Chicagoland region, including deep samples down to a meter in depth and shallow samples down to 20 centimeters.
• The soil samples were characterized based on color, pH, texture, bulk density, and soil moisture, and carbon was analyzed using elemental analysis and gas chromatography.
• The study also included tests for particular organic matter, which helps assess microbial biomass and nitrogen mineralization, and active carbon, sensitive to changes in soil management techniques.
• The research at Cornell University focused on the "scoop and dump" technique of soil remediation, involving the addition of compost to impacted or compacted soils, followed by physical fracturing with a backhoe.
• The "scoop and dump" technique was developed based on previous studies that showed a decrease in soil bulk density and increase in soil porosity with the addition of organic matter.

Test your knowledge of carbon cycling and soil remediation research with this quiz. Explore the impact of different land use types on carbon storage in urban systems and the vulnerability of urban soils to disturbances. Learn about the "scoop and dump" technique for soil remediation and its effects on soil properties.