Inspection and Data Collection Protocol to Monitor Performanceof Biotic Soil Technology

摘要

One vexing issue facing successful restoration of disturbed sites is lack of available topsoil to create viable environments for establishing sustainable vegetation. In the absence of adequate sources of topsoil, new techniques have been developed totreat and revive depleted soils to render them more capable of accelerating and sustaining vegetative growth. Essentially, on-site soils can be "engineered" to improve their physical and biological properties. The meticulous introduction of organic matter, agronomic amendments, plant biostimulants and soil building components can effectively turn marginal soils into productive and sustainable growth media. Biotic Soil Technology (BST) is a generic term to describe the emerging field of manufactured growth media containing biodegradable fibers, biostimulants, biological inoculants and other components engineered to cost-effectively increase organic content, accelerate vegetative establishment, maintain a sustainable growing environment and promote regeneration of denuded soils.BSTs offer several advantages over field harvested soils and their replacements, including compost. They are produced under highly controlled conditions to ensure consistent quality control/quality assurance, elimination of weed seeds, pathogens, insects, phyto-toxins and contaminants with documented legacy of environmental safety. Further, ease of application through conventional hydraulic seeding and mulching equipment make BST an effective complement or replacement for topsoil - thus reducing quantity requirements and costs while improving project success. BSTs are typically placed as a growth media layer beneath various erosion control techniques such as hydraulically-applied or rolled products, blown straw/hay or even sod.The efficacy of BSTs is becoming more fully demonstrated with a growing portfolio of successful installations around the world on a variety of challenging sites involving highways, airfields, commercial and residential construction as well as engineeredcover systems for mining, waste containment and more. Beyond the initial mission to cost effectively foster more rapid and complete establishment of vegetation to reduce erosion and improve water quality, there is a need to monitor changes in organic matter levels, soil pH, microbial levels and other parameters that contribute to sustainable growing environments.This publication will offer prescribed testing protocol for site assessments prior to installation to determine suitable BSTs, agronomic amendments and their application rates. Next, protocol will be offered for inspection techniques during installation,post-installation monitoring of vegetative species composition, density and cover, and laboratory testing to document changes in soil chemistry, structure and biota over time. Case studies of two projects will serve as examples to demonstrate the testing protocol, sampling methodology and results obtained.