Sewage Sludge Application in Semiarid Grasslands: Effects on Vegetation and WaterQuality

摘要

Municipal sewage sludge was used as a soil organic matter and nutrient amendmentin an attempt to increase rangeland productivity and above-ground plant cover and to reduce soil erosion. The objectives were to: (1) determine the effects of sewage sludge application on soils and vegetation in a grassland environment within the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge, central New Mexico, (2) determine how subsequent changes in vegetation following sludge application influence runoff water and sediment yields, and (3) determine the fate of potential sludge-borne contaminants.