Evaluación de la descomposición con el uso de bolsas de té

La comparación de la descomposición del té verde, un material de descomposición rápida, con el té rooibos, un material difícil de degradar, permite el cálculo del índice de bolsas de té. Este método proporciona información sobre la capacidad del suelo,como un organismo “vivo”, para ransformar los residuos orgánicos en nutrientes disponibles para las plantas y contribuir a la acumulación de humus en el suelo. Esta técnica es fácil de aplicar. Se coloca una bolsa de té en el suelo y se saca a los tres meses mirando cuánto material queda. Es fascinante descubrir el resultado del trabajo incesante de nuestros minúsculos ayudantes del suelo, y cómo esta labor proporciona nutrientes a una nueva generación de plantas. English version available at https://orgprints.org/30717

Regenwürmer - Baumeister der Bodenfruchtbarkeit

Je mehr Regenwürmer vorhanden sind, desto besser ist die Bodenfruchtbarkeit. In intensiv bewirtschafteten Böden können sie hingegen fast vollständig verschwinden

Decomposition study using tea bags

Comparing the decomposition of green tea as a fast -decomposing material with rooibos as a material, which is difficult to break down, allows for the calculation of the tea bag index. This provides information on the capability of the soil as a living organism to transform organic residues back into plant-available nutrients and make some contribution to the build-up of soil humus. This technique is easy to apply. Place the tea bag in the soil and take it out after three months to see how much is left. It is fascinating to discover the result of our hard working little helpers in the soil and how this work is giving nutrients to a new generation of plants. Spanish version available at https://orgprints.org/32465

Raziskava razgradnje s pomočjo čajnih vrečk

Indeks čajne vrečke izračunamo s primerjavo razgradnje hitro razgradljivega zelenega čaja in težko razgradljivega čaja rooibos (»rdeči grm«). S tem postopkom dobimo informacije o zmožnosti tal (kot živega organizma) za predelavo organskih ostankov v rastlinam dostopna hranila in za izgradnjo humusa. Uporaba te tehnike je enostavna. Čajno vrečko zakopljemo v tla, jo po treh mesecih izkopljemo in pogledamo, koliko je od nje ostalo. Zelo zanimivo je videti sadove dela naših pridnih talnih pomočnikov in spremljati, kako njihovo delo zagotavlja hranila za novo generacijo rastlin za raziskovanje koreninskih mešičkov za vezavo dušika

Bodenorganismen haben lieber Grüntee

Die Teebeutel-Methode ist simpel und weltweit anwendbar. Mit ihr lässt sich die Bodenqualität bestimmen. Manche Teebeutel bestehen aus Naturfasern, die man auf den Kompost werfen kann. Andere bestehen aus einem Nylonnetz, das nicht kompostierbar ist, da das Netz zurückbleibt. Genau dieses simple Prinzip wird neuerdings rund um den Globus genutzt, um die Vitalität von Böden zu untersuchen

Etude de la décomposition par l'utilisation de sachets de thé

Comparer la décomposition du thé vert comme un matériau de décomposition rapide avec le thé rooibos comme un matériau qui est difficile à décomposer, permet de calculer l'Indice du Sachet de Thé (Tea Bag Index TBI). Cela fournit des informations sur la capacité du sol en tant qu'organisme vivant à transformer les résidus organiques en nutriments disponibles pour les plantes et à contribuer a l'accumulation d'humus dans le sol. Cette technique est facile à ppliquer. Placez le sachet de thé dans le solet sortez‐le après trois mois pour déterminer combine il reste de matière. Il est fascinant de découvrir le résultat de nos petits auxiliaires travaillant dur dans le sol et comment ce travail fournit des nutriments à une nouvelle génération de plantes

Vers de terre - Les vrais architectes de la fertilité des sols

Plus il y a de vers de terre dans les sols plus ils sont fertiles. Ils peuvent par contre presque totalement disparaître dans les sols des cultures intensives gavés de produits chimiques

Direct and indirect effects of urban gardening on aboveground and belowground diversity influencing soil multifunctionality

Urban gardens are popular green spaces that have the potential to provide essential ecosystem services, support human well-being, and at the same time foster biodiversity in cities. We investigated the impact of gardening activities on five soil functions and the relationship between plant (600 spp.) and soil fauna (earthworms: 18 spp., springtails: 39 spp.) in 85 urban gardens (170 sites) across the city of Zurich (Switzerland). Our results suggest that high plant diversity in gardens had a positive effect on soil fauna and soil multifunctionality, and that garden management intensity decreased plant diversity. Indices of biological activity in soil, such as organic and microbial carbon and bacterial abundance, showed a direct positive effect on soil multifunctionality. Soil moisture and disturbance, driven by watering and tilling, were the driving forces structuring plant and soil fauna communities. Plant indicator values proved useful to assess soil fauna community structure, even in anthropogenic plant assemblages. We conclude that to enhance soil functions, gardeners should increase plant diversity, and lower management intensity. Soil protective management practices, such as applying compost, mulch or avoiding soil tilling, should be included in urban green space planning to improve urban biodiversity and nature’s contribution to people

Effects of garden management practices, by different types of gardeners, on human wellbeing and ecological and soil sustainability in Swiss cities

This is a pre-print of an article published in Urban Ecosystems. The final authenticated version is available online at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11252-018-0806-2. The aim of this exploratory study is to address this research gap by identifying the characteristics of gardens and the management practices of gardeners that enhance the outcomes of gardening, which we separate into three dimensions: human wellbeing, biodiversity, and soil quality. Data were collected from 18 gardens in Zurich, Switzerland and a typology of gardeners was identified, which included ‘conservationist’, ‘functional’, ‘minimum effort’, ‘child-friendly’, and ‘aesthetic’ gardeners. The conservationist gardeners were found to have, on average, the highest species richness in their gardens, while the minimum effort gardeners had the lowest, which suggests that some degree of management can enhance species richness. The conservationist and minimum effort gardeners had, on average, the highest values for stable aggregates, while the minimum effort gardeners had the highest phosphorous content in their soil. The wellbeing of the minimum effort gardeners was lower than the other groups, which suggests it is the act of gardening, rather than merely having a garden, which leads to wellbeing outcomes. The results suggest that ecologically friendly gardening is compatible with desired social outcomes and furthermore that the beneficial effects of gardens are indeed related to the practices implemented by the gardeners, which are influenced by their attitudes towards gardening and the role of gardens in their lives