Survival of total and fecal coliform bacteria was measured in the
0 to 5, 5 to 15, and 15 to 30 cm soil depths at 1, 3, 7, 14, and 90 to
120 d after swine (Sus scrofa) wastewater application to riparian
filterstrips in southern Georgia during each season of the year. Vegetative
treatments evaluated were: (i) 20 m grass-10 m forest, (ii) 10 m
grass-20 m forest, and (iii) 10 m grass-20 m maidencane (Panicum
hemitomon Schult.). During winter, spring, and summer vegetation
type in riparian filterstrips did not affect survival of total and fecal
coliform bacteria. Total and fecal coliform bacterial numbers were
usually higher in the top 0 to 5 cm of soil than in the 5 to 15 and 15
to 30 cm soil depths in all treatments. Total and fecal coliform numbers
in the 0 to 5, 5 to 15, and 15 to 30 cm depths declined approximately
10-fold every 7 to 14 d after waste application in all seasons of the
year. At 90 to 120 d after waste application, total and fecal coliform
numbers in the three soil depths did not differ from riparian filterstrips
that did not have animal waste applied. Total coliform bacteria in the
O to 5, 5 to 15, and 15 to 30 cm soil depths correlated with temperature
and moisture in a curvilinear relationship (r2 = 0.80 , 0.77, and 0.64,
respectively). Fecal coliform bacteria in 0 to 5, 6 to 15, and 16 to 30 cm
of soil also correlated with temperature and moisture in a curvilinear
relationship (r 2 = 0.56 , 0.53, and 0.53, respectively)
