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33 results on '"Verstraete, W."'

1. Recovery against Environmental Action

Author

Reinhardt, H. W., primary, Jonkers, H., additional, Van Tittelboom, K., additional, Snoeck, D., additional, De Belie, N., additional, De Muynck, W., additional, Verstraete, W., additional, Wang, J., additional, and Mechtcherine, V., additional

Published
2013
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17. Lessons from the Soil

Author

Verstraete, W., primary, Top, E., additional, Vanneck, P., additional, Rore, H., additional, and Genouw, G., additional

Published
1995
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32. Chapter 5: THE KEY ROLE OF SOIL MICROBES.

Author

Verstraete, W. and Mertens, B.

Abstract

Soil is the "beholder of life" and determines the cycling of elements, the quality of groundwater, the presence of volatile compounds in the atmosphere as well as plant and animal health. Nearly every chemical transformation in soil the involves the active contribution of micro-organisms. Traditional physiological/biochemical as well as recently developed molecular monitoring methods for the most important soil ecosystem parameters are discussed, including their value as soil quality parameter. The transformation processes are related to environmental conditions. On a micro scale there are innumerable different habitats. This heterogeneity is the basis for a huge biodiversity of species and functions. The infallibility principle of nature, that states that for every natural organic component there is, in principle, a degradation pathway, should not be an excuse for leaving organic contaminants unmonitored. Too many uncertainties about their fate remain, therefore control activities such as measuring rates of degradation are important because of the occurrence of harmful intermediates. Soil quality must be founded on its capacity to support current forms of life and be a site of evolution for genomic new life. Out of the many soil functioning monitoring possibilities a selection of microbial functions and species diversity has been made. General functional aspects are soil respiration, nitrification, nitrogen fixation and bacterial DNA synthesis. General diversity aspects include ratio fungi/bacteria, mycorrhiza, suppressiveness to pathogens, and catabolic genes. Functions based on narrow diversity, such as nitrification and nitrogen fixation are most valuable in relation to monitoring adverse influences. The impact of heavy metals, persistent organic pollutants and eutrophication can be measured in many ways, but specially with respectively biosensors/biomarkers, catabolic genes and the ratio oligotrophs/copiotrophs. The most serious threat to soil is the fact that both politicians and the public are unaware of the importance of soil vitality. The setting up of environmental specimenbanks and 'soil nurseries' is recommended. The "Pareto-approach" is proposed for monitoring soil vitality. It is a new strategy to study effective associations: 80% of the tasks require approximately 20% of the overall diversity of the species to be involved. Therefore, the hypothesis is that 80% of a function such as respiration is carried out by 20% of the potential co-workers in a community. Monitoring actual functional diversity in relation to potential functional diversity is a good evaluation system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Published
2004

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