The impact of chemical pollution on the resilience of soils under multiple stresses

A conceptual framework for future research

authored by

Andreas Schaeffer, Wulf Amelung, Henner Hollert, Matthias Kaestner, Ellen Kandeler, Jens Kruse, Anja Miltner, Richard Ottermanns, Holger Pagel, Stephan Peth, Christian Poll, Gerhard Rambold, Michael Schloter, Stefanie Schulz, Thilo Streck, Martina Roß-Nickoll

Abstract

Soils are faced with man-made chemical stress factors, such as the input of organic or metal-containing pesticides, in combination with non-chemical stressors like soil compaction and natural disturbance like drought. Although multiple stress factors are typically co-occurring in soil ecosystems, research in soil sciences on this aspect is limited and focuses mostly on single structural or functional endpoints. A mechanistic understanding of the reaction of soils to multiple stressors is currently lacking. Based on a review of resilience theory, we introduce a new concept for research on the ability of polluted soil (xenobiotics or other chemical pollutants as one stressor) to resist further natural or anthropogenic stress and to retain its functions and structure. There is strong indication that pollution as a primary stressor will change the system reaction of soil, i.e., its resilience, stability and resistance. It can be expected that pollution affects the physiological adaption of organisms and the functional redundancy of the soil to further stress. We hypothesize that the recovery of organisms and chemical-physical properties after impact of a follow-up stressor is faster in polluted soil than in non-polluted soil, i.e., polluted soil has a higher dynamical stability (dynamical stability = 1 / recovery time), whereas resilience of the contaminated soil is lower compared to that of not or less contaminated soil. Thus, a polluted soil might be more prone to change into another system regime after occurrence of further stress. We highlight this issue by compiling the literature exemplarily for the effects of Cu contamination and compaction on soil functions and structure. We propose to intensify research on effects of combined stresses involving a multidisciplinary team of experts and provide suggestions for corresponding experiments. Our concept offers thus a framework for system level analysis of soils paving the way to enhance ecological theory.

External Organisation(s)

RWTH Aachen University
University of Bonn
Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health
University of Hohenheim
University of Kassel
University of Bayreuth

Type

Comment/debate

Journal

Science of the Total Environment

Volume

568

Pages

1076-1085

No. of pages

10

ISSN

0048-9697

Publication date

15.10.2016

Publication status

Published

Peer reviewed

Yes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Environmental Engineering, Environmental Chemistry, Waste Management and Disposal, Pollution

Sustainable Development Goals

SDG 12 - Responsible Consumption and Production

Electronic version(s)

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.06.161 (Access: Closed)