IMPACT OF EARTHWORM ACTIVITY ON THE CHEMICAL FERTILITY OF IRRIGATED SOIL WITH URBAN EFFLUENTS
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Date
2017-09-01
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Journal of Fundamental and Applied Sciences
Abstract
The reuse of urban effluents to irrigate the soils of peri-urban grasslands in the vicinity of the
town of Setif (northeastern Algeria) is an old and widespread practice. In this context, the
present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of the irrigation with urban effluents on the
biological and chemical behavior of soils. Effluents analysis showed significant organic and
particulate pollution, the latter contributed to earthworm abundance and increased the richness
of irrigated soils with nutrients. The analysis of turricules revealed the role of earthworms
through the activity of bioturbation in the increase of the rate of organic matter as well as in
the bioavailability of the nutrients of the irrigated soils. In space, permanent vegetation cover
has played an important role as a biofilter. This was confirmed by the inter-site differences
recorded through the measured variables particularly organic ones.