Mapping Soil and Plant Communities: Shifting Western Culture’s Perspectives of Ecological Land Management
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Issue Date
2023
Editor
Authors
Beerman, Mary, Louise
License
Subject
School of environment and sustainability
Abstract
Civilizations historically share a common trajectory of soil degradation through cyclical technological advancements and soil productivity. A living soil food web provides a holistic approach to eco-regenerative properties as an expression of the soil microbial community (SMC) in relationship to plants and other organisms. Acknowledging soil ecology’s identification of plant-SMC-plant signalling, this study’s mixed methodology addressed the question of how an eco-centred perspective of living soil and plant relationships can contribute to this understanding. Using quantitative field analysis, Cornus alternifolia was identified to curate a SMC at a lower than anticipated fungal:bacterial (F:B) ratio, across three different seral stages in a southwestern Ontario mixed deciduous forest. Qualitative interviews and analyses of three land management industry discussion groups, using Grounded Theory methodology, affirmed a variable understanding of a SMC-plant eco-context, and identified challenges and leverage potentials for industry eco-regeneration focused on land management and cultural changes, as well as ecology.
Description
2023