According to FAO estimates, more than 10% of the Earth soils are degraded due to anthropogenic activities. Addressing this critical challenge requires the development of sustainable strategies aimed at restoring soil fertility and rehabilitating microbial biodiversity. Within this framework, the results of the first 9 months of a field study conducted within the EMBRACE project (PRIN 2022 PNRR) outline a sustainable strategy to restore the ecological functionality of soils poor in organic matter. The project aims to the valorization of marine bio-waste and quarry dust, both in terms of energy and matter recovery, and to promote the ecological restoration of industrial Mediterranean soils through the application of compost enriched with natural zeolites. The case study focuses on a quarry area located in southern Italy where, in December 2024, an experimental field was established, with three plots for each of the following treatments applied to the industrial substrate: lumbricompost derived from Posidonia oceanica litter plus fish market residues, its zeolite-enriched variant, and untreated control. Soil samples were collected at 3, 6 and 9 months after the amendments and analyzed for several physico-chemical (organic matter, water content, pH, electrical conductivity, water-holding capacity) and biological (community-level physiological profiling, and five enzymatic activities targeting major nutrient cycles) properties. The obtained findings indicate that marine compost effectively enhances soil functionality through increased enzymatic activities and a broader microbial catabolic profile, while zeolites also showed an initial positive effect on microbial metabolic activity. These results highlight the potential of this compost as a sustainable strategy for the rehabilitation of soils poor in organic matter. Further seasonal monitoring will allow to evaluate its long-term effectiveness. The outcomes aim to provide recommendations for sustainable land management and soil restoration, highlighting the key role of biodiversity and ecosystem functionality in supporting environmental quality and human wellbeing in urban/industrial areas.
Sustainable strategies for soil recovery: valorization of marine and quarry residues to enhance microbial biodiversity and ecological functionality
Mattia Napoletano;Daniela Baldantoni;Alessandro Bellino;Giovanni De Feo;Vincenzo Baldi;
2025
Abstract
According to FAO estimates, more than 10% of the Earth soils are degraded due to anthropogenic activities. Addressing this critical challenge requires the development of sustainable strategies aimed at restoring soil fertility and rehabilitating microbial biodiversity. Within this framework, the results of the first 9 months of a field study conducted within the EMBRACE project (PRIN 2022 PNRR) outline a sustainable strategy to restore the ecological functionality of soils poor in organic matter. The project aims to the valorization of marine bio-waste and quarry dust, both in terms of energy and matter recovery, and to promote the ecological restoration of industrial Mediterranean soils through the application of compost enriched with natural zeolites. The case study focuses on a quarry area located in southern Italy where, in December 2024, an experimental field was established, with three plots for each of the following treatments applied to the industrial substrate: lumbricompost derived from Posidonia oceanica litter plus fish market residues, its zeolite-enriched variant, and untreated control. Soil samples were collected at 3, 6 and 9 months after the amendments and analyzed for several physico-chemical (organic matter, water content, pH, electrical conductivity, water-holding capacity) and biological (community-level physiological profiling, and five enzymatic activities targeting major nutrient cycles) properties. The obtained findings indicate that marine compost effectively enhances soil functionality through increased enzymatic activities and a broader microbial catabolic profile, while zeolites also showed an initial positive effect on microbial metabolic activity. These results highlight the potential of this compost as a sustainable strategy for the rehabilitation of soils poor in organic matter. Further seasonal monitoring will allow to evaluate its long-term effectiveness. The outcomes aim to provide recommendations for sustainable land management and soil restoration, highlighting the key role of biodiversity and ecosystem functionality in supporting environmental quality and human wellbeing in urban/industrial areas.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
