Influence of landfill factors on plants and soil fauna - An ecological perspective

Y. S.G. Chan*, L. M. Chu, M. H. Wong

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

48 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

An ecological study was conducted on two landfill sites in Hong Kong. Both sites were contaminated by landfill gas and leachate, as indicated by the high concentrations of CH4 and CO2 and the presence of high concentration of NH4-N in the cover soil layer. Their plant diversity and performance, as well as the soil and litter animals, were compared with three derelict sites as references. The landfill sites had higher plant coverage and plant diversity, and higher densities of soil and litter animals than the reference sites. Similarly, the microbial activities at the landfill sites were higher than those at reference sites. The results showed that the landfill sites possessed an effective food web, starting from microbes to macroinvertebrates. Woodland establishment seems feasible at these landfill sites, and natural succession appears to take place at a higher rate at these landfill sites when compared with the reference sites.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)39-44
Number of pages6
JournalEnvironmental Pollution
Volume97
Issue number1-2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1997

Scopus Subject Areas

  • Toxicology
  • Pollution
  • Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis

User-Defined Keywords

  • Landfill gas
  • Landfill leachate
  • Litter animals
  • Soil arthropods
  • Soil microbial activity

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