Buried pipeline installation impacts on soil structure and crop root decomposition

• Published in: Agricultural & environmental letters Vol. 7; no. 1
• Main Authors: Ebrahimi, Elnaz, Tekeste, Mehari Z., Horton, Robert, Hanna, H. Mark
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken John Wiley & Sons, Inc 2022; Wiley
• Subjects: Aggregates; Buried pipes; Buried structures; Corn; Data collection; Decomposition; Digital imaging; Easements; Evaluation; Farms; Methods; Shear strength; Shear tests; Soil aggregates; Soil degradation; Soil profiles; Soil properties; Soil structure; United States > US; Iowa
• ISSN: 2471-9625; 2471-9625
• DOI: 10.1002/ael2.20057

The severe manipulation of soil that occurs in the right‐of‐way (ROW) easement areas for pipeline installation leads to soil degradation and yield loss. The objectives of this study were to investigate the use of the Visual Evaluation of Soil Structure method (VESS) and root litter sampling as alternative ways to characterize pipeline installation impacts on soil degradation. Digital images of aggregate specimens and root samples were obtained from disturbed (trenched and highly trafficked ROW areas) and undisturbed (adjacent to the ROW) soil profiles one month after maize (Zea mays L.) harvest in Iowa. Images of soil aggregates indicated that pipeline installation deteriorated soil structure. Root attributes were significantly (p < 0.05) affected by the ROW activities. The non‐decomposed root mass in the highly trafficked area (3,568 kg ha–1) was two times greater than the root mass in undisturbed soil (1,779 kg ha–1). These data provide evidence that soil structure quality and root decomposition rates are affected by soil disturbance. The VESS and root measurements can be used in future studies to evaluate the impacts of soil disturbance.
Core Ideas
Pipeline installations activities negatively impacted soil health.
Increased vehicle traffic intensity and pipeline trenching degrade soil structure.
Poor soil structure and compacted soil decreased root decomposition.
VESS and root measurements can be used to evaluate the impacts of soil disturbance.