• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.34-42
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• 1988

To investigate the effects of paper sludge on seasonal variations of volatile lower fatty acids in paddy soil, paper sludge was applied to pots at the rate of either 300, 600, 900 or 1,200 kg/l0a which was either preadjusted at a C/N ratio of 30 : 1 or not adjusted. The decomposition rate of paper sludge, the evolution of $CO_2$, and the fractions of volatile lower fatty acids in the soil were determined. The results are summarized as follows: 1. Paper sludge was decomposed to $35{\sim}44%$, and its C/N ratio was $55{\sim}82$, respectively, at 120 days after treatment. 2. The evolution of $CO_2$, in the soil was proportional to the amount of paper sludge added. Significant positive correlations were observed the $CO_2$ evolution was compared with the decomposition rate of paper sludge, and volatile fatty acid contents in soil. 3. Acetic, propionic, butyric, i-butyric, valeric and i-valeric acids were identified in all the soils investigated. The content of the total volatile fatty acids in the soil increased with as the application of paper sludge increased. The formation of the acids was the highest at 25 days after treatment, and thereafter the contents of the acids decreased as time elapsed. 4. The volatile fatty acids in the soil inhibited the growth of paddy rice in early stages. The contents of acetic, propionic and i-valeric acids in the soil negatively, correlated with the uptake of N, $P_2O_5$, $K_2O$, CaO, MgO and $SiO_2$ in the paddy rice at 25 days after transplantation. In addition, the uptake of $P_2O_5$ and CaO in the paddy rice negatively correlated with the content of butyric acid in the soil. 5. The content of total volatile fatty acids positively correlated with the content of $Fe^{++}$ and $Mn^{++}$ in the soil at 25 days after transplantation. A significantly positive correlation was observed between $Fe^{++}$ and acetic acid contents in the soil.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.37 no.4 s.109
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• pp.436-447
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• 2004

Wetland plants have evolved specialized adaptations to survive in the low-oxygen conditions associated with prolonged flooding. The development of internal gas space by means of aerenchyma is crucial for wetland plants to transport $O_2$ from the atmosphere into the roots and rhizome. The formation of tissue with high porosity depends on the species and environmental condition, which can control the depth of root penetration and the duration of root tolerance in the flooded sediments. The oxygen in the internal gas space of plants can be delivered from the atmosphere to the root and rhizome by both passive molecular diffusion and convective throughflow. The release of $O_2$ from the roots supplies oxygen demand for root respiration, microbial respiration, and chemical oxidation processes and stimulates aerobic decomposition of organic matter. Another essential mechanism of wetland plants is downward water movement across the root zone induced by water uptake. Natural and constructed wetlands sediments have low hydraulic conductivity due to the relatively fine particle sizes in the litter layer and, therefore, negligible water movement. Under such condition, the water uptake by wetland plants creates a water potential difference in the rhizosphere which acts as a driving force to draw water and dissolved solutes into the sediments. A large number of anatomical, morphological and physiological studies have been conducted to investigate the specialized adaptations of wetland plants that enable them to tolerate water saturated environment and to support their biochemical activities. Despite this, there is little knowledge regarding how the combined effects of wetland plants influence the biogeochemistry of wetland sediments. A further investigation of how the Presence of plants and their growth cycle affects the biogeochemistry of sediments will be of particular importance to understand the role of wetland in the ecological environment.