Response of the microbial community to water table variation and nutrient addition and its implications for in situ preservation of organic archaeological remains in wetland soils

Douterelo, Isabel; Goulder, Raymond; Lillie, Malcolm

Abstract

Wetland environments can preserve organic archaeological remains because of their anaerobic nature. The ongoing discovery of archaeological sites in wetlands is associated with a lack of funds for excavation and preservation. This situation has led to the consideration of preservation in situ the preferred option for dealing with the majority of waterlogged archaeological remains in England. To expand our understanding of the burial environment, we studied changes in environmental variables along with counts of total bacteria and microbial 14 C-leucine assimilation down the soil profile at two wetlands in the North of England. Soil cores were sampled at five depth intervals between 10 and 100 cm. To test whether the addition of nutrients induces bacterial activity in the soil, inorganic phosphate and combined nitrogen were added to soil samples and the rate of 14 C-leucine assimilation was recorded. Redox potential readings were positive above the water table and negative below. The total number of bacteria and the 14 C-leucine assimilation rates differed among sites, but always decreased with increasing soil depth. Nutrient availability was limiting for the microbial communities in the upper soil horizons, but did not appear to limit those in the lower soil. These results allow a better understanding of the physico-chemical and microbiological conditions that potentially favour or inhibit the decomposition of organic archaeological remains at the studied wetlands. © 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Citation

Douterelo, I., Goulder, R., & Lillie, M. (2009). Response of the microbial community to water table variation and nutrient addition and its implications for in situ preservation of organic archaeological remains in wetland soils. International Biodeterioration and Biodegradation, 63(6), 795-805. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibiod.2009.06.010

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jun 17, 2009
• Online Publication Date: Jul 15, 2009
• Publication Date: Sep 1, 2009
• Deposit Date: Nov 13, 2014
• Journal: International Biodeterioration & Biodegradation
• Print ISSN: 0964-8305
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 63
• Issue: 6
• Pages: 795-805
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibiod.2009.06.010
• Keywords: Waste Management and Disposal; Microbiology; Biomaterials
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/460918
• Contract Date: Nov 13, 2014