Plant and Microbe Interactions in Contaminated Soil

The microbes enriching within the soil zone of a plant are a vital asset for regulating nutrient cycling and plant growth. When such plants are enriched in urban brownfields, there is constant conflict between beneficial and pathogenic microbes and their outcome towards the growth of the upcoming generations. Although, in these toxic environments, such plants are undergoing natural succession without any human interaction, like Liberty State Park in Jersey City, NJ. We examined the generational impact of two contaminated soil regions in Liberty State Park and a control soil that derives from the same Piedmont region. We created two enrichment phases throughout the experiment from soil types 25R, 25F, and HMF. We had a total of 45 pots: 7 replicates of each soil were embedded with and without rye grass. 3 "Dummy" pots were created for the possibility of losing soil during the harvesting phases. During the harvest phases, we collected soil to examine phosphate activity and to inspect for AODC. Only during the first harvest did we extract root and shoot to measure its dry weight. Our results revealed that the contaminated soil had higher plant growth, lower microbial count, and higher phosphate activity for one of the contaminated soils. These results enforce the idea that, in the second generation of plant growth, contaminated soil excelled. The non-contaminated soil had its microbial pathogens diminish its growth, while the contaminated soil had to combat its toxic environment, instead of its pathogens. Thus, revealing that the generational growth in contaminated soil also depends on the external stress that is placed upon them.