User: | Open Learning Faculty Member:
The observance of the long-term impact of a former landfill on the surrounding environment will form the theoretical basis of my research project.
My research project will specifically focus upon the impact on a forested ecosystem following the anthropogenic effects of deforestation and pollution, focussing on the similarities and differences between two plant communities and soil composition of the former landfill area and a nearby historically forested area, which are connected by the Alfred Howe Greenway trail.
My hypothesis, that former landfills have a long-term negative impact on plant health, will include the study of the ecological processes of primary succession, soil degradation, and nutrient cycling.
Ideas that underpin the research being conducted for this project include: the impact of soil toxicity on different plant species, species richness and comparative biomass production in a community recovering from a disturbance, and the interrelationships between soil nutrient levels, bacteria, fungi, and diseased plant species.
Keywords: ecosystem recovery, biomass production, soil composition.
