ABSTRACT:
Shallow burial of feces, recommended to backcountry recreationists, does not result in quick destruction of intestinal pathogens. Samples of feces inoculated with two bacteria, Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium, were buried at two depths at four sites in Montana's Bridger Range. Both bacteria survived in large numbers during the summer and fall. Salmonella persisted over winter at all sites; Escherichia persisted at some sites. Depth of burial had no effect on persistence, and differences among sites were minor. Management implications are discussed.
Footnotes
Kenneth L. Temple is a professor, Department of Microbiology, and Anne K. Camper is a research associate, Department of Plant Pathology, Montana State University, Bozeman, 59717. Robert C. Lucas is project leader, Wilderness Management Research, U.S. Forest Service. Forestry Sciences Laboratory, Missoula, Montana. The research was supported by INT grant 30 from the Intermountain Forest and Range Experiment Station, Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture. The authors, thank the following individuals from Montana State University: T. Weaver and J. Rudely for site inspection and plant identification, G. Warren for the special strain of Escherichia coli, R. Sanks for help in planning and site selection, and G. McFetem for frequent consultation and for design of the sample holdem.
- Copyright 1982 by the Soil and Water Conservation Society
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