Statistical process control applied to mechanized peanut sowing as a function of soil texture

PubMed Central

Furlani, Carlos Eduardo Angeli; da Silva, Rouverson Pereira

2017-01-01

The successful establishment of agricultural crops depends on sowing quality, machinery performance, soil type and conditions, among other factors. This study evaluates the operational quality of mechanized peanut sowing in three soil types (sand, silt, and clay) with variable moisture contents. The experiment was conducted in three locations in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. The track-sampling scheme was used for 80 sampling locations of each soil type. Descriptive statistics and statistical process control (SPC) were used to evaluate the quality indicators of mechanized peanut sowing. The variables had normal distributions and were stable from the viewpoint of SPC. The best performance for peanut sowing density, normal spacing, and the initial seedling growing stand was found for clayey soil followed by sandy soil and then silty soil. Sandy or clayey soils displayed similar results regarding sowing depth, which was deeper than in the silty soil. Overall, the texture and the moisture of clayey soil provided the best operational performance for mechanized peanut sowing. PMID:28742095

Effects of different regulatory methods on improvement of greenhouse saline soils, tomato quality, and yield.

PubMed

Maomao, Hou; Xiaohou, Shao; Yaming, Zhai

2014-01-01

To identify effective regulatory methods scheduling with the compromise between the soil desalination and the improvement of tomato quality and yield, a 3-year field experiment was conducted to evaluate and compare the effect of straw mulching and soil structure conditioner and water-retaining agent on greenhouse saline soils, tomato quality, and yield. A higher salt removing rate of 80.72% in plough layer with straw mulching was obtained based on the observation of salt mass fraction in 0 ~ 20 cm soil layer before and after the experiment. Salts were also found to move gradually to the deeper soil layer with time. Straw mulching enhanced the content of soil organic matter significantly and was conductive to reserve soil available N, P, and K, while available P and K in soils of plough layer with soil structure conditioner decreased obviously; thus a greater usage of P fertilizer and K fertilizer was needed when applying soil structure conditioner. Considering the evaluation indexes including tomato quality, yield, and desalination effects of different regulatory methods, straw mulching was recommended as the main regulatory method to improve greenhouse saline soils in south China. Soil structure conditioner was the suboptimal method, which could be applied in concert with straw mulching.

Designing relevant biochars to revitalize soil quality: Current status and advances

EPA Science Inventory

Biochars chemical and physical properties can be designed to improve specific soil quality issues. In order to make appropriate selections, evaluations are required of different feedstocks, pyrolysis conditions, and gross biochar particle sizes. We conducted laboratory soil incu...

Development and application of a soil organic matter-based soil quality index in mineralized terrane of the Western US

Treesearch

S. W. Blecker; L. L. Stillings; M. C. Amacher; J. A. Ippolito; N. M. DeCrappeo

2012-01-01

Soil quality indices provide a means of distilling large amounts of data into a single metric that evaluates the soil's ability to carry out key ecosystem functions. Primarily developed in agroecosytems, then forested ecosystems, an index using the relation between soil organic matter and other key soil properties in more semi-arid systems of the Western US...

Amending greenroof soil with biochar to affect runoff water quantity and quality.

PubMed

Beck, Deborah A; Johnson, Gwynn R; Spolek, Graig A

2011-01-01

Numbers of greenroofs in urban areas continue to grow internationally; so designing greenroof soil to reduce the amount of nutrients in the stormwater runoff from these roofs is becoming essential. This study evaluated changes in extensive greenroof water discharge quality and quantity after adding biochar, a soil amendment promoted for its ability to retain nutrients in soils and increase soil fertility. Prototype greenroof trays with and without biochar were planted with sedum or ryegrass, with barren soil trays used as controls. The greenroof trays were subjected to two sequential 7.4cm/h rainfall events using a rain simulator. Runoff from the rain events was collected and evaluated. Trays containing 7% biochar showed increased water retention and significant decreases in discharge of total nitrogen, total phosphorus, nitrate, phosphate, and organic carbon. The addition of biochar to greenroof soil improves both runoff water quality and retention. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Soil quality in the Lomellina area using in vitro models and ecotoxicological assays

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Baderna, Diego, E-mail: diego.baderna@marionegri.it; Colombo, Andrea; Romeo, Margherita

2014-08-15

Soil quality is traditionally evaluated by chemical characterization to determine levels of pollutants. Biological tools are now employed for soil monitoring since they can take account of the global biological effects induced by all xenobiotics. A combined monitoring of soils based on chemical analyses, human-related in vitro models and ecotoxicological assay was applied in the Lomellina, a semirural area of northern Italy. Chemical characterization indicated overall good quality of the soils, with low levels of toxic and carcinogenic pollutants such as heavy metals, PAHs, PCDD/Fs and PCBs. HepG2 cells were used as a model for the human liver and BALB/cmore » 3T3 cells to evaluate carcinogenic potential. Cells were treated with soil extractable organic matter (EOM) and the MTS assay, DNA release and morphological transformation were selected as endpoints for toxicity and carcinogenicity. Soil EOMs induced dose-dependent inhibition of cell growth at low doses and cytotoxicity only at doses of 500 and 1000 mg soil equivalents/ml. Potential issues for human health can be hypothesized after ingestion of soil samples from some sites. No statistically significant inductions of foci were recorded after exposure to EOMs, indicating that the levels of the soil-extracted organic pollutants were too low to induce carcinogenesis in our experimental conditions. An acute phytotoxicity test and studies on Caenorhabditis elegans were used as ecotoxicological assays for plants and small invertebrates. No significant alerts for ecotoxicity were found. In this proposed case study, HepG2 cells detected differences in the toxicity of soil EOMs, indicating that this cell line could be appropriate to assess the potential harm caused by the ingestion of contaminated soil. Additional information on the carcinogenic potential of mixtures was provided by the cell transformation assay, strengthening the combined approach. - Highlights: • A combined approach for evaluation of soil quality is proposed. • Organic extracts from investigated soils inhibited HepG2 cell proliferation. • The carcinogenic potential of extracts was evaluated by cell transformation assay. • Potential alerts were estimated after ingestion of soils. • Caenorhabditis elegans and phytotest were used to evaluate ecological effects.« less

Soil quality standards and guidelines for forest sustainability in northwestern North America

Treesearch

Deborah Page-Dumroese; Martin Jurgensen; William Elliot; Thomas Rice; John Nesser; Thomas Collins; Robert Meurisse

2000-01-01

Soil quality standards and guidelines of the USDA Forest Service were some of the first in the world to be developed to evaluate changes in forest soil productivity and sustainability after harvesting and site preparation. International and national development of criteria and indicators for maintenance of soil productivity make it imperative to have adequate threshold...

Effects of agricultural management on productivity, soil quality and climate change mitigation - evaluations within the EU Project (FP 7) CATCH-C

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spiegel, Heide; Schlatter, Norman; Haslmayr, Hans-Peter; Baumgarten, Andreas; ten Berge, Hein

2014-05-01

Soils are the main basis for the production of food and feed. Furthermore, the production of biomass for energy and material use is becoming increasingly important. Goals for an optimal management of agricultural soils are, on the one hand, the maintenance or improvement of soil quality and, on the other hand, high productivity and climate change mitigation (reduction of GHG emissions and C sequestration). Thus, the EU project CATCH-C aims to evaluate current management practices concerning these three goals based on indicators derived from long-term field experiments of the project partners and from literature data. A maximum of 72 indicators for productivity, soil quality and the potential for carbon storage in the soil and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions were selected by the project partners. As indicators for productivity, crop yields are determined in almost all field trials. The content of soil organic carbon (SOC) is an indicator for chemical, physical and biological soil quality and was analysed in the topsoil in all field trials. Less data exist for SOC contents in the subsoil. An important physical soil quality indicator is the bulk density, however, it is not determined in all field trials of the project partners. Therefore, information on SOC stocks, with relevance to carbon storage and climate change mitigation, is not available in all field experiments. Other physical indicators, such as penetration resistance, runoff coefficient and soil losses are evaluated. Essential biological indicators are microbial biomass and the number and weight of earthworms, which have been tested in several field trials. The evaluation of all these indicators will help to select "best management practices" and to address trade-offs and synergies for all indicators under consideration of major European farm type zones. CATCH-C is funded within the 7th Framework Programme for Research, Technological Development and Demonstration, Theme 2 - Biotechnologies, Agriculture & Food. (Grant Agreement N° 289782).

[Evaluation on environmental quality of heavy metals in soils and vegetables based on geostatistics and GIS].

PubMed

Xie, Zheng-miao; Li, Jing; Wang, Bi-ling; Chen, Jian-jun

2006-10-01

Contents of heavy metals (Pb, Zn, Cd, Cu) in soils and vegetables from Dongguan town in Shangyu city, China were studied using geostatistical analysis and GIS technique to evaluate environmental quality. Based on the evaluation criteria, the distribution of the spatial variability of heavy metals in soil-vegetable system was mapped and analyzed. The results showed that the distribution of soil heavy metals in a large number of soil samples in Dongguan town was asymmetric. The contents of Zn and Cu were lower than those of Cd and Pb. The concentrations distribution of Pb, Zn, Cd and Cu in soils and vegetables were different in spatial variability. There was a close relationship between total and available contents of heavy metals in soil. The contents of Pb and Cd in green vegetables were higher than those of Zn and Cu and exceeded the national sanitation standards for vegetables.

Short term effect of conventional tillage and cover crops in physical and chemical properties in two olive orchards of southern Spain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guzmán, Gema; Giráldez, Juan Vicente; Gómez, José Alfonso

2014-05-01

Numerous studies have attempted to assess the differences in soil properties caused by different management systems in olive cropped farms. Nevertheless the influence of the most frequent management systems on the hydraulic properties of these soils has not been evaluated. Contrarily, there are very few studies that have tried to correlate these results with soil losses due to water erosion. There are complementary approaches to traditional degradation indices, as the S index based on the form of the soil retention curve (Dexter 2004a,b,c). The objectives of this study were (i) to evaluate the methods based on the S index to assess the physical quality of soil in olive orchards, (ii) to assess the short-term changes (2 years) in soil physical and chemical properties in two olive orchards under different managements systems, namely conventional tillage and cover crop, and (iii) to formulate strategies for assessing the quality of soil in olive orchards. For the studied soils, degradation processes (associated to conventional tillage) and the improvement of their properties (linked to cover crops) showed a fast response. Chemical changes were quickly observed. However physical changes are slower than chemical changes for both soils. Water retention curves allowed the evaluation of soil porosity based on depth in the profile and the management practices. The S index was computed for every soil using the conventional soil water retention equations fitted to the experimental data. For the olive cropped soils, higher S index values were obtained in the less degradated areas, in most of the cases. Therefore, the S index could be used as a soil quality indicator although further research should be required to study its evolution at a larger temporal scale. References: Dexter, A. R. 2004. a.- Soil physical quality. PartI. Theory, effects of soil texture, density, and organic matter, and effects on root growth. Geoderma 120 (2004) 201-214. Dexter, A. R. 2004. b.- Soil physical quality. Part II. Friability, tillage, tilth and hardsetting. Geoderma 120 (2004) 215-225. Dexter, A. R. 2004. c.- Soil physical quality. Part III: Unsaturated hydraulic conductivity and general conclusions about S-theory. Geoderma 120 (2004) 227-239.

A comparison of indexing methods to evaluate quality of soils subjected to different erosion: the role of soil microbiological properties.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Romaniuk, Romina; Lidia, Giuffre; Alejandro, Costantini; Norberto, Bartoloni; Paolo, Nannipieri

2010-05-01

Soil quality assessment is needed to evaluate the soil conditions and sustainability of soil and crop management properties, and thus requires a systematic approach to select and interpret soil properties to be used as indicators. The aim of this work was to evaluate and compare different indexing methods to assess quality of an undisturbed grassland soil (UN), a degraded pasture soil (GL) and a no tilled soil (NT) with four different A horizon depths (25, 23, 19 and 14 cm) reflecting a diverse erosion. Twenty four soil properties were measured from 0 to10 (1) and 10 to 20 cm. (2) and a minimum data set was chosen by multivariate principal component analysis (PCA) considering all measured soil properties together (A), or according to their classification in physical, chemical or microbiological (B) properties. The measured soil properties involved either inexpensive or not laborious standard protocols, to be used in routine laboratory analysis (simple soil quality index - SSQI), or a more laborious, time consuming and expensive protocols to determine microbial diversity and microbial functionality by methyl ester fatty acids (PLFA) and catabolic response profiles (CRP), respectively (complex soil quality index - CSQI). The selected properties were linearly normalized and integrated by the weight additive method to calculate SSQI A, SSQI B, CSQI A and CSQI B indices. Two microbiological soil quality indices (MSQI) were also calculated: the MSQI 1 only considered microbiological properties according to the procedure used for calculating SQI; the MSQI 2 was calculated by considering microbial carbon biomass (MCB), microbial activity (Resp) and functional diversity determined by CPR (E). The soil quality indices were SSQI A = MCB 1 + Particulate Organic Carbon (POC)1 + Mean Weight Diameter (MWD)1; SSQI B = Saturated hydraulic conductivity (K) 1 + Total Organic Carbon (TOC) 1 + MCB 1; CSQI A = MCB 1 + POC 1 + MWD 1; CSQI B = K 1+ TOC 1+ 0.3 * (MCB 1+ i/a +POC 1) + 0,05 * (E + cy/pre), where i/a and cy/pre are the iso/anteiso and cyclopropyl/precursors ratios determined by PLFA; MSQI 1 (0,3 * (MCB 1+ i/a 1 +POC 1) + 0,05 * (E 1+ cy/pre 1) ) and MSQI 2 (MCB 1+Resp 1+ E 1). All the calculated indices differentiated references plots (UN and GL), from those under no tillage (NT) system. Values were similar in NT plots with low erosion levels (NT 25 and 23) but higher than values of plots with high erosion (NT 19 and 14). Soil quality indices constructed by procedure B, (SSQI B and CSQI B) differentiated among the studied plots with the same or higher sensitivity than the other indices and allowed evaluating the impact of soil management practices and erosion on soil physical, chemical and microbiological properties. The lack of indicators representing all soil properties (physical, chemical and biological) in SQI constructed by procedure A could decrease the index sensitivity to changes in management; and the same may happen when physical, chemical and biological properties present different weights into the calculated SQI. The inclusion of CRP and PLFA data in the indices slightly increased or did not increase the index sensitivity (CSQI A and CSQI B). Generally microbiological indices (MSQI 1 and MSQI 2) were highly sensitive to soil erosion. However, we suggest that indices integrating physical, chemical and microbiological properties may give a more complete view of the soil quality than indices only based on measurement of a few microbiological properties.

Soil management of copper mine tailing soils--sludge amendment and tree vegetation could improve biological soil quality.

PubMed

Asensio, Verónica; Covelo, Emma F; Kandeler, Ellen

2013-07-01

Mine soils at the depleted copper mine in Touro (Northwest Spain) are physico-chemically degraded and polluted by chromium and copper. To increase the quality of these soils, some areas at this mine have been vegetated with eucalyptus or pines, amended with sludges, or received both treatments. Four sites were selected at the Touro mine tailing in order to evaluate the effect of these different reclamation treatments on the biological soil quality: (1) Control (untreated), (2) Forest (vegetated), (3) Sludge (amended with sludges) and (4) Forest+Sludge (vegetated and amended). The new approach of the present work is that we evaluated the effect of planting trees or/and amending with sludges on the biological soil quality of mine sites polluted by metals under field conditions. The addition of sludges to mine sites recovered the biological quality of the soil, while vegetating with trees did not increase microbial biomass and function to the level of unpolluted sites. Moreover, amending with sludges increased the efficiency of the soil's microbial community to metabolize C and N, which was indicated by the decrease of the specific enzyme activities and the increase in the ratio Cmic:Nmic (shift towards predominance of fungi instead of bacteria). However, the high Cu and Cr concentrations still have negative influence on the microorganisms in all the treated soils. For the future remediation of mine soils, we recommend periodically adding sludge and planting native legume species. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Soil carbon fractions in response to long-term crop rotations in the Loess Plateau of China

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Diversified crop rotations may enhance C fractions and soil quality by affecting the quality and quantity of crop residue returned to the soil compared with monocropping and fallow. We evaluated the effect of 30-yr-old diversified crop rotations on soil C fractions at 0- to 15- and 15- to 30-cm dept...

Soil quality evaluation using Soil Management Assessment Framework (SMAF) in Brazilian oxisols with contrasting texture

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

To ensure current land use strategies and management practices are economically, environmentally, and socially sustainable, tools and techniques for assessing and quantifying changes in soil quality/health (SQ) need to be developed through rigorous research and potential use by consultants, and othe...

Performance-based quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) acceptance procedures for in-place soil testing phase 3.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2015-01-01

One of the objectives of this study was to evaluate soil testing equipment based on its capability of measuring in-place stiffness or modulus values. : As design criteria transition from empirical to mechanistic-empirical, soil test methods and equip...

Visual assessment of soil structure quality in an agroextractivist system in Southeastern Amazonia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fernanda Simões da Silva, Laura; Stuchi Boschi, Raquel; Ortega Gomes, Matheus; Cooper, Miguel

2016-04-01

Soil structure is considered a key factor in the functioning of soil, affecting its ability to support plant and animal life, and moderate environmental quality. Numerous methods are available to evaluate soil structure based on physical, chemical and biological indicators. Among the physical indicators, the attributes most commonly used are soil bulk density, porosity, soil resistance to penetration, tensile strength of aggregates, soil water infiltration, and available water. However, these methods are expensive and generally time costly for sampling and laboratorial procedures. Recently, evaluations using qualitative and semi-quantitative indicators of soil structure quality have gained importance. Among these methods, the method known as Visual Evaluation of Soil Structure (VESS) (Ball et al., 2007; Guimarães et al., 2011) can supply this necessity in temperate and tropical regions. The study area is located in the Piranheira Praialta Agroextrativist Settlement Project in the county of Nova Ipixuna, Pará, Brazil. Two toposequences were chosen, one under native forest and the other under pasture. Pits were opened in different landscape positions (upslope, midslope and downslope) for soil morphological, micromorphological and physical characterization. The use of the soil visual evaluation method (SVE) consisted in collecting an undisturbed soil sample of approximately 25 cm in length, 20 cm in width and 10 cm in depth. 12 soil samples were taken for each land use. The samples were manually fragmented, respecting the fracture planes between the aggregates. The SVE was done comparing the fragmented sample with a visual chart and scores were given to the soil structure. The categories that define the soil structure quality (Qe) vary from 1 to 5. Lower scores mean better soil structure. The final score calculation was done using the classification key of Ball et al. (2007) adapted by Guimarães (2011). A change in soil structure was observed between forest and pasture. The presence of layers of different depths, and size and shape of aggregates resulted in a lower Qe in the forest soils (Qe= 2,04 ±0,4), followed by the pasture (Qe= 3,09 ± 1,3). These results indicate certain degradation in the soil structure in the pasture. The variability of the soil structure in the forest samples was lower. The pasture samples presented a worse soil structure when compared to the forest, although their Qe values can be considered good.

Effect of irrigation on soil health: a case study of the Ikere irrigation project in Oyo State, southwest Nigeria.

PubMed

Adejumobi, M A; Awe, G O; Abegunrin, T P; Oyetunji, O M; Kareem, T S

2016-12-01

Irrigated agriculture is one of the significant contributors to the food security of the millennium development goals (MDGs); however, the modification of soil matrix by irrigation could alter the overall soil health due to changes in soil properties and processes. The objective of the study was to evaluate the effect of irrigation on soil quality status of the Ikere center pivot irrigation project site in Oyo State, southwest Nigeria. Disturbed soil samples were collected from 0 to 30, 30 to 60, and 60 to 90-cm layers from four different sites in three replicates, within the project location for the determination of soil bio-chemical properties. The average values of sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) < 13, electrical conductivity (EC) <4 μS/cm, and pH < 8.5 showed that the soil condition is normal in relation to salinity and sodicity hazards. The effective cation exchange capacity (ECEC), soil organic matter (SOM), total nitrogen (TN), and calcium ion (Ca 2+ ) concentrations were low while the available phosphorus (P) was moderate. The principal component analysis showed EC, ECEC, SAR, SOM, and TN as the minimum data set (MDS) for monitoring and assessing the soil quality status of this irrigation field. In terms of bio-chemical properties, the soil quality index (SQI) of the field was average (about 0.543) while the sampling locations were ranked as site 2 > site 4 > site 3 > site 1 in terms of SQI. The results of this study are designated as baseline for future evaluation of soil quality status of this irrigation field and further studies should incorporate soil physical and more biological properties when considering overall soil quality status.

Graphical approach to assess the soil fertility evaluation model validity for rice (case study: southern area of Merapi Mountain, Indonesia)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Julianto, E. A.; Suntoro, W. A.; Dewi, W. S.; Partoyo

2018-03-01

Climate change has been reported to exacerbate land resources degradation including soil fertility decline. The appropriate validity use on soil fertility evaluation could reduce the risk of climate change effect on plant cultivation. This study aims to assess the validity of a Soil Fertility Evaluation Model using a graphical approach. The models evaluated were the Indonesian Soil Research Center (PPT) version model, the FAO Unesco version model, and the Kyuma version model. Each model was then correlated with rice production (dry grain weight/GKP). The goodness of fit of each model can be tested to evaluate the quality and validity of a model, as well as the regression coefficient (R2). This research used the Eviews 9 programme by a graphical approach. The results obtained three curves, namely actual, fitted, and residual curves. If the actual and fitted curves are widely apart or irregular, this means that the quality of the model is not good, or there are many other factors that are still not included in the model (large residual) and conversely. Indeed, if the actual and fitted curves show exactly the same shape, it means that all factors have already been included in the model. Modification of the standard soil fertility evaluation models can improve the quality and validity of a model.

Assessment of soil biological quality index (QBS-ar) in different crop rotation systems in paddy soils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nadimi-Goki, Mandana; Bini, Claudio; haefele, Stephan

2013-04-01

New methods, based on soil microarthropods for soil quality evaluation have been proposed by some Authors. Soil microarthropods demonstrated to respond sensitively to land management practices and to be correlated with beneficial soil functions. QBS Index (QBS-ar) is calculated on the basis of microarthropod groups present in a soil sample. Each biological form found in the sample receives a score from 1 to 20 (eco-morphological index, EMI), according to its adaptation to soil environment. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of various rotation systems and sampling periods on soil biological quality index, in paddy soils. For the purpose of this study surface soil samples (0-15 cm depth) were collected from different rotation systems (rice-rice-rice, soya-rice-rice, fallow-rice and pea-soya-rice) with three replications, and four sampling times in April (after field preparation), June (after seedling), August (after tillering stage) and October (after rice harvesting). The study area is located in paddy soils of Verona area, Northern Italy. Soil microarthropods from a total of 48 samples were extracted and classified according to the Biological Quality of Soil Index (QBS-ar) method. In addition soil moisture, Cumulative Soil Respiration and pH were measured in each site. More diversity of microarthropod groups was found in June and August sampling times. T-test results between different rotations did not show significant differences while the mean difference between rotation and different sampling times is statistically different. The highest QBS-ar value was found in the fallow-rice rotation in the forth soil sampling time. Similar value was found in soya-rice-rice rotation. Result of linear regression analysis indicated that there is significant correlation between QBS-ar values and Cumulative Soil Respiration. Keywords: soil biological quality index (QBS-ar), Crop Rotation System, paddy soils, Italy

Impacts of forest harvest on active carbon and microbial properties of a volcanic ash cap soil in northern Idaho

Treesearch

Deborah S. Page-Dumroese; Matt D. Busse; Steven T. Overby; Brian D. Gardner; Joanne M. Tirocke

2015-01-01

Soil quality assessments are essential for determining impacts on belowground microbial community structure and function. We evaluated the suitability of active carbon (C), a rapid field test, as an indicator of soil biological quality in five paired forest stands (clear cut harvested 40 years prior and unharvested) growing on volcanic ash-cap soils in northern Idaho....

Soil and water quality with tall fescue management in the Southern Piedmont

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Pasture management not only affects plant and animal productivity, but also soil quality, carbon sequestration, and water quality. These additional ecosystem services need to be evaluated under a diversity of management approaches, including how nutrients are supplied (i.e. inorganic or broiler litt...

Study of microarthopod communities to assess soil quality in different managed vineyards

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gagnarli, E.; Goggioli, D.; Tarchi, F.; Guidi, S.; Nannelli, R.; Vignozzi, N.; Valboa, G.; Lottero, M. R.; Corino, L.; Simoni, S.

2015-01-01

Land use influences the abundance and diversity of soil arthropods. The evaluation of the impact of different management strategies on soil quality is increasingly requested. The determination of communities' structures of edaphic fauna can represent an efficient tool. In this study, in some vineyards in Piedmont (Italy), the effects of two different management systems, organic and integrated pest management (IPM), on soil biota were evaluated. As microarthropods living in soil surface are an important component of soil ecosystem interacting with all the other system components, a multi disciplinary approach was adopted by characterizing also some soil physical and chemical characteristics (soil texture, soil pH, total organic carbon, total nitrogen, calcium carbonate). Soil samplings were carried out on Winter 2011 and Spring 2012. All specimens were counted and determined up to the order level. The biological quality of the soil was defined through the determination of ecological indices, such as QBS-ar, species richness and indices of Shannon-Weaver, Pielou, Margalef and Simpson. The mesofauna abundance was affected by both the type of management and the soil texture. The analysis of microarthropod communities by QBS-ar showed higher values in organic than in IPM managed vineyards; in particular, the values registered in organic vineyards were similar to those characteristic of preserved soils.

Microbiological indicators for assessing ecosystem soil quality and changes in it at degraded sites treated with compost

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ancona, Valeria; Barra Caracciolo, Anna; Grenni, Paola; Di Lenola, Martina; Calabrese, Angelantonio; Campanale, Claudia; Felice Uricchio, Vito

2014-05-01

Soil quality is defined as the capacity of a soil to function as a vital system, within natural or managed ecosystem boundaries, sustain plant and animal health and productivity, maintain or enhance air and water environment quality and support human health and habitation. Soil organisms are extremely diverse and contribute to a wide range of ecosystem services that are essential to the sustainable functioning of natural and managed ecosystems. In particular, microbial communities provide several ecosystem services, which ensure soil quality and fertility. In fact, they adapt promptly to environmental changes by varying their activity and by increasing the reproduction of populations that have favourable skills. The structure (e.g. cell abundance) and functioning (e.g. viability and activity) of natural microbial communities and changes in them under different environmental conditions can be considered useful indicators of soil quality state. In this work we studied the quality state of three different soils, located in Taranto Province (Southern Italy), affected by land degradation processes, such as organic matter depletion, desertification and contamination (PCB and metals). Moreover, compost, produced from selected organic waste, was added to the soils studied in order to improve their quality state. Soil samples were collected before and after compost addition and both microbial and chemical analyses were performed in order to evaluate the soil quality state at each site at different times. For this purpose, the microbiological indicators evaluated were bacterial abundance (DAPI counts), cell viability (Live/Dead method), dehydrogenase activity (DHA) and soil respiration. At the same time, the main physico-chemical soil characteristics (organic carbon, available phosphorous, total nitrogen, carbonate and water content, texture and pH) were also measured. Moreover, in the contaminated soil samples PCB and inorganic (e.g. Pb, Se, Sn, Zn) contaminants were analysed respectively by GC-MS and ICP-MS. The overall results showed that the bacterial structure and functioning were affected in different ways by the organic carbon availability and quality, and contaminant occurrence (organic or inorganic compounds). The compost treatment contributed to improve soil fertility and to increase cell number and activity after 7 months in the two low organic carbon content soils. At the polluted site a general increase in bacterial activity after compost addition was also observed and this might be related to a decrease in inorganic and organic contamination levels.

Scale effects of STATSGO and SSURGO databases on flow and water quality predictions

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Soil information is one of the crucial inputs needed to assess the impacts of existing and alternative agricultural management practices on water quality. Therefore, it is important to understand the effects of spatial scale at which soil databases are developed on water quality evaluations. In the ...

Physical soil quality indicators for monitoring British soils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Corstanje, Ron; Mercer, Theresa G.; Rickson, Jane R.; Deeks, Lynda K.; Newell-Price, Paul; Holman, Ian; Kechavarsi, Cedric; Waine, Toby W.

2017-09-01

Soil condition or quality determines its ability to deliver a range of functions that support ecosystem services, human health and wellbeing. The increasing policy imperative to implement successful soil monitoring programmes has resulted in the demand for reliable soil quality indicators (SQIs) for physical, biological and chemical soil properties. The selection of these indicators needs to ensure that they are sensitive and responsive to pressure and change, e.g. they change across space and time in relation to natural perturbations and land management practices. Using a logical sieve approach based on key policy-related soil functions, this research assessed whether physical soil properties can be used to indicate the quality of British soils in terms of their capacity to deliver ecosystem goods and services. The resultant prioritised list of physical SQIs was tested for robustness, spatial and temporal variability, and expected rate of change using statistical analysis and modelling. Seven SQIs were prioritised: soil packing density, soil water retention characteristics, aggregate stability, rate of soil erosion, depth of soil, soil structure (assessed by visual soil evaluation) and soil sealing. These all have direct relevance to current and likely future soil and environmental policy and are appropriate for implementation in soil monitoring programmes.

Evaluation of interaction properties of geosynthetics in cohesive soils : LTRC reinforced-soil test wall.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2004-01-01

This report presents the construction and performance evaluation of the LTRC reinforced-soil test wall. The 20 ft. high, 160 ft. long wall was constructed using low quality backfill. Its vertical front facing was constructed with modular blocks. It c...

The dissolved organic matter as a potential soil quality indicator in arable soils of Hungary.

PubMed

Filep, Tibor; Draskovits, Eszter; Szabó, József; Koós, Sándor; László, Péter; Szalai, Zoltán

2015-07-01

Although several authors have suggested that the labile fraction of soils could be a potential soil quality indicator, the possibilities and limitations of using the dissolved organic matter (DOM) fraction for this purpose have not yet been investigated. The objective of this study was to evaluate the hypothesis that DOM is an adequate indicator of soil quality. To test this, the soil quality indices (SQI) of 190 arable soils from a Hungarian dataset were estimated, and these values were compared to DOM parameters (DOC and SUVA254). A clear difference in soil quality was found between the soil types, with low soil quality for arenosols (average SQI 0.5) and significantly higher values for gleysols, vertisols, regosols, solonetzes and chernozems. The SQI-DOC relationship could be described by non-linear regression, while a linear connection was observed between SQI and SUVA. The regression equations obtained for the dataset showed only one relatively weak significant correlation between the variables, for DOC (R (2) = 0.157(***); n = 190), while non-significant relationships were found for the DOC and SUVA254 values. However, an envelope curve operated with the datasets showed the robust potential of DOC to indicate soil quality changes, with a high R (2) value for the envelope curve regression equation. The limitations to using the DOM fraction of soils as a quality indicator are due to the contradictory processes which take place in soils in many cases.

Application of soil quality indices to assess the status of agricultural soils irrigated with treated wastewaters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morugán-Coronado, A.; Arcenegui, V.; García-Orenes, F.; Mataix-Solera, J.; Mataix-Beneyto, J.

2012-12-01

The supply of water is limited in some parts of the Mediterranean region, such as southeastern Spain. The use of treated wastewater for the irrigation of agricultural soils is an alternative to using better-quality water, especially in semi-arid regions. On the other hand, this practice can modify some soil properties, change their relationships, the equilibrium reached and influence soil quality. In this work two soil quality indices were used to evaluate the effects of irrigation with treated wastewater in soils. The indices were developed studying different soil properties in undisturbed soils in SE Spain, and the relationships between soil parameters were established using multiple linear regressions. This study was carried out in three areas of Alicante Province (SE Spain) irrigated with wastewater, including four study sites. The results showed slight changes in some soil properties as a consequence of irrigation with wastewater, the obtained levels not being dangerous for agricultural soils, and in some cases they could be considered as positive from an agronomical point of view. In one of the study sites, and as a consequence of the low quality wastewater used, a relevant increase in soil organic matter content was observed, as well as modifications in most of the soil properties. The application of soil quality indices indicated that all the soils of study sites are in a state of disequilibrium regarding the relationships between properties independent of the type of water used. However, there were no relevant differences in the soil quality indices between soils irrigated with wastewater with respect to their control sites for all except one of the sites, which corresponds to the site where low quality wastewater was used.

A method of evaluating forest site quality from soil, forest cover, and indicator plants

Treesearch

Marinus Westveld

1952-01-01

Foresters have overlooked too long the importance of soil as a factor in successful timber production. Greatest production in amount and quality of wood at the smallest cost can be attained by growing the tree species that are best suited to the climate and the soil of the locality in question.

Lime and phosphogypsum impacts on soil organic matter pools in a tropical Oxisol under long-term no-till conditions

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Improving soil organic matter (SOM) quality in tropical acid soils is important for increasing the sustainability of agricultural ecosystems. This research evaluated the effect of the surface application of lime and phosphogypsum on the quality and amount of SOM in a long-term crop rotation under no...

Assessing quality of citizen scientists’ soil texture estimates to evaluate land potential

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Texture influences nearly all soil processes and is often the most measured parameter in soil science. Estimating soil texture is a universal and fundamental practice applied by resource scientists to classify and understand the behavior and management of soil systems. While trained soil scientist c...

Stabilization of Pb and Cd contaminated soils and soil quality improvements using waste oyster shells.

PubMed

Ok, Yong Sik; Lim, Jung Eun; Moon, Deok Hyun

2011-02-01

Large amounts of oyster shells are produced as a by-product of shellfish farming in coastal regions without beneficial use options. Accordingly, this study was conducted to evaluate the potential for the use of waste oyster shells (WOS) containing a high amount of CaCO₃ to improve soil quality and to stabilize heavy metals in soil. To accomplish this, an incubation experiment was conducted to evaluate the ability of the addition of 1-5 wt% WOS to stabilize the Pb (total 1,246 mg/kg) and Cd (total 17 mg/kg) in a contaminated soil. The effectiveness of the WOS treatments was evaluated using various single extraction techniques. Soil amended with WOS was cured for 30 days complied with the Korean Standard Test method (0.1 M·HCl extraction). The Pb and Cd concentrations were less than the Korean warning and countermeasure standards following treatment with 5 wt% WOS. Moreover, the concentrations of Cd were greatly reduced in response to WOS treatment following extraction using 0.01 M·CaCl₂, which is strongly associated with phytoavailability. Furthermore, the soil pH and exchangeable Ca increased significantly in response to WOS treatment. Taken together, the results of this study indicated that WOS amendments improved soil quality and stabilized Pb and Cd in contaminated soil. However, extraction with 0.43 M·CH₃ COOH revealed that remobilization of heavy metals can occur when the soil reaches an acidic condition.

Assessing the use of treated waste water for irrigation agricultural lands by using soil quality indices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arcenegui, V.; Morugán, A.; García-Orenes, F.; Zornoza, R.; Mataix-Solera, J.; Navarro, M. A.; Guerrero, C.; Mataix-Beneyto, J.

2009-04-01

The use of treated wastewater for the irrigation of agricultural soils is an alternative to utilizing better-quality water, especially in semiarid regions where water shortage is a very serious problem. However, this practise can modify the soil equilibrium and affect its quality. In this work two soil quality indices (models) are used to evaluate the effects of long-term irrigation with treated wastewater in soil. The models were developed studying different soil properties in undisturbed forest soils in SE Spain, and the relationships between soil parameters were established using multiple linear regressions. Model 1, that explained 92% of the variance in soil organic carbon (SOC) showed that the SOC can be calculated by the linear combination of 6 physical, chemical and biochemical properties (acid phosphatase, water holding capacity (WHC), electrical conductivity (EC), available phosphorus (P), cation exchange capacity (CEC) and aggregate stability (AS)). Model 2 explains 89% of the SOC variance, which can be calculated by means of 7 chemical and biochemical properties (urease, phosphatase, and

Effect of Water Quality and Temperature on the Efficiency of Two Kinds of Hydrophilic Polymers in Soil.

PubMed

Dehkordi, Davoud Khodadadi

2018-06-01

  In this study, evaluation of two-superabsorbent effects, Super-AB-A-300 and Super-AB-A-200 in a sandy soil on the water retention capability and saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks) at different water quality and soil temperature were done. The Super-AB-A-200 was less effective in water uptake than Super-AB-A-300. The efficiency of these polymers in water retention was negatively influenced by the water quality and temperature. The efficiency of these polymer treatments in water uptake reduced significantly (P < 0.05) with increasing soil temperature. In the control soil, the Ks stayed nearly constant with increasing soil temperature. As compared to the untreated control, the treated soil demonstrated a significant (P < 0.05) linear increase of Ks with increasing soil temperature. In the control soil, the water holding properties curve did not change with increasing soil temperature.

Long term management practices influenced soil aggregation and carbon dynamics

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Soil aggregation protects soil organic C (SOC) against rapid decomposition, improves soil quality, and reduces soil erosion potential. The objectives of this study are to evaluate the effects of long-term (21 yrs.) management practices on SOC, water stable aggregate (WSA), and aggregate-associated ...

[Quality level assessment of lowly efficient Tamarix chinensis secondary shrubs in Laizhou Bay of Yellow River Delta].

PubMed

Xia, Jiang-Bao; Liu, Yu-Ting; Zhu, Jin-Fang; Xu, Jing-Wei; Lu, Zhao-Hua; Liu, Jing-Tao; Liu, Qing

2013-06-01

Taking the Tamarix chinensis secondary shrubs in Laizhou Bay of Yellow River Delta as test objects, and by using synthetic factor method, this paper studied the main factors causing the lowly efficiency of T. chinensis secondary shrubs as well as the main parameters for the classification of lowly efficient T. chinensis secondary shrubs. A total of 24 indices including shrubs growth and soil physical and chemical properties were selected to determine the main affecting factors and parameters in evaluating and classifying the lowly efficient shrubs. There were no obvious correlations between the indices reflecting the shrubs growth and soil quality, and thus, only using shrub growth index to reflect the lowly efficiency level of T. chinensis was not enough, and it would be necessary to combine with soil quality factors to make a comprehensive evaluation. The principal factors reflecting the quality level of lowly efficient T. chinensis shrubs included soil salt content and moisture content, stand age, single tree's aboveground stem, leaf biomass, and basal diameter, followed by soil density, porosity, and soil nutrient status. The lowly efficient T. chinensis shrubs in the Bay could be classified into five types, namely, shrub with growth potential, slightly low quality shrub, moderately lowly efficient shrub, moderately low quality and lowly efficient shrub, and seriously low quality and lowly efficient shrub. The main features, low efficiency causes, and management measures of these shrubs were discussed based on the mean cluster value.

Using soil health to assess ecotoxicological impacts of pollutants on soil microflora.

PubMed

Bécaert, Valérie; Deschênes, Louise

2006-01-01

Microorganisms are essential for a properly functioning soil ecosystem. However, few methods allow an ecotoxicological evaluation of pollutant impact on the soil microbial community. This review proposes the use of the concept of soil health as an ecotoxicological evaluation tool for soil microflora. Initially limited to sustainable agriculture, the concept of soil health is now being applied to novel situations including contaminated and remediated soils. A large amount of work has been published in the last few decades on soil health indicators, and a review of the most relevant studies is presented here. The most cited work is that of the S-5518 committee set up in 1997 by the Soil Science Society of America (SSSA), which proposed to define soil quality as being "the capacity of a soil to function within the limits of an ecosystem, to support biological production, to maintain environmental quality and to support fauna and flora health." The soil health indicators reviewed here are the ones based on this definition because it relates well to sustainability and durability of the soil functions. Several indicators proposed in these studies could be employed in the evaluation of the ecotoxicological impact of pollutants on the soil microbial community, including microbial diversity, microbial activity, and functional stability. However, research is still required to unify the concept, to set threshold values, and to standardize methodologies.

Estimating the Pollution Risk of Cadmium in Soil Using a Composite Soil Environmental Quality Standard

PubMed Central

Huang, Biao; Zhao, Yongcun

2014-01-01

Estimating standard-exceeding probabilities of toxic metals in soil is crucial for environmental evaluation. Because soil pH and land use types have strong effects on the bioavailability of trace metals in soil, they were taken into account by some environmental protection agencies in making composite soil environmental quality standards (SEQSs) that contain multiple metal thresholds under different pH and land use conditions. This study proposed a method for estimating the standard-exceeding probability map of soil cadmium using a composite SEQS. The spatial variability and uncertainty of soil pH and site-specific land use type were incorporated through simulated realizations by sequential Gaussian simulation. A case study was conducted using a sample data set from a 150 km2 area in Wuhan City and the composite SEQS for cadmium, recently set by the State Environmental Protection Administration of China. The method may be useful for evaluating the pollution risks of trace metals in soil with composite SEQSs. PMID:24672364

Soil structural quality assessment for soil protection regulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johannes, Alice; Boivin, Pascal

2017-04-01

Soil quality assessment is rapidly developing worldwide, though mostly focused on the monitoring of arable land and soil fertility. Soil protection regulations assess soil quality differently, focusing on priority pollutants and threshold values. The soil physical properties are weakly considered, due to lack of consensus and experimental difficulties faced with characterization. Non-disputable, easy to perform and inexpensive methods should be available for environmental regulation to be applied, which is unfortunately not the case. As a consequence, quantitative soil physical protection regulation is not applied, and inexpensive soil physical quality indicators for arable soil management are not available. Overcoming these limitations was the objective of a research project funded by the Swiss federal office for environment (FOEN). The main results and the perspectives of application are given in this presentation. A first step of the research was to characterize soils in a good structural state (reference soils) under different land use. The structural quality was assessed with field expertise and Visual Evaluation of the Soil Structure (VESS), and the physical properties were assessed with Shrinkage analysis. The relationships between the physical properties and the soil constituents were linear and highly determined. They represent the reference properties of the corresponding soils. In a second step, the properties of physically degraded soils were analysed and compared to the reference properties. This allowed defining the most discriminant parameters departing the different structure qualities and their threshold limits. Equivalent properties corresponding to these parameters but inexpensive and easy to determine were defined and tested. More than 90% of the samples were correctly classed with this method, which meets, therefore, the requirements for practical application in regulation. Moreover, result-oriented agri-environmental schemes for soil quality are now proposed to farmers based on these indicators.

Is the soil quality monitoring an effective tool in consumers' protection of agricultural crops from cadmium soil contamination?-a case of the Silesia region (Poland).

PubMed

Piekut, Agata; Baranowska, Renata; Marchwińska-Wyrwał, Ewa; Ćwieląg-Drabek, Małgorzata; Hajok, Ilona; Dziubanek, Grzegorz; Grochowska-Niedworok, Elżbieta

2017-12-16

The monitoring of soil quality should be a control tool used to reduce the adverse health effects arising from exposure to toxic chemicals in soil through cultivated crop absorption. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the monitoring and control system of soil quality in Poland, in terms of consumer safety, for agricultural plants cultivated in areas with known serious cadmium contamination, such as Silesia Province. To achieve the objective, the contents of cadmium in soils and vegetables in the Silesia administrative area were examined. The obtained results were compared with the results of soil contamination from the quality monitoring of arable soil in Poland. The studies show a significant exceedance of the permissible values of cadmium in soil samples and the vegetables cultivated on that soil. The threat to consumer health is a valid concern, although this threat was not indicated by the results of the national monitoring of soil quality. The results indicated an unequal distribution of risk to consumers resulting from contaminated soil. Moreover, the monitoring systems should be designed at the local or regional scale to guarantee the safety of consumers of edible plants cultivated in the areas contaminated with cadmium.

[Soil quality assessment of forest stand in different plantation esosystems].

PubMed

Huang, Yu; Wang, Silong; Feng, Zongwei; Gao, Hong; Wang, Qingkui; Hu, Yalin; Yan, Shaokui

2004-12-01

After a clear-cutting of the first generation Cunninghamia lanceolata plantation in 1982, three plantation ecosystems, pure Michelia macclurei stand (PMS), pure Chinese-fir stand (PCS) and their mixed stand, were established in spring 1983, and their effects on soil characteristics were evaluated by measuring some soil physical, chemical, microbiological and biochemical parameters. After 20 years' plantation, all test indices showed differences among different forest management models. Both PMS and MCM had a favorable effect on soil fertility maintenance. Soil quality assessment showed that some soil functions, e.g., water availability, nutrient availability, root suitability and soil quality index were all in a moderate level under the mixed and pure PMS stands, whereas in a relatively lower level under successive PCS stand. The results also showed that there existed close correlations between soil total organic C (TOC), cation exchange capacity (CEC), microbial biomass-C (Cmic) and other soil physical, chemical and biological indices. Therefore, TOC, CEC and Cmic could be used as the indicators in assessing soil quality in this study area. In addition, there were also positive correlations between soil microbial biomass-C and TOC, soil microbial biomass-N and total N, and soil microbial biomass-P and total P in the present study.

Expeditionary Readiness Training (ExpeRT) Course Expansion Final Environmental Assessment Creech Air Force Base

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-07-01

potential environmental consequences of the proposed action and no-action alternative and are addressed for: air quality, soils and water resources...evaluated in detail to identify potential environmental consequences: air quality; soils and water resources; biological resources; and cultural resources...significance. Therefore, this proposed action would not constitute a significant impact and would conform to regional standards. Soils and Water Resources

Case study of microarthropod communities to assess soil quality in different managed vineyards

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gagnarli, E.; Goggioli, D.; Tarchi, F.; Guidi, S.; Nannelli, R.; Vignozzi, N.; Valboa, G.; Lottero, M. R.; Corino, L.; Simoni, S.

2015-07-01

Land use influences the abundance and diversity of soil arthropods. The evaluation of the impact of different management strategies on soil quality is increasingly sought, and the determination of community structures of edaphic fauna can represent an efficient tool. In the area of Langhe (Piedmont, Italy), eight vineyards characterized for physical and chemical properties (soil texture, soil pH, total organic carbon, total nitrogen, calcium carbonate) were selected. We evaluated the effect of two types of crop management, organic and integrated pest management (IPM), on abundance and biodiversity of microarthropods living at the soil surface. Soil sampling was carried out in winter 2011 and spring 2012. All specimens were counted and determined up to the order level. The biodiversity analysis was performed using ecological indexes (taxa richness, dominance, Shannon-Wiener, Buzas and Gibson's evenness, Margalef, equitability, Berger-Parker), and the biological soil quality was assessed with the BSQ-ar index. The mesofauna abundance was affected by both the type of management and sampling time. On the whole, a higher abundance was in organic vineyards (N = 1981) than in IPM ones (N = 1062). The analysis performed by ecological indexes showed quite a high level of biodiversity in this environment, particularly in May 2012. Furthermore, the BSQ-ar values registered were similar to those obtained in preserved soils.

Efficiency of different techniques to identify changes in land use

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zornoza, Raúl; Mateix-Solera, Jorge; Gerrero, César

2013-04-01

The need for the development of sensitive and efficient methodologies for soil quality evaluation is increasing. The ability to assess soil quality and identify key soil properties that serve as indicators of soil function is complicated by the multiplicity of physical, chemical and biological factors that control soil processes. In the mountain region of the Mediterranean Basin of Spain, almond trees have been cultivated in terraced orchards for centuries. These crops are immersed in the Mediterranean forest scenery, configuring a mosaic landscape where orchards are integrated in the forest masses. In the last decades, almond orchards are being abandoned, leading to an increase in vegetation cover, since abandoned fields are naturally colonized by the surrounded natural vegetation. Soil processes and properties are expected to be associated with vegetation successional dynamics. Thus, the establishment of suitable parameters to monitor soil quality related to land use changes is particularly important to guarantee the regeneration of the mature community. In this study, we selected three land uses, constituted by forest, almond trees orchards, and orchards abandoned between 10 and 15 years previously to sampling. Sampling was carried out in four different locations in SE Spain. The main purpose was to evaluate if changes in management have significantly influenced different sets of soil characteristics. For this purpose, we used a discriminant analysis (DA). The different sets of soil characteristics tested in this study were 1: physical, chemical and biochemical properties; 2: soil near infrared (NIR) spectra; and 3: phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs). After the DA performed with the sets 1 and 2, the three land uses were clearly separated by the two first discriminant functions, and more than 85 % of the samples were correctly classified (grouped). Using the sets 3 and 4 for DA resulted in a slightly better separation of land uses, being more than 85% of the samples correctly classified. These results suggest that the combination of properties of different nature is effective to show the state of soil quality, owing to the close interaction among physical, chemical and biochemical properties in soil. In addition, NIR spectra offer an integrate vision of soil quality, as they synthesize information regarding mineralogy, soil chemistry, soil biology, organic matter and physical attributes. With the DA developed with the PLFAs, the 100% of samples were correctly classified or grouped, indicating a clear impact of land management. This confirms the higher sensitivity of parameters related to soil microbial community structure to evaluate soil quality, perturbations and management. This result was expected as microbial communities respond very fast to changes in land use, faster than measurements of total microbial biomass and activity. Key Words: Land use changes; Phospholipids fatty acids; Near Infrared Spectroscopy

On-farm soil health evaluations: Challenges and opportunities

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Interest in soil health (or soil quality) by producers, conservationists, environmentalists, agricultural scientists, policy makers and many other groups has increased exponentially during the past five years. Yet the question remains: Can soil health be measured at the field or farm scale and can t...

Assessment of multiple management systems in the Upper Midwest

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Reduced tillage, multi-crop rotations and use of organic fertilizers are characteristically expected to improve soil quality. As measures of soil quality, microbial and soluble C and N were evaluated in an nine-year assessment of management practices alternative to a conventionally managed two-year ...

Soil quality indexing strategies for evaluating sugarcane expansion in Brazil

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Increasing demands for biofuels have intensified the land use change (LUC) for sugarcane cropping expansion in Brazil. Assessments of LUC-induced changes on soil quality (SQ) are essential for quantifying and monitoring the sustainability of sugarcane production over time. Since there is not a unive...

Evaluation of AMSR2 soil moisture products over the contiguous United States using in situ data from the International Soil Moisture Network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Qiusheng; Liu, Hongxing; Wang, Lei; Deng, Chengbin

2016-03-01

High quality soil moisture datasets are required for various environmental applications. The launch of the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer 2 (AMSR2) on board the Global Change Observation Mission 1-Water (GCOM-W1) in May 2012 has provided global near-surface soil moisture data, with an average revisit frequency of two days. Since AMSR2 is a new passive microwave system in operation, it is very important to evaluate the quality of AMSR2 products before widespread utilization of the data for scientific research. In this paper, we provide a comprehensive evaluation of the AMSR2 soil moisture products retrieved by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) algorithm. The evaluation was performed for a three-year period (July 2012-June 2015) over the contiguous United States. The AMSR2 soil moisture products were evaluated by comparing ascending and descending overpass products to each other as well as comparing them to in situ soil moisture observations of 598 monitoring stations obtained from the International Soil Moisture Network (ISMN). The accuracy of AMSR2 soil moisture product was evaluated against several types of monitoring networks, and for different land cover types and ecoregions. Three performance metrics, including mean difference (MD), root mean squared difference (RMSD), and correlation coefficient (R), were used in our accuracy assessment. Our evaluation results revealed that AMSR2 soil moisture retrievals are generally lower than in situ measurements. The AMSR2 soil moisture retrievals showed the best agreement with in situ measurements over the Great Plains and the worst agreement over forested areas. This study offers insights into the suitability and reliability of AMSR2 soil moisture products for different ecoregions. Although AMSR2 soil moisture retrievals represent useful and effective measurements for some regions, further studies are required to improve the data accuracy.

Toxicity assessment for petroleum-contaminated soil using terrestrial invertebrates and plant bioassays.

PubMed

Hentati, Olfa; Lachhab, Radhia; Ayadi, Mariem; Ksibi, Mohamed

2013-04-01

The assessment of soil quality after a chemical or oil spill and/or remediation effort may be measured by evaluating the toxicity of soil organisms. To enhance our understanding of the soil quality resulting from laboratory and oil field spill remediation, we assessed toxicity levels by using earthworms and springtails testing and plant growth experiments. Total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH)-contaminated soil samples were collected from an oilfield in Sfax, Tunisia. Two types of bioassays were performed. The first assessed the toxicity of spiked crude oil (API gravity 32) in Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development artificial soil. The second evaluated the habitat function through the avoidance responses of earthworms and springtails and the ability of Avena sativa to grow in TPH-contaminated soils diluted with farmland soil. The EC50 of petroleum-contaminated soil for earthworms was 644 mg of TPH/kg of soil at 14 days, with 67 % of the earthworms dying after 14 days when the TPH content reached 1,000 mg/kg. The average germination rate, calculated 8 days after sowing, varied between 64 and 74 % in low contaminated soils and less than 50 % in highly contaminated soils.

A method of site quality evaluation for red alder.

Treesearch

Constance A. Harrington

1986-01-01

A field guide to predict site index for red alder (Alnus rubra Bong.) was developed for use in western Washington and Oregon. The guide requires the user to evaluate 14 soil-site properties that are grouped into three general factors: (1) geographic and topographic position, (2) soil moisture and aeration during the growing season, and (3) soil fertility and physical...

Microbial Ecology in Vineyards

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Soil health affects grapevine health, which, in turn, affects fruit quality. Soil health has chemical, physical, and biological components. The chemical components are the best understood, and there are relatively convenient methods to both evaluate and amend chemical soil fertility. The physical...

Effects of Grazing and Fire Frequency on Floristic Quality and its Relationship to Indicators of Soil Quality in Tallgrass Prairie

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manning, George C.; Baer, Sara G.; Blair, John M.

2017-12-01

Fire and grazing are widely used to manage grasslands for conservation purposes, but few studies have evaluated the effects of these drivers on the conservation value of plant communities measured by the floristic quality index (FQI). Further, the influence of fire and grazing on soil properties and functions are difficult for land managers and restoration practitioners to assess. The objectives of this study were to: (1) quantify the independent and interactive effects of grazing and fire frequency on floristic quality in native tallgrass prairie to provide potential benchmarks for community assessment, and (2) to explore whether floristic quality can serve as an indicator of soil structure and function for more holistic ecosystem assessments. A factorial combination of fire frequencies (1-2, 4, and 20 years return intervals) and grazing (by bison or ungrazed) treatments were sampled for plant species composition, and for several indicators of soil quality in lowland tallgrass prairie. Floristic quality, diversity, and richness were higher in grazed than ungrazed prairie over all fire frequencies ( P < 0.05). Available inorganic N, microbial biomass N, total N, and soil bulk density were also higher in grazed prairie soil over all fire frequencies ( P < 0.05). Microbial biomass C, total organic C, and total soil N were positively correlated with FQI ( P < 0.05). This study shows that floristic quality and soil N pools are more strongly influenced by grazing than fire and that floristic quality can be an indicator of total soil C and N stocks in never cultivated lowland prairie.

Effects of Grazing and Fire Frequency on Floristic Quality and its Relationship to Indicators of Soil Quality in Tallgrass Prairie.

PubMed

Manning, George C; Baer, Sara G; Blair, John M

2017-12-01

Fire and grazing are widely used to manage grasslands for conservation purposes, but few studies have evaluated the effects of these drivers on the conservation value of plant communities measured by the floristic quality index (FQI). Further, the influence of fire and grazing on soil properties and functions are difficult for land managers and restoration practitioners to assess. The objectives of this study were to: (1) quantify the independent and interactive effects of grazing and fire frequency on floristic quality in native tallgrass prairie to provide potential benchmarks for community assessment, and (2) to explore whether floristic quality can serve as an indicator of soil structure and function for more holistic ecosystem assessments. A factorial combination of fire frequencies (1-2, 4, and 20 years return intervals) and grazing (by bison or ungrazed) treatments were sampled for plant species composition, and for several indicators of soil quality in lowland tallgrass prairie. Floristic quality, diversity, and richness were higher in grazed than ungrazed prairie over all fire frequencies (P < 0.05). Available inorganic N, microbial biomass N, total N, and soil bulk density were also higher in grazed prairie soil over all fire frequencies (P < 0.05). Microbial biomass C, total organic C, and total soil N were positively correlated with FQI (P < 0.05). This study shows that floristic quality and soil N pools are more strongly influenced by grazing than fire and that floristic quality can be an indicator of total soil C and N stocks in never cultivated lowland prairie.

The soil health tool - theory and initial broad-scale application

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Soil health has traditionally been judged in terms of production; however, it recently has gained a wider focus with a global audience, as soil condition is becoming an environmental quality, human health, and political issue. A crucial initial step in evaluating soil health is properly assessing t...

Impact of long-term tillage and manure application on soil physical properties

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Soil physical properties play an integral role in maintaining soil quality for sustainable agricultural practices. Agronomic practices such as tillage systems and organic amendments have been shown to influence soil physical properties. Thus, a study was conducted to evaluate effects of long-term ma...

Soil-profile distribution of inorganic N during 6 years of integrated crop-livestock management

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Excessive accumulation of soil nitrate-N can threaten water and air quality. How integrated crop-livestock systems might influence soil-profile nitrate-N accumulation has not been investigated. Therefore, we determined soil nitrate-N accumulation during 6 years of evaluation of diverse cropping sy...

Effects of different agricultural managements in soil microbial community structure in a semi-arid Mediterranean region.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

García-Orenes, Fuensanta; Morugan, Alicia; Mataix-Solera, Jorge; Scow, Kate

2013-04-01

Agriculture has been practiced in semi-arid Mediterranean regions for 10.000 years and in many cases these practices have been unsuitable causing land degradation for millennium and an important loss of soil quality. The land management can provide solutions to find the best agricultural practices in order to maintain the soil quality and get a sustainable agriculture model. Microbiological properties are the most sensitive and rapid indicators of soil perturbations and land use managements. The study of microbial community and diversity has an important interest as indicators of changes in soil quality. The main objective of this work was to asses the effect of different agricultural management practices in soil microbial community (evaluated as abundance of phospholipid fatty acids, PLFA). Four different treatments were selected, based on the most commonly practices applied by farmers in the study area, "El Teularet Experimental Station", located at the Enguera Range in the southern part of the Valencia province (eastern Spain). These treatments were: a) ploughing, b) herbicides c) mulch, using the types applied by organic farmers to develop a sustainable agriculture, such as oat straw and d) control that was established as plot where the treatment was abandonment after farming. An adjacent area with the same type of soil, but with natural vegetation was used as a standard or reference high quality soil. Soil samples were taken to evaluate the changes in microbial soil structure, analysing the abundance of PLFA. The results showed a major content of total PLFA in soils treated with oats straw, being these results similar to the content of PLFA in the soil with natural vegetation, also these soils were similar in the distribution of abundance of different PLFA studied. However, the herbicide and tillage treatments showed great differences regarding the soil used as reference (soil under natural vegetation).

Development of an NDIR CO2 Sensor-Based System for Assessing Soil Toxicity Using Substrate-Induced Respiration

PubMed Central

Kaur, Jasmeen; Adamchuk, Viacheslav I.; Whalen, Joann K.; Ismail, Ashraf A.

2015-01-01

The eco-toxicological indicators used to evaluate soil quality complement the physico-chemical criteria employed in contaminated site remediation, but their cost, time, sophisticated analytical methods and in-situ inapplicability pose a major challenge to rapidly detect and map the extent of soil contamination. This paper describes a sensor-based approach for measuring potential (substrate-induced) microbial respiration in diesel-contaminated and non-contaminated soil and hence, indirectly evaluates their microbial activity. A simple CO2 sensing system was developed using an inexpensive non-dispersive infrared (NDIR) CO2 sensor and was successfully deployed to differentiate the control and diesel-contaminated soils in terms of CO2 emission after glucose addition. Also, the sensor system distinguished glucose-induced CO2 emission from sterile and control soil samples (p ≤ 0.0001). Significant effects of diesel contamination (p ≤ 0.0001) and soil type (p ≤ 0.0001) on glucose-induced CO2 emission were also found. The developed sensing system can provide in-situ evaluation of soil microbial activity, an indicator of soil quality. The system can be a promising tool for the initial screening of contaminated environmental sites to create high spatial density maps at a relatively low cost. PMID:25730479

Soil physical changes associated with forest harvesting operations on a organic soil

Treesearch

Johnny M. Grace; R.W. Skaggs; D.K. Cassel

2006-01-01

The influence of forest operations on forest soil and water continues to be an issue of concern in forest management. Research has focused on evaluating forest operation effects on numerous soil and water quality indicators. However, poorly drained forested watersheds with organic soil surface horizons have not been extensively investigated. A study was initiated in...

Visual soil evaluation - future research requirements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Emmet-Booth, Jeremy; Forristal, Dermot; Fenton, Owen; Ball, Bruce; Holden, Nick

2017-04-01

A review of Visual Soil Evaluation (VSE) techniques (Emmet-Booth et al., 2016) highlighted their established utility for soil quality assessment, though some limitations were identified; (1) The examination of aggregate size, visible intra-porosity and shape forms a key assessment criterion in almost all methods, thus limiting evaluation to structural form. The addition of criteria that holistically examine structure may be desirable. For example, structural stability can be indicated using dispersion tests or examining soil surface crusting, while the assessment of soil colour may indirectly indicate soil organic matter content, a contributor to stability. Organic matter assessment may also indicate structural resilience, along with rooting, earthworm numbers or shrinkage cracking. (2) Soil texture may influence results or impeded method deployment. Modification of procedures to account for extreme texture variation is desirable. For example, evidence of compaction in sandy or single grain soils greatly differs to that in clayey soils. Some procedures incorporate separate classification systems or adjust deployment based on texture. (3) Research into impacts of soil moisture content on VSE evaluation criteria is required. Criteria such as rupture resistance and shape may be affected by moisture content. It is generally recommended that methods are deployed on moist soils and quantification of influences of moisture variation on results is necessary. (4) Robust sampling strategies for method deployment are required. Dealing with spatial variation differs between methods, but where methods can be deployed over large areas, clear instruction on sampling is required. Additionally, as emphasis has been placed on the agricultural production of soil, so the ability of VSE for exploring structural quality in terms of carbon storage, water purification and biodiversity support also requires research. References Emmet-Booth, J.P., Forristal. P.D., Fenton, O., Ball, B.C. & Holden, N.M. 2016. A review of visual soil evaluation techniques for soil structure. Soil Use and Management, 32, 623-634.

Comprehensive Evaluation of Soil Near Uranium Tailings, Beishan City, China.

PubMed

Xun, Yan; Zhang, Xinjia; Chaoliang, Chen; Luo, Xuegang; Zhang, Yu

2018-06-01

To evaluate the impact of uranium tailings on soil composition and soil microbial, six soil samples at different distance from the uranium tailings (Beishan City, China) were collected for further analysis. Concentrations of radionuclides ( 238 U and 232 Th), heavy metals (Mn, Cd, Cr, Ni, Zn, and Pb) and organochlorine pesticide were determined by ICP-MS and GC, they were significantly higher than those of the control. And the Average Well Color Development as well as the Shannon, the Evenness, and the Simpson index were calculated to evaluate the soil microbial diversity. The carbon utilization model of soil microbial community was also analyzed by Biolog-eco. All results indicated that uranium tailings leaded to excessive radionuclides and heavy metals, and decreased the diversity of the soil microbial community. Our study will provide a valuable basis for soil quality evaluation around uranium tailing repositories and lay a foundation for the management and recovery of uranium tailings.

Local soil quality assessment of north-central Namibia: integrating farmers' and technical knowledge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prudat, Brice; Bloemertz, Lena; Kuhn, Nikolaus J.

2018-02-01

Soil degradation is a major threat for farmers of semi-arid north-central Namibia. Soil conservation practices can be promoted by the development of soil quality (SQ) evaluation toolboxes that provide ways to evaluate soil degradation. However, such toolboxes must be adapted to local conditions to reach farmers. Based on qualitative (interviews and soil descriptions) and quantitative (laboratory analyses) data, we developed a set of SQ indicators relevant for our study area that integrates farmers' field experiences (FFEs) and technical knowledge. We suggest using participatory mapping to delineate soil units (Oshikwanyama soil units, KwSUs) based on FFEs, which highlight mostly soil properties that integrate long-term productivity and soil hydrological characteristics (i.e. internal SQ). The actual SQ evaluation of a location depends on the KwSU described and is thereafter assessed by field soil texture (i.e. chemical fertility potential) and by soil colour shade (i.e. SOC status). This three-level information aims to reveal SQ improvement potential by comparing, for any location, (a) estimated clay content against median clay content (specific to KwSU) and (b) soil organic status against calculated optimal values (depends on clay content). The combination of farmers' and technical assessment cumulates advantages of both systems of knowledge, namely the integrated long-term knowledge of the farmers and a short- and medium-term SQ status assessment. The toolbox is a suggestion for evaluating SQ and aims to help farmers, rural development planners and researchers from all fields of studies understanding SQ issues in north-central Namibia. This suggested SQ toolbox is adapted to a restricted area of north-central Namibia, but similar tools could be developed in most areas where small-scale agriculture prevails.

Impact of repeated single-metal and multi-metal pollution events on soil quality.

PubMed

Burges, Aritz; Epelde, Lur; Garbisu, Carlos

2015-02-01

Most frequently, soil metal pollution results from the occurrence of repeated single-metal and, above all, multi-metal pollution events, with concomitant adverse consequences for soil quality. Therefore, in this study, we evaluated the impact of repeated single-metal and multi-metal (Cd, Pb, Cu, Zn) pollution events on soil quality, as reflected by the values of a variety of soil microbial parameters with potential as bioindicators of soil functioning. Specifically, parameters of microbial activity (potentially mineralizable nitrogen, β-glucosidase and acid phosphatase activity) and biomass (fungal and bacterial gene abundance by RT-qPCR) were determined, in the artificially metal-polluted soil samples, at regular intervals over a period of 26 weeks. Similarly, we studied the evolution over time of CaCl2-extractable metal fractions, in order to estimate metal bioavailability in soil. Different metals showed different values of bioavailability and relative bioavailability ([metal]bio/[metal]tot) in soil throughout the experiment, under both repeated single-metal and multi-metal pollution events. Both repeated Zn-pollution and multi-metal pollution events led to a significant reduction in the values of acid phosphatase activity, and bacterial and fungal gene abundance, reflecting the negative impact of these repeated events on soil microbial activity and biomass, and, hence, soil quality. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Software for soil quality conservation at organic waste disposal areas: The case of olive mill and pistachio wastes.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doula, Maria; Sarris, Apostolos; Papadopoulos, Nikos; Hliaoutakis, Aggelos; Kydonakis, Aris; Argyriou, Lemonia; Theocharopoulos, Sid; Kolovos, Chronis

2016-04-01

For the sustainable reuse of organic wastes at agricultural areas, apart from extensive evaluation of waste properties and characteristics, it is of significant importance, in order to protect soil quality, to evaluate land suitability and estimate the correct application doses prior waste landspreading. In the light of this precondition, a software was developed that integrates GIS maps of land suitability for waste reuse (wastewater and solid waste) and an algorithm for waste doses estimation in relation to soil analysis, and in case of reuse for fertilization with soil analysis, irrigation water quality and plant needs. EU and legislation frameworks of European Member States are also considered for the assessment of waste suitability for landspreading and for the estimation of the correct doses that will not cause adverse effects on soil and also to underground water (e.g. Nitrate Directive). Two examples of software functionality are presented in this study using data collected during two LIFE projects, i.e. Prosodol for landspreading of olive mill wastes and AgroStrat for pistachio wastes.

Soil-profile distribution of organic C and N at the end of 6 years of tillage and grazing management

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Stocks of soil organic carbon (SOC) and total soil nitrogen (TSN) are key determinants for evaluating agricultural management practices to address climate change, environmental quality, and soil productivity issues. We determined SOC, TSN, and particulate organic C and N depth distributions and cum...

Changes in soil nutrients after 10 years of cattle manure and swine effluent application

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Application of cattle manure and swine effluent to cropland builds nutrient pools, affects soil quality, and increases crop productivity. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the rate of change in soil nutrient concentration and soil chemical properties due to cattle manure and swine e...

Effects of cover crops on soil quality: Selected chemical and biological parameters

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Cover crops may improve soil physical, chemical, and biological properties and thus help improve land productivity. The objective of this study was to evaluate short-term changes (6, 9, and 12 weeks) in soil chemical and biological properties as influenced by cover crops for two different soils and...

Soil Quality in Mining Areas Undergoing Ecological Restoration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dinarowski, Marcela; Casagrande, José Carlos; Bizuti, Denise T. G.; Silva, Luiz Gabriel; Soares, Marcio Roberto; Brancalion, Pedro H. S.

2014-05-01

Mining is one of the anthropogenic activities most impactful to natural resources, and can profoundly affect the resilience of ecosystems depending on the level of soil degradation. Ecological restoration has generated promising results even in situations of degradation as intense as those of mining. The aim of this study was to evaluate the quality of the soil in areas explored by the bauxite extraction undergoing restoration: recently mined, seven years, 20 years and native forest. The studied areas are located in the municipality of Poços de Caldas-MG, belonging to ALCOA Alumínio. The mined-out areas for seven and twenty years were uncompressed and received topsoil, liming and fertilization with nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Samples for chemical analyses of soil fertility were carried out at depths of 0-5, 5-10, 10-20, 20-40 and 40-60 cm. Soil quality was evaluated by pondered additive model. The parameters were considered organic matter (0.6) and bases saturation (0.4) for soil fertility function (0.6) and calcium (0.5) and aluminum saturation (0.5) for the function root development (0.4) - (the numbers in parentheses represent the weights attributed). Despite the high content, only the organic matter was not a parameter enough to classify the soil quality, once the native forest has very low base saturation (7%). The soil quality index(SQI) obtained allowed to classify the areas, being the first restored 20 years ago with SQI equal to 0.7 followed of the restored 7 years ago, native forest and newly mined with SQIs equal to 0.6, 04 and 0.3, respectively. The native tropical forests have low soil fertility, keeping by the cycling of nutrients. This demonstrates the need for the degraded areas, especially the mined, are uncompressed to allow storage of water and root development, in addition to the replacement of nutrients and soil acidity correction, especially high levels of aluminum saturation (66%) and low calcium (3 mmolcdm-3).

Assessing soil quality indicator under different land use and soil erosion using multivariate statistical techniques.

PubMed

Nosrati, Kazem

2013-04-01

Soil degradation associated with soil erosion and land use is a critical problem in Iran and there is little or insufficient scientific information in assessing soil quality indicator. In this study, factor analysis (FA) and discriminant analysis (DA) were used to identify the most sensitive indicators of soil quality for evaluating land use and soil erosion within the Hiv catchment in Iran and subsequently compare soil quality assessment using expert opinion based on soil surface factors (SSF) form of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) method. Therefore, 19 soil physical, chemical, and biochemical properties were measured from 56 different sampling sites covering three land use/soil erosion categories (rangeland/surface erosion, orchard/surface erosion, and rangeland/stream bank erosion). FA identified four factors that explained for 82 % of the variation in soil properties. Three factors showed significant differences among the three land use/soil erosion categories. The results indicated that based upon backward-mode DA, dehydrogenase, silt, and manganese allowed more than 80 % of the samples to be correctly assigned to their land use and erosional status. Canonical scores of discriminant functions were significantly correlated to the six soil surface indices derived of BLM method. Stepwise linear regression revealed that soil surface indices: soil movement, surface litter, pedestalling, and sum of SSF were also positively related to the dehydrogenase and silt. This suggests that dehydrogenase and silt are most sensitive to land use and soil erosion.

County-scale spatial distribution of soil enzyme activities and enzyme activity indices in agricultural land: implications for soil quality assessment.

PubMed

Tan, Xiangping; Xie, Baoni; Wang, Junxing; He, Wenxiang; Wang, Xudong; Wei, Gehong

2014-01-01

Here the spatial distribution of soil enzymatic properties in agricultural land was evaluated on a county-wide (567 km(2)) scale in Changwu, Shaanxi Province, China. The spatial variations in activities of five hydrolytic enzymes were examined using geostatistical methods. The relationships between soil enzyme activities and other soil properties were evaluated using both an integrated total enzyme activity index (TEI) and the geometric mean of enzyme activities (GME). At the county scale, soil invertase, phosphatase, and catalase activities were moderately spatially correlated, whereas urease and dehydrogenase activities were weakly spatially correlated. Correlation analysis showed that both TEI and GME were better correlated with selected soil physicochemical properties than single enzyme activities. Multivariate regression analysis showed that soil OM content had the strongest positive effect while soil pH had a negative effect on the two enzyme activity indices. In addition, total phosphorous content had a positive effect on TEI and GME in orchard soils, whereas alkali-hydrolyzable nitrogen and available potassium contents, respectively, had negative and positive effects on these two enzyme indices in cropland soils. The results indicate that land use changes strongly affect soil enzyme activities in agricultural land, where TEI provides a sensitive biological indicator for soil quality.

Evaluating Land-Atmosphere Interactions with the North American Soil Moisture Database

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giles, S. M.; Quiring, S. M.; Ford, T.; Chavez, N.; Galvan, J.

2015-12-01

The North American Soil Moisture Database (NASMD) is a high-quality observational soil moisture database that was developed to study land-atmosphere interactions. It includes over 1,800 monitoring stations the United States, Canada and Mexico. Soil moisture data are collected from multiple sources, quality controlled and integrated into an online database (soilmoisture.tamu.edu). The period of record varies substantially and only a few of these stations have an observation record extending back into the 1990s. Daily soil moisture observations have been quality controlled using the North American Soil Moisture Database QAQC algorithm. The database is designed to facilitate observationally-driven investigations of land-atmosphere interactions, validation of the accuracy of soil moisture simulations in global land surface models, satellite calibration/validation for SMOS and SMAP, and an improved understanding of how soil moisture influences climate on seasonal to interannual timescales. This paper provides some examples of how the NASMD has been utilized to enhance understanding of land-atmosphere interactions in the U.S. Great Plains.

Emergent Imaging and Geospatial Technologies for Soil Investigations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

DeGloria, Stephen D.; Beaudette, Dylan E.; Irons, James R.; Libohova, Zamir; O'Neill, Peggy E.; Owens, Phillip R.; Schoeneberger, Philip J.; West, Larry T.; Wysocki, Douglas A.

2014-01-01

Soil survey investigations and inventories form the scientific basis for a wide spectrum of agronomic and environmental management programs. Soil data and information help formulate resource conservation policies of federal, state, and local governments that seek to sustain our agricultural production system while enhancing environmental quality on both public and private lands. The dual challenges of increasing agricultural production and ensuring environmental integrity require electronically available soil inventory data with both spatial and attribute quality. Meeting this societal need in part depends on development and evaluation of new methods for updating and maintaining soil inventories for sophisticated applications, and implementing an effective framework to conceptualize and communicate tacit knowledge from soil scientists to numerous stakeholders.

Improving sustainability in the remediation of contaminated soils by the use of compost and energy valorization by Paulownia fortunei.

PubMed

Madejón, Paula; Domínguez, María Teresa; Díaz, Manuel Jesús; Madejón, Engracia

2016-01-01

The plantation of fast growing trees in contaminated sites, in combination with the use of organic wastes, could partially solve a dual environmental problem: the disposal of these wastes and the improvement of soil quality in these degraded soils. This study evaluated the effects of two compost on the quantity and quality of Paulownia fortunei biomass and on syngas production by biomass gasification, produced by plants growing on trace elements contaminated soils. Compost increased biomass production to values similar to those produced in non-contaminated soils, due to the improvement in plant nutritional status. Moreover, biomass quality for gasification was increased by compost addition. Trace element accumulation in the biomass was relatively low and not related to biomass production or the gas quality obtained through gasification. Thus, P. fortunei plantations could pose an opportunity to improve the economic balance of the revegetation of contaminated soils, given that other commercial uses such as food or fodder crop production is not recommended in these soils. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Study of microarthropod communities to assess soil quality in different managed vineyards

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gagnarli, Elena; Vignozzi, Nadia; Valboa, Giuseppe; Bouneb, Mabrouk; Corino, Lorenzo; Goggioli, Donatella; Guidi, Silvia; Lottero, Mariarosa; Tarchi, Franca; Simoni, Sauro

2014-05-01

Land use type influences the abundance and diversity of soil arthropods. The evaluation of the effects of different crop managements on soil quality is commonly requested; it can be pursued by means of the determination of communities' structure of edaphic fauna. The development and application of biological indices may represent an efficient mean to assess soil quality. We evaluated the effect of crop managements (organic and Integrated Pest Management-IPM) in some vineyards in Piedmont (Italy) on soil biota in relation to some physical and chemical characteristics of the soil. The study was performed in eleven sites, including seven organic and four IPM managed vineyards located in the Costigliole d'Asti area. Samplings were carried out during the winter 2011 and the spring 2012. Soil samples were collected using a cylindrical soil core sampler (3cm diameter x 30cm height): each sample was a cylindrical soil core which was equally subdivided to study arthropod communities at different depth ranges. Additional samples were collected and analyzed for the following soil physical and chemical properties: texture (sedigraph method), pH (1:2.5 soil/water), total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (NT) and calcium carbonate (dry combustion by CN analyzer). The extraction of microarthropods was performed using the selector Berlese-Tullgren. All specimens were counted and determined up to the order level. The influence of soil properties and of agronomic practices on the abundance of mesofauna was evaluated by multivariate analysis (MANOVA). The biological soil quality was also defined through the determination of biotic indices such as the qualitative and quantitative QBSar (Quality Biological Soil - arthropods), and biodiversity indices such as species richness and indices of Shannon-Wiener (H') and Simpson (D). Overall, more than four thousands arthropods were collected and the highest abundance was in biological management with about 2:1 ratio (biological vs conventional/IPM management). The mites represented about 50% of the arthropodofauna recorded, collembolans 30%, and 20% other microarthropods (Blattaria, Chilopoda, Coleoptera, Diplopoda, Diplura, Diptera, Hemiptera, Hymenoptera, Isopoda, Homoptera, Pauropoda, Protura, Pseudoscopionida, Psocoptera, Symphyla, Thysanoptera). The mesofauna abundance was affected by the type of management (P=0.015) and soil texture (P=0.029). At the identification level considered, the biological indices calculated showed no substantial differences between different crop managements (H'=1.26, D=0.97 in organic vineyard, H'=1.30, D=0.89 in IPM vineyard). The analysis of microarthropod communities by QBSar, however, showed higher values in organic compared to IPM managed vineyards (QBSar 199 vs 98 in 2011 and 205 vs 188 in 2012, respectively) which are close to figures characteristic of preserved soils.

Visible and infrared spectroscopy to evaluate soil quality in degraded sites: an applicative study in southern Italy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ancona, Valeria; Matarrese, Raffaella; Salvatori, Rosamaria; Salzano, Roberto; Regano, Simona; Calabrese, Angelantonio; Campanale, Claudia; Felice Uricchio, Vito

2014-05-01

Land degradation processes like organic matter impoverishment and contamination are growing increasingly all over the world due to a non-rational and often sustainable spread of human activities on the territory. Consequently the need to characterize and monitor degraded sites is becoming very important, with the aim to hinder such main threats, which could compromise drastically, soil quality. Visible and infrared spectroscopy is a well-known technique/tool to study soil properties. Vis-NIR spectral reflectance, in fact, can be used to characterize spatial and temporal variation in soil constituents (Brown et al., 2006; Viscarra Rossel et al., 2006), and potentially its surface structure (Chappell et al., 2006, 2007). It is a rapid, non-destructive, reproducible and cost-effective analytical method to analyse soil properties and therefore, it can be a useful method to study land degradation phenomena. In this work, we present the results of proximal sensing investigations of three degraded sites (one affected by organic and inorganic contamination and two affected by soil organic matter decline) situated southern Italy close to Taranto city (in Apulia Region). A portable spectroradiometer (ASD-FieldSpec) was used to measure the reflectance properties in the spectral range between 350-2500 nm of the soil, in the selected sites, before and after a recovery treatment by using compost (organic fertilizer). For each measurement point the soil was sampled in order to perform chemical analyses to evaluate soil quality status. Three in-situ campaigns have been carried out (September 2012, June 2013, and September 2013), collecting about 20 soil samples for each site and for each campaign. Chemical and spectral analyses have been focused on investigating soil organic carbon, carbonate content, texture and, in the case of polluted site, heavy metals and organic toxic compounds. Statistical analyses have been carried out to test a prediction model of different soil quality indicators based on the spectral signatures behaviour of each sample ranging.

Main Parameters of Soil Quality and it's Management Under Changing Climate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

László Phd, M., ,, Dr.

2009-04-01

Reviewing Paper Introduction: Malcolm summarised the topic of soil quality and it's management in a well synthetized form in 2000. So, the soils are fundamental to the well-being and productivity of agricultural and natural ecosystems. Soil quality is a concept being developed to characterize the usefulness and health of soils. Soil quality includes soil fertility, potential productivity, contaminant levels and their effects, resource sustainability and environmental quality. A general definition of soil quality is the degree of fitness of a soil for a specific use. The existence of multiple definitions suggests that the soil quality concept continues to evolve (Kádár, 1992; Várallyay, 1992, 1994, 2005; Németh, 1996; Malcolm, 2000; Márton, 2005; Márton et al. 2007). Recent attention has focused on the sustainability of human uses of soil, based on concerns that soil quality may be declining (Boehn and Anderson, 1997). We use sustainable to mean that a use or management of soil will sustain human well-being over time. Lal (1995) described the land resources of the world (of which soil is one component) as "finite, fragile, and nonrenewable," and reported that only about 22% (3.26 billion ha) of the total land area on the globe is suitable for cultivation and at present, only about 3% (450 million ha) has a high agricultural production capacity. Because soil is in large but finite supply, and some soil components cannot be renewed within a human time frame, the condition of soils in agriculture and the environment is an issue of global concern (Howard, 1993; FAO, 1997). Concerns include soil losses from erosion, maintaining agricultural productivity and system sustainability, protecting natural areas, and adverse effects of soil contamination on human health (Haberern, 1992; Howard, 1993; Sims et al., 1997). Parr et al. (1992) state, "...soil degradation is the single most destructive force diminishing the world's soil resource base." Soil quality guidelines are intended to protect the ability of ecosystems to function properly (Kádár, 1992; Várallyay, 1992, 1994, 2005; Cook and Hendershot, 1996; Németh, 1996; Malcolm, 2000; Márton, 2005; Márton et al. 2007). The Hungarian Ministry of Environment and Water (HMEW, 2004) suggests that the Hungarian Regions should adopt a national policy "...that seeks to conserve and enhance soil quality...". Useful evaluation of soil quality requires agreement about why soil quality is important, how it is defined, how it should be measured, and how to respond to measurements with management, restoration, or conservation practices. Because determining soil quality requires one or more value judgments and because we have much to learn about soil, these issues are not easily addressed (Várallyay, 1992, 1994, 2005; Cook and Hendershot, 1996; Németh, 1996; Malcolm, 2000). Definitions of soil quality have been based both on human uses of soil and on the functions of soil within natural and agricultural ecosystems. For purposes of this work, we are showing soil quality within the context of managed agricultural ecosystems. To many in agriculture and agricultural research, productivity is analogous to soil quality. Maintaining soil quality is also a human health concern because air, groundwater and surface water consumed by humans can be adversely affected by mismanaged and contaminated soils, and because humans may be exposed to contaminated soils in residential areas (Kádár, 1992; Várallyay, 2005; Cook and Hendershot, 1996; Németh, 1996; Malcolm, 2000; Márton et al. 2007). Contamination may include heavy metals, toxic elements, excess nutrients, volatile and nonvolatile organics, explosives, radioactive isotopes and inhalable fibers (Sheppard et al., 1992; Cook and Hendershot, 1996). Soil quality is not determined by any single conserving or degrading process or property, and soil has both dynamic and relatively static properties that also vary spatially (Carter et al., 1997). Gregorich et al. (1994) state that "soil quality is a composite measure of both a soil's ability to function and how well it functions, relative to a specific use." Increasingly, contemporary discussion of soil quality includes the environmental cost of production and the potential for reclamation of degraded soils (Várallyay, 2005). Reasons for assessing soil quality in an agricultural or managed system may be somewhat different than reasons for assessing soil quality in a natural ecosystem. In an agricultural context, soil quality may be managed, to maximize production without adverse environmental effect, while in a natural ecosystem, soil quality may be observed, as a baseline value or set of values against which future changes in the system may be compared (Várallyay, 1994; Cook and Hendershot, 1996; Németh, 1996; Malcolm, 2000; Márton et al. 2007). Soil quality has historically been equated with agricultural productivity, and thus is not a new idea. Soil conservation practices to maintain soil productivity are as old as agriculture itself, with documentation dating to the Roman Empire (Jenny, 1961). The Storie Index (Storie, 1932) and USDA Land Capability Classification (Klingebiel and Montgomery, 1973) were developed to separate soils into different quality classes. Soil quality is implied in many decisions farmers make about land purchases and management, and in the economic value rural assessors place on agricultural land for purposes of taxation. Beginning in the 1930s, soil productivity ratings were developed in the United States and elsewhere to help farmers select crops and management practices that would maximize production and minimize erosion or other adverse environmental effects (Huddleston, 1984). These rating systems are important predecessors of recent attempts to quantitatively assess soil quality. In the 1970s, attempts were made to identify and protect soils of the highest productive capacity by defining "prime agricultural lands" (Miller, 1979). An idea related to soil quality is "carrying capacity". Carrying capacity is the number of individuals that can be supported in a given area (Budd, 1992). Soils with high productivity have high carrying capacity, and are considered to be high quality. Sustainability implies that a system does not exceed its carrying capacity over time. Recent attempts to define soil quality and develop indices to measure it have many of the properties of the earlier soil productivity ratings (Doran and Jones, 1996; Snakin et al., 1996; Seybold et al., 1997). Cox (1995) calls for national goals for soil quality that "... recognize the inherent links between soil, water and air quality." Haberern (1992) suggests that the decade of the 1990s is the time to study the soil as we have recognized and studied air quality and water quality in the preceding two decades. Air and water quality standards are generally based on maximum allowable concentrations of materials hazardous to human health. They are specified and enforced by regulators according to public uses of these resources. The result is that changes in air and water quality are now monitored to protect human health. With few exceptions, soil quality standards have not been set, nor have regulations been created regarding maintenance of soil quality (Várallyay, 2005; Cook and Hendershot, 1996; Malcolm, 2000; Márton et al. 2007). To the extent that soil has been the disposal site of hazardous wastes, as well as a pathway by which contamination or other applied chemicals may present a human health risk, sporadic 40 regulations of soil quality (in terms of contamination) does exist in the 27 European Union (EU) countries for not just new ones but an estimated 30 000 existing chemicals, today. These regulations are in the form of laws regulating hazardous waste, toxic substances, and pesticides. However, these standards are often contradictory, inconsistent with each other and with current methods of assessing risk. For example, in the United States, federal regulations supporting CERCLA (40 CFR) is a list of "hazardous substances" and the levels in various media (e.g., soil, water) to which the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) must respond with a cleanup effort. However, EPA has fielded considerable controversy about contaminant levels and chemical forms that legitimately constitute a human health risk. Target cleanup levels have also been subject to debate and legislation. Soil quality assessment requires definition of a "clean" soil (Sims et al., 1997). From this point of view, good quality soil has been defined as posing "...no harm to any normal use by humans, plants or animals; not adversely affecting natural cycles or functions; and not contaminating other components of the environment" (Moen, 1988). The parallel to air and water quality is easy to draw on a conceptual level, but designation of soil quality standards is significantly complicated by soil variability and heterogeneity (Smith et al., 1993). Among the authors (Merker, 1956; Odell et al. 1984; Johnston et al., 1986; Reganold et al., 1990; Granatstein and Bezdicek, 1992; Kádár, 1992; Beke et al., 1994; Jenkinson et al., 1994; Schjenning et al., 1994; Murata et al., 1995; Biederbeck et al., 1996; Lindert et al., 1996; Romig et al., 1995; Warkentin, 1995; Carter et al., 1997; Gerzabeck et al., 1997; Seybold et al., 1997; Malcolm, 2000; Várallyay, 2005) and organizations defining soil quality are Larson and Pierce (1991), Karlen et al. (1997). The next section reviews some of the definitions and soil characteristics used to define soil quality. The reader should understand that the definition of soil quality and selection of soil characteristics needed to quantify soil quality are continuing to evolve. For example, Bouma (1989) recognized that an essential problem with definitions that produce carefully limited suitability classes is that empirical decisions must be made to separate the classes along what is essentially a continuum. That is, if soil organic matter is part of a soil quality definition, where on the continuum of soil organic matter content does one draw the line between a high quality and low quality soil? Does high organic matter content always indicate high soil quality? These are non-trivial questions under discussion by the soil science community. Carter et al. (1997) suggest a framework for evaluating soil quality that includes: 1. describing each soil function on which quality is to be based, 2. selecting soil characteristics or properties that influence the capacity of the soil to provide each function, 3. choosing indicators of characteristics that can be measured, and 4. using methods that provide accurate measurement of those indicators. The following soil functions appear frequently in the soil science literature: 1. soil maintains biological activity/productivity (Karlen et al., 1997), serves as medium for plant/crop growth (Arshad and Coen, 1992), supports plant productivity/yield (Arshad and Coen, 1992), supports human/animal health (Karlen et al., 1997); 2. partitions and regulates water/ solute flow through environment (Larson and Pierce, 1991; Arshad and Coen, 1992); 3. serves as an environmental buffer/filter (Larson and Pierce, 1991), maintains environmental quality (Arshad and Ccen, 1992); 4. cycles nutrients, water, energy and other elements through the biosphere (Anderson and Gregorich, 1984). Clearly, these functions are interrelated. Later in this chapter, discussion focuses on the first and third functions (productivity and environmental buffering) as encompassing those aspects of soil quality most debated in the literature. Larson and Pierce (1991) defined soil quality as "the capacity of a soil to function within the ecosystem boundaries and interact positively with the environment external to that ecosystem." Three soil functions are considered essential: provide a medium for plant growth, regulate and partition waterllow through the environment, and serve as an effective environmental filter. Arshad and Coen (1992) define soil quality as "the sustaining capability of a soil to accept, store and recycle water, minerals and energy for production of crops at optimum levels while preserving a healthy environment." They discuss terrain, climate and hydrology as site factors that contribute to soil quality and suggest that socioeconomic factors such as land use, operator and management should be included in a soil quality analysis. This approach is consistent with the FAO approach to land quality analysis (FAO, 1997). Karlen et al. (1992) define soil quality as "the ability of the soil to serve as a natural medium for the growth of plants that sustain human and animal life." Their definition is based on the role of soil quality in the long-term productivity of soil and maintenance of environmental quality. Doran and Parkin (1994) defined soil quality as "the capacity of a soil to function within ecosystem boundaries to sustain biological productivity, maintain environmental quality, and promote plant and animal health." Gregorich et al. (1994) define soil quality as "a composite measure of both a soil's ability to function and how well it functions relative to a specific use" or "the degree of fitness of a soil for a specific use." The Soil Science Society of America Ad Hoc Committee on Soil Health proposed that soil quality is "the capacity of a specific kind of soil to function, within natural or managed ecosystem boundaries, to sustain plant and animal productivity, maintain or enhance water and air quality, and support human health and habitation" (Karlen et al., 1997). This definition requires that five functions must be evaluated to describe soil quality: 1. sustaining biological activity, diversity, and productivity; 2. regulating and partitioning water and solute flow; 3. filtering, buffering, degrading, immobilizing and detoxifying organic and inorganic materials, including industrial and municipal byproducts and atmospheric deposition; 4. storing and cycling nutrients and other elements within the earth's biosphere; and 5. providing support of socioeconomic structures and protection for archeological treasures associated with human habitation. No soil is likely to successfully provide all of these functions, some of which occur in natural ecosystems and some of which are the result of human modification. We can summarize by saying that soil quality depends on the extent to which soil functions to benefit humans. Thus, for food production or mediation of contamination, soil quality means the extent to which a soil fulfills the role we have defined for it. Within agriculture, high quality equates to maintenance of high productivity without significant soil or environmental degradation. The Glossary of Soil Science terms produced by the Soil Science Society of America (1996) states that soil quality is an inherent attribute of a soil that is inferred from soil characteristics or indirect observations. To proceed from a dictionary definition to a measure of soil quality, a minimum dataset (MDS) of soil characteristics that represents soil quality must be selected and quantified (Papendick et al., 1995). The MDS may include biological, chemical or physical soil characteristics [Organic matter (OM), Aggregation (A), Bulk density (BD), Depth to hardpan (DH), Electrical conductivity (EC), Fertility (F), Respiration (R), pH, Soil test (ST), Yield (Y), Infiltration (I), Mineralizable nitrogen potential (MNP), Water holding capacity (WHC)]. For agriculture, the measurement of properties should lead to a relatively simple and accurate way to rank soils based on potential plant production without soil degradation. Unfortunately, commonly identified soil quality parameters may not correlate well with yield (Reganold, 1988). In the next section, we consider these four points concerning the selection and quantification of soil characteristics: 1. soil characteristics may be desirable or undesirable, 2. soil renewability involves judgment of the extent to which soil characteristics can be controlled or managed, 3. rates of change in soil characteristics vary, and 4. there may be significant temporal or spatial variation in soil characteristics. Components of soil quality definitions may include desirable and undesirable characteristics. Desirable soil characteristics may either be the presence of a property that benefits soil productivity and/or other important soil functions, or the absence of a property that is detrimental to these functions. A soil characteristic may include a range of values that contributes positively to quality and a range that contributes negatively. Soil pH, for example, may be a positive or negative characteristic depending on its value. Larson and Pierce (1991) suggest that ranges of property values can be defined as optimal, suboptimal or superoptimal. A pH range of 6 to 7.5 is optimal for production of most crops. Outside of this range, pH is suboptimal and soil quality is lower than at the optimal pH range. The complexity of the soil quality concept is illustrated by the fact that the choice of optimal pH range is crop or use dependent. Letey (1985) suggested that identification of a range of water content that is nonlimiting to plant productivity might be a good way of assessing the collective effect of soil physical characteristics that contribute to crop productivity. For soils of decreasing quality, the width of the nonlimiting water range decreases. Undesirable soil characteristics may be either the presence of contaminants or a range of values of soil characteristics that contribute negatively to soil quality. The presence of chemicals that inhibit plant root growth or the absence of nutrients that result in low yields or poor crop quality are examples of undesirable soil characteristics that lower soil quality. The extent to which soil is viewed as a renewable resource shapes our approach to soil quality. "Soil" in this context is the natural, three-dimensional, horizonated individual, not something created by earth moving machinery. For the purpose of assessing human impact on sustainability of soil quality, it may be appropriate to use only those soil properties that are slowly or nonrenewable. Shorter term assessments may be based on those properties that change rapidly and are subject to easy management. Willis and Evans (1977) argued that soil is not renewable over the short term based on studies that suggest that 30 to more than 1,000 years are required to develop 25 mm of surface soil from parent material by natural processes. Jenny (1980) also argued that soil is not renewable over the time scale to which humans relate. Howard (1993) suggests defining soil quality based on undisturbed natural soils and to set quality standards based on changes in soils which cannot be reversed naturally or by ecological approaches. The renewability of soil depends on the soil property considered. For example, once soil depth is reduced by wind or water erosion so that it is too shallow to support crops, it is not renewable within a human or management time frame. Some important soil characteristics are slowly renewable. Organic matter, most nutrients and some physical properties may be renewed through careful long-term management. Certain chemical properties (pH, salinity, N, P, K content) may be altered to a more satisfactory range for agriculture within a growing season or two, while removal of unwanted chemicals may take much longer. No soil property is permanent, but rates and frequency of change vary widely among properties. Soil properties also vary with ecosystem, arguably depending most on climate. In rangelands, for example, temporal variability is high and relatively unpredictable due to the strong dependence of soil properties on soil wetness (Herrick and Whitford, 1995). Variability in soil wetness is not restricted to rangelands and may be an especially important determinant of microbial community structure and function in both irrigated and rainfed agricultural systems. Arnold et al. (1990) suggest that changes in soil properties can be nonsystematic, periodic, or trend. Nonsystematic changes are short term and unpredictable. Periodic are predictable and trend changes tend to be in one direction over time. Carter et al. (1997) distinguish between dynamic soil properties that are most subject to change through human use and are strongly influenced by agronomic practices, and intrinsic or static properties that are not subject to rapid change or management. Examples of dynamic soil characteristics are the size, membership, distribution, and activity of a soil's microbiological community; the soil solution composition, pH, and nutrient ion concentrations, and the exchangeable cation population. Soils respond quickly to changes in conditions such as water content. As a result, the optimal frequency and distribution of soil measurements vary with the property being measured. Soil mineralogy, particle size distribution and soil depth are static soil quality indicators. Although changes occur continuously, they are slow under natural conditions. Organic matter content may be a dynamic variable, but the chemical properties of organic matter may change only over periods on the order of 100 to 1,500 years depending on texture. Soil properties that change quickly present a problem because many measurements are needed to know the average value and to determine if changes in the average indicate improvement or degradation of soil quality. Conversely, properties that change very slowly are insensitive measures of short-term changes in soil quality. Papendick et al. (1995) argue that the MDS required for soil quality analysis includes a mix of "dynamic" and relatively "static" properties. A soil quality assessment must specify area. One could use the pedon (the three-dimensional soil individual) as the unit of measure, or a soil map unit, a landscape, a field or an entire watershed. The choice will depend to some degree on what property is of interest and the spatial variability of the property. Karlen et al. (1997) propose that soil quality can be evaluated at scales ranging from points to regional, national and international. They suggest that the more detailed scales provide an opportunity to "understand" soil quality while larger scale approaches provide interdisciplinary monitoring of soil quality and changes in soil quality. Pennock et al. (1994) discuss scaling up data from discrete sampling points to landscape and regional scales. Soil physical characteristics [Aeration (A), Aggregate stability (AS), Bulk density (BD), Clay mineralogy (CM), Color (C), Consistence (dry (CD), moist (CM), wet (CW)), Depth to root limiting layer (DRLL), Hydraulic conductivity (HC), Oxygen diffusion rate (ODR), Particle size distribution (PSD), Penetration resistence (PR), Pore connectivity (PC), Pore size distribution (PSD), Soil strength (SS), Soil tilth (ST), Structure type (STY), Temperature (T), Total porosity (TP), Water-holding capacity (WHC)] are a necessary part of soil quality assessment because they often cannot be easily improved (Wagenet and Hutson, 1997). Larson and Pierce (1991) summarize the physical indicators of soil quality as those properties that influence crop production by determining: 1. whether a soil can accommodate unobstructed root growth and provide pore space of sufficient size and continuity for root penetration and expansion, 2. the extent to which the soil matrix will resist deformation, and 3. the capacity of soil for water supply and aeration. Factors such as effective rooting depth, porosity or pore size distribution, bulk density, hydraulic conductivity, soil strength and particle size distribution capture these soil functions (Malcolm, 2000; Várallyay, 2005). Reganold and Palmer (1995) use texture, color, dry and moist consistence, structure type, a structure index, bulk density of the 0-5 cm zone, penetration resistance of 0 to 20 and 20 to 40 cm zones and topsoil thickness as physical determinants of soil quality. Letey (1994) suggests that structure, texture, bulk density, and profile characteristics affect management practices in agriculture but are not directly related to plant productivity. He proposes that water potential, oxygen diffusion rate, temperature, and mechanical resistance directly affect plant growth, and thus are the best indicators of the physical quality of a soil for production. Soil tilth, a poorly defined term that describes the physical condition of soil, also may be an indicator of a soil's ability to support crops. Farmers may assess soil tilth by kicking a soil clod. More formal measurements to describe soil ti]th include bulk density, porosity, structure, roughness and aggregate characteristics (Karlen et al., 1992). Many of the processes that contribute to soil structure, aggregate stability, bulk density and porosity are not well understood, making soil tilth a difficult parameter to quantify. Soil depth is an easily measured and independent property that provides direct information about a soil's ability to support plants. Effective soil depth is the depth available for roots to explore for water and nutrients. Layers that restrict root growth or water movement include hard rock, naturally dense soil layers such as fragipans, petrocalcic and, petroferric horizons, duripans, and human-induced layers of high bulk density such as plow pans and traffic pans. Effective soil depth is a problem for agricultural use of over 50% of soils in Africa (Eswaran et al., 1997). Soil depth requirements vary with crop or species. Many vegetable crops, for example, are notably shallow rooted while grain crops and some legumes like alfalfa are deep rooted. Variation will be even greater in unmanaged, natural systems. Wheat yield in Colorado was shown to decrease from 2,700 to 1,150 kg ha' over a 60-yr period of cultivation primarily due to decrease in soil depth (Bowman et al., 1990). Assessment of soil quality based on soil chemistry, whether the property is a contaminant or part of a healthy system, requires a sampling protocol, a method of chemical analysis, an understanding of how its chemistry affects biological systems and interacts with mineral forms, methods for location of possible contamination, and standards for soil characterization (Várallyay, 2005; Németh, 1996; Malcolm, 2000). Some soil chemical properties suggested as soil quality indicators are: Base saturation percentage (BSP), Cation exchange capacity (CEC), Contaminant availability (CA), Contaminant concentration (CC), Contaminant mobility (CM), Contaminant presence (CP), Electrical conductivity (EC), ESP, Nutrient cycling rates (NCR), Ph, Plant nutrient availability (PNA), Plant nutrient content (PNC) and SAR. Nutrient availability depends on soil physical and chemical processes, such as weathering and buffering, and properties such as organic matter content, CEC and pH (Kádár, 1992; Várallyay, 1992, 1994, 2005; Németh, 1996; Malcolm, 2000; Márton, 2005; Márton et al. 2007). At low and high pH, for example, some nutrients become unavailable to plants and some toxic elements become more available. Larson and Pierce (1991) chose those chemical properties that either inhibit root growth or that affect nutrient supply due to the quantity present or the availability. Reganold and Palmer (1995) used chemical parameters related to nutrient availability as measures of soil quality, including CEC, total N and P, pH and extractable P, S, Ca, Mg and K. Karlen et al. (1992) suggest that total and available plant nutrients, and nutrient cycling rates, should be included in soil quality assessments. Soil properties may be severely compromised by intended or unintended human additions of chemical compounds and soil productivity reduced if unwanted chemicals exceed safe thresholds. Data are required to determine whether or not a site is significantly polluted and if it requires clean-up (Sims et al., 1997). International standard methods have been created to maintain the quality of measurements (Hortensius and Welling, 1996). A difficult determination is the level of each chemical that is considered an ecological risk. Beck et al. (1995) provide a list of levels for organic chemicals adopted by The Netherlands and Canada. EPA uses similar lists for compounds considered hazardous (e.g., 40 CFR). Sims et al. (1997) argue that clean and unclean are two extremes of a continuum and that it is more appropriate to define the physical, chemical and biological state of the soil as acceptable or unacceptable. In The Netherlands, soil quality reference values have been created for heavy metals and organic chemicals based on a linear relationship with soil clay and organic matter content. The Dutch Ministry of Housing, Physical Planning and Environment has used the maximum of a range of reference values for a given substance as a provisional reference value for good soil quality (Howard, 1993). The focus of many soil quality definitions is soil biology [Organic carbon (OC), Microbial biomass (MB), C and N, Total bacterial biomass (TBB), Total fungal biomass (TFB), Potentially mineralizable N (PMN), Soil respiration (SR), Enzymes (Dehydrogenase, Phosphatase, Arlysulfatase), Biomass C/total organic carbon, Respiration/biomass, Microbial community fingerprinting (MCF), Substrate utilization (SU), Fatty acid analysis (FAA), Nucleic acid analysis (NAA)]. Soil supports a diverse population of organisms, ranging in size from viruses to large mammals, that usually interacts positively with plants and other system components (Paul and Clark, 1996). However, some soil organisms such as nematodes, bacterial and fungal pathogens reduce plant productivity. Many proposed soil quality definitions focus on the presence of beneficial rather than absence of detrimental organisms, although both are critically important. Various measures of microbial community viability have been suggested as measures or indices of soil quality. Community level studies consider species diversity and frequency of occurrence of species. Visser and Parkinson (1992) found that diverse soil microbiological criteria may be used to indicate deteriorating or improving soil quality. They suggested testing the biological criteria for soil quality at three levels: population, community and ecosystem. Microorganisms and microbial communities are dynamic and diverse, making them sensitive to changes in soil conditions (Kennedy and Papendick, 1995). Their populations include fungi, bacteria including actinomycetes, protozoa, and algae. Soil microorganisms form crucial symbiotic relationships with plants, including mycorrhizal infection for P and N acquisition and bacterial infection for fixation of atmospheric N. Authors emphasizing use of biological factors as indicators of soil quality often equate soil quality with relatively dynamic properties such as microbial biomass, microbial respiration, organic matter mineralization and denitrification, and organic matter content (Yakovchenko et al., 1996; Franzluebbers and Arshad, 1997), or soil microbial C, phospholipid analyses and soil enzymes (Gregorich et al., 1997), or total organic C and N (Franco-Vizcaino, 1997). Visser and Parkinson (1992) question the suitability of enzyme assays for microbial activity and soil quality assessments. Waksman (1927), who studied measurements of soil microorganisms that could indicate soil fertility, found that physical and chemical factors as well as soil biology were needed to predict soil fertility. Meso- and macrofauna populations have also been considered as part of soil quality definitions (Berry, 1994). One could choose to use presence or absence of a particular species or population of a particular species as a measure of soil quality. Stork and Eggleton (1992) discuss species richness as a powerful indicator of invertebrate community and soil quality, although determining the number of species is a problem. They suggest that keystone species, taxonomic diversity at the group level, and species richness of several dominant groups of invertebrates can be used as part of a soil quality definition. Measuring soil fauna populations involves decisions about which organisms to measure and how to measure them. An example is the earthworm population, the size of which is frequently mentioned as an important measure of soil quality. Measurement choices include numbers of organisms per volume or weight of soil, number of species, or a combination of numbers of organisms and species. Reganold and Palmer (1995) use total earthworms per square meter, total earthworm weight (g m-') and average individual earthworm weight as biological indicators of soil quality. Measurement of one or more components of the N cycle including ammonification, nitrification and nitrogen fixation, may be used to assess soil fertility and soil quality (Visser and Parkinson, 1992). Presumably, high rates of N turnover may infer a dynamic and healthy soil biological community. In contrast, low soil quality or poor soil health may be inferred from lack of N turnover. The interpretation of N turnover rates is highly dependent on the kinds of substrates added to soils and climate variables such as soil temperature and moisture. One needs to be careful when comparing N turnover rates within soils and among different soils to be sure that the cause of differences is a soil quality parameter and not natural variability. Presence of pesticide residues, for example, may reduce N turnover rate. In such an instance, both the presence of the pesticide and the N turnover rate would be needed to determine that the soil quality had been impaired. Production incorporates use of and need for functioning soil resources in agriculture, and environmental buffering incorporates the direct and indirect effects of human use on ecosystem function and human health (Kádár, 1992; Várallyay, 1992, 1994, 2005; Németh, 1996; Malcolm, 2000; Márton, 2005; Márton et al. 2007). Worldwide agriculture is the most extensive human land use, and soil characteristics are a critical determinant of agricultural productivity. Agriculture includes irrigated and rainfed cultivated cropland, permanent crops such as orchards and vineyards, irrigated pasture, range, and forestry. Each cropping system has distinct soil and soil management conditions for optimal production. It has been suggested that soil productivity is the net resultant of soil degradation processes and soil conservation practices (Parr et al., 1990). An appropriate definition of soil quality and the criteria necessary to evaluate and monitor soil quality is a step toward "the development of systematic criteria of sustainability". Issues to be considered when discussing soil quality for agriculture include: 1. How are productivity and sustainability related? 2. Is the cropping system in question cultivated or non-cultivated? 3. Is the cropping system in question an irrigated or dryland system? Sustainability of agricultural systems is critical to human welfare and is an a subject of research and debate (Letey, 1994). High productivity and sustainability must be converging goals if the growing human population is to be fed without destroying the resources necessary to produce food. Sustainability implies that a system is at a desirable steady state. Thermodynamically, soil is an open system through which matter and energy flow and a steady state is characterized by a minimum production of entropy (Andiscott, 1995). Ellert et al. (1997) review related literature on ways of assessing soil function on an ecosystem scale, commenting that the complexity and organization of living systems, which seem to defy the second law of thermodynamics (increasing disorder/entropy), may provide a means to broadly assess ecosystem function. The purpose of agriculture is to provide products for human sustenance and by definition is not sustainable unless the nutrients removed in the products are returned to the soil. Many of the arguments about the sustainability of agricultural systems relate to the form in which nutrients are most sustainably returned. No agricultural system will be sustainable in the long run without management that considers nutrient cycling and energy budgets. The more intense the agricultural system, the more energy and resources must be expended to maintain the system. The relative quality of a soil for agriculture can depend on the resources available to farmers. In the United States, resources may be readily available for management of dynamic soil properties such as nutrient or water status. In other countries, farmers may be resource poor, and agricultural systems are generally low input, meaning that large-scale irrigation is absent, use of fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides is minimal, and high energy, mechanized equipment is not available (Eswaran et a1.,1997). This means, for example, that soil quality for agriculture will be more dependent on climate than if the same soils were part of a highly managed, irrigated system. Similarly, sustainability is more dependent on maintenance of dynamic soil properties because resources may not exist to remedy losses (Várallyay, 2005; Malcolm, 2000; Márton et al. 2007). It is difficult to overstate the importance of irrigation to food production. One-third of the total global harvest of food comes from the 17% (250 million ha) of the world's cropland that is irrigated (Hoffman et al., 1990); three-quarters of which are in developing countries (Tribe, 1994). India, China, the former Soviet Union, the United States and Pakistan have the greatest area of irrigated land. Should soil quality criteria be the same for irrigated and dryland agriculture? Sojka (1996) suggests that the arid and semi-arid soils that support most irrigated agriculture have thin erodible surfaces, characteristics that would classify such soils as having poor quality. Yet under irrigation, they feed much of the world. Without irrigation, for example, in many African soils, moisture stress becomes a significant factor limiting production, and the water-holding capacity of a soil becomes crucial (Eswaran et al., 1997). This suggests that a standard set of criteria based on potential productivity is not a sufficient definition of soil quality. Soils that are not cultivated are a much larger component of agriculture, broadly defined, than those that are cultivated. About 65% of the land in the United States is forest (284 million ha) or range land (312 million ha), with only about 284 million hacultivated (NRC,1994). Herrick and Whitford (1995) suggest that range land soils, which often serve multiple uses, present unique challenges and opportunities for assessing soil quality because spatial and temporal variability are higher than in cropped systems. On range lands and forest lands, food, fiber, timber production, biomass for fuel, wildlife, biodiversity, recreation, and water supply are all potential uses that may have diverse criteria for quality soils. Herrick and Whitford (1995) give the example of a thick O horizon that may be an indicator of good timber production but has no predictive value of soil quality for the rancher. The National Research Council (NRC, 1994) recommends that range land health be determined using three criteria: degree of soil stability and watershed function, integrity of nutrient cycles and energy flows, and presence of functioning recovery mechanisms. Soil erosion by wind and water and infiltration or capture of precipitation were selected as processes that could be used as indicators of soil stability and watershed function. Specific indicators or properties need to be related to these two broad processes. The amount of nutrients available, the speed with which nutrients cycle, and measures of the integrity of energy flow through the system were considered fundamental components of range land health. Finally, the capacity of range land ecosystems to react to change depends on recovery mechanisms that result in capture and cycling of nutrients, capture of energy, conservation of nutrients, energy and water, and resilience to change. Specific indicators include status of vegetation, age class and distribution (Kádár, 1992; Várallyay, 1992, 1994, 2005; Németh, 1996; Malcolm, 2000; Márton et al. 2007). The evaluation of land quality for forestry is a well-known practice. Indices range from quantitative through semi-quantitative to qualitative. Quantitative evaluations, such as site index, use regression equations to predict tree height at a predetermined tree age based on soil and climate data. Qualitative evaluations assign land to classes based on soil and climate properties. In soil science, the term "buffer" refers collectively to processes that constrain shifts in the dissolved concentration of any ion when it is added to or removed from the soil system (Singer and Munns, 1996). Soils "buffer" nutrients as well as contaminants and other solutes, via sorption to or incorporation into clay and organic materials. The extent to which a soil immobilizes or chemically alters substances that are toxic, thus effectively detoxifying them, reflects "quality" in the sense that humans or other biological components of the system are protected from harm. This is the basis for the European concept of soil quality (Moen, 1988; Siegrist, 1989; Denneman and Robberse, 1990). Lack of soil function in this category is reflected as direct toxicity or as contamination of air or water. Identifying substances that qualify as "contaminants" can be challenging because some, such as nitrates and phosphates, are important plant nutrients as well as potential water pollutants. An example is agricultural runoff containing N03 or soluble P (Yli-Halla et al., 1995). This chapter does not attempt a comprehensive review of research in this area, which is covered in an earlier chapter, but instead presents a few sample articles pertinent to this aspect of soil quality. Holden and Firestone (1997) define soil quality in this context as "the degree to which the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of the soil serve to attenuate environmental pollution." Howard (1993) defines the ecological risk of a chemical in the environment as "the probability that a random species in a large community is exposed to a concentration of the chemical greater than its no-effect level." The extent to which a soil is capable of reducing the probability of exposure is a measure of its quality. A well-studied example of a common soil contaminant is Pb (McBride et al., 1997). Although legislated limits may be on a concentration basis in soil (e.g., 500 ftg kg-'), risk assessment techniques have attempted to account for the chemical form of Pb present, as well as the observed relative relationship between the amount of Pb present in soil and blood levels in local residents (Bowers and Gauthier, 1994). Critics have questioned analytical techniques used to determine bioavailable levels of Pb in soil, as well as the degree to which toxicity data account for its chemical fate and ecologically damaging properties (Cook and Hendershot, 1996). Natural variability of soils and variation within a soil series make average values or average background values inadequate for soil quality assessments. In addition, bioaccumulation and toxicity need to be considered when establishing levels of toxicants that may not be exceeded in a "high quality" soil for a given use (Traas et al. 1996). Another example is the effect of heavy metals such as Cr(VI) on soil biological properties. Based on a study of three New Zealand soils of contrasting texture, organic matter content, and CEC, Speir et al. (1995) propose an "ecological dose value" that represents the inhibitory effects of a heavy metal (in this case, Cr(VI)) on the kinetics of soil biological properties, and serves as a generic index for determination of permissible concentration levels for heavy metals in soils. A single soil characteristic is of limited use in evaluating differences in soil quality (Reganold and Palmer, 1995). Using more than one quantitative variable requires some system for combining the measurements into a useful index (Halvorson et al., 1996). The region, crop, or general soil use for which an index was created will likely limit its effectiveness outside the scope of its intended application. Even an index designed only to rate productivity is not likely to be useful for all crops and soils, leading Gersmehl and Brown (1990) to advocate regionally targeted systems. Rice is a good example of a crop requiring significantly different soil properties than other crops. It is a food staple for a large proportion of the world population. Approximately 146 million ha were in rice production in 1989 (FAO, 1989) mainly (90%) in Asia. High quality soils for paddy rice may be poor quality for most other irrigated and dryland crops because they may be saline or sodic, and high in clay with slow infiltration and permeability. These physical and chemical properties often constrain production of other crops. Although they are not reviewed here, various land suitability classifications specifically for rice have been developed since the turn of the century (Dent, 1978). Examples of several soil quality indexing systems are presented in the following sections. To some extent, recent attempts to enumerate the factors of soil quality resemble Jenny's (1941) introduction of the interrelated factors of soil formation. An index is categorized here as nonquantitative if it does not combine evaluated parameters into a numerical index that rates soils along a continuous scale. Examples are the USDA Land Capability Classification and the US Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) Irrigation Suitability. The purpose of the Land Capability Classification (LCC) was to place arable soils into groups based on their ability to sustain common cultivated crops that do not require specialized site conditioning or treatment (Klingebiel and Montgomery, 1973). Nonarable soils, unsuitable for long-term, sustained cultivation, are grouped according to their ability to support permanent vegetation, and according to the risk of soil damage if mismanaged. The LCC combines three rating values at different levels of abstraction: capability class, subclass, and unit. At the most general level, soils are placed in eight classes according to whether they (a) are capable of producing adapted plants under good management (classes I to N), (b) are capable of producing specialized crops under highly intensive management involving "elaborate practices for soil and water conservation" (classes V to VII), or (c) do not return on-site benefits as a result of management inputs for crops, grasses or trees without major reclamation (Klingebiel and Montgomery, 1973). The four possible limitations/hazards under the subclass rating are erosion hazard, wetness, rooting zone limitations and climate. The capability unit groups soils that have about the same responses to systems of management and have longtime estimated yields that do not vary by more than 25% under comparable management. The issue of critical limits is a difficult one in soils because of the range of potential uses and the interactions among variables (Arshad and Ccen, 1992). Several studies have shown that lands of higher LCC have higher productivity than lands of lower LCC (Patterson and Mackintosh, 1976; van Vliet et al., 1979; Reganold and Singer, 1984). In a study of 744 alfalfa, corn, cotton, sugar beet and wheat growing fields in the San Joaquin Valley of California, those with LCC ratings between 1 and 3 had significantly lower input/output ratios than fields with ratings between 3.01 and 6 (Reganold and Singer, 1984). This suggests that use of the LCC system provides an economically meaningful assessment of soil quality for agriculture. This was a frequently used system of land evaluation for irrigation in the Western US during the period of rapid expansion of water delivery systems (McRae and Burnham, 1981). It combines social and economic evaluations of the land with soil and other ecological variables to determine if the land has the productive capacity, once irrigated, to repay the investment necessary to bring water to an area. It recognizes the unique importance of irrigation to agriculture and the special qualities of soils that make them irrigable. Quantitative systems result in a numerical index, typically with the highest number being assigned to the best quality soils. Systems may be additive, multiplicative or more complex functions. They have two important advantages over nonquantitative systems: 1. they are easier to use with GIS and other automated data retrieval and display systems, and 2. they typically provide a continuous scale of assessment. No single national system is presently in use but several state or regional systems exist. Although he considered the productivity of the land to be dependent on 32 soil, climate and vegetative properties [Surface conditions: Physiographic position, Slope, Microrelief, Erosion deposition, External drainage, runoff. Soil physical conditions: Soil color, Soil depth, Soil density and porosity, Soil permeability, Soil texture, Stoniness, Soil structure, Soil workability-consistence, Internal drainage, Water-holding capacity, Plant-available water. Soil chemical conditions: Organic matter, Nitrogen, Reaction, Calcium carbonate, bases, Exchange capacity, Salts: Cl, SO Na, Toxicities, e.g., B, Available P, Available K, Minor elements, e.g., Zn, Fe, Fertility. Mineralogical conditions: Mineralogy. Climate: Precipitation Temperature Growing season Winds. Vegetativé cover: Natural vegetation], only nine properties were used in the SIR, because incorporating a greater number of factors made the system unwieldy. The nine factors are soil morphology (A), surface texture (B), slope (C), and six variables (X.) that rate drainage class, sodicity, acidity, erosion, microrelief and fertility; rated from 1% to 100%. These are converted to their decimal value and multiplied together (Storie, 1964). Values for each factor were derived from Storie's experience mapping and evaluating soils in California, and in soil productivity studies in cooperation with the California Agricultural Experiment Station cost-efficiency projects relating to orchard crops, grapes and cotton. In describing the SIR (SIR= [AxBxCxIIXi]x100), Storie (1932, 1964) explicitly mentioned "soil quality". Soils that were deep, had no restricting subsoil horizons, and held water well had the greatest potential for the widest range of crops. The usefulness of the SIR as a soil quality index would be greatest if there was a statistically significant relationship between SIR values and an economic indicator of land value. Reganold and Singer (1984) found that area-weighted average SIR values between 60 and 100 for 744 fields in the San Joaquin Valley of California had lower but statistically insignificant input/output ratios than fields with indices < 60. The lack of statistical significance does not mean that better quality lands could not be farmed at economically lower cost or at higher cost and higher output than the lower quality lands. We productivity index model (PI) was developed to evaluate soil productivity in the top 100 cm, especially with reference to potential productivity loss due to soil erosion (Neill, 1979; Kiniry et al., 1983). The PI model rates soils on the sufficiency for root growth based on potential available water storage capacity, bulk density, aeration, pH, and electrical conductivity. A value from zero to one is assigned to each property describing the importance of that parameter for root development. The product of these five index values is used to describe the fractional sufficiency of any soil layer for root development. Pierce et al. (1983) modified the PI to include the assumption that nutrients were not limiting and that climate, management and plant differences are constant. A number of authors found that it is useful to various degrees (Gantzer and McCarty, 1987; Lindstrom et al., 1992). Parr et al. (1992) suggest that a SQI could take the form of Equation: SQI = f (SP, P, E, H, ER, BD, FQ, MI) where SQI is a function of soil properties (SP), potential productivity (P), environmental factors (E), human and animal health (H), erodibility (ER), biological diversity (BD), food quality and safety (FQ) and management inputs (MI). Determination of the specific measurable indicators of each variable and the interactions among these diverse variables is a daunting task. Moreover, the mathematical method of combining these factors, as well as the resulting value that would indicate a high quality soil, is not specified. The inclusion of variables BD, FQ and MI make this a land quality index as suggested by FAO (1997). Larson and Pierce (1991) defined soil quality (Q) as the state of existence of soil relative to a standard or in terms of a degree of excellence. They argue that defining Q in terms of productivity is too limiting and does not serve us well. Rather, Q is defined as the sum of individual soil qualities q. and expressed as Equation: Q=f(qi ...qn). These authors do not identify the best subset of properties or their functional and quantitative relationship, but do suggest that a MDS should be selected from those soil characteristics in which changes are measurable and relatively rapid (i.e., "dynamic" properties), arguing that it is more important to know about changes in soil quality (dQ) than the magnitude of Q (Larson and Pierce, 1991). Changes in soil quality are a function of changes in soil characteristics (q) over time (t): dQ = f[(qi.t - qit0 )... (qn.t-qnt0)]. If dQ/dt is ≥0, the soil or ecosystem is improving relative to the standard at time to. If dQ/dt <0, soil degradation is occurring. Time zero can be selected to meet management needs or goals. If there is a drastic change in management, time zero can be defined as prior to the change. If a longer time period of comparison is considered more appropriate, properties of an uncultivated or pristine soil could be used. The MDS recommended by Larson and Pierce (1991) includes N mineralization potential or P buffering capacity, total organic C, labile organic C, texture, plant-available water capacity, structure (bulk density is recommended as a surrogate variable), strength, maximum rooting depth, pH and EC. In instances when data are unavailable, pedotransfer functions (Bouma, 1989) can be used to estimate values of soil characteristics. These estimates can then be used as part of the minimum dataset to estimate soil quality or changes in soil quality brought about by management. Although this is a quantitative system, some qualitative judgments are needed to make decisions about changes in soil quality. In particular, interpretation of the meaning of magnitude of changes in a characteristic or the number of characteristics to change from time zero to the time of the measurement is qualitative. The authors do not address how large a change in pH, soil depth, bulk density or organic C represents serious soil degradation, or the values that define soil as high or low quality. Karlen et al. (1994) developed QI based on a 10-year crop residue management study. QI is based on four soil functions: (1) accommodating water entry, (2) retaining and supplying water to plants, (3) resisting degradation, and (4) supporting plant growth. Numerous properties were measured and values normalized based on standard scoring functions. One function is based on the concept that more of a property is better, one that less is better and the third that an optimum is better. Lower threshold values receive a score of zero, upper threshold values receive a score of one, and baseline values receive a score of one-half. Priorities are then assigned to each value. For example, aggregate stability was given the highest weight among factors important in water entry. After normalizing, each value is then multiplied by its weighting factor (wt) and products are summed Equation: QI=qwe (wt) + qwt (wt)+qrd (wt) + qspg (wt). Subscripts refer to the four main functions described earlier. It should also be noted that resisting degradation (rd) and sustaining plant growth (spg) are assigned secondary and tertiary levels of properties that themselves are normalized and weighted before a final value is calculated and incorporated into Equation. The resulting index resulted in values between zero and one. Of the three systems in the study, the one with the highest rate of organic matter return to the soil had the highest index value, and the soil with the lowest had the lowest value. The authors suggest that this demonstrates the usefulness of the index for monitoring the status and change in status of a soil as a function of management. They also suggest that the index and the soil characteristics that go into the index may change as the index is refined (Karlen et al. 1994). Snakin et al. (1996) developed an index of soil degradation that assigns three separate values from one to five reflecting the degree to which a soil's physical, chemical, and biological properties are degraded, as well as the rate of degradation. The Canadian soil capability classification system is similar to the older US systems and is quantitative. In a study in southwestern Ontario, Patterson and Mackintosh (1976) found that high gross returns per ha were three times as likely if the productivity index of land, based on the soil capability classification, was between 90 and 100 than if it fell between 80 and 89. Smith et al. (1993) and Halvorson et al. (1996) propose a multiple-variable indicator transform procedure to combine values or ranges of values that represent the best estimate of soil quality. Their system converts measured data values into a single value according to specified criteria. They do not attempt to define soil quality or specify what soil characteristics are to be used. They combine this procedure with kriging to develop maps that indicate the probabilities of meeting a soil quality criterion on a landscape level. Critical threshold values must be known, assumed, or determined in order to separate different soil qualities. Numerous additive productivity rating systems have been developed for specific states, as reviewed by Huddleston (1984). In these systems, soil properties are assigned numerical values according to their expected impact on plant growth. The index is usually calculated as the sum of the values assigned to each property with 100 the maximum value. Huddleston (1984) notes advantages and disadvantages to such a system which are similar to those for many of the soil quality indices previously discussed. Additive systems become complex as the number of factors, cropping systems, and soil and climatic conditions increases. A unique problem of subtractive systems (one in which 100 is the starting point and values are deducted for problem conditions) is that negative values result when multiple factors are less than satisfactory. Soil quality is a concept being developed to characterize the usefulness and health of soils, because soils are fundamental to the well-being and productivity of agricultural and natural ecosystems. It is a compound characteristic that cannot be directly measured. Many definitions of soil quality can be found in the literature and no set of soil characteristics has been universally adopted to quantify definitions. Soil quality is often equated with agricultural productivity and sustainability. An approach toward developing soil quality definitions is one that assesses soil quality in the context of a soil's potential to perform given functions in a system; e.g., maintains productivity, partitions and regulates water and solute flow through an ecosystem, serves as an environmental buffer, and cycles nutrients, water, and energy through the biosphere. Air and water quality standards are usually based on maximum allowable concentrations of materials hazardous to human health. A definition of soil quality based on this concept would encompass only a fraction of the important roles soils play in agriculture and the environment but could be essential to soil remediation. To proceed from a definition to a measure of soil quality, a minimum dataset of soil characteristics that represent soil quality must be selected and quantified. Many soil physical, chemical and biological properties have been suggested to separate soils of different quality. These include desirable and undesirable properties. Desirable soil characteristics may either be the presence of a property that benefits crop productivity and environmental buffering and/or other important soil functions, or the absence of a property that is detrimental to these functions. In particular, absence of contaminants is an important soil quality characteristic. In selecting characteristics, it is necessary to recognize that some soil properties are static, in the sense that they change slowly over time and others are dynamic. In addition, spatial and temporal variability of soil properties must be considered when selecting the properties used to assess soil quality. A single soil property is of limited use in evaluating soil quality. Qualitative and quantitative soil quality indices have been suggested that combine quantitative values of soil properties. Quantitative systems may be additive, multiplicative or more complex functions. Regardless of the definition or suite of soil variables chosen to define and quantify soil quality, it is critical to human welfare that soils be managed to provide for human health and well-being while minimizing soil and environmental degradation. References Anderson, D.W., E.G. Gregorich. 1984. Effect of soil erosion on soil quality and productivity. p. 105-113. In Soil erosion and degradation. Proc. 2nd Ann. Western Prov. Conf. Rational. Water Soil Res. Manag. Sask., Saskatoon, Canada. Andiscott, T.M. 1995. Entropy and sustainability. Europ. J. Soil Sci. 46:161-168. Arnold, R.W., I. Zaboles., V.C. Targulian (ed.). 1990. Global soil change. Report of an IIASA-ISSS-UNEP task force on the role of soil in global change. International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Laxanberg, Austria. Arshad, M-A., G.M. Coen. 1992. Characterization of soil quality: Physical and chemical criteria. Am. J. Altern. Agr. 725-3 I . Beck, A.J., S.C. Wilson., R.E. Alcock., K.C. Jones. 1995. Kinetic constraints on the loss of organic chemicals from contaminated soils: Implications for soil-quality limits. Critical Rev. Environ. Sci. Technol. 25:1-43. Beke, G.J., H.H. Janzen., T. Entz. 1994. Salinity and nutrient distribution in soil profiles of long-term crop rota-tions. Can. J. Soil Sci. 74:229-234. Berry, E.C. 1994. Earthworms and other fauna in the soil, p. 61-90. In J.L. Hatfield and B A. Stewart (ed.) Soil biology: effects on soil quality. Lewis Publishers, Boca Raton, FL. Biederbeck, V.O., C.A. Campbell., H.U. Krainetz., D. Curtain., O.T Bouman. 1996. Soil microbial and biochemical properties after ten years of fertilization with urea and anhydrous ammonia. Can. J. Soil Sci. 76:7-14. Boehn, M.M., D.W. Anderson. 1997. A landscape-scale study of soil quality in three prairie farming systems. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 61:1147-1159. Bouma, J. 1989. Land qualities in space and time. p. 3-13. In J. Bouma and A.K. Bregt (ed.) Land qualities in space and time. Pudoc, Wageningen, Netherlands. Bouma, J., A.K. Bregt (ed.). 1989. Land qualities in space and time. Pudoc, Wageningen, Netherlands. Bowers, T.S., T.D. Gauhier. 1994. Use of the output of a lead risk assessment model to establish soil lead cleanup levels. Environ. Geochem. Health 16:191-196. Bowman, R.A., J.D. Reeder., G.E. Schuman. 1990. Evaluation of selected soil physical, chemical and biological parameters as indicators of soil productivity. Proc. Int. Conf. on Soil Quality in Semi-arid Ag. 2:64-70. Univ. of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada. Budd, W.W. 1992. What capacity the land? J. Soil Water Conserv. 47:28-31. Carter, MR., E.G. Gregorich., D.W Anderson., J.W. Doran., H.H. Janzen., F.J. Pierce. 1997. Concepts of soil quality and their significance: /n E.G. Gregorich and M. Carter (ed.) Soil quality for crop production and ecosys-tem health. Elsevier Science Publishers, Amsterdam, Netherlands. Cook, N., W.H. Hendershot. 1996. The problem of establishing ecologically based soil quality criteria: The case of lead. Can J. Soil Sci. 76:335-342. Cox, C. 1995. Soil quality: Goals for national policy. J. Soil Water Conserv. 50:223. Denneman, C.A.J., J.G. Robberse. 1990. Ecotoxicological risk assessment as a base for development of soil quality criteria. p. 157-164. In F Arendt, M. Hinsenveld and W.J. van den Brink (ed.) Contaminated soil '90. Proc. Intl. KfK/I'NO Conf. on Contaminated Soil, Karlsruhe, Germany, Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, Neth-erlands. Dent, F.J. 1978. Land suitability classification. p. 273-293. In Soils and rice. International Ri

Land use impact on soil quality in eastern Himalayan region of India.

PubMed

Singh, A K; Bordoloi, L J; Kumar, Manoj; Hazarika, S; Parmar, Brajendra

2014-04-01

Quantitative assessment of soil quality is required to determine the sustainability of land uses in terms of environmental quality and plant productivity. Our objective was to identify the most appropriate soil quality indicators and to evaluate the impact of six most prevalent land use types (natural forestland, cultivated lowland, cultivated upland terrace, shifting cultivation, plantation land, and grassland) on soil quality in eastern Himalayan region of India. We collected 120 soil samples (20 cm depth) and analyzed them for 29 physical, chemical, and biological soil attributes. For selection of soil quality indicators, principal component analysis (PCA) was performed on the measured attributes, which provided four principal components (PC) with eigenvalues >1 and explaining at least 5% of the variance in dataset. The four PCs together explained 92.6% of the total variance. Based on rotated factor loadings of soil attributes, selected indicators were: soil organic carbon (SOC) from PC-1, exchangeable Al from PC-2, silt content from PC-3, and available P and Mn from PC-4. Indicators were transformed into scores (linear scoring method) and soil quality index (SQI) was determined, on a scale of 0-1, using the weighting factors obtained from PCA. SQI rating was the highest for the least-disturbed sites, i.e., natural forestland (0.93) and grassland (0.87), and the lowest for the most intensively cultivated site, i.e., cultivated upland terrace (0.44). Ratings for the other land uses were shifting cultivation (0.60) > cultivated low land (0.57) > plantation land (0.54). Overall contribution (in percent) of the indicators in determination of SQI was in the order: SOC (58%) > exch. Al (17.1%) > available P (8.9%) > available Mn (8.2%) > silt content (7.8%). Results of this study suggest SOC and exch. Al as the two most powerful indicators of soil quality in study area. Thus, organic C and soil acidity management holds the key to improve soil quality under many exploitatively cultivated land use systems in eastern Himalayan region of India.

[Spatial variation of soil properties and quality evaluation for arable Ustic Cambosols in central Henan Province].

PubMed

Zhang, Xue-Lei; Feng, Wan-Wan; Zhong, Guo-Min

2011-01-01

A GIS-based 500 m x 500 m soil sampling point arrangement was set on 248 points at Wenshu Town of Yuzhou County in central Henan Province, where the typical Ustic Cambosols locates. By using soil digital data, the spatial database was established, from which, all the needed latitude and longitude data of the sampling points were produced for the field GPS guide. Soil samples (0-20 cm) were collected from 202 points, of which, bulk density measurement were conducted for randomly selected 34 points, and the ten soil property items used as the factors for soil quality assessment, including organic matter, available K, available P, pH, total N, total P, soil texture, cation exchange capacity (CEC), slowly available K, and bulk density, were analyzed for the other points. The soil property items were checked by statistic tools, and then, classified with standard criteria at home and abroad. The factor weight was given by analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method, and the spatial variation of the major 10 soil properties as well as the soil quality classes and their occupied areas were worked out by Kriging interpolation maps. The results showed that the arable Ustic Cambosols in study area was of good quality soil, over 95% of which ranked in good and medium classes and only less than 5% were in poor class.

Soil management effect on soil quality indicators in vineyards of the Appellation of Origin "Montilla-Moriles" in southern Spain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guzmán, Gema; Cabezas, José Manuel; Bauer, Thomas; Strauss, Peter; Winter, Silvia; Zaller, Johann; Gómez, José Alfonso

2017-04-01

The effect soil management on several indicators frequently used in the assessment of soil quality it is not always reflected unambiguously when measured at the field although it is normally assumed that this relation is straightforward. Within the European project VineDivers (www.vinedivers.eu), sixteen commercial vineyards belonging to the Appellation of Origin "Montilla-Moriles" (Córdoba) and covering a wide range of textural classes were selected. These farms were classified 'a priori' under two soil management categories: temporal cover crop and bare soil during the whole year. In each of the vineyards one representative inter-row was selected in order to characterise different physical, chemical and biological parameters to evaluate some aspects related to soil quality. Results indicate that the studied indicators respond clearly to soil textural class and vegetation cover biomass. However, there was no clear difference in above-ground biomass of the two management categories (Guzmán et al., 2016). These results suggest that the interpretation and extrapolation of the indicators evaluated should incorporate complementary information to characterise small variations of soil management intensity among vineyards that are apparently managed under the same management category. The communication presents this analysis based on the number and type of soil disturbance events of all vineyards. The high variability found among vineyards under the same management highlights the relevance of measuring these soil parameters used as quality indicators, instead of extrapolating from other vineyards or agricultural systems, and interpreting them according to baseline levels. References: Guzmán G., Cabezas J.M., Gómez J.A. 2016. Evaluación preliminar del efecto del manejo del suelo en indicadores que determinan su calidad en viñedos de la Denominación de Origen Montilla Moriles. II Jornadas de Viticultura SECH. Madrid.

Soil quality index for evaluation of reclaimed coal mine spoil.

PubMed

Mukhopadhyay, S; Masto, R E; Yadav, A; George, J; Ram, L C; Shukla, S P

2016-01-15

Success in the remediation of mine spoil depends largely on the selection of appropriate tree species. The impacts of remediation on mine soil quality cannot be sufficiently assessed by individual soil properties. However, combination of soil properties into an integrated soil quality index provides a more holistic status of reclamation potentials of tree species. Remediation potentials of four tree species (Acacia auriculiformis, Cassia siamea, Dalbergia sissoo, and Leucaena leucocephala) were studied on reclaimed coal mine overburden dumps of Jharia coalfield, Dhanbad, India. Soil samples were collected under the canopies of the tree species. Comparative studies on the properties of soils in the reclaimed and the reference sites showed improvements in soil quality parameters of the reclaimed site: coarse fraction (-20.4%), bulk density (-12.8%), water holding capacity (+0.92%), pH (+25.4%), EC (+2.9%), cation exchange capacity (+46.6%), organic carbon (+91.5%), N (+60.6%), P (+113%), K (+19.9%), Ca (+49.6%), Mg (+12.2%), Na (+19.6%), S (+46.7%), total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (-71.4%), dehydrogenase activity (+197%), and microbial biomass carbon (+115%). Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to identify key mine soil quality indicators to develop a soil quality index (SQI). Selected indicators include: coarse fraction, pH, EC, soil organic carbon, P, Ca, S, and dehydrogenase activity. The indicator values were converted into a unitless score (0-1.00) and integrated into SQI. The calculated SQI was significantly (P<0.001) correlated with tree biomass and canopy cover. Reclaimed site has 52-93% higher SQI compared to the reference site. Higher SQI values were obtained for sites reclaimed with D.sissoo (+93.1%) and C.siamea (+86.4%). Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Soil Productive Lifespans: Rethinking Soil Sustainability for the 21st Century

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Evans, Daniel

2017-04-01

The ability for humans to sustainably manage the natural resources on which they depend has been one of the existential challenges facing mankind since the dawn of civilisation. Given the demands from this century's unprecedented global population and the unremitting course of climatic change, that challenge has soared in intensity. Sustainability, in this context, refers to agricultural practices which meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Ensuring sustainability is arguably of greatest importance when resources, such as soil, are non-renewable. However, there is as yet no tool to evaluate how sustainable conservation strategies are in the long-term. Up to now, many pedologists have assessed sustainability in binary terms, questioning whether management is sustainable or not. In truth, one can never determine whether a practice is ultimately sustainable because of the indefinite nature implied by "future generations". We suggest that a more useful assessment of sustainability for the 21st century should avoid binary questions and instead ask: how sustainable are soils? Indeed, how many future generations can soils provide for? Although the use of modelling is by no means a novelty for the discipline, there are very few holistic models that encompass the fluxes and dynamic relationships between both mass and quality concomitantly. We therefore propose a new conceptual framework - the Soil Productive Lifespan (SPL) - that employs empirically derived residence times of both soil mass and quality, together with pathways of environmental change, to forecast the length of time a soil profile can provide the critical functions. Although mass and quality are considered synergistically, the SPL model allows one to assess whether mass or quality alone presents the greatest limiting factor in the productive lifespans of soils. As a result, more targeted conservation strategies can be designed. Ultimately, we argue that the SPL framework presents an exciting shift for evaluating sustainability. Interim performance indicators currently employed to measure sustainability are only able to assess whether soils still meet the needs of the present and thus only half of the sustainability agenda. We argue that the SPL framework has the ability not only to evaluate conservation based on current soil productivity but also to model the degrees to which soils can meet the needs of future generations.

Effects of crop rotations and intercropping on soil health

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Interest in evaluating the health of soil resources has been motivated by growing cognizance that soil is a critically important component of the earth’s biosphere, functioning not only in the production of food and fiber, but also in ecosystems services and global environmental quality. There was a...

Assessing soil quality and potential productivity - a basic approach to define and assess the marginality of land

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Repmann, Frank; Gerwin, Werner; Freese, Dirk

2017-04-01

An ever growing demand for energy and the widely proposed switch from fossil fuels to more sustainable energy sources puts the cultivation and use of bioenergy plants into focus. However, bioenergy production on regular and fertile agricultural soils might conflict with the worldwide growing demand for food. To mitigate or omit this potential conflict, the use of low quality or marginal land for cultivation of bioenergy plants becomes favorable. Against this background the definition and assessment of land marginality and, respectively, the evaluation whether and to which extent specific areas are marginal and thus convenient for sustainable bioenergy production, becomes highly relevant. Within the framework of the EU funded Horizon 2020 project SEEMLA, we attempted to asses land marginality of designated test sites in the Ukraine, Greece and Germany by direct field survey. For that purpose, soil and site properties were investigated and evaluated by applying the Muencheberg Soil Quality Rating (SQR) method, developed at the Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF). The method deploys a comprehensive set of biogeophysical and chemical indicators to describe and finally evaluate the quality of the soil and site by a score ranging from 1 to 100 points. Field survey data were supported by additional laboratory tests on a representative set of soil samples. Practical field work and analysis of field and lab data from the investigated sites proved the applicability of the SQR method within the SEEMLA context. The SQR indices calculated from the field and lab data ranged from 2 to < 40 and clearly demonstrated the marginality of the investigated sites in the Ukraine, Greece and Germany, which differed considerably in respect to their characteristics. Correlating the site quality index to yield data reflecting yield estimations for common bioenergy plants such as willow (Salix sp.), black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) and poplar (Populus sp.) cultivated at the respective test sites, revealed that SQR might additionally reflect the potential yield of the investigated sites.

Soil Organic Matter Quality of an Oxisol Affected by Plant Residues and Crop Sequence under No-Tillage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cora, Jose; Marcelo, Adolfo

2013-04-01

Plant residues are considered the primarily resource for soil organic matter (SOM) formation and the amounts and properties of plant litter are important controlling factors for the SOM quality. We determined the amounts, quality and decomposition rate of plant residues and the effects of summer and winter crop sequences on soil organic C (TOC) content, both particulate organic C (POC) and mineral-associated organic C (MOC) pools and humic substances in a Brazilian Rhodic Eutrudox soil under a no-tillage system. The organic C analysis in specifics pools used in this study was effective and should be adopted in tropical climates to evaluate the soil quality and the sustainability of various cropping systems. Continuous growth of soybean (Glycine max L. Merrill) on summer provided higher contents of soil POC and continuous growth of maize (Zea mays L.) provided higher soil humic acid and MOC contents. Summer soybean-maize rotation provided the higher plant diversity, which likely improved the soil microbial activity and the soil organic C consumption. The winter sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea L.), pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp), oilseed radish (Raphanus sativus L.) and pearl millet (Pennisetum americanum (L.) Leeke) enhanced the soil MOC, a finding that is attributable to the higher N content of the crop residue. Sunn hemp and pigeon pea provided the higher soil POC content. Sunn hemp showed better performance and positive effects on the SOM quality, making it a suitable winter crop choice for tropical conditions with a warm and dry winter.

Soil-plant water status and wine quality: the case study of Aglianico wine (the ZOViSA project)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonfante, Antonello; Manna, Piero; Albrizio, Rossella; Basile, Angelo; Agrillo, Antonietta; De Mascellis, Roberto; Caputo, Pellegrina; Delle Cave, Aniello; Gambuti, Angelita; Giorio, Pasquale; Guida, Gianpiero; Minieri, Luciana; Moio, Luigi; Orefice, Nadia; Terribile, Fabio

2014-05-01

The terroir analysis, aiming to achieve a better use of environmental features with respect to plant requirement and wine production, needs to be strongly rooted on hydropedology. In fact, the relations between wine quality and soil moisture regime during the cropping season is well established. The ZOViSA Project (Viticultural zoning at farm scale) tests a new physically oriented approach to terroir analysis based on the relations between the soil-plant water status and wine quality. The project is conducted in southern Italy in the farm Quintodecimo of Mirabella Eclano (AV) located in the Campania region, devoted to quality Aglianico red wine production (DOC). The soil spatial distribution of study area (about 3 ha) was recognized by classical soil survey and geophysics scan by EM38DD; then the soil-plant water status was monitored for three years in two experimental plots from two different soils (Cambisol and Calcisol). Daily climate variables (temperature, solar radiation, rainfall, wind), daily soil water variables (through TDR probes and tensiometers), crop development (biometric and physiological parameters), and grape must and wine quality were monitored. The agro-hydrological model SWAP was calibrated and applied in the two experimental plots to estimate soil-plant water status in different crop phenological stages. The effects of crop water status on crop response and wine quality was evaluated in two different pedo-systems, comparing the crop water stress index with both: crop physiological measurements (leaf gas exchange, leaf water potential, chlorophyll content, LAI measurement), grape bunches measurements (berry weight, sugar content, titratable acidity, etc.) and wine quality (aromatic response). Finally a "spatial application" of the model was carried out and different terroirs defined.

Assessment of the Impacts of Rice Cropping through a Soil Quality Index

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sione, S. M.; Wilson, M. G.; Paz González, A.

2012-04-01

In Entre Ríos (Argentina), rice cultivation is carried out mainly in Vertisols. Several factors, such as the use of sodium bicarbonate waters for irrigation, the excessive tillage required, and the lack of proper planning for land use, mainly regarding the crop sequence, cause serious impacts on the soil and have an effect on sustainable agriculture. Thus, the development of methodologies to detect these impacts has become a priority. The aim of this study was to standardize soil quality indicators (SQI) and integrate them into an index to evaluate the impacts of the rice production system on soil, at the farm scale. The study was conducted in farms of the traditional rice cultivation area of Entre Ríos province, Argentina. We evaluated a minimum data set consisting of six indicators: structural stability and percolation, total organic matter content (TOM), exchangeable sodium content (ESC), electrical conductivity of saturation extract (ECe) and reaction of the soil (pH). From a database from 75 production lots, we determined the reference values, i.e. limits to ensure the maintenance of long-term productivity and the allowable thresholds for each indicator. The indicators were standardized and integrated into a soil quality index. Five ranges of soil quality were established: very low, low, moderate, high and very high, depending on the values assigned to each SQI. This index allowed differentiating the impact of different crop sequences and showed that the increased participation of rice crop in the rotation resulted in a deterioration of the soil structure due to the decrease in the TOM and to the cumulative increase in ESC caused by the sodium bicarbonate water used for irrigation. Soil management strategies should aim to increase TOM values and to reduce the input of sodium to the exchange complex. A rotation with 50% to 60% of pasture and 40 to 50% of agriculture with a participation of rice lower than 20 to 25% would allow the sustainability of the production system. The use of the so called SQI, i.e. soil quality index, for rice crop production will allow generating early warning of degradation and thus adopting recovery measures.

Postharvest evaluation of soilless-grown table grape during storage in modified atmosphere.

PubMed

Cefola, Maria; Pace, Bernardo; Buttaro, Donato; Santamaria, Pietro; Serio, Francesco

2011-09-01

Soilless growth systems, developed mainly for vegetables and ornamental crops, have also been used recently as an alternative to soil culture for table grape in order to achieve optimal production performance. In this study, sensory, physical and chemical parameters were analysed in table grapes obtained from soil and soilless growth systems at harvest and during storage in air or modified atmosphere. At harvest, soilless-grown berries were 30% firmer than those grown in soil. Moreover, they showed 60% higher antioxidant activity and total phenol content than soil-grown fruits. Modified atmosphere storage resulted in a better quality of table grapes compared with those stored in air. Furthermore, soilless growth was more suitable than soil growth for preserving visual quality and controlling rachis browning and weight loss. Since the soilless system produces berries that are cleaner and of higher quality than those grown in soil, the implementation of soilless growth for the production of health-promoting and convenience fruits is suggested. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry.

RZWQM predicted effects of soil N testing with incorporated automatic parameter optimization software (PEST) and weather input quality control

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Among the most promising tools available for determining precise N requirements are soil mineral N tests. Field tests that evaluated this practice, however, have been conducted under only limited weather and soil conditions. Previous research has shown that using agricultural systems models such as ...

Soil Types Effect on Grape and Wine Composition in Helan Mountain Area of Ningxia

PubMed Central

Wang, Rui; Sun, Quan; Chang, Qingrui

2015-01-01

Different soil types can significantly affect the composition of wine grapes and the final wine product. In this study, the effects of soil types on the composition of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes and wine produced in the Helan Mountains were evaluated. Three different representative soil types—aeolian, sierozem and irrigation silting soil were studied. The compositions of grapes and wines were measured, and in addition, the weights of 100-berry samples were determined. The grapes that grown on the aeolian and sierozem soils matured sooner than those grown on the irrigation silting soil. The highest sugar content, total soluble solids content, sugar to acid ratio and anthocyanin content were found in the grapes that grown on the aeolian soil. The wine produced from this soil had improved chroma and tone and higher-quality phenols. The grapes grown on the sierozem soil had the highest total phenol and tannin contents, which affected the wine composition. The grapes grown on the irrigation silting soil had higher acidities, but the remaining indices were lower. In addition, the grapes grown on the aeolian soil resulted in wines with better chroma and aroma. The sierozem soil was beneficial for the formation of wine tannins and phenols and significantly affected the wine composition. The quality of the grapes from the irrigation silting soil was relatively low, resulting in lower-quality wine. PMID:25706126

Soil types effect on grape and wine composition in Helan Mountain area of Ningxia.

PubMed

Wang, Rui; Sun, Quan; Chang, Qingrui

2015-01-01

Different soil types can significantly affect the composition of wine grapes and the final wine product. In this study, the effects of soil types on the composition of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes and wine produced in the Helan Mountains were evaluated. Three different representative soil types--aeolian, sierozem and irrigation silting soil were studied. The compositions of grapes and wines were measured, and in addition, the weights of 100-berry samples were determined. The grapes that grown on the aeolian and sierozem soils matured sooner than those grown on the irrigation silting soil. The highest sugar content, total soluble solids content, sugar to acid ratio and anthocyanin content were found in the grapes that grown on the aeolian soil. The wine produced from this soil had improved chroma and tone and higher-quality phenols. The grapes grown on the sierozem soil had the highest total phenol and tannin contents, which affected the wine composition. The grapes grown on the irrigation silting soil had higher acidities, but the remaining indices were lower. In addition, the grapes grown on the aeolian soil resulted in wines with better chroma and aroma. The sierozem soil was beneficial for the formation of wine tannins and phenols and significantly affected the wine composition. The quality of the grapes from the irrigation silting soil was relatively low, resulting in lower-quality wine.

Ethnopedology and soil quality of bamboo (Bambusa sp.) based agroforestry system.

PubMed

Arun Jyoti, Nath; Lal, Rattan; Das, Ashesh Kumar

2015-07-15

It is widely recognized that farmers' hold important knowledge of folk soil classification for agricultural land for its uses, yet little has been studied for traditional agroforestry systems. This article explores the ethnopedology of bamboo (Bambusa sp.) based agroforestry system in North East India, and establishes the relationship of soil quality index (SQI) with bamboo productivity. The study revealed four basic folk soil (mati) types: kalo (black soil), lal (red soil), pathal (stony soil) and balu (sandy soil). Of these, lal mati soil was the most predominant soil type (~ 40%) in bamboo-based agroforestry system. Soil physio-chemical parameters were studied to validate the farmers' soil hierarchal classification and also to correlate with productivity of the bamboo stand. Farmers' hierarchal folk soil classification was consistent with the laboratory scientific analysis. Culm production (i.e. measure of productivity of bamboo) was the highest (27culmsclump(-1)) in kalo mati (black soil) and the lowest (19culmsclump(-1)) in balu mati (sandy soil). Linear correlation of individual soil quality parameter with bamboo productivity explained 16 to 49% of the variability. A multiple correlation of the best fitted linear soil quality parameter (soil organic carbon or SOC, water holding capacity or WHC, total nitrogen) with productivity improved explanatory power to 53%. Development of SQI from ten relevant soil quality parameters and its correlation with bamboo productivity explained the 64% of the variation and therefore, suggest SQI as the best determinant of bamboo yield. Data presented indicate that the kalo mati (black soil) is sustainable or sustainable with high input. However, the other three folk soil types (red, stony and sandy soil) are also sustainable but for other land uses. Therefore, ethnopedological studies may move beyond routine laboratory analysis and incorporate SQI for assessing the sustainability of land uses managed by the farmers'. Additional research is required to incorporate principal component analysis for improving the SQI and site potential assessment. It is also important to evaluate the minimum data set (MDS) required for SQI and productivity assessment in agroforestry systems. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The occurrence and alleviation by surfactants of soil-water repellency on sand-based turfgrass systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cisar, J. L.; Williams, K. E.; Vivas, H. E.; Haydu, J. J.

2000-05-01

Even with routine irrigation, soil water-repellency on sand-based turfgrass systems can occur. This study evaluated three commercially available surfactants alone or in combination in 1996, four experimental surfactant formulations in 1997, and four commercially available surfactants and one experimental surfactant in 1998 for their effect on reducing soil-water repellency in mature Cynodon dactylon X Cynodon transvaalensis cv. Tifdwarf sand-based greens. The treatments in 1996 were a commercial standard AquaGro (AG), and two new products, Primer (P) and Aqueduct (AD), applied as liquids at the rates 250, 190 and 250 ml per 100 m2, respectively, and a control. Combination treatments of P+AG, and P+AD were also applied at standard rates. Surfactants were evaluated for their effect on turfgrass quality and percent dry spot incidence through a period of drought that induced soil-water repellency symptoms and subsequently through a period of recovery. Water drop penetration time (WDPT), on the soil cores were determined. Data were analyzed for statistical significance (P<0.05) by automated ANOVA procedures. Results in 1996 demonstrated that during a period of drought, P or AD generally provided both significantly (P<0.05) higher turfgrass quality and reduced percent dry spotting than AG and the control. Primer or AD significantly (P<0.05) reduced WDPT. Furthermore, during a recovery period following the drought, P or AD provided significantly (P<0.05) higher turfgrass quality than untreated controls. Combinations of P+AG or P+AD did not provide significantly higher quality turfgrass or less percent dry spots than individual applications of either P or AD. The second experiment in 1997 consisted of four experimental surfactant formulations of (ACA 1257, ACA 1313, ACA 1455, and ACA 1457), and a control applied at the recommended rate of 250 ml per 100 m2, weekly, to plots. As in 1996, surfactants were visually evaluated for turfgrass quality and percent dry spot incidence and soil cores for WDPT. Results demonstrated that ACA treatments generally provided significantly (P<0.10) higher turfgrass quality and reduced percent dry spotting than the untreated control. In 1998, for the third experiment, on a green with extensive soil-water repellency, AD, P, Cascade, LescoFlo, and an experimental surfactant (N-07/05) were applied to alleviate soil-water repellency symptoms. The four commercially available surfactants performed well and provided statistically equivalent (P<0.01) and better turfgrass quality and percent dry spot reduction than the untreated control. The N-07/05 treatment improved turfgrass quality and reduced dry spots compared to the untreated plots as well, but on most dates did not perform as well as the commercial standards.

Innovative Design and Performance Evaluation of Bionic Imprinting Toothed Wheel.

PubMed

Zhang, Zhihong; Wang, Xiaoyang; Tong, Jin; Stephen, Carr

2018-01-01

A highly efficient soil-burrowing dung beetle possesses an intricate outer contour curve on its foreleg end-tooth. This study was carried out based on evidence that this special outer contour curve has the potential of reducing soil penetration resistance and could enhance soil-burrowing efficiency. A toothed wheel is a typical agricultural implement for soil imprinting, to increase its working efficiency; the approach of the bionic geometrical structure was utilized to optimize the innovative shape of imprinting toothed wheel. Characteristics in the dung beetle's foreleg end-tooth were extracted and studied by the edge detection technique. Then, this special outer contour curve was modeled by a nine-order polynomial function and used for the innovative design of imprinting the tooth's cutting edge. Both the conventional and bionic teeth were manufactured, and traction tests in a soil bin were conducted. Taking required draft force and volume of imprinted microbasin as the evaluating indexes, operating efficiency and quality of different toothed wheels were compared and investigated. Results indicate that compared with the conventional toothed wheel, a bionic toothed wheel possesses a better forward resistance reduction property against soil and, meanwhile, can enhance the quality of soil imprinting by increasing the volume of the created micro-basin.

Soil bioindicators as a usefull tools for land management and spatial planning processes: a case-study of prioritization of contaminated soil remediation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grand, Cécile; Pauget, Benjamin; Villenave, Cécile; Le Guédard, Marina; Piron, Denis; Nau, Jean-François; Pérès, Guénola

2017-04-01

When setting up new land management, contaminated site remediation or soil use change are sometimes necessary to ensure soil quality and the restoration of the ecosystem services. The biological characterization of the soil can be used as complementary information to chemical data in order to better define the conditions for operating. Then, in the context of urban areas, elements on the soil biological quality can be taken into consideration to guide the land development. To assess this "biological state of soil health", some biological tools, called bioindicators, could provide comprehensive information to understand and predict the functioning of the soil ecosystem. In this context, a city of 200 thousand inhabitants has decided to integrate soil bioindicators in their soil diagnostic for their soil urban management. This city had to elaborate a spatial soil management in urban areas which presented soil contamination linked to a complex industrial history associated with bad uses of gardens not always safe for the environment. The project will lead to establish a Natural Urban Park (PNU) in order to develop recreational and leisure activities in a quality environment. In order to complete the knowledge of soil contamination and to assess the transfer of contaminants to the terrestrial ecosystem, a biological characterization of soils located in different areas was carried out using six bioindicators: bioindicators of accumulation which allowed to evaluate the transfers of soil contaminants towards the first 2 steps of a trophic chain (plants and soil fauna, e.g. snails), bioindicators of effects (Omega 3 index was used to assess the effects of soil contamination and to measure their impact on plants), bioindicators of soil functioning (measurement of microbial biomass, nematodes and earthworm community) ; the interest of these last bioindicators is that they also act on the functioning of ecosystems as on the dynamics of organic matter (mineralization) but also on the structuring of the soils. The results from 14 measurement points demonstrated the relatively low average transfers towards the plants and soil fauna although the transfers can be changing a lot in relation to heterogeneity of soil contamination. Results obtained from other bioindicators (nematodes, earthworms and bacterial biomass) showed that the different soils are on average of good biological quality and can benefit from a diversity and abundance of communities of soil organisms. The data obtained in this program underline that these tools can be used to evaluate soil functions (habitat for biodiversity, soil capacity to store contaminants, etc.) and, consequently, the services that the soil can give to humans. Moreover, these biological tools allowed to assess the biological quality of soils and their compatibility with the soil use and the necessity of soil remediation (excavation of hot-spots, surface cover etc ..).Taking into account not only the behavior of soil contaminants but also the environmental factors that influence the biological functioning of the soil, these tools can be useful for land management of large-scale sites and for brownfield conquest.

Increased biomass and quality and reduced heavy metal accumulation of edible tissues of vegetables in the presence of Cd-tolerant and immobilizing Bacillus megaterium H3.

PubMed

Wang, Qi; Zhang, Wen-Ji; He, Lin-Yan; Sheng, Xia-Fang

2018-02-01

A Cd-resistant and immobilizing Bacillus megaterium H3 was characterized for its impact on the biomass and quality and heavy metal uptake of edible tissues of two vegetables (Brassica campestris L. var. Aijiaohuang and Brassica rapa L. var. Shanghaiqing) grown in heavy metal-polluted soil. The impact of strain H3 on the soil quality was also evaluated. The increase in the edible tissue biomass and the contents of soluble proteins and vitamin C of the vegetables inoculated with strain H3 ranged from 18% to 33%, 17% to 31%, and 15% to 19%, respectively, compared with the controls. Strain H3 significantly decreased the edible tissue Cd and Pb contents of the two greens (41-80%), DTPA-extractable Cd content (35-47%) of the rhizosphere soils, and Cd and Pb translocation factors (25-56%) of the greens compared with the controls. Moreover, strain H3 significantly increased the organic matter content (17-21%) and invertase activity (13-14%) of the rhizosphere soils compared with the controls. Our results demonstrated the increased edible tissue biomass and quality, decreased Cd and Pb uptake of the edible tissues, and improved soil quality in the presence of strain H3. The results also suggested an effective bacterial-enhanced technique for decreased metal uptake of greens and improved vegetable and soil qualities in the metal-contaminated soils. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The effect of soil on cork quality.

PubMed

Pestana, Miguel N; Gomes, Alberto A

2014-01-01

The present work aimed to contribute for a better knowledge regarding soil features as cork quality indicators for stoppers. Cork sampling was made in eight Cork oak stands (montados de sobreiro) located in the Plio-Plistocene sedimentary formations of Península de Setúbal in southern Tagus River region. The samples used to classify the cork as stopper for wine bottles were obtained in eight cork oak stands, covering soils of different types of sandstones of the Plio-plistocene. In each stand, we randomly chose five circular plots with 30 m radius and five trees per plot with same stripping conditions determined by: dendrometric features (HD- height stipping, PBH- perimeter at breaster height), trees vegetative condition (defoliation degree); stand features (density, percentage canopy cover); site conditions (soil type and orientation). In the center of each plot a pit was open to characterize the soil profile and to classify the soil. Cork quality for stoppers was evaluated according to porosity, pores/per cm(2) and cork boards thickness. The soil was characterized according to morphological soil profile features (lithology, soil profound, and soil horizons) and chemical soil surface horizon features (organic matter, pH, macro, and micronutrients availability). Based on the variables studied and using the numerical taxonomy, we settled relationships between the cork quality and some soil features. The results indicate: (1) high correlation between the cork caliber and boron, cation exchange capacity, total nitrogen, exchange acidity, and exchangeable magnesium, potassium, calcium, and sodium in soils of theirs cork oaks; (2) the cork porosity is correlated with the number of pores/cm(2) and magnesium soil content; (3) the other soil features have a lower correlation with the caliber, porosity, and the number of pores per cm(2).

The effect of soil on cork quality

PubMed Central

Pestana, Miguel N.; Gomes, Alberto A.

2014-01-01

The present work aimed to contribute for a better knowledge regarding soil features as cork quality indicators for stoppers. Cork sampling was made in eight Cork oak stands (montados de sobreiro) located in the Plio-Plistocene sedimentary formations of Península de Setúbal in southern Tagus River region. The samples used to classify the cork as stopper for wine bottles were obtained in eight cork oak stands, covering soils of different types of sandstones of the Plio-plistocene. In each stand, we randomly chose five circular plots with 30 m radius and five trees per plot with same stripping conditions determined by: dendrometric features (HD- height stipping, PBH- perimeter at breaster height), trees vegetative condition (defoliation degree); stand features (density, percentage canopy cover); site conditions (soil type and orientation). In the center of each plot a pit was open to characterize the soil profile and to classify the soil. Cork quality for stoppers was evaluated according to porosity, pores/per cm2 and cork boards thickness. The soil was characterized according to morphological soil profile features (lithology, soil profound, and soil horizons) and chemical soil surface horizon features (organic matter, pH, macro, and micronutrients availability). Based on the variables studied and using the numerical taxonomy, we settled relationships between the cork quality and some soil features. The results indicate: (1) high correlation between the cork caliber and boron, cation exchange capacity, total nitrogen, exchange acidity, and exchangeable magnesium, potassium, calcium, and sodium in soils of theirs cork oaks; (2) the cork porosity is correlated with the number of pores/cm2 and magnesium soil content; (3) the other soil features have a lower correlation with the caliber, porosity, and the number of pores per cm2. PMID:25353015

Field evaluation of hydromulches for water quality and vegetation establishment.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-03-01

Soil erosion and sediment pollution can be major problems in and around construction sites due to land disturbing activities that leave areas of : unprotected soil during active construction. Establishing vegetation to control erosion can be difficul...

Exploring the potential offered by legacy soil databases for ecosystem services mapping of Central African soils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Verdoodt, Ann; Baert, Geert; Van Ranst, Eric

2014-05-01

Central African soil resources are characterised by a large variability, ranging from stony, shallow or sandy soils with poor life-sustaining capabilities to highly weathered soils that recycle and support large amounts of biomass. Socio-economic drivers within this largely rural region foster inappropriate land use and management, threaten soil quality and finally culminate into a declining soil productivity and increasing food insecurity. For the development of sustainable land use strategies targeting development planning and natural hazard mitigation, decision makers often rely on legacy soil maps and soil profile databases. Recent development cooperation financed projects led to the design of soil information systems for Rwanda, D.R. Congo, and (ongoing) Burundi. A major challenge is to exploit these existing soil databases and convert them into soil inference systems through an optimal combination of digital soil mapping techniques, land evaluation tools, and biogeochemical models. This presentation aims at (1) highlighting some key characteristics of typical Central African soils, (2) assessing the positional, geographic and semantic quality of the soil information systems, and (3) revealing its potential impacts on the use of these datasets for thematic mapping of soil ecosystem services (e.g. organic carbon storage, pH buffering capacity). Soil map quality is assessed considering positional and semantic quality, as well as geographic completeness. Descriptive statistics, decision tree classification and linear regression techniques are used to mine the soil profile databases. Geo-matching as well as class-matching approaches are considered when developing thematic maps. Variability in inherent as well as dynamic soil properties within the soil taxonomic units is highlighted. It is hypothesized that within-unit variation in soil properties highly affects the use and interpretation of thematic maps for ecosystem services mapping. Results will mainly be based on analyses done in Rwanda, but can be complemented with ongoing research results or prospects for Burundi.

Effects of Vegetation Management With Prescribed Fire on Soil Physical Properties in a Young Longleaf Pine Stand

Treesearch

W.B. Patterson; M.A. Sword-Sayer; J.D. Haywood; S. Brooker

2004-01-01

The intensity and frequency of prescribed fire affects soil properties that control its quality. This project evaluates how six vegetation management treatments, four of which include biennial prescribed fire, affect the soil physical properties in two stands of longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) located on the Kisatchie National Forest, Rapides...

Evaluation of polyacrylamide on irrigation efficiency, soil conservation, and water quality in furrow irrigated Mid-South cotton production

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Arkansas is a leading state in irrigated acres in the United States. As such, resulting groundwater decline and irrigation-induced soil erosion can have negative impacts. This establishes a need for irrigation management practices to improve irrigation efficiency as well as reduce soil erosion and i...

Effects of land use and land cover on selected soil quality indicators in the headwater area of the Blue Nile basin of Ethiopia.

PubMed

Teferi, Ermias; Bewket, Woldeamlak; Simane, Belay

2016-02-01

Understanding changes in soil quality resulting from land use and land management changes is important to design sustainable land management plans or interventions. This study evaluated the influence of land use and land cover (LULC) on key soil quality indicators (SQIs) within a small watershed (Jedeb) in the Blue Nile Basin of Ethiopia. Factor analysis based on principal component analysis (PCA) was used to determine different SQIs. Surface (0-15 cm) soil samples with four replications were collected from five main LULC types in the watershed (i.e., natural woody vegetation, plantation forest, grassland, cultivated land, and barren land) and at two elevation classes (upland and midland), and 13 soil properties were measured for each replicate. A factorial (2 × 5) multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) showed that LULC and altitude together significantly affected organic matter (OM) levels. However, LULC alone significantly affected bulk density and altitude alone significantly affected bulk density, soil acidity, and silt content. Afforestation of barren land with eucalypt trees can significantly increase the soil OM in the midland part but not in the upland part. Soils under grassland had a significantly higher bulk density than did soils under natural woody vegetation indicating that de-vegetation and conversion to grassland could lead to soil compaction. Thus, the historical LULC change in the Jedeb watershed has resulted in the loss of soil OM and increased soil compaction. The study shows that a land use and management system can be monitored if it degrades or maintains or improves the soil using key soil quality indicators.

[Evaluation of soil quality under different land use types in Naban River watershed, Yunnan Province of Southwest China].

PubMed

Xie, Jin; Li, Zhao-Li; Li, Yong-Mei; Guo, Fang-Fang

2011-12-01

Eighty-six topsoil (0-20 cm) samples were collected from 8 land use types (natural forest land, maize field, tea garden, paddy field, rubber plantation, flax field, banana plantation, and sugarcane field) in the Naban River Watershed National Nature Reserve and its surrounding areas, and the soil physical and chemical properties were analyzed, aimed to study the effects of land use type on the soil quality by the method of soil quality index (SQI). Comparing with natural forest land, all the cultivated lands had somewhat decreased soil organic matter content and higher soil bulk density, and the soil bulk density was significantly higher in tea garden, paddy field, rubber plantation, and banana plantation. In cultivated lands, fertilization and reclamation made the soil available potassium and phosphorus contents maintained at a higher level, probably due to the input of mineral potassium and phosphorus and the decomposition of soil organic matter. The SQI of the 8 land use types was in the order of flax field (0.595) > natural forest land (0.532) > maize field (0.516) > banana plantation (0.485) tea garden (0.480) sugarcane field (0.463) > paddy field (0.416) > rubber plantation (0.362). The soils in higher altitude production demonstration areas (1614 +/-115 m) had significant higher SQI, compared to the soils in lower altitude buffer areas (908 +/- 98 m) and junction areas (926 +/- 131 m). Among the 8 land use types, the rubber plantation in lower altitude areas had the lowest SQI, due to the lower soil organic matter and available potassium and phosphorus contents and the highest soil bulk density. Application of organic manure or intercropping with leguminous plants could be an available practice to improve the soil quality of the rubber plantation.

Hydrologic Impacts of Oak Harvesting and Evaluation of the Modified Universal Soil Loss Equation

Treesearch

Charlette R. Epifanio; Michael J. Singer; Xiaohong Huang

1991-01-01

Two Sierra foothill watersheds were monitored to learn what effects selective oak removal would have on watershed hydrology and water quality. We also used the data to generate sediment rating curves and evaluate the modified universal soil loss equation (MUSLE). Annual sediment rating curves better accounted for the variability in precipitation events from year to...

Land agroecological quality assessment in conditions of high spatial soil cover variability at the Pereslavskoye Opolye.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morev, Dmitriy; Vasenev, Ivan

2015-04-01

The essential spatial variability is mutual feature for most natural and man-changed soils at the Central region of European territory of Russia. The original spatial heterogeneity of forest soils has been further complicated by a specific land-use history and human impacts. For demand-driven land-use planning and decision making the quantitative analysis and agroecological interpretation of representative soil cover spatial variability is an important and challenging task that receives increasing attention from private companies, governmental and environmental bodies. Pereslavskoye Opolye is traditionally actively used in agriculture due to dominated high-quality cultivated soddy-podzoluvisols which are relatively reached in organic matter (especially for conditions of the North part at the European territory of Russia). However, the soil cover patterns are often very complicated even within the field that significantly influences on crop yield variability and have to be considered in farming system development and land agroecological quality evaluation. The detailed investigations of soil regimes and mapping of the winter rye yield have been carried in conditions of two representative fields with slopes sharply contrasted both in aspects and degrees. Rye biological productivity and weed infestation have been measured in elementary plots of 0.25 m2 with the following analysis the quality of the yield. In the same plot soil temperature and moisture have been measured by portable devices. Soil sampling was provided from three upper layers by drilling. The results of ray yield detailed mapping shown high differences both in average values and within-field variability on different slopes. In case of low-gradient slope (field 1) there is variability of ray yield from 39.4 to 44.8 dt/ha. In case of expressed slope (field 2) the same species of winter rye grown with the same technology has essentially lower yield and within-field variability from 20 to 29.6 dt/ha. The variability in crop yield between two fields is determined by their differences in mesorelief, A-horizon average thickness and slightly changes in soil temperature. The within-field crop yield variability is determined by microrelief and connected differences in soil moisture. Higher soil cover variability reflects in higher variability of winter ray yield and its quality that could be predicted and planed in conditions of concrete field and year according to principal limiting factors evaluation.

Conservation agriculture among small scale farmers in semi-arid region of Kenya does improve soil biological quality and soil organic carbon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Waweru, Geofrey; Okoba, Barrack; Cornelis, Wim

2016-04-01

The low food production in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has been attributed to declining soil quality. This is due to soil degradation and fertility depletion resulting from unsustainable conventional farming practices such as continuous tillage, crop residue burning and mono cropping. To overcome these challenges, conservation agriculture (CA) is actively promoted. However, little has been done in evaluating the effect of each of the three principles of CA namely: minimum soil disturbance, maximum surface cover and diversified/crop rotation on soil quality in SSA. A study was conducted for three years from 2012 to 2015 in Laikipia East sub county in Kenya to evaluate the effect of tillage, surface cover and intercropping on a wide variety of physical, chemical and biological soil quality indicators, crop parameters and the field-water balance. This abstract reports on soil microbial biomass carbon (SMBC) and soil organic carbon (SOC). The experimental set up was a split plot design with tillage as main treatment (conventional till (CT), no-till (NT) and no-till with herbicide (NTH)), and intercropping and surface cover as sub treatment (intercropping maize with: beans, MB; beans and leucaena, MBL; beans and maize residues at 1.5 Mg ha-1 MBMu, and dolichos, MD). NT had significantly higher SMBC by 66 and 31% compared with CT and NTH respectively. SOC was significantly higher in NTH than CT and NT by 15 and 4%, respectively. Intercropping and mulching had significant effect on SMBC and SOC. MBMu resulted in higher SMBC by 31, 38 and 43%, and SOC by 9, 20 and 22% as compared with MBL, MD and MB, respectively. SMBC and SOC were significantly affected by the interaction between tillage, intercropping and soil cover with NTMBMu and NTHMBMu having the highest SMBC and SOC, respectively. We conclude that indeed tillage, intercropping and mulching substantially affect SMBC and SOC. On the individual components of CA, tillage and surface cover had the highest effect on SMBC and SOC, respectively, but the highest positive effect was realized when all the three principles were applied consecutively. Therefore, CA has the potential to improve biological soil quality among small scale rainfed farmers and thus promote sustainable production.

Evaluation of a Soil Moisture Data Assimilation System Over West Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bolten, J. D.; Crow, W.; Zhan, X.; Jackson, T.; Reynolds, C.

2009-05-01

A crucial requirement of global crop yield forecasts by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) International Production Assessment Division (IPAD) is the regional characterization of surface and sub-surface soil moisture. However, due to the spatial heterogeneity and dynamic nature of precipitation events and resulting soil moisture, accurate estimation of regional land surface-atmosphere interactions based sparse ground measurements is difficult. IPAD estimates global soil moisture using daily estimates of minimum and maximum temperature and precipitation applied to a modified Palmer two-layer soil moisture model which calculates the daily amount of soil moisture withdrawn by evapotranspiration and replenished by precipitation. We attempt to improve upon the existing system by applying an Ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) data assimilation system to integrate surface soil moisture retrievals from the NASA Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer (AMSR-E) into the USDA soil moisture model. This work aims at evaluating the utility of merging satellite-retrieved soil moisture estimates with the IPAD two-layer soil moisture model used within the DBMS. We present a quantitative analysis of the assimilated soil moisture product over West Africa (9°N- 20°N; 20°W-20°E). This region contains many key agricultural areas and has a high agro- meteorological gradient from desert and semi-arid vegetation in the North, to grassland, trees and crops in the South, thus providing an ideal location for evaluating the assimilated soil moisture product over multiple land cover types and conditions. A data denial experimental approach is utilized to isolate the added utility of integrating remotely-sensed soil moisture by comparing assimilated soil moisture results obtained using (relatively) low-quality precipitation products obtained from real-time satellite imagery to baseline model runs forced with higher quality rainfall. An analysis of root-zone anomalies for each model simulation suggests that the assimilation of AMSR-E surface soil moisture retrievals can add significant value to USDA root-zone predictions derived from real-time satellite precipitation products.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None

The Staunton 1 Reclamation Demonstration Project involves an evaluation of the reclamation process for a deep coal mine refuse system. A typical abandoned midwestern deep coal mine refuse site was selected, final land use was determined, baseline data were collected, engineering plans were developed and implemented, and a post-construction evaluation was begun. The project is a cooperative effort by two state agencies--the Abandoned Mined Land Reclamation Council of Illinois the Illinois Institute for Environmental Quality--and the U.S. Department of Energy through the Land Reclamation Program at Argonne National Laboratory. Current investigations are monitoring groundwater, surface water quality, aquatic ecosystems, revegetation,more » soil characteristics, erosion and runoff, soil microbial and soil fauna populations, wildlife, and economic effects of the reclamation effort. The research is a multidisciplinary approach to the concept of ecosystem response to reclamation.« less

Evaluation of seismic testing for quality assurance of lime-stabilized soil.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-08-01

This study sought to determine the technical feasibility of using seismic techniques to measure the : laboratory and field seismic modulus of lime-stabilized soils (LSS), and to compare/correlate test results : from bench-top (free-free resonance) se...

Tall fescue management in the Piedmont: Sequestration of soil organic and total nitrogen

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

High quality soil-surface characteristics are important for developing environmentally sustainable agroecosystems. We evaluated the factorial combination of fertilization regime (inorganic and broiler litter) and tall fescue [Lolium arundinaceum (Schreb.) Darbysh.]-endophyte association (free, nove...

SOM quality and phosphorus fractionation to evaluate degradation organic matter: implications for the restoration of soils after fire

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Merino, Agustin; Fonturbel, Maria T.; Omil, Beatriz; Chávez-Vergara, Bruno; Fernandez, Cristina; Garcia-Oliva, Felipe; Vega, Jose A.

2016-04-01

The design of emergency treatment for the rehabilitation of fire-affected soils requires a quick diagnosis to assess the degree of degradation. For its implication in the erosion and subsequent evolution, the quality of soil organic matter (OM) plays a particularly important role. This paper presents a methodology that combines the visual recognition of the severity of soil burning with the use of simple analytical techniques to assess the degree of degradation of OM. The content and quality of the OM was evaluated in litter and mineral soils using thermogravimetry-differential scanning calorimetry (DSC-TG) spectroscopy, and the results were contrasted with 13C CP-MAS NMR. The types of methodologies were texted to assess the thermal analysis: a) the direct calculation of the Q areas related to three degrees of thermal stabilities: Q1 (200-375 °C; labil OM); Q2 (375-475 °C, recalcitrant OM); and Q3 (475-550 °C). b) deconvolution of DSC curves and calculation of each peak was expressed as a fraction of the total DSC curve area. Additionally, a P fractionation was done following the Hedley sequential extraction method. The severity levels visually showed different degrees of SOM degradation. Although the fire caused important SOM losses in moderate severities, changes in the quality of OM only occurred at higher severities. Besides, the labile organic P fraction decreased and the occluded inorganic P fraction increased in the high severity soils. These changes affect the OM processes such as hydrophobicity and erosion largely responsible for soil degradation post-fire. The strong correlations between the thermal parameters and NMR regions and derived measurements such as hydrophobicity and aromaticity show the usefulness of this technique as rapid diagnosis to assess the soil degradation.The marked loss of polysaccharide and transition to highly thermic-resistant compounds, visible in deconvoluted thermograms, which would explain the changes in microbial activity and soil nutrients availability (basal respiration, microbial biomass, qCO2, and enzymatic activity). And also it would have implications in hydrophobicity and stability of soil aggregates, leading to the extreme erosion rates that occur usually are found in soils affected by higher severities.

Enhancement of the Automated Quality Control Procedures for the International Soil Moisture Network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heer, Elsa; Xaver, Angelika; Dorigo, Wouter; Messner, Romina

2017-04-01

In-situ soil moisture observations are still trusted to be the most reliable data to validate remotely sensed soil moisture products. Thus, the quality of in-situ soil moisture observations is of high importance. The International Soil Moisture Network (ISMN; http://ismn.geo.tuwien.ac.at/) provides in-situ soil moisture data from all around the world. The data is collected from individual networks and data providers, measured by different sensors in various depths. The data sets which are delivered in different units, time zones and data formats are then transformed into homogeneous data sets. An erroneous behavior of soil moisture data is very difficult to detect, due to annual and daily changes and most significantly the high influence of precipitation and snow melting processes. Only few of the network providers have a quality assessment for their data sets. Therefore, advanced quality control procedures have been developed for the ISMN (Dorigo et al. 2013). Three categories of quality checks were introduced: exceeding boundary values, geophysical consistency checks and a spectrum based approach. The spectrum based quality control algorithms aim to detect erroneous measurements which occur within plausible geophysical ranges, e.g. a sudden drop in soil moisture caused by a sensor malfunction. By defining several conditions which have to be met by the original soil moisture time series and their first and second derivative, such error types can be detected. Since the development of these sophisticated methods many more data providers shared their data with the ISMN and new types of erroneous measurements were identified. Thus, an enhancement of the automated quality control procedures became necessary. In the present work, we introduce enhancements of the existing quality control algorithms. Additionally, six completely new quality checks have been developed, e.g. detection of suspicious values before or after NAN-values, constant values and values that lie in a spectrum where a high majority of values before and after is flagged and therefore a sensor malfunction is certain. For the evaluation of the enhanced automated quality control system many test data sets were chosen, and manually validated to be compared to the existing quality control procedures and the new algorithms. Improvements will be shown that assure an appropriate assessment of the ISMN data sets, which are used for validations of soil moisture data retrieved by satellite data and are the foundation many other scientific publications.

Microbial and physical properties as indicators of sandy soil quality under cropland and grassland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frac, Magdalena; Lipiec, Jerzy; Usowicz, Boguslaw; Oszust, Karolina; Brzezinska, Malgorzata

2017-04-01

Land use is one of the key factor driving changes in soil properties influencing on soil health and quality. Microbial diversity and physical properties are sensitive indicators for assessing soil health and quality. The alterations of microbial diversity and physical properties following land use changes have not been sufficiently elucidated, especially for sandy soils. We investigated microbial diversity indicators including fungal communities composition and physical properties of sandy acid soil under cropland and more than 20-yr-old grassland (after cropland) in Trzebieszów, Podlasie Region, Poland (N 51° 59' 24", E 22° 33' 37"). The study included four depths within 0-60 cm. Microbial genetic diversity was assessed by terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (t-RFLP) analysis, fungal community composition was evaluated by next generation sequencing (NGS) analysis and functional diversity was determined by Biolog EcoPlate method. Overall microbial activity was assessed by soil enzymes (dehydrogenases, β-glucosidase) and respiration test. At the same places soil texture, organic carbon content, pH, bulk density, water holding capacity were determined. Our results showed that grassland soil was characterized by higher activity of soil enzymes than cropland. The average well color development of soil microorganisms, the microbial functional diversity and the number of carbon source utilization were significantly affected by land use type and were differentiated among soil depths. In grassland compared to cropland soil a significant increase of carboxylic acids and decrease of amino acids utilization was observed. The quantitative and qualitative differences were found in community of ammonia oxidizing archaea in cropland and grassland soil. The results of fungal community composition help to explain the soil health of grassland and cropland based on the appearance of phytopathogenic and antagonistic fungi. In general bulk density and field water capacity were greater and saturated hydraulic conductivity was lower under grassland than cropland soil. The study was funded by HORIZON 2020, European Commission, Programme: H2020-SFS-4-2014: Soil quality and function, project No. 635750, Interactive Soil Quality Assessment in Europe and China for Agricultural Productivity and Environmental Resilience (iSQAPER, 2015-2020).

Assessing different agricultural managements with the use of soil quality indices in a Mediteranean calcareous soil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morugán-Coronado, Alicia; García-Orenes, Fuensanta; Mataix-Solera, Jorge; Arcenegui, Vicky; Cerdà, Artemi

2013-04-01

Soil erosion is a major problem in the Mediterranean region due to the arid conditions and torrential rainfalls, which contribute to the degradation of agricultural land. New strategies must be developed to reduce soil losses and recover or maintain soil functionality in order to achieve a sustainable agriculture. An experiment was designed to evaluate the effect of different agricultural management on soil properties and soil quality. Ten different treatments (contact herbicide, systemic herbicide, ploughing, Oat mulch non-plough, Oats mulch plough, leguminous plant, straw rice mulch, chipped pruned branches, residual-herbicide and agro geo-textile, and three control plots including no tillage or control and long agricultural abandonment (shrub on marls and shrub on limestone) were established in 'El Teularet experimental station' located in the Sierra de Enguera (Valencia, Spain). The soil is a Typic Xerorthent developed over Cretaceous marls in an old agricultural terrace. The agricultural management can modify the soil equilibrium and affect its quality. In this work two soil quality indices (models) developed by Zornoza et al. (2007) are used to evaluate the effects of the different agricultural management along 4 years. The models were developed studying different soil properties in undisturbed forest soils in SE Spain, and the relationships between soil parameters were established using multiple linear regressions. Model 1, that explained 92% of the variance in soil organic carbon (SOC) showed that the SOC can be calculated by the linear combination of 6 physical, chemical and biochemical properties (acid phosphatase, water holding capacity (WHC), electrical conductivity (EC), available phosphorus (P), cation exchange capacity (CEC) and aggregate stability (AS). Model 2 explains 89% of the SOC variance, which can be calculated by means of 7 chemical and biochemical properties (urease, phosphatase, and ß-glucosidase activities, pH, EC, P and CEC). We use the residual (difference between calculated SOC by models and real SOC, analyzed in laboratory) as soil quality indices. We consider higher soil quality when the residuals are closer to cero or inside confidence intervals of the models (95%). As expected, the application of the models indicates that in all the treatments and the control plots (shrub on marls and shrub on limestone), the residuals are out of the confidence intervals for the models, showing a disequilibrium among soil properties because these treatments have been submitted to a perturbation such as the agricultural use. However, it can be observed that the residuals in the last sampling in control plots and some of the treatments, the least aggressive with the soil, are lower and therefore the soil it seems to the soil properties is achieving to their equilibrium among them. These soils are: Shrub on limestone and shrub on marls, Chipped pruned branches and Oat mulch non-plough. These results are in agreement with García-Orenes et al. (2010), who showed that the addition of oat straw to soil can be considered an effective soil management, because it produced an important increase of the different fractions of organic carbon and microbial activity, that it will be translated into a rapid improvement of soil quality. The application of the herbicides studied produced a decrease in all the soil parameters; these practices are not recommendable for a sustainable agricultural system in semiarid Mediterranean agro-ecosystem. -García-Orenes, F., Guerrero, C., Roldán, A., Mataix-Solera, J., Cerdà, A. Campoy, M., Zornoza, R., Bárcenas, G., Caravaca, F., (2010). Soil microbial biomass and activity under different agricultural management systems in a semiarid Mediterranean agroecosystem. Soil & Tillage Research 109: 110-115. -Zornoza, R., Mataix-Solera, J., Guerrero, C., Arcenegui, V., Mayoral, A.M., Morales, J. Mataix-Beneyto, J., 2007. Soil properties under natural forest in the Alicante Province of Spain. Geoderma. 142, 334-341 Aknowledgements: The authors acknowledge the 'Teularet experimental station' staff for the collaboration.

What can we learn from field experiments about the development of SOC and GHG emissions under different management practices?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spiegel, Heide; Lehtinen, Taru; Schlatter, Norman; Haslmayr, Hans-Peter; Baumgarten, Andreas; ten Berge, Hein

2015-04-01

Successful agricultural management practices are required to maintain or enhance soil quality; at the same time climate change mitigation is becoming increasingly important. Within the EU project CATCH-C we analysed the effects of different agricultural practices not only on crop productivity, but also on soil quality indicators (e.g. soil organic carbon (SOC)) and climate change (CC) mitigation indicators (e.g. CO2, CH4, N2O emissions). European data sets and associated literature, mainly from long-term experiments were evaluated. This evaluation of agricultural management practices was carried out comparing a set of improved ("best") and often applied ("current") management practices. Positive and negative effects occurred when best management practices are adopted. As expected, none of the investigated practices could comply with all objectives simultaneously, i.e. maintaining high yields, mitigating climate change and improving chemical, physical and biological soil quality. The studied soil management practices "non-inversion tillage", "organic fertilisation" (application of farm yard manure, slurry, compost) and "incorporation of crop residues" represent important management practices for farmers to increase SOC, thus improving soil quality. However, CO2 and, especially, N2O emissions may rise as well. The evaluation of CC mitigation is often limited by the lack of data from - preferably - continuous GHG emission measurements. Thus, more long-term field studies are needed to better assess the CO2, CH4 and, especially, N2O emissions following the above mentioned favorably rated MPs. Only if SOC and GHG emissions are measured in the same field experiments, it will be possible to compute overall balances of necessary CO2-C equivalent emissions. CATCH-C is funded within the 7th Framework Programme for Research, Technological Development and Demonstration, Theme 2 - Biotechnologies, Agriculture & Food. (Grant Agreement N° 289782).

Evaluating Brazilian sugarcane expansion effects on soil structure using VESS

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Increasing global demand for biofuel has accelerated land-use change (LUC) in Brazil, primarily by replacing degraded pasture with sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum). The intensive echanization associated with this LUC has increased concerns regarding soil structural quality (SSQ). Through decades of...

Application of drum compost and vermicompost to improve soil health, growth, and yield parameters for tomato and cabbage plants.

PubMed

Goswami, Linee; Nath, Anil; Sutradhar, Sweety; Bhattacharya, Satya Sundar; Kalamdhad, Ajay; Vellingiri, Kowsalya; Kim, Ki-Hyun

2017-09-15

Utilization of different types of solid wastes through composting is important for environmental sustainability and restoring soil quality. Although drum composting is an efficient technology, the possibility of heavy metal contamination restricts its large-scale use. In this research, a field experiment was conducted to evaluate the impact of water hyacinth drum compost (DC) and traditional vermicompost (VC) on soil quality and crop growth in an agro-ecosystem cultivated intensively with tomato and cabbage as test crops. A substantial improvement in soil health was observed with respect to nutrient availability, physical stability, and microbial diversity due to the application of drum compost and traditional vermicompost. Moreover, soil organic carbon was enriched through increased humic and fulvic acid carbon. Interestingly, heavy metal contamination was less significant in vermicompost-treated soils than in those receiving the other treatments. The use of VC and DC in combination with recommended chemical fertilization effectively stimulated crop growth, yield, product quality, and storage longevity for both tomato and cabbage. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of the Validated Soil Moisture Product from the SMAP Radiometer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

O'Neill, P.; Chan, S.; Colliander, A.; Dunbar, S.; Njoku, E.; Bindlish, R.; Chen, F.; Jackson, T.; Burgin, M.; Piepmeier, J.;

[Evaluation on a demonstration project of ecological restoration of ditches at Qianwei Village of Chongming County, Shanghai].

PubMed

Zhou, Xiang-Xiang; Zhang, Li-Quan; Yuan, Lian-Qi

2008-02-01

By using biological slope-protection techniques, oxidation pond system, and zeolite treatment system, a demonstration project of ecological restoration of ditches at the Qianwei Village of Chongming County in Shanghai was implemented, and an evaluation on the project was made via a runoff simulation experiment and the measurements of the parameters soil shear strength, biodiversity, and ditch water quality. The results showed that covering the dich slopes with shrub could significantly increase soil shear strength, compactness and moisture content, and the formed vegetation had significant effects on retarding runoff and removing TSS (P < 0.05). Applying live fascines could significantly increase soil shear strength and TSS removal rate (P < 0.05), but its effects on increasing soil compactness and moisture content and retaining runoff were not significant. After the implement of the demonstration project, the total N and P concentrations in ditch water decreased significantly, habitat quality and aesthetic value of ditch slope improved, and biodiversity enhanced greatly. The integration of the biological techniques with other ecological restoration measures could stabilize ditch slope, improve ditch habitat quality, and restore the ecological environment of the ditches.

Framework for Optimizing the Evaluation of Data From Contaminated Soil in Sweden

EPA Science Inventory

The Swedish guidelines for the evaluation of data for the purpose of a risk assessment at contaminated sites are of a qualitative character, as opposed to the USEPA’s Data Quality Objective Process. In Sweden, this can sometimes be a problem because the demands on data quality ar...

Critical Analysis of Forest Degradation in the Southern Eastern Ghats of India: Comparison of Satellite Imagery and Soil Quality Index

PubMed Central

Ramachandran, Andimuthu; Radhapriya, Parthasarathy; Jayakumar, Shanmuganathan; Dhanya, Praveen; Geetha, Rajadurai

2016-01-01

India has one of the largest assemblages of tropical biodiversity, with its unique floristic composition of endemic species. However, current forest cover assessment is performed via satellite-based forest surveys, which have many limitations. The present study, which was performed in the Eastern Ghats, analysed the satellite-based inventory provided by forest surveys and inferred from the results that this process no longer provides adequate information for quantifying forest degradation in an empirical manner. The study analysed 21 soil properties and generated a forest soil quality index of the Eastern Ghats, using principal component analysis. Using matrix modules and geospatial technology, we compared the forest degradation status calculated from satellite-based forest surveys with the degradation status calculated from the forest soil quality index. The Forest Survey of India classified about 1.8% of the Eastern Ghats’ total area as degraded forests and the remainder (98.2%) as open, dense, and very dense forests, whereas the soil quality index results found that about 42.4% of the total area is degraded, with the remainder (57.6%) being non-degraded. Our ground truth verification analyses indicate that the forest soil quality index along with the forest cover density data from the Forest Survey of India are ideal tools for evaluating forest degradation. PMID:26812397

Soil problems in China and its lessons for other developing countries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, N.; Widjajanto, D. W.; Zheng, Y.

2018-01-01

With the rapid growth of economy in China for more than 35 years since 1980, the soils in China experienced severe chances featured in high input of chemical fertilizers indeed of organic fertilizers to pursue high yield for the ever-growing population and the increase of life style and in high input of a large amount of metals especially cadmium from manure and atmospheric deposition. The shift of fertilizer application pattern and the high-yield output greatly change the soil quality, of which soil acidification is one of the main problems. Soil acidification and high cadmium input not only caused pollution on the soil but also contaminated the food. Cadmium with high percentage based on the strict soil quality standard (cadmium 0.3 mg/kg for soil, 0.2 mg/kg for rice grain). This paper will elucidate the soil pollution process in China during this 35 years and evaluate the soil and food problem properly and it may give a lesson for other developing countries when they are pave the way of modernization.

Innovative Design and Performance Evaluation of Bionic Imprinting Toothed Wheel

PubMed Central

Wang, Xiaoyang; Tong, Jin; Stephen, Carr

2018-01-01

A highly efficient soil-burrowing dung beetle possesses an intricate outer contour curve on its foreleg end-tooth. This study was carried out based on evidence that this special outer contour curve has the potential of reducing soil penetration resistance and could enhance soil-burrowing efficiency. A toothed wheel is a typical agricultural implement for soil imprinting, to increase its working efficiency; the approach of the bionic geometrical structure was utilized to optimize the innovative shape of imprinting toothed wheel. Characteristics in the dung beetle's foreleg end-tooth were extracted and studied by the edge detection technique. Then, this special outer contour curve was modeled by a nine-order polynomial function and used for the innovative design of imprinting the tooth's cutting edge. Both the conventional and bionic teeth were manufactured, and traction tests in a soil bin were conducted. Taking required draft force and volume of imprinted microbasin as the evaluating indexes, operating efficiency and quality of different toothed wheels were compared and investigated. Results indicate that compared with the conventional toothed wheel, a bionic toothed wheel possesses a better forward resistance reduction property against soil and, meanwhile, can enhance the quality of soil imprinting by increasing the volume of the created micro-basin. PMID:29515651

Influence of red mud on soil microbial communities: Application and comprehensive evaluation of the Biolog EcoPlate approach as a tool in soil microbiological studies.

PubMed

Feigl, Viktória; Ujaczki, Éva; Vaszita, Emese; Molnár, Mónika

2017-10-01

Red mud can be applied as soil ameliorant to acidic, sandy and micronutrient deficient soils. There are still knowledge gaps regarding the effects of red mud on the soil microbial community. The Biolog EcoPlate technique is a promising tool for community level physiological profiling. This study presents a detailed evaluation of Biolog EcoPlate data from two case studies. In experiment "A" red mud from Ajka (Hungary) was mixed into acidic sandy soil in soil microcosms at 5-50 w/w%. In experiement "B" red mud soil mixture was mixed into low quality subsoil in a field experiment at 5-50 w/w%. According to average well color development, substrate average well color development and substrate richness 5-20% red mud increased the microbial activity of the acidic sandy soil over the short term, but the effect did not last for 10months. Shannon diversity index showed that red mud at up to 20% did not change microbial diversity over the short term, but the diversity decreased by the 10th month. 30-50% red mud had deteriorating effect on the soil microflora. 5-20% red mud soil mixture in the low quality subsoil had a long lasting enhancing effect on the microbial community based on all Biolog EcoPlate parameters. However, 50% red mud soil mixture caused a decrease in diversity and substrate richness. With the Biolog EcoPlate we were able to monitor the changes of the microbial community in red mud affected soils and to assess the amount of red mud and red mud soil mixture applicable for soil treatment in these cases. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Visible and near infrared spectroscopy coupled to random forest to quantify some soil quality parameters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Santana, Felipe Bachion; de Souza, André Marcelo; Poppi, Ronei Jesus

2018-02-01

This study evaluates the use of visible and near infrared spectroscopy (Vis-NIRS) combined with multivariate regression based on random forest to quantify some quality soil parameters. The parameters analyzed were soil cation exchange capacity (CEC), sum of exchange bases (SB), organic matter (OM), clay and sand present in the soils of several regions of Brazil. Current methods for evaluating these parameters are laborious, timely and require various wet analytical methods that are not adequate for use in precision agriculture, where faster and automatic responses are required. The random forest regression models were statistically better than PLS regression models for CEC, OM, clay and sand, demonstrating resistance to overfitting, attenuating the effect of outlier samples and indicating the most important variables for the model. The methodology demonstrates the potential of the Vis-NIR as an alternative for determination of CEC, SB, OM, sand and clay, making possible to develop a fast and automatic analytical procedure.

Gamma-Ray Attenuation to Evaluate Soil Porosity: An Analysis of Methods

PubMed Central

Pires, Luiz F.; Pereira, André B.

2014-01-01

Soil porosity (ϕ) is of a great deal for environmental studies due to the fact that water infiltrates and suffers redistribution in the soil pore space. Many physical and biochemical processes related to environmental quality occur in the soil porous system. Representative determinations of ϕ are necessary due to the importance of this physical property in several fields of natural sciences. In the current work, two methods to evaluate ϕ were analyzed by means of gamma-ray attenuation technique. The first method uses the soil attenuation approach through dry soil and saturated samples, whereas the second one utilizes the same approach but taking into account dry soil samples to assess soil bulk density and soil particle density to determine ϕ. The results obtained point out a good correlation between both methods. However, when ϕ is obtained through soil water content at saturation and a 4 mm collimator is used to collimate the gamma-ray beam the first method also shows good correlations with the traditional one. PMID:24616640

Carbon storage, soil carbon dioxide efflux and water quality in three widths of piedmont streamside management zones

Treesearch

Erica F. Wadl; William Lakel; Michael Aust; John Seiler

2010-01-01

Streamside management zones (SMZs) are used to protect water quality. Monitoring carbon pools and fluxes in SMZs may a good indicator of the SMZ’s overall function and health. In this project we evaluated some of these pools and fluxes from three different SMZ widths (30.5, 15.3, and 7.6 m) in the Piedmont of Virginia. We quantified carbon storage in the soil (upper 10...

Evaluation of automated global mapping of Reference Soil Groups of WRB2015

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mantel, Stephan; Caspari, Thomas; Kempen, Bas; Schad, Peter; Eberhardt, Einar; Ruiperez Gonzalez, Maria

2017-04-01

SoilGrids is an automated system that provides global predictions for standard numeric soil properties at seven standard depths down to 200 cm, currently at spatial resolutions of 1km and 250m. In addition, the system provides predictions of depth to bedrock and distribution of soil classes based on WRB and USDA Soil Taxonomy (ST). In SoilGrids250m(1), soil classes (WRB, version 2006) consist of the RSG and the first prefix qualifier, whereas in SoilGrids1km(2), the soil class was assessed at RSG level. Automated mapping of World Reference Base (WRB) Reference Soil Groups (RSGs) at a global level has great advantages. Maps can be updated in a short time span with relatively little effort when new data become available. To translate soil names of older versions of FAO/WRB and national classification systems of the source data into names according to WRB 2006, correlation tables are used in SoilGrids. Soil properties and classes are predicted independently from each other. This means that the combinations of soil properties for the same cells or soil property-soil class combinations do not necessarily yield logical combinations when the map layers are studied jointly. The model prediction procedure is robust and probably has a low source of error in the prediction of RSGs. It seems that the quality of the original soil classification in the data and the use of correlation tables are the largest sources of error in mapping the RSG distribution patterns. Predicted patterns of dominant RSGs were evaluated in selected areas and sources of error were identified. Suggestions are made for improvement of WRB2015 RSG distribution predictions in SoilGrids. Keywords: Automated global mapping; World Reference Base for Soil Resources; Data evaluation; Data quality assurance References 1 Hengl T, de Jesus JM, Heuvelink GBM, Ruiperez Gonzalez M, Kilibarda M, et al. (2016) SoilGrids250m: global gridded soil information based on Machine Learning. Earth System Science Data (ESSD), in review. 2 Hengl T, de Jesus JM, MacMillan RA, Batjes NH, Heuvelink GBM, et al. (2014) SoilGrids1km — Global Soil Information Based on Automated Mapping. PLoS ONE 9(8): e105992. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0105992

No tillage combined with crop rotation improves soil microbial community composition and metabolic activity.

PubMed

Sun, Bingjie; Jia, Shuxia; Zhang, Shixiu; McLaughlin, Neil B; Liang, Aizhen; Chen, Xuewen; Liu, Siyi; Zhang, Xiaoping

2016-04-01

Soil microbial community can vary with different agricultural managements, which in turn can affect soil quality. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of long-term tillage practice (no tillage (NT) and conventional tillage (CT)) and crop rotation (maize-soybean (MS) rotation and monoculture maize (MM)) on soil microbial community composition and metabolic capacity in different soil layers. Long-term NT increased the soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN) mainly at the 0-5 cm depth which was accompanied with a greater microbial abundance. The greater fungi-to-bacteria (F/B) ratio was found in NTMS at the 0-5 cm depth. Both tillage and crop rotation had a significant effect on the metabolic activity, with the greatest average well color development (AWCD) value in NTMS soil at all three soil depths. Redundancy analysis (RDA) showed that the shift in microbial community composition was accompanied with the changes in capacity of utilizing different carbon substrates. Therefore, no tillage combined with crop rotation could improve soil biological quality and make agricultural systems more sustainable.

Soils and public health: the vital nexus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pachepsky, Yakov

2015-04-01

Soils sustain life. They affect human health via quantity, quality, and safety of available food and water, and via direct exposure of individuals to soils. Throughout the history of civilization, soil-health relationships have inspired spiritual movements, philosophical systems, cultural exchanges, and interdisciplinary interactions, and provided medicinal substances of paramount impact. Given the climate, resource, and population pressures, understanding and managing the soil-health interactions becomes a modern imperative. We are witnessing a paradigm shift from recognizing and yet disregarding the 'soil-health' nexus complexity to parameterizing this complexity and identifying reliable controls. This becomes possible with the advent of modern research tools as a source of 'big data' on multivariate nonlinear soil systems and the multiplicity of health metrics. The phenomenon of suppression of human pathogens in soils and plants presents a recent example of these developments. Evidence is growing about the dependence of pathogen suppression on the soil microbial community structure which, in turn, is affected by the soil-plant system management. Soil eutrophication appears to create favorable conditions for pathogen survival. Another example of promising information-rich research considers links and feedbacks between the soil microbial community structure and structure of soil physical pore space. The two structures are intertwined and involved in the intricate self-organization that controls soil services to public health. This, in particular, affects functioning of soils as a powerful water filter and the capacity of this filter with respect to emerging contaminants in both 'green' and 'blue' waters. To evaluate effects of soil services to public health, upscaling procedures are needed for relating the fine-scale mechanistic knowledge to available coarse-scale information on soil properties and management. More needs to be learned about health effects of soils in organic agriculture that are often used for soil quality comparison and benchmarking. The influence of soil degradation and rehabilitation on public health has to be assessed in quantitative terms. Some links between soils and public health regarding, for example, immune maturation, antibiotic resistance development, and mental well-being, have been long hypothesized but remain to be examined. The data on soil-health relationships are scarce and very much disjointed, and a concerted international effort appears to be needed to encompass various economic and geographical settings. Current definitions of healthy soil broadly include aspects that are conducive for human health, and functional evaluation of soil quality with a focus on public health will have useful applications in public policies and perception. The 'soil-health' connection is complex in character, global in manifestation, and applicable to every human being.

Multi-criteria indexes to evaluate the effects of repeated organic amendment applications on soil quality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Obriot, Fiona; Stauffer, Marie; Goubard, Yolaine; Vieuble-Gonod, Laure; Revallier, Agathe; Houot, Sabine

2015-04-01

Objectives The soil application of organic waste products (OWP) favours the recycling of nutrients, the crop production, the increase of soil biological activity and biodiversity. It may also lead to soil contamination. All these effects occurred simultaneously and must be considered in the evaluation of the practice. This study aims at deciphering the long-term impact of repeated applications and the short-term effect of an additional application on soil quality using 5 different Soil Quality Indices (SQI)[a]: fertility, microbial activity, biodiversity, physical properties and productivity and one pollution index by heavy metals. Methodology A long term field experiment was used (QualiAgro, Ile de France) where repeated applications of 4 amendments (a municipal solid waste compost, MSW; a biowaste compost, BIO; a co-compost of sewage sludge and green waste, GWS and a farmyard manure, FYM) have differentiated soil characteristics and crop production compared to a control treatments without organic residue and receiving mineral fertilizer or not (CONT+N and CONT). The OWP are applied every 2 years, in September, at doses equivalent to 4 t C/ha (4 replicates) on a maize-wheat succession. We used 2 sampling dates: 3 weeks before application (cumulative residual effect of 7 applications) and 3 weeks just after the 8th application (short-term additional effect of a recent application), in 2011. More than 30 different variables were used: chemical (pH, Polsen…), physical (bulk density, plasticity…) and biological (microbial biomass, enzymatic activity…) soil indicators. All of these were classified in 6 classes: fertility, microbial activity, biodiversity, physical properties, productivity and pollution. Five SQI and one pollution index by heavy metals were estimated using a weighted additive index calculation method described by Velasquez et al. (2007)[a]. Only parameters with statistically significant differences (p<0.05) were taken into account, the maximum value of data set permits to normalized the data set, a principal component analysis was used for each data in order to explain the variability and at the end, the combination of all indicators selected and weighted by anterior steps defined SQI. Results The repeated applications of organic amendments increased soil fertility and microbial activity compared to control treatments as revealed by the corresponding indices. The largest improvements were observed in treatments that increased more the soil organic matter content (GWS, FYM and BIO) compared to MSW. The regular application of OWP did not significantly modify the SQI dedicated to biodiversity. A recent additional application did not lead to significant supplementary effect on the SQI. Physical properties, productivity and pollution index need more time to be explained. Conclusion The use of SQI allows the aggregation of different indicators to evaluate specific ecosystem services (soil fertility, soil biodiversity, vegetal productivity…) and disservices (heavy metal contamination) of the introduction of OWP in soil. Separate indices made possible to assess different aspects of soil quality separately. Other field results on the effect of OWP application would make possible to relate more precisely the observed effects to the SQIs. References [a] Velasquez, Elena, Patrick Lavelle, et Mercedes Andrade. « GISQ, a Multifunctional Indicator of Soil Quality ». Soil Biology & Biochemistry 39, no 12 (décembre 2007): 3066 80. doi:10.1016/j.soilbio.2007.06.013.

An analysis of the dissipation of pharmaceuticals under thirteen different soil conditions.

PubMed

Kodešová, Radka; Kočárek, Martin; Klement, Aleš; Golovko, Oksana; Koba, Olga; Fér, Miroslav; Nikodem, Antonín; Vondráčková, Lenka; Jakšík, Ondřej; Grabic, Roman

2016-02-15

The presence of human and veterinary pharmaceuticals in the environment is recognized as a potential threat. Pharmaceuticals have the potential to contaminate soils and consequently surface and groundwater. Knowledge of contaminant behavior (e.g., sorption onto soil particles and degradation) is essential when assessing contaminant migration in the soil and groundwater environment. We evaluated the dissipation half-lives of 7 pharmaceuticals in 13 soils. The data were evaluated relative to the soil properties and the Freundlich sorption coefficients reported in our previous study. Of the tested pharmaceuticals, carbamazepine had the greatest persistence (which was mostly stable), followed by clarithromycin, trimethoprim, metoprolol, clindamycin, sulfamethoxazole and atenolol. Pharmaceutical persistence in soils was mostly dependent on the soil-type conditions. In general, lower average dissipation half-lives and variability (i.e., trimethoprim, sulfamethoxazole, clindamycin, metoprolol and atenolol) were found in soils of better quality (well-developed structure, high nutrition content etc.), and thus, probably better microbial conditions (i.e., Chernozems), than in lower quality soil (Cambisols). The impact of the compound sorption affinity onto soil particles on their dissipation rate was mostly negligible. Although there was a positive correlation between compound dissipation half-life and Freundlich sorption coefficient for clindamycin (R=0.604, p<0.05) and sulfamethoxazole (R=0.822, p<0.01), the half-life of sulfamethoxazole also decreased under better soil-type conditions. Based on the calculated dissipation and sorption data, carbamazepine would be expected to have the greatest potential to migrate in the soil water environment, followed by sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim and metoprolol. The transport of clindamycin, clarithromycin and atenolol through the vadose zone seems less probable. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Assessment of groundwater and soil quality for agricultural purposes in Kopruoren basin, Kutahya, Turkey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arslan, Sebnem

2017-07-01

This research evaluated the irrigation water and agricultural soil quality in the Kopruoren Basin by using hierarchical cluster analysis. Physico-chemical properties and major ion chemistry of 19 groundwater samples were used to determine the irrigation water quality indices. The results revealed out that the groundwaters are in general suitable for irrigation and have low sodium hazard, although they are very hard in nature due to the dominant presence of Ca+2, Mg+2 and HCO3- ions. Water samples contain arsenic in concentrations below the recommended guidelines for irrigation (59.7 ± 14.7 μg/l), however, arsenic concentrations in 89% of the 9 soil samples exceed the maximum allowable concentrations set for agricultural soils (81 ± 24.3 mg/kg). Nickel element, albeit not present in high concentrations in water samples, is enriched in all of the agricultural soil samples (390 ± 118.2 mg/kg). Hierarchical cluster analysis studies conducted to identify the sources of chemical constituents in water and soil samples elicited that the chemistry of the soils in the study area are highly impacted by the soil parent material and both geogenic and anthropogenic pollution sources are responsible for the metal contents of the soil samples. On the other hand, water chemistry in the area is affected by water-rock interactions, anthropogenic and agricultural pollution.

Environmental analyse of soil organic carbon stock changes in Slovakia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koco, Š.; Barančíková, G.; Skalský, R.; Tarasovičová, Z.; Gutteková, M.; Halas, J.; Makovníková, J.; Novákova, M.

2012-04-01

The content and quality of soil organic matter is one of the basic soil parameters on which soil production functioning depends as well as it is active in non production soil functions like an ecological one especially. Morphologic segmentation of Slovakia has significant influence of structure in using agricultural soil in specific areas of our territory. Also social changes of early 90´s of 20´th century made their impact on change of using of agricultural soil (transformation from large farms to smaller ones, decreasing the number of livestock). This research is studying changes of development of soil organic carbon stock (SOC) in agricultural soil of Slovakia as results of climatic as well as social and political changes which influenced agricultury since last 40 years. The main goal of this research is an analysis of soil organic carbon stock since 1970 until now at specific agroclimatic regions of Slovakia and statistic analysis of relation between modelled data of SOC stock and soil quality index value. Changes of SOC stock were evaluated on the basis SOC content modeling using RothC-26.3 model. From modeling of SOC stock results the outcome is that in that time the soil organic carbon stock was growing until middle 90´s years of 20´th century with the highest value in 1994. Since that year until new millennium SOC stock is slightly decreasing. After 2000 has slightly increased SOC stock so far. According to soil management SOC stock development on arable land is similar to overall evolution. In case of grasslands after slight growth of SOC stock since 1990 the stock is in decline. This development is result of transformational changes after 1989 which were specific at decreasing amount of organic carbon input from organic manure at grassland areas especially. At warmer agroclimatic regions where mollic fluvisols and chernozems are present and where are soils with good quality and steady soil organic matter (SOM) the amount of SOC in monitored time is still growing. At colder agroclimatic regions, at flysch region especially where cambisols are present with low of SOM stability since 1994 stability or decreasing of SOC stock is resulting. This is result of climatic impact (lower temperatures, higher humidity) as well as the way of soil management because at colder region the number of glasslands is increased in comparison to arable land. Close relationship between SOC stock and soil production potential index representing the official basis for soil quality evaluation in Slovakia was also determined and a polynomial model was found which describes the relation at the 95% confidence level. From the obtained results it can be concluded, that the amount of crop residues and farmyard manure coming to the soil both in the first and second simulation period (1970 - 1995 and 1996 - 2007) was responsible for general trends in SOC stock dynamics. Achieved results also show different amount and changes of SOC stock in different agroclimatic regions. It was also found that that value of soil production potential index generally used for soil quality assessment in Slovakia corresponds well with simulated values of SOC stocks in top-soils of cropland soils. Key words Soil organic carbon stock, modelling, agricultural soils, agroclimatic regions, Slovakia Acknowledgements This work was supported by the Slovak Research and Development Agency under the contract No. APVV-0333-06.

Assessment of the levels of potentially toxic substances around a transect of anthrosols in Aqaba shoreline, Jordan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wahsha, Mohammad; Al-Rousan, Saber; Al-Jawasreh, Raid

2016-04-01

Soils are the major sink for potentially toxic substances (PTSs) such as heavy metals released into the environment by emissions from the quickly increasing of human impact including industrial mine tailings, disposal of high metal wastes, land misuse, wastewater irrigation, spillage of petrochemicals, and atmospheric deposition. The present study concerns the properties variability and soil biological health status in abandoned salt transportation port site in the Jordanian coast of the Gulf of Aqaba, Red Sea. Seven sites were selected according to different morphological and pedological conditions, anthropogenic impact and the same climate conditions. Successively, all locations were sampled for topsoil in the period between spring-summer 2014. Field observations as well as laboratory analysis including heavy metal concentrations (Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn); soil chemo-physical parameters (pH, soil dry mass, carbonate, water holding, organic carbon content, soil particle size distribution), and quality of soil's biological community were determined. The anthropogenic influence related to former port activity on soils of the studied area is evident. Soils in the studied area site are highly contaminated by PTSs, mainly Cu and Zn, by 648, 298.6 mgKg-1respectively. Former activities proved to affect the microarthropods community altering both quantity and quality of soil and the chemo-physical structure of the microhabitats. The evaluation of soil biological quality index (QBS-ar) of the surface horizons from the study area is demonstrated that the area is "sufferings" since it is affected by PTSs contamination resulting in a failure in the ecological success of secondary recolonization after abandonment. However, there is an increasing need for further research in the soils of Aqaba focusing on soil health management , combining QBS-ar index with soil chemo-physical properties. Key words: Potentially Toxic Substances, Heavy Metals, Soil Quality.

The effect of soil on cork quality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pestana, Miguel; Gomes, Alberto

2014-10-01

The present work aimed to contribute for a better knowledge regarding soil features as cork quality indicators for stoppers. Cork sampling was made in eight Cork oak stands (montados de sobreiro) located in different Plio-Plistocene sedimentary formations of Península de Setúbal and Carbonic shistes from paleozoic periods in Saw Grândola, both in southern Tagus River region The samples used to classify the cork as stopper for wine bottles were obtained in eight cork oak stands located in “Península de Setúbal”, south of the River Tagus, covering soils of different types of sandstones of the Plio-plistocene In each stand, we randomly chose five circular plots with 30 m radius. Five trees with same stripping conditions determined by the dendrometric features: HD (height stipping, PBH (perimeter at breaster height), and percentage canopy cover, trees vegetative condition (defoliation degree) stand features (density), and site conditions (soil type and orientation). In the center of each plot a pit was open to characterize the soil profile and to classify the soil of each plot sampling. Cork quality for stoppers was evaluated according to porosity, pores/per cm 2 and thickness. The soil was characterized according to morphological soil profile features (lithology, soil profound and soil horizons) and chemical soil surface horizon features (organic matter, pH, macro and micronutrients availability). Based on the variables studied and using the numerical taxonomy, we settled relationships between the cork quality and some soil features. The results indicate: (1) high correlation between the cork caliber and boron, caption exchange capacity, total nitrogen, exchange acidity and exchangeable magnesium, potassium, calcium and sodium in soils of theirs cork oaks; (2) the cork porosity is correlated with the number of pores/cm2 and magnesium; (3) the other soil features have a lower correlation with the caliber, porosity and the number of pores per cm2.

Ammonia Volatilization Loss from Surface Applied Livestock Manure

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Ammonia (NH3) emission from livestock manures used in agriculture reduces N uptake by crops and negatively impacts air quality. This laboratory study was conducted to evaluate NH3 emission from different livestock manures applied to two soils: Candler fins sand (CFS; light-textured soil, pH 6.8 and...

Biochars impact on water infiltration and water quality through a compacted subsoil layer

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Soils in the Southeastern United States Coastal Plain region frequently have a compacted subsoil layer, which is a barrier for water movement. Four different biochars were evaluated to increase water movement through a compacted horizon from a Norfolk soil (fine-loamy, kaolinitic, thermic, Typic Ka...

Biochar impact on water infiltration and water quality through a compacted subsoil layer

EPA Science Inventory

Soils in the SE USA Coastal Plain region frequently have a compacted subsoil layer (E horizon), which is a barrier for water infiltration. Four different biochars were evaluated to increase water infiltration through a compacted horizon from a Norfolk soil (fine-loamy, kaolinitic...

Long-term tillage frequency effects on dryland soil physical and hydraulic properties

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Long-term tillage influences physical, chemical, and biological properties of the soil environment and thereby crop production and quality. We evaluated the effect of long-term (> 22 years) tillage frequency [no-till (NT), spring till (ST), and fall and spring till (FST)] under continuous spring whe...

EVALUATING THE ROLE OF HABITAT QUALITY ON ESTABLISHMENT OF GM AGROSTIS STOLONIFERA PLANTS IN NON-AGRONOMIC SETTINGS

EPA Science Inventory

We compared soil chemistry and plant community data at non-agronomic mesic locations that either did or did not contain genetically modified (GM) Agrostis stolonifera. The best two-variable logistic regression model included soil Mn content and A. stolonifera cover and explained...

Experiential Learning through Integrated Project Work: An Example from Soil Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mellor, Antony

1991-01-01

Describes the planning, implementation, and evaluation of an integrated student soil science project. Reports that the course was designed to develop student-centered approaches to learning and to develop transferable skills and personal qualities at the same time. Explains that the project included fieldwork, laboratory analysis, data…

DEMONSTRATION AND QUALITY ASSURANCE PROJECT PLAN: XRF TECHNOLOGIES OF MEASURING TRACE ELEMENTS IN SOIL AND SEDIMENT

EPA Science Inventory

A demonstration of field portable/mobile technologies for measuring trace elements in soil and sediments was conducted under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Superfund Innovative Technology Evaluation (SITE) Program. The demonstration took place from January 24 to 28, 200...

Effects of changes in soil properties derived from land levelling on grape quality and yield in the Priorat (Spain)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Concepción Ramos, Maria

2017-04-01

Soil characteristics together with topography and climate influence on the suitability of the environment for grapevine growing and wine production grapevine growth and fruit qualities. Thus, changes in soil properties derived from field works and agricultural activities may influence grape production and quality. This work focuses on the effects of land terracing on soil properties, and the changes in grape quality and production. The study was conducted in the Priorat region, where old vineyards planted in steep slopes have been adapted for the labour mechanization with the construction of terraces. Changes in soil properties, such as organic matter, infiltration, water retention capacity were analysed in both old and transformed vineyards. Grape yield, pH, acidity and the likely alcohol content were evaluated in a sample of 80 plots planted with Grenache and Carignan. The soil surface alterations produced by the terrace construction affected some hydrological properties, such as texture and bulk density, and they also gave rise to lower soil organic matter content (up to 40%), lower available water capacity (up to 25%)and hydraulic (up to 55%). For the evaluated varieties, there were differences in yield between both new and old vineyards: 2.18 vs 0.68 kg/vine for Carignan and 2.34 vs 1.64 kg/vine for Grenache. For Carignan, pH was on average lower in the new than in the old vineyards (3.46 vs. and 3.51) and higher differences were observed in the acidity (5.29 vs. 4.22). Similarly for Grenache, pH values were 3.3 vs 3.24 and acidity 5.18 vs 4.69. Smaller differences were found in the likely alcohol content although it was always higher in the old vineyards (14.5 and 14.9 for Carignan and Grenache, respectively) than in the new vineyards (13.7 and 14.5 for Carignan and Grenache, respectively).

Soil physical properties changed induced by dry-wet cycles in the water-level fluctuation zone of Three Gorges Reservoir region, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cui, Junfang; Tang, Xiangyu; Zhang, Wei

2017-04-01

In southwest China, a grand hydraulic engineering called Three Gorges Dam (TGD) was completed and under full power run since 2009, making a total area of 349 km2 along Yangtze River exposing the dry-wet cycles by its impounding of water step by step from the elevations of 135 m in summer season to 175 m in winter season at each year. As populated area, the environmental issues aroused by the TGR have centered on water quality, biodiversity, sedimentation, downstream riverbed erosion and pollutants (both heavy metals and organic pollutants) transportation. All these are regulated or affected by soil structure and pore network, directly or indirectly. Thus, the study of soil physical quality changed induced by these seasonal dry-wet cycles is crucial. The objective of this study is: (1) to describe soil structural status in WLF zone of TGR by combination of laboratory measures and visual evaluation method; (2) to describe the pore system in this zone by both SWRC and CT images; and (3) to address the changes of soil physical quality changed by seasonal dry-wet cycles. Our results showed a deterioration of soil structure (indicated by a high Sq score in VESS) and soil aggregate stability (indicated by low MWD and the mass fractal dimension Dm) in lower land of TGR. The data from both soil water retention curve and micro-CT image demonstrates a going -worse of soil physical quality by decreasing of soil pore number and porosity as well as a shift of drainable micro-pores (0.1 < r < 125 µm) to non-drainable micro-pores (r < 0.1 µm) in the lower land of TGR.

Soil Quality Index Determination Models for Restinga Forest

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonilha, R. M.; Casagrande, J. C.; Soares, R. M.

2012-04-01

The Restinga Forest is a set of plant communities in mosaic, determined by the characteristics of their substrates as a result of depositional processes and ages. In this complex mosaic are the physiognomies of restinga forests of high-stage regeneration (high restinga) and middle stage of regeneration (low restinga), each with its plant characteristics that differentiate them. Located on the coastal plains of the Brazilian coast, suffering internal influences both the continental slopes, as well as from the sea. Its soils come from the Quaternary and are subject to constant deposition of sediments. The climate in the coastal type is tropical (Köppen). This work was conducted in four locations: (1) Anchieta Island, Ubatuba, (2) Juréia-Itatins Ecological Station, Iguape, (3) Vila das Pedrinhas, Comprida Island; and (4) Cardoso Island, Cananeia. The soil samples were collect at a depths of 0 to 5, 0-10, 0-20, 20-40 and 40 to 60cm for the chemical and physical analysis. Were studied the additive and pondering additive models to evaluate soil quality. It was concluded: a) the comparative additive model produces quantitative results and the pondering additive model quantitative results; b) as the pondering additive model, the values of Soil Quality Index (SQI) for soils under forest of restinga are low and realistic, demonstrating the small plant biomass production potential of these soils, as well as their low resilience; c) the values of SQI similar to areas with and without restinga forest give quantitative demonstration of the restinga be considered as soil phase; d) restinga forest, probably, is maintained solely by the cycling of nutrients in a closed nutrient cycling; e) for the determination of IQS for soils under restinga vegetation the use of routine chemical analysis is adequate. Keywords: Model, restinga forest, Soil Quality Index (SQI).

Evaluation of different agronomic managements on rice mesofauna: a case study in Piedmont (North Italy)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Landi, Silvia; d'Errico, Giada; Gagnarli, Elena; Barzanti, Gian Paolo; Cito, Annarita; Papini, Rossella; Simoni, Sauro; Roversi, Pio Federico

2014-05-01

Rice is the most important cereal crop in the developing world and, in Europe, Italy is leader in rice production. The intensive cultivation of rice leads to continuous inputs chemicals as fertilizers, weeding and pesticides. The intensification of sustainable rice production by minimizing the impact on the environment of cultivation is a main issue . In this context this study, supported by the Italian National Project POLORISO (MIPAAF), aims to afford preliminary indications about the evaluation of ecological impact by different managements on soil mesofauna biodiversity. Biomonitoring of soil mesofauna, in particular nematodes and microarthropods, allows to determine the effects of crop management on the communities; the lack and/or reduction of these organisms can allow inference on the soil quality. This preliminary study aims at evaluate the different influence of conventional, integrated and biological managements on mesofauna communities. The samplings were conducted in Summer and Autumn 2013 near Vercelli (North Italy) in three study sites with similar pedologic characteristics but different in control strategies (conventional, organic farming, Integrated Pest Management (IPM)). The extraction of nematodes and microarthropods was performed by Bermann method and the Berlese-Tullgren selector, respectively. All specimens were counted and determined up to the order level. The biological soil quality was evaluated by Maturity Index (MI) for nematodes, BSQar and the soil Biological Classes (sBC)(range I-VII) for microarthropods. Regarding nematodes, Rhabditidae, Dorylamidae, Mononchidae, Tylenchidae and Heteroderidae were the most represented families. The Principal Component Analysis (PCA) evidenced that the trophic group of plant parasites was favored in organic farming, while groups of omnivores and predators were abundant in the other managements. The lowest nematodes' abundance was found in submerged rice soil with dominance of omnivores and plant parasites groups. Dry land was more suitable to development of bacterial feeders and predators. On the whole, MI values ranged between 2 and 3, registered in organic farming and conventional management, respectively. The Acari represented the main group of microarthropods (about 43%), then Diptera (33%), Collembola (19%) and the others. The only euedaphic groups are Acari and Collembola. The BSQar value was 48 (sBC II) in IPM rice field, 71 in organic farming (sBC II/III), 95 in conventional management (sBC III). On all situation tested, the analysis of soil quality, by the study of mesofauna, reflects low differentiation in the arthropod communities' structure. In general, the results relative to the soil mesofauna biodiversity indicated a quite high level of disturbance and a low level of biodiversity. Future studies on this subject could help preserve, or even enhance, the biodiversity and soil quality.

Pollution indices as useful tools for the comprehensive evaluation of the degree of soil contamination-A review.

PubMed

Kowalska, Joanna Beata; Mazurek, Ryszard; Gąsiorek, Michał; Zaleski, Tomasz

2018-04-05

The paper provides a complex, critical assessment of heavy metal soil pollution using different indices. Pollution indices are widely considered a useful tool for the comprehensive evaluation of the degree of contamination. Moreover, they can have a great importance in the assessment of soil quality and the prediction of future ecosystem sustainability, especially in the case of farmlands. Eighteen indices previously described by several authors (I geo , PI, EF, C f , PI sum , PI Nemerow , PLI, PI ave , PI Vector , PIN, MEC, CSI, MERMQ, C deg , RI, mCd and ExF) as well as the newly published Biogeochemical Index (BGI) were compared. The content, as determined by other authors, of the most widely investigated heavy metals (Cd, Pb and Zn) in farmland, forest and urban soils was used as a database for the calculation of all of the presented indices, and this shows, based on statistical methods, the similarities and differences between them. The indices were initially divided into two groups: individual and complex. In order to achieve a more precise classification, our study attempted to further split indices based on their purpose and method of calculation. The strengths and weaknesses of each index were assessed; in addition, a comprehensive method for pollution index choice is presented, in order to best interpret pollution in different soils (farmland, forest and urban). This critical review also contains an evaluation of various geochemical backgrounds (GBs) used in heavy metal soil pollution assessments. The authors propose a comprehensive method in order to assess soil quality, based on the application of local and reference GB.

Risk factors for faecal sand excretion in Icelandic horses.

PubMed

Husted, L; Andersen, M S; Borggaard, O K; Houe, H; Olsen, S N

2005-07-01

Sandy soil is often mentioned as a risk factor in the development of sand-related gastrointestinal disease (SGID) in the horse. There are other variables, but few studies confirm any of these. To investigate soil type, pasture quality, feeding practice in the paddock, age, sex and body condition score as risk factors for sand intake in the horse. Faeces were collected from 211 Icelandic horses on 19 different studs in Denmark together with soil samples and other potential risk factors. Sand content in faeces determined by a sand sedimentation test was interpreted as evidence of sand intake. Soil types were identified by soil analysis and significance of the data was tested using logistic analysis. Of horses included in the study, 56.4% showed sand in the faeces and 5.7% had more than 5 mm sand as quantified by the rectal sleeve sedimentation test. Soil type had no significant effect when tested as main effect, but there was interaction between soil type and pasture quality. Significant interactions were also found between paddock feeding practice and pasture quality. To evaluate the risk of sand intake it is important to consider 3 variables: soil type, pasture quality and feeding practice. Pasture quality was identified as a risk factor of both short and long grass in combination with sandy soil, while clay soil had the lowest risk in these combinations. Feeding practice in the paddock revealed feeding directly on the ground to be a risk factor when there was short (1-5 cm) or no grass. Also, no feeding outdoors increased the risk on pastures with short grass, while this had no effect in paddocks with no grass. More than 50% of all horses investigated in this study had sand in the faeces. The identification of risk factors is an important step towards prevention of SGID. Further research is necessary to determine why some horses exhibit more than 5 mm sand in the sedimentation test and whether this is correlated with geophagic behaviour.

The influence of different types of grassland on soil quality in upland areas of Czech Republic.

PubMed

Sarapatka, B; Cizkova, S

2014-05-01

The diversity of grassland in upland areas of Czech Republic was studied on selected soil characteristics of these biotopes. In the first phase, 44 soil characteristics were studied and mutual correlations were found between many of them. In the following phase characteristics were chosen which correlated most with other soil characteristics and, at the same time, were easy to evaluate in practise. A great number of correlations were also evidenced between many soil characteristics and the content of humus and nitrogen, which are closely linked to organic matter in soil. In studying these characteristics on selected areas with different types of grassland and consequential cluster analysis and further evaluation, the grassland plots were divided into three groups, from newly established vegetation to species-rich communities. Non-parametric analysis was carried out on the results and a statistically significant difference was proved between the species rich and poorvegetation and carbon and nitrogen content of the soil. Slightly different humus quality (higher amount of HA) was also found under richer vegetation. These results show that at 0-20 cm layer, 58.9 tonnes of carbon ha⁻¹ was measured under species-poor pastureland and 106.1 tonnes of carbon ha under species-rich vegetation. The results showed that besides supporting species diversity, the described quality change can also be important for carbon sequestration. The difference of about 40-50 tonnes of carbon ha and converting 10% of grassland in the Czech Republic to species-rich vegetation would mean sequestration of about 3.9 Mt carbon. If only agroenvironmentally subsidized areas are converted, carbon sequestration in such vegetation could amountto 1.7 Mt.

Safe and High Quality Food Production using Low Quality Waters and Improved Irrigation Systems and Management (SAFIR)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cary, L.; Kloppmann, W.; Battilani, A.; Bertaki, M.; Blagojevic, S.; Chartzoulakis, K.; Dalsgaard, A.; Forslund, A.; Jovanovic, Z.; Kasapakis, I.

2009-04-01

The safe use of treated domestic wastewater for irrigation needs to address the risks for humans (workers, exposed via contact with irrigation water, soil, crops and food, consumers, exposed via ingestion of fresh and processed food), for animals (via ingestion of crops an soil), for the crops and agricultural productivity (via salinity and trace element uptake), for soil (via accumulation or release of pollutants) as well as for surface, groundwaters and the associated ecosystems (via runoff and infiltration, Kass et al., 2005, Bouwer, 2000). A work package in the EU FP5 project SAFIR is dedicated to study the impact of wastewater irrigation on the soil-water-plant-product system. Its monitoring program comprises pathogens and inorganic pollutants, including both geogenic and potentially anthropogenic trace elements in the aim to better understand soil-irrigation water interactions. The SAFIR field study sites are found in China, Italy, Crete, and Serbia. A performance evaluation of SAFIR-specific treatment technology through the monitoring of waste water and irrigation water quality was made through waste water chemical and microbiological qualities, which were investigated upstream and downstream of the SAFIR specific treatment three times per season. Irrigation water transits through the uppermost soil decimetres to the crop roots. The latter will become, in the course of the irrigation season, the major sink of percolating water, together with evaporation. The water saving irrigation techniques used in SAFIR are surface and subsurface drip irrigation. The investigation of the solid soil phase concentrates on the root zone as main transit and storage compartment for pollutants and, eventually, pathogens. The initial soil quality was assessed through a sampling campaign before the onset of the first year irrigation; the soil quality has been monitored throughout three years under cultivation of tomatoes or potatoes. The plot layout for each of the study sites allows comparing different combinations of (1) water quality, including tap water as a reference, (2) irrigation techniques, and (3) irrigation strategies (including full irrigation, partial root drying, RDI). The replication of each of the combinations on three different plots takes into account the local variations of soil properties and allows a proper statistical treatment. Reactions of the infiltrating water with the soil solid phase are important for the solute cycling, temporary fixation and remobilisation of trace pollutants. The type of reaction (sorption, co-precipitation…) and the reactive mineral phases will also determine the availability of trace elements for the plant and determine the passage towards crops and products. Therefore it is important to assess the soil water quality, directly or indirectly. Direct measurements of soil water imply soil water sampling through an appropriate system; porous cups were installed on the Cretan, Italian and Chinese sites. Indirect evaluation of water-soil interactions can be obtained through sequential extractions. The combination of a variable input function (through diffuse pollution, irrigation, fertigation) and of variable MTE mobility in soils can be expected to lead to short term variations in soil metal concentrations even if such short term variations have been rarely investigated (Féder, 2001; Cary and Trolard, 2008). The sampling focused upon the fully irrigated plots given that the potential impact of irrigation water quality on soil and plant quality can be expected higher for fully irrigated soils compared to other irrigation strategies. Samples were taken within the soil volume of potential influence around each of the drip emitters. This volume varies depending on the nature of the soil and the irrigation system so that each site adopted a specific protocol. For all experiments, three sampling campaigns were scheduled for each irrigation season: at pre-planting, at the end of irrigation, at harvest. The geochemical evolution of soil properties over the 3 years shows significant variations in major and minor elements, especially trace metallic elements. It implies the role of the cultivated plant as a sink of elements which leads to direct loss of elements in the soil system. Bouwer, H., 2000. Groundwater problems caused by irrigation with sewage effluent. Journal of Environmental Health 63, 17-20. Cary L., Trolard F. (2008). Metal mobility in the ground water of a paddy field in Camargue (South eastern France). Journal of Geochemical Exploration 96/2-3 : 132-143. Féder, 2001. Dynamique des processus d'oxydo-reduction dans les sols hydromorphes, These de l'Universite Aix Marseille III. Kass, A. Gavrieli, I. Yechieli, Y. Vengosh A.and Starinsky, A., 2005. The impact of freshwater and wastewater irrigation on the chemistry of shallow groundwater: a case study from the Israeli Coastal Aquifer, Journal of Hydrology, 300, 314-331.

Quality control analysis : part II : soil and aggregate base course.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1966-07-01

This is the second of the three reports on the quality control analysis of highway construction materials. : It deals with the statistical evaluation of results from several construction projects to determine the basic pattern of variability with res...

Evaluation of Environmental Quality Productive Ecosystem Guayas (Ecuador).

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pozo, Wilson; Pardo, Francisco; Sanfeliu, Teófilo; Carrera, Gloria; Jordan, Manuel; Bech, Jaume; Roca, Núria

2015-04-01

Natural resources are deteriorating very rapidly in the Gulf of Guayaquil and the area of influence in the Guayas Basin due to human activity. Specific problems are generated by the mismanagement of the aquaculture industry affecting the traditional agricultural sectors: rice, banana, sugarcane, cocoa, coffee, and soya also studied, and by human and industrial settlements. The development of industrial activities such as aquaculture (shrimp building for shrimp farming in ponds) and agriculture, have increasingly contributed to the generation of waste, degrading and potentially toxic elements in high concentrations, which can have adverse effects on organisms in the ecosystems, in the health of the population and damage the ecological and environmental balance. The productive Guayas ecosystem, consists of three interrelated ecosystems, the Gulf of Guayaquil, the Guayas River estuary and the Guayas Basin buffer. The objective of this study was to evaluate the environmental quality of the productive Guayas ecosystem (Ecuador), through operational and specific objectives: 1) Draw up the transition coastal zone in the Gulf of Guayaquil, 2) Set temporal spatial variability of soil salinity in wetlands rice, Lower Guayas Basin, 3) evaluate the heavy metals in wetland rice in the Lower Basin of Guayas. The physical and chemical parameters of the soils have been studied. These are indicators of environmental quality. The multivariate statistical method showed the relations of similarities and dissimilarities between variables and parameter studies as stable. Moreover, the boundaries of coastal transition areas, temporal spatial variability of soil salinity and heavy metals in rice cultivation in the Lower Basin of Guayas were researched. The sequential studies included and discussed represent a broad framework of fundamental issues that has been valued as a basic component of the productive Guayas ecosystem. They are determinants of the environmental quality of the Guayas productive ecosystem. Keyword: Evaluation, Environmental Quality, Productive Ecosystem

ENVIRONMENTAL EVALUATION FOR UTILIZATION OF ASH IN SOIL STABILIZATION

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

David J. Hassett; Loreal V. Heebink

2001-08-01

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) approved the use of coal ash in soil stabilization, indicating that environmental data needed to be generated. The overall project goal is to evaluate the potential for release of constituents into the environment from ash used in soil stabilization projects. Supporting objectives are: (1) To ensure sample integrity through implementation of a sample collection, preservation, and storage protocol to avoid analyte concentration or loss. (2) To evaluate the potential of each component (ash, soil, water) of the stabilized soil to contribute to environmental release of analytes of interest. (3) To use laboratory leaching methodsmore » to evaluate the potential for release of constituents to the environment. (4) To facilitate collection of and to evaluate samples from a field runoff demonstration effort. The results of this study indicated limited mobility of the coal combustion fly ash constituents in laboratory tests and the field runoff samples. The results presented support previous work showing little to negligible impact on water quality. This and past work indicates that soil stabilization is an environmentally beneficial CCB utilization application as encouraged by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. This project addressed the regulatory-driven environmental aspect of fly ash use for soil stabilization, but the demonstrated engineering performance and economic advantages also indicate that the use of CCBs in soil stabilization can and should become an accepted engineering option.« less

Soil physical conditions as livestock treading effect in tropical Agroecosystem of dryland and strategies to mitigate desertification risk

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Florentino, A.; Torres, D.; Ospina, A.; Contreras, J.; Palma, Z.; Silvera, J.

2012-04-01

Soil degradation in natural ecosystem of arid and semi-arid zones of Venezuela due to livestock treading (goats) it is an important problem that affect their environment functions; increase soil erodibility, bulk density, water losses and reduce porosity, water infiltration rate and soil structural stability. The presence of biological crust (BSC) in this type of soil it is very common. The objective of this study was to evaluate the soil surface physical quality through the use of selected indicators, mainly some of that related to structural stability, infiltrability and the prediction of soil erosion risk in two zones of Lara state: 1) Quíbor (QUI) and 2) Humocaro Bajo (HB). The study was conducted on two selected plots (30 m x 20 m) in each zone, with natural vegetation and BSC cover, with areas affected by different degree of compaction due to treading in the paths where the goats are moving. Five sites per plot (50 cm x 50 cm) under vegetation cover and five sites over the path with bare soil were sampled (0-7,5 and 7,5-15 cm depth). The results showed that soil macroaggregate stability (equivalent diameter of aggregates >0,25 mm) was significantly higher (p<0,05 %) in soil with vegetation cover and BSC compared with bare soil. Sealing index, as a measure of aggregate stability, determined in laboratory under simulated rain and expressed as hydraulic conductivity of soil surface sealing (Kse), decreased with decreasing soil vegetation cover and the presence of BSC. However, Ksei (i: inicial) and Ksef (f: final) were significantly greater in soil with more than 75 % of BSC in comparison to bare soils. The sealing index it is used to for to estimate changes in soil water losses. As the sealing index increases, the susceptibility of the soil to undergo surface sealing or slaking decrease. These results suggested that soil physical properties are potential indicators of soil quality with regard to soil erodibility and showed that soils under vegetation cover had higher quality level than bare soils. Some predictive regression equation had a high R2 value and was a useful tool for to evaluate the risk of extreme climatic changes and to mitigate their detrimental effects. We conclude that the global climatic change (CCG) will have a negative effect on these agroecosystems functions, mainly in soil and water conservation, carbon sequestration, and productivity. Natural recovery of soil physical properties from treading damage of pastoral soils will be possible in the future with the implementation of soil management strategies, mainly through re-vegetation and recuperation of the BSC. Key word: Soil structure; aggregate stability; soil sealing index; hydraulic conductivity of surface sealing.

Fruit and Soil Quality of Organic and Conventional Strawberry Agroecosystems

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Reganold, John P.; Andrews, Preston K.; Reeve, Jennifer

2010-01-01

Background: Sale of organic foods is one of the fastest growing market segments within the global food industry. People often buy organic food because they believe organic farms produce more nutritious and better tasting food from healthier soils. Here we tested if there are significant differences in fruit and soil quality from 13 pairs of commercial organic and conventional strawberry agroecosystems in California. Methodology/Principal Findings: At multiple sampling times for two years, we evaluated three varieties of strawberries for mineral elements, shelf life, phytochemical composition, and organoleptic properties. We also analyzed traditional soil properties and soil DNA using microarray technology.more » We found that the organic farms had strawberries with longer shelf life, greater dry matter, and higher antioxidant activity and concentrations of ascorbic acid and phenolic compounds, but lower concentrations of phosphorus and potassium. In one variety, sensory panels judged organic strawberries to be sweeter and have better flavor, overall acceptance, and appearance than their conventional counterparts. We also found the organically farmed soils to have more total carbon and nitrogen, greater microbial biomass and activity, and higher concentrations of micronutrients. Organically farmed soils also exhibited greater numbers of endemic genes and greater functional gene abundance and diversity for several biogeochemical processes, such as nitrogen fixation and pesticide degradation. Conclusions/Significance: Our findings show that the organic strawberry farms produced higher quality fruit and that their higher quality soils may have greater microbial functional capability and resilience to stress. These findings justify additional investigations aimed at detecting and quantifying such effects and their interactions.« less

Viticulture microzoning: a functional approach aiming to grape and wine qualities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonfante, A.; Agrillo, A.; Albrizio, R.; Basile, A.; Buonomo, R.; De Mascellis, R.; Gambuti, A.; Giorio, P.; Guida, G.; Langella, G.; Manna, P.; Minieri, L.; Moio, L.; Siani, T.; Terribile, F.

2014-12-01

This paper aims to test a new physically oriented approach to viticulture zoning at the farm scale, strongly rooted on hydropedology and aiming to achieve a better use of environmental features with respect to plant requirement and wine production. The physics of our approach is defined by the use of soil-plant-atmosphere simulation models which applies physically-based equations to describe the soil hydrological processes and solves soil-plant water status. This study (ZOVISA project) was conducted in a farm devoted to high quality wines production (Aglianico DOC), located in South Italy (Campania region, Mirabella Eclano-AV). The soil spatial distribution was obtained after standard soil survey informed by geophysical survey. Two Homogenous Zones (HZs) were identified; in each one of those a physically based model was applied to solve the soil water balance and estimate the soil functional behaviour (crop water stress index, CWSI) defining the functional Homogeneous Zones (fHzs). In these last, experimental plots were established and monitored for investigating soil-plant water status, crop development (biometric and physiological parameters) and daily climate variables (temperature, solar radiation, rainfall, wind). The effects of crop water status on crop response over must and wine quality were then evaluated in the fHZs. This was performed by comparing crop water stress with (i) crop physiological measurement (leaf gas exchange, chlorophyll a fluorescence, leaf water potential, chlorophyll content, LAI measurement), (ii) grape bunches measurements (berry weight, sugar content, titratable acidity, etc.) and (iii) wine quality (aromatic response). Eventually this experiment has proved the usefulness of the physical based approach also in the case of mapping viticulture microzoning.

A review of the calculation procedure for critical acid loads for terrestrial ecosystems.

PubMed

van der Salm, C; de Vries, W

2001-04-23

Target loads for acid deposition in the Netherlands, as formulated in the Dutch environmental policy plan, are based on critical load calculations at the end of the 1980s. Since then knowledge on the effect of acid deposition on terrestrial ecosystems has substantially increased. In the early 1990s a simple mass balance model was developed to calculate critical loads. This model was evaluated and the methods were adapted to represent the current knowledge. The main changes in the model are the use of actual empirical relationships between Al and H concentrations in the soil solution, the addition of a constant base saturation as a second criterion for soil quality and the use of tree species-dependant critical Al/base cation (BC) ratios for Dutch circumstances. The changes in the model parameterisation and in the Al/BC criteria led to considerably (50%) higher critical loads for root damage. The addition of a second criterion in the critical load calculations for soil quality caused a decrease in the critical loads for soils with a median to high base saturation such as loess and clay soils. The adaptation hardly effected the median critical load for soil quality in the Netherlands, since only 15% of the Dutch forests occur on these soils. On a regional scale, however, critical loads were (much) lower in areas where those soils are located.

Assessment of physical and chemical indicators of sandy soil quality for sustainable crop production

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lipiec, Jerzy; Usowicz, Boguslaw

2017-04-01

Sandy soils are used in agriculture in many regions of the world. The share of sandy soils in Poland is about 55%. The aim of this study was to assess spatial variability of soil physical and chemical properties affecting soil quality and crop yields in the scale of field (40 x 600 m) during three years of different weather conditions. The experimental field was located on the post glacial and acidified sandy deposits of low productivity (Szaniawy, Podlasie Region, Poland). Physical soil quality indicators included: content of sand, silt, clay and water, bulk density and those chemical: organic carbon, cation exchange capacity, acidity (pH). Measurements of the most soil properties were done at spring and summer each year in topsoil and subsoil layer in 150 points. Crop yields were evaluated in places close to measuring points of the soil properties. Basic statistics including mean, standard deviation, skewness, kurtosis minimal, maximal and correlations between the soil properties and crop yields were calculated. Analysis of spatial dependence and distribution for each property was performed using geostatistical methods. Mathematical functions were fitted to the experimentally derived semivariograms that were used for mapping the soil properties and crop yield by kriging. The results showed that the largest variations had clay content (CV 67%) and the lowest: sand content (5%). The crop yield was most negatively correlated with sand content and most positively with soil water content and cation exchange capacity. In general the exponential semivariogram models fairly good matched to empirical data. The range of semivariogram models of the measured indicators varied from 14 m to 250 m indicate high and moderate spatial variability. The values of the nugget-to-sill+nugget ratios showed that most of the soil properties and crop yields exhibited strong and moderate spatial dependency. The kriging maps allowed identification of low yielding sub-field areas that correspond with low soil organic carbon and cation exchange capacity and high content of sand. These areas are considered as management zones to improve crop productivity and soil properties responsible for soil quality and functions. We conclude that soil organic carbon, cation exchange capacity and pH should be included as indicators of soil quality in sandy soils. The study was funded by HORIZON 2020, European Commission, Programme H2020-SFS-2015-2: Soil Care for profitable and sustainable crop production in Europe, project No. 677407 (SoilCare, 2016-2021).

DEMONSTRATION AND QUALITY ASSURANCE PROJECT PLAN TECHNOLOGIES FOR THE MONITORING AND MEASUREMENT OF DIOXIN AND DIOXIN-LIKE COMPOUNDS IN SOIL AND SEDIMENT

EPA Science Inventory

The demonstration of technologies for determining the presence of dioxin in soil and sediment is being conducted under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Superfund Innovative Technology Evaluation Program in Saginaw, Michigan, at Green Point Environmental Learning Center fr...

Transport of dissolved trace elements in surface runoff and leachate from a coastal plain soil after poultry litter application

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The application of poultry (Gallus gallus domesticus) litter to agricultural soils may exacerbate losses of trace elements in runoff water, an emerging concern to water quality. We evaluated trace elements (arsenic, cadmium, copper, lead, manganese, mercury, selenium and zinc) in surface runoff and ...

Long-term Tillage influences on soil carbon, nitrogen, physical, chemical, and biological properties

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Long-term tillage influences physical, chemical, and biological properties of the soil environment and thereby crop production and quality. We evaluated the effect of long-term (>20 yrs) tillage no-till, spring till, and fall plus spring till under continuous spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) on s...

Undisturbed soil columns for lysimetry II. Miscible displacement and field evaluation

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Concerns about agriculture's effect on water quality and the expanding use of no-tillage, has produced a crucial need for in situ solute transport research of mobile nutrients as affected by tillage system. Eight undisturbed soil columns (41 cm diameter by 100 cm long) were sealed into PVC cylinder...

Effectiveness of soil conservation strategies on erosion in Morocco

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benmansour, Moncef; Mabit, Lionel; Moussadek, Rachid; Yassin, Mohamed; Nouira, Asmae; Zouagui, Anis; Mrabet, Rachid; Iaaich, Hamza; Hajib, Said

2016-04-01

- In Morocco, reducing soil erosion and land degradation is a national priority for improving soil quality and protecting downstream water quality and quantity. The combined use of Cs-137 and Be-7 techniques permit to estimate long and short term erosion and deposition magnitudes under different agro-environment and climatic conditions and then to evaluate the effectiveness of soil conservation practices. Case studies using Cs-137 and Be-7 were carried out in three Moroccan agricultural sites: Marchouch, Harchane and Oued Mellah located in Rabat, Tétouan and Chaouia-Ouardigha regions, respectively. In these sites, fallout Cs-137 measurements allowed a retrospective assessment of long term (50-60 years) soil redistribution rates while fallout Be-7 (half-life of 53 days) was used to document short term soil erosion associated with rainfall events for different tillage systems and land uses. Long term soil erosion rates of the three regions evaluated by the Cs-137 method, ranged from 8 to 58 t/ha/yr. Mostly located in the upslope part of the fields, the eroding zones represented more than 70% of the total area. For the experimental sites in Rabat and Tétouan, the results obtained using Be-7 indicated that soil loss has been reduced significantly under no-till as compared to conventional tillage. Indeed, soil erosion rates were lowered by 50% for the Marchouch site and by 40% for the Harchane site. Concerning the Oued Mellah watershed, the results highlighted that high density Atriplex plantations have reduced soil loss by approximately 60 to 80%, while for the site under fruit plantations and cereals, soil erosion has been decreased by 58%.

Assessment of land use in protected areas of the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iori, P.; da Silva, R. B.; Dias Junior, M. S.; Paz González, A.

2012-04-01

It is of universal knowledge that the soil, a basic natural resource, is renewable only if conserved or used correctly(Primavesi, 2002). It is salient for Araújo et al. (2007) that the establishment of index of soil quality is an important tool in the functions of control, supervision and monitoring of areas for environmental protection. The objective of this study was to compare the quality of the soil by means of a comparative diagram in different soil uses in permanent preservation areas (APP). The study was conducted in areas near the Ribeira de Iguape river in the city of Registro - São Paulo - Brazil, belonging to the Atlantic Forest domain, a Haplic Cambisol. The following uses of the soil had been evaluated: a) banana culture (CBAN) without agricultural traffic of machines; b) degraded pasture (PDEG) with extensive system predominantly Brachiaria decumbens L. c) use silvopastoral (MPIs), consisted in a kills with a traffic free for the animals, and d) native vegetation (MNAT), proposed in this study as a reference area.The following physical indicators were analyzed: bulk density (BD), total soil porosity (TP), macroporosity (Ma), microporosity (Mi), water dispersible clay (ADA), flocculation index (FI), preconsolidation pressure (PP), soil shear strength (SS), soil resistance to penetration (RP). To construct the comparative diagram the values for each attribute of the soil in each land use were related to the values of the native forest. It was feasible to use the comparative model in the qualitative evaluation of soil use, allowing separate environments under different uses. According to the comparative diagram of banana culture is the use that most negatively impacts the physical and mechanical soil due to the smaller size of the lower polygon.

[Soil quality assessment under different cropping system and straw management in farmland of arid oasis region].

PubMed

Zhang, Peng Peng; Pu, Xiao Zhen; Zhang, Wang Feng

2018-03-01

To reveal the regulatory mechanism of agricultural management practices on soil quality, an experiment was carried out to study the different cropping system and straw management on soil organic carbon and fractions and soil enzyme activity in farmland of arid oasis region, which would provide a scientific basic for enhancing agricultural resources utilization and sustainable development. In crop planting planning area, we took the mainly crop (cotton, wheat, maize) as research objects and designed long-term continues cropping and crop rotation experiments. The results showed that the soil organic carbon (SOC), soil microbial biomass C, labile C, water-soluble organic C, and hot-water-soluble organic C content were increased by 3.6%-9.9%, 41.8%-98.9%, 3.3%-17.0%, 11.1%-32.4%, 4.6%-27.5% by crop rotation compared to continues cropping, and 12%-35.9%, 22.4%-49.7%, 30.7%-51.0%, 10.6%-31.9%, 41.0%-96.4% by straw incorporated compared to straw removed, respectively. The soil catalase, dehydrogenase, β-glucosidase, invertase glucose, cellulase glucose activity were increased by 6.4%-10.9%, 6.6%-18.8%, 5.9%-15.3%, 10.0%-27.4%, 28.1%-37.5% by crop rotation compared to continues cropping, and 31.4%-47.5%, 19.9%-46.6%, 13.8%-20.7%, 19.8%-55.6%, 54.1%-70.9% by straw incorporated compared to straw removed, respectively. There were significant positive linear correlations among SOC, labile SOC fractions and soil enzyme. Therefore, we concluded that labile SOC fractions and soil enzyme were effective index for evaluating the change of SOC and soil quality. Based on factor analysis, in arid region, developing agricultural production using cropland management measures, such as straw-incorporated and combined short-term continues cotton and crop rotation, could enhance SOC and labile SOC fractions contents and soil enzyme activity, which could improve soil quality and be conducive to agricultural sustainable development.

IT-based soil quality evaluation for agroecologically smart land-use planning in RF conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vasenev, Ivan

2016-04-01

Activated in the first decades of XXI century global climate, economy and farming changes sharply actualized novel IT-based approaches in soil quality evaluation to address modern agricultural issues with agroecologically smart land-use planning. Despite global projected climate changes will affect a general decline of crop yields (IPCC 2014), RF boreal and subboreal regions will benefit from predicted and already particularly verified temperature warming and increased precipitation (Valentini, Vasenev, 2015) due to essential increasing of growing season length and mild climate conditions favorable for most prospective crops and best available agrotechnologies. However, the essential spatial heterogeneity is mutual feature for most natural and man-changed soils at the Central European region of Russia which is one of the biggest «food baskets» in RF. In these conditions potentially favorable climate circumstances will increase not only soil fertility and workability features but also their dynamics and spatial variability that determine crucial issues of IT-based soil quality evaluation systems development and agroecologically smart farming planning. Developed and verified within the LAMP project (RF Governmental projects #11.G34.31.0079 and #14.120.14.4266) regionally adapted DSS (ACORD-R - RF #2012612944) gives effective informational and methodological support for smart farming agroecological optimization in global climate and farming changes challenges. Information basis for agroecologically smart land-use planning consists of crops and agrotechnologies requirements, regional and local systems of agroecological zoning, local landscape and soil cover patterns, land quality and degradation risk assessments, current and previous farming practices results, agroclimatic predictions and production agroecological models, environmental limitations and planned profitability, fertilizing efficiency DSS ACORD-R. Smart land-use practice refers to sustainable balance among soil 7 principal types of agroecological functions: (a) Agroclimatic ones of plant supply with photosynthetic active radiation, effective heat and available moisture; (b) Agrochemical functions of crop supply with available macro- and micro-nutrients; (c) Agrophysical ones of favorable condition support for farming effective workability and trafficability; (d) Hydrophysical functions of plant seasonal supply with available moisture and soil air exchange; (e) Phyto-sanitary functions of favorable condition support for crop minimum damage by pathogens, pests and weeds; (f) Ecogeochemical ones of soil resistance to contamination; (g) Ecopedomorphogenetic functions of plant and farming support with soil agroecological quasi-homogeneity in space and time. The IT-based soil evaluation algorithm includes 4 particular ones: (i) the principal agroecological parameters assessment by their modelling or adapted to concrete soil type logistic equation; (ii) agroecological function assessment as corrected harmonic mean from its parameters assessment values; (iii) homogeneous land unit assessment as combination of its functions values; (iv) heterogeneous land unit assessment as weighted average value corrected by soil cover patterns contrast and boundary complexity - with their results visualization. The principal limitations for sustainable land use practices are usually determined by the level of photosynthetic active radiation or soil available water deficit, soil fertility and agrotechnological parameters, risks of soil degradation processes development, crop physiological stress, production or environmental contamination. The agriculture intensification often leads to the raised issue of greenhouse gases, including CO2 (as a result of soil organic carbon mineralization), CH4 (animal production) and N2O (mineral fertilizing), to changes of the profitability and decrease in soil potential of the atmospheric carbon sequestration. The consequence of agricultural land degradation due to non-rational land-use can be disturbance of soil organic matter fluxes and traditional transformation processes. So, agroecosystems are very sensitive to global changes and their IT-based timely adaptation is the necessary condition for their sustainable functioning and ecosystem services support, including an inhabitancy, water and foodstuffs stocks.

SF Box--a tool for evaluating the effects on soil functions in remediation projects.

PubMed

Volchko, Yevheniya; Norrman, Jenny; Rosén, Lars; Norberg, Tommy

2014-10-01

Although remediation is usually aimed at reducing the risks posed by contaminants to human health and the environment, it is also desirable that the remediated soil within future green spaces is capable of providing relevant ecological functions, e.g., basis for primary production. Yet while addressing a contamination problem by reducing contaminant concentration and/or amounts in the soil, the remedial action itself can lead to soil structure disturbances, decline in organic matter and nutrient deficiencies, and in turn affect a soil's capacity to carry out its ecological soil functions. This article presents the Soil Function Box (SF Box) tool that is aimed to facilitate integration of information from suggested soil quality indicators (SQIs) into a management process in remediation using a scoring method. The scored SQIs are integrated into a soil quality index corresponding to 1 of 5 classes. SF Box is applied to 2 cases from Sweden (Kvillebäcken and Hexion), explicitly taking into consideration uncertainties in the results by means of Monte Carlo simulations. At both sites the generated soil quality indices corresponded to a medium soil performance (soil class 3) with a high certainty. The main soil constraints at both Kvillebäcken and Hexion were associated with biological activity in the soil, as soil organisms were unable to supply plant-available N. At the Kvillebäcken site the top layer had a content of coarse fragment (ø > 2 mm) higher than 35%, indicating plant rooting limitations. At the Hexion site, the soil had limited amount of organic matter, thus poor aggregate stability and nutrient cycling potential. In contrast, the soil at Kvillebäcken was rich in organic matter. The soils at both sites were capable of storing a sufficient amount of water for soil organisms between precipitation events. © 2014 SETAC.

Field soil aggregate stability kit for soil quality and rangeland health evaluations

USGS Publications Warehouse

Herrick, J.E.; Whitford, W.G.; de Soyza, A. G.; Van Zee, J. W.; Havstad, K.M.; Seybold, C.A.; Walton, M.

2001-01-01

Soil aggregate stability is widely recognized as a key indicator of soil quality and rangeland health. However, few standard methods exist for quantifying soil stability in the field. A stability kit is described which can be inexpensively and easily assembled with minimal tools. It permits up to 18 samples to be evaluated in less than 10 min and eliminates the need for transportation, minimizing damage to soil structure. The kit consists of two 21??10.5??3.5 cm plastic boxes divided into eighteen 3.5??3.5 cm sections, eighteen 2.5-cm diameter sieves with 1.5-mm distance openings and a small spatula used for soil sampling. Soil samples are rated on a scale from one to six based on a combination of ocular observations of slaking during the first 5 min following immersion in distilled water, and the percent remaining on a 1.5-mm sieve after five dipping cycles at the end of the 5-min period. A laboratory comparison yielded a correlation between the stability class and percent aggregate stability based on oven dry weight remaining after treatment using a mechanical sieve. We have applied the method in a wide variety of agricultural and natural ecosystems throughout western North America, including northern Mexico, and have found that it is highly sensitive to differences in management and plant community composition. Although the field kit cannot replace the careful laboratory-based measurements of soil aggregate stability, it can clearly provide valuable information when these more intensive procedures are not possible.

Relationships between nutrient composition of flowers and fruit quality in orange trees grown in calcareous soil.

PubMed

Pestana, Maribela; Beja, Pedro; Correia, Pedro José; de Varennes, Amarilis; Faria, Eugénio Araújo

2005-06-01

To determine if flower nutrient composition can be used to predict fruit quality, a field experiment was conducted over three seasons (1996-1999) in a commercial orange orchard (Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck cv. 'Valencia Late', budded on Troyer citrange rootstock) established on a calcareous soil in southern Portugal. Flowers were collected from 20 trees during full bloom in April and their nutrient composition determined, and fruits were harvested the following March and their quality evaluated. Patterns of covariation in flower nutrient concentrations and in fruit quality variables were evaluated by principal component analysis. Regression models relating fruit quality variables to flower nutrient composition were developed by stepwise selection procedures. The predictive power of the regression models was evaluated with an independent data set. Nutrient composition of flowers at full bloom could be used to predict the fruit quality variables fresh fruit mass and maturation index in the following year. Magnesium, Ca and Zn concentrations measured in flowers were related to fruit fresh mass estimations and N, P, Mg and Fe concentrations were related to fruit maturation index. We also established reference values for the nutrient composition of flowers based on measurements made in trees that produced large (> 76 mm in diameter) fruit.

Durum wheat (Triticum turgidum spp. durum, cultivar Senatore Cappelli) production systems effects on grain and flours functional properties under Mediterranean conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cavoski, Ivana; Turk, Jelena; Chami, Ziad Al

2015-04-01

The main goal of organic farming is the "production of high quality products". Integrity and vital quality of products should be preserved along the entire production chain. In order to evaluate the effect of organic vs. conventional production systems on durum wheat phenolic acids and antioxidant activity open field experiment has been carried out. During the whole process chain from field to fork, there are various factors influencing the quality of the end product. Organic production should rely on genotypes with high nitrogen use efficiency, disease and pest resistance, weed competitiveness and tolerance especially under Mediterranean conditions. In this study, production systems differed according to the practices and inputs applied to manage the soil fertility and plant protection. In conventional system, synthetic fertilizers and pesticides were used. Whereas, in the two organic systems, cow manure with fertilizers and temporary intercropping with fava bean (Vicia faba) and fertilizers were used to manage soil fertility. Biopesticides were used for plant protection for organic systems. One treatment without inputs was used as a control in order to evaluate environmental site and cultivar effect. Quantity of free, free and conjugated and bounded phenolic acids were evaluated in relation to overall quality and production systems. In addition, antioxidant capacities of each fraction by different assays were assessed. The organic production method assured higher overall quality in paricular functional properties compared to the conventional one. Therefore, understanding the functional links between production systems variables and physiological responses is essential to improve and standardize the quality of organic durum wheat products. Keywords: organic farming, soil fertility management, phenolic acids, antioxidant activity.

The advanced qualtiy control techniques planned for the Internation Soil Moisture Network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xaver, A.; Gruber, A.; Hegiova, A.; Sanchis-Dufau, A. D.; Dorigo, W. A.

2012-04-01

In situ soil moisture observations are essential to evaluate and calibrate modeled and remotely sensed soil moisture products. Although a number of meteorological networks and field campaigns measuring soil moisture exist on a global and long-term scale, their observations are not easily accessible and lack standardization of both technique and protocol. Thus, handling and especially comparing these datasets with satellite products or land surface models is a demanding issue. To overcome these limitations the International Soil Moisture Network (ISMN; http://www.ipf.tuwien.ac.at/insitu/) has been initiated to act as a centralized data hosting facility. One advantage of the ISMN is that users are able to access the harmonized datasets easily through a web portal. Another advantage is the fully automated processing chain including the data harmonization in terms of units and sampling interval, but even more important is the advanced quality control system each measurement has to run through. The quality of in situ soil moisture measurements is crucial for the validation of satellite- and model-based soil moisture retrievals; therefore a sophisticated quality control system was developed. After a check for plausibility and geophysical limits a quality flag is added to each measurement. An enhanced flagging mechanism was recently defined using a spectrum based approach to detect spurious spikes, jumps and plateaus. The International Soil Moisture Network has already evolved to one of the most important distribution platforms for in situ soil moisture observations and is still growing. Currently, data from 27 networks in total covering more than 800 stations in Europe, North America, Australia, Asia and Africa is hosted by the ISMN. Available datasets also include historical datasets as well as near real-time measurements. The improved quality control system will provide important information for satellite-based as well as land surface model-based validation studies.

Soil carbon fractions and biological activity based indices can be used to study the impact of land management and ecological successions

DOE PAGES

de Moraes Sa, Joao Carlos; Potma Goncalves, Daniel Ruiz; Ferreira, Lucimara Aparecida; ...

2017-08-31

Soil organic carbon (SOC) is a strong indicator of soil health. Development of efficient soil quality indicators is crucial to better understand the impact of land management strategies on the recovery of degraded ecosystems. We hypothesized that SOC fractions and biological attributes can compose strong soil quality indicators to assess an ecosystem recovery following disturbance. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the use of soil biological activity and SOC fractions to study the impact of different land use systems and ecological successions in ecosystem recovery. We selected six land use systems: tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) cultivation; pastureland; reforestedmore » land with Eucalyptus sp.; and natural ecological successions with 10, 20 and 35 years of vegetation regeneration, respectively. We collected disturbed and undisturbed soil samples in triplicate at 0–5, 5–10, 10–20 and 20–40 cm depth intervals. Several fractionation approaches were used to determine SOC pools: hot water extractable organic carbon, permanganate oxidized organic carbon, particulate organic carbon, mineral associated organic carbon and total SOC. The activity of the enzyme arylsulfatase was used to represent soil biological attributes. We calculated three indices to represent the soil quality: carbon management index, soil resilience index and biological activity index. Our results suggest that the SOC fractions and the enzyme activity followed the increase of vegetation complexity of the ecological succession stages. The labile SOC pool, in addition to enzyme activity, was the most sensitive variable to assess land use changes. The biomass-C input was considered to be the main reason of SOC increase, and the gains of labile SOC fractions were directly related to the increase of SOC stocks. Both, biological and carbon management indices were efficient tools to characterize the impact of studied management systems. Also, we found that assessment of deeper soil layers (20–40 cm) was extremely important as incomplete inferences might be reached while evaluating only surface soil layers (0–20 cm). Here, we conclude that the carbon management and biological indices captured the stage of soil degradation and the influence of vegetation diversity in the soil resilience restoration, providing an advance in monitoring strategies that can be reproducible in any environment.« less

Soil carbon fractions and biological activity based indices can be used to study the impact of land management and ecological successions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

de Moraes Sa, Joao Carlos; Potma Goncalves, Daniel Ruiz; Ferreira, Lucimara Aparecida

Soil organic carbon (SOC) is a strong indicator of soil health. Development of efficient soil quality indicators is crucial to better understand the impact of land management strategies on the recovery of degraded ecosystems. We hypothesized that SOC fractions and biological attributes can compose strong soil quality indicators to assess an ecosystem recovery following disturbance. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the use of soil biological activity and SOC fractions to study the impact of different land use systems and ecological successions in ecosystem recovery. We selected six land use systems: tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) cultivation; pastureland; reforestedmore » land with Eucalyptus sp.; and natural ecological successions with 10, 20 and 35 years of vegetation regeneration, respectively. We collected disturbed and undisturbed soil samples in triplicate at 0–5, 5–10, 10–20 and 20–40 cm depth intervals. Several fractionation approaches were used to determine SOC pools: hot water extractable organic carbon, permanganate oxidized organic carbon, particulate organic carbon, mineral associated organic carbon and total SOC. The activity of the enzyme arylsulfatase was used to represent soil biological attributes. We calculated three indices to represent the soil quality: carbon management index, soil resilience index and biological activity index. Our results suggest that the SOC fractions and the enzyme activity followed the increase of vegetation complexity of the ecological succession stages. The labile SOC pool, in addition to enzyme activity, was the most sensitive variable to assess land use changes. The biomass-C input was considered to be the main reason of SOC increase, and the gains of labile SOC fractions were directly related to the increase of SOC stocks. Both, biological and carbon management indices were efficient tools to characterize the impact of studied management systems. Also, we found that assessment of deeper soil layers (20–40 cm) was extremely important as incomplete inferences might be reached while evaluating only surface soil layers (0–20 cm). Here, we conclude that the carbon management and biological indices captured the stage of soil degradation and the influence of vegetation diversity in the soil resilience restoration, providing an advance in monitoring strategies that can be reproducible in any environment.« less

Structural quality of on Oxisol in recovery for 18 years

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

dos Santos Batista Bonini, C.; Alves, M. C.; Marchini, D. C.; Garcia de Arruda, O.; Nilce Souto Filho, S.

2012-04-01

Incorrect use of soil and large buildings construction in rural areas are causing changes to it, making them less productive and thus increasing the degraded areas. Techniques aimed at ecological restoration of degraded soils have been investigated. In this sense we investigated the positive changes in the structural quality of a soil that was beheaded in human intervention techniques for recovery for 18 years, having been used green manures, gypsum and pasture. The studied area is located in Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. The experimental design was a completely randomized with seven treatments and four replications. The treatments were: control (tilled soil without culture); Stizolobium aterrium; Cajanus cajan; lime+S. aterrimum; lime+C. cajan; lime+gypsum+S. aterrimum; lime+gypsum+C. cajan. In 1994, all treatments with C. cajan were replaced by Canavalia ensiformis and in 1999, Brachiaria decumbens was implanted in all treatments. Data from vegetated treatments were compared with the control bare soil and native vegetation (savannah). We evaluated the distribution and aggregate stability in water, soil samples were collected in 2010 in the depths: 0.00-0.10; 0.10-0.20 and 0,20-0.40 m. The results were analyzed by analysis of variance, following Scott-Knott test (5%) of probability to compare averages. Evaluating the results is noted that in the depth of 0.00-0.10 m, the control bare soil and savannah soil had lower and higher DMP, respectively. All recovery treatments were DMP greater than found for the bare soil control. Treatments: S. aterrimum, lime + gypsum + C. cajan and lime + gypsum + S. aterrimum and the savannah control were similar in the depth of 0.00-0.10 m. All of the recovery treatment in the depth from 0.00-0.10 m with values is close to the native vegetation of the savannah. Depths of 0.10-0.20 and 0.20-0.40 m results obtained for DMP treatments in recovery are similar to the bare soil, except for treatments with S. aterrimum and lime + gypsum + S. aterrimum that had values were similar to the savannah control. This behavior shows that the recovery of soil treatments were eficient only the superficial layer soil and other depths in the structure is still in recovery. It is concluded that the recovery treatment have positively influenced the structure quality in the 0.00-0.10 m depth : the recovery treatment with S. aterrimum and lime + gypsum + S. aterrimum were the most promising in the recovery structural quality.

Soil Compaction Assessment Using Spectral Analysis of Surface Waves (SASW)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Afiq Roslan, Muhammad; Madun, Aziman; Hazreek Zainalabidin, Mohd; Dan@Azlan, Mohd Firdaus Md; Khaidir Abu Talib, Mohd; Nur Hidayat Zahari, Muhammad; Ambak, Kamaruddin; Ashraf Mohamad Ismail, Mohd

2018-04-01

Compaction is a process of soil densification in earthworks via by pressing the soil particles with air being expelled from the soil mass, thereby increasing its unit weight. Thus, it is important to evaluate the quality of soil compaction as prescribed in the technical requirement. SASW method is widely used for estimating material properties in layered structures based on the dispersion characteristics of Rayleigh Waves. The small scale at dimension area of 1.0 m width x 1.0 m length x 0.9 m depth was excavated and back filled with laterite soil. The soil was compacted for every layer at 0.3 m thickness. Each layer of soil compaction was conducted compaction test using core cutter methods and SASW test to determine the density and shear wave velocity. The phase velocity for layer 1 was between 112 m/s and 114 m/s, layer 2 was between 67 m/s and 74 m/s and layer 3 was between 74 m/s and 97 m/s. The result shows that the compacted soil layers are not fulfilled the quality of compacted soil layers where supposedly the expected shear wave velocity for the compacted layers should be higher than 180 m/s which is classified as stiff soil.

Soil organic carbon and nitrogen pools drive soil C-CO2 emissions from selected soils in Maritime Antarctica.

PubMed

Pires, C V; Schaefer, C E R G; Hashigushi, A K; Thomazini, A; Filho, E I F; Mendonça, E S

2017-10-15

The ongoing trend of increasing air temperatures will potentially affect soil organic matter (SOM) turnover and soil C-CO 2 emissions in terrestrial ecosystems of Maritime Antarctica. The effects of SOM quality on this process remain little explored. We evaluated (i) the quantity and quality of soil organic matter and (ii) the potential of C release through CO 2 emissions in lab conditions in different soil types from Maritime Antarctica. Soil samples (0-10 and 10-20cm) were collected in Keller Peninsula and the vicinity of Arctowski station, to determine the quantity and quality of organic matter and the potential to emit CO 2 under different temperature scenarios (2, 5, 8 and 11°C) in lab. Soil organic matter mineralization is low, especially in soils with low organic C and N contents. Recalcitrant C form is predominant, especially in the passive pool, which is correlated with humic substances. Ornithogenic soils had greater C and N contents (reaching to 43.15gkg -1 and 5.22gkg -1 for total organic carbon and nitrogen, respectively). C and N were more present in the humic acid fraction. Lowest C mineralization was recorded from shallow soils on basaltic/andesites. C mineralization rates at 2°C were significant lower than at higher temperatures. Ornithogenic soils presented the lowest values of C-CO 2 mineralized by g of C. On the other hand, shallow soils on basaltic/andesites were the most sensitive sites to emit C-CO 2 by g of C. With permafrost degradation, soils on basaltic/andesites and sulfates are expected to release more C-CO 2 than ornithogenic soils. With greater clay contents, more protection was afforded to soil organic matter, with lower microbial activity and mineralization. The trend of soil temperature increases will favor C-CO 2 emissions, especially in the reduced pool of C stored and protected on permafrost, or in occasional Histosols. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Quantitative evaluation of the CEEM soil sampling intercomparison.

PubMed

Wagner, G; Lischer, P; Theocharopoulos, S; Muntau, H; Desaules, A; Quevauviller, P

2001-01-08

The aim of the CEEM soil project was to compare and to test the soil sampling and sample preparation guidelines used in the member states of the European Union and Switzerland for investigations of background and large-scale contamination of soils, soil monitoring and environmental risk assessments. The results of the comparative evaluation of the sampling guidelines demonstrated that, in soil contamination studies carried out with different sampling strategies and methods, comparable results can hardly be expected. Therefore, a reference database (RDB) was established by the organisers, which acted as a basis for the quantitative comparison of the participants' results. The detected deviations were related to the methodological details of the individual strategies. The comparative evaluation concept consisted of three steps: The first step was a comparison of the participants' samples (which were both centrally and individually analysed) between each other, as well as with the reference data base (RDB) and some given soil quality standards on the level of concentrations present. The comparison was made using the example of the metals cadmium, copper, lead and zinc. As a second step, the absolute and relative deviations between the reference database and the participants' results (both centrally analysed under repeatability conditions) were calculated. The comparability of the samples with the RDB was categorised on four levels. Methods of exploratory statistical analysis were applied to estimate the differential method bias among the participants. The levels of error caused by sampling and sample preparation were compared with those caused by the analytical procedures. As a third step, the methodological profiles of the participants were compiled to concisely describe the different procedures used. They were related to the results to find out the main factors leading to their incomparability. The outcome of this evaluation process was a list of strategies and methods, which are problematic with respect to comparability, and should be standardised and/or specified in order to arrive at representative and comparable results in soil contamination studies throughout Europe. Pre-normative recommendations for harmonising European soil sampling guidelines and standard operating procedures have been outlined in Wagner G, Desules A, Muntau H, Theocharopoulos S. Comparative Evaluation of European Methods for Sampling and Sample Preparation of Soils for Inorganic Analysis (CEEM Soil). Final Report of the Contract SMT4-CT96-2085, Sci Total Environ 2001;264:181-186. Wagner G, Desaules A, Munatu H. Theocharopolous S, Quevauvaller Ph. Suggestions for harmonising sampling and sample pre-treatment procedures and improving quality assurance in pre-analytical steps of soil contamination studies. Paper 1.7 Sci Total Environ 2001b;264:103-118.

Soil Pore Characteristics, an Underappreciated Regulatory Factor in GHGs Emission and C Stabilization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toosi, E. R.; Yu, J.; Doane, T. A.; Guber, A.; Rivers, M. L.; Marsh, T. L.; Ali, K.; Kravchenko, A. N.

2015-12-01

Enduring challenges in understanding soil organic matter (SOM) stability and emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs) from soil stem from complexities of soil processes, many of which occur at micro-scales. The goal of this study is to evaluate the interactive effects soil pore characteristics, soil moisture levels, inherent SOM levels and properties, and substrate quality, on GHGs emission, and accelerated decomposition of native SOM following addition of fresh substrate i.e. priming. Our core hypothesis is that soil pore characteristics play a major role as a mediator in (i) the decomposition of organic matter regardless of its source (i.e. litter vs. native SOM) or substrate quality, as well as in (ii) GHGs emissions. Samples with prevalence of small (<10 μm) vs. large (>30 μm) pores were prepared from soils with similar properties but under long-term contrasting management. The samples were incubated (110 d) at low and optimum soil moisture conditions after addition of high quality (13C-soybean) and low quality (13C-corn) substrate. Headspace gas was analyzed for 13C-CO2 and GHGs on a regularly basis (day 1, 3, 7, 14, 24, 36, 48, 60, 72, 90, and 110). Selected samples were scanned at the early stage of decomposition (7, 14, 24 d) at 2-6 μm resolutions using X-ray computed μ tomography in order to: (1) quantify soil pore characteristics; (2) visualize and quantify distribution of soil moisture within samples of different pore characteristics; and (3) to visualize and measure losses of decomposing plant residue. Initial findings indicate that, consistent with our hypotheses, pore characteristics influenced GHGs emission, and intensity and pattern of plant residue decomposition. The importance of pores was highly pronounced in presence of added plant residue where greater N2O emission occurred in samples with dominant large pores, in contrast to CO2. Further findings will be discussed upon completion of the study and analysis of the results.

Review and evaluation of the effects of xenobiotic chemicals on microorganisms in soil. [139 references

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hicks, R.J.; Van Voris, P.

1988-02-01

The primary objective was to review and evaluate the relevance and quality of existing xenobiotic data bases and test methods for evaluating direct and indirect effects (both adverse and beneficial) of xenobiotics on the soil microbial community; direct and indirect effects of the soil microbial community on xenobiotics; and adequacy of test methods used to evaluate these effects and interactions. Xenobiotic chemicals are defined here as those compounds, both organic and inorganic, produced by man and introduced into the environment at concentrations that cause undesirable effects. Because soil serves as the main repository for many of these chemicals, it thereforemore » has a major role in determining their ultimate fate. Once released, the distribution of xenobiotics between environmental compartments depends on the chemodynamic properties of the compounds, the physicochemical properties of the soils, and the transfer between soil-water and soil-air interfaces and across biological membranes. Abiotic and biotic processes can transform the chemical compound, thus altering its chemical state and, subsequently, its toxicity and reactivity. Ideally, the conversion is to carbon dioxide, water, and mineral elements, or at least, to some harmless substance. However, intermediate transformation products, which can become toxic pollutants in their own right, can sometimes be formed. 139 refs., 6 figs., 11 tabs.« less

Soil Quality Indexing Strategies for Evaluating Sugarcane Expansion in Brazil

PubMed Central

Cherubin, Maurício R.; Karlen, Douglas L.; Cerri, Carlos E. P.; Franco, André L. C.; Tormena, Cássio A.; Davies, Christian A.; Cerri, Carlos C.

2016-01-01

Increasing demand for biofuel has intensified land-use change (LUC) for sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) expansion in Brazil. Assessments of soil quality (SQ) response to this LUC are essential for quantifying and monitoring sustainability of sugarcane production over time. Since there is not a universal methodology for assessing SQ, we conducted a field-study at three sites within the largest sugarcane-producing region of Brazil to develop a SQ index (SQI). The most common LUC scenario (i.e., native vegetation to pasture to sugarcane) was evaluated using six SQI strategies with varying complexities. Thirty eight soil indicators were included in the total dataset. Two minimum datasets were selected: one using principal component analysis (7 indicators) and the other based on expert opinion (5 indicators). Non-linear scoring curves were used to interpret the indicator values. Weighted and non-weighted additive methods were used to combine individual indicator scores into an overall SQI. Long-term conversion from native vegetation to extensive pasture significantly decreased overall SQ. In contrast, conversion from pasture to sugarcane had no significant impact on overall SQ at the regional scale, but site-specific responses were found. In general, sugarcane production improved chemical attributes (i.e., higher macronutrient levels and lower soil acidity); however it has negative effects on physical and biological attributes (i.e., higher soil compaction and structural degradation as well as lower soil organic carbon (SOC), abundance and diversity of macrofauna and microbial activity). Overall, we found that simple, user-friendly strategies were as effective as more complex ones for identifying SQ changes. Therefore, as a protocol for SQ assessments in Brazilian sugarcane areas, we recommend using a small number of indicators (e.g., pH, P, K, Visual Evaluation of Soil Structure -VESS scores and SOC concentration) and proportional weighting to reflect chemical, physical and biological processes within the soil. Our SQ evaluations also suggest that current approaches for expanding Brazilian sugarcane production by converting degraded pasture land to cropland can be a sustainable strategy for meeting increasing biofuel demand. However, management practices that alleviate negative impacts on soil physical and biological indicators must be prioritized within sugarcane producing areas to prevent unintentional SQ degradation over time. PMID:26938642

Soil Quality Indexing Strategies for Evaluating Sugarcane Expansion in Brazil.

PubMed

Cherubin, Maurício R; Karlen, Douglas L; Cerri, Carlos E P; Franco, André L C; Tormena, Cássio A; Davies, Christian A; Cerri, Carlos C

2016-01-01

Increasing demand for biofuel has intensified land-use change (LUC) for sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) expansion in Brazil. Assessments of soil quality (SQ) response to this LUC are essential for quantifying and monitoring sustainability of sugarcane production over time. Since there is not a universal methodology for assessing SQ, we conducted a field-study at three sites within the largest sugarcane-producing region of Brazil to develop a SQ index (SQI). The most common LUC scenario (i.e., native vegetation to pasture to sugarcane) was evaluated using six SQI strategies with varying complexities. Thirty eight soil indicators were included in the total dataset. Two minimum datasets were selected: one using principal component analysis (7 indicators) and the other based on expert opinion (5 indicators). Non-linear scoring curves were used to interpret the indicator values. Weighted and non-weighted additive methods were used to combine individual indicator scores into an overall SQI. Long-term conversion from native vegetation to extensive pasture significantly decreased overall SQ. In contrast, conversion from pasture to sugarcane had no significant impact on overall SQ at the regional scale, but site-specific responses were found. In general, sugarcane production improved chemical attributes (i.e., higher macronutrient levels and lower soil acidity); however it has negative effects on physical and biological attributes (i.e., higher soil compaction and structural degradation as well as lower soil organic carbon (SOC), abundance and diversity of macrofauna and microbial activity). Overall, we found that simple, user-friendly strategies were as effective as more complex ones for identifying SQ changes. Therefore, as a protocol for SQ assessments in Brazilian sugarcane areas, we recommend using a small number of indicators (e.g., pH, P, K, Visual Evaluation of Soil Structure -VESS scores and SOC concentration) and proportional weighting to reflect chemical, physical and biological processes within the soil. Our SQ evaluations also suggest that current approaches for expanding Brazilian sugarcane production by converting degraded pasture land to cropland can be a sustainable strategy for meeting increasing biofuel demand. However, management practices that alleviate negative impacts on soil physical and biological indicators must be prioritized within sugarcane producing areas to prevent unintentional SQ degradation over time.

[Geochemical characteristics of radon and mercury in soil gas in Lhasa, Tibet, China].

PubMed

Zhou, Xiao-Cheng; Du, Jian-Guo; Wang, Chuan-Yuan; Cao, Zhong-Quan; Yi, Li; Liu, Lei

2007-03-01

The geochemical characteristics of radon and mercury in soil gas in Lhasa and vicinity are investigated based on the measurements of Rn and Hg concentrations, and environmental quality for Rn and Hg in soil gas was evaluated by means of the index of geoaccumulation. The data of Rn and Hg of 1 579 sampling site indicate that the values of environmental-geochemical background of Rn and Hg are 7 634.9 Bq/m3, 41.5 ng/m3 with standard deviations of 2.7 Bq/m3, 2.2 ng/m3, respectively. The environmental quality for Rn in soil gas is better in the west and east parts of studied area, but becomes moderate pollution (level III) in the north part of the central area. Rn is derived from radioactive elements in granitic sediments in the intermountain basin and granite base, which are the major sources of pollution. The environmental quality for Hg in soil gas becomes gradually polluted from the suburban to the center of urban, and the highest pollution reaches level IV. The background of Hg in soil gas is mainly controlled by compositions of sediments, but the Hg pollution caused by human waste and religionary use of mercury.

Using soil quality indicators for monitoring sustainable forest management

Treesearch

James A. Burger; Garland Gray; D. Andrew Scott

2010-01-01

Most private and public forest land owners and managers are compelled to manage their forests sustainably, which means management that is economically viable,environmentally sound, and socially acceptable. To meet this mandate, the USDA Forest Service protects the productivity of our nation’s forest soils by monitoring and evaluating management activities to ensure...

Harvesting costs and environmental impacts associated with skyline yarding shelterwood harvests and thinning in Appalachian hardwoods

Treesearch

J. E. Baumgras; C. B. LeDoux; J. R. Sherar

1993-01-01

To evaluate the potential for moderating the visual impact and soil disturbance associated with timber harvesting on steep-slope hardwood sites, thinning and shelterwood harvests were conducted with a skyline yarding system. Operations were monitored to document harvesting production, residual stand damage, soil disturbance, and visual quality. Yarding costs for...

Soil quality and carbon sequestration in a reclaimed coal mine spoil of Jharia coalfield, India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mukhopadhyay, Sangeeta; Masto, Reginald; Ram, Lal

2016-04-01

Revegetation of coal mine spoil helps in carbon storage and the success of remediation depend on the selection of appropriate tree species. A study was conducted at the coalmine overburden dumps of Jharia Coalfield, Dhanbad, India to evaluate the impact of revegetation on the overall soil quality and carbon sequestration. Morphological parameters (tree height, diameter at breast height, tree biomass, wood specific gravity) of the dominant tree species (Acacia auriculiformis, Cassia siamea, Dalbergia sissoo and Leucaena leucocephala) growing on the mine spoil was recorded. Mine spoil samples were collected under the canopy cover of different tree species and analyzed for soil physical, chemical, and biological parameters. In general reclaimed sites had better soil quality than the reference site. For instance, D. sissoo and C. siamea improved soil pH (+28.5%, +27.9%), EC (+15.65%, +19%), cation exchange capacity (+58.7%, +52.3%), organic carbon (+67.5%, +79.5%), N (+97.2%, +75.7%), P (+98.2%, +76.9%), K (+31.8%, +37.4%), microbial biomass carbon (+143%, +164%) and dehydrogenase activity (+228%, +262%) as compared to the unreclaimed reference coal mine site. The concentration of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) decreased significantly in the reclaimed site than the reference spoil, C. siamea was found to be more promising for PAH degradation. The overall impact of tree species on the quality of reclaimed mine spoil cannot be assessed by individual soil parameters, as most of the parameters are interlinked and difficult to interpret. However, combination of soil properties into an integrated soil quality index provides a more meaningful assessment of reclamation potential of tree species. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to identify key mine soil quality indicators to develop a soil quality index (SQI). Coarse fraction, pH, EC, soil organic carbon, P, Ca, S, and dehydrogenase activity were the most critical properties controlling growth of tree species. The indicator values were converted into a unitless score (0-1.00) and integrated into mine soil quality index (SQI). Higher SQI values were obtained for sites reclaimed with Dalbergia sissoo (0.585) and Cassia siamea (0.565) compared to the reference mine spoil (0.303). The calculated index was significantly correlated (r = 0.84) with plant growth parameters. The carbon dioxide sequestration potential of the reclaimed site was 133.3 t/ha, while the total tree carbon density was highest in D. sissoo (13.93 t/ha) and C. siamea (11.35 t/ha). Based on SQI and C sequestration potential, Dalbergia sissoo and Cassia siamea was found to be more suitable for reclamation of mine spoil.

Effect of land management on soil properties in flood irrigated citrus orchards in Eastern Spain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morugán-Coronado, A.; García-Orenes, F.; Cerdà, A.

2015-01-01

Agricultural land management greatly affects soil properties. Microbial soil communities are the most sensitive and rapid indicators of perturbations in land use and soil enzyme activities are sensitive biological indicators of the effects of soil management practices. Citrus orchards frequently have degraded soils and this paper evaluates how land management in citrus orchards can improve soil quality. A field experiment was performed in an orchard of orange trees (Citrus Sinensis) in the Alcoleja Experimental Station (Eastern Spain) with clay-loam agricultural soils to assess the long-term effects of herbicides with inorganic fertilizers (H), intensive ploughing and inorganic fertilizers (P) and organic farming (O) on the soil microbial properties, and to study the relationship between them. Nine soil samples were taken from each agricultural management plot. In all the samples the basal soil respiration, soil microbial biomass carbon, water holding capacity, electrical conductivity, soil organic matter, total nitrogen, available phosphorus, available potassium, aggregate stability, cation exchange capacity, pH, texture, macronutrients (Na, Ca and Mg), micronutrients (Fe, Mn, Zn and Cu), calcium carbonate equivalent, calcium carbonate content of limestone and enzimatic activities (urease, dehydrogenase, β-glucosidase and acid phosphatase) were determined. The results showed a substantial level of differentiation in the microbial properties, which were highly associated with soil organic matter content. The management practices including herbicides and intensive ploughing had similar results on microbial soil properties. O management contributed to an increase in the soil biology quality, aggregate stability and organic matter content.

'76 EQ Index

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Wildlife, 1976

1976-01-01

This report evaluates the environmental quality of the United States. The analysis reveals that wildlife, soil, water, minerals, and living space indices have slid downward from 1969 to 1975. Only air quality slightly improved and timber remained steady. Despite this pessimistic picture, public support for environmental goals is still high. (MR)

Soil properties evolution after irrigation with reclaimed water

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leal, M.; González-Naranjo, V.; de Miguel, A.; Martínez-Hernández, V.; Lillo, J.

2012-04-01

Many arid and semi-arid countries are forced to look for new and alternative water sources. The availability of suitable quality water for agriculture in these regions often is threatened. In this context of water scarcity, the reuse of treated wastewater for crop irrigation could represent a feasible solution. Through rigorous planning and management, irrigation with reclaimed water presents some advantages such as saving freshwater, reducing wastewater discharges into freshwater bodies and decreasing the amount of added fertilizers due to the extra supply of nutrients by reclaimed water. The current study, which involves wastewater reuse in agriculture, has been carried out in the Experimental Plant of Carrión de los Céspedes (Sevile, Spain). Here, two survey parcels equally designed have been cultivated with Jatropha curcas L, a bioenergetic plant and a non-interfering food security crop. The only difference between the two parcels lies on the irrigation water quality: one is irrigated with groundwater and another one with reclaimed water. The main aim of this study focuses on analysing the outstanding differences in soil properties derived from irrigation with two water qualities, due to their implications for plant growth. To control and monitor the soil variables, soil samples were collected before and after irrigation in the two parcels. pH, electrical conductivity, cation exchange capacity, exchangeable cations (Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+ and K+), kjeldahl nitrogen, organic matter content and nutrients (boron, phosphorus, nitrogen, potassium) were measured. Data were statistically analyzed using the R package. To evaluate the variance ANOVA test was used and to obtain the relations between water quality and soil parameters, Pearson correlation coefficient was computed. According to other authors, a decrease in the organic matter content and an increase of parameters such as pH, electrical conductivity and some exchangeable cations were expected. To date and after one year of irrigation, no significant differences have been found among the soil properties of the two parcels. The results show in one hand, a slightly decrease in phosphorus, nitrates and electrical conductivity and on the other hand, an increase of organic matter. These trends should be contrasted by new soil quality measurements. The implications on vegetation growth, oil production and nutrients assimilation derived from the irrigation with reclaimed water should be also evaluated over time.

Assessing Impacts of 20 yr Old Miscanthus on Soil Organic Carbon Quality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Yaxian; Schäfer, Gerhard; Kuhn, Nikolaus

2015-04-01

The use of biomass as a renewable energy source has become increasingly popular in Upper Rhine Region to meet the demand for renewable energy. Miscanthus is one of the most favorite biofuel crops, due to its long life and large yields, as well as low energy and fertilizer inputs. However, current research on Miscanthus is mostly focused on the techniques and economics to produce biofuel or the impacts of side products such as ash and sulfur emissions to human health. Research on the potential impacts of Miscanthus onto soil quality, especially carbon quality after long-term adoption, is very limited. Some positive benefits, such as sequestrating organic carbon, have been repeatedly reported in previous research. Yet the quality of newly sequestrated organic carbon and its potential impacts onto global carbon cycling remain unclear. To fully account for the risks and benefits of Miscanthus, it is required to investigate the quality as well as the potential CO2 emissions of soil organic carbon on Miscanthus fields. As a part of the Interreg Project to assess the environmental impacts of biomass production in the Upper Rhine Region, this study aims to evaluate the carbon quality and the potential CO2 emissions after long-term Miscanthus adoption. Soils were sampled at 0-10, 10-40, 40-70, and 70-100 cm depths on three Miscanthus fields with up to 20 years of cultivation in Ammerzwiller France, Münchenstein Switzerland, and Farnsburg Switzerland. Soil texture, pH, organic carbon and nitrogen content were measured for each sampled layer. Topsoils of 0-10 cm and subsoils of 10-40 cm were also incubated for 40 days to determine the mineralization potential of the soil organic matter. Our results show that: 1) only in top soils of 0-10 cm, the 20 year old Miscanthus field has significantly higher soil organic carbon concentrations, than the control site. No significant differences were observed in deeper soil layers. Similar tendencies were also observed for organic nitrogen content as well C/N ratios. This indicates that the positive benefits of Miscanthus in sequestrating organic carbon and improving soil quality are probably only effective in top soils. 2) Soils from the 20 years old Miscanthus fields produced significantly more CO2 than the control site, suggesting the great susceptibility of organic carbon on Miscanthus fields to mineralization. Overall, our results indicate a potentially additional contribution of Miscanthus fields to atmospheric CO2 compared to reference soils, cautioning the widespread adoption of Miscanthus. Consequently, further studies aiming at a full emission balance are required to assess the overall environmental impacts of biomass production in the Upper Rhine Region.

Multivariate-Statistical Assessment of Heavy Metals for Agricultural Soils in Northern China

PubMed Central

Yang, Pingguo; Yang, Miao; Mao, Renzhao; Shao, Hongbo

2014-01-01

The study evaluated eight heavy metals content and soil pollution from agricultural soils in northern China. Multivariate and geostatistical analysis approaches were used to determine the anthropogenic and natural contribution of soil heavy metal concentrations. Single pollution index and integrated pollution index could be used to evaluate soil heavy metal risk. The results show that the first factor explains 27.3% of the eight soil heavy metals with strong positive loadings on Cu, Zn, and Cd, which indicates that Cu, Zn, and Cd are associated with and controlled by anthropic activities. The average value of heavy metal is lower than the second grade standard values of soil environmental quality standards in China. Single pollution index is lower than 1, and the Nemerow integrated pollution index is 0.305, which means that study area has not been polluted. The semivariograms of soil heavy metal single pollution index fitted spherical and exponential models. The variable ratio of single pollution index showed moderately spatial dependence. Heavy metal contents showed relative safety in the study area. PMID:24892058

Soil Physical Characteristics and Biological Indicators of Soil Quality Under Different Biodegradable Mulches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schaeffer, S. M.; Flury, M.; Sintim, H.; Bandopadhyay, S.; Ghimire, S.; Bary, A.; DeBruyn, J.

2015-12-01

Application of conventional polyethylene (PE) mulch in crop production offers benefits of increased water use efficiency, weed control, management of certain plant diseases, and maintenance of a micro-climate conducive for plant growth. These factors improve crop yield and quality, but PE must be retrieved and safely disposed of after usage. Substituting PE with biodegradable plastic mulches (BDM) would alleviate disposal needs, and is potentially a more sustainable practice. However, knowledge of potential impacts of BDMs on agricultural soil ecosystems is needed to evaluate sustainability. We (a) monitored soil moisture and temperature dynamics, and (b) assessed soil quality upon usage of different mulches, with pie pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo) as the test crop. Experimental field trials are ongoing at two sites, one at Northwestern Washington Research and Extension Center, Mount Vernon, WA, and the other at East Tennessee Research and Education Center, Knoxville, TN. The treatments constitute four different commercial BDM products, one experimental BDM; no mulch and PE served as the controls. Soil quality parameters being examined include: organic matter content, aggregate stability, water infiltration rate, CO2 flux, pH, and extracellular enzyme activity. In addition, lysimeters were installed to examine the soil water and heat flow dynamics. We present baseline and the first field season results from this study. Mulch cover appeared to moderate soil temperatures, but biodegradable mulches also appeared to lose water more quickly than PE. All mulch types, with the exception of cellulose, reduced the diurnal fluctuations in soil temperature at 10cm depth from 1 to 4ºC. However, volumetric water content ranged from 0.10 to 0.22 m3 m-3 under the five biodegradable mulches compared to 0.22 to 0.28 m3 m-3 under conventional PE. Results from the study will be useful for management practices by providing knowledge on how different mulches impact soil physical and biological properties which are important indicators of sustainability.

Assessing quality in volcanic ash soils

Treesearch

Terry L. Craigg; Steven W. Howes

2007-01-01

Forest managers must understand how changes in soil quality resulting from project implementation affect long-term productivity and watershed health. Volcanic ash soils have unique properties that affect their quality and function; and which may warrant soil quality standards and assessment techniques that are different from other soils. We discuss the concept of soil...

Use of portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometry for environmental quality assessment of peri-urban agriculture.

PubMed

Weindorf, David C; Zhu, Yuanda; Chakraborty, Somsubhra; Bakr, Noura; Huang, Biao

2012-01-01

Urban expansion into traditional agricultural lands has augmented the potential for heavy metal contamination of soils. This study examined the utility of field portable X-ray fluorescence (PXRF) spectrometry for evaluating the environmental quality of sugarcane fields near two industrial complexes in Louisiana, USA. Results indicated that PXRF provided quality results of heavy metal levels comparable to traditional laboratory analysis. When coupled with global positioning system technology, the use of PXRF allows for on-site interpolation of heavy metal levels in a matter of minutes. Field portable XRF was shown to be an effective tool for rapid assessment of heavy metals in soils of peri-urban agricultural areas.

Impact of diverse soil microbial communities on crop residues decomposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mrad, Fida; Bennegadi-Laurent, Nadia; Ailhas, Jérôme; Leblanc, Nathalie; Trinsoutrot-Gattin, Isabelle; Laval, Karine; Gattin, Richard

2017-04-01

Soils provide many basic ecosystem services for our society and most of these services are carried out by the soil communities, thus influencing soils quality. Soil organic matter (SOM) can be considered as one of the most important soil quality indices for it plays a determinant role in many physical, chemical and biological processes, such as soil structure and erosion resistance, cation exchange capacity, nutrient cycling and biological activity (Andrews et al., 2004). Since a long time, exogenous organic inputs are largely used for improving agricultural soils, affecting highly soil fertility and productivity. The use of organic amendments such as crop residues influences the soil microbial populations' diversity and abundance. In the meantime, soil microbial communities play a major role in the organic matter degradation, and the effect of different microbial communities on the decomposition of crop residues is not well documented. In this context, studying the impact of crop residues on soil microbial ecology and the processes controlling the fate of plant residues in different management practices is essential for understanding the long-term environmental and agronomic effects on soil and organic matters. Our purpose in the present work was to investigate the decomposition by two contrasting microbial communities of three crop residues, and compare the effect of different residues amendments on the abundance and function of each soil microbial communities. Among the main crops which produce large amounts of residues, we focused on three different plants: wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), rape (Brassica napus) and sunflower (Helianthus annuus). The residues degradation in two soils of different management practices and the microbial activity were evaluated by: microbial abundance (microbial carbon, culturable bacteria, total DNA, qPCR), in combination with functional indicators (enzymatic assays and Biolog substrate utilization), kinetics of C and N mineralization, and chemical measures. Physicochemical composition of crop residues was assessed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy FTIR technique at 0 and 83 days. The experiment was conducted in microcosms over 83 days for the biological measurements and 175 days for the C mineralization. The first results showed variations in the C & N rates, and the microbial abundances and functions over time, with a peak at 5 days and a decrease at 83 days for most of the measurements. The soil microbial communities' composition (different management practices) highly impacted the crop residues decomposition. The biochemical composition of crop residues influenced less the microbial communities of each soil. Further studies on the valorization of these residues into agro materials will be carried out. References: Andrews SS., Karlen DL., and Cambardella CA. (2004) The soil management assessment framework: a quantitative soil quality evaluation method. Soil Science Society of America, 68: 1945-1962

Zinc movement in sewage-sludge-treated soils as influenced by soil properties, irrigation water quality, and soil moisture level

USGS Publications Warehouse

Welch, J.E.; Lund, L.J.

1989-01-01

A soil column study was conducted to assess the movement of Zn in sewage-sludge-amended soils. Varables investigated were soil properties, irrigation water quality, and soil moisture level. Bulk samples of the surface layer of six soil series were packed into columns, 10.2 cm in diameter and 110 cm in length. An anaerobically digested municipal sewage sludge was incorporated into the top 20 cm of each column at a rate of 300 mg ha-1. The columns were maintained at moisture levels of saturation and unsaturation and were leached with two waters of different quality. At the termination of leaching, the columns were cut open and the soil was sectioned and analyzed. Zinc movement was evaluated by mass balance accounting and correlation and regression analysis. Zinc movement in the unsaturated columns ranged from 3 to 30 cm, with a mean of 10 cm. The difference in irrigation water quality did not have an effect on Zn movement. Most of the Zn applied to the unsaturated columns remained in the sludge-amended soil layer (96.1 to 99.6%, with a mean of 98.1%). The major portion of Zn leached from the sludge-amended soil layer accumulated in the 0- to 3-cm depth (35.7 to 100%, with a mean of 73.6%). The mean final soil pH values decreased in the order: saturated columns = sludge-amended soil layer > untreated soils > unsaturated columns. Total Zn leached from the sludge-amended soil layer was correlated negatively at P = 0.001 with final pH (r = -0.85). Depth of Zn movement was correlated negatively at P = 0.001 with final pH (r = -0.91). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that the final pH accounted for 72% of the variation in the total amounts of Zn leached from the sludge-amended soil layer of the unsaturated columns and accounted for 82% of the variation in the depth of Zn movement among the unsaturated columns. A significant correlation was not found between Zn and organic carbon in soil solutions, but a negative correlation significant at P = 0.001 was found between pH and Zn (r = -0.61).

Development and application of a soil organic matter-based soil quality index in mineralized terrane of the Western US

USGS Publications Warehouse

Blecker, S.W.; Stillings, Lisa L.; Amacher, M.C.; Ippolito, J.A.; DeCrappeo, N.M.

2013-01-01

Soil quality indices provide a means of distilling large amounts of data into a single metric that evaluates the soil’s ability to carry out key ecosystem functions. Primarily developed in agroecosytems, then forested ecosystems, an index using the relation between soil organic matter and other key soil properties in more semi-arid systems of the Western US impacted by different geologic mineralization was developed. Three different sites in two different mineralization types, acid sulfate and Cu/Mo porphyry in California and Nevada, were studied. Soil samples were collected from undisturbed soils in both mineralized and nearby unmineralized terrane as well as waste rock and tailings. Eight different microbial parameters (carbon substrate utilization, microbial biomass-C, mineralized-C, mineralized-N and enzyme activities of acid phosphatase, alkaline phosphatase, arylsulfatase, and fluorescein diacetate) along with a number of physicochemical parameters were measured. Multiple linear regression models between these parameters and both total organic carbon and total nitrogen were developed, using the ratio of predicted to measured values as the soil quality index. In most instances, pooling unmineralized and mineralized soil data within a given study site resulted in lower model correlations. Enzyme activity was a consistent explanatory variable in the models across the study sites. Though similar indicators were significant in models across different mineralization types, pooling data across sites inhibited model differentiation of undisturbed and disturbed sites. This procedure could be used to monitor recovery of disturbed systems in mineralized terrane and help link scientific and management disciplines.

Assessment of soil pollution based on total petroleum hydrocarbons and individual oil substances.

PubMed

Pinedo, J; Ibáñez, R; Lijzen, J P A; Irabien, Á

2013-11-30

Different oil products like gasoline, diesel or heavy oils can cause soil contamination. The assessment of soils exposed to oil products can be conducted through the comparison between a measured concentration and an intervention value (IV). Several national policies include the IV based on the so called total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) measure. However, the TPH assessment does not indicate the individual substances that may produce contamination. The soil quality assessment can be improved by including common hazardous compounds as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and aromatic volatile hydrocarbons like benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes (BTEX). This study, focused on 62 samples collected from different sites throughout The Netherlands, evaluates TPH, PAH and BTEX concentrations in soils. Several indices of pollution are defined for the assessment of individual variables (TPH, PAH, B, T, E, and X) and multivariables (MV, BTEX), allowing us to group the pollutants and simplify the methodology. TPH and PAH concentrations above the IV are mainly found in medium and heavy oil products such as diesel and heavy oil. On the other hand, unacceptable BTEX concentrations are reached in soils contaminated with gasoline and kerosene. The TPH assessment suggests the need for further action to include lighter products. The application of multivariable indices allows us to include these products in the soil quality assessment without changing the IV for TPH. This work provides useful information about the soil quality assessment methodology of oil products in soils, focussing the analysis into the substances that mainly cause the risk. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Assessment of soil hydrology variability of a new weighing lysimeter facility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown, S. E.; Wagner-Riddle, C.; Berg, A. A.

2017-12-01

Diversifying annual crop rotations is a strategy that mimics natural ecosystems and is postulated to increase agricultural resilience to climate change, soil quality and provision of soil ecosystem services. However, diverse cropping systems could increase soil mineral N levels and lead to greater leaching and/or N2O emissions; which raises the questions: (i) are diverse cropping systems actually beneficial for air and water quality? (ii) what are the trade-offs between soil, water, and air quality upon implementing a diverse cropping rotation? It can be difficult to fully evaluate the interactions between the two N-pollution pathways simultaneously in traditional field studies as drainage is largely unconstrained. Weighing lysimeters solve this issue by providing a closed system to measure N outputs via drainage and soil gas fluxes. A set of 18 weighting lysimeters were installed in Elora, Ontario, Canada in May 2016, to establish a long-term study of N-leaching and greenhouse gas emission from traditional and diverse cropping rotations for two different soil types. Each lysimeter is equipped with an automated chamber for continuous measurement of soil N2O and CO2 fluxes. A full characterization of variations of physical properties that may affect GHG emissions and N-leaching (e.g., soil temperature, moisture, drainage and evapotranspiration rates) amongst the lysimeters is required prior to application and assessment of the management treatments. Novel techniques such as wavelet analysis is required as standard statistical analyses are not applicable to the time series data. A full description of the lysimeters will be presented along with results of the characterization.

Influence of irrigation during the growth stage on yield and quality in mango (Mangifera indica L)

PubMed Central

Wei, Junya; Liu, Guoyin; Liu, Debing; Chen, Yeyuan

2017-01-01

Although being one of the few drought-tolerant plants, mango trees are irrigated to ensure optimum and consistent productivity in China. In order to better understand the effects of soil water content on mango yield and fruit quality at fruit growth stage, irrigation experiments were investigated and the object was to determine the soil water content criteria at which growth and quality of mango would be optimal based on soil water measured by RHD-JS water-saving irrigation system through micro-sprinkling irrigation. Five soil water content treatments (relative to the percentage of field water capacity) for irrigation (T1:79%-82%, T2:75%-78%, T3:71%-74%, T4: 65%-70%, T5:63%-66%) were compared in 2013. Amount of applied irrigation water for different treatments varied from 2.93m3 to 1.08 m3. The results showed that mango fruit production and quality at fruit growth stage were significantly affected under different irrigation water amounts. Variation in soil water content not only had effects on fruit size, but also on fruit yield. The highest fruit yield and irrigation water use efficiency were obtained from the T4 treatment. Irrigation water amount also affected fruit quality parameters like fruit total soluble solids, soluble sugar, starch, titratable acid and vitamin C content. Comprehensive evaluation of the effect of indexs of correlation on irrigation treatment by subordinate function showed that when the soil moisture content were controlled at about 65–70% of the field water moisture capacity, water demand in the growth and development of mango could be ensured, and maximum production efficiency of irrigation and the best quality of fruit could be achieved. In conclusion, treatment T4 was the optimum irrigation schedule for growing mango, thus achieving efficient production of mango in consideration of the compromise among mango yield, fruit quality and water use efficiency. PMID:28384647

Influence of irrigation during the growth stage on yield and quality in mango (Mangifera indica L).

PubMed

Wei, Junya; Liu, Guoyin; Liu, Debing; Chen, Yeyuan

2017-01-01

Although being one of the few drought-tolerant plants, mango trees are irrigated to ensure optimum and consistent productivity in China. In order to better understand the effects of soil water content on mango yield and fruit quality at fruit growth stage, irrigation experiments were investigated and the object was to determine the soil water content criteria at which growth and quality of mango would be optimal based on soil water measured by RHD-JS water-saving irrigation system through micro-sprinkling irrigation. Five soil water content treatments (relative to the percentage of field water capacity) for irrigation (T1:79%-82%, T2:75%-78%, T3:71%-74%, T4: 65%-70%, T5:63%-66%) were compared in 2013. Amount of applied irrigation water for different treatments varied from 2.93m3 to 1.08 m3. The results showed that mango fruit production and quality at fruit growth stage were significantly affected under different irrigation water amounts. Variation in soil water content not only had effects on fruit size, but also on fruit yield. The highest fruit yield and irrigation water use efficiency were obtained from the T4 treatment. Irrigation water amount also affected fruit quality parameters like fruit total soluble solids, soluble sugar, starch, titratable acid and vitamin C content. Comprehensive evaluation of the effect of indexs of correlation on irrigation treatment by subordinate function showed that when the soil moisture content were controlled at about 65-70% of the field water moisture capacity, water demand in the growth and development of mango could be ensured, and maximum production efficiency of irrigation and the best quality of fruit could be achieved. In conclusion, treatment T4 was the optimum irrigation schedule for growing mango, thus achieving efficient production of mango in consideration of the compromise among mango yield, fruit quality and water use efficiency.

Analysis of the bacterial community changes in soil for septic tank effluent treatment in response to bio-clogging.

PubMed

Nie, J Y; Zhu, N W; Zhao, K; Wu, L; Hu, Y H

2011-01-01

Soil columns were set up to survey the bacterial community in the soil for septic tank effluent treatment. When bio-clogging occurred in the soil columns, the effluent from the columns was in poorer quality. To evaluate changes of the soil bacterial community in response to bio-clogging, the bacterial community was characterized by DNA gene sequences from soil samples after polymerase chain reaction coupled with denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis process. Correspondence analysis showed that Proteobacteria related bacteria were the main bacteria within the soil when treating septic tank effluent. However, Betaproteobacteria related bacteria were the dominant microorganisms in the normal soil, whereas Alphaproteobacteria related bacteria were more abundant in the clogged soil. This study provided insight into changes of the soil bacterial community in response to bio-clogging. The results can supply some useful information for the design and management of soil infiltration systems.

Environmental risk of heavy metal pollution and contamination sources using multivariate analysis in the soils of Varanasi environs, India.

PubMed

Singh, Shubhra; Raju, N Janardhana; Nazneen, Sadaf

2015-06-01

This study assessed soil pollution in the Varanasi environs of Uttar Pradesh in India. Assessing the concentration of potentially harmful heavy metals in the soils is imperative in order to evaluate the potential risks to human. To identify the concentration and sources of heavy metals and assess the soil environmental quality, 23 samples were collected from different locations covering dumping, road and agricultural area. The average concentrations of the heavy metals were all below the permissible limits according to soil quality guidelines except Cu (copper) and Pb (lead) in dumping and road soils. Soil heavy metal contamination was assessed on the basis of geoaccumulation index (Igeo), pollution index (PI) and integrated pollution index (IPI). The IPI of the metals ranged from 0.59 to 9.94, with the highest IPI observed in the dumping and road soils. A very significant correlation was found between Pb and Cu. The result of principal component analysis suggested that PC1 was mainly affected by the use of agrochemicals, PC2 was affected by vehicular emission and PC3 was affected by dumping waste. Meanwhile, PC4 was mainly controlled by parent material along with anthropogenic activities. Appropriate measures should be taken to minimize the heavy metal levels in soils and thus protect human health.

Assessing benefits and risk of using flue gas desulfurized gypsum (FGDG) as soil amendment in a Coastal Plain soil

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The influence of FGDG and grass buffers on runoff water quality and corn production following poultry litter (PL) application is being evaluated as part of a regional USDA-ARS project (Auburn-AL, Oxford-MS, and Tifton-GA). Treatments at Tifton were laid out in a randomized complete block design wit...

Soil Quality of Restinga Forest: Organic Matter and Aluminum Saturation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodrigues Almeida Filho, Jasse; Casagrande, José Carlos; Martins Bonilha, Rodolfo; Soares, Marcio Roberto; Silva, Luiz Gabriel; Colato, Alexandre

2013-04-01

The restinga vegetation (sand coastal plain vegetation) consists of a mosaic of plant communities, which are defined by the characteristics of the substrates, resulting from the type and age of the depositional processes. This mosaic complex of vegetation types comprises restinga forest in advanced (high restinga) and medium regeneration stages (low restinga), each with particular differentiating vegetation characteristics. Of all ecosystems of the Atlantic Forest, restinga is the most fragile and susceptible to anthropic disturbances. The purpose of this study was evaluating the organic matter and aluminum saturation effects on soil quality index (SQI). Two locations were studied: State Park of the Serra do Mar, Picinguaba, in the city of Ubatuba (23°20' e 23°22' S / 44°48' e 44°52' W), and State Park of Cardoso Island in the city of Cananéia (25°03'05" e 25°18'18" S / 47°53'48" e 48° 05'42" W). The soil samples were collect at a depth of 0-10 cm, where concentrate 70% of vegetation root system. Was studied an additive model to evaluate soil quality index. The shallow root system development occurs due to low calcium levels, whose disability limits their development, but also can reflect on delay, restriction or even in the failure of the development vegetation. The organic matter is kept in the soil restinga ecosystem by high acidity, which reduces the decomposition of soil organic matter, which is very poor in nutrients. The base saturation, less than 10, was low due to low amounts of Na, K, Ca and Mg, indicating low nutritional reserve into the soil, due to very high rainfall and sandy texture, resulting in high saturation values for aluminum. Considering the critical threshold to 3% organic matter and for aluminum saturation to 40%, the IQS ranged from 0.95 to 0.1 as increased aluminum saturation and decreased the soil organic matter, indicating the main limitation to the growth of plants in this type of soil, when deforested.

Predicting soil quality indices with near infrared analysis in a wildfire chronosequence.

PubMed

Cécillon, Lauric; Cassagne, Nathalie; Czarnes, Sonia; Gros, Raphaël; Vennetier, Michel; Brun, Jean-Jacques

2009-01-15

We investigated the power of near infrared (NIR) analysis for the quantitative assessment of soil quality in a wildfire chronosequence. The effect of wildfire disturbance and soil engineering activity of earthworms on soil organic matter quality was first assessed with principal component analysis of NIR spectra. Three soil quality indices were further calculated using an adaptation of the method proposed by Velasquez et al. [Velasquez, E., Lavelle, P., Andrade, M. GISQ, a multifunctional indicator of soil quality. Soil Biol Biochem 2007; 39: 3066-3080.], each one addressing an ecosystem service provided by soils: organic matter storage, nutrient supply and biological activity. Partial least squares regression models were developed to test the predicting ability of NIR analysis for these soil quality indices. All models reached coefficients of determination above 0.90 and ratios of performance to deviation above 2.8. This finding provides new opportunities for the monitoring of soil quality, using NIR scanning of soil samples.

Effects of golf course management on subsurface soil properties in Iowa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Streeter, Matthew T.; Schilling, Keith E.

2018-05-01

Currently, in the USA and especially in the Midwest region, urban expansion is developing turfgrass landscapes surrounding commercial sites, homes, and recreational areas on soils that have been agriculturally managed for decades. Often, golf courses are at the forefront of conversations concerning anthropogenic environmental impacts as they account for some of the most intensively managed soils in the world. Iowa golf courses provide an ideal location to evaluate whether golf course management is affecting the quality of soils at depth. Our study evaluated how soil properties relating to soil health and resiliency varied with depth at golf courses across Iowa and interpreted relationships of these properties to current golf course management, previous land use, and inherent soil properties. Systematic variation in soil properties including sand content, NO3, and soil organic matter (SOM) were observed with depth at six Iowa golf courses among three landform regions. Variability in sand content was identified between the 20 and 50 cm depth classes at all courses, where sand content decreased by as much as 37 %. Highest concentrations of SOM and NO3 were found in the shallowest soils, whereas total C and P variability was not related to golf course management. Sand content and NO3 were found to be directly related to golf course management, particularly at shallow depths. The effects of golf course management dissipated with depth and deeper soil variations were primarily due to natural geologic conditions. The two abovementioned soil properties were very noticeably altered by golf course management and may directly impact crop productivity, soil health, and water quality, and while NO3 may be altered relatively quickly in soil through natural processes, particle size of the soil may not be altered without extensive mitigation. Iowa golf courses continue to be developed in areas of land use change from historically native prairies and more recently agriculture to urban landscapes. As soils are continually altered by human impacts, it is imperative that we monitor the changes, both physical and chemical, in order to establish management practices that maintain environmental sustainability and productivity.

Ecotoxicological evaluation of diesel-contaminated soil before and after a bioremediation process.

PubMed

Molina-Barahona, L; Vega-Loyo, L; Guerrero, M; Ramírez, S; Romero, I; Vega-Jarquín, C; Albores, A

2005-02-01

Evaluation of contaminated sites is usually performed by chemical analysis of pollutants in soil. This is not enough either to evaluate the environmental risk of contaminated soil nor to evaluate the efficiency of soil cleanup techniques. Information on the bioavailability of complex mixtures of xenobiotics and degradation products cannot be totally provided by chemical analytical data, but results from bioassays can integrate the effects of pollutants in complex mixtures. In the preservation of human health and environment quality, it is important to assess the ecotoxicological effects of contaminated soils to obtain a better evaluation of the healthiness of this system. The monitoring of a diesel-contaminated soil and the evaluation of a bioremediation technique conducted on a microcosm scale were performed by a battery of ecotoxicological tests including phytotoxicity, Daphnia magna, and nematode assays. In this study we biostimulated the native microflora of soil contaminated with diesel by adding nutrients and crop residue (corn straw) as a bulking agent and as a source of microorganisms and nutrients; in addition, moisture was adjusted to enhance diesel removal. The bioremediation process efficiency was evaluated directly by an innovative, simple phytotoxicity test system and the diesel extracts by Daphnia magna and nematode assays. Contaminated soil samples were revealed to have toxic effects on seed germination, seedling growth, and Daphnia survival. After biostimulation, the diesel concentration was reduced by 50.6%, and the soil samples showed a significant reduction in phytotoxicity (9%-15%) and Daphnia assays (3-fold), confirming the effectiveness of the bioremediation process. Results from our microcosm study suggest that in addition to the evaluation of the bioremediation processes efficiency, toxicity testing is different with organisms representative of diverse phylogenic levels. The integration of analytical, toxicological and bioremediation data is necessary to properly assess the ecological risk of bioremediation processes. (c) 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Impact of set-aside management on soil mesofauna

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Landi, Silvia; d'Errico, Giada; Mazza, Giuseppe; Mocali, Stefano; Bazzoffi, Paolo; Roversi, Pio Federico

2014-05-01

To contrast the biodiversity decline, the current Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) 2014-2020 responds to urgent environmental challenges and provides some new greening attempts as pastures, rotations, orchard grasses, ecological set-aside and organic farming. This study, supported by the Italian National Project MONACO (MIPAAF), aims to provide preliminary indications about the ecological impact of set-aside on soil biodiversity. Soil invertebrates, mainly nematodes and microarthropods, are excellent candidates to study the human activity impacts on the environment. Indeed, invertebrates are abundant, relatively easy to sample, and they can quickly respond to soil disturbance. Nematode assemblages offer several advantages for assessing the quality of terrestrial ecosystems because of their permeable cuticle through which they are in direct contact with solvents in the soil capillary water. Moreover, nematodes have high diversity and represent a trophically heterogeneous group. The Maturity Index (MI), based on the nematode fauna, represents a gauge of the conditions of the soil ecosystem. Edaphic microarthropods play an important role in the soil system in organic matter degradation and nutrient cycling. They show morphological characters that reveal adaptation to soil environments, such as reduction or loss of pigmentation and visual apparatus, streamlined body form with appendages reduction, reduction or loss of flying, jumping or running adaptations, thinner cuticle for reduced water-retention capacity. The "Qualità Biologica del Suolo" (QBS) index, namely "Biological Quality of Soil", is based on the types of edaphic microarthropods to assess soil biological quality. Three different set-aside managements were compared with a conventional annual crop in three Italian sites (Caorle, VE; Fagna, FI; Metaponto, MT). After five years the biological quality of soils using MI and QBS was evaluated. Regarding nematodes, the family richness and the biological quality (MI) resulted significantly higher in set-aside managements than in conventional crops in Fagna and Metaponto sites. In contrast, Caorle was characterized by a significant soil degradation (prevalence of extreme colonizers) and any increase of MI values in the set-aside have been not detected. About microarthropods, the taxa richness was significantly higher in set-aside managements than conventional crops in all the sites sampled. QBS index showed the same trend, but the differences were not significant. Caorle site was characterized by a lack of balance in the relative abundance among soil microarthropods taxa. In particular, set-aside managements showed a strong prevalence of an aggressive ants Solenopsis fugax (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). In conclusion, the best results were observed in Fagna and Metaponto sites, where MI and QBS values increased under set-aside management as compared to the conventional. Further analyses will be carried out over a long period to better understand the possible correlation between the enhancement of the organic matter observed in the soils less degraded and the biological quality improvement.

Soil evaluation for land use optimizing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marinina, O. A.

2018-01-01

The article presents the method of soil classification proposed in the course of the study in which the list of indicators proposed by the existing recommendations is optimized. On the example of one of the river basins within the boundaries of the Belgorod region zoning of the territory was carried out. With this approach, the boundaries of the territorial zones are projected along the natural boundaries of natural objects and the productivity of soils is determined as the main criterion for zoning. To assess the territory by soil properties, the features of the soil cover of the river basin were studied and vectorization of the soil variety boundaries was carried out. In the land evaluation essential and useful for the growth of crops macro- and minor-nutrient elements necessary for the growth of crops were included. To compare the soils each of the indicators was translated into relative units. The final score of soil quality is calculated as the mean geometric value of scores from 0 to 100 points for the selected diagnostic features. Through the imposition of results of soil classification and proposed by the concept of basin nature management - land management activities, five zones were identified according to the degree of suitability for use in agriculture.

Modelling of agricultural diffuse pollution and mitigation measures effectiveness in Wallonia (Belgium)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sohier, C.; Deraedt, D.; Degré, A.

2012-04-01

Implementation of European directives in the environmental field and, specially, in the water management field, generates a request from policy-makers for news tools able to evaluate impact of management measures aiming at reducing pressures on ecosystems. In Wallonia (Southern Region of Belgium), the Nitrate Directive (EEC/676/91) was transposed into the "Walloon action plan for nitrogen sustainable management in agriculture" (PGDA1) in 2002. In 2007, a second plan was launched to reinforce some topics (PGDA2). Furthermore, the goal of "good quality" of surface waters and groundwater imposed by the Water Framework Directive poses new challenges in water management. In this context, a "soil and vadose" hydrological model is used in order to evaluate diffuse pollutions and efficiency of mitigation measures. This model, called EPICgrid, has been developed at catchment scale with an original modular concept on the basis of the field scale "water-soil-plant" EPIC model (Williams J.R., Jones C.A., Dyke P.T. (1984). A modelling approach to determining the relationship between erosion and soil productivity. Transactions of the ASAE. 27, 129-144). The model estimates, for each HRU identified into a 1km2 grid, water and nutrients flows into the plant-soil-vadose zone system (Sohier C., Degré A., Dautrebande S. (2009). From root zone modelling to regional forecasting of nitrate concentration in recharge flows - The case of the Walloon Region (Belgium). Journal of Hydrology, Volume 369, Issues 3-4, 15 May 2009, Pages 350-359). The model is used to make prospective simulations in order to evaluate the impact of measures currently performed to reduce the effect of diffuse pollution on water surface quality and groundwater quality, at regional scale. Response of the soil-vadose zone to agricultural practices modification is analyzed for the deadlines of the Water Framework Directive: 2015, 2021 and 2027, taking into account two climatic scenarios. Simulations results showed that actual measures are not sufficient in some areas and that new actions are necessary. The EPICgrid model was also used to evaluate effectiveness of further measures that could be implemented in order to reduce agricultural diffuse pollution. The increasing of catch crops in vulnerable zones has shown a limited impact in the Walloon context. The modifications of agricultural practices such as crop rotations or mineral fertilizing amounts have shown a more significant impact on water quality. Furthermore, the farmers' practices are evaluated each year by a measuring campaign of the soil nitrogen residue after harvest. These data allow us to improve the representativeness of the EPICgrid model in areas in which agricultural practices largely differs from regional statistics.

Quantification of BMPs Selection and Spatial Placement Impact on Water Quality Controlling Plans in Lower Bear River Watershed, Utah

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salha, A. A.; Stevens, D. K.

2016-12-01

The aim of the watershed-management program in Box Elder County, Utah set by Utah Division of Water Quality (UDEQ) is to evaluate the effectiveness and spatial placement of the implemented best-management practices (BMP) for controlling nonpoint-source contamination at watershed scale. The need to evaluate the performance of BMPs would help future policy and program decisions making as desired end results. The environmental and costs benefits of BMPs in Lower Bear River watershed have seldom been measured beyond field experiments. Yet, implemented practices have rarely been evaluated at the watershed scale where the combined effects of variable soils, climatic conditions, topography and land use/covers and management conditions may significantly change anticipated results and reductions loads. Such evaluation requires distributed watershed models that are necessary for quantifying and reproducing the movement of water, sediments and nutrients. Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model is selected as a watershed level tool to identify contaminant nonpoint sources (critical zones) and areas of high pollution risks. Water quality concerns have been documented and are primarily attributed to high phosphorus and total suspended sediment concentrations caused by agricultural and farming practices (required load is 460 kg/day of total phosphorus based on 0.075 mg/l and an average of total suspended solids of 90 mg/l). Input data such as digital elevation model (DEM), land use/Land cover (LULC), soils, and climate data for 10 years (2000-2010) is utilized along with observed water quality at the watershed outlet (USGS) and some discrete monitoring points within the watershed. Statistical and spatial analysis of scenarios of management practices (BMP's) are not implemented (before implementation), during implementation, and after BMP's have been studied to determine whether water quality of the two main water bodies has improved as required by the LBMR watershed's TMDL and if the BMPs are cost-effectively targeting the critical zones.

A simple procedure for estimating soil porosity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Emmet-Booth, Jeremy; Forristal, Dermot; Fenton, Owen; Holden, Nick

2016-04-01

Soil degradation from mismanagement is of international concern. Simple, accessible tools for rapidly assessing impacts of soil management are required. Soil structure is a key component of soil quality and porosity is a useful indicator of structure. We outline a version of a procedure described by Piwowarczyk et al. (2011) used to estimate porosity of samples taken during a soil quality survey of 38 sites across Ireland as part of the Government funded SQUARE (Soil Quality Assessment Research) project. This required intact core (r = 2.5 cm, H = 5cm) samples taken at 5-10 cm and 10-20 cm depth, to be covered with muslin cloth at one end and secured with a jubilee clip. Samples were saturated in sealable water tanks for ≈ 64 hours, then allowed to drain by gravity for 24 hours, at which point Field Capacity (F.C.) was assumed to have been reached, followed by oven drying with weight determined at each stage. This allowed the calculation of bulk density and the estimation of water content at saturation and following gravitational drainage, thus total and functional porosity. The assumption that F.C. was reached following 24 hours of gravitational drainage was based on the Soil Moisture Deficit model used in Ireland to predict when soils are potentially vulnerable to structural damage and used nationally as a management tool. Preliminary results indicate moderately strong, negative correlations between estimated total porosity at 5-10 cm and 10-20 cm depth (rs = -0.7, P < 0.01 in both cases) and soil quality scores of the Visual Evaluation of Soil Structure (VESS) method which was conducted at each survey site. Estimated functional porosity at 5-10 cm depth was found to moderately, negatively correlate with VESS scores (rs = - 0.5, P < 0.05). This simple procedure requires inexpensive equipment and appears useful in indicating porosity of a large quantity of samples taken at numerous sites or if done periodically, temporal changes in porosity at a field scale, indicating the impacts of soil management. Reference Piwowarczyk, A., Giuliani, G. & Holden, N.M. 2011. Can soil moisture deficit be used to forecast when soils are at high risk of damage owing to grazing animals? Soil Use and Management, 27, 255-263.

Phytoavailability of Cadmium (Cd) to Pak Choi (Brassica chinensis L.) Grown in Chinese Soils: A Model to Evaluate the Impact of Soil Cd Pollution on Potential Dietary Toxicity

PubMed Central

Yang, Xiaoe; Xiao, Wendan; Stoffella, Peter J.; Saghir, Aamir; Azam, Muhammad; Li, Tingqiang

2014-01-01

Food chain contamination by soil cadmium (Cd) through vegetable consumption poses a threat to human health. Therefore, an understanding is needed on the relationship between the phytoavailability of Cd in soils and its uptake in edible tissues of vegetables. The purpose of this study was to establish soil Cd thresholds of representative Chinese soils based on dietary toxicity to humans and develop a model to evaluate the phytoavailability of Cd to Pak choi (Brassica chinensis L.) based on soil properties. Mehlich-3 extractable Cd thresholds were more suitable for Stagnic Anthrosols, Calcareous, Ustic Cambosols, Typic Haplustalfs, Udic Ferrisols and Periudic Argosols with values of 0.30, 0.25, 0.18, 0.16, 0.15 and 0.03 mg kg−1, respectively, while total Cd is adequate threshold for Mollisols with a value of 0.86 mg kg−1. A stepwise regression model indicated that Cd phytoavailability to Pak choi was significantly influenced by soil pH, organic matter, total Zinc and Cd concentrations in soil. Therefore, since Cd accumulation in Pak choi varied with soil characteristics, they should be considered while assessing the environmental quality of soils to ensure the hygienically safe food production. PMID:25386790

Phytoavailability of cadmium (Cd) to Pak choi (Brassica chinensis L.) grown in Chinese soils: a model to evaluate the impact of soil Cd pollution on potential dietary toxicity.

PubMed

Rafiq, Muhammad Tariq; Aziz, Rukhsanda; Yang, Xiaoe; Xiao, Wendan; Stoffella, Peter J; Saghir, Aamir; Azam, Muhammad; Li, Tingqiang

2014-01-01

Food chain contamination by soil cadmium (Cd) through vegetable consumption poses a threat to human health. Therefore, an understanding is needed on the relationship between the phytoavailability of Cd in soils and its uptake in edible tissues of vegetables. The purpose of this study was to establish soil Cd thresholds of representative Chinese soils based on dietary toxicity to humans and develop a model to evaluate the phytoavailability of Cd to Pak choi (Brassica chinensis L.) based on soil properties. Mehlich-3 extractable Cd thresholds were more suitable for Stagnic Anthrosols, Calcareous, Ustic Cambosols, Typic Haplustalfs, Udic Ferrisols and Periudic Argosols with values of 0.30, 0.25, 0.18, 0.16, 0.15 and 0.03 mg kg-1, respectively, while total Cd is adequate threshold for Mollisols with a value of 0.86 mg kg-1. A stepwise regression model indicated that Cd phytoavailability to Pak choi was significantly influenced by soil pH, organic matter, total Zinc and Cd concentrations in soil. Therefore, since Cd accumulation in Pak choi varied with soil characteristics, they should be considered while assessing the environmental quality of soils to ensure the hygienically safe food production.

The resistance of the active microbiome as a fundamental compartment of soil quality in the face of climate change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bastida, Felipe; Andrés, Manuela; Torres, Irene; García, Carlos; Ruiz Navarro, Antonio; Moreno, Francisco R.; López Serrano, Francisco R.

2017-04-01

Arid and semiarid ecosystems will be severely affected by drought derived from climate change. Forest management can promote the adaptations of plant and microbial communities to drought. For instance, thinning reduces competition for resources through a decrease in tree density and the promotion of plant survival. The resistance of soil microbial communities must be strongly related to the soil quality. However, in order to evaluate these properties, the active (and not only the total) microbial community should be carefully assessed. Here, we studied the functional and phylogenetic responses of the microbial community to six years of drought induced by rainfall exclusion and how thinning shapes its resistance to drought, in a semiarid ecosystem dominated by Pinus halepensis Mill. A multiOMIC approach was applied to reveal novel strategies against drought. The diversity and the composition of the total and active soil microbial communities were evaluated by 16S rRNA gene (bacteria) and ITS (fungal) sequencing, and by metaproteomics. The microbial biomass was analyzed by phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs), and the microbially-mediated ecosystem multifunctionality was studied by the evaluation of enzyme activities related to C, N, and P dynamics. The microbial biomass and ecosystem multifunctionality decreased in plots subjected to drought, but this decrease was greater in unthinned plots. The diversity of the total bacterial and fungal communities were resistant to drought but were shaped by seasonal dynamics. However, the active community was more sensitive to drought and related to multifunctionality. Thinning in plots without drought increased the active diversity while the total diversity was not affected. Thinning promoted the resistance of multifunctionality to drought by changes in the active microbiome. Protein-based phylogeny was a better predictor of the impacts of drought and the adaptations of microbial communities. We highlight that the resistance of the microbial community and the active microbial community are ecological concepts strongly related to the concept of soil quality in the face of climate change.

Accuracy of quantitative visual soil assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Leeuwen, Maricke; Heuvelink, Gerard; Stoorvogel, Jetse; Wallinga, Jakob; de Boer, Imke; van Dam, Jos; van Essen, Everhard; Moolenaar, Simon; Verhoeven, Frank; Stoof, Cathelijne

2016-04-01

Visual soil assessment (VSA) is a method to assess soil quality visually, when standing in the field. VSA is increasingly used by farmers, farm organisations and companies, because it is rapid and cost-effective, and because looking at soil provides understanding about soil functioning. Often VSA is regarded as subjective, so there is a need to verify VSA. Also, many VSAs have not been fine-tuned for contrasting soil types. This could lead to wrong interpretation of soil quality and soil functioning when contrasting sites are compared to each other. We wanted to assess accuracy of VSA, while taking into account soil type. The first objective was to test whether quantitative visual field observations, which form the basis in many VSAs, could be validated with standardized field or laboratory measurements. The second objective was to assess whether quantitative visual field observations are reproducible, when used by observers with contrasting backgrounds. For the validation study, we made quantitative visual observations at 26 cattle farms. Farms were located at sand, clay and peat soils in the North Friesian Woodlands, the Netherlands. Quantitative visual observations evaluated were grass cover, number of biopores, number of roots, soil colour, soil structure, number of earthworms, number of gley mottles and soil compaction. Linear regression analysis showed that four out of eight quantitative visual observations could be well validated with standardized field or laboratory measurements. The following quantitative visual observations correlated well with standardized field or laboratory measurements: grass cover with classified images of surface cover; number of roots with root dry weight; amount of large structure elements with mean weight diameter; and soil colour with soil organic matter content. Correlation coefficients were greater than 0.3, from which half of the correlations were significant. For the reproducibility study, a group of 9 soil scientists and 7 farmers carried out quantitative visual observations all independently from each other. All observers assessed five sites, having a sand, peat or clay soil. For almost all quantitative visual observations the spread of observed values was low (coefficient of variation < 1.0), except for the number of biopores and gley mottles. Furthermore, farmers' observed mean values were significantly higher than soil scientists' mean values, for soil structure, amount of gley mottles and compaction. This study showed that VSA could be a valuable tool to assess soil quality. Subjectivity, due to the background of the observer, might influence the outcome of visual assessment of some soil properties. In countries where soil analyses can easily be carried out, VSA might be a good replenishment to available soil chemical analyses, and in countries where it is not feasible to carry out soil analyses, VSA might be a good start to assess soil quality.

Rice production in relation to soil quality under different rice-based cropping systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tran Ba, Linh; Sleutel, Steven; Nguyen Van, Qui; Thi, Guong Vo; Le Van, Khoa; Cornelis, Wim

2016-04-01

Soil quality of shallow paddy soils may be improved by introducing upland crops and thus a more diverse crop cultivation pattern. Yet, the causal relationship between crop performance and enhanced soil traits in rice-upland crop rotations remains elusive. The objectives of this study were to (i) find correlations among soil properties under different rice-upland crop systems and link selected soil properties to rice growth and yield, (ii) present appropriate values of soil parameters for sustainable rice productivity in heavy clay soil, (iii) evaluate the effect of rotating rice with upland crops on rice yield and economic benefit in a long-term experiment. A rice-upland crop rotational field experiment in the Vietnamese Mekong delta was conducted for 10 years using a randomized complete block design with four treatments and four replications. Treatments were: (i) rice-rice-rice (control - conventional system as farmers' practice), (ii) rice-maize-rice, (iii) rice-mung bean-rice, and (iv) rice-mung bean-maize. Soil and plant sampling were performed after harvest of the rice crop at the end of the final winter-spring cropping season (i.e. year 10). Results show differences in rice growth and yield, and economic benefit as an effect of the crop rotation system. These differences were linked with changes in bulk density, soil porosity, soil aggregate stability index, soil penetration resistance, soil macro-porosity, soil organic carbon, acid hydrolysable soil C and soil nutrient elements, especially at soil depth of 20-30 cm. This is evidenced by the strong correlation (P < 0.01) between rice plant parameters, rice yield and soil properties such as bulk density, porosity, penetration resistance, soil organic carbon and Chydrolysable. It turned out that good rice root growth and rice yield corresponded to bulk density values lower than 1.3 Mg m-3, soil porosity higher than 50%, penetration resistance below 1.0 MPa, and soil organic carbon above 25 g kg-1. The optimal soil depth without restriction for rice root elongation was at least 25 cm from the soil surface. We suggest these values as indicative for optimal physical soil quality when growing rice in fine-textured alluvial soils and their definition as a first step towards presenting real threshold values.

Geochemical distribution of major and trace elements in agricultural soils of Castilla-La Mancha (central Spain): finding criteria for baselines and delimiting regional anomalies.

PubMed

Bravo, Sandra; García-Ordiales, Efrén; García-Navarro, Francisco Jesús; Amorós, José Ángel; Pérez-de-Los-Reyes, Caridad; Jiménez-Ballesta, Raimundo; Esbrí, José María; García-Noguero, Eva María; Higueras, Pablo

2017-09-07

Castilla-La Mancha (central Spain) is a region characterized by significant agricultural production aimed at high-quality food products such as wine and olive oil. The quality of agricultural products depends directly on the soil quality. Soil geochemistry, including dispersion maps and the recognition of baselines and anomalies of various origins, is the most important tool to assess soil quality. With this objective, 200 soil samples were taken from agricultural areas distributed among the different geological domains present in the region. Analysis of these samples included evaluation of edaphological parameters (reactivity, electrical conductivity, organic matter content) and the geochemistry of major and trace elements by X-ray fluorescence. The dataset obtained was statistically analyzed for major elements and, in the case of trace elements, was normalized with respect to Al and analyzed using the relative cumulative frequency (RCF) distribution method. Furthermore, the geographic distribution of analytical data was characterized and analyzed using the kriging technique, with a correspondence found between major and trace elements in the different geologic domains of the region as well as with the most important mining areas. The results show an influence of the clay fraction present in the soil, which acts as a repository for trace elements. On the basis of the results, of the possible elements related with clay that could be used for normalization, Al was selected as the most suitable, followed by Fe, Mn, and Ti. Reference values estimated using this methodology were lower than those estimated in previous studies.

Effects of soil dilution and amendments (mussel shell, cow bone, and biochar) on Pb availability and phytotoxicity in military shooting range soil.

PubMed

Ahmad, Mahtab; Soo Lee, Sang; Yang, Jae E; Ro, Hee-Myong; Han Lee, Young; Sik Ok, Yong

2012-05-01

Bioavailability and bioaccessibility determine the level of metal toxicity in the soils. Inorganic soil amendments may decrease metal bioavailability and enhance soil quality. This study used mussel shell, cow bone, and biochar to reduce lead (Pb) toxicity in the highly contaminated military shooting range soil in Korea. Water-soluble and 1-M ammonium nitrate extractions, and a modified physiologically based extraction test (PBET) were performed to determine Pb bioavailability and bioaccessibility in the soil, respectively. Active C in the soil was also measured to evaluate the effects of the amendments on biological soil quality. The Pb contaminated soil was diluted in serial with uncontaminated soil for the bioassays. Seed germination and root elongation tests using lettuce (Lactuca sativa) showed increases in germination percentage and root length in soil treated with the amendments. Biochar was most effective and increased seed germination by 360% and root length by 189% compared to the unamended soil. Up to 20% soil dilution resulted in more than 50% seed germination. Bioavailability and bioaccessibility of Pb in the soils were decreased by 92.5% and 48.5% with mussel shell, by 84.8% and 34.5% with cow bone, and by 75.8% and 12.5% with biochar, respectively, compared to the unamended soil. We found that the Pb availability in the military shooting range soil can be reduced effectively by the tested amendments or soil dilution alternately, thereby decreasing the risk of ecotoxicity. Furthermore, the increasing active C from the amendments revitalized the soil contaminated with Pb. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Ecosystem health in mineralized terrane; data from podiform chromite (Chinese Camp mining district, California), quartz alunite (Castle Peak and Masonic mining districts, Nevada/California), and Mo/Cu porphyry (Battle Mountain mining district, Nevada) deposits

USGS Publications Warehouse

Blecker, Steve W.; Stillings, Lisa L.; Amacher, Michael C.; Ippolito, James A.; DeCrappeo, Nicole M.

2010-01-01

The myriad definitions of soil/ecosystem quality or health are often driven by ecosystem and management concerns, and they typically focus on the ability of the soil to provide functions relating to biological productivity and/or environmental quality. A variety of attempts have been made to create indices that quantify the complexities of soil quality and provide a means of evaluating the impact of various natural and anthropogenic disturbances. Though not without their limitations, indices can improve our understanding of the controls behind ecosystem processes and allow for the distillation of information to help link scientific and management communities. In terrestrial systems, indices were initially developed and modified for agroecosystems; however, the number of studies implementing such indices in nonagricultural systems is growing. Soil quality indices (SQIs) are typically composed of biological (and sometimes physical and chemical) parameters that attempt to reduce the complexity of a system into a metric of a soil’s ability to carry out one or more functions.The indicators utilized in SQIs can be as varied as the studies themselves, reflecting the complexity of the soil and ecosystems in which they function. Regardless, effective soil quality indicators should correlate well with soil or ecosystem processes, integrate those properties and processes, and be relevant to management practices. Commonly applied biological indicators include measures associated with soil microbial activity or function (for example, carbon and nitrogen mineralization, respiration, microbial biomass, enzyme activity. Cost, accessibility, ease of interpretation, and presence of existing data often dictate indicator selection given the number of available measures. We employed a large number of soil biological, chemical, and physical measures, along with measures of vegetation cover, density, and productivity, in order to test the utility and sensitivity of these measures within various mineralized terranes. We were also interested in examining these relations in the context of determining appropriate reference conditions with which to compare reclamation efforts.The purpose of this report is to present the data used to develop indices of soil and ecosystem quality associated with mineralized terranes (areas enriched in metal-bearing minerals), specifically podiform chromite, quartz alunite, and Mo/Cu porphyry systems. Within each of these mineralized terranes, a nearby unmineralized counterpart was chosen for comparison. The data consist of soil biological, chemical, and physical parameters, along with vegetation measurements for each of the sites described below. Synthesis of these data and index development will be the subject of future publications.

Soil vital signs: A new Soil Quality Index (SQI) for assessing forest soil health

Treesearch

Michael C. Amacher; Katherine P. O' Neil; Charles H. Perry

2007-01-01

The Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program measures a number of chemical and physical properties of soils to address specific questions about forest soil quality or health. We developed a new index of forest soil health, the soil quality index (SQI), that integrates 19 measured physical and chemical properties of forest soils into a single number that serves as...

Impacts of long-term no-tillage and conventional tillage management of spring wheat-lentil cropping systems in dryland Eastern Montana, USA, on fungi associated to soil aggregation

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Lentil (Lens culinaris Medikus CV. Indianhead) used to replace fallow in spring-wheat (Triticum aestivum) rotation in the semi-arid Eastern Montana USA, may improve soil quality. We evaluate the 14 years influence of continuous wheat under no-tillage (WNT), fallow-wheat under conventional tillage (F...

Evaluation of Composting Implementation: A Literature Review

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-07-13

toxic intermediates and reaction products ; and 3. the potential for additional contami-ation of groundwaters and soils . General conclusions from these... Soil . In: Compost: Production , Quality, and Use, Proceedings of a Symposium Organized by the Commission of the European Communities, M. DeBertoldi, M...Historically, composting has been used to accelerate the biodegradation of a variety of organic wastes from agricultural products (Fujio et al., 1986

Almond tree and organic fertilization for soil quality improvement in southern Italy.

PubMed

Macci, Cristina; Doni, Serena; Peruzzi, Eleonora; Masciandaro, Grazia; Mennone, Carmelo; Ceccanti, Brunello

2012-03-01

The semi-arid Mediterranean region, characterized by long dry periods followed by heavy bursts of rainfall, is particularly prone to soil erosion. The main goal of this study is to evaluate the soil quality under different practices of bio-physical amelioration which involve the soil-plant system (almond trees) and microorganism-manure. This study, carried out in the South of Italy (Basilicata Region- Pantanello farm), considered two types of fertilization (mineral and organic) and three slope gradients (0, 2 and 6%), in order to evaluate the effects of management practices in resisting soil erosion. Chemical (organic carbon and nitrogen), physical (soil shrinkage and bulk density) and biochemical (dehydrogenase activity and hydrolytic enzyme activities) parameters were selected as markers to follow agro-ecological changes with time. The organic treatment affected soil microbiological and physico-chemical properties by increasing soil nutrient availability, microbial activity, and improving soil structure. The consistently higher values of the hydrolytic enzyme activities (β-glucosidase, phosphatase, urease and protease) often observed in the presence of plants and on the 0 and 2% slopes, suggested the stimulation of nutrient cycles by tree roots, which improve the conditions for soil microorganisms in carrying out their metabolic activity. In the 6% slope and, in particular, in the mineral fertilizer treatment, soil metabolism was lower as suggested by the dehydrogenase activity which was 50% lower than that found in the 0 and 2% slopes, this seemed to be related to a slowdown in the nutrient cycling and organic carbon metabolism. However, on this slope, in both mineral and organic treatments, a significant stimulation of hydrolytic enzyme activities and an improvement of soil structure (reduction of bulk density of about 10% and increase in total shrinkage from 20 to 60%) were observed with plants compared to the control soil. The combination of organic fertilization and almond trees resulted effective, also in the highest slope, in mitigating the degradation processes through the improvement of chemico-nutritional, biochemical and physical soil properties. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Assessment and kinetics of soil phosphatase in Brazilian Savanna systems.

PubMed

Ferreira, Adão S; Espíndola, Suéllen P; Campos, Maria Rita C

2016-05-31

The activity and kinetics of soil phosphatases are important indicators to evaluate soil quality in specific sites such as the Cerrado (Brazilian Savanna). This study aimed to determine the activity and kinetic parameters of soil phosphatase in Cerrado systems. Soil phosphatase activity was assessed in samples of native Cerrado (NC), no-tillage (NT), conventional tillage (CT) and pasture with Brachiaria brizantha (PBb) and evaluated with acetate buffer (AB), tris-HCl buffer (TB), modified universal buffer (MUB) and low MUB. The Michaelis-Menten equation and Eadie-Hofstee model were applied to obtain the kinetic parameters of soil phosphatase using different concentrations of p-nitrophenol phosphate (p-NPP). MUB showed the lowest soil phosphatase activity in all soils whereas AB in NC and NT presented the highest. Low MUB decreased interferences in the assessment of soil phosphatase activity when compared to MUB, suggesting that organic acids interfere on the soil phosphatase activity. In NC and NT, soil phosphatase activity performed with TB was similar to AB and low MUB. Km values from the Michaels-Menten equation were higher in NC than in NT, which indicate a lower affinity of phosphatase activity for the substrate in NC. Vmax values were also higher in NC than in NT. The Eadie-Hofstee model suggests that NC had more phosphatase isoforms than NT. The study showed that buffer type is of fundamental importance when assessing soil phosphatase activity in Cerrado soils.

Impacts of agricultural management practices on soil quality in Europe and China - an assessment within the framework of the EU iSQAPER project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alaoui, Abdallah; Schwilch, Gudrun; Barão, Lúcia; Basch, Gottlieb; Sukkel, Wijnand; Lemesle, Julie; Ferreira, Carla; Garcia-Orenes, Fuensanta; Morugan, Alicia; Mataix, Jorge; Kosmas, Costas; Glavan, Matjaž; Tóth, Brigitta; Petrutza Gate, Olga; Lipiec, Jerzy; Reintam, Endla; Xu, Minggang; Di, Jiaying; Fan, Hongzhu; Geissen, Violette

2017-04-01

Agricultural soils are under a wide variety of pressures, including from increasing global demand for food associated with population growth, changing diets, land degradation, and associated productivity reductions potentially exacerbated by climate change. To manage the use of agricultural soils well, decision-makers need science-based, easily applicable, and cost-effective tools for assessing soil quality and soil functions. Since a practical assessment of soil quality requires the integrated consideration of key soil properties and their variations in space and time, providing such tools remains a challenging task. This study aims to assess the impact of innovative agricultural management practices on soil quality in 14 study sites across Europe (10) and China (4), covering the major pedo-climatic zones. The study is part of the European H2020 project iSQAPER, which involves 25 partners across Europe and China and is coordinated by Wageningen University, The Netherlands. iSQAPER is aimed at interactive soil quality assessment in Europe and China for agricultural productivity and environmental resilience. The study began with a thorough literature analysis to inform the selection of indicators for the assessment of soil structure and soil functions. A manual was then developed in order to standardize and facilitate the task of inventorying soil quality and management practices at the case study sites. The manual provides clear and precise instructions on how to assess the 11 selected soil quality indicators based on a visual soil assessment methodology. A newly developed infiltrometer was used to easily assess the soil infiltration capacity in the field and investigate hydrodynamic flow processes. Based on consistent calibration, the infiltrometer enables reliable prediction of key soil hydraulic properties. The main aim of this inventory is to link agricultural management practices to the soil quality status at the case study sites, and to identify innovative practices that have improved soil quality. The inventory and the scoring of soil quality are done together with land users at each study site. The idea is to compare the soil quality on a farm where management practices have changed 3 or more years ago with that on a control farm where practices have not changed, with both farms located in the same pedo-climatic zone and having comparable soil conditions. The case study partners were requested to identify at least 3 newly adopted management practices (or combinations thereof) and 3 related control farms. First results show that among 88 sets of paired plots, 60 pairs (68 %) show a positive impact of innovative agricultural management practices on soil quality. 18 pairs (21 %) do not show any difference in soil quality between soils under innovative practices and soils in the control plots, and the remaining 10 plots (11 %) show an inverse effect. The non-detectable effect of the innovative practices on soil quality are due to type of tillage management, soil type and fertility that mask the effect of management practices on soil and also due to time of the assessment. This assessment will be repeated in the coming years, with the aim of providing sound data on soil quality and its improvement through innovative management practices across Europe and China.

Terroir et vignoble: how the farming management can affect the production of a quality wine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gallo, Alba; Bini, Claudio

2016-04-01

Italian wine is one of the most exported wine in the world. The particular climate, the soil characteristics and other several factors have contributed to this success. Italy is located in the temperate belt, with a suitable climate for grapevine cultivation. For this reason, all regions in Italy produce wine, first of all the Veneto region, with 8.569.000 hl of wine in 2011. Wine quality derives from the perfect interaction among climate, morphology, soil and plant, i.e. the terroir. So, knowledge of the land characteristics, together with cultivation techniques and management, is essential to understand this interaction and the typicality of the wine. For example, large utilization of fertilizers and pesticides may determine accumulation of toxic substances in soil and possible translocation to the food chain. For this reason, metal contamination of soils and plants becomes a main issue in agricultural production. Therefore, our attention was focused on the determination of soil quality of the Prosecco DOCG (controlled and guaranteed denomination of origin) area, particularly in Conegliano. Conegliano is a town located in Veneto, in the province of Treviso, known for its wine. This wine variety is regulated by the Conegliano-Valdobbiadene production Consortium, to protect both consumers and producers. The goals of this research are: evaluation of trace metal content (Al ,Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Ni, P, Pb, V and Zn) in soils and possible uptake by grape leaves; estimation of biological soil quality (QBS-ar index); analysis of oxidative stress in dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) and grape leaves, by the Lipid peroxidation test (LPO test). Results concerning trace metal concentration show: i) a high content of Al, Mg and P in soils, and ii) high concentration of Al, Cu, Fe and Zn in grape leaves. High contents of Al in topsoil are consistent with the high concentration of organic matter. Instead, high Al contents in subsoil are related to clay. Mg and P are usually added to soil as fertilizer. In grape leaves, Al concentration is releated to Al content in soil, Cu could derive from foliar fungicides and no signs of toxicity from high content of Fe and Zn are visible. LPO test values are below the reference value, therefore vegetation in the study area is not affected by oxidative stress. Concerning the biological soil quality, 3 different classes (4, 5 and 6) were recorded (with noteworthy microarthropods adaption to soil conditions. This result suggest that the study area presents good grade ecosystem stability and limited stress evident. In conclusion, it is possible to assert that the study area is characterized by not polluted soils of good quality and without environmental stress. It is likely that the agronomic practices do not produce any negative effect on plant growth and, thus, on quality of wine.

Evaluation of water quality functions of conventional and advanced soil-based onsite wastewater treatment systems.

PubMed

Cooper, Jennifer A; Loomis, George W; Kalen, David V; Amador, Jose A

2015-05-01

Shallow narrow drainfields are assumed to provide better wastewater renovation than conventional drainfields and are used for protection of surface and ground water. To test this assumption, we evaluated the water quality functions of two advanced onsite wastewater treatment system (OWTS) drainfields-shallow narrow (SND) and Geomat (GEO)-and a conventional pipe and stone (P&S) drainfield over 12 mo using replicated ( = 3) intact soil mesocosms. The SND and GEO mesocosms received effluent from a single-pass sand filter, whereas the P&S received septic tank effluent. Between 97.1 and 100% of 5-d biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), fecal coliform bacteria, and total phosphorus (P) were removed in all drainfield types. Total nitrogen (N) removal averaged 12.0% for P&S, 4.8% for SND, and 5.4% for GEO. A mass balance analysis accounted for 95.1% (SND), 94.1% (GEO), and 87.6% (P&S) of N inputs. When the whole treatment train (excluding the septic tank) is considered, advanced systems, including sand filter pretreatment and SND or GEO soil-based treatment, removed 99.8 to 99.9% of BOD, 100% of fecal coliform bacteria and P, and 26.0 to 27.0% of N. In contrast, the conventional system removed 99.4% of BOD and 100% of fecal coliform bacteria and P but only 12.0% of N. All drainfield types performed similarly for most water quality functions despite differences in placement within the soil profile. However, inclusion of the pretreatment step in advanced system treatment trains results in better N removal than in conventional treatment systems despite higher drainfield N removal rates in the latter. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

Experimental evaluation of compost leachates.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2015-09-01

Compost is often used in raingardens, roadsides, and bioretention systems, not only because of : its beneficial properties on soil quality, but also because compost improves water infiltration and : retains stormwater contaminants. However, when comp...

Dynamics of soil organic carbon and microbial activity in treated wastewater irrigated agricultural soils along soil profiles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jüschke, Elisabeth; Marschner, Bernd; Chen, Yona; Tarchitzky, Jorge

2010-05-01

Treated wastewater (TWW) is an important source for irrigation water in arid and semiarid regions and already serves as an important water source in Jordan, the Palestinian Territories and Israel. Reclaimed water still contains organic matter (OM) and various compounds that may effect microbial activity and soil quality (Feigin et al. 1991). Natural soil organic carbon (SOC) may be altered by interactions between these compounds and the soil microorganisms. This study evaluates the effects of TWW irrigation on the quality, dynamics and microbial transformations of natural SOC. Priming effects (PE) and SOC mineralization were determined to estimate the influence of TWW irrigation on SOC along soil profiles of agricultural soils in Israel and the Westbank. The used soil material derived from three different sampling sites allocated in Israel and The Palestinian Authority. Soil samples were taken always from TWW irrigated sites and control fields from 6 different depths (0-10, 10-20, 20-30, 30-50, 50-70, 70-100 cm). Soil carbon content and microbiological parameters (microbial biomass, microbial activities and enzyme activities) were investigated. In several sites, subsoils (50-160 cm) from TWW irrigated plots were depleted in soil organic matter with the largest differences occurring in sites with the longest TWW irrigation history. Laboratory incubation experiments with additions of 14C-labelled compounds to the soils showed that microbial activity in freshwater irrigated soils was much more stimulated by sugars or amino acids than in TWW irrigated soils. The lack of such "priming effects" (Hamer & Marschner 2005) in the TWW irrigated soils indicates that here the microorganisms are already operating at their optimal metabolic activity due to the continuous substrate inputs with soluble organic compounds from the TWW. The fact that PE are triggered continuously due to TWW irrigation may result in a decrease of SOC over long term irrigation. Already now this could be detected at some agricultural fields by SOC measurements (Jüschke 2009). Therefore attention has to be drawn especially on the carbon content and quality of the used TWW for irrigation purposes.

Collaboration of liquid bio-ameliorant and compost effect to crop yield and decreasing of inorganic fertilizer utilization for sustainable agriculture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rasyid, B.

2018-05-01

Soil quality and plant productivity are main issue in agriculture production. The purpose of this research was to obtain sustainable crop management in effort to improve soil quality and increase maize production through collaboration of liquid bio-ameliorant and compost. Field experiment was carried out in two planting season with factorial experimental design replicated three times in 2m x 2m plots. Duncan multiple range test was used to analysis the effect of treatment on all parameters evaluated. The first planting season, treatments were arranged in three factors as: (1) planting space with two spaces, (2) three concentration of liquid bio-ameliorant, and (3) three level of urea fertilizer. The second planting season, treatments were arranged in two factors as: (1) liquid bio-ameliorant (LBA) with four concentrations and (2) compost with four levels. In the first season, result showed in soil quality parameters such as microbial density and soil chemical properties increased approximately 28%. The highest yield of 9.00 ton ha-1 was found in application 300 ml l-1 LBA + urea 240 kg ha-1. In the second season, collaboration treatment of 250 ml l-1 LBA + 10 ton ha-1 compost had the highest yield by 10.47 ton ha-1. This study confirmed that collaboration of liquid bio-ameliorant and compost could be used as fertilizer complement and reducing inorganic fertilizer utilization to sustain crop production and soil quality.

Biochar in vineyards: impact on soil quality and crop yield four years after the application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferreira, Carla; Verheijen, Frank; Puga, João; Keizer, Jacob; Ferreira, António

2017-04-01

Biochar is a recalcitrant organic carbon compound, created by biomass heating at high temperatures (300-1000°C) under low oxygen concentrations. Biochar application to agricultural soils has received increasing attention over the last years, due to its climate change mitigation and adaptation potential and reported improved soil properties and functions relevant to agronomic and environmental performance. Reported impacts are linked with increased cation exchange capacity, enhanced nutrient and water retention, and positive influences on soil microbial communities, which influence crop yields. Nevertheless, few studies have focused on mid-to-long term impacts of biochar application. This study investigated the impact of biochar on soil quality and crop yield four years after biochar application in a vineyard in North-Central Portugal. The site has a Mediterranean climate with a strong Atlantic Ocean influence, with mean annual rainfall and temperature of 1100 mm and 15°C, respectively. The soil is a relatively deep ( 80cm) sandy loam Cambisol, with gentle slopes (3°). The experimental design included three treatments: (i) control, without biochar; (ii) high biochar application rate (40 ton/ha); and (iii) biochar compost (40 ton/ha, 10% biochar). Three plots per treatment (2m×3m) were installed in March 2012, using a mini-rotavator (0-15cm depth). In May 2016, soil quality was also assessed through soil surveys and sampling. Penetration resistance was performed at the soil surface with a pocket penetrometer, and soil surface sampling rings were used for bulk density analyses (100 cm3). Bulked soil samples (0-30 cm) were collected in each plot for aggregate stability, microbial biomass (by chloroform fumigation extraction) and net mineralization rate (through photometric determination of non-incubated and incubated samples). Decomposition rate and litter stabilisation was assessed over a 3-month period through the Tea Bag Index (Keuskamp et al., 2013). The number, type and biomass of earthworms was recorded in each plot, at the soil surface (through excavation, 30cm×30cm×30cm) and sub-surface (using a mustard-tap water solution in the excavated hole). Crop yield was evaluated during harvesting (August 2016), through the number and weight of grape clusters. The potential impact of biochar on grape quality was investigated by total acidity, pH, potential alcoholic strength and total sugar in must analyses. Four years after the application, plots with high biochar showed lowest soil resistance, slightly lower bulk density, higher crop yield and must quality, than control plots. However, the soil of biochar plots also displayed slightly lower aggregate stability, microbial biomass, number and biodiversity of earthworms, although higher net-N mineralization, decomposition rate and litter stabilization. Plots with biochar and compost showed lowest earthworms, decomposition rate and litter stabilization, but highest crop yield that the other two treatments. Nevertheless, minor differences between three treatment plots suggest that potential impacts of biochar on soil quality and crop yield may persist during a relatively short period.

Modeling the effects of different irrigation water salinity on soil water movement, uptake and multicomponent solute transport

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lekakis, E. H.; Antonopoulos, V. Z.

2015-11-01

Simulation models can be important tools for analyzing and managing irrigation, soil salinization or crop production problems. In this study a mathematical model that describes the water movement and mass transport of individual ions (Ca2+, Mg2+ and Na+) and overall soil salinity by means of the soil solution electrical conductivity, is used. The mass transport equations of Ca2+, Mg2+ and Na+ have been incorporated as part of the integrated model WANISIM and the soil salinity was computed as the sum of individual ions. The model was calibrated and validated against field data, collected during a three year experiment in plots of maize, irrigated with three different irrigation water qualities, at Thessaloniki area in Northern Greece. The model was also used to evaluate salinization and sodification hazards by the use of irrigation water with increasing electrical conductivity of 0.8, 3.2 and 6.4 dS m-1, while maintaining a ratio of Ca2+:Mg2+:Na+ equal to 3:3:2. The qualitative and quantitative procedures for results evaluation showed that there was good agreement between the simulated and measured values of the water content, overall salinity and the concentration of individual soluble cations, at two soil layers (0-35 and 35-75 cm). Nutrient uptake was also taken into account. Locally available irrigation water (ECiw = 0.8 dS m-1) did not cause soil salinization or sodification. On the other hand, irrigation water with ECiw equal to 3.2 and 6.4 dS m-1 caused severe soil salinization, but not sodification. The rainfall water during the winter seasons was not sufficient to leach salts below the soil profile of 110 cm. The modified version of model WANISIM is able to predict the effects of irrigation with saline waters on soil and plant growth and it is suitable for irrigation management in areas with scarce and low quality water resources.

Relationships between stability, maturity, water-extractable organic matter of municipal sewage sludge composts and soil functionality.

PubMed

Sciubba, Luigi; Cavani, Luciano; Grigatti, Marco; Ciavatta, Claudio; Marzadori, Claudio

2015-09-01

Compost capability of restoring or enhancing soil quality depends on several parameters, such as soil characteristics, compost carbon, nitrogen and other nutrient content, heavy metal occurrence, stability and maturity. This study investigated the possibility of relating compost stability and maturity to water-extractable organic matter (WEOM) properties and amendment effect on soil quality. Three composts from municipal sewage sludge and rice husk (AN, from anaerobic wastewater treatment plants; AE, from aerobic ones; MIX, from both anaerobic and aerobic ones) have been analysed and compared to a traditional green waste compost (GM, from green manure, solid waste and urban sewage sludge). To this aim, WEOMs were characterized through chemical analysis; furthermore, compost stability was evaluated through oxygen uptake rate calculation and maturity was estimated through germination index determination, whereas compost impact on soil fertility was studied, in a lab-scale experiment, through indicators as inorganic nitrogen release, soil microbial biomass carbon, basal respiration rate and fluorescein di-acetate hydrolysis. The obtained results indicated that WEOM characterization could be useful to investigate compost stability (which is related to protein and phenol concentrations) and maturity (related to nitrate/ammonium ratio and degree of aromaticity) and then compost impact on soil functionality. Indeed, compost stability resulted inversely related to soil microbial biomass, basal respiration rate and fluorescein di-acetate hydrolysis when the products were applied to the soil.

Impact of manure fertilization on the abundance of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and frequency of detection of antibiotic resistance genes in soil and on vegetables at harvest.

PubMed

Marti, Romain; Scott, Andrew; Tien, Yuan-Ching; Murray, Roger; Sabourin, Lyne; Zhang, Yun; Topp, Edward

2013-09-01

Consumption of vegetables represents a route of direct human exposure to bacteria found in soil. The present study evaluated the complement of bacteria resistant to various antibiotics on vegetables often eaten raw (tomato, cucumber, pepper, carrot, radish, lettuce) and how this might vary with growth in soil fertilized inorganically or with dairy or swine manure. Vegetables were sown into field plots immediately following fertilization and harvested when of marketable quality. Vegetable and soil samples were evaluated for viable antibiotic-resistant bacteria by plate count on Chromocult medium supplemented with antibiotics at clinical breakpoint concentrations. DNA was extracted from soil and vegetables and evaluated by PCR for the presence of 46 gene targets associated with plasmid incompatibility groups, integrons, or antibiotic resistance genes. Soil receiving manure was enriched in antibiotic-resistant bacteria and various antibiotic resistance determinants. There was no coherent corresponding increase in the abundance of antibiotic-resistant bacteria enumerated from any vegetable grown in manure-fertilized soil. Numerous antibiotic resistance determinants were detected in DNA extracted from vegetables grown in unmanured soil. A smaller number of determinants were additionally detected on vegetables grown only in manured and not in unmanured soil. Overall, consumption of raw vegetables represents a route of human exposure to antibiotic-resistant bacteria and resistance determinants naturally present in soil. However, the detection of some determinants on vegetables grown only in freshly manured soil reinforces the advisability of pretreating manure through composting or other stabilization processes or mandating offset times between manuring and harvesting vegetables for human consumption.

Reclamation of a burned forest soil with municipal waste compost: macronutrient dynamic and improved vegetation cover recovery.

PubMed

Guerrero, C; Gómez, I; Moral, R; Mataix-Solera, J; Mataix-Beneyto, J; Hernández, T

2001-02-01

The reclamation of burned soils in Mediterranean environments is of paramount importance in order to increase the levels of soil protection and minimise erosion and soil loss. The changes produced in the content of total organic carbon (TOC), N (Kjeldahl) and available P, K, Ca and Mg by the addition of different doses of a municipal solid waste compost to a burned soil were evaluated during one year. The effect of organic amendment on the improvement in the vegetation cover after one year was also evaluated. The organic amendment, particularly at a high dose, increased the TOC and N-Kjeldahl content of the soil in a closely related way. The levels of available K in soil were also enhanced by the organic amendment. Although the effects on all three parameters tended to decrease with time, their values in the amended soils were higher than in the control soil, which clearly indicates the improvement in the chemical quality of the soil brought about by the organic amendment. The available P content did not seem to be influenced by organic treatment, while available Mg levels were higher than in the control during the first 4 months following organic amendment. The application of compost to the burned soil improved its fertility and favoured rapid vegetal recovery, thus minimising the risk of soil erosion.

Distribution of YLOID in soil-grapevine system (Vitis vinifera L.) as tool for geographical characterization of agro-food products. A two years case study on different grafting combinations.

PubMed

Pisciotta, Antonino; Tutone, Livia; Saiano, Filippo

2017-04-15

The knowledge of a chemistry relationship between the soil and the agricultural products is an important tool for the quality assessment of food. We studied YLOID (Y, La and lanthanoids), recognized as very useful tracers due their coherent and predictable behavior, to trace and evaluate their distribution from soil to the grape in Vitis vinifera L. Because much of the world's viticulture is based on grafting, and rootstocks have proved affect vine growth, yield, fruit and wine quality, we carried out experimental trials to analyse the YLOID distribution of two different red cultivars, grafted onto six different rootstocks, on the same soil. The YLOID amounts, the relationship Heavy vs Light YLOID and the pattern of YLOID were calculated. The results showed that the different grafting combinations were not able to induce significant differences in YLOID uptake from the soil maintaining the same fingerprint (with the exception of Eu). Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development of soil properties and nitrogen cycling in created wetlands

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wolf, K.L.; Ahn, C.; Noe, G.B.

2011-01-01

Mitigation wetlands are expected to compensate for the loss of structure and function of natural wetlands within 5–10 years of creation; however, the age-based trajectory of development in wetlands is unclear. This study investigates the development of coupled structural (soil properties) and functional (nitrogen cycling) attributes of created non-tidal freshwater wetlands of varying ages and natural reference wetlands to determine if created wetlands attain the water quality ecosystem service of nitrogen (N) cycling over time. Soil condition component and its constituents, gravimetric soil moisture, total organic carbon, and total N, generally increased and bulk density decreased with age of the created wetland. Nitrogen flux rates demonstrated age-related patterns, with younger created wetlands having lower rates of ammonification, nitrification, nitrogen mineralization, and denitrification potential than older created wetlands and natural reference wetlands. Results show a clear age-related trajectory in coupled soil condition and N cycle development, which is essential for water quality improvement. These findings can be used to enhance N processing in created wetlands and inform the regulatory evaluation of mitigation wetlands by identifying structural indicators of N processing performance.

Estimation of available water capacity components of two-layered soils using crop model inversion: Effect of crop type and water regime

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sreelash, K.; Buis, Samuel; Sekhar, M.; Ruiz, Laurent; Kumar Tomer, Sat; Guérif, Martine

2017-03-01

Characterization of the soil water reservoir is critical for understanding the interactions between crops and their environment and the impacts of land use and environmental changes on the hydrology of agricultural catchments especially in tropical context. Recent studies have shown that inversion of crop models is a powerful tool for retrieving information on root zone properties. Increasing availability of remotely sensed soil and vegetation observations makes it well suited for large scale applications. The potential of this methodology has however never been properly evaluated on extensive experimental datasets and previous studies suggested that the quality of estimation of soil hydraulic properties may vary depending on agro-environmental situations. The objective of this study was to evaluate this approach on an extensive field experiment. The dataset covered four crops (sunflower, sorghum, turmeric, maize) grown on different soils and several years in South India. The components of AWC (available water capacity) namely soil water content at field capacity and wilting point, and soil depth of two-layered soils were estimated by inversion of the crop model STICS with the GLUE (generalized likelihood uncertainty estimation) approach using observations of surface soil moisture (SSM; typically from 0 to 10 cm deep) and leaf area index (LAI), which are attainable from radar remote sensing in tropical regions with frequent cloudy conditions. The results showed that the quality of parameter estimation largely depends on the hydric regime and its interaction with crop type. A mean relative absolute error of 5% for field capacity of surface layer, 10% for field capacity of root zone, 15% for wilting point of surface layer and root zone, and 20% for soil depth can be obtained in favorable conditions. A few observations of SSM (during wet and dry soil moisture periods) and LAI (within water stress periods) were sufficient to significantly improve the estimation of AWC components. These results show the potential of crop model inversion for estimating the AWC components of two-layered soils and may guide the sampling of representative years and fields to use this technique for mapping soil properties that are relevant for distributed hydrological modelling.

Analysis of the Feasibility of Using Soil from the Municipality of Goytacazes/RJ for Production of Soil-Cement Brick

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alexandre, J.; Azevedo, A. R. G.; Theophilo, M. M. D.; Xavier, C. G.; Paes, A. L. C.; Monteiro, S. N.; Margem, F. M.; Azeredo, N. G.

The use of bricks of soil-cement is proving to be an important constructive methodology due to low environmental impact in the production process of these blocks comparing with conventional bricks are burnt, besides being easy to produce. However during the process of production of bricks, which are compressed, knowledge of the properties of the soil used is critical to the quality and durability of the blocks. The objective of this work is to evaluate the feasibility of using soil from the municipality of Goytacazes for the production of soil-cement bricks. Assays were performed the compaction, liquid limit, plastic limit, particle size analysis, EDX and X-Ray diffraction for later pressed blocks and analyze their compressive strength and water absorption.

Biological indices of soil quality: an ecosystem case study of their use

Treesearch

Jennifer D. Knoepp; David C. Coleman; D.A. Crossley; James S. Clark

2000-01-01

Soil quality indices can help ensure that site productivity and soil function are maintained. Biological indices yield evidence of how a soil functions and interacts with the plants, animals, and climate that comprise an ecosystem. Soil scientists can identify and quantify both chemical and biological soil-quality indicators for ecosystems with a single main function,...

Evaluating the soil physical quality under long-term field experiments in Southern Italy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Castellini, Mirko; Stellacci, Anna Maria; Iovino, Massimo; Rinaldi, Michele; Ventrella, Domenico

2017-04-01

Long-term field experiments performed in experimental farms are important research tools to assess the soil physical quality (SPQ) given that relatively stable conditions can be expected in these soils. However, different SPQ indicators may sometimes provide redundant or conflicting results, making difficult an SPQ evaluation (Castellini et al., 2014). As a consequence, it is necessary to apply appropriate statistical procedures to obtain a minimum set of key indicators. The study was carried out at the Experimental Farm of CREA-SCA (Foggia) in two long-term field experiments performed on durum wheat. The first long-term experiment is aiming at evaluating the effects of two residue management systems (burning, B or soil incorporation of crop residues, I) while the second at comparing the effect of tillage (conventional tillage, CT) and sod-seeding (direct drilling, DD). In order to take into account both optimal and non-optimal soil conditions, five SPQ indicators were monitored at 5-6 sampling dates during the crop season (i.e., between November and June): soil bulk density (BD), macroporosity (PMAC), air capacity (AC), plant available water capacity (PAWC) and relative field capacity (RFC). Two additional data sets, collected on DD plot in different cropping seasons and in Sicilian soils differing for texture, depth and land use (N=140), were also used with the aim to check the correlation among indicators. Impact of soil management was assessed by comparing SPQ evaluated under different management systems with optimal reference values reported in literature. Two techniques of multivariate analysis (principal component analysis, PCA and stepwise discriminant analysis, SDA) were applied to select the most suitable indicator to facilitate the judgment on SPQ. Regardless of the considered management system, sampling date or auxiliary data set, correlation matrices always showed significant negative relationships between RFC and AC. Decreasing RFC at increasing AC is expected as both indicators depends on soil water contents at saturation and field capacity. Our results reinforce the suggestion that one of the two indicators can be neglected (Cullotta et al., 2016) even if further investigations are necessary to choose the most accurate and/or widely applicable indicator since different optimal ranges were suggested in literature. A positive significant correlation was also generally found between PMAC and AC. PCA analysis identified RFC and AC as the main indicators that explain most of the data variation. When the data collected at the different sampling dates were pooled together, in both experiments the first principal component explained the highest proportion of total variance (67.9% and 81.5%, respectively for residue management and tillage) and RFC showed the highest loadings, followed by AC and PMAC. SDA provided consistent results and RFC was selected as the main variable to assess the effects of tillage. Conversely, the residue management had no effect on SPQ as indicated by negligible differences between indicators. Finally, our results suggest that RFC always reached optimal and steady values between April and June. *The work was supported by the projects "STRATEGA, Sperimentazione e TRAsferimento di TEcniche innovative di aGricoltura conservativA", financed by Regione Puglia - Servizio Agricoltura, and "DESERT, Low-cost water desalination and sensor technology compact module" financed by ERANET-WATERWORKS 2014. References Castellini, M., M. Niedda, M. Pirastru, and D. Ventrella. 2014. Temporal changes of soil physical quality under two residue management systems. Soil Use Management. 30:423-434. doi:10.1111/sum.12137 Cullotta, S., V. Bagarello, G. Baiamonte, G. Gugliuzza, M. Iovino, D.S. La Mela Veca, F. Maetzke, V. Palmeri, and S. Sferlazza. 2016. Comparing Different Methods to Determine Soil Physical Quality in a Mediterranean Forest and Pasture Land. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 80:1038-1056. doi:10.2136/sssaj2015.12.0447

[Evolvement of soil quality in salt marshes and reclaimed farmlands in Yancheng coastal wetland].

PubMed

Mao, Zhi-Gang; Gu, Xiao-Hong; Liu, Jin-E; Ren, Li-Juan; Wang, Guo-Xiang

2010-08-01

Through vegetation investigation and soil analysis, this paper studied the evolvement of soil quality during natural vegetation succession and after farmland reclamation in the Yancheng coastal wetland of Jiangsu Province. Along with the process of vegetation succession, the soil physical, chemical, and biological properties in the wetland improved, which was manifested in the improvement of soil physical properties and the increase of soil nutrient contents, microbial biomass, and enzyme activities. Different vegetation type induced the differences in soil properties. Comparing with those in salt marshes, the soil salt content in reclaimed farmlands decreased to 0.01 - 0.04%, the soil microbial biomass and enzyme activities increased, and the soil quality improved obviously. The soil quality index (SQI) in the wetland was in the order of mudflat (0.194) < Suaeda salsa flat (0.233) < Imperata cylindrica flat (0.278) < Spartina alterniflora flat (0.446) < maize field (0.532) < cotton field (0.674) < soybean field (0.826), suggesting that positive vegetation succession would be an effective approach in improving soil quality.

Soil indigenous knowledge in North Central Namibia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prudat, Brice; Bloemertz, Lena; Kuhn, Nikolaus J.

2016-04-01

Mapping and classifying soils is part of an important learning process to improve soil management practices, soil quality and increase productivity. In order to assess soil quality improvement related to an ongoing land reform in North-Central Namibia, the characteristics that determine soil quality in the local land use context were determined in this study. To do so, we collated the indigenous soil knowledge in North-Central Namibia where the Ovakwanyama cultivate pearl millet for centuries. Local soil groups are defined mostly based on their productivity potential, which varies depending on the rainfall pattern. The morphological criteria used by the farmers to differentiate the soil groups (colour, consistence) were supported by a conventional analysis of soil physical and chemical properties. Now, they can be used to develop a soil quality assessment toolbox adapted to the regional use. The characteristics of the tool box do not directly indicate soil quality, but refer to local soils groups. The quality of these groups is relatively homogenous at the local scale. Our results show that understanding of indigenous soil knowledge has great potential to improve soil quality assessment with regards to land use. The integration of this knowledge with the conventional soil analysis improves the local meaning of such a "scientific" assessment and thus facilitates dialog between farmers and agronomists, but also scientists working in different regions of the world, but in similar conditions. Overall, the integration of indigenous knowledge in international classification systems (e.g. WRB) as attempted in this study has thus a major potential to improve soil mapping in the local context.

Environmental life cycle assessment of producing willow, alfalfa and straw from spring barley as feedstocks for bioenergy or biorefinery systems.

PubMed

Parajuli, Ranjan; Knudsen, Marie Trydeman; Djomo, Sylvestre Njakou; Corona, Andrea; Birkved, Morten; Dalgaard, Tommy

2017-05-15

The current study aimed at evaluating potential environmental impacts for the production of willow, alfalfa and straw from spring barley as feedstocks for bioenergy or biorefinery systems. A method of Life Cycle Assessment was used to evaluate based on the following impact categories: Global Warming Potential (GWP 100 ), Eutrophication Potential (EP), Non-Renewable Energy (NRE) use, Agricultural Land Occupation (ALO), Potential Freshwater Ecotoxicity (PFWTox) and Soil quality. With regard to the methods, soil organic carbon (SOC) change related to the land occupation was calculated based on the net carbon input to the soil. Freshwater ecotoxicity was calculated using the comparative toxicity units of the active ingredients and their average emission distribution fractions to air and freshwater. Soil quality was based on the change in the SOC stock estimated during the land use transformation and land occupation. Environmental impacts for straw were economically allocated from the impacts obtained for spring barley. The results obtained per ton dry matter showed a lower carbon footprint for willow and alfalfa compared to straw. It was due to higher soil carbon sequestration and lower N 2 O emissions. Likewise, willow and alfalfa had lower EP than straw. Straw had lowest NRE use compared to other biomasses. PFWTox was lower in willow and alfalfa compared to straw. A critical negative effect on soil quality was found with the spring barley production and hence for straw. Based on the energy output to input ratio, willow performed better than other biomasses. On the basis of carbohydrate content of straw, the equivalent dry matter of alfalfa and willow would be requiring higher. The environmental impacts of the selected biomasses in biorefinery therefore would differ based on the conversion efficiency, e.g. of the carbohydrates in the related biorefinery processes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Freeze-Thaw Cycles Effects on Soil Compaction in a Clay Loam

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jabro, J.; Evans, R.; Iversen, W.

2012-04-01

Inappropriate soil management practices and heavier farm machinery and equipment have led to an increase in soil compaction in the last two decades prompting increased global concern regarding the impact of soil compaction on crop production and soil quality in modern mechanized agriculture. A 3-yr comprehensive study was established to evaluate the dynamic of freeze-thaw cycles on soil compaction in a clay loam soil. Plots of frozen soils were compared with plots where soils were prevented from freezing with electrically heated blankets commonly used on concrete. Results showed that frequent freeze-thaw cycles over the winter alleviated a majority of soil compaction at the 0 - 20 cm depth. Soil penetration resistance in compacted soils was reduced by 73 and 68% over the winter at the 0 - 10 and 10 - 20 cm depths, respectively, due to dynamic effects of freeze-thaw cycles on soil structure and particles configuration. In unfrozen compacted soils, the penetration resistance was also reduced by 50 and 60% over winter at the 0 - 10 and 10 - 20 cm depths, respectively, due to the biology of soil, microbial activity, and disruptive effects of shrink-swell cycles. These results have demonstrated of how repeated freeze-thaw cycles can alleviate soil compaction, alter soil physical quality and create optimal soil conditions required for profitable growth of agricultural crops. The results from this study will save growers considerable time, money and energy currently required to alleviate soil compaction using other methods such as sub-soiling and deep tillage. We believe that Mother Nature provides ways to reverse soil compaction and improve soil structure and aggregation through the dynamic of freeze-thaw cycles that soils in Montana and other parts of the country go through each year. We concluded that the Mother Nature is the most effective and cheapest way to alleviate soil compaction.

Soil ecology and agricultural technology; An integrated approach towards improved soil management for sustainable farming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pulleman, Mirjam; Pérès, Guénola; Crittenden, Stephen; Heddadj, Djilali; Sukkel, Wijnand

2014-05-01

Intensive arable food production systems are in need of smart solutions that combine ecological knowledge and farm technology to maximize yields while protecting natural resources. The huge diversity of soil organisms and their interactions is of crucial importance for soil functions and ecosystem services, such as organic matter incorporation and break down, nutrient mineralization, soil structure formation, water regulation and disease and pest control. Soil management decisions that take into account the soil biodiversity and associated functions are thus essential to (i) maintain soil productivity in the long term, (ii) reduce the dependency on external inputs and non-renewables such as fossil fuels, and (iii) make agroecosystems more resilient against biotic and abiotic stresses. Organic farming systems and reduced tillage systems are two approaches that aim to increase soil biodiversity and general soil quality, through improved management of organic matter but differ in their emphasis on the use of chemical inputs for crop protection or soil disturbance, respectively. In North-western Europe experience with and knowledge of reduced tillage systems is still scarce, both in conventional and organic farming. Our study targeted both conventional and organic farming and aimed at 1) documenting reduced tillage practices within different agroecological contexts in NW Europe; 2) evaluating the effects of reduced tillage systems on soil biodiversity and soil ecosystem services; 3) increase understanding of agroecological factors that determine trade-offs between different ecosystem services. Earthworm species and nematode taxa were selected as indicator organisms to be studied for their known response to soil management and effects on soil functions. Additionally, soil organic matter, physical soil parameters and processes, and crop yields have been measured across multiple sites. Data have been collected over several cropping seasons in long term field experiments and farmers field sites in France (Brittanny) and the Netherlands (Flevopolder, Hoeksche Waard). The observed diversity in earthworm communities in terms of species, abundance, and trait diversity could be related to soil quality and soil functioning. Data integration across sites allows for the evaluation of the impact of reduced tillage systems on the provision of ecosystem services via proxies such as crop yields, soil organic matter content, aggregate stability and water infiltration. We will present results of this collaborative work to shed light on some of the benefits and trade-offs associated with reduced tillage systems in NW Europe, and in particular on the role of soil organism groups for soil functioning and crop performance. Finally, scope for improvement of soil management based on novel farm technologies and farming system designs will be discussed.

Microbial ecology of the watery ecosystems of Evros river in North Eastern Greece and its influence upon the cultivated soil ecosystem.

PubMed

Vavias, S; Alexopoulos, A; Plessas, S; Stefanis, C; Voidarou, C; Stavropoulou, E; Bezirtzoglou, E

2011-12-01

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the microbial ecosystem of cultivated soils along the Evros river in NE Greece. Evros river together with its derivative rivers constitute the capital source of life and sustainable development of the area. Along this riverside watery ecosystem systematic agro-cultures were developed such as wheat, corn and vegetable cultures. The evaluation of the ecosystem microbial charge was conducted in both axes which are the watery ecosystem and the riverside cultivated soil area. Considerable discrimination of water quality was observed when considering chemical and microbiological parameters of the Evros river ecosystem. Ardas river possesses a better water quality than Evros and Erythropotamos, which is mainly due to the higher quantities that these two rivers accumulate from industrial, farming and urban residues leading to higher degree of pollution. An increased microbial pollution was recorded in two of the three rivers monitored and a direct relation in microbial and chemical charging between water and cultivated-soil ecosystems was observed. The protection of these ecosystems with appropriate cultivated practices and control of human and animal activities will define the homeostasis of the environmental area. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Applied Technology on Influence of Humic Substances on Fertilizer, Water-use Efficiency and Soil Health

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seyedbagheri, Mir

2017-04-01

In continuation of over 35 years of on-farm studies on soil organic matter from different humates (functional carbon) and compost, I have documented quantitative improvements in soil health and water-use efficiency. The ability of soil organic matter to bind water has become an important theme for research in past years. Research trials were established to evaluate the efficacy of different commercial functional carbon products derived from Leonardite (highly oxidized lignite) in crop production. In each of these trials, functional carbon (Humic and Fulvic acids) products were used in a randomized complete block design. The use of humic substances creates strong organo-mineral complexes (aggregation), chelation, as well as enhanced buffering capacities. We evaluated data from 3 fields and compared the results. Our observation and field demonstrations indicated there was a marked increase in water retention. Data from humic acid (HA) trials showed that different cropping systems responded differently to different products in relation to yield and quality. The functional carbon products used in the study seemed to enhance fertilizer and water-use efficiency by increasing complexation, chelation and buffering. The consistent use of good quality functional carbons in our replicated plots resulted in a yield increase from 6% to 30% over several decades.

A kinetic approach to evaluate salinity effects on carbon mineralization in a plant residue-amended soil*

PubMed Central

Nourbakhsh, Farshid; Sheikh-Hosseini, Ahmad R.

2006-01-01

The interaction of salinity stress and plant residue quality on C mineralization kinetics in soil is not well understood. A laboratory experiment was conducted to study the effects of salinity stress on C mineralization kinetics in a soil amended with alfalfa, wheat and corn residues. A factorial combination of two salinity levels (0.97 and 18.2 dS/m) and four levels of plant residues (control, alfalfa, wheat and corn) with three replications was performed. A first order kinetic model was used to describe the C mineralization and to calculate the potentially mineralizable C. The CO2-C evolved under non-saline condition, ranged from 814.6 to 4842.4 mg CO2-C/kg in control and alfalfa residue-amended soils, respectively. Salinization reduced the rates of CO2 evolution by 18.7%, 6.2% and 5.2% in alfalfa, wheat and corn residue-amended soils, respectively. Potentially mineralizable C (C 0) was reduced significantly in salinized alfalfa residue-treated soils whereas, no significant difference was observed for control treatments as well as wheat and corn residue-treated soils. We concluded that the response pattern of C mineralization to salinity stress depended on the plant residue quality and duration of incubation. PMID:16972320

Soil quality parameters for row-crop and grazed pasture systems with agroforestry buffers

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Incorporation of trees and establishment of buffers are practices that can improve soil quality. Soil enzyme activities and water stable aggregates are sensitive indices for assessing soil quality by detecting early changes in soil management. However, studies comparing grazed pasture and row crop...

A pilot study to evaluate runoff quantity from green roofs.

PubMed

Lee, Ju Young; Lee, Min Jung; Han, Mooyoung

2015-04-01

The use of green roofs is gaining increased recognition in many countries as a solution that can be used to improve environmental quality and reduce runoff quantity. To achieve these goals, pilot-scale green roof assemblies have been constructed and operated in an urban setting. From a stormwater management perspective, green roofs are 42.8-60.8% effective in reducing runoff for 200 mm soil depth and 13.8-34.4% effective in reducing runoff for 150 mm soil depth. By using Spearman rank correlation analysis, high rainfall intensity was shown to have a negative relationship with delayed occurrence time, demonstrating that the soil media in green roofs do not efficiently retain rainwater. Increasing the number of antecedent dry days can help to improve water retention capacity and delay occurrence time. From the viewpoint of runoff water quality, green roofs are regarded as the best management practice by filtration and adsorption through growth media (soil). Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Linkage Between Parent Materials of Soil and Potential Risk of Heavy Metals in Yunnan province, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, X.

2015-12-01

A large area exceeding soil quality standards for heavy metals in South western China has been identified previously reported on a nationwide survey of soil pollution, yet the ecological risk of heavy metal in soil is unknown or uncertainty.To assess thoroughly the ecological risk in this region, seven soil profiles with a depth of 2m on the different parent materials of soil were conducted in Yunnan province, China, and the level of total concentrations and the fraction of water soluble, ion exchangeable, carbonates, humic acid, iron and manganese oxides and organic matter of As, Cd, Hg and Pb was investigated in soil profiles. The results indicate that parent materials of soil critically influenced the ecological risk of heavy metal.The fraction of water soluble and ion exchangeable of Cd and Hg in alluvial material and in terrigenous clastic rocks showed 2-6 times higher than those in carbonate rock; As and Pb has almost same fraction of water soluble and ion exchangeable in three parent materials of soil.The findings suggest that parent materials of soil play a critical role in ecological risk of heavy metal.Thus, more studies are needed to better understand a linkage between the parent materials of soil, different soil-forming processes and the potential risk of heavy metals under various geographic conditions, which is the key for the evaluating soil quality and food safety. Those soils with high concentration of Cd and Hg originated alluvial material and terrigenous clastic rocks need to be continuously monitored before determining a cost-effective remediation technology. Keywords: Heavy metals; Ecological risk;Parent materials of soil;China

Effects of mining-associated lead and zinc soil contamination on native floristic quality.

PubMed

Struckhoff, Matthew A; Stroh, Esther D; Grabner, Keith W

2013-04-15

We assessed the quality of plant communities across a range of lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn) soil concentrations at a variety of sites associated with Pb mining in southeast Missouri, USA. In a novel application, two standard floristic quality measures, Mean Coefficient of Conservatism (Mean C) and Floristic Quality Index (FQI), were examined in relation to concentrations of Pb and Zn, soil nutrients, and other soil characteristics. Nonmetric Multidimensional Scaling and Regression Tree Analyses identified soil Pb and Zn concentrations as primary explanatory variables for plant community composition and indicated negative relationships between soil metals concentrations and both Mean C and FQI. Univariate regression also demonstrated significant negative relationships between metals concentrations and floristic quality. The negative effects of metals in native soils with otherwise relatively undisturbed conditions indicate that elevated soil metals concentrations adversely affect native floristic quality where no other human disturbance is evident. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Effects of mining-associated lead and zinc soil contamination on native floristic quality

USGS Publications Warehouse

Struckhoff, Matthew A.; Stroh, Esther D.; Grabner, Keith W.

2013-01-01

We assessed the quality of plant communities across a range of lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn) soil concentrations at a variety of sites associated with Pb mining in southeast Missouri, USA. In a novel application, two standard floristic quality measures, Mean Coefficient of Conservatism (Mean C) and Floristic Quality Index (FQI), were examined in relation to concentrations of Pb and Zn, soil nutrients, and other soil characteristics. Nonmetric Multidimensional Scaling and Regression Tree Analyses identified soil Pb and Zn concentrations as primary explanatory variables for plant community composition and indicated negative relationships between soil metals concentrations and both Mean C and FQI. Univariate regression also demonstrated significant negative relationships between metals concentrations and floristic quality. The negative effects of metals in native soils with otherwise relatively undisturbed conditions indicate that elevated soil metals concentrations adversely affect native floristic quality where no other human disturbance is evident.

Nematode Community Response to Green Infrastructure Design in a Semiarid City.

PubMed

Pavao-Zuckerman, Mitchell A; Sookhdeo, Christine

2017-05-01

Urbanization affects ecosystem function and environmental quality through shifts in ecosystem fluxes that are brought on by features of the built environment. Green infrastructure (GI) has been suggested as a best management practice (BMP) to address urban hydrologic and ecological impacts of the built environment, but GI practice has only been studied from a limited set of climatic conditions and disciplinary approaches. Here, we evaluate GI features in a semiarid city from the perspective of soil ecology through the application of soil nematode community analysis. This study was conducted to investigate soil ecological interactions in small-scale GI as a means of assessing curb-cut rain garden basin design in a semiarid city. We looked at the choice of mulching approaches (organic vs. rock) and how this design choice affects the soil ecology of rain basins in Tucson, AZ. We sampled soils during the monsoon rain season and assessed the soil nematode community as a bioindicator of soil quality and biogeochemical processes. We found that the use of organic mulch in GI basins promotes enhanced soil organic matter contents and larger nematode populations. Nematode community indices point to enhanced food web structure in streetscape rain garden basins that are mulched with organic material. Results from this study suggest that soil management practices for GI can help promote ecological interactions and ecosystem services in urban ecosystems. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

Controls on stream water dissolved mercury in three mid-Appalachian forested headwater catchments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riscassi, Ami L.; Scanlon, Todd M.

2011-12-01

Determining the controls on dissolved mercury (HgD) transport is necessary to improve estimations of export from unmonitored watersheds and to forecast responses to changes in deposition and other environmental forcings. Stream water HgD and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) were evaluated over a range of discharge conditions in three streams within Shenandoah National Park, VA. Watersheds are distinguished by stream water pH (ranging from neutral to acidic) and soil size fractioning (ranging from clays to sands). At all sites, discharge was a significant but poor predictor of HgD concentrations (r2 from 0.13-0.52). HgD was strongly coupled with DOC at all sites (r2 from 0.74-0.89). UV absorbance at 254 nm (UV254), a proxy for DOC quantity and quality, slightly improved the predictions of HgD. Mean DOC quality differed between streams, with less aromatic DOC mobilized from the more acidic watershed. The site with less aromatic DOC and sandy soils mobilized more Hg to the stream for the same quantity and quality of DOC, likely due to the reduced capacity of the larger-grained soils to retain Hg, leaving a greater fraction associated with the organic matter. A similar amount of 0.54 ng HgD/mg DOC is transported at all sites, suggesting the less aromatic DOC transports less Hg per unit DOC, offsetting the effects of soil type. This research demonstrates that soil composition and DOC quality influence HgDexport. We also provide evidence that soil organic carbon is a primary control on Hg-DOC ratios (0.12-1.4 ng mg-1) observed across the U.S. and Sweden.

Metagenomic analysis of soil and freshwater from zoo agricultural area with organic fertilization

PubMed Central

Meneghine, Aylan K.; Nielsen, Shaun; Thomas, Torsten; Carareto Alves, Lucia Maria

2017-01-01

Microbial communities drive biogeochemical cycles in agricultural areas by decomposing organic materials and converting essential nutrients. Organic amendments improve soil quality by increasing the load of essential nutrients and enhancing the productivity. Additionally, fresh water used for irrigation can affect soil quality of agricultural soils, mainly due to the presence of microbial contaminants and pathogens. In this study, we investigated how microbial communities in irrigation water might contribute to the microbial diversity and function of soil. Whole-metagenomic sequencing approaches were used to investigate the taxonomic and the functional profiles of microbial communities present in fresh water used for irrigation, and in soil from a vegetable crop, which received fertilization with organic compost made from animal carcasses. The taxonomic analysis revealed that the most abundant genera were Polynucleobacter (~8% relative abundance) and Bacillus (~10%) in fresh water and soil from the vegetable crop, respectively. Low abundance (0.38%) of cyanobacterial groups were identified. Based on functional gene prediction, denitrification appears to be an important process in the soil community analysed here. Conversely, genes for nitrogen fixation were abundant in freshwater, indicating that the N-fixation plays a crucial role in this particular ecosystem. Moreover, pathogenicity islands, antibiotic resistance and potential virulence related genes were identified in both samples, but no toxigenic genes were detected. This study provides a better understanding of the community structure of an area under strong agricultural activity with regular irrigation and fertilization with an organic compost made from animal carcasses. Additionally, the use of a metagenomic approach to investigate fresh water quality proved to be a relevant method to evaluate its use in an agricultural ecosystem. PMID:29267397

Functional homogeneous zones (fHZs) in viticultural zoning procedure: an Italian case study on Aglianico vine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonfante, A.; Agrillo, A.; Albrizio, R.; Basile, A.; Buonomo, R.; De Mascellis, R.; Gambuti, A.; Giorio, P.; Guida, G.; Langella, G.; Manna, P.; Minieri, L.; Moio, L.; Siani, T.; Terribile, F.

2015-06-01

This paper aims to test a new physically oriented approach to viticulture zoning at farm scale that is strongly rooted in hydropedology and aims to achieve a better use of environmental features with respect to plant requirements and wine production. The physics of our approach are defined by the use of soil-plant-atmosphere simulation models, applying physically based equations to describe the soil hydrological processes and solve soil-plant water status. This study (part of the ZOVISA project) was conducted on a farm devoted to production of high-quality wines (Aglianico DOC), located in southern Italy (Campania region, Mirabella Eclano, AV). The soil spatial distribution was obtained after standard soil survey informed by geophysical survey. Two homogeneous zones (HZs) were identified; in each one a physically based model was applied to solve the soil water balance and estimate the soil functional behaviour (crop water stress index, CWSI) defining the functional homogeneous zones (fHZs). For the second process, experimental plots were established and monitored for investigating soil-plant water status, crop development (biometric and physiological parameters) and daily climate variables (temperature, solar radiation, rainfall, wind). The effects of crop water status on crop response over must and wine quality were then evaluated in the fHZs. This was performed by comparing crop water stress with (i) crop physiological measurement (leaf gas exchange, chlorophyll a fluorescence, leaf water potential, chlorophyll content, leaf area index (LAI) measurement), (ii) grape bunches measurements (berry weight, sugar content, titratable acidity, etc.) and (iii) wine quality (aromatic response). This experiment proved the usefulness of the physically based approach, also in the case of mapping viticulture microzoning.

The use of a hydrological physically based model to evaluate the vine adaptability to future climate: the case study of a Protected Designation of Origin area (DOC and DOCG) of Southern Italy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonfante, Antonello; Basile, Angelo; Menenti, Massimo; Monaco, Eugenia; Alfieri, Silvia Maria; Manna, Piero; Langella, Giuliano; De Lorenzi, Francesca

2013-04-01

The quality of grape and wine is variety-specific and depends significantly on the pedoclimatic conditions, thus from the terroir characteristics. In viticulture the concept of terroir is known to be very complex. At present some changes are occurring in the studies of terroir. Their spatial analysis is improving by means of studies that account for the spatial distribution of solar radiation and of bioclimatic indexes. Moreover, simulation models are used to study the water flow in the soil-plant-atmosphere system in order to determine the water balance of vines as a function of i) soil physical properties, ii) climatic regime and iii) agro-ecosystems characteristics. The future climate evolution may endanger not only yield production (IPCC, 2007), but also its quality. The effects on quality may be relevant for grape production, since they can affect the sustainability of the cultivation of grape varieties in the areas where they are currently grown. This study addresses this question by evaluating the adaptive capacity of grape's cultivars in a 20000 ha viticultural area in the "Valle Telesina" (Campania Region, Southern Italy). This area has a long tradition in the production of high quality wines (DOC and DOCG) and it is characterized by a complex geomorphology with a large variability of soils and micro-climate. Two climate scenarios were considered: "past" (1961-1990) and "future" (2021-2050), the latter constructed applying statistical downscaling to GCMs scenarios. For each climate scenario the moisture regime of the soils of the study area was calculated by means of a simulation model of the soil-water-atmosphere system (SWAP). The hydrological model SWAP was applied to the representative soils of the entire area (47 soil units); the soil hydraulic properties were estimated (by means of pedo-transfer function HYPRES) and measured. Upper boundary conditions were derived from the climate scenarios. Unit gradient in soil water potential was set as lower boundary condition. Crop-specific input data and model parameters were estimated on the basis of scientific literature and assumed to be generically representative of the species. Synthetic indicators of the regimes (e.g. crop evapotranspiration deficit - CWSI, available soil water content, soil temperature) were calculated and compared with thermal and water requirements of a set of grape varieties, including the ones currently cultivated in the area. As a result of the comparison, most varieties resulted adaptable to the future climate. For some cultivars (i.e. Catalanesca) a significant increase of suitable area is foreseen; in other cases (i.e. Aglianico and Falanghina) a slight reduction will occur. Moreover for the most important varieties actually cultivated (e.g. Aglianico, Falanghina, etc.) an analysis on the expected spatial migration due to the climate change was performed. Finally, an analysis of CWSI during different crop phenological stages was performed for both climate periods . The time course of the moisture regime in different soils was thus described; this analysis allowed to identify the soils where the water regime can positively affect grape (and wine) quality . The work was carried out within the Italian national project AGROSCENARI funded by the Ministry for Agricultural, Food and Forest Policies (MIPAAF, D.M. 8608/7303/2008)

The influence of farmland pollution on the quality and safety of agricultural products

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Z. L.; Li, L. Y.; Ye, C.; Lin, X. Y.; B, C.; Wei

2018-02-01

The quality and safety of agricultural products is not only a major livelihood issues for people’s health, but also the main barriers to international trade of agricultural products nowadays. The soil is the foundation to the production of agricultural products and the guarantee of agricultural development. The farmland soil quality is directly related to the quality and safety of agricultural products. Our country’s soil has been polluted by a series of pollution, Such as the excessive discharge of industrial wastes, the encroachment of household waste, and the unreasonable use of pesticides and fertilizers. Soil degradation is a serious threat to the quality and safety of agricultural products, so eliminating soil degradation is the fundamental way out for quality and safety of agricultural products. By analyzing problems of the quality and safety of agricultural products in our country, and exploring the farmland soil influence on the quality and safety of agricultural products. This article provides a reference for improving the control level of quality and safety of agricultural products and the farmland soil quality.

Crop, tillage, and landscape effects on near-surface soil quality indices in Indiana

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Soil quality is considered a link between land management and the quality of adjacent water bodies. We conducted a soil quality assessment within the Cedar Creek Watershed, a part of the larger St. Joseph River Watershed that drains into the Western Lake Erie Basin in northwestern Indiana. The Soil ...

Are biodiversity indices of spontaneous grass covers in olive orchards good indicators of soil degradation?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taguas, E. V.; Arroyo, C.; Lora, A.; Guzmán, G.; Vanderlinden, K.; Gómez, J. A.

2015-03-01

Spontaneous grass covers are an inexpensive soil erosion control measure in olive orchards. Olive farmers allow grass to grow on sloping terrain to comply with the basic environmental standards derived from the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). However, to date there are very few studies assessing the environmental quality and extent of such covers. In this study, we described and compared the biodiversity indicators associated to herbaceous vegetation in two contrasting olive orchards in order to evaluate its relevance and quality. In addition, biodiversity patterns and their relationships with environmental factors such as soil type and properties, precipitation, topography and soil management were analyzed. Different grass cover biodiversity indices were evaluated in two olive orchard catchments under conventional tillage and no tillage with grass cover, during 3 hydrological years (2011-2013). Seasonal samples of vegetal material and pictures in a permanent grid (4 samples ha-1) were taken to characterize the temporal variations of the number of species, frequency, diversity and transformed Shannon's and Pielou's indices. Sorensen's index obtained in the two olive orchard catchments showed notable differences in composition, probably linked with the different site conditions. The catchment with the best site conditions (deeper soil and higher precipitation), with average annual soil losses over 10 t ha-1 and a more intense management, presented the highest biodiversity indices. In absolute terms, the diversity indices were reasonably high in both catchments, despite the fact that agricultural activity usually severely limits the landscape and the variety of species. Finally, a significantly higher content of organic matter in the first 10 cm of soil was found in the catchment with the worst site conditions, average annual soil losses of 2 t ha-1 and the least intense management. Therefore, the biodiversity indicators associated to weeds were not found to be suitable for describing the soil degradation in the study catchments.

Gap assessment in current soil monitoring networks across Europe for measuring soil functions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Leeuwen, J. P.; Saby, N. P. A.; Jones, A.; Louwagie, G.; Micheli, E.; Rutgers, M.; Schulte, R. P. O.; Spiegel, H.; Toth, G.; Creamer, R. E.

2017-12-01

Soil is the most important natural resource for life on Earth after water. Given its fundamental role in sustaining the human population, both the availability and quality of soil must be managed sustainably and protected. To ensure sustainable management we need to understand the intrinsic functional capacity of different soils across Europe and how it changes over time. Soil monitoring is needed to support evidence-based policies to incentivise sustainable soil management. To this aim, we assessed which soil attributes can be used as potential indicators of five soil functions; (1) primary production, (2) water purification and regulation, (3) carbon sequestration and climate regulation, (4) soil biodiversity and habitat provisioning and (5) recycling of nutrients. We compared this list of attributes to existing national (regional) and EU-wide soil monitoring networks. The overall picture highlighted a clearly unbalanced dataset, in which predominantly chemical soil parameters were included, and soil biological and physical attributes were severely under represented. Methods applied across countries for indicators also varied. At a European scale, the LUCAS-soil survey was evaluated and again confirmed a lack of important soil biological parameters, such as C mineralisation rate, microbial biomass and earthworm community, and soil physical measures such as bulk density. In summary, no current national or European monitoring system exists which has the capacity to quantify the five soil functions and therefore evaluate multi-functional capacity of a soil and in many countries no data exists at all. This paper calls for the addition of soil biological and some physical parameters within the LUCAS-soil survey at European scale and for further development of national soil monitoring schemes.

Representative Elementary Length to Measure Soil Mass Attenuation Coefficient

PubMed Central

Borges, J. A. R.; Pires, L. F.; Costa, J. C.

2014-01-01

With increasing demand for better yield in agricultural areas, soil physical property representative measurements are more and more essential. Nuclear techniques such as computerized tomography (CT) and gamma-ray attenuation (GAT) have been widely employed with this purpose. The soil mass attenuation coefficient (μ s) is an important parameter for CT and GAT analysis. When experimentally determined (μ es), the use of suitable sized samples enable to evaluate it precisely, as well as to reduce measurement time and costs. This study investigated the representative elementary length (REL) of sandy and clayey soils for μ es measurements. Two radioactive sources were employed (241Am and 137Cs), three collimators (2–4 mm diameters), and 14 thickness (x) samples (2–15 cm). Results indicated ideal thickness intervals of 12–15 and 2–4 cm for the sources 137Cs and 241Am, respectively. The application of such results in representative elementary area (REA) evaluations in clayey soil clods via CT indicated that μ es average values obtained for x > 4 cm and source 241Am might induce to the use of samples which are not large enough for soil bulk density evaluations (ρ s). As a consequence, ρ s might be under- or overestimated, generating inaccurate conclusions about the physical quality of the soil under study. PMID:24672338

Comprehensive evaluation of land quality basing on 3S technology and farmers' survey: A case study in Crisscross Region of Wind-drift Sand Regions along the Great Wall and Loess Plateau

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yan-yu; Wang, Jing; Shi, Yan-xi; Li, Yu-huan; Lv, Chun-yan

2005-10-01

The Crisscross Region of Wind-drift Sand Regions along the Great Wall and Loess Plateau locates in southern Ordos Plateau and northern Chinese Loess Plateau, where wind erosion and water erosion coexist and specified environmental and socio-economic factors, especially human activities induce serious land degradation. However, there are only a few studies provide an overall assessment consequences. Integrated land quality assessment considering impacts of soil, topography, vegetation, environmental hazards, social-economic factors and land managements are imperative to the regional sustainable land managements. A pilot study was made in Hengshan County (Shanxi Province) with the objective of developing comprehensive land quality evaluation model integrating data from farmers' survey and Remote Sensing. Surveys were carried out in 107 households of study area in 2003 and 2004 to get farmers' perceptions of land quality and to collect correlative information. It was found out that farmers evaluated land quality by slope, water availability, soil texture, yields, amount of fertilizer, crop performance, sandy erosion degree and water erosion degree. Scientists' indicators which emphasize on getting information by RS technology were introduced to reflecting above indicators information for the sake of developing a rapid, efficient and local-fitted land quality assessment model including social-economic, environmental and anthropogenic factors. Data from satellite and surveys were integrated with socio-economic statistic data using geographical information system (GIS) and three indexes, namely Production Press Index (PPI), Land State Index (LSI) and Farmer Behavior Index (FBI) were proposed to measure different aspects of land quality. A model was further derived from the three indexes to explore the overall land quality of the study area. Results suggest that local land prevalently had a poor quality. This paper shows that whilst the model was competent for its work in the study area and evaluation results would supply beneficial information for management decisions.

Influence of hydroponic and soil cultivation on quality and shelf life of ready-to-eat lamb's lettuce (Valerianella locusta L. Laterr).

PubMed

Manzocco, Lara; Foschia, Martina; Tomasi, Nicola; Maifreni, Michela; Dalla Costa, Luisa; Marino, Marilena; Cortella, Giovanni; Cesco, Stefano

2011-06-01

Nowadays, there is an increasing interest in the hydroponic floating system to cultivate leafy vegetables for ready-to-eat salads. It is reasonable that different growing systems could affect the quality and shelf life of these salads. The quality and shelf life of ready-to-eat lamb's lettuce grown in protected environment in soil plot or in soil-less system over hydroponic solution with or without the addition of 30 µmol L⁻¹ silicon were evaluated. Minimum effects were observed on colour, firmness and microbial counts. Hydroponic cultivation largely affected plant tissue hydration, leading to weight loss and structural modifications during refrigerated storage. The shelf life of lamb's lettuce was limited by the development of visually detectable unpleasant sensory properties. Shelf life, calculated by survival analysis of consumer acceptability data, resulted about 7 days for soil-cultivated salad and 2 days for the hydroponically grown ones. The addition of silicon to the hydroponic solution resulted in an interesting strategy to increase plant tissue yield and reduce nitrate accumulation. Although hydroponic cultivation may have critical consequences on product quality and shelf life, these disadvantages could be largely counterbalance by increased yield and a reduction of nitrate accumulation when cultivation is performed on nutritive solutions with supplemental addition of silicon. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry.

SAR-aided method for rural soil evaluation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lay-Ekuakille, Aime; Dellisanti, Carmelo; Pelillo, Vincenza; Tralli, Francesco

2003-03-01

The principal land characteristics that can be estimated by means of airphoto interpretation are bedrock type, landform, soil texture, site drainage conditions, susceptibility to flooding, and depth of unconsolidated materials over bedrock. In addition, the slope of the land surface can be estimated by airphoto interpretation and measured by phptpgrammetric methods. The aim of this paper is to show an experimental use of satellite images in determining soil quality affected by anthropic activities as rock crushing, or scarifying. Scarifying activities began, in Murgia area, Apulia Region, Italy), as land improvement for agriculture uses. Scarifying is defined as loosening (the surface of soil) by using an agricultural tool or a machine with prongs. This kind of activity is facilitated by the availability, on the market, of scarifying machines and the objective is to get a stratum of agriculture-useful loose material on the soil surface. Apulia Region Government has permitted calcareous stone scarifying with Regional Law n.54 (August 31, 1981) according to National Law n.984 (Dicember 27,1977), that provides for encouraging to transform grazing in sown land in order to create new possibility of forage production to increase zootecnical facilities. We have used ERS-2/SAR images as contribution in the process of soil characterization.The area we have considered is in Puglia Region and is subject to soil transformation due to rocks crushed on land for agricultural facilities. European Union, through the same Apulia Region Government, has renewed funds for the improvement of meadow and grazing for an overall surface of 2000 hectares. In this way it is clear to understand the importance of qualitative and quantitative evaluation of rock crushing or scarifying by using airphoto interpretation. We have evaluated the soil quality by introducing a multicriteria, analysis by using a qualitative and quantitative methodology, so that it will be possible to prevent damages on soil, sub-soil and hydrology. Decision analysis in Impact assessment is a set of procedures for analyzing complex decision problems. The strategy is to divide the decision problem into small, understandable parts; analyze each part; and integrate the parts in a logical manner to produce a meaningful solution. The terms multicriteria decision making (MCDM) and multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) are used interchangeably.

Automated Quality Control of in Situ Soil Moisture from the North American Soil Moisture Database Using NLDAS-2 Products

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ek, M. B.; Xia, Y.; Ford, T.; Wu, Y.; Quiring, S. M.

2015-12-01

The North American Soil Moisture Database (NASMD) was initiated in 2011 to provide support for developing climate forecasting tools, calibrating land surface models and validating satellite-derived soil moisture algorithms. The NASMD has collected data from over 30 soil moisture observation networks providing millions of in situ soil moisture observations in all 50 states as well as Canada and Mexico. It is recognized that the quality of measured soil moisture in NASMD is highly variable due to the diversity of climatological conditions, land cover, soil texture, and topographies of the stations and differences in measurement devices (e.g., sensors) and installation. It is also recognized that error, inaccuracy and imprecision in the data set can have significant impacts on practical operations and scientific studies. Therefore, developing an appropriate quality control procedure is essential to ensure the data is of the best quality. In this study, an automated quality control approach is developed using the North American Land Data Assimilation System phase 2 (NLDAS-2) Noah soil porosity, soil temperature, and fraction of liquid and total soil moisture to flag erroneous and/or spurious measurements. Overall results show that this approach is able to flag unreasonable values when the soil is partially frozen. A validation example using NLDAS-2 multiple model soil moisture products at the 20 cm soil layer showed that the quality control procedure had a significant positive impact in Alabama, North Carolina, and West Texas. It had a greater impact in colder regions, particularly during spring and autumn. Over 433 NASMD stations have been quality controlled using the methodology proposed in this study, and the algorithm will be implemented to control data quality from the other ~1,200 NASMD stations in the near future.

Sugarcane straw harvest effects on soil quality and plant growth: preliminary data synthesis of a multi-local project running in Brazil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cherubin, Maurício; Cerri, Carlos E. P.; Feigl, Brigitte J.; Cerri, Carlos C.

2017-04-01

Brazil is the largest sugarcane producer in the world, and consequently, it is one of major players in the bioenergy production sector. Despite that, growing demands for bioenergies have raised the interest of Brazilian sugarcane industry to harvest the sugarcane straw left on the field for cellulosic ethanol production and/or bioelectricity cogeneration. However, crop residues have a key role in the soil, affecting directly or indirectly multiple soil functions and related ecosystem services. Therefore, indiscriminate straw harvest could jeopardize soil quality, decreasing its capacity to sustain plant productivity over time. In order to evaluate the potential impacts of sugarcane straw harvest on soil quality and plant growth, we are conducting since 2014 a multi-local project across central-southern Brazil, the main core of sugarcane production in the world. A wide range of soil chemical, physical and biological parameters, as well as, plant biomass production has been quantified under increasing straw harvest intensities. Our preliminary findings have showed that short-term straw harvest management did not affect total organic C stocks; however, high straw harvest led to significant reduction in labile C forms (e.g., microbial biomass C and N), and abundance of microbial communities as well. Sugarcane straw harvest affects soil nutrient cycling, since significant amount of nutrients are removed annually by straw, especially in top (green) leaves. In addition, our data show that straw acts as a thermal insulator, decreasing soil temperature amplitude and keeping soil moisture for a longer time. Straw harvest management did not affect sugarcane yields in the first two crop seasons. Based on this first synthesis of the project, we conclude that short-term sugarcane straw harvest led to soil changes, especially in more sensitive and dynamic properties, which did not affect the plant yield. However, long-term impacts should be monitored towards a better understanding about potential trade-offs and synergies associated with sugarcane straw harvest for bioenergy production in Brazil.

Integrated monitoring technologies for the management of a Soil-Aquifer-Treatment (SAT) system.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Papadopoulos, Alexandros; Kallioras, Andreas; Kofakis, Petros; Bumberger, Jan; Schmidt, Felix; Athanasiou, Georgios; Uzunoglou, Nikolaos; Amditis, Angelos; Dietrich, Peter

2016-04-01

Artificial recharge of groundwater has an important role to play in water reuse as treated wastewater effluent can be infiltrated into the ground for aquifer recharge. As the effluent moves through the soil and the aquifer, it undergoes significant quality improvements through physical, chemical, and biological processes in the underground environment. Collectively, these processes and the water quality improvement obtained are called soil-aquifer-treatment (SAT) or geopurification. The pilot site of Lavrion Technological & Cultural Park (LTCP) of the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), involves the employment of plot infiltration basins at experimental scale, which will be using waters of impaired quality as a recharge source, and hence acting as a Soil-Aquifer-Treatment, SAT, system. Τhe LTCP site will be employed as a pilot SAT system complemented by new technological developments, which will be providing continuous monitoring of the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of infiltrating groundwater through all hydrologic zones (i.e. surface, unsaturated and saturated zone). This will be achieved by the development and installation of an integrated system of prototype sensing technologies, installed on-site, and offering a continuous evaluation of the performance of the SAT system. An integrated approach of the performance evaluation of any operating SAT system should aim at parallel monitoring of all hydrologic zones, proving the sustainability of all involved water quality treatment processes within unsaturated and saturated zone. Hence a prototype system of Time and Frequency Domain Reflectometry (TDR & FDR) sensors is developed and will be installed, in order to achieve continuous quantitative monitoring of the unsaturated zone through the entire soil column down to significant depths below the SAT basin. Additionally, the system contains two different radar-based sensing systems that will be offering (i) identification of preferential flow effects of the TDR/FDR sensors and (ii) monitoring of the water table within the shallow karst aquifer layer. The above technique will offer continuous monitoring of infiltration rates and identify possible mechanical or biological clogging effects. The monitoring system will be connected to an ad-hoc wireless network for continuous data transfer within the SAT facilities. It is envisaged that the development and combined application of all the above technologies will provide an integrated monitoring platform for the evaluation of SAT system performance.

Monitoring technologies for the evaluation of a Soil-Aquifer-Treatment system in coastal aquifer environments.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kallioras, Andreas; Tsertou, Athanasia; Foglia, Laura; Bumberger, Jan; Vienken, Thomas; Dietrich, Peter; Schüth, Christoph

2014-05-01

Artificial recharge of groundwater has an important role to play in water reuse. Treated sewage effluent can be infiltrated into the ground for recharge of aquifers. As the effluent water moves through the soil and the aquifer, it undergoes significant quality improvements through physical, chemical, and biological processes in the underground environment. Collectively, these processes and the water quality improvement obtained are called soil-aquifer-treatment (SAT) or geopurification. Recharge systems for SAT can be designed as infiltration-recovery systems, where all effluent water is recovered as such from the aquifer, or after blending with native groundwater. SAT typically removes essentially all suspended solids, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), and pathogens (viruses, bacteria, protozoa, and helminthic eggs). Concentrations of synthetic organic carbon, phosphorous, and heavy metals are greatly reduced. The pilot site of LTCP will involve the employment of infiltration basins, which will be using waters of impaired quality as a recharge source, and hence acting as a Soil-Aquifer-Treatment, SAT, system. T he LTCP site will be employed as a pilot SAT system complemented by new technological developments, which will be providing continuous monitoring of the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of infiltrating groundwater through all hydrologic zones (i.e. surface, unsaturated and saturated zone). This will be achieved through the development and installation of an integrated system of prototype sensors, installed on-site, and offering a continuous evaluation of the performance of the SAT system. An integrated approach of the performance evaluation of any operating SAT system should aim at parallel monitoring of all hydrologic zones, proving the sustainability of all involved water quality treatment processes within unsaturated and saturated zone. Hence a prototype system of Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR) sensors will be developed, in order to achieve continuous quantitative monitoring of the unsaturated zone through the entire soil column down to significant depths below the SAT basin. The above technique will offer continuous monitoring of infiltration rates and possible mechanical clogging effects. The qualitative monitoring of the unsaturated zone will be achieved through the installation of appropriate pore-water samplers within a multi-level basis, ensuring repeatability of sampling of infiltrating water of impaired quality. This study also involves the qualitative and quantitative assessment of the Lavrion multi-aquifer system through continuous monitoring of the performance of (i) the alluvial aquifer and its potential for additional water treatment as well as (ii) the effects of the SAT system for countermeasuring seawater intrusion in the area of Lavrion. Additionally, setup and calibration of numerical flow and transport models for evaluating and optimizing different operational modes of the SAT system within both saturated and unsaturated zones will be conducted. The monitoring system will be connected to an ad-hoc wireless network for continuous data transfer within the SAT facilities. It is envisaged that the development and combined application of all the above technologies will provide an integrated monitoring platform for the evaluation of SAT system performance.

Column Experiments Investigating Wetting and Drying of Soil and Consumption of Organic Contaminants for Managed Aquifer Recharge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silver, M.; Schueth, C.; Wefer-Roehl, A.; Kuebeck, C.

2014-12-01

The EU FP7 project MARSOL seeks to address water scarcity challenges in arid regions. Within this framework, we conduct a series of experiments to evaluate the potential for water quality improvement and changes in hydraulic conductivity when managed aquifer recharge (MAR) is performed by infiltrating treated wastewater in soils that do not have high potential for sorption. For example, in the Attica (Athens and vicinity) region of Greece, the bedrock is mostly marble, resulting in calcite-rich soils that present little potential for sorption of contaminants to mineral surfaces. This leaves consumption of organic contaminants by microbes as the critical mechanism for water quality improvement, when treated wastewater is infiltrated through such soils. In order to enhance the potential for contaminant consumption by aerobic bacteria in a way that would be realistic to later perform in an infiltration basin, we conduct experiments using a series of wetting and drying cycles. The experimental setup consists of 90-cm long soil columns, fitted with oxygen sensors, time-domain reflectometry sensors (to measure moisture content), sampling ports, oxidation-reduction probes, and head observation tubes. We use the data collected from these sensors and features of the experimental setup to answer the following questions: 1. Does hydraulic conductivity change, from formation of a biofilm or dissolution of calcite (or both)? 2. Are organic contaminants consumed? 3. What effect do wetting and drying cycles have on consumption of organic contaminants? 4. How long can infiltration of treated wastewater last, before oxygen is consumed and conditions become reducing? These questions are investigated by observing the hydraulic head and outflow, performing tracer tests, taking samples from the sampling ports and outflow for chemical analyses, and measuring moisture content and oxygen concentration, in the course of performing multiple wetting and drying cycles. These column experiments will be used to evaluate the potential for new MAR applications in areas facing water scarcity challenges. In the future the experiments will be expanded to test multiple soils and optimize both the soil type and infiltration patterns in order to best obtain water quality improvements through MAR.

Impact of Ca-amendments and soil management in physical properties linked to soil-water relationship in degraded Ultisols from South-Europe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mariscal-Sancho, I.; Gonzalez-Fernandez, P.; León, P.; Gómez-Paccard, C.; Benito, M.; Espejo, R.

2012-04-01

Cañamerós raña formation in western Spain was cleared for cropping in 1940´s. Its highly weathered acidic soils (Ultisols) were deeply affected by tillage. The soil organic matter (SOM) content and specially the particulate organic matter (POM), a labile fraction, were drastically reduced, and most of their chemical and physical soil properties related to its quality were negatively affected. The extraction of Ca through the harvest and the release of Al retained in organic-Al complexes resulted in a lower Ca/Al ratio which increased the Al toxicity. These effects led to a drastic yield reduction and the abandon of many degraded fields after 20-70 years of unsustainable managements. On these degraded soils we studied the effect of different soil management strategies (no-till with wild pasture (WP) and no-till with an improved pasture (IP)), and amendment applications (sugar foam waste (SF), and SF + Phosphogypsum (PH) versus control (C)). One of the objectives of this work was to evaluate the efficiency of these practices to recover soil quality parameters, especially those related to soil-water relationship. A Split-plot experiment was established in a degraded field. We evaluated the changes in superficial infiltration, bulk density, and content of water-stable aggregates per 100 g of soil before the Ca-amendment applications and pasture establishments, and after 4.5 years. We also measured the changes in SOM and POM contents which are closely related with the previous parameters. The Ca applications reduced Al toxicity, improved the pasture yield and increased organic matter inputs to soil. The results showed a significant increase of POM in all treatment compared with the POM content at the beginning of this experiment. However the "SOM minus POM" which could be classified as recalcitrant organic matter did not show significant increments. The increase of POM had a positive effect on the content of water-stable aggregates per 100 g of soil and the water infiltration which increased, and the bulk density which decreased. We recommend the use of SF for these degraded acid soils, because it improved soil-water properties and because it is a clean and inexpensive by-product. The IP cropping also assisted the soil recovery and provided pastures with higher concentration of legumes species than the WP.

Forb, Insect, and Soil Response to Burning and Mowing Wyoming Big Sagebrush in Greater Sage-Grouse Breeding Habitat

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hess, Jennifer E.; Beck, Jeffrey L.

2014-04-01

Wyoming big sagebrush ( Artemisia tridentata wyomingensis A. t. Nutt. ssp. wyomingensis Beetle and Young) communities provide structure and forbs and insects needed by greater sage-grouse ( Centrocercus urophasianus) for growth and survival. We evaluated forb, insect, and soil responses at six mowed and 19 prescribed burned sites compared to 25, paired and untreated reference sites. Sites were classified by treatment type, soil type, season, and decade of treatment (sites burned during 1990-1999 and sites burned or mowed during 2000-2006). Our objective was to evaluate differences in ten habitat attributes known to influence sage-grouse nesting and brood rearing to compare responses among treatment scenarios. Contrary to desired outcomes, treating Wyoming big sagebrush through prescribed burning or mowing may not stimulate cover or increase nutrition in food forbs, or increase insect abundance or indicators of soil quality compared with reference sites. In some cases, prescribed burning showed positive results compared with mowing such as greater forb crude protein content (%), ant (Hymenoptera; no./trap), beetle (Coleoptera/no./trap), and grasshopper abundance (Orthoptera; no./sweep), and total (%) soil carbon and nitrogen, but of these attributes, only grasshopper abundance was enhanced at burned sites compared with reference sites in 2008. Mowing did not promote a statistically significant increase in sage-grouse nesting or early brood-rearing habitat attributes such as cover or nutritional quality of food forbs, or counts of ants, beetles, or grasshoppers compared with reference sites.

Forb, insect, and soil response to burning and mowing Wyoming big sagebrush in greater sage-grouse breeding habitat.

PubMed

Hess, Jennifer E; Beck, Jeffrey L

2014-04-01

Wyoming big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata wyomingensis A. t. Nutt. ssp. wyomingensis Beetle and Young) communities provide structure and forbs and insects needed by greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) for growth and survival. We evaluated forb, insect, and soil responses at six mowed and 19 prescribed burned sites compared to 25, paired and untreated reference sites. Sites were classified by treatment type, soil type, season, and decade of treatment (sites burned during 1990-1999 and sites burned or mowed during 2000-2006). Our objective was to evaluate differences in ten habitat attributes known to influence sage-grouse nesting and brood rearing to compare responses among treatment scenarios. Contrary to desired outcomes, treating Wyoming big sagebrush through prescribed burning or mowing may not stimulate cover or increase nutrition in food forbs, or increase insect abundance or indicators of soil quality compared with reference sites. In some cases, prescribed burning showed positive results compared with mowing such as greater forb crude protein content (%), ant (Hymenoptera; no./trap), beetle (Coleoptera/no./trap), and grasshopper abundance (Orthoptera; no./sweep), and total (%) soil carbon and nitrogen, but of these attributes, only grasshopper abundance was enhanced at burned sites compared with reference sites in 2008. Mowing did not promote a statistically significant increase in sage-grouse nesting or early brood-rearing habitat attributes such as cover or nutritional quality of food forbs, or counts of ants, beetles, or grasshoppers compared with reference sites.

Response of soil physicochemical properties and enzyme activities to long-term reclamation of coastal saline soil, Eastern China.

PubMed

Xie, Xuefeng; Pu, Lijie; Wang, Qiqi; Zhu, Ming; Xu, Yan; Zhang, Meng

2017-12-31

Soil enzyme activity during different years of reclamation and land use patterns could indicate changes in soil quality. The objective of this research is to explore the dynamics of 5 soil enzyme activities (dehydrogenase, amylase, urease, acid phosphatase and alkaline phosphatase) involved in C, N, and P cycling and their responses to changes in soil physicochemical properties resulting from long-term reclamation of coastal saline soil. Soil samples from a total of 55 sites were collected from a coastal reclamation area with different years of reclamation (0, 7, 32, 40, 63a) in this study. The results showed that both long-term reclamation and land use patterns have significant effects on soil physicochemical properties and enzyme activities. Compared with the bare flat, soil water content, soil bulk density, pH and electrical conductivity showed a decreasing trend after reclamation, whereas soil organic carbon, total nitrogen and total phosphorus tended to increase. Dehydrogenase, amylase and acid phosphatase activities initially increased and then decreased with increasing years of reclamation, whereas urease and alkaline phosphatase activities were characterized by an increase-decrease-increase trend. Moreover, urease, acid phosphatase and alkaline phosphatase activities exhibited significant differences between coastal saline soil with 63years of reclamation and bare flat, whereas dehydrogenase and amylase activities remained unchanged. Aquaculture ponds showed higher soil water content, pH and EC but lower soil organic carbon, total nitrogen and total phosphorus than rapeseed, broad bean and wheat fields. Rapeseed, broad bean and wheat fields displayed higher urease and alkaline phosphatase activities and lower dehydrogenase, amylase and acid phosphatase activities compared with aquaculture ponds. Redundancy analysis revealed that the soil physicochemical properties explained 74.5% of the variation in soil enzyme activities and that an obvious relationship existed between soil nutrients and soil enzyme activities. These results will assist governmental evaluation of the quality of reclaimed coastal soil. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Vermicompost Improves Tomato Yield and Quality and the Biochemical Properties of Soils with Different Tomato Planting History in a Greenhouse Study

PubMed Central

Wang, Xin-Xin; Zhao, Fengyan; Zhang, Guoxian; Zhang, Yongyong; Yang, Lijuan

2017-01-01

A greenhouse pot test was conducted to study the impacts of replacing mineral fertilizer with organic fertilizers for one full growing period on soil fertility, tomato yield and quality using soils with different tomato planting history. Four types of fertilization regimes were compared: (1) conventional fertilizer with urea, (2) chicken manure compost, (3) vermicompost, and (4) no fertilizer. The effects on plant growth, yield and fruit quality and soil properties (including microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen, NH4+-N, NO3--N, soil water-soluble organic carbon, soil pH and electrical conductivity) were investigated in samples collected from the experimental soils at different tomato growth stages. The main results showed that: (1) vermicompost and chicken manure compost more effectively promoted plant growth, including stem diameter and plant height compared with other fertilizer treatments, in all three types of soil; (2) vermicompost improved fruit quality in each type of soil, and increased the sugar/acid ratio, and decreased nitrate concentration in fresh fruit compared with the CK treatment; (3) vermicompost led to greater improvements in fruit yield (74%), vitamin C (47%), and soluble sugar (71%) in soils with no tomato planting history compared with those in soils with long tomato planting history; and (4) vermicompost led to greater improvements in soil quality than chicken manure compost, including higher pH (averaged 7.37 vs. averaged 7.23) and lower soil electrical conductivity (averaged 204.1 vs. averaged 234.6 μS/cm) at the end of experiment in each type of soil. We conclude that vermicompost can be recommended as a fertilizer to improve tomato fruit quality and yield and soil quality, particularly for soils with no tomato planting history. PMID:29209343

Vermicompost Improves Tomato Yield and Quality and the Biochemical Properties of Soils with Different Tomato Planting History in a Greenhouse Study.

PubMed

Wang, Xin-Xin; Zhao, Fengyan; Zhang, Guoxian; Zhang, Yongyong; Yang, Lijuan

2017-01-01

A greenhouse pot test was conducted to study the impacts of replacing mineral fertilizer with organic fertilizers for one full growing period on soil fertility, tomato yield and quality using soils with different tomato planting history. Four types of fertilization regimes were compared: (1) conventional fertilizer with urea, (2) chicken manure compost, (3) vermicompost, and (4) no fertilizer. The effects on plant growth, yield and fruit quality and soil properties (including microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen, [Formula: see text]-N, [Formula: see text]-N, soil water-soluble organic carbon, soil pH and electrical conductivity) were investigated in samples collected from the experimental soils at different tomato growth stages. The main results showed that: (1) vermicompost and chicken manure compost more effectively promoted plant growth, including stem diameter and plant height compared with other fertilizer treatments, in all three types of soil; (2) vermicompost improved fruit quality in each type of soil, and increased the sugar/acid ratio, and decreased nitrate concentration in fresh fruit compared with the CK treatment; (3) vermicompost led to greater improvements in fruit yield (74%), vitamin C (47%), and soluble sugar (71%) in soils with no tomato planting history compared with those in soils with long tomato planting history; and (4) vermicompost led to greater improvements in soil quality than chicken manure compost, including higher pH (averaged 7.37 vs. averaged 7.23) and lower soil electrical conductivity (averaged 204.1 vs. averaged 234.6 μS/cm) at the end of experiment in each type of soil. We conclude that vermicompost can be recommended as a fertilizer to improve tomato fruit quality and yield and soil quality, particularly for soils with no tomato planting history.

Effect of Humic Acids and pesticides on Agricultural Soil Structure and Stability and Its Implication on Soil Quality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gaonkar, O. D.; Nambi, I. M.; G, S. K.

2016-12-01

The functional and morphological aspects of soil structure determine the soil quality. The dispersion of colloidal soil particles, especially the clay fraction and rupture of soil aggregates, both of which play an important role in soil structure development, lead to degradation of soil quality. The main objective of this work was to determine the effect of behaviour of soil colloids on the agricultural soil structure and quality. The effect of commercial humic acid, organophosphate pesticides and soil natural organic matter on the electrical and structural properties of the soil colloids was also studied. Agricultural soil, belonging to the sandy loam texture class from northern part of India was considered in this study. In order to understand the changes in the soil quality in the presence and absence of humic acids, the soil fabric and structure was analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Electrical properties of natural soil colloids in aqueous suspensions were assessed by zeta potential measurements at varying pH values with and without the presence of humic acids and pesticides. The influence of natural organic matter was analyzed by oxidizing the natural soil organic matter with hydrogen peroxide. The zeta potential of the soil colloids was found to be negative in the pH range studied. The results indicated that hydrogen peroxide treatment lead to deflocculation of colloidal soil particles. In addition, the humic acids undergoes effective adsorption onto the soil surface imparting more negative zeta potential to the colloidal soil particles. The soil hydrophilicity decreased in the presence of humic acids which was confirmed by surface free energy determination. Thus, it can be concluded that the presence of humic acids altered the soil fabric and structure, thereby affecting the soil quality. This study assumes significance in understanding the soil aggregation and the interactions at soil solid-liquid interface.

A Round Robin evaluation of AMSR-E soil moisture retrievals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mittelbach, Heidi; Hirschi, Martin; Nicolai-Shaw, Nadine; Gruber, Alexander; Dorigo, Wouter; de Jeu, Richard; Parinussa, Robert; Jones, Lucas A.; Wagner, Wolfgang; Seneviratne, Sonia I.

2014-05-01

Large-scale and long-term soil moisture observations based on remote sensing are promising data sets to investigate and understand various processes of the climate system including the water and biochemical cycles. Currently, the ESA Climate Change Initiative for soil moisture develops and evaluates a consistent global long-term soil moisture data set, which is based on merging passive and active remotely sensed soil moisture. Within this project an inter-comparison of algorithms for AMSR-E and ASCAT Level 2 products was conducted separately to assess the performance of different retrieval algorithms. Here we present the inter-comparison of AMSR-E Level 2 soil moisture products. These include the public data sets from University of Montana (UMT), Japan Aerospace and Space Exploration Agency (JAXA), VU University of Amsterdam (VUA; two algorithms) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). All participating algorithms are applied to the same AMSR-E Level 1 data set. Ascending and descending paths of scaled surface soil moisture are considered and evaluated separately in daily and monthly resolution over the 2007-2011 time period. Absolute values of soil moisture as well as their long-term anomalies (i.e. removing the mean seasonal cycle) and short-term anomalies (i.e. removing a five weeks moving average) are evaluated. The evaluation is based on conventional measures like correlation and unbiased root-mean-square differences as well as on the application of the triple collocation method. As reference data set, surface soil moisture of 75 quality controlled soil moisture sites from the International Soil Moisture Network (ISMN) are used, which cover a wide range of vegetation density and climate conditions. For the application of the triple collocation method, surface soil moisture estimates from the Global Land Data Assimilation System are used as third independent data set. We find that the participating algorithms generally display a better performance for the descending compared to the ascending paths. A first classification of the sites defined by geographical locations show that the algorithms have a very similar average performance. Further classifications of the sites by land cover types and climate regions will be conducted which might result in a more diverse performance of the algorithms.

Effects of topographical position on soil organic carbon and nitrogen in Mediterranean olive groves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lozano-García, Beatriz; Parras-Alcántara, Luis

2014-05-01

INTRODUCTION The most important and extensive crops in the Mediterranean area are olive groves. Within the last 50 years, the surface occupied by olive groves has progressively increased in Spain including more complex topographies, with steeper slopes and higher altitudes. This situation has caused serious erosion problems; there is a huge range of studies assessing possible solutions to this problem and new tillage and management techniques have been developed (Lozano-García and Parras-Alcántara, 2013). However, topography has influence in soil properties too. The impact of the topographical position on soil properties, including soil organic carbon (SOC) and Nitrogen (N) stocks, and soil quality (expressed as Stratification Ratios-SRs) was evaluated in a Mediterranean olive grove with traditional tillage. MATERIAL AND METHODS The study was carried out in a rain-fed olive grove in Jaén managed with traditional tillage (with disc harrow 25 cm) and receiving mineral fertilization. Three topographical positions with the same aspect: summit, backslope and toeslope were chosen for evaluation. The soil samples were taken from four soil sections of 0.25 m (0-1 m) in order to establish a good comparison. Soil properties determined were: soil particle size, SOC and total Nitrogen (N). SOC and N stock, expressed for a specific depth in Mg ha-1. Stratification ratios (that can be used as an indicator of dynamic soil quality) for SOC and N at three different depths were calculated. The effect of topographical position on SOC and N stocks and other soil properties was analyzed using a ANOVA, followed by a Tuckey test. RESULTS SOC decreased with depth, in addition, the SOC and N content increased along the downslope direction (5.5, 6.5 and 7.1 g C kg-1; and 0.3, 0.8 and 0.9 g N kg-1 in the surface layer in the summit, backslope and toeslope respectively) as well as SOC stock considering the two first soil sections. The N stock varied significantly along the topographical positions, increasing from the summit to the toeslope (6.2, 8.6 and 10.6 Mg ha-1 in the summit, backslope and toeslope respectively), this may be due to the leaching effect suffered by urea. These increases along the downslope direction were due to erosion processes that occur along the toposequence, leading to organic matter losses (C and N) from the summit to the toeslope. As well, there was movement of the most erodible textural fraction (silt). All the SRs calculated were lower than 2. However, the lower values of SR were obtained in the summit, so the SRs confirm that the low values of SOC and N in this topographical position are progressively decreasing the soil quality in this position. Therefore, alternative management techniques that avoid soil erosion must be considered in order to increase the soil quality, especially in those topographical positions which suffer higher losses of SOC and N. REFERENCES Parras-Alcántara, L., Díaz-Jaimes, L., Lozano-García, B., 2013b. Organic farming affects C and N in soils under olive groves in Mediterranean areas. Land Degradation and Development (article in press) DOI: 10.1002/ldr.2231.

Impact of Manure Fertilization on the Abundance of Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria and Frequency of Detection of Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Soil and on Vegetables at Harvest

PubMed Central

Marti, Romain; Scott, Andrew; Tien, Yuan-Ching; Murray, Roger; Sabourin, Lyne; Zhang, Yun

2013-01-01

Consumption of vegetables represents a route of direct human exposure to bacteria found in soil. The present study evaluated the complement of bacteria resistant to various antibiotics on vegetables often eaten raw (tomato, cucumber, pepper, carrot, radish, lettuce) and how this might vary with growth in soil fertilized inorganically or with dairy or swine manure. Vegetables were sown into field plots immediately following fertilization and harvested when of marketable quality. Vegetable and soil samples were evaluated for viable antibiotic-resistant bacteria by plate count on Chromocult medium supplemented with antibiotics at clinical breakpoint concentrations. DNA was extracted from soil and vegetables and evaluated by PCR for the presence of 46 gene targets associated with plasmid incompatibility groups, integrons, or antibiotic resistance genes. Soil receiving manure was enriched in antibiotic-resistant bacteria and various antibiotic resistance determinants. There was no coherent corresponding increase in the abundance of antibiotic-resistant bacteria enumerated from any vegetable grown in manure-fertilized soil. Numerous antibiotic resistance determinants were detected in DNA extracted from vegetables grown in unmanured soil. A smaller number of determinants were additionally detected on vegetables grown only in manured and not in unmanured soil. Overall, consumption of raw vegetables represents a route of human exposure to antibiotic-resistant bacteria and resistance determinants naturally present in soil. However, the detection of some determinants on vegetables grown only in freshly manured soil reinforces the advisability of pretreating manure through composting or other stabilization processes or mandating offset times between manuring and harvesting vegetables for human consumption. PMID:23851089

Performance evaluation of subgrade stabilization with recycled materials.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-02-29

Due to rising costs of good quality acceptable materials for remove/replace options and traditional : subgrade stabilization materials, MDOT is in need to identify potential recycled materials to treat : unacceptable subgrade soils. Use of recycled m...

Soil cover patterns and dynamics impact on GHG fluxes in RF native and man-changed ecosystems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vasenev, Ivan; Nesterova, Olga

2017-04-01

The increased soil spatial-temporal variability is mutual feature for most mature natural and particularly man-changed terrestrial ecosystems in Central and Far-East regions of Russia with soil cover strongly pronounced bioclimatic zoning and landscape-geomorphologic differentiation. Soil cover patterns (SCP) detailed morphogenetic analysis and typification is useful tool for soil forming and degradation processes quantitative evaluation, land ecological state and functional quality quantitative assessment. Quantitative analysis and functional-ecological interpretation of representative SCP spatial variability is especially important for environmentally friendly and demand-driven land-use planning and decision making. The carried out 33-years region- and local-scale researches of the wide zonal-provincial set of representative ecosystems and SCP with different types and history of land-use (forest, meadow-steppe, agricultural and recreational ones) give us the interregional multi-factorial matrix of elementary soil cover patterns (ESCP) with different land-use practices and history, soil-geomorphologic features, environmental and microclimate conditions. Succession process-based analysis of modern evolution of man-changed and natural soils and ESCP essentially increases accuracy of quantitative assessments of dominant soil forming and degradation processes rate and potential, their influence on land and soil cover quality and ecosystem services. Their results allow developing the regional and landscape adapted versions of automated land evaluation systems and land-use DSS. The validation and ranging of the limiting factors of ESCP regulation and develop¬ment, ecosystem principal services (with especial attention on greenhouse gases emissions, soil carbon dynamics and sequestration potential, biodiversity and productivity, hydrological regimes and geomorphologic stabilization), land functional qualities and agroecological state have been done for dominating and most dynamical components of ESCP regional-typological forms - with application of regional/local GIS, ESCP mapping, kriging, correlation tree models and adapted to region DSS. Key-site monitoring results and regional generalized data showed 1-1.5 % Corg lost during last 50 years period, active processes of CO2, CH4 and N2O emission (2-4-time variability in frame of one farm and of one vegetation season) and humus redistribution throw soil profile and soil cover patterns. Forest-steppe Chernozem ecosystems are usually characterized by more stable SCP than forest or steppe ones. The ratio between erosive and biological losses in humus supplies is estimated as fifty-fifty with strong spatial varia¬bility due to slope and land-use parameters. These problem agroecological situations can be essentially improved by climate-smart agriculture practice development with DSS-based landscape-adaptive land-use systems and organic farming stimulation with environmentally friendly technologies, adapted to conditions of concrete agrolandscapes in Central and Far-East Russia.

Effects of mussel shell addition on the chemical and biological properties of a Cambisol.

PubMed

Paz-Ferreiro, J; Baez-Bernal, D; Castro Insúa, J; García Pomar, M I

2012-03-01

The use of a by-product of the fisheries industry (mussel shell) combined with cattle slurry was evaluated as soil amendment, with special attention to the biological component of soil. A wide number of properties related to soil quality were measured: microbial biomass, soil respiration, net N mineralization, dissolved organic carbon, dissolved organic nitrogen, dissolved inorganic nitrogen, dehydrogenase, β-glucosidase, urease and phosphomonoesterase activities. The amendments showed an enhancement of soil biological activity and a decrease of aluminium held in the cation exchange complex. No adverse effects were observed on soil properties. Given that mussel shells are produced in coastal areas as a by-product and have to be managed as a waste and the fertility constraints in the local soils due to their low pH, our research suggest that there is an opportunity for disposing a residue into the soil and improving soil fertility. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Substrate and environmental controls on microbial assimilation of soil organic carbon: a framework for Earth System Models

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Xu, Xiaofeng; Schimel, Joshua; Thornton, Peter E

2014-01-01

Microbial assimilation of soil organic carbon is one of the fundamental processes of global carbon cycling and it determines the magnitude of microbial biomass in soils. Mechanistic understanding of microbial assimilation of soil organic carbon and its controls is important for to improve Earth system models ability to simulate carbon-climate feedbacks. Although microbial assimilation of soil organic carbon is broadly considered to be an important parameter, it really comprises two separate physiological processes: one-time assimilation efficiency and time-dependent microbial maintenance energy. Representing of these two mechanisms is crucial to more accurately simulate carbon cycling in soils. In this study, amore » simple modeling framework was developed to evaluate the substrate and environmental controls on microbial assimilation of soil organic carbon using a new term: microbial annual active period (the length of microbes remaining active in one year). Substrate quality has a positive effect on microbial assimilation of soil organic carbon: higher substrate quality (lower C:N ratio) leads to higher ratio of microbial carbon to soil organic carbon and vice versa. Increases in microbial annual active period from zero stimulate microbial assimilation of soil organic carbon; however, when microbial annual active period is longer than an optimal threshold, increasing this period decreases microbial biomass. The simulated ratios of soil microbial biomass to soil organic carbon are reasonably consistent with a recently compiled global dataset at the biome-level. The modeling framework of microbial assimilation of soil organic carbon and its controls developed in this study offers an applicable ways to incorporate microbial contributions to the carbon cycling into Earth system models for simulating carbon-climate feedbacks and to explain global patterns of microbial biomass.« less

Soil indicators to assess the effectiveness of restoration strategies in dryland ecosystems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Costantini, E. A. C.; Branquinho, C.; Nunes, A.; Schwilch, G.; Stavi, I.; Valdecantos, A.; Zucca, C.

2015-12-01

Soil indicators may be used for assessing both land suitability for restoration and the effectiveness of restoration strategies in restoring ecosystem functioning and services. In this review paper, several soil indicators, which can be used to assess the effectiveness of restoration strategies in dryland ecosystems at different spatial and temporal scales, are discussed. The selected indicators represent the different viewpoints of pedology, ecology, hydrology, and land management. The recovery of soil capacity to provide ecosystem services is primarily obtained by increasing soil rooting depth and volume, and augmenting water accessibility for vegetation. Soil characteristics can be used either as indicators of suitability, that is, inherently slow-changing soil qualities, or as indicators for modifications, namely dynamic, thus "manageable" soil qualities. Soil organic matter forms, as well as biochemistry, micro- and meso-biology, are among the most utilized dynamic indicators. On broader territorial scales, the Landscape Function Analysis uses a functional approach, where the effectiveness of restoration strategies is assessed by combining the analysis of spatial pattern of vegetation with qualitative soil indicators. For more holistic and comprehensive projects, effective strategies to combat desertification should integrate soil indicators with biophysical and socio-economic evaluation and include participatory approaches. The integrated assessment protocol of Sustainable Land Management developed by the World Overview of Conservation Approaches and Technologies network is thoroughly discussed. Two overall outcomes stem from the review: (i) the success of restoration projects relies on a proper understanding of their ecology, namely the relationships between soil, plants, hydrology, climate, and land management at different scales, which is particularly complex due to the heterogeneous pattern of ecosystems functioning in drylands, and (ii) the selection of the most suitable soil indicators follows a clear identification of the different and sometimes competing ecosystem services that the project is aimed at restoring.

Assessing the quality of soil carbon using mid-infrared spectroscopy

EPA Science Inventory

With an increasing focus on carbon sequestration in soils to help offset anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, there is a growing need for standardized methods of assessing the quality (i.e., residence time) of soil organic carbon. Information on soil carbon quality is critica...

Pyrosequencing reveals bacteria carried in different wind-eroded sediments.

PubMed

Gardner, Terrence; Acosta-Martinez, Veronica; Calderón, Francisco J; Zobeck, Ted M; Baddock, Matthew; Van Pelt, R Scott; Senwo, Zachary; Dowd, Scot; Cox, Stephen

2012-01-01

Little is known about the microbial communities carried in wind-eroded sediments from various soil types and land management systems. The novel technique of pyrosequencing promises to expand our understanding of the microbial diversity of soils and eroded sediments because it can sequence 10 to 100 times more DNA fragments than previous techniques, providing enhanced exploration into what microbes are being lost from soil due to wind erosion. Our study evaluated the bacterial diversity of two types of wind-eroded sediments collected from three different organic-rich soils in Michigan using a portable field wind tunnel. The wind-eroded sediments evaluated were a coarse sized fraction with 66% of particles >106 μm (coarse eroded sediment) and a finer eroded sediment with 72% of particles <106 μm. Our findings suggested that (i) bacteria carried in the coarser sediment and fine dust were effective fingerprints of the source soil, although their distribution may vary depending on the soil characteristics because certain bacteria may be more protected in soil surfaces than others; (ii) coarser wind-eroded sediment showed higher bacterial diversity than fine dust in two of the three soils evaluated; and (iii) certain bacteria were more predominant in fine dust (, , and ) than coarse sediment ( and ), revealing different locations and niches of bacteria in soil, which, depending on wind erosion processes, can have important implications on the soil sustainability and functioning. Infrared spectroscopy showed that wind erosion preferentially removes particular kinds of C from the soil that are lost via fine dust. Our study shows that eroded sediments remove the active labile organic soil particulates containing key microorganisms involved in soil biogeochemical processes, which can have a negative impact on the quality and functioning of the source soil. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

Change in soil quality due to grazing and oak tree removal in California blue oak woodlands

Treesearch

Trina J. Camping; Randy A. Dahlgren; Kenneth W. Tate; William R. Horwath

2002-01-01

The effects of grazing and oak tree removal on soil quality and fertility were examined in a blue oak (Quercus douglasii) woodland in the northern Sierra Nevada foothills. Low to moderate grazing intensity has little affect on soil quality; however, oak tree removal resulted in a decrease in most soil quality parameters investigated (carbon, nitrogen...

Collection of short papers on Beaver Creek watershed studies in West Tennessee, 1989-94

USGS Publications Warehouse

Doyle, W. Harry.; Baker, Eva G.

1995-01-01

In 1989, the U.S. Geological Survey began a scientific investigation to evaluate the effect of agricultural activities on water quality and the effectiveness of agricultural best management practices in the Beaver Creek watershed, West Tennessee. The project is being conducted jointly with other Federal, State, county agencies, the farming community, and academic institutions, in support of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Hydrologic Unit Area program. The Beaver Creek project has evolved into a long-term watershed assessment and monitoring program. In 1991, a grant was received to develop and evaluate sampling strategies for higher order streams. During the summer of 1992, a reconnaissance of water-quality conditions for the shallow aquifers in Shelby, Tipton, Fayette, and Haywood Counties was conducted and included 89 domestic wells in the Beaver Creek watershed. Results from this effort lead to the development of a 1-year program to evaluate cause- and-effect relations that can explain the observed water-quality conditions for the shallow aquifers in the watershed. In 1992 the USGS, in cooperation with the Soil Conservation Service and the Shelby County Soil Conservation District, began an evaluation of in-stream processes and in-stream resource-management systems. In 1993, a biomonitoring program was established in the watershed. This collection of eight articles and abstracts was originally published in the American Water Resources Association National Symposium on Water Quality Proceedings for the national conference held in Chicago in 1994 and describes what has been learned in the study to date.

Three Soil Quality Demonstrations for Educating Extension Clientele

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hoorman, James J.

2014-01-01

There is a renewed interest in educating youth, Master Gardeners, and agricultural producers about soil quality. Three soil demonstrations show how soil organic matter increases water holding capacity, improves soil structure, and increases nutrient retention. Exercise one uses clay bricks and sponges to represent mineral soils and soil organic…

40 CFR 264.278 - Unsaturated zone monitoring.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... or operator must monitor the soil and soil-pore liquid to determine whether hazardous constituents... unsaturated zone monitoring system that includes soil monitoring using soil cores and soil-pore liquid... the quality of background soil-pore liquid quality and the chemical make-up of soil that has not been...

40 CFR 264.278 - Unsaturated zone monitoring.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... or operator must monitor the soil and soil-pore liquid to determine whether hazardous constituents... unsaturated zone monitoring system that includes soil monitoring using soil cores and soil-pore liquid... the quality of background soil-pore liquid quality and the chemical make-up of soil that has not been...

40 CFR 264.278 - Unsaturated zone monitoring.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... or operator must monitor the soil and soil-pore liquid to determine whether hazardous constituents... unsaturated zone monitoring system that includes soil monitoring using soil cores and soil-pore liquid... the quality of background soil-pore liquid quality and the chemical make-up of soil that has not been...

40 CFR 264.278 - Unsaturated zone monitoring.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... or operator must monitor the soil and soil-pore liquid to determine whether hazardous constituents... unsaturated zone monitoring system that includes soil monitoring using soil cores and soil-pore liquid... the quality of background soil-pore liquid quality and the chemical make-up of soil that has not been...

40 CFR 264.278 - Unsaturated zone monitoring.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... or operator must monitor the soil and soil-pore liquid to determine whether hazardous constituents... unsaturated zone monitoring system that includes soil monitoring using soil cores and soil-pore liquid... the quality of background soil-pore liquid quality and the chemical make-up of soil that has not been...

[Assessment of farmland soil quality under different utilization intensity in arid area].

PubMed

Gui, Dong-Wei; Mu, Gui-Jin; Lei, Jia-Qiang; Zeng, Fan-Jiang; Wang, Hui

2009-04-01

Based on the 2005-2007 experimental data in Cele oasis in the southern margin of Tarim Basin of Xinjiang, the soil quality of four typical types of farmland with different utilization intensity, i.e., farmland with high input, farmland with normal input, newly reclaimed farmland, and farmland in oasis' interior, was analyzed and assessed by using sustainable yield index, soil improvement index, and soil quality synthesis index. Among the farmlands, there were significant differences in the contents of soil organic matter, available nitrogen, and available phosphorus. Newly reclaimed farmland had the lowest level of soil quality, while the farmland in oasis' interior had relatively higher soil quality. This study could help the reasonable exploitation and utilization of farmlands in Cele oasis, and the protection of local farmland eco-environment.

Evaluation of the sources of contamination in the suburban area of Koropi-Markopoulo, Athens, Greece.

PubMed

Kaitantzian, Agavni; Kelepertzis, Efstratios; Kelepertsis, Akindynos

2013-07-01

Heavy metal concentrations were monitored in agricultural soils and irrigation groundwaters of Koropi-Markopoulo area, a representative agricultural suburb in Athens, Greece, aiming at the identification of the sources of contaminants. Multivariate analyses of geochemical data demonstrated that agricultural practices and industrial activities considerably affected the quality of both environmental compartments. The levels of Ni, Cr, Co, Mn and Fe in agricultural soils were associated with geological parent materials whereas Pb, Zn and Cu mainly originated from anthropic activities. Referring to groundwaters, individual major anions and cations (K⁺, Na⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, NO₃⁻, SO₄²⁻, Cl⁻) were influenced by various natural and anthropogenic factors whereas Ni, Cr, Cu and Zn were controlled by industrial and agronomic activities. The identification of the sources of contaminants in soil and groundwater environments is a valuable basis for encouraging mitigation strategies preventing further quality degradation.

Water quality impact assessment of agricultural Beneficial Management Practices (BMPs) simulated for a regional catchment in Quebec, Eastern Canada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rousseau, Alain N.; Hallema, Dennis W.; Gumiere, Silvio J.; Savary, Stéphane; Hould Gosselin, Gabriel

2014-05-01

Water quality has become a matter of increasing concern over the past four decades as a result of the intensification of agriculture, and more particularly so in Canada where agriculture has evolved into the largest non-point source of surface water pollution. The Canadian WEBs project (Watershed Evaluation of Beneficial Management Practices, BMPs) was initiated in order to determine the efficiency of BMPs in improving the surface water quality of rural catchments, and the economic aspects related to their implementation on the same scale. In this contribution we use the integrated watershed modelling platform GIBSI (Gestion Intégrée des Bassins versants à l'aide d'un Système Informatisé) to evaluate the effects of various BMPs on sediment and nutrient yields and, in close relation to this, the surface water quality for the Beaurivage River catchment (718 km2) in Quebec, eastern Canada. A base scenario of the catchment is developed by calibrating the different models of the GIBSI platform, namely HYDROTEL for hydrology, the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) for soil erosion, the Erosion-Productivity Impact Calculator (EPIC) of the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) for contaminant transport and fate, and QUAL2E for stream water quality. Four BMPs were analysed: (1) vegetated riparian buffer strips, (2) precision slurry application, (3) transition of all cereal and corn fields to grassland (grassland conversion), and (4) no-tillage on corn fields. Simulations suggest that riparian buffer strips and grassland conversion are more effective in terms of phosphorus, nitrogen and sediment load reduction than precision slurry application and no-tillage on corn fields. The results furthermore indicate the need for a more profound understanding of sediment dynamics in streams and on riparian buffer strips.

Performance of rose scented geranium (Pelargonium graveolens) in heavy metal polluted soil vis-à-vis phytoaccumulation of metals.

PubMed

Chand, Sukhmal; Singh, Geetu; Patra, D D

2016-08-02

An investigation was carried out to evaluate the effect of heavy metal toxicity on growth, herb, oil yield and quality and metal accumulation in rose scented geranium (Pelargonium graveolens) grown in heavy metal enriched soils. Four heavy metals (Cd, Ni, Cr, and Pb) each at two levels (10 and 20 mg kg-1 soil) were tested on geranium. Results indicated that Cr concentration in soil at 20 mg kg-1 reduced leaves, stem and root yield by 70, 83, and 45%, respectively, over control. Root growth was significantly affected in Cr stressed soil. Nickel, Cr, and Cd concentration and accumulation in plant increased with higher application of these metals. Chromium, nickel and cadmium uptake was observed to be higher in leaves than in stem and roots. Essential oil constituents were generally not significantly affected by heavy metals except Pb at 10 and 20 ppm, which significantly increased the content of citronellol and Ni at 20 ppm increased the content of geraniol. Looking in to the higher accumulation of toxic metals by geranium and the minimal impact of heavy metals on quality of essential oil, geranium can be commercially cultivated in heavy metal polluted soil for production of high value essential oil.

Will heavy metals in the soils of newly submerged areas threaten the water quality of Danjiangkou Reservoir, China?

PubMed

Song, Zhixin; Shan, Baoqing; Tang, Wenzhong; Zhang, Chao

2017-10-01

Soil heavy metal contents were measured in newly submerged areas of the Danjiangkou Reservoir, China. We aimed to determine the heavy metal distribution in this area and the associated ecological risk. Most of these heavy metal contents (except Pb and Mn) suggest enrichment compared with the background values of soils from Henan Province, especially As and Cd with mean geo-accumulation index (I geo ) values of 0.84 and 0.54. The spatial analysis results indicated that the highest heavy metal contents were distributed in the arable soils above 160m elevation, whereas low heavy metal contents were observed under other land-use types above 160m elevation. According to I geo and EF values, Cd was the major heavy metal contaminant in the newly submerged area, Cr, Pb and Mn mainly originated from natural geochemical sources. In contrast, Ni, Cd, As, Cu, and Zn mainly originated from anthropogenic sources. Evaluation using the potential ecological risk (PER) method indicated that PER of individual elements were low in the studied soils, and the comprehensive PER index was at a moderate level, indicating heavy metals in the soils of newly submerged areas may not threaten the water quality of Danjiangkou Reservoir, especially in winter. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Soil quality changes after topsoil addition to eroded land

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Soil-landscape rehabilitation within eroded fields can be accomplished by moving topsoil from depositional to eroded landscape positions. The purpose is to improve soil quality and productivity of the upper root zone in eroded areas of the field. Changes in soil quality may be estimated through chan...

From the study of fire effects on individual soil properties to the development of soil quality indices. 1. The pioneer research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mataix-Solera, Jorge; Zornoza, Raúl

2013-04-01

Although forest fires must be considered as a natural factor in Mediterranean ecosystems, the modification of its natural regime during last five decades has thansformed them in an environmental problem. In the Valencia region (E Spain) 1994 was the worst year in the history affecting more than 120,000 hectares. I started my Ph.D that year by studying the effects of fires in soil properties. The availability to be able to analyse a great set of different types of soil properties in the laboratories of University of Alicante allowed me to explore how fires could affect physical, chemical and micobiological soil properties. After years studying different soil properties, finding that several factors are involved, including: fire intensity and severity, vegetation, soil type, climate conditions, etc. (Mataix-Solera and Doerr, 2004; Mataix-Solera et al., 2008, 2011) my research as Ph-D supervisor has been focussed to investigate more in depth some selected properties, such as aggregate stability and water repellency (Arcenegui et al., 2007, 2008). But one of the main problems in the studies conducted with samples affected by wildfires is that for the evaluation of the fire impact in the soil it is necessary to have control (unburned) soil samples from a similar non-affected near area. The existing spatial variability under field conditions does not allow having comparable samples in some acses to develop a correct assessment. With this idea in mind one of my Ph.D researcher (R. Zornoza) dedicated his thesis to develope soil quality indices capable to assess the impact of soil perturbations without comparing groups of samples, but evaluating the equilibrium among different soil properties within each soil sample (Zornoza et al., 2007, 2008). Key words: wildfire, Mediterranean soils, soil degradation, wàter repellency, aggregate stability References: Arcenegui, V., Mataix-Solera, J., Guerrero, C., Zornoza, R., Mayoral, A.M., Morales, J., 2007. Factors controlling the water repellency induced by fire in calcareous Mediterranean forest soils. Eur. J. Soil Sci. 58, 1254-1259. Arcenegui, V., Mataix-Solera, J., Guerrero, C., Zornoza, R., Mataix-Beneyto, J., García-Orenes, F., 2008. Immediate effects of wildfires on water repellency and aggregate stability in Mediterranean calcareous soils. Catena 74, 219-226. Mataix-Solera, J., Doerr, S.H., 2004. Hydrophobicity and aggregate stability in calcareous topsoil from fire affected pine forests in southeastern Spain. Geoderma 118, 77-88. Mataix-Solera, J., Arcenegui, V., Guerrero, C., Jordán, M., Dlapa, P., Tessler, N., Wittenberg, L. 2008. Can terra rossa become water repellent by burning? A laboratory approach. Geoderma, 147, 178-184. Mataix-Solera, J., Cerdà, A., Arcenegui, V., Jordán, A., Zavala, L.M., 2011. Fire effects on soil aggregation: a review. Earth-Science Reviews 109, 44-60 Zornoza, R., Mataix-Solera, J., Guerrero, C., Arcenegui, V., Mayoral, A.M., Morales, J. Mataix-Beneyto, J., 2007b. Soil properties under natural forest in the Alicante Province of Spain. Geoderma. 142, 334-341. Zornoza, R., Mataix-Solera, J., Guerrero, C., Arcenegui, V., Mataix-Beneyto, J., Gómez, I., 2008. Validating the effectiveness and sensitivity of two soil quality indices based on natural forest soils under Mediterranean conditions. Soil Biology & Biochemistry. 40, 2079-2087.

Influence of agricultural practice on trace metals in soils and vegetation in the water conservation area along the East River (Dongjiang River), South China.

PubMed

Luo, Chunling; Yang, Renxiu; Wang, Yan; Li, Jun; Zhang, Gan; Li, Xiangdong

2012-08-01

Dongjiang (East River) is the key resource of potable water for the Pearl River Delta region, South China. Although industrial activities are limited in the water conservation area along this river, agriculture is very intensive. The present study evaluated trace metals in four soils under different cultivation. The total concentrations of trace metals decreased in the order orchard soil>vegetable soil>paddy soil>natural soil, reflecting decreasing inputs of agrochemicals to soils. Relatively high concentrations of Cd were recorded in the 60-cm soil profiles. The (206)Pb/(207)Pb ratio in the above-ground tissues of plant was significantly lower than their corresponding soils. In combination with the low transfer factor of Pb from soil to plant shoots, atmospheric deposition is probably a major pathway for Pb to enter plant leaves. Regular monitoring on the soil quality in this area is recommended for the safety of water resource and agricultural products. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Evaluating the Utility of Remotely-Sensed Soil Moisture Retrievals for Operational Agricultural Drought Monitoring

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bolten, John D.; Crow, Wade T.; Zhan, Xiwu; Jackson, Thomas J.; Reynolds,Curt

2010-01-01

Soil moisture is a fundamental data source used by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) International Production Assessment Division (IPAD) to monitor crop growth stage and condition and subsequently, globally forecast agricultural yields. Currently, the USDA IPAD estimates surface and root-zone soil moisture using a two-layer modified Palmer soil moisture model forced by global precipitation and temperature measurements. However, this approach suffers from well-known errors arising from uncertainty in model forcing data and highly simplified model physics. Here we attempt to correct for these errors by designing and applying an Ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) data assimilation system to integrate surface soil moisture retrievals from the NASA Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer (AMSR-E) into the USDA modified Palmer soil moisture model. An assessment of soil moisture analysis products produced from this assimilation has been completed for a five-year (2002 to 2007) period over the North American continent between 23degN - 50degN and 128degW - 65degW. In particular, a data denial experimental approach is utilized to isolate the added utility of integrating remotely-sensed soil moisture by comparing EnKF soil moisture results obtained using (relatively) low-quality precipitation products obtained from real-time satellite imagery to baseline Palmer model runs forced with higher quality rainfall. An analysis of root-zone anomalies for each model simulation suggests that the assimilation of AMSR-E surface soil moisture retrievals can add significant value to USDA root-zone predictions derived from real-time satellite precipitation products.

Growth of tropical tree species and absorption of copper in soil artificially contaminated.

PubMed

Silva, R F; Andreazza, R; Da Ros, C; Dellai, A; Jacques, R J S; Scheid, D

2015-11-01

Reclamation of copper contaminated sites using forest species may be an efficient alternative to reduce the negative impact. The aim of this study was to quantify the growth and evaluate the quality of seedlings of native species at different doses of copper in the soil. The experimental design was completely randomized, with seven replications in a factorial arrangement (3×9), using three indigenous species of plants (Anadenanthera macrocarpa, Mimosa scabrella and Apuleia leiocarpa) and nine doses of copper in the soil (0, 60, 120, 180, 240, 300, 360, 420 and 480 mg kg-1).The experiment was carried out in a greenhouse which the seedlings were grown for 180 days. The experimental units were plastic pots of 125 cm3 filled with Oxisol. The results indicated that the levels of copper applied to the soil decreased the quality of seedlings and growth of Apuleia leiocarpato a lesser extent compared with Mimosa scabrella and Anadenanthera macrocarpa. Anadenanthera macrocarpa was the forest species that resulted in the lowest copper translocation from roots to shoots. In addition, the Apuleia leiocarpa exhibited high resistance and tolerance for copper in the soil and also, it is highlighted an ability for copper phytoremediation.

Water quality improvement of treated wastewater by intermittent soil percolation.

PubMed

Castillo, G; Mena, M P; Dibarrart, F; Honeyman, G

2001-01-01

Our research aimed to evaluate intermittent soil infiltration of treated sewage for reuse in the north of Chile. Aerated lagoon effluent was infiltrated in columns packed with native soils (sandy-lime, lime-gravel and limey-sand). Columns were operated for more than a year under different cycles of filling and drying, depths and load pressures depending on soil characteristics. The efficiency of the system was determined through influent-effluent microbiological indicators level (faecal coliforms, E. coli, Salmonella spp, MS2 phage, and protozoan cysts), physicochemical characterisation (TOC, COD, BOD, nitrogen), and hydraulic flow measurement. Results showed: (a) high reduction of enteric bacteria (5-7 log10), some inactivation of phage (2-4 log10) and complete removal of intestinal cyst; (b) stable removal of organic matter (80-90% reduction of TOC, COD, BOD); and (c) partial ammonia reduction through adsorption and nitrification with denitrification mainly occurring in sandy soil. Preliminary data from pilot plant working in the field showed better results that those obtained in the laboratory especially removal of microbiological indicators. Microbiological quality of effluent met Class A regulations for agricultural reuse (WHO, 1989) and the system looks like an attractive alternative to cope with water shortage in the region.

Rationale for Quality Assurance in Fecal Egg Monitoring of Soil-Transmitted Helminthiasis

PubMed Central

Hoekendijk, David J. L.; Hill, Philip C.; Sowerby, Stephen J.

2016-01-01

Substantial investment has been made into the once “neglected” tropical disease, soil-transmitted helminthiasis, and into control programs that operate within a framework of mapping baseline disease distribution, measuring the effectiveness of applied interventions, establishing when to cease drug administration, and for posttreatment evaluations. However, critical to each of these stages is the determination of helminth infection. The limitations of traditional microscope-based fecal egg diagnostics have not provided quality assurance in the monitoring of parasite disease and suboptimal treatment regimes provide for the potential development of parasite resistance to anthelmintic drugs. Improved diagnostic and surveillance tools are required to protect therapeutic effectiveness and to maintain funder confidence. Such tools may be on the horizon with emergent technologies that offer potential for enhanced visualization and quality-assured quantitation of helminth eggs. PMID:27352875

Improvements of soil quality for increased food production in Norway

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Øygarden, Lillian; Klakegg, Ove; Børresen, Trond; Krogstad, Tore; Kjersti Uhlen, Anne

2016-04-01

Since the 1990ties, agricultural land in use in Norway has diminished and yields per hectare for cereals and forages have stagnated. An expert panel appointed to advice on how to increase Norwegian grain production emphasizes low profitability and poor soil quality as limiting factors. A White Paper from the Norwegian Government, Report No.9 (2011-2012), stated that the main goal for the agricultural sector is to increase food production proportional to the expected increase in population (20 % by 2030) in order to maintain self-sufficiency at the present level. This is the background for the interdisciplinary project AGROPRO "Agronomy for increased food production - Challenges and solutions" (2013 - 2017)" financed by the Norwegian research council. A mail goal is seeking possibilities for improvements in agronomic practices for increased and sustainable food production and to identify drivers and challenges for their implementation. Are the key to higher yields hidden in the soil? The paper present an overview of the research activities in the project and some results of the improvements of soil quality to minimize yield gap in cereal and forage production. Detailed new soil maps provide soil information on field scale of soil quality and the suitability for growing different crops like cereal production or vegetables. The detailed soil information is also beeing used for development and adaptation of the planning tool «Terranimo» to reduce risk of soil compaction.The farmer get available soil information for each field, provide information about the maschinery in use- tractors and equipment, tyres, pressure. The decision tool evaluate when the soil is suitable for tillage, calculate the risk of compaction for dry, moist and wet soil. New research data for compaction on Norwegian clay and silt soil are included. Climate change with wetter conditions gives challenges for growing cereals. The project is testing genetic variation in cereals for tolerance to water logging and soil compaction. Several hundred different varieties for barley, oat and wheat are being waterlogged and resulting effects studied, also illustrating the need and benefit of cooperation between soil science and plant science (plant physiology). Field studies of functional root depth and root development is performed for studies of nutrient use efficiency of nitrogen and phosporus. Isotopic studies (15N) and DGT(diffuse gradients in thin films) are performed in long term experiments. Different rooting depths are studied in relation to effect of cutting regime of grasland, trafficking. The project perform new measurements of (N2O) emissions from long term cropping system experiments with different crop rotations, cultivation practice and fertilizing strategy. This can give better understanding of agronomic practices, nitrogen use efficiency and (N2O) emissions. The environmental effects of agricultural production is also dependent on the microbiological soil conditions.

Application of compost of two-phase olive mill waste on olive grove: effects on soil, olive fruit and olive oil quality.

PubMed

Fernández-Hernández, Antonia; Roig, Asunción; Serramiá, Nuria; Civantos, Concepción García-Ortiz; Sánchez-Monedero, Miguel A

2014-07-01

Composting is a method for preparing organic fertilizers that represents a suitable management option for the recycling of two-phase olive mill waste (TPOMW) in agriculture. Four different composts were prepared by mixing TPOMW with different agro-industrial by-products (olive pruning, sheep manure and horse manure), which were used either as bulking agents or as N sources. The mature composts were added during six consecutive years to a typical "Picual" olive tree grove in the Jaén province (Spain). The effects of compost addition on soil characteristics, crop yield and nutritional status and also the quality of the olive oil were evaluated at the end of the experiment and compared to a control treated only with mineral fertilization. The most important effects on soil characteristics included a significant increase in the availability of N, P, K and an increase of soil organic matter content. The application of TPOMW compost produced a significant increase in olive oil content in the fruit. The compost amended plots had a 15% higher olive oil content than those treatment with inorganic fertilization. These organics amendments maintained the composition and quality of the olive oil. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mercury behaviour and C, N, and P biogeochemical cycles during ecological restoration processes of old mining sites in French Guiana.

PubMed

Couic, Ewan; Grimaldi, Michel; Alphonse, Vanessa; Balland-Bolou-Bi, Clarisse; Livet, Alexandre; Giusti-Miller, Stéphanie; Sarrazin, Max; Bousserrhine, Noureddine

2018-04-25

Several decades of gold mining extraction activities in the Amazonian rainforest have caused deforestation and pollution. While ecological rehabilitation is essential for restoring biodiversity and decreasing erosion on deforested lands, few studies note the behaviour or toxicity of trace elements during the rehabilitation process. Our original study focused on the potential use of microbial activity and Hg speciation and compared them with As, Cu, Zn and Cr speciation in assessing the chemical and biological quality of ecological restoration efforts. We sampled two sites in French Guyana 17 years after rehabilitation efforts began. The former site was actively regenerated (R) with the leguminous species Clitoria racemosa and Acacia mangium, and the second site was passively regenerated with spontaneous vegetation (Sv). We also sampled soil from a control site without a history of gold mining (F). We performed microcosm soil experiments for 30 days, where trace element speciation and enzyme activities (i.e., FDA, dehydrogenase, β-glucosidase, urease, alkaline and acid phosphatase) were estimated to characterise the behaviour of trace elements and the soil microbial activity. As bioindicators, the use of soil microbial carbon biomass and soil enzyme activities related to the carbon and phosphorus cycles seems to be relevant for assessing soil quality in rehabilitated and regenerated old mining sites. Our results showed that restoration with leguminous species had a positive effect on soil chemical quality and on soil microbial bioindicators, with activities that tended toward natural non-degraded soil (F). Active restoration processes also had a positive effect on Hg speciation by reducing its mobility. While in Sv we found more exchangeable and soluble mercury, in regenerated sites, Hg was mostly bound to organic matter. These results also suggested that enzyme activities and mercury cycles are sensitive to land restoration and must be considered when evaluating the efficiency of restoration processes.

Evaluating ESA CCI soil moisture in East Africa.

PubMed

McNally, Amy; Shukla, Shraddhanand; Arsenault, Kristi R; Wang, Shugong; Peters-Lidard, Christa D; Verdin, James P

2016-06-01

To assess growing season conditions where ground based observations are limited or unavailable, food security and agricultural drought monitoring analysts rely on publicly available remotely sensed rainfall and vegetation greenness. There are also remotely sensed soil moisture observations from missions like the European Space Agency (ESA) Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) and NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP), however these time series are still too short to conduct studies that demonstrate the utility of these data for operational applications, or to provide historical context for extreme wet or dry events. To promote the use of remotely sensed soil moisture in agricultural drought and food security monitoring, we use East Africa as a case study to evaluate the quality of a 30+ year time series of merged active-passive microwave soil moisture from the ESA Climate Change Initiative (CCI-SM). Compared to the Normalized Difference Vegetation index (NDVI) and modeled soil moisture products, we found substantial spatial and temporal gaps in the early part of the CCI-SM record, with adequate data coverage beginning in 1992. From this point forward, growing season CCI-SM anomalies were well correlated (R>0.5) with modeled, seasonal soil moisture, and in some regions, NDVI. We use correlation analysis and qualitative comparisons at seasonal time scales to show that remotely sensed soil moisture can add information to a convergence of evidence framework that traditionally relies on rainfall and NDVI in moderately vegetated regions.

Soil organic carbon quality in forested mineral wetlands at different mean annual temperature.

Treesearch

Cinzia Fissore; Christian P. Giardina; Randall K. Kolka; Carl C. Trettin

2009-01-01

Forested mineral soil wetlands (FMSW) store large stocks of soil organic carbon (SOC), but little is known on: (i) whether the quality of SOC stored in these soils (proportion of active versus more resistant SOC compounds) differs from SOC in upland soils; (ii) how the quality of SOC in FMSW varies with mean annual temperature (MAT); and (iii) whether SOC decomposition...

Recreational Stream Crossing Effects on Sediment Delivery and Macroinvertebrates in Southwestern Virginia, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kidd, Kathryn R.; Aust, W. Michael; Copenheaver, Carolyn A.

2014-09-01

Trail-based recreation has increased over recent decades, raising the environmental management issue of soil erosion that originates from unsurfaced, recreational trail systems. Trail-based soil erosion that occurs near stream crossings represents a non-point source of pollution to streams. We modeled soil erosion rates along multiple-use (hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding) recreational trails that approach culvert and ford stream crossings as potential sources of sediment input and evaluated whether recreational stream crossings were impacting water quality based on downstream changes in macroinvertebrate-based indices within the Poverty Creek Trail System of the George Washington and Jefferson National Forest in southwestern Virginia, USA. We found modeled soil erosion rates for non-motorized recreational approaches that were lower than published estimates for an off-road vehicle approach, bare horse trails, and bare forest operational skid trail and road approaches, but were 13 times greater than estimated rates for undisturbed forests and 2.4 times greater than a 2-year old clearcut in this region. Estimated soil erosion rates were similar to rates for skid trails and horse trails where best management practices (BMPs) had been implemented. Downstream changes in macroinvertebrate-based indices indicated water quality was lower downstream from crossings than in upstream reference reaches. Our modeled soil erosion rates illustrate recreational stream crossing approaches have the potential to deliver sediment into adjacent streams, particularly where BMPs are not being implemented or where approaches are not properly managed, and as a result can negatively impact water quality below stream crossings.

Soil quality assessment using weighted fuzzy association rules

USGS Publications Warehouse

Xue, Yue-Ju; Liu, Shu-Guang; Hu, Yue-Ming; Yang, Jing-Feng

2010-01-01

Fuzzy association rules (FARs) can be powerful in assessing regional soil quality, a critical step prior to land planning and utilization; however, traditional FARs mined from soil quality database, ignoring the importance variability of the rules, can be redundant and far from optimal. In this study, we developed a method applying different weights to traditional FARs to improve accuracy of soil quality assessment. After the FARs for soil quality assessment were mined, redundant rules were eliminated according to whether the rules were significant or not in reducing the complexity of the soil quality assessment models and in improving the comprehensibility of FARs. The global weights, each representing the importance of a FAR in soil quality assessment, were then introduced and refined using a gradient descent optimization method. This method was applied to the assessment of soil resources conditions in Guangdong Province, China. The new approach had an accuracy of 87%, when 15 rules were mined, as compared with 76% from the traditional approach. The accuracy increased to 96% when 32 rules were mined, in contrast to 88% from the traditional approach. These results demonstrated an improved comprehensibility of FARs and a high accuracy of the proposed method.

Assessment of soil ecosystem in degraded areas of vineyards after organic treatments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Landi, Silvia; D'Errico, Giada; Gagnarli, Elena; Simoni, Sauro; Goggioli, Donatella; Guidi, Silvia; D'Avino, Lorenzo; Lagomarsino, Alessandra; Valboa, Giuseppe; Castaldini, Maurizio; Elio Agnelli, Alessandro; Fantappiè, Maria; Lorenzetti, Romina; Priori, Simone; Costantini, Edoardo A. C.

2017-04-01

In Italian vineyards, it is quite common to have areas characterized by problems in vine health, grape production and quality, often caused by improper land preparation before vine plantation and/or management. Causes for soil malfunctioning can include reduced contribution of the soil fauna to the ecosystem services such as nutrient cycles and organic matter turnover. ReSolVe is a transnational and interdisciplinary project, supported by Core-Organic+ program, aimed at testing the effects of selective agronomic strategies for restoring optimal soil functionality in degraded areas within organic vineyard. For this purpose, the evaluation and biomonitoring of the abundance of soil mesofauna, nematodes and microarthropods, represents an efficient tool to characterize the effects of crop management on soil quality. Assessing enzyme activities involved in the main biogeochemical cycling of C, N, P and S can also provide indication of soil functions and health status. Italian experimental plots are situated in two commercial farms in Tuscany: i) Fontodi, Panzano in Chianti (FI), which has been managed organically for more than 20 years and ii) San Disdagio, Roccastrada (GR), under organic farming since 2014. In each farm, three plots (250 m2 each) in the degraded areas and three relative control plots in the non-degraded areas were selected. The different restoring strategies implemented in each area were: i) compost, produced on farm by manure + pruning residue + grass, ii) faba bean and winter barley green manure, iii) dry mulching after sowing with Trifolium squarrosum L. Each treated and control plot has been studied for soil nematodes, microarthropods, enzymatic activity, and organic matter turnover using tea-bag index, as well as total organic carbon (TOC) and total nitrogen (TN). Soil sampling was carried out to 0-30 cm depth for TOC, TN, enzymes and nematodes and to 10 cm for microarthropods. Tea-bag index was determined following the Keuskamp et al. method (2013), in order to gather data on decomposition rate and litter stabilisation by using commercially available tea bags as standardised test kits. The extraction of nematodes and microarthropods were performed by the Bermann method and the Berlese-Tullgren selector, respectively. The biological soil quality was evaluated by the Maturity Index of nematodes (MI) and Biological Soil Quality index of microarthropods (QBSar). The results from soil sampling before restoring showed significantly lower values of SOC and TN in degraded areas, but no significant differences between degraded and non-degraded areas for enzymes, QBSar, nematode abundance and MI. Fontodi farm, under organic management since many years, showed significantly higher abundance of microarthropods, nematodes and enzymes than San Disdagio farm. The application of restoration techniques in 2016 showed a significant increase of TOC and TN only under compost addition treatment. As regards microarthropod communities, all the treatments showed a sensible increase in abundance and the conservation of high QBSar values. All the treatments increased the fungal feeder activity of nematodes and decreased the number of plant parasitic nematodes taxa. The major pest of grapes, the virus-vector Xiphinema index (Longidoridae), disappeared in the treated plots, whereas it remained in the control plots.

[Prediction of regional soil quality based on mutual information theory integrated with decision tree algorithm].

PubMed

Lin, Fen-Fang; Wang, Ke; Yang, Ning; Yan, Shi-Guang; Zheng, Xin-Yu

2012-02-01

In this paper, some main factors such as soil type, land use pattern, lithology type, topography, road, and industry type that affect soil quality were used to precisely obtain the spatial distribution characteristics of regional soil quality, mutual information theory was adopted to select the main environmental factors, and decision tree algorithm See 5.0 was applied to predict the grade of regional soil quality. The main factors affecting regional soil quality were soil type, land use, lithology type, distance to town, distance to water area, altitude, distance to road, and distance to industrial land. The prediction accuracy of the decision tree model with the variables selected by mutual information was obviously higher than that of the model with all variables, and, for the former model, whether of decision tree or of decision rule, its prediction accuracy was all higher than 80%. Based on the continuous and categorical data, the method of mutual information theory integrated with decision tree could not only reduce the number of input parameters for decision tree algorithm, but also predict and assess regional soil quality effectively.

[Immobilization remediation of Cd and Pb contaminated soil: remediation potential and soil environmental quality].

PubMed

Sun, Yue-Bing; Wang, Peng-Chao; Xu, Ying-Ming; Sun, Yang; Qin, Xu; Zhao, Li-Jie; Wang, Lin; Liang, Xue-Feng

2014-12-01

A pot experiment was conducted to investigate the immobilization remediation effects of sepiolite on soils artificially combined contamination by Cd and Pb using a set of various pH and speciation of Cd and Pb in soil, heavy metal concentration in Oryza sativa L., and soil enzyme activity and microbial quantity. Results showed that the addition of sepiolite increased the soil pH, and the exchangeable fraction of heavy metals was converted into Fe-Mn oxide, organic and residual forms, the concentration of exchangeable form of Cd and Pb reduced by 1.4% - 72.9% and 11.8% - 51.4%, respectively, when compared with the control. The contents of heavy metals decreased with increasing sepiolite, with the maximal Cd reduction of 39.8%, 36.4%, 55.2% and 32.4%, respectively, and 22.1%, 54.6%, 43.5% and 17.8% for Pb, respectively, in the stems, leaves, brown rice and husk in contrast to CK. The addition of sepiolite could improve the soil environmental quality, the catalase and urease activities and the amount of bacteria and actinomycete were increased to some extents. Although the fungi number and invertase activity were inhibited compared with the control group, it was not significantly different (P > 0.05). The significant correlation between pH, available heavy metal content, urease and invertase activities and heavy metal concentration in the plants indicated that these parameters could be used to evaluate the effectiveness of stabilization remediation of heavy metal contaminated soil.

Soil microbial properties after long-term swine slurry application to conventional and no-tillage systems in Brazil.

PubMed

Balota, Elcio L; Machineski, Oswaldo; Hamid, Karima I A; Yada, Ines F U; Barbosa, Graziela M C; Nakatani, Andre S; Coyne, Mark S

2014-08-15

Swine waste can be used as an agricultural fertilizer, but large amounts may accumulate excess nutrients in soil or contaminate the surrounding environment. This study evaluated long-term soil amendment (15 years) with different levels of swine slurry to conventional (plow) tillage (CT) and no tillage (NT) soils. Long-term swine slurry application did not affect soil organic carbon. Some chemical properties, such as calcium, base saturation, and aluminum saturation were significantly different within and between tillages for various application rates. Available P and microbial parameters were significantly affected by slurry addition. Depending on tillage, soil microbial biomass and enzyme activity increased up to 120 m(3) ha(-1) year(-1) in all application rates. The NT system had higher microbial biomass and activity than CT at all application levels. There was an inverse relationship between the metabolic quotient (qCO2) and MBC, and the qCO2 was 53% lower in NT than CT. Swine slurry increased overall acid phosphatase activity, but the phosphatase produced per unit of microbial biomass decreased. A comparison of data obtained in the 3rd and 15th years of swine slurry application indicated that despite slurry application the CT system degraded with time while the NT system had improved values of soil quality indicators. For these Brazilian oxisols, swine slurry amendment was insufficient to maintain soil quality parameters in annual crop production without additional changes in tillage management. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Urban and industrial land uses have a higher soil biological quality than expected from physicochemical quality.

PubMed

Joimel, Sophie; Schwartz, Christophe; Hedde, Mickaël; Kiyota, Sayuri; Krogh, Paul Henning; Nahmani, Johanne; Pérès, Guénola; Vergnes, Alan; Cortet, Jérôme

2017-04-15

Despite their importance both in soil functioning and as soil indicators, the response of microarthropods to various land uses is still unclear. The aim of this study is to assess the effect of land use on microarthropod diversity and determine whether a soil's biological quality follows the same physicochemical quality-based gradient from forest, agriculture-grassland, agriculture-arable land, vineyards, urban vegetable gardens to urban, industrial, traffic, mining and military areas. A database compiling the characteristics of 758 communities has been established. We calculated Collembola community indices including: species richness, Pielou's evenness index, collembolan life forms, the abundance of Collembola and of Acari, the Acari/Collembola abundance ratio, and the Collembolan ecomorphological index. Results show that agricultural land use was the most harmful for soil microarthropod biodiversity, whilst urban and industrial land uses give the same level of soil biological quality as forests do. Furthermore, differences between the proportions of Acari and ecomorphological groups were observed between land uses. This study, defining soil microarthropod diversity baselines for current land uses, should therefore help in managing and preserving soil microarthropod biodiversity, especially by supporting the preservation of soil quality. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Catchment-scale evaluation of environmental regulations in the agricultural sector in Ireland (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Melland, A. R.; Jordan, P.; Mellander, P.; Wall, D. J.; Buckley, C.; Mechan, S.; Shortle, G.

2010-12-01

The European Union (EU) Nitrates Directive regulations in Ireland limits the use of agricultural fertilisers to agronomic optima and aims to minimise surplus phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) losses to the aquatic environment. The legislated measures include limits on nutrient application according to soil P status, crop type and livestock intensity and restricts chemical and organic fertiliser spreading and ploughing to periods of the year with typically lower exposure of nutrients to runoff and leaching. These agricultural policies are being evaluated in an Agricultural Catchments Programme in six representative catchments dominated by moderate to high intensity grassland and arable enterprises across Ireland (Fealy et al., 2010). An experimental programme has been established to provide a baseline of farm nutrient management and water body quality during the early years of the measures and to provide estimates of trajectories towards (or otherwise) water quality targets. A ‘nutrient transfer continuum’ from source, through pathways, to delivery and impact in a water body receptor describes the different phases of diffuse pollution and is being used as a framework for evaluation. Compliance with Irish standards at different levels of the continuum is being evaluated and demonstrative studies are being conducted to provide evidence of linkages between source and delivery to validate conceptual models of P and N transfers in time and space in each catchment. Source compliance is being evaluated through census soil testing and a survey of nutrient management practice and farmyard infrastructure. Mobilisation and pathways of nutrient transfers do not have chemical standards except where a groundwater body acts as both a receptor and a pathway. To demonstrate these linkages, however, representative groundwater pathways are being monitored through piezometer, chemical end-member and tracer studies, and surface water pathways are being evaluated through subcatchment storm sampling and terrain analysis modelling. Delivery and impact compliance are being assessed against EU and Irish chemical and biological standards for water body receptors. Trajectories of change will be considered. For example the time for current policies to have an impact on biological water quality may be dependant on soil P status decline rates, mobilisation rates for P stores in waterways and rates of ecological response to change in the trophic status of water body receptors. The attitudes of farmer stakeholders towards the measures and the economic impacts of investment in infrastructure and changed management are also being evaluated. Some preliminary data are presented including scenarios that suggest a lack of connectivity between farm source and water quality compliance standards. Fealy, R.M., Buckley, C., Mechan, S., Melland, A., Mellander, P.-E., Shortle, G., Wall, D. and Jordan, P. 2010. The Irish Agricultural Catchments Programme: catchment selection using spatial multi-criteria decision analysis. Soil Use and Management.23:225-236

The Effect of paper mill waste and sewage sludge amendments on soil organic matter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Méndez, Ana; Barriga, Sandra; Guerrero, Francisca; Gascó, Gabriel

2013-04-01

In general, Mediterranean soils have low organic matter content, due to the climate characteristics of this region and inadequate land management. Traditionally, organic wastes such as manure are used as amendment in order to improve the soil quality, increasing soil fertility by the accumulation of nitrogen, phosphorus and other plant nutrients in the soil. In the last decade, other anthropogenic organic wastes such as sewage sludge or paper waste materials have been studied as soil amendments to improve physical, chemical and biological properties of soils. The objective of the present work was to study the influence of waste from a paper mill and sewage sludge amendments on soil organic matter. For this reason, soil organic matter evolution was studied using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), the derivative (dTG) and differential thermal analysis (DTA). Thermal analytical techniques have the advantage of using full samples without pre-treatments and have been extensively used to study the evolution of organic matter in soils, to evaluate composting process or to study the evolution of organic matter of growing media.

Review of remediation practices regarding cadmium-enriched farmland soil with particular reference to China.

PubMed

Tang, X; Li, Q; Wu, M; Lin, L; Scholz, M

2016-10-01

Cadmium-enrichment of farmland soil greatly threatens the sustainable use of soil resources and the safe cultivation of grain. This review paper briefly introduces the status of farmland soil as well as grain, which are both often polluted by cadmium (Cd) in China, and illustrates the major sources of Cd contaminants in farmland soil. In order to meet soil environmental quality standards and farmland environmental quality evaluation standards for edible agricultural products, Cd-enriched farmland soil is frequently remediated with the following prevailing techniques: dig and fill, electro-kinetic remediation, chemical elution, stabilisation and solidification, phytoremediation, field management and combined remediation. Most remediation techniques are still at the stage of small-scale trial experiments in China and few techniques are assessed in field trials. After comparing the technical and economical applicability among different Cd-enriched farmland soil remediation techniques, a novel ecological and hydraulic remediation technique has been proposed, which integrated the advantages of chemical elution, solidification and stabilisation, phytoremediation and field management. The ecological and hydraulic remediation concept is based on existing irrigation and drainage facilities, ecological ditches (ponds) and agronomic measures, which mainly detoxify the Cd-enriched soil during the interim period of crop cultivation, and guarantee the grain safety during its growth period. This technique may shift the challenge from soil to water treatment, and thus greatly enhances the remediation efficiency and shortens the remediation duration. Moreover, the proposed ecological and hydraulic remediation method matches well with the practical choice of cultivation while remediation for Cd-enriched soil in China, which has negligible impacts on the normal crop cultivation process, and thus shows great potential for large area applications. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Soil quality of a degraded urban area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Panico, Speranza; Memoli, Valeria; Maisto, Giulia; De Marco, Anna

2017-04-01

Human activities cause modifications of the soil characteristics, leading to a significant reduction of the soil fertility and quality. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationships between microbial activity or biomass and chemical characteristics (i.e. heavy metal and organic matter contents) of a degraded urban soil. The study area is located in an urban park (about 10 ha, called Quarantena) near to the Fusaro Lake of Campi Flegrei (Southern Italy); the Park was established in 1953 to shelter animals coming from any place of the Planet and execute veterinary checks before their delivery to different European zoos. In 1997, the park was abandoned and nowadays in it a large amount of urban wastes accumulates. Surface soils (0-10 cm) were sampled at three points: two of them covered by Holm Oak specimens (P1 and P2) and one covered by herbaceous species, particularly legumes (P3). P1 was localized at the border of the park and next to a busy road; P2 at the centre of the Quarantena Park; P3 at a gap area near the Fusaro Lake. The results showed that the soil sampled at P1 showed the highest Cr and Ni concentrations; the soil sampled at P3 had high levels of Cu and Pb, exceeding the threshold values of 100 µg g-1 d.w. fixed by the Italian law for urban soils, probably due to boat traffic, fishing practice and agricultural activities; the soil sampled at P2 had intermediate values of metal concentrations but the highest amount of organic matter (more than 20% d.w.). Despite of metal contamination, P1 and P3 showed higher soil microbial biomass and activity as compared to P2. Therefore, at this site, the organic matter accumulation could be due to the scarce litter degradation. In conclusion, although the studied area was not too large, a wide heterogeneity of soil quality (in terms of the investigated chemical and biological characteristics) was detected, depending on the local human impact.

Multisite evaluation of APEX for water quality: II. Regional parameterization

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Phosphorus (P) index assessment requires independent estimates of long-term average annual P loss from multiple locations, management practices, soils, and landscape positions. Because currently available measured data are insufficient, calibrated and validated process-based models have been propos...

Lots of legacy soil data are available, but which data do we need to collect for regional land use analysis?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hendriks, Chantal; Stoorvogel, Jetse; Claessens, Lieven

2015-04-01

In the past, soil surveying techniques were mainly developed for qualitative regional land use analysis (RLUA) like land evaluation and land use planning. Conventional soil survey techniques usually describe soil types according to a soil classification scheme (e.g. Soil Taxonomy and World Reference Base). These soil surveys met the requirements of qualitative land evaluation and land use planning. However, during the last decades there is an increased need for quantitative RLUA resulting in an increased demand for quantitative soil data. The rapid developments in computing technology and the availability of auxiliary information (e.g. remote sensing and digital elevation models) allowed for the development of new soil surveying techniques like digital soil mapping. These new soil surveying techniques aim to produce continuous maps of quantitative functional soil properties. However, RLUA nowadays requires soil data that include a description of the spatial variability of the entire pedon in which correlations between soil properties are retained. Current surveying techniques do not fully fulfil these requirements resulting in a gap between the supply and demand of soil data in RLUA. The gap is caused by the fact that legacy soil data are collected for different purposes and inherently have different assumptions on e.g., soil variability. In this study, some of these assumptions are tested and verified using primary soil data collected during a recent field survey in Machakos and Makueni County (Kenya). Subsequently an ongoing RLUA, the Global Yield Gap Atlas (GYGA) project, is taken as a case study to evaluate the effect of different sources of soil data on the results of the RLUA. The results of the study show that various assumptions underlying the soil survey hamper the quality requirements of soil data for the specific objectives of the RLUA. To give a few examples: mapping soil properties individually ignores correlations between them, soil properties differed significantly between natural and agricultural land, discrete soil mapping units described by a representative soil profile showed internal variability. None of the legacy datasets fitted the requirements of the RLUA. However, resources to collect additional primary soil data are limited. Evaluating legacy data allows us to identify the soil data that we need to collect. Legacy data lack information on e.g. soil management and effective rooting depth, while these data are often required for RLUA. This results in the use of assumptions, estimations and simplifications in a RLUA. The choice of legacy data has a profound effect on the results of a RLUA. The GYGA case study shows for example that different sources of soil input data can lead to differences in simulated water-limited maize yields of up to 3 ton/ha.

Testing the Visual Soil Assessment tool on Estonian farm fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reintam, Endla; Are, Mihkel; Selge, Are

2017-04-01

Soil quality estimation plays important role in decision making on farm as well on policy level. Sustaining the production ability and good health of the soil the chemical, physical and biological indicators should be taken into account. The system to use soil chemical parameters is usually quite well established in most European counties, including Estonia. However, measuring soil physical properties, such bulk density, porosity, penetration resistance, structural stability ect is time consuming, needs special tools and is highly weather dependent. In that reason these parameters are excluded from controllable quality parameters in policy in Estonia. Within the project "Interactive Soil Quality Assessment in Europe and China for Agricultural Productivity and Environmental Resilience" (iSQAPER) the visual soil assessment (VSA) tool was developed for easy detection of soil quality as well the different soil friendly agricultural management practices (AMP) were detected. The aim of current study was to test the VSA tool on Estonian farm fields under different management practices and compare the results with laboratory measurements. The main focus was set on soil physical parameters. Next to the VSA, the undisturbed soil samples were collected from the depth of 5-10 cm and 25-30 cm. The study revealed that results of a visually assessed soil physical parameters, such a soil structure, soil structural stability, soil porosity, presence of tillage pan, were confirmed by laboratory measurements in most cases. Soil water stable structure measurement on field (on 1 cm2 net in one 1 l box with 4-6 cm air dry clods for 5-10 min) underestimated very well structured soil on grassland and overestimated the structure aggregates stability of compacted soil. The slightly better soil quality was detected under no-tillage compared to ploughed soils. However, the ploughed soil got higher quality points compared with minimum tillage. The slurry application (organic manuring) had controversial impact - it increased the number of earthworms but decreased soil structural stability. Even the manuring with slurry increases organic matter amount in the soil, the compaction due to the use of heavy machinery during the application, especially on wet soil, reduces the positive effect of slurry.

soil organic matter pools and quality are sensitive to global climate change in tropical forests from India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mani, Shanmugam; Merino, Agustín; García-Oliva, Felipe; Riotte, Jean; Sukumar, Raman

2016-04-01

Soil organic carbon (SOC) storage and quality are some of the most important factors determining ecological process in tropical forests, which are especially sensitive to global climate change (GCC). In India, the GCC scenarios expect increasing of drought period and wildfire, which may affect the SOC, and therefore the capacity of forest for C sequestration. The aim of the study was to evaluate the amount of soil C and its quality in the mineral soil across precipitation gradient with different factors (vegetation, pH, soil texture and bedrock composition) for generate SOC predictions under GCC. Six soil samples were collected (top 10 cm depth) from 19 1-ha permanent plots in the Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary of southern India, which are characterised by four types of forest vegetation (i.e. dry thorn, dry deciduous, moist deciduous and semi-evergreen forest) distributed along to rainfall gradient. The driest sites are dominated by sandy soils, while the soil clay proportion increased in the wet sites. Total organic C (Leco CN analyser), and the SOM quality was assessed by Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and Solid-state 13CCP-MAS NMR analyses. Soil organic C was positively correlated with precipitation (R2 = 0.502, p<0.01) and with soil clay content (R2 =0.15, p<0.05), and negatively with soil sand content (R2=0.308, p<0.001) and with pH (R2=0.529, p<0.01); while the C/N was only found positive correlation with clay (R2= 0.350, p<0.01). The driest sites (dry thorn forest) has the lowest proportion of thermal combustion of recalcitrant organic matter (Q2,375-475 °C) than the other sites (p<0.05) and this SOC fraction correlated positively with rainfall (R2=0.27, p=0.01). The Q2 model with best fit included rainfall, pH, sand, clay, C and C/N (R2=0.52, p=0.01). Principal component analysis explains 77% of total variance. The sites on the fist component are distributed along the rainfall gradient. These results suggest that the 50% of variance was explained by precipitation and therefore vegetation type. Consequently, the drier sites has a lower C pools with a higher proportion of labile SOC fraction. As a consequence, we expect if the rainfall decreased by GCC could increase SOC mineralization, and therefore reducing the capacity of C sequestration within soil profile.

Evaluation of Water Quality Renovation by Advanced Soil-Based Wastewater Treatment Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cooper, J.; Loomis, G.; Kalen, D.; Boving, T.; Morales, I.; DeLuca, J.; Amador, J.

2013-12-01

25% of US households utilize onsite wastewater treatment systems (OWTS) for wastewater management. Advanced technologies were designed to overcome the inadequate wastewater treatment by conventional OWTS in critical shallow water table areas, such as coastal zones, in order to protect ground water quality. In addition to the septic tank and soil drainfield that comprise a conventional OWTS, advanced systems claim improved water renovation with the addition of sand filtration, timed dosing controls, and shallow placement of the infiltrative zone. We determined water quality renovation functions under current water table and temperature conditions, in anticipation of an experiment to measure OWTS response to a climate change scenario of 30-cm increase in water table elevation and 4C temperature increase. Replicate (n=3) intact soil mesocosms were used to evaluate the effectiveness of drainfields with a conventional wastewater delivery (pipe-and-stone) compared to two types of pressurized, shallow narrow drainfield. Results under steady state conditions indicate complete removal of fecal coliform bacteria, phosphorus and BOD by all soil-based systems. By contrast, removal of total nitrogen inputs was 16% in conventional and 11% for both advanced drainfields. Effluent waters maintained a steady state pH between 3.2 - 3.7 for all technologies. Average DO readings were 2.9mg/L for conventional drainfield effluent and 4.6mg/L for advanced, showing the expected oxygen uptake with shallow placement of the infiltrative zone. The conventional OWTS is outperforming the advanced with respect to nitrogen removal, but renovating wastewater equivalently for all other contaminants of concern. The results of this study are expected to facilitate development of future OWTS regulation and planning guidelines, particularly in coastal zones and in the face of a changing climate.

Effects of organic fertilisation on sweet orange bearing trees

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roccuzzo, Giancarlo; Torrisi, Biagio; Canali, Stefano; Intrigliolo, Francesco

2010-05-01

In a study realised over a five year period (2001-2006) on orange bearing trees [Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck] cv. ‘Valencia late', grafted on sour orange (C. aurantium L.), four fertiliser treatments were applied: citrus by-products compost (CB), poultry manure (PM), livestock waste compost (LW) and mineral fertiliser (MF), as control. The trees, with the exception of MF treatment, were organically grown since 1994 in the experimental farm of CRA-ACM in Lentini, Sicily, and received the same N input every year. The research objectives were to evaluate the effect of long term repeated organic fertilisers application on i) soil fertility; ii) citrus bearing trees nutritional status by means of leaf analysis and iii) yield and fruit quality, determining parameters currently utilized to evaluate sweet orange production either for fresh consumption and processing. The CB treatment showed significantly higher values of Corg in soil than MF treatment (about 30%). Corg in PM and LW treatments was higher than MF treatment (13% and 20%, respectively), but these differences were not statistically significant either from the control treatment nor from the soil fertilised with CB. Similar trend was showed by the humic and fulvic C being the values of the CB treatment significantly higher than the control. PM and LW treatments had intermediate values, without statistical significance. The long term addition to soil of a quality compost (CB) with high C/N ratio increased the level of nutrients wich usually show low availability for citrus plants (P, Fe, Zn, Mn), as demonstrated by leaf analysis. No significant difference was noticed as far as yield was concerned, whereas CB treatment enhanced some fruit quality parameters.

Climate and litter quality differently modulate the effects of soil fauna on litter decomposition across biomes

PubMed Central

García-Palacios, Pablo; Maestre, Fernando T.; Kattge, Jens; Wall, Diana H.

2015-01-01

Climate and litter quality have been identified as major drivers of litter decomposition at large spatial scales. However, the role played by soil fauna remains largely unknown, despite its importance for litter fragmentation and microbial activity. We synthesized litterbag studies to quantify the effect sizes of soil fauna on litter decomposition rates at the global and biome scales, and to assess how climate, litter quality and soil fauna interact to determine such rates. Soil fauna consistently enhanced litter decomposition at both global and biome scales (average increment ~27%). However, climate and litter quality differently modulated the effects of soil fauna on decomposition rates between biomes, from climate-driven biomes to those where climate effects were mediated by changes in litter quality. Our results advocate for the inclusion of biome-specific soil fauna effects on litter decomposition as a mean to reduce the unexplained variation in large-scale decomposition models. PMID:23763716

Effect of soil type and soil management on soil physical, chemical and biological properties in commercial organic olive orchards in Southern Spain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gomez, Jose Alfonso; Auxiliadora Soriano, Maria; Montes-Borrego, Miguel; Navas, Juan Antonio; Landa, Blanca B.

2014-05-01

One of the objectives of organic agriculture is to maintain and improve soil quality, while simultaneously producing an adequate yield. A key element in organic olive production is soil management, which properly implemented can optimize the use of rainfall water enhancing infiltration rates and controlling competition for soil water by weeds. There are different soil management strategies: eg. weed mowing (M), green manure with surface tillage in spring (T), or combination with animal grazing among the trees (G). That variability in soil management combined with the large variability in soil types on which organic olive trees are grown in Southern Spain, difficult the evaluation of the impact of different soil management on soil properties, and yield as well as its interpretation in terms of improvement of soil quality. This communications presents the results and analysis of soil physical, chemical and biological properties on 58 soils in Southern Spain during 2005 and 2006, and analyzed and evaluated in different studies since them. Those 58 soils were sampled in 46 certified commercial organic olive orchards with four soil types as well as 12 undisturbed areas with natural vegetation near the olive orchards. The four soil types considered were Eutric Regosol (RGeu, n= 16), Eutric Cambisol (CMeu, n=16), Calcaric Regosol (RGca, n=13 soils sampled) and Calcic Cambisol (CMcc), and the soil management systems (SMS) include were 10 light tillage (LT), 16 sheep grazing (G), 10 tillage (T), 10 mechanical mowing (M), and 12 undisturbed areas covered by natural vegetation (NV-C and NV-S). Our results indicate that soil management had a significant effect on olive yield as well as on key soil properties. Among these soil properties are physical ones, such as infiltration rate or bulk density, chemical ones, especially organic carbon concentration, and biological ones such as soil microbial respiration and bacterial community composition. Superimpose to that soil management induced variability, there was a strong interaction with soil type and climate conditions. There was also a relatively high variability within the same soil management and soil type class, indicating farm to farm variability in conditions and history of soil management. Based on this dataset two different approaches were taken to: A) evaluate the risk of soil degradation based on a limited set of soil properties, B) assess the effect of changes in SMS on soil biodiversity by using terminal restriction profiles (TRFs) derived from T-RFLP analysis of amplified 16S rDNA as. The results indicates the potential of both approaches to assess the risk of soil degradation (A) and the impact on soil biodiversity (B) upon appropriate benchmarking to characterize the interaction between soil management and soil type References Álvarez, S., Soriano, M.A., Landa, B.B., and Gómez, J.A. 2007. Soil properties in organic olive orchards compared with that in natural areas in a mountainous landscape in southern Spain. Soil Use Manage 23:404-416. Gómez, J.A., Álvarez, S., and Soriano, M.A. 2009. Development of a soil degradation assessment tool for organic olive groves in southern Spain. Catena 79:9-17. Landa, B.B., Montes-Borrego, M., Aranda, S., Soriano, M.A., Gómez, J.A., and Navas-Cortés, J.A. 2013. Soil factors involved in the diversity and structure of soil bacterial communities in commercial organic olive orchards in Southern Spain. Environmental Microbiology Reports (accepted) Soriano, M.A., Álvarez, S., Landa, B.B., and Gómez, J.A. 2013. Soil properties in organic olive orchards following different weed management in a rolling landscape of Andalusia, Spain. Renew Agr Food Syst (in press), doi:10.1017/S1742170512000361.

Grape yield and quality responses to simulated year 2100 expected climatic conditions under different soil textures.

PubMed

Leibar, Urtzi; Pascual, Inmaculada; Morales, Fermín; Aizpurua, Ana; Unamunzaga, Olatz

2017-06-01

The influence of global warming on grape quality is a great concern among grapegrowers and enologists. The effects of simulated year 2100 expected CO 2 , temperature and relative humidity (RH) conditions (FCC; 700 µmol CO 2 mol -1 air, 28/18 °C day/night and 33/53% RH, day/night) versus the current situation (Curr; 390 µmol CO 2 mol -1 air, 24/14 °C and 45/65% RH); well-irrigated versus expected future water deficit and three soils with different clay contents (41, 19 and 8%) on yield and berry quality of grapevine cv. Tempranillo were evaluated. FCC shortened the time between fruit set and veraison and between fruit set and maturity by up to 7 and 10 days, respectively. This faster maturity led to higher must pH and tonality and reduced malic and tartaric acid concentrations, total anthocyanin concentration and colour intensity. Water deficit delayed ripeness for up to 9 days and reduced vegetative growth and malic acid concentration of grapes. However, this malic acid reduction did not occur with the clayey soils. These soils induced the lowest root fresh weight and berries with lower total anthocyanin concentration. Among the adaptation techniques to cope with the described effects on fruit composition, soil selection should be considered with attention in addition to irrigation practices. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

Analysis of water retention curve as a potential tool in comparing the effect of different soil management in two olive orchard in southern Spain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guzmán, G.; Gómez, J. A.; Giráldez, J. V.

2010-05-01

Water soil erosion is one of the major concerns in agricultural areas in Southern Spain, and the use of cover crops has been recommended as an alternative to tillage to prevent, or mitigate, soil erosion. This change of soil management implies a progressive modification of soil chemical, biological and physical properties which to date, have been documented by a limited number of studies. In this communication we describe a methodology based on the modification of the water retention curves of intact cores, present the results obtained in two olive orchards in Southern Spain, and compare them with several chemical and physical properties measured simultaneously in the orchards. The experimental areas were located in Benacazón and Pedrera, Seville province in Southern Spain, and at each location two experimental plots were established. One of the plots was under traditional tillage management and the other under cover crop soil management. The slope at the plots was 12 and 4% respectively. Soil samples were taken at both plots differentiating between the inter tree areas and the under the olive canopy areas, between two different depths: 0-10 cm and 10-20 cm. These resulted in eight different sampling areas (2x2x2). Samples were taken three year after establishing the experiments. Water retention curves of soils were obtained as the average of replications per and using the Eijkelkamp Sand and Sand/Kaolin suction tables (0-500 hPa) and a Decagon's WP4-T dewpoint potentiometer (0-300•106 hPa). The latest was used to determine the residual water content. Experimental water retention curves were to two different models: van Genuchten (1980) and Kosugi (1994). Once modeling was done, the slope value of the curves at the inflexion point, proposed by Dexter (2004a, b, c) to estimate physical quality of soils, was calculated. This study presents and discusses the advantages and problems of the different approaches for determining the water retention curves, the potential of these curves to evaluate physical modifications of the soils, and compares them with the other soil properties measured at the experiments. References: Dexter, A. R. 2004. a.- Soil physical quality. Part I. Theory, effects of soil texture, density, and organic matter, and effects on root growth. Geoderma 120 (2004) 201-214. Dexter, A. R. 2004. b.- Soil physical quality. Part II. Friability, tillage, tilth and hardsetting. Geoderma 120 (2004) 215-225. Dexter, A. R. 2004. c.- Soil physical quality. Part III: Unsaturated hydraulic conductivity and general conclusions about S-theory. Geoderma 120 (2004) 227-239. Kosugi, K. 1994. Three-parameter lognormal distribution model for soil water retention. Water Resour. Re. 30: 891-901. van Genutchen, M.Th. A closed-form equation for predicting the hydraulic conductivity of unsaturated soils, Soil Science Society of America Journal, v.44, p.892-898,1980.

How grazing affects soil quality of soils formed in the glaciated northeastern United States.

PubMed

Cox, Alissa H; Amador, José A

2018-02-21

Historically, much of the New England landscape was converted to pasture for grazing animals and harvesting hay. Both consumer demand for local sustainably produced food, and the number of small farms is increasing in RI, highlighting the importance of characterizing the effects livestock have on the quality of pasture soils. To assess how livestock affect pasture on Charlton and Canton soils series in RI, we examined soil quality in farms raising beef cattle (Bos taurus), sheep (Ovis aries), and horses (Equus ferus caballus), using hayed pastures as a control. We sampled three pastures per livestock type and three control hayed pastures in May, August, and October 2012. Hay fields and pastures grazed by sheep had statistically significant (P < 0.001) better soil quality than pastures grazed by beef cattle or horses. This was driven by parameters including penetration resistance, bulk density, aggregate stability, and infiltration rate. Hayfields also showed higher soil quality measures than grazed pastures for organic matter content and active C. In addition, significant differences in nitrate and phosphate concentrations were observed among livestock types. Respiration and infiltration rates, pH, and ammonium concentrations, on the other hand, did not differ significantly among pasture types. When all soil quality indicators in this study were weighed equally, soil quality scores followed the order: hay > sheep > beef cattle > horses. The results of our study provide baseline data on the effect different types of livestock have on pasture soil quality in RI, which may be useful in making sound land use and agricultural management decisions.

Evaluating the Effect of Three Water Management Techniques on Tomato Crop.

PubMed

Elnesr, Mohammad Nabil; Alazba, Abdurrahman Ali; Zein El-Abedein, Assem Ibrahim; El-Adl, Mahmoud Maher

2015-01-01

The effects of three water management techniques were evaluated on subsurface drip irrigated tomatoes. The three techniques were the intermittent flow (3 pulses), the dual-lateral drip system (two lateral lines per row, at 15 and 25 cm below soil surface), and the physical barrier (buried at 30 cm below soil surface). Field experiments were established for two successive seasons. Water movement in soil was monitored using continuously logging capacitance probes up to 60 cm depth. The results showed that the dual lateral technique positively increased the yield up to 50%, water use efficiency up to 54%, while the intermittent application improved some of the quality measures (fruit size, TSS, and Vitamin C), not the quantity of the yield that decreased in one season, and not affected in the other. The physical barrier has no significant effect on any of the important growth measures. The soil water patterns showed that the dual lateral method lead to uniform wetting pattern with depth up to 45 cm, the physical barrier appeared to increase lateral and upward water movement, while the intermittent application kept the wetting pattern at higher moisture level for longer time. The cost analysis showed also that the economic treatments were the dual lateral followed by the intermittent technique, while the physical barrier is not economical. The study recommends researching the effect of the dual lateral method on the root growth and performance. The intermittent application may be recommended to improve tomato quality but not quantity. The physical barrier is not recommended unless in high permeable soils.

In-situ biochar application conserves nutrients while simultaneously mitigating runoff and erosion of an Fe-oxide-enriched tropical soil.

PubMed

Lee, Chia-Hsing; Wang, Chung-Chi; Lin, Huan-Hsuan; Lee, Sang Soo; Tsang, Daniel C W; Jien, Shih-Hao; Ok, Yong Sik

2018-04-01

Climate change gives rise to rapid degradation of rural soils in sloping subtropical and tropical areas and might further threaten environmental sustainability. In this study, we conducted an integrated evaluation of the effects of wood biochar (WB) application mixed with a green waste dreg compost (GWC) on runoff quality, soil losses, and agricultural productivity for a highly weathered tropical soil. A conventional agriculture method, in which soils are treated with anionic polyacrylamide (PAM), was also conducted for comparison. The amounts of runoff and soil loss, and nutrient retention were evaluated a year after WB application. Soil fertility was also investigated through a year pot experiment with rape (Brassica campestris L.) cultivation. Our results showed that the WB application not only effectively increased soil pH, soil organic carbon (SOC) and exchangeable K + but also increased the production of rape plants. Significant reduction of runoff and the increases of inorganic nitrogen (IN) and total phosphorus (TP) were found in the WB-treated soil. Compared to the control, the co-application of WB and GWC, particularly for the WB at 4%, decreased runoff by 16.8%, soil loss by 25%, and IN loss (via runoff) by 41.8%. Meanwhile, compared to the control and PAM treatments, the co-application of WB and GWC improved soil acidity and the contents of SOC, IN, TP, and exchangeable K + . The co-application of WB and GWC could be an alternative agricultural strategy to obtain benefits to agricultural productivity and environmental sustainability. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

In Field Monitoring of Potential Detrimental Effects of Biofuels Production on Soil Quality

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Soil organic carbon (SOC) content is recognized as a soil quality indicator that is susceptible to degradation with tillage and with biomass removal from the soil surface. In addition to reported benefits of leaving crop residue on the soil surface in preventing soil erosion, providing plant nutrien...

Soil microbial diversity and activity linked to crop yield and quality in a dryland organic wheat production system

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

One of the primary goals of organic agriculture is increasing soil quality through the enhancement of soil biological diversity and activity. Greater soil microbial activity and diversity increase soil organic matter turnover and contribute to soil fertility, one of the main challenges associated wi...

Impacts of biofuel expansion on soil quality and carbon dynamics in a central Iowa watershed

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Crop residues (plant litter) on the soil surface helps decrease soil erosion, increase water infiltration, increase soil organic matter, and improve soil quality. Thus, management of crop residues is an integral part of most conservation tillage systems. Crop residue cover is used to classify soil t...

Improvements to measuring water flux in the vadose zone.

PubMed

Masarik, Kevin C; Norman, John M; Brye, Kristofor R; Baker, John M

2004-01-01

Evaluating the impact of land use practices on ground water quality has been difficult because few techniques are capable of monitoring the quality and quantity of soil water flow below the root zone without disturbing the soil profile and affecting natural flow processes. A recently introduced method, known as equilibrium tension lysimetry, was a major improvement but it was not a true equilibrium since it still required manual intervention to maintain proper lysimeter suction. We addressed this issue by developing an automated equilibrium tension lysimeter (AETL) system that continuously matches lysimeter tension to soil-water matric potential of the surrounding soil. The soil-water matric potential of the bulk soil is measured with a heat-dissipation sensor, and a small DC pump is used to apply suction to a lysimeter. The improved automated approach reported here was tested in the field for a 12-mo period. Powered by a small 12-V rechargeable battery, the AETLs were able to continuously match lysimeter suction to soil-water matric potential for 2-wk periods with minimal human attention, along with the added benefit of collecting continuous soil-water matric potential data. We also demonstrated, in the laboratory, methods for continuous measurement of water depth in the AETL, a capability that quantifies drainage on a 10-min interval, making it a true water-flux meter. Equilibrium tension lysimeters have already been demonstrated to be a reliable method of measuring drainage flux, and the further improvements have created a more effective device for studying water drainage and chemical leaching through the soil matrix.

Aggregate stability as an indicator of soil erodibility and soil physical quality: review and perspectives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Le Bissonnais, Yves; Chenu, Claire; Darboux, Frédéric; Duval, Odile; Legout, Cédric; Leguédois, Sophie; Gumiere, Silvio

2010-05-01

Aggregate breakdown due to water and rain action may cause surface crusting, slumping, a reduction of infiltration and interrill erosion. Aggregate stability determines the capacity of aggregates to resist the effects of water and rainfall. In this paper, we evaluated and reviewed the relevance of an aggregate stability measurement to characterize soil physical properties as well as to analyse the processes involved in these properties. Stability measurement assesses the sensitivity of soil aggregates to various basic disaggregation mechanisms such as slaking, differential swelling, dispersion and mechanical breakdown. It has been showed that aggregate size distributions of structural stability tests matched the size distributions of eroded aggregates under rainfall simulations and that erosion amount was well predicted using aggregate stability indexes. It means stability tests could be used to estimate both the erodibility and the size fractions that are available for crust formation and erosion processes. Several studies showed that organic matter was one of the main soil properties affecting soil stability. However, it has also been showed that aggregate stability of a given soil could vary within a year or between years. The factors controlling such changes have still to be specified. Aggregate stability appears therefore as a complex property, depending both on permanent soil characteristics and on dynamic factors such as the crusting stage, the climate and the biological activity. Despite, and may be, because of this complexity, aggregate stability seems an integrative and powerful indicator of soil physical quality. Future research efforts should look at the causes of short-term changes of structural stability, in order to fully understand all its aspects.

Soil quality: Some basic considerations and case studies

Treesearch

Dale W. Johnson

2010-01-01

Some fundamental properties of soils that pertain to the concept of soil quality are discussed including a discussion of what can and cannot be changed with management.Case studies showing the effects of N-fixing vegetation and N-enrichment effects on invasive species are provided to illustrate the complications that may arise from applying one soil quality standard to...

Estimating Soil Organic Carbon Stocks and Spatial Patterns with Statistical and GIS-Based Methods

PubMed Central

Zhi, Junjun; Jing, Changwei; Lin, Shengpan; Zhang, Cao; Liu, Qiankun; DeGloria, Stephen D.; Wu, Jiaping

2014-01-01

Accurately quantifying soil organic carbon (SOC) is considered fundamental to studying soil quality, modeling the global carbon cycle, and assessing global climate change. This study evaluated the uncertainties caused by up-scaling of soil properties from the county scale to the provincial scale and from lower-level classification of Soil Species to Soil Group, using four methods: the mean, median, Soil Profile Statistics (SPS), and pedological professional knowledge based (PKB) methods. For the SPS method, SOC stock is calculated at the county scale by multiplying the mean SOC density value of each soil type in a county by its corresponding area. For the mean or median method, SOC density value of each soil type is calculated using provincial arithmetic mean or median. For the PKB method, SOC density value of each soil type is calculated at the county scale considering soil parent materials and spatial locations of all soil profiles. A newly constructed 1∶50,000 soil survey geographic database of Zhejiang Province, China, was used for evaluation. Results indicated that with soil classification levels up-scaling from Soil Species to Soil Group, the variation of estimated SOC stocks among different soil classification levels was obviously lower than that among different methods. The difference in the estimated SOC stocks among the four methods was lowest at the Soil Species level. The differences in SOC stocks among the mean, median, and PKB methods for different Soil Groups resulted from the differences in the procedure of aggregating soil profile properties to represent the attributes of one soil type. Compared with the other three estimation methods (i.e., the SPS, mean and median methods), the PKB method holds significant promise for characterizing spatial differences in SOC distribution because spatial locations of all soil profiles are considered during the aggregation procedure. PMID:24840890

Soil cover patterns influence on the land environmental functions, agroecological quality, land-use and monitoring efficiency in the Central Russia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vasenev, Ivan; Yashin, Ivan; Lukin, Sergey; Valentini, Riccardo

2015-04-01

First decades of XXI century actualized for soil researches the principal methodical problem of most modern geosciences: what spatial and temporal scale would be optimal for land quality evaluation and land-use practice optimizing? It is becoming obvious that this question cannot have one solution and have to be solved with especial attention on the features of concrete region and landscape, land-use history and practical issues, land current state and environmental functions, soil cover patterns and variability, governmental requirements and local society needs, best available technologies and their potential profitability. Central Russia is one of the most dynamical economic regions with naturally high and man-made complicated landscape and soil cover variability, long-term land-use history and self-contradictory issues, high potential of profitable farming and increased risks of land degradation. Global climate and technological changes essentially complicate the originally high and sharply increased in XX century farming land heterogeneity in the Central Russia that actualizes system analysis of its zonal, intra-zonal and azonal soil cover patterns according to their influence on land environmental functions, agroecological quality, and land-use and monitoring efficiency variability. Developed by the Laboratory of agroecological monitoring, ecosystem modeling & prediction (LAMP / RTSAU with support of RF Governmental projects #11.G34.31.0079 and #14.120.14.4266) regional systems of greenhouse gases environmental monitoring RusFluxNet (6 fixed & 1 mobile eddy covariance stations with zonal functional sets of key plots with chamber investigations in 5 Russian regions) and of agroecological monitoring (in representative key plots with different farming practice in 9 RF regions) allow to do this analysis in frame of enough representative regional multi-factorial matrix of soil cover patterns, bioclimatic conditions, landscape features, and land-use history and current practice versions. Well-elaborated monitoring collaboration with the principal natural reserves in south-taiga and forest-steppe zones provides process-based interaction with long-term data on zonal climatic, landscape and soil features necessary to test the process, functional and evaluation models in the specific conditions of each bioclimatic zone. The dominated erosion and dehumification trends have been essentially activated for last 3-4 decades due to hu¬mus negative balance around 0.6-0.7 t ha-1year-1 and connected disaggregation with annual rate between 1 and 25 g/kg for aggregates 10-0.25 mm. "Standard" monitoring objects and regionally generalized data showed characteristic for Chernozems 2-2.5 % humus drop during this period and active processes of CO2 emission and humus eluvial-illuvial profile redistribution too. Forest-steppe Chernozems are usually characterized by higher stability than steppe ones. The ratio between erosive and biological losses in humus stock can be ten¬tatively estimated as fifty-fifty with essential variability within slope landscape. Both these processes have essential impacts on different sets of soil environmental and agroecological functions (including atmospheric air, surface and ground water quality, biodiversity and profitability) that we need to understand and predict. A drop of humus content below threshold values (for different soils between 1.5 and 6%) considerably reduces not only soil environmental regulation functions but also effectiveness of used fertilizers, crop yield quality and possibility of sustainable agricultural land-use. The carried out long-term researches of representative natural, rural and urban landscapes in Tver, Yaroslavl, Vladimir, Moscow, Kaluga, Kursk, Belgorod, Tambov, Voronezh and Saratov regions give us validation and ranging of the limiting factors of the elementary soil cover patterns current features and transformation processes, environmental functions and agroecological quality, monitoring results functional interpretation, spatial and temporal interpolation and extrapolation. These data allow essentially improve our understanding and quantitative assessments of the regional and within-field variability of land agroecological and environmental functions that is crucial for agroecosystem services evaluation, current and planned land-use environmental impacts, and DSS development for land-use agroecological optimizing taking into attention the regional and local landscapes features and most realistic scenarios of climate change and agro-technology transfer. Developed and verified within the project regionally adapted DSS (ACORD-R - RF #2012612944) gives effective informational and methodological support for land-use agroecological optimization.

Ecotoxicity assessment of artificial groundwater recharge with reclaimed water: a pilot-scale study.

PubMed

Zhang, Xue; Zhao, Xuan

2013-11-01

A demonstration of artificial groundwater recharge with tertiary effluent was evaluated using a set of bioassays (acute toxicity to Daphnia, genotoxicity, estrogenic and antiestrogenic toxicity). Around 95 % genotoxicity and 53 % antiestrogenicity were removed from the feed water by ozonation, whereas significant reduction of acute toxicity to Daphnia magna was achieved during a 3 days vadose soil treatment. The toxicity was further removed to the same level as the local groundwater during a 20 days aquifer soil treatment. The pilot study has shown that ozonation and soil treatments can improve the quality of municipal wastewater treatment plant effluents for possible groundwater recharge purposes.

[Spatial variability and evaluation of soil heavy metal contamination in the urban-transect of Shanghai].

PubMed

Liu, Yun-Long; Zhang, Li-Jia; Han, Xiao-Fei; Zhuang, Teng-Fei; Shi, Zhen-Xiang; Lu, Xiao-Zhe

2012-02-01

Soil heavy metal concentrations along the typical urban-transect in Shanghai were analyzed to indicate the effect of urbanization and industrialization on soil environment quality. Spatial variation structure and distribution of 5 heavy metals (Cu, Cr, Mn, Pb and Zn) in the top soil of urban-transect were analyzed. The single pollution index and the composite pollution index were used to evaluate the soil heavy metal pollution. The results showed that the average concentrations of the Cu, Pb, Zn, Cr, Mn were 27.80, 28.86, 99.36, 87.72, 556.97 mg x kg(-1), respectively. Cu, Cr, Mn, Pb and Zn were medium in variability, Mn was distributed lognormally, while Cu, Cr, Pb and Zn were distributed normally. The results of semivariance analysis showed that Mn was fit for the exponential model, Cr, Pb, Cu and Zn were fit for the linear model. The spatial distribution maps of heavy metal content of the topsoil in this city-transect were produced by means of the universal kriging interpolation. Cu was spatially distributed in ribbon, Cr and Mn were distributed in island, while the spatial distribution of Pb and Zn showed the mixed characteristic of ribbon and island. With the result of soil pollution evaluation, it showed that the pollution of Cr, Zn and Pb was relatively severe. Cr, Zn, Pb, Mn and Cu were significantly correlated, and heavy metal co-contamination existed in soil. Difference of soil heavy metals pollution along "Urban-suburban-rural" was obvious, the special variation of heavy metal concentrations in the soil closely related to the degree of industrialization and urbanization of the city.

Long-term Effect of Pig Slurry Application on Soil Carbon Storage, Quality and Yield Sustainability in Murcia Region, Spain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Büyükkılıç Yanardaǧ, Asuman

2013-04-01

Sustainability of agriculture is now a major global concern, especially since the 1980s. Soil organic matter is very important in the proper functions of the soil, which is also a good indicator of soil quality. This is due to its influence on many of the chemical, physical, and biological processes that control the capacity of a soil to perform properly. Understanding of nutrient supply through organic matter mineralization in agricultural systems is essential for maintaining long-term quality and productivity. The composition of pig manure will have a profound impact on soil properties, quality and crop yield when used in agriculture. We studied the effects of pig slurry (PS) application as an organic fertilizer, trying to determine the optimum amount that can be added to the soil, and the effect on soil properties, quality, and productivity. We applied 3 different doses on silty loam soils: Single (D1), Double (D2), Triple (D3) and unfertilized plots (C) served as controls. Samples were collected at two different levels, surface (0-30 cm) and subsurface (30-60 cm). D1 application dose, which is the agronomic rate of N-requirement (170 kg N/ha/yr) (European Directive 91/676/CEE), is very appropriate in term of sustainable agriculture and also can improve physical, chemical and biological soil properties. Therefore that the long-term use of PS with low dose may necessarily enhance soil quality in the long term. There are many factors to be considered when attempting to assess the overall net impact of a management practice on productivity. Additions of pig manure to soils at agronomic rates (170 kg N ha-1 yr-1) to match crop nutrient requirements are expected to have a positive impact on soil productivity. Therefore, the benefits from the use of application depend on the management of PS, carbon and environmental quality. However, PS have high micronutrient contents, and for this reason the application of high doses can pollute soils and damage human, animal and plant health, which is not suitable in term of sustainable agriculture. Keywords: Management, Pig slurry, Productivity, Quality, Soil.

A Quick-Test for Biochar Effects on Seed Germination ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Biochar is being globally evaluated as a soil amendment to improve soil characteristics (e.g. soil water holding, nutrient exchange, microbiology, pesticides and chemical availability) to increase crop yields. Unfortunately, there are no quick tests to determine what biochar types are most effective at improving soil characteristics amenable for higher crop yields. Seed germination is a critical parameter for plant establishment and may be a quick indicator of biochar quality. We adapted Oregon State University Seed Laboratory procedures to develop a “quick-test” for screening the effects of biochar on seed germination. We used 11.0 cm rectangular x 3.5 cm deep containers fitted with blotter paper. The paper was premoistened with reverse-osmosis water, followed by placement of seeds (25 in a uniform 5 x 5 vacuum-assisted pattern, and biochar mixtures). A Norfolk and Coxville soil series from South Carolina were used. A total of 18 biochars were evaluated that were produced from 6 feedstocks (pine chips, poultry litter, swine solids, switchgrass, and two blends of pine chips and poultry litter); with biochar from each feedstock made by pyrolysis at 350, 500 and 700 ̊ C. Crops were cabbage, cucumber, onion, ryegrass and tomato. Preliminary results from the test indicated differences in seed germination due to soil type and possibly soil x biochar feedstock interactions. Other measurements including shoot dry weight per plate and pH of the soil+ biochar mixtur

A Soil Service Index: a method for quantifying the value, vulnerability, and status of soil resources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harden, J. W.; Loisel, J.; Hugelius, G.; Sulman, B. N.; Bond-Lamberty, B. P.; Abramoff, R. Z.; Malhotra, A.; Gill, A. L.

2017-12-01

Soils support ecological and human systems by providing a physical and biogeochemical basis for plant growth, ecological functions, water quality, and water storage, and by providing services and functions needed for economic development, human well-being, and conservation of natural resources. Quantitative evaluation of soil services, however, is inconsistent and poorly communicated, in part because we lack a scientific, unified basis for evaluating soils and their potential for serving our needs. We introduce an index of soil service (SSI) in which multiple services are numerically or quantitatively assessed, normalized to a unit-less scale for purposes of intercomparability, and evaluated for a given site or region. Services include organic matter and/or organic carbon storage; plant productivity; CO2 or GHG exchange with the atmosphere; water storage capacity; and nutrient storage and/or availability. The status of SSI can be evaluated by individual services or by a composite index that combines multiple services. The status can be monitored over time; and key services that are more highly valued for a given soil can be weighted accordingly in comparison to other services. As a first step, existing data for each service are captured from a literature and data review in order to establish the full range of values. A site value establishes the ranking relative to the full range. Key services are weighted according to local values. A final index is the sum of the normalized, weighted products. Metrics can be updated and adapted as new data or services are discovered or recognized. Metrics can be used to compare among sites, regions, or time periods.

An invisible soil acidification: Critical role of soil carbonate and its impact on heavy metal bioavailability

PubMed Central

Wang, Cheng; Li, Wei; Yang, Zhongfang; Chen, Yang; Shao, Wenjing; Ji, Junfeng

2015-01-01

It is well known that carbonates inhibit heavy metals transferring from soil to plants, yet the mechanism is poorly understood. Based on the Yangtze River delta area, we investigated bioaccumulation of Ni and Cd in winter wheat as affected by the presence of carbonates in soil. This study aimed to determine the mechanism through which soil carbonates restrict transport and plant uptake of heavy metals in the wheat cropping system. The results indicate that soil carbonates critically influenced heavy metal transfer from soil to plants and presented a tipping point. Wheat grains harvested from carbonates-depleted (due to severe leaching) soils showed Ni and Cd concentrations 2–3 times higher than those of the wheat grains from carbonates-containing soils. Correspondingly, the incidence of Ni or Cd contamination in the wheat grain samples increased by about three times. With the carbonate concentration >1% in soil, uptake and bioaccumulation of Ni and Cd by winter wheat was independent with the soil pH and carbonate content. The findings suggest that soil carbonates play a critical role in heavy metal transfer from soil to plants, implying that monitoring soil carbonate may be necessary in addition to soil pH for the evaluating soil quality and food safety. PMID:26227091

SITEQUAL--A User's Guide: Computerized Site Evaluation for 14 Southern Hardwood Species

Treesearch

Constance A. Harrington; Bettina M. Casson

1986-01-01

An interactive computer program, SITEQUAL, has been developed from the widely-used Baker and Broadfoot field guides, which evaluate site quality for 14 southern hardwood tree species. The SITEQUAL program calculates site index for all species simultaneously and provides a breakdown of site index into the component contributions by each of the four major soil factors...

Effects of inorganic and organic amendment on soil chemical properties, enzyme activities, microbial community and soil quality in yellow clayey soil.

PubMed

Liu, Zhanjun; Rong, Qinlei; Zhou, Wei; Liang, Guoqing

2017-01-01

Understanding the effects of external organic and inorganic components on soil fertility and quality is essential for improving low-yielding soils. We conducted a field study over two consecutive rice growing seasons to investigate the effect of applying chemical fertilizer (NPK), NPK plus green manure (NPKG), NPK plus pig manure (NPKM), and NPK plus straw (NPKS) on the soil nutrient status, enzyme activities involved in C, N, P, and S cycling, microbial community and rice yields of yellow clayey soil. Results showed that the fertilized treatments significantly improved rice yields over the first three experimental seasons. Compared with the NPK treatment, organic amendments produced more favorable effects on soil productivity. Notably, the NPKM treatment exhibited the highest levels of nutrient availability, microbial biomass carbon (MBC), activities of most enzymes and the microbial community. This resulted in the highest soil quality index (SQI) and rice yield, indicating better soil fertility and quality. Significant differences in enzyme activities and the microbial community were observed among the treatments, and redundancy analysis showed that MBC and available N were the key determinants affecting the soil enzyme activities and microbial community. The SQI score of the non-fertilized control (0.72) was comparable to that of the NPK (0.77), NPKG (0.81) and NPKS (0.79) treatments but significantly lower compared with NPKM (0.85). The significant correlation between rice yield and SQI suggests that SQI can be a useful to quantify soil quality changes caused by different agricultural management practices. The results indicate that application of NPK plus pig manure is the preferred option to enhance SOC accumulation, improve soil fertility and quality, and increase rice yield in yellow clayey soil.

Effects of inorganic and organic amendment on soil chemical properties, enzyme activities, microbial community and soil quality in yellow clayey soil

PubMed Central

Liu, Zhanjun; Rong, Qinlei; Zhou, Wei; Liang, Guoqing

2017-01-01

Understanding the effects of external organic and inorganic components on soil fertility and quality is essential for improving low-yielding soils. We conducted a field study over two consecutive rice growing seasons to investigate the effect of applying chemical fertilizer (NPK), NPK plus green manure (NPKG), NPK plus pig manure (NPKM), and NPK plus straw (NPKS) on the soil nutrient status, enzyme activities involved in C, N, P, and S cycling, microbial community and rice yields of yellow clayey soil. Results showed that the fertilized treatments significantly improved rice yields over the first three experimental seasons. Compared with the NPK treatment, organic amendments produced more favorable effects on soil productivity. Notably, the NPKM treatment exhibited the highest levels of nutrient availability, microbial biomass carbon (MBC), activities of most enzymes and the microbial community. This resulted in the highest soil quality index (SQI) and rice yield, indicating better soil fertility and quality. Significant differences in enzyme activities and the microbial community were observed among the treatments, and redundancy analysis showed that MBC and available N were the key determinants affecting the soil enzyme activities and microbial community. The SQI score of the non-fertilized control (0.72) was comparable to that of the NPK (0.77), NPKG (0.81) and NPKS (0.79) treatments but significantly lower compared with NPKM (0.85). The significant correlation between rice yield and SQI suggests that SQI can be a useful to quantify soil quality changes caused by different agricultural management practices. The results indicate that application of NPK plus pig manure is the preferred option to enhance SOC accumulation, improve soil fertility and quality, and increase rice yield in yellow clayey soil. PMID:28263999

Distinguishing the influence of soil organic matter quality from that of environmental constraints in controlling soil heterotrophic respiration along a continental network of sites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pare, D.; Bernier, P. Y.; Trofymow, J. A.; Moore, T. R.

2011-12-01

The forest soils of Canada contain large amounts of carbon and its dynamics is one of the key areas of uncertainty in the carbon balance of North America. While estimates of total soil carbon stocks are available, the relative role of soil organic matter (SOM) quality from that of environmental conditions in maintaining these C reservoirs is poorly known. Soil organic matter (SOM) quality was evaluated with the use of both acid hydrolysis and lab incubation at several temperatures for 15 sites part of the Fluxnet Canada network that represent the major ecological forest groups in Canada and included as well two peatland sites. The mineralizable fraction of soil total C (TOC) varied fivefold across sites and soil layers (4 to 25%). To the opposite acid hydrolysable C was a constant fraction of total organic C (TOC) representing 23 and 37% of TOC in the forest floor and top mineral soil (0-20cm) respectively. Total soil carbon pools were highly correlated with pools of recalcitrant C but weakly to labile pools, especially in the mineral soils. These results indicated that soils accumulating a thick organic layer, such as black spruce and peatland soils, are also accumulating potentially labile C that could be mineralised given favourable environmental conditions. However, this relationship is barely significant for the mineral soils where greater C accumulation indicated in essence more accumulation into recalcitrant pools. Mineralized C was correlated with cellulose concentration in the forest floor (R=0.68) and not with acid-hydrolizable C in either soil horizons suggesting that this fraction in non-relevant to C dynamics. Estimates soil heterotrophic respiration (Rh-lab) using incubation derived equation and field soil hourly temperatures were compared with the size of the soil potentially mineralizable C pool (labile C). The difference between these two figures was large for soil having a large portion of their C reserves in the organic layer but was small for soil having most of their C in the mineral soil. These results suggest that Rh on the former soils is mostly constraint by environmental variables while on the latter this flux is constrained by the recalcitrance of the organic matter. Rh-lab values were generally in good agreements with Rh estimated from eddy covariance tower fluxes (0.45.GPP) except for all three temperate wet coastal forest sites of BC where the incubation derived model greatly underestimated Rh fluxes possibly because of a greater role of plant roots that remain active during a long period in these environments.

Effect of soil in nutrient cycle assessment at dairy farms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Leeuwen, Maricke; de Boer, Imke; van Dam, Jos; van Middelaar, Corina; Stoof, Cathelijne

2016-04-01

Annual farm nutrient cycle assessments give valuable insight in the nutrient cycles and nutrient losses at dairy farms. It describes nutrient use efficiencies for the entire farm and for the underlying components cattle, manure, crops and soil. In many modelling studies, soil is kept as a constant factor, while soil quality is vital for soil functioning of the ecosystem. Improving soil quality will improve the nutrient cycle, and will also have positive effect on the soil functions crop production, water cycling and greenhouse gas mitigation. Spatial variation of soil properties within a farm, however, are not included in annual nutrient cycle assessments. Therefore it is impossible to identify fields where most profit can be gained by improving farm management at field level, and it is not possible to identify and to quantify nutrient flow path ways. The aim of this study is to develop a framework to improve the annual nutrient cycle assessment at Dutch dairy farms, by including soil properties and their spatial variation within farms. Soil type and soil quality will be described by visual soil assessment of soil quality characteristics. The visual observations will be linked to the nutrient cycle assessment, using soil-hydrological model SWAP. We will demonstrate how soil quality at field level can impact on crop production, eutrophication potential and greenhouse gas potential at farm level. Also, we will show how this framework can be used by farmers to improve their farm management. This new approach is focusing on annual nutrient cycle assessment, but could also be used in life cycle assessment. It will improve understanding of soil functioning and dairy farm management.

Quinoa Seed Quality Response to Sodium Chloride and Sodium Sulfate Salinity

PubMed Central

Wu, Geyang; Peterson, Adam J.; Morris, Craig F.; Murphy, Kevin M.

2016-01-01

Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) is an Andean crop with an edible seed that both contains high protein content and provides high quality protein with a balanced amino acid profile in embryonic tissues. Quinoa is a halophyte adapted to harsh environments with highly saline soil. In this study, four quinoa varieties were grown under six salinity treatments and two levels of fertilization, and then evaluated for quinoa seed quality characteristics, including protein content, seed hardness, and seed density. Concentrations of 8, 16, and 32 dS m-1 of NaCl and Na2SO4, were applied to the soil medium across low (1 g N, 0.29 g P, 0.29 g K per pot) and high (3 g N, 0.85 g P, 0.86 g K per pot) fertilizer treatments. Seed protein content differed across soil salinity treatments, varieties, and fertilization levels. Protein content of quinoa grown under salinized soil ranged from 13.0 to 16.7%, comparable to that from non-saline conditions. NaCl and Na2SO4 exhibited different impacts on protein content. Whereas the different concentrations of NaCl did not show differential effects on protein content, the seed from 32 dS m-1 Na2SO4 contained the highest protein content. Seed hardness differed among varieties, and was moderately influenced by salinity level (P = 0.09). Seed density was affected significantly by variety and Na2SO4 concentration, but was unaffected by NaCl concentration. The samples from 8 dS m-1 Na2SO4 soil had lower density (0.66 g/cm3) than those from 16 dS m-1 and 32 dS m-1 Na2SO4, 0.74 and 0.72g/cm3, respectively. This paper identifies changes in critical seed quality traits of quinoa as influenced by soil salinity and fertility, and offers insights into variety response and choice across different abiotic stresses in the field environment. PMID:27375648

Integrating plant litter quality, soil organic matter stabilization, and the carbon saturation concept.

PubMed

Castellano, Michael J; Mueller, Kevin E; Olk, Daniel C; Sawyer, John E; Six, Johan

2015-09-01

Labile, 'high-quality', plant litters are hypothesized to promote soil organic matter (SOM) stabilization in mineral soil fractions that are physicochemically protected from rapid mineralization. However, the effect of litter quality on SOM stabilization is inconsistent. High-quality litters, characterized by high N concentrations, low C/N ratios, and low phenol/lignin concentrations, are not consistently stabilized in SOM with greater efficiency than 'low-quality' litters characterized by low N concentrations, high C/N ratios, and high phenol/lignin concentrations. Here, we attempt to resolve these inconsistent results by developing a new conceptual model that links litter quality to the soil C saturation concept. Our model builds on the Microbial Efficiency-Matrix Stabilization framework (Cotrufo et al., 2013) by suggesting the effect of litter quality on SOM stabilization is modulated by the extent of soil C saturation such that high-quality litters are not always stabilized in SOM with greater efficiency than low-quality litters. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Relationship between landscape characteristics and surface water quality.

PubMed

Chang, C L; Kuan, W H; Lui, P S; Hu, C Y

2008-12-01

The effects of landscape characteristics on surface water quality were evaluated in terms of land-use condition, soil type and slope. The case area, the Chichiawan stream in the Wulin catchment in Taiwan, is Formosan landlocked salmon's natural habitat. Due to the agriculture behavior and mankind's activities, the water and environmental quality has gradually worsened. This study applied WinVAST model to predict hydrological responses and non-point source pollution (NPSP) exports in the Wulin catchment. The land-use condition and the slope of land surface in a catchment are major effect factors for watershed responses, including flows and pollutant exports. This work discussed the possible variation of watershed responses induced by the change of land-use condition, soil type and slope, etc. The results show that hydrological responses are highly relative to the value of Curve Number (CN); Pollutant exports have large relation to the average slope of the land surface in the Wulin catchment.

Rationale for Quality Assurance in Fecal Egg Monitoring of Soil-Transmitted Helminthiasis.

PubMed

Hoekendijk, David J L; Hill, Philip C; Sowerby, Stephen J

2016-09-07

Substantial investment has been made into the once "neglected" tropical disease, soil-transmitted helminthiasis, and into control programs that operate within a framework of mapping baseline disease distribution, measuring the effectiveness of applied interventions, establishing when to cease drug administration, and for posttreatment evaluations. However, critical to each of these stages is the determination of helminth infection. The limitations of traditional microscope-based fecal egg diagnostics have not provided quality assurance in the monitoring of parasite disease and suboptimal treatment regimes provide for the potential development of parasite resistance to anthelmintic drugs. Improved diagnostic and surveillance tools are required to protect therapeutic effectiveness and to maintain funder confidence. Such tools may be on the horizon with emergent technologies that offer potential for enhanced visualization and quality-assured quantitation of helminth eggs. © The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

Impacts of crop growth dynamics on soil quality at the regional scale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gobin, Anne

2014-05-01

Agricultural land use and in particular crop growth dynamics can greatly affect soil quality. Both the amount of soil lost from erosion by water and soil organic matter are key indicators for soil quality. The aim was to develop a modelling framework for quantifying the impacts of crop growth dynamics on soil quality at the regional scale with test case Flanders. A framework for modelling the impacts of crop growth on soil erosion and soil organic matter was developed by coupling the dynamic crop cover model REGCROP (Gobin, 2010) to the PESERA soil erosion model (Kirkby et al., 2009) and to the RothC carbon model (Coleman and Jenkinson, 1999). All three models are process-based, spatially distributed and intended as a regional diagnostic tool. A geo-database was constructed covering 10 years of crop rotation in Flanders using the IACS parcel registration (Integrated Administration and Control System). Crop allometric models were developed from variety trials to calculate crop residues for common crops in Flanders and subsequently derive stable organic matter fluxes to the soil. Results indicate that crop growth dynamics and crop rotations influence soil quality for a very large percentage. soil erosion mainly occurs in the southern part of Flanders, where silty to loamy soils and a hilly topography are responsible for soil loss rates of up to 40 t/ha. Parcels under maize, sugar beet and potatoes are most vulnerable to soil erosion. Crop residues of grain maize and winter wheat followed by catch crops contribute most to the total carbon sequestered in agricultural soils. For the same rotations carbon sequestration is highest on clay soils and lowest on sandy soils. This implies that agricultural policies that impact on agricultural land management influence soil quality for a large percentage. The coupled REGCROP-PESERA-ROTHC model allows for quantifying the impact of seasonal and year-to-year crop growth dynamics on soil quality. When coupled to a multi-annual crop rotation database both spatial and temporal analysis becomes possible and allows for decision support at both farm and regional level. The framework is therefore suited for further scenario analysis and impact assessment. The research is funded by the Belgian Science Policy Organisation (Belspo) under contract nr SD/RI/03A.

Risk assessment and restoration possibilities of some abandoned mining ponds in Murcia Region, SE Spain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faz, Angel; Acosta, Jose A.; Martinez-Martinez, Silvia; Carmona, Dora M.; Zornoza, Raul; Kabas, Sebla; Bech, Jaume

2010-05-01

In Murcia Region, SE Spain, there are 85 tailing ponds due to intensive mining activities that occurred during last century, especially in Sierra Minera de Cartagena-La Union. Although mining activity was abandoned several decades ago, those tailing ponds with high amounts of heavy metals still remain in the area. The ponds, due to their composition and location, may create environmental risks of geochemical pollution, negatively affecting soil, water, and plant, animal, and human populations, as well as infrastructures. The main objective of this research is to evaluate the restoration possibilities of two representative mining ponds in order to minimize the risk for human and ecosystems. To achieve this objective, two tailing ponds generated by mining activities were selected, El Lirio and El Gorguel. These ponds are representative of the rest of existent ponds in Sierra Minera de Cartagena-La Unión, with similar problems and characteristics. Several techniques and studies were applied to the tailing ponds for their characterization, including: geophysics, geotechnics, geochemical, geological, hydrological, and vegetation studies. In addition, effects of particulate size in the distribution of heavy metals will be used to assess the risk of dispersion of these metals in finest particles. Once the ponds were characterized, they were divided in several sectors in order to apply different amendments (pig slurry and marble waste) to reduce the risk of metal mobility and improve soil quality for a future phytostabilization. It is known that organic amendments promote soil development processes, microbial diversity, and finally, soil ecosystem restoration to a state of self-sustainability. By comparing the results before and after applications we will be able to evaluate the effect of the different amendments on soil quality and their effectively on risk reduction. Finally, plant metal-tolerant species are used to restore vegetation in the ponds, thereby decreasing the potential migration of contamination through wind erosion, transport of exposed surface soils and leaching of soil contaminants to groundwater.

Assessing soil biodiversity potentials in Europe.

PubMed

Aksoy, Ece; Louwagie, Geertrui; Gardi, Ciro; Gregor, Mirko; Schröder, Christoph; Löhnertz, Manuel

2017-07-01

Soil is important as a critical component for the functioning of terrestrial ecosystems. The largest part of the terrestrial biodiversity relies, directly or indirectly, on soil. Furthermore, soil itself is habitat to a great diversity of organisms. The suitability of soil to host such a diversity is strongly related to its physico-chemical features and environmental properties. However, due to the complexity of both soil and biodiversity, it is difficult to identify a clear and unambiguous relationship between environmental parameters and soil biota. Nevertheless, the increasing diffusion of a more integrated view of ecosystems, and in particular the development of the concept of ecosystem services, highlights the need for a better comprehension of the role played by soils in offering these services, including the habitat provision. An assessment of the capability of soils to host biodiversity would contribute to evaluate the quality of soils in order to help policy makers with the development of appropriate and sustainable management actions. However, so far, the heterogeneity of soils has been a barrier to the production of a large-scale framework that directly links soil features to organisms living within it. The current knowledge on the effects of soil physico-chemical properties on biota and the available data at continental scale open the way towards such an evaluation. In this study, the soil habitat potential for biodiversity was assessed and mapped for the first time throughout Europe by combining several soil features (pH, soil texture and soil organic matter) with environmental parameters (potential evapotranspiration, average temperature, soil biomass productivity and land use type). Considering the increasingly recognized importance of soils and their biodiversity in providing ecosystem services, the proposed approach appears to be a promising tool that may contribute to open a forum on the need to include soils in future environmental policy making decisions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Can homogeneous harvest zones magnify the terroir effect of every vintage? The three year project VignaCRU in Chianti D.O.C.G. (Tuscany, Italy)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Priori, Simone; Bianconi, Nadia; Valboa, Giuseppe; Mocali, Stefano; Pellegrini, Sergio; Leprini, Marco; Perria, Rita; Storchi, Paolo; Ciambotti, Aldo; Dell'Oro, Valentina; Costantini, Edoardo A. C.

2015-04-01

Grape composition, which affects the wine sensory qualities, depends on vine features (rootstock, scion, vine health) and vineyard management as much as environmental factors. Mapping soil at the vineyard scale, in particular, helps in optimizing the terroir expression of the wine. The terroir effect however varies year by year, depending on the interaction of several factors, such as climate and soil. Aim of this research work was to set up a methodology to delineate homogeneous harvest zones (HZ) in the vineyard and to evaluate the vintage effect in them. Four terroir macro-units suitable for premium Sangiovese wine, which is the main cultivar of Chianti D.O.C.G., were selected within a wide farm of Chianti Classico district (Siena, Central Italy). The selected macro-units are representative of the most common and suitable viticultural environments of the Chianti Classico D.O.C.G. and include: 1) hills of high altitude (450-500 m a.s.l.) on feldspathic sandstones, with shallow sandy soils; 2) hills of high altitude (400-500 m a.s.l.) on calcareous flysches, with stony, clayey and calcareous soils; 3) hills of moderate altitude (250-350 m a.s.l.) on Pliocene sandy marine deposits; 4) hills and fluvial terraces of moderate altitude (200-300 m a.s.l., 50-100 m above the present river valley) on ancient fluvial deposits. Each terroir macro-unit was surveyed by soil proximal sensing, to define two homogeneous zones (HZs) in terms of soil physics and hydrology. The proximal sensors used to map the HZs were: i) γ-ray spectrometer, to map the variability of soil surface in terms of parent material, texture and stoniness; ii) electromagnetic induction sensor (EMI) to determine the spatial variability of texture and soil moisture in the sub-surface horizons. Thus, the soil moisture of each HZ was monitored during spring shoot growth (beginning of April), berries veraison (end of July-beginning of August) and final ripening phase before harvest (September). Three representative plots of 10 grapevines each were selected within each HZs to monitor: i) grapevine root development; ii) vine physiology and water stress; iii) grape yield and quality. Moreover, the grapes of each HZs were harvested and vinified separately. After three vintages ('12, '13, and '14) the main results are: i) terroir macro-units differentiated the grape and wine peculiarities every vintage; ii) The delineation of HZs within each macro-units, intensified the effect of terroir on wine quality only in the warmest and driest summer '12, whereas the effects under more humid summers, like in '13 and '14, were smaller; iii) the sandy soils on feldspathic sandstones and marine sands increased the quality of the wines only in the warm-dry vintage ('12), whereas the wine quality decreased in humid summers ('13-'14), because of lacking of suitable water stress; iv) the grapevines in the terroir characterized by stony and clayey soils, showed light water stress also in wetter summers ('13-'14) and the wines produced in this terroir showed the highest quality and the greatest stability in typicality during the years. Concluding, the results of our work seem to indicate that the differentiation of HZs within a suitable macro-terroir can be fruitful only in specific vintages, when the soil hydrology plays a major role on the wine quality and typicality.

Introducing litter quality to the ecosystem model LPJ-GUESS: Effects on short- and long-term soil carbon dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Portner, Hanspeter; Wolf, Annett; Rühr, Nadine; Bugmann, Harald

2010-05-01

Many biogeochemical models have been applied to study the response of the carbon cycle to changes in climate, whereby the process of carbon uptake (photosynthesis) has usually gained more attention than the equally important process of carbon release by respiration. The decomposition of soil organic matter is driven by a combination of factors like soil temperature, soil moisture and litter quality. We have introduced dependence on litter substrate quality to heterotrophic soil respiration in the ecosystem model LPJ-GUESS [Smith et al.(2001)]. We were interested in differences in model projections before and after the inclusion of the dependency both in respect to short- and long-term soil carbon dynamics. The standard implementation of heterotrophic soil respiration in LPJ-GUESS is a simple carbon three-pool model whose decay rates are dependent on soil temperature and soil moisture. We have added dependence on litter quality by coupling LPJ-GUESS to the soil carbon model Yasso07 [Tuomi et al.(2008)]. The Yasso07 model is based on an extensive number of measurements of litter decomposition of forest soils. Apart from the dependence on soil temperature and soil moisture, the Yasso07 model uses carbon soil pools representing different substrate qualities: acid hydrolyzable, water soluble, ethanol soluble, lignin compounds and humus. Additionally Yasso07 differentiates between woody and non-woody litter. In contrary to the reference implementation of LPJ-GUESS, in the new model implementation, the litter now is divided according to its specific quality and added to the corresponding soil carbon pool. The litter quality thereby differs between litter source (leaves, roots, stems) and plant functional type (broadleaved, needleleaved, grass). The two contrasting model implementations were compared and validated at one specific CarboEuropeIP site (Lägern, Switzerland) and on a broader scale all over Switzerland. Our focus lay on the soil respiration for the years 2006 and 2007 [Rühr(2009)] and present soil carbon stocks [Heim et al.(2009)]. Our Results show, that for short-term soil carbon dynamics, e.g. estimates of heterotrophic soil respiration on an annual basis, the inclusion of the dependency on litter quality is not necessary, as the differences are minor only. However, when considering long-term soil carbon dynamics, e.g. simulated estimates of present soil carbon content, the dependency on litter quality shows effect, as there are correlations with specific site factors such as site location and forest type. The inclusion of the dependence on litter quality therefore may be of importance for the projection of future soil carbon dynamics, as forest types may well be altered due to climatic change. References [Heim et al.(2009)] A. Heim, L. Wehrli, W. Eugster, and M.W.I. Schmidt. Effects of sampling design on the probability to detect soil carbon stock changes at the swiss CarboEurope site Lägeren. Geoderma, 149(3-4):347-354, 2009. [Rühr(2009)] Nadine Katrin Rühr. Soil respiration in a mixed mountain forest : environmental drivers and partitioning of component fluxes. PhD thesis, ETH, 2009. [Smith et al.(2001)] Benjamin Smith, I. Colin Prentice, and Martin T. Sykes. Representation of vegetation dynamics in the modelling of terrestrial ecosystems: comparing two contrasting approaches within european climate space. Global Ecology and Biogeography, 10(6):621-637, 2001. [Tuomi et al.(2008)] Mikko Tuomi, Pekka Vanhala, Kristiina Karhu, Hannu Fritze, and Jari Liski. Heterotrophic soil respiration-Comparison of different models describing its temperature dependence. Ecological Modelling, 211(1-2): 182-190, 2008.

Effectiveness of SWAT in characterizing the watershed hydrology in the snowy-mountainous Lower Bear Malad River (LBMR) watershed in Box Elder County, Utah

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salha, A. A.; Stevens, D. K.

2015-12-01

Distributed watershed models are essential for quantifying sediment and nutrient loads that originate from point and nonpoint sources. Such models are primary means towards generating pollutant estimates in ungaged watersheds and respond well at watershed scales by capturing the variability in soils, climatic conditions, land uses/covers and management conditions over extended periods of time. This effort evaluates the performance of the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model as a watershed level tool to investigate, manage, and characterize the transport and fate of nutrients in Lower Bear Malad River (LBMR) watershed (Subbasin HUC 16010204) in Utah. Water quality concerns have been documented and are primarily attributed to high phosphorus and total suspended sediment concentrations caused by agricultural and farming practices along with identified point sources (WWTPs). Input data such as Digital Elevation Model (DEM), land use/Land cover (LULC), soils, and climate data for 10 years (2000-2010) is utilized to quantify the LBMR streamflow. Such modeling is useful in developing the required water quality regulations such as Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDL). Measured concentrations of nutrients were closely captured by simulated monthly nutrient concentrations based on the R2 and Nash- Sutcliffe fitness criteria. The model is expected to be able to identify contaminant non-point sources, identify areas of high pollution risk, locate optimal monitoring sites, and evaluate best management practices to cost-effectively reduce pollution and improve water quality as required by the LBMR watershed's TMDL.

Short-term effects of different organic amendments on soil chemical, biochemical and biological indicators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mondelli, Donato; Aly, Adel; Yirga Dagnachew, Ababu; Piscitelli, Lea; Dumontet, Stefano; Miano, Teodoro

2014-05-01

The limited availability of animal manure and the high cost of good quality compost lead to difficult soil quality management under organic agriculture. Therefore, it is important to find out alternative organic soil amendments and more flexible strategies that are able to sustain crop productivity and maintain and enhance soil quality. A three years study was carried out in the experimental fields of the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari located in Valenzano, Italy. The main objective of this research is to investigate the effects of different fertility management strategies on soil quality in order to estimate the role of innovative matrices for their use in organic farming. The experiment consists of seven treatments applied to a common crop rotation. The treatments include alternative organic amendments (1- olive mill wastewater OMW, 2- residues of mushroom cultivation MUS, 3- coffee chaff COF), common soil amendments (4- compost COM, 5- faba bean intercropping LEG, 6- cow manure - MAN) and as a reference treatment (7- mineral fertilizer COV). The soil quality was assessed before and after the application of the treatments, through biological (microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen, soil respiration and metabolic quotient), biochemical (soil enzymatic activities: β-glucosidase, alkaline phospatase, urease, fluorescein diacetate (FDA) hydrolysis), and chemical (pH, soil organic carbon, soil organic matter, total nitrogen, available phosphorous, exchangeable potassium, dissolved organic carbon and total dissolved nitrogen) indicators. Based on the results obtained after the second year, all treatments were able to improve various soil chemical parameters as compared to mineral fertilizer. The incorporation of COF and OMW seemed to be more effective in improving soil total N and exchangeable K, while MAN significantly increased available P. All the amendments enhance dissolved organic C, soil respiration, microbial biomass and metabolic quotient as compared to control soil. Results concerning biochemical indicators revealed that phosphatase and β-glycosidase were significantly reduced, while activities of urease and FDA were improved in all amended plots in comparison to the control, regardless of amendment type. Data demonstrated the efficiency, the high sensitivity and a quick response of the biochemical indicators in assessing soil quality changes. As a conclusion, it is possible to emphasize that alternative and common soil organic amendments behave similarly in enhancing the chemical, biochemical and biological properties. The alternative soil organic amendments could, then, be candidates for substituting some commonly used one which are currently showing shortage in their supply and a lowering in their quality. Keywords: Organic agriculture, Soil quality, Enzymatic activities, Olive mill wastewater, Residues of mushroom cultivation, Coffee chaff.

Exoenzyme activity in contaminated soils before and after soil washing: ß-glucosidase activity as a biological indicator of soil health.

PubMed

Chae, Yooeun; Cui, Rongxue; Woong Kim, Shin; An, Gyeonghyeon; Jeong, Seung-Woo; An, Youn-Joo

2017-01-01

It is essential to remediate or amend soils contaminated with various heavy metals or pollutants so that the soils may be used again safely. Verifying that the remediated or amended soils meet soil quality standards is an important part of the process. We estimated the activity levels of eight soil exoenzymes (acid phosphatase, arylsulfatase, catalase, dehydrogenase, fluorescein diacetate hydrolase, protease, urease, and ß-glucosidase) in contaminated and remediated soils from two sites near a non-ferrous metal smelter, using colorimetric and titrimetric determination methods. Our results provided the levels of activity of soil exoenzymes that indicate soil health. Most enzymes showed lower activity levels in remediated soils than in contaminated soils, with the exception of protease and urease, which showed higher activity after remediation in some soils, perhaps due to the limited nutrients available in remediated soils. Soil exoenzymes showed significantly higher activity in soils from one of the sites than from the other, due to improper conditions at the second site, including high pH, poor nutrient levels, and a high proportion of sand in the latter soil. Principal component analysis revealed that ß-glucosidase was the best indicator of soil ecosystem health, among the enzymes evaluated. We recommend using ß-glucosidase enzyme activity as a prior indicator in estimating soil ecosystem health. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Environmental hazard of cadmium, copper, lead and zinc in metal-contaminated soils remediated by sulfosuccinamate formulation.

PubMed

del Carmen Hernández-Soriano, Maria; Peña, Aránzazu; Mingorance, M Dolores

2011-10-01

Accumulation of metals in soil at elevated concentrations causes risks to the environmental quality and human health for more than one hundred million people globally. The rate of metal release and the alteration of metal distribution in soil phases after soil washing with a sulfosuccinamate surfactant solution (Aerosol 22) were evaluated for four contaminated soils. Furthermore, a sequential extraction scheme was carried out using selective extractants (HAcO, NH(2)OH·HCl, H(2)O(2) + NH(4)AcO) to evaluate which metal species are extracted by A22 and the alteration in metal distribution upon surfactant-washing. Efficiency of A22 to remove metals varied among soils. The washing treatment released up to 50% of Cd, 40% of Cu, 20% of Pb and 12% of Zn, mainly from the soluble and reducible soil fractions, therefore, greatly reducing the fraction of metals readily available in soil. Metal speciation analysis for the solutions collected upon soil washing with Aerosol 22 further confirmed these results. Copper and lead in solution were mostly present as soluble complexes, while Cd and Zn were present as free ions. Besides, redistribution of metals in soil was observed upon washing. The ratios of Zn strongly retained in the soil matrix and Cd complexed with organic ligands increased. Lead was mobilized to more weakly retained forms, which indicates a high bioavailability of the remaining Pb in soil after washing. Comprehensive knowledge on chemical forms of metals present in soil allows a feasible assessment of the environmental impact of metals for a given scenario, as well as possible alteration of environmental conditions, and a valuable prediction for potential leaching and groundwater contamination.

Development of a national geodatabase (Greece) for soil surveys and land evaluation using space technology and GIS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bilas, George; Dionysiou, Nina; Karapetsas, Nikolaos; Silleos, Nikolaos; Kosmas, Konstantinos; Misopollinos, Nikolaos

2016-04-01

This project was funded by OPEKEPE, Ministry of Agricultural Development and Food, Greece and involves development of a national geodatabase and a WebGIS that encompass soil data of all the agricultural areas of Greece in order to supply the country with a multi-purpose master plan for agricultural land management. The area mapped covered more than 385,000 ha divided in more than 9.000 Soil Mapping Units (SMUs) based on physiographic analysis, field work and photo interpretation of satellite images. The field work included description and sampling in three depths (0-30, 30-60 and >60 cm) of 2,000 soil profiles and 8,000 augers (sampling 0-30 and >30 cm). In total more than 22,000 soil samples were collected and analyzed for determining main soil properties associated with soil classification and soil evaluation. Additionally the project included (1) integration of all data in the Soil Geodatabase, (2) finalization of SMUs, (3) development of a Master Plan for Agricultural Land Management and (4) development and operational testing of the Web Portal for e-information and e-services. The integrated system is expected, after being fully operational, to provide important electronic services and benefits to farmers, private sector and governmental organizations. An e-book with the soil maps of Greece was also provided including 570 sheets with data description and legends. The Master Plan for Agricultural Land Management includes soil quality maps for 30 agricultural crops, together with maps showing soil degradation risks, such as erosion, desertification, salinity and nitrates, thus providing the tools for soil conservation and sustainable land management.

Evaluating ESA CCI Soil Moisture in East Africa

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McNally, Amy; Shukla, Shraddhanand; Arsenault, Kristi R.; Wang, Shugong; Peters-Lidard, Christa D.; Verdin, James P.

2016-01-01

To assess growing season conditions where ground based observations are limited or unavailable, food security and agricultural drought monitoring analysts rely on publicly available remotely sensed rainfall and vegetation greenness. There are also remotely sensed soil moisture observations from missions like the European Space Agency (ESA) Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) and NASAs Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP), however these time series are still too short to conduct studies that demonstrate the utility of these data for operational applications, or to provide historical context for extreme wet or dry events. To promote the use of remotely sensed soil moisture in agricultural drought and food security monitoring, we use East Africa as a case study to evaluate the quality of a 30+ year time series of merged active-passive microwave soil moisture from the ESA Climate Change Initiative (CCI-SM). Compared to the Normalized Difference Vegetation index (NDVI) and modeled soil moisture products, we found substantial spatial and temporal gaps in the early part of the CCI-SM record, with adequate data coverage beginning in 1992. From this point forward, growing season CCI-SM anomalies were well correlated (R greater than 0.5) with modeled, seasonal soil moisture, and in some regions, NDVI. We use correlation analysis and qualitative comparisons at seasonal time scales to show that remotely sensed soil moisture can add information to a convergence of evidence framework that traditionally relies on rainfall and NDVI in moderately vegetated regions.

Annual and Perennial Alleyway Cover Crops Vary in Their Effects on Pratylenchus penetrans in Pacific Northwest Red Raspberry (Rubus idaeus)

PubMed Central

Rudolph, Rachel E.; Zasada, Inga A.; DeVetter, Lisa W.

2017-01-01

Cover crops can provide many benefits to agroecosystems, such as lessening soil erosion and increasing water infiltration. However, cover crop use is not common in established red raspberry (Rubus idaeus) fields in the Pacific Northwest. Raspberry growers are concerned about resource competition between the cover crop and raspberry crop, as well as increasing population densities of the plant-parasitic nematode Pratylenchus penetrans, which has a wide host range and has been shown to reduce raspberry plant vigor and yield. A 2-yr study was conducted in an established ‘Meeker’ raspberry field in northwest Washington to evaluate the effects of nine alleyway cover crops, mowed weed cover, and the industry standard of bare cultivated soil on P. penetrans population dynamics, raspberry yield, and fruit quality. The host status for P. penetrans of cover crops included in the field experiment, as well as Brassica juncea ‘Pacific Gold’ and Sinapis alba ‘Ida Gold’, was also evaluated in greenhouse experiments. In the field experiment, P. penetrans population densities did not increase in alleyway cover crop roots over time or in alleyway soil surrounding cover crop roots (means range from 0 to 116 P. penetrans/100 g of soil) compared with the bare cultivated control (means range from 2 to 55 P. penetrans/100 g of soil). Pratylenchus penetrans populations did not increase over time in raspberry grown adjacent to alleyways with cover crops (means range from 1,081 to 6,120 P. penetrans/g of root) compared with those grown adjacent to bare cultivated soil alleyways (means range from 2,391 to 5,536 P. penetrans/g of root). Raspberry grown adjacent to bare cultivated soil did not have significantly higher yield or fruit quality than raspberry grown adjacent to cover crops in either year of the experiment. In the greenhouse assays, ‘Norwest 553’ wheat and a perennial ryegrass mix were poor hosts for P. penetrans, whereas ‘Nora’ and ‘TAM 606’ oat and ‘Pacific Gold’ and ‘Ida Gold’ mustard were good hosts. These results support the idea that the potential benefits of alleyway cover crops outweigh the potential risk of increasing P. penetrans population densities and do not compromise raspberry yield or fruit quality. PMID:29353934

Unusually high soil nitrogen oxide emissions influence air quality in a high-temperature agricultural region

PubMed Central

Oikawa, P. Y.; Ge, C.; Wang, J.; Eberwein, J. R.; Liang, L. L.; Allsman, L. A.; Grantz, D. A.; Jenerette, G. D.

2015-01-01

Fertilized soils have large potential for production of soil nitrogen oxide (NOx=NO+NO2), however these emissions are difficult to predict in high-temperature environments. Understanding these emissions may improve air quality modelling as NOx contributes to formation of tropospheric ozone (O3), a powerful air pollutant. Here we identify the environmental and management factors that regulate soil NOx emissions in a high-temperature agricultural region of California. We also investigate whether soil NOx emissions are capable of influencing regional air quality. We report some of the highest soil NOx emissions ever observed. Emissions vary nonlinearly with fertilization, temperature and soil moisture. We find that a regional air chemistry model often underestimates soil NOx emissions and NOx at the surface and in the troposphere. Adjusting the model to match NOx observations leads to elevated tropospheric O3. Our results suggest management can greatly reduce soil NOx emissions, thereby improving air quality. PMID:26556236

Impact of edaphic factors and nutrient management on the hepatoprotective efficiency of Carlinoside purified from pigeon pea leaves: An evaluation of UGT1A1 activity in hepatitis induced organelles.

PubMed

Das, Subhasish; Teja, K Charan; Mukherjee, Sandip; Seal, Soma; Sah, Rajesh Kumar; Duary, Buddhadeb; Kim, Ki-Hyun; Bhattacharya, Satya Sundar

2018-02-01

Carlinoside is a unique compound well-known for its excellent curative potential in hepatitis. There is a substantial research gap regarding the medicinal use of carlinoside, as its concentrations are greatly variable (depending on locality). We cultivated Cajanus cajan using vermicompost as a major organic amendment at two locations (Sonitpur and Birbhum) with different soil types, but identical climate conditions. Sonitpur soils were richer in soil organic C (SOC), enzyme activation, and N/P content than Birbhum. However, vermi-treatment improved many soil properties (bulk density, water retention, pH, N/P/K, and enzyme activity) to narrow the locational gap in soil quality by 15-28%. We also recorded a many-fold increment in SOC storage capacities in both locations, which was significantly correlated with carlinoside, total phenol, and flavonoid contents in Cajanus leaves. This significantly up-regulated the carlinoside induced expression of the bilirubin-solubilizing UGT1A1enzyme in HepG2 cell and rat liver. Leaf extracts of vermicompost-aided plants could cure hepatitis in affected rat livers and in the HepG2 cell line. Accordingly, vermi-treatment is an effective route for the growth of Cajanus as a cash crop for biomedical applications and can produce a concurrent improvement in soil quality. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Soil quality assessment using GIS-based chemometric approach and pollution indices: Nakhlak mining district, Central Iran.

PubMed

Moore, Farid; Sheykhi, Vahideh; Salari, Mohammad; Bagheri, Adel

2016-04-01

This paper is a comprehensive assessment of the quality of soil in the Nakhlak mining district in Central Iran with special reference to potentially toxic metals. In this regard, an integrated approach involving geostatistical, correlation matrix, pollution indices, and chemical fractionation measurement is used to evaluate selected potentially toxic metals in soil samples. The fractionation of metals indicated a relatively high variability. Some metals (Mo, Ag, and Pb) showed important enrichment in the bioavailable fractions (i.e., exchangeable and carbonate), whereas the residual fraction mostly comprised Sb and Cr. The Cd, Zn, Co, Ni, Mo, Cu, and As were retained in Fe-Mn oxide and oxidizable fractions, suggesting that they may be released to the environment by changes in physicochemical conditions. The spatial variability patterns of 11 soil heavy metals (Ag, As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sb, and Zn) were identified and mapped. The results demonstrated that Ag, As, Cd, Mo, Cu, Pb, Sb, and Zn pollution are associated with mineralized veins and mining operations in this area. Further environmental monitoring and remedial actions are required for management of soil heavy metals in the study area. The present study not only enhanced our knowledge regarding soil pollution in the study area but also introduced a better technique to analyze pollution indices by multivariate geostatistical methods.

Simulating the Response of Urban Water Quality to Climate and Land Use Change in Partially Urbanized Basins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, N.; Yearsley, J. R.; Nijssen, B.; Lettenmaier, D. P.

2014-12-01

Urban stream quality is particularly susceptible to extreme precipitation events and land use change. Although the projected effects of extreme events and land use change on hydrology have been resonably well studied, the impacts on urban water quality have not been widely examined due in part to the scale mismatch between global climate models and the spatial scales required to represent urban hydrology and water quality signals. Here we describe a grid-based modeling system that integrates the Distributed Hydrology Soil Vegetation Model (DHSVM) and urban water quality module adpated from EPA's Storm Water Management Model (SWMM) and Soil and water assessment tool (SWAT). Using the model system, we evaluate, for four partially urbanized catchments within the Puget Sound basin, urban water quality under current climate conditions, and projected potential changes in urban water quality associated with future changes in climate and land use. We examine in particular total suspended solids, toal nitrogen, total phosphorous, and coliform bacteria, with catchment representations at the 150-meter spatial resolution and the sub-daily timestep. We report long-term streamflow and water quality predictions in response to extreme precipitation events of varying magnitudes in the four partially urbanized catchments. Our simulations show that urban water quality is highly sensitive to both climatic and land use change.

Carrot, Corn, Lettuce and Soybean Nutrient Contents are ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Biochar, the carbon-rich material remaining after pyrolysis of cellulosic and manure feedstocks, has the potential as a soil amendment to sequester carbon and to improve soil water-holding and nutrient properties- thereby enhancing plant growth. However, biochar produced from some feedstocks also could adversely affect crop quality by changing soil pH and reducing nutrients (e.g., Ca, K, Mg, N, Na, and P) in plant tissues. To evaluate effects of biochar on the nutrient quality of four crops, we conducted a greenhouse study using pots with: carrot (Daucus carota cv. Tendersweet), corn (Zea mays, cv. Golden Bantam), lettuce (Lactuca sativa, cv. Black-Seeded Simpson) and soybean (Glycine max cv. Viking 2265). Plants were grown in one of two South Carolina sandy Coastal Plain soils (Norfolk and Coxville Soil Series), along with biochar (1% by weight) produced from pine chips (PC), poultry litter (PL), swine solids (SS), switchgrass (SG), and two blends of pine chips plus poultry litter (PC/PL, 50/50% and 80/20%). Each of the feedstocks and feedstock blends was pyrolyzed at 350, 500, and 700 ̊ C to produce the biochar used to amend the Norfolk and Coxville soils. Effects of biochar on leaf nutrients (% dry weight) statistically varied with species, soil, feedstock and temperature and nutrient. For carrot and lettuce, the PL, PL/PC, and SS biochars generally decreased leaf N, Ca, Mg, and P; while PL and PL/PC increased K and Na. Biochars had little effect on lea

A Quasi-Global Approach to Improve Day-Time Satellite Surface Soil Moisture Anomalies through the Land Surface Temperature Input

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parinussa, Robert M.; de Jeu, Richard A. M.; van Der Schalie, Robin; Crow, Wade T.; Lei, Fangni; Holmes, Thomas R. H.

2016-01-01

Passive microwave observations from various spaceborne sensors have been linked to the soil moisture of the Earth's surface layer. A new generation of passive microwave sensors are dedicated to retrieving this variable and make observations in the single theoretically optimal L-band frequency (1-2 GHz). Previous generations of passive microwave sensors made observations in a range of higher frequencies, allowing for simultaneous estimation of additional variables required for solving the radiative transfer equation. One of these additional variables is land surface temperature, which plays a unique role in the radiative transfer equation and has an influence on the final quality of retrieved soil moisture anomalies. This study presents an optimization procedure for soil moisture retrievals through a quasi-global precipitation-based verification technique, the so-called Rvalue metric. Various land surface temperature scenarios were evaluated in which biases were added to an existing linear regression, specifically focusing on improving the skills to capture the temporal variability of soil moisture. We focus on the relative quality of the day-time (01:30 pm) observations from the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer for Earth Observing System (AMSR-E), as these are theoretically most challenging due to the thermal equilibrium theory, and existing studies indicate that larger improvements are possible for these observations compared to their night-time (01:30 am) equivalent. Soil moisture data used in this study were retrieved through the Land Parameter Retrieval Model (LPRM), and in line with theory, both satellite paths show a unique and distinct degradation as a function of vegetation density. Both the ascending (01:30 pm) and descending (01:30 am) paths of the publicly available and widely used AMSR-E LPRM soil moisture products were used for benchmarking purposes. Several scenarios were employed in which the land surface temperature input for the radiative transfer was varied by imposing a bias on an existing regression. These scenarios were evaluated through the Rvalue technique, resulting in optimal bias values on top of this regression. In a next step, these optimal bias values were incorporated in order to re-calibrate the existing linear regression, resulting in a quasi-global uniform LST relation for day-time observations. In a final step, day-time soil moisture retrievals using the re-calibrated land surface temperature relation were again validated through the Rvalue technique. Results indicate an average increasing Rvalue of 16.5%, which indicates a better performance obtained through the re-calibration. This number was confirmed through an independent Triple Collocation verification over the same domain, demonstrating an average root mean square error reduction of 15.3%. Furthermore, a comparison against an extensive in situ database (679 stations) also indicates a generally higher quality for the re-calibrated dataset. Besides the improved day-time dataset, this study furthermore provides insights on the relative quality of soil moisture retrieved from AMSR-E's day- and night-time observations.

Impacts of iron and steelmaking facilities on soil quality.

PubMed

Strezov, Vladimir; Chaudhary, Chandrakant

2017-12-01

Iron and steel are highly important materials used in a wide range of products with important contribution to the economic development. The processes for making iron and steel are energy intensive and known to contribute to local pollution. Deposition of the metals may also have adverse impacts on soil quality, which requires detailed assessment. The aim of this study was to investigate the impacts of iron and steelmaking facilities on the local soil quality. Soil samples were collected in the vicinity of two steelmaking sites in Australia, one based on blast furnace steelmaking operation, while the second site was based on electric arc furnace steel recycling. The soil samples were compared to a background site where no industrial impact is expected. The soil collected near industrial facilities contained larger toxic metal contents, however this concentration for all priority metals was within the Australian National Environmental Protection Measure guidelines for the acceptable recreational soil quality. When compared to the international soil quality guidelines, some of the soils collected near the industrial sites, particularly near the blast furnace operated steelmaking, exceeded the arsenic, iron and manganese (according to United States Environmental Protection Agency guidelines) and chromium, copper and nickel concentrations (according to the Canadian guidelines). The work further provided a novel environmental assessment model taking into consideration the environmental and health impacts of each element. The environmental assessment revealed most significant contribution of manganese, followed by titanium, zinc, chromium and lead. Titanium was the second most important contributor to the soil quality, however this metal is currently not included in any of the international soil quality guidelines. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Bioindication in Urban Soils in Switzerland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amossé, J.; Le Bayon, C.; Mitchell, E. A. D.; Gobat, J. M.

2012-04-01

Urban development leads to profound changes in ecosystem structure (e.g. biodiversity) and functioning (e.g. ecosystem services). While above-ground diversity is reasonably well studied much less is known about soil diversity, soil processes and more generally soil health in urban settings. Soil invertebrates are key actors of soil processes at different spatial and temporal scales and provide essential ecosystem services. These functions may be even more vital in stressed environments such as urban ecosystems. Despite the general recognition of the importance of soil organisms in ecosystems, soil trophic food webs are still poorly known and this is especially the case in urban settings. As urban soils are characterised by high fragmentation and stress (e.g. drought, pollution) the structure and functioning of soil communities is likely to be markedly different from that of natural soils. It is for example unclear if earthworms, whose roles in organic matter transformation and soil structuration is well documented in natural and semi-natural soils, are also widespread and active in urban soils. Bioindication is a powerful tool to assess the quality of the environment. It is complementary to classical physicochemical soil analysis or can be used as sole diagnostic tool in cases where these analyses cannot be performed. However little is known about the potential use of bioindicators in urban settings and especially it is unclear if methods developped in agriculture can be applied to urban soils. The development of reliable methods for assessing the quality of urban soils has been identified as a priority for policy making and urban management in Switzerland, a high-urbanized country. We therefore initiated a research project (Bioindication in Urban Soil - BUS). The project is organised around four parts: (i) typology of urban soils in a study Region (Neuchâtel), (ii) sampling of soil fauna and analysis of soil physicochemical properties, (iii) comparison of the functionality of urban soils and alluvial soils, used as a natural reference because of their regular physical perturbation by flooding and associated erosion/sedimentation, (iv) evaluation of soil bioindicators (e.g. earthworm, enchytraeid and testate amoebae) for urban soils. The application objective of my research is to introduce bioindicators and their limit values for the future revision of the legal Ordonnance on soils (OSol), and to develop guidelines to improve or to build urban soils with the aim of reaching a sustainable urban ecosystem development.

Climate and litter quality differently modulate the effects of soil fauna on litter decomposition across biomes.

PubMed

García-Palacios, Pablo; Maestre, Fernando T; Kattge, Jens; Wall, Diana H

2013-08-01

Climate and litter quality have been identified as major drivers of litter decomposition at large spatial scales. However, the role played by soil fauna remains largely unknown, despite its importance for litter fragmentation and microbial activity. We synthesised litterbag studies to quantify the effect sizes of soil fauna on litter decomposition rates at the global and biome scales, and to assess how climate, litter quality and soil fauna interact to determine such rates. Soil fauna consistently enhanced litter decomposition at both global and biome scales (average increment ~ 37%). [corrected]. However, climate and litter quality differently modulated the effects of soil fauna on decomposition rates between biomes, from climate-driven biomes to those where climate effects were mediated by changes in litter quality. Our results advocate for the inclusion of biome-specific soil fauna effects on litter decomposition as a mean to reduce the unexplained variation in large-scale decomposition models. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd/CNRS.

Evaluating the effectiveness of mulch application to store carbon belowground: Short-term effects of mulch application on soluble soil and microbial C and N in agricultural soils with low and high organic matter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Janet; Heiling, Maria; Resch, Christian; Gruber, Roman; Dercon, Gerd

2017-04-01

Agricultural soils have the potential to contain a large pool of carbon and, depending on the farming techniques applied, can either effectively store carbon belowground, or further release carbon, in the form of CO2, into the atmosphere. Farming techniques, such as mulch application, are frequently proposed to increase carbon content belowground and improve soil quality and can be used in efforts to reduce greenhouse gas levels, such as in the "4 per 1000" Initiative. To test the effectiveness of mulch application to store carbon belowground in the short term and improve soil nutrient quality, we maintained agricultural soils with low and high organic carbon content (disturbed top soil from local Cambisols and Chernozems) in greenhouse mesocosms (70 cm deep with a radius of 25 cm) with controlled moisture for 4 years. Over the 4 years, maize and soybean were grown yearly in rotation and mulch was removed or applied to soils once plant material was harvested at 2 ton/ha dry matter. In addition, soil disturbance was kept to a minimum, with only surface disturbance of a few centimeters to keep soil free from weeds. After 4 years, we measured effects of mulch application on soluble soil and microbial carbon and nitrogen in the mesocosms and compared effects of mulch application versus no mulch on soils from 0-5 cm and 5-15 cm with low and high organic matter. We predicted that mulch would increase soil carbon and nitrogen content and mulch application would have a greater effect on soils with low organic matter than soils with high organic matter. In soils with low organic carbon content and larger predicted potential to increase soil carbon, mulch application did not increase soluble soil or microbial carbon or nitrogen compared to the treatments without mulch application. However, mulch application significantly increased the δ13C of both microbial and soluble soil carbon in these soils by 1 ‰ each, indicating a shift in belowground processes, such as increased decomposition coupled with increased carbon inputs. In soils with more organic content and lower potential to increase soil carbon, mulch application decreased microbial carbon by 0.01 mg C g soil-1 and increased soluble soil nitrogen by 0.01 mg N g soil-1. Soluble soil carbon also decreased by 0.04 mg C g soil-1 and microbial nitrogen increased with mulch application by 0.006 mg N g soil-1, but only in 5-15 cm soil. Mulch application only decreased δ13C of soluble soil carbon by 1.5 ‰, likely indicating a decrease in decomposition. Contrary to our initial predictions, mulch did not increase soil carbon content and only increased nitrogen content in soils that already had relatively higher organic matter content. These results suggest that mulch application (with only soil surface disturbance) may not play a significant role in increasing soil carbon content and overall soil quality, at least in a short 4-year term.

Evaluation of ERTS-1 imagery in mapping and managing soil and range resources in the Sand Hills Region of Nebraska

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Seevers, P. M.; Drew, J. V. (Principal Investigator)

1973-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. Collection of ground truth data provided ground cover percent and the components of ground cover makeup. Percent bare soil appears to have greatest influence on imagery density of sites studied. Forage density estimates can be made on band 5 of MSS, provided site category identification is known. Additional data are provided concerning forage density and vegetation-soil relationship by color composites of MSS imagery. Reflectance differences shown on MSS bands 6 and 7 by Sand Hills lakes are related to water quality and possibly more specifically to total dissolved ions present in the water. Winter imagery with snow cover and low sun angle shows a marked enhancement of topography are associated with differences in forage density. High altitude color infrared photography appears to be a usable tool for recognition, measurement, and evaluation of go-back land.

Soil Moisture and Temperature Measuring Networks in the Tibetan Plateau and Their Hydrological Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Kun; Chen, Yingying; Qin, Jun; Lu, Hui

2017-04-01

Multi-sphere interactions over the Tibetan Plateau directly impact its surrounding climate and environment at a variety of spatiotemporal scales. Remote sensing and modeling are expected to provide hydro-meteorological data needed for these process studies, but in situ observations are required to support their calibration and validation. For this purpose, we have established two networks on the Tibetan Plateau to measure densely two state variables (soil moisture and temperature) and four soil depths (0 5, 10, 20, and 40 cm). The experimental area is characterized by low biomass, high soil moisture dynamic range, and typical freeze-thaw cycle. As auxiliary parameters of these networks, soil texture and soil organic carbon content are measured at each station to support further studies. In order to guarantee continuous and high-quality data, tremendous efforts have been made to protect the data logger from soil water intrusion, to calibrate soil moisture sensors, and to upscale the point measurements. One soil moisture network is located in a semi-humid area in central Tibetan Plateau (Naqu), which consists of 56 stations with their elevation varying over 4470 4950 m and covers three spatial scales (1.0, 0.3, 0.1 degree). The other is located in a semi-arid area in southern Tibetan Plateau (Pali), which consists of 25 stations and covers an area of 0.25 degree. The spatiotemporal characteristics of the former network were analyzed, and a new spatial upscaling method was developed to obtain the regional mean soil moisture truth from the point measurements. Our networks meet the requirement for evaluating a variety of soil moisture products, developing new algorithms, and analyzing soil moisture scaling. Three applications with the network data are presented in this paper. 1. Evaluation of Current remote sensing and LSM products. The in situ data have been used to evaluate AMSR-E, AMSR2, SMOS and SMAP products and four modeled outputs by the Global Land Data Assimilation System (GLDAS). 2. Development of New Products. We developed a dual-pass land data assimilation system. The essential idea of the system is to calibrate a land data assimilation system before a normal data assimilation. The calibration is based on satellite data rather than in situ data. Through this way, we may alleviate the impact of uncertainties in determining the error covariance of both observation operator and model operation, as it is always tough to determine the covariance. The performance of the data assimilation system is presented through comparison against the Tibetan Plateau soil moisture measuring networks. And the results are encouraging. 3. Estimation of Soil Parameter Values in a Land Surface Model. We explored the possibility to estimate soil parameter values by assimilating AMSR-E brightness temperature (TB) data. In the assimilation system, the TB is simulated by the coupled system of a land surface model (LSM) and a radiative transfer model (RTM), and the simulation errors highly depend on parameters in both the LSM and the RTM. Thus, sensitive soil parameters may be inversely estimated through minimizing the TB errors. The effectiveness of the estimated parameter values is evaluated against intensive measurements of soil parameters and soil moisture in three grasslands of the Tibetan Plateau and the Mongolian Plateau. The results indicate that this satellite data-based approach can improve the data quality of soil porosity, a key parameter for soil moisture modeling, and LSM simulations with the estimated parameter values reasonably reproduce the measured soil moisture. This demonstrates it is feasible to calibrate LSMs for soil moisture simulations at grid scale by assimilating microwave satellite data, although more efforts are expected to improve the robustness of the model calibration.

Comparative approaches from empirical to mechanistic simulation modelling in Land Evaluation studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manna, P.; Basile, A.; Bonfante, A.; Terribile, F.

2009-04-01

The Land Evaluation (LE) comprise the evaluation procedures to asses the attitudes of the land to a generic or specific use (e.g. biomass production). From local to regional and national scale the approach to the land use planning should requires a deep knowledge of the processes that drive the functioning of the soil-plant-atmosphere system. According to the classical approaches the assessment of attitudes is the result of a qualitative comparison between the land/soil physical properties and the land use requirements. These approaches have a quick and inexpensive applicability; however, they are based on empirical and qualitative models with a basic knowledge structure specifically built for a specific landscape and for the specific object of the evaluation (e.g. crop). The outcome from this situation is the huge difficulties in the spatial extrapolation of the LE results and the rigidity of the system. Modern techniques instead, rely on the application of mechanistic and quantitative simulation modelling that allow a dynamic characterisation of the interrelated physical and chemical processes taking place in the soil landscape. Moreover, the insertion of physical based rules in the LE procedure may make it less difficult in terms of both extending spatially the results and changing the object (e.g. crop species, nitrate dynamics, etc.) of the evaluation. On the other side these modern approaches require high quality and quantity of input data that cause a significant increase in costs. In this scenario nowadays the LE expert is asked to choose the best LE methodology considering costs, complexity of the procedure and benefits in handling a specific land evaluation. In this work we performed a forage maize land suitability study by comparing 9 different methods having increasing complexity and costs. The study area, of about 2000 ha, is located in North Italy in the Lodi plain (Po valley). The range of the 9 employed methods ranged from standard LE approaches to the extensive use of simulation modelling (SWAP and CropSyst), using as data input pre-existing soil information (soil map 1:50000) and also hydraulic properties measured as well estimated by PTF. The comparison between the different methods was based on both cost and predictive ability of each of the methods. The latter was evaluated by comparison to the estimate of forage maize biomass obtained by using locally tested remote sensing measurements. Statistical indexes like correlation, relative variance and ANOVA test were applied. As expected, higher method complexity corresponds to higher quality/quantity of input parameters and as consequence higher costs. Generally, results show that more complex methods gave better results in terms of their predictive ability and those operating on measurements gave better performance than those operating on PTF. Moreover, the best predictive results were obtained abandoning the support of the soil mapping units, incrementing dramatically the number of sampling and analysis and applying the simulation modelling on real benchmark soils rather than averaging more soils observations. Keywords: Land Evaluation, simulation modelling, CropSyst, SWAP, NDVI.

Effect of different crops on soil organic matter and biological activity in Oxisols under three different crops

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toledo, Diana Marcela; Arzuaga, Silvia; Dalurzo, Humberto; Zornoza, Raúl; Vazquez, Sara

2015-04-01

The objective of this work was to evaluate changes in soil organic matter in Oxisols under different crops compared to native rainforest, and to assess if acid phosphatase activity (APA) could be a good indicator for SOC changes and soil quality. The experimental design consisted of four completely randomized blocks with four treatments: subtropical rainforest (F); yerba mate crop (I) (Ilex paraguariensis SH.); citrus crop (C) (Citrus unshiu Marc); and tobacco crop (T) (Nicotiana tabacum L.). Soil samples were taken at 0-10; 10-20 and 20-30 cm depths. The variables measured were soil organic carbon (SOC), APA, clay content, pH, total nitrogen (Nt), available phosphorus (P) and CO2 emissions. All data were analyzed by ANOVA to assess the effects of land-use changes. The treatment means were compared through Duncan's multiple range tests (p<0.05). The relationship between variables was determined with a simple correlation analysis and with a multiple linear regression analysis through the stepwise method. These soils showed an acid reaction and their clay content was over 650 g kg-1 for the three depths. SOC and N contents were higher in native soils, intermediate for the citrus crop, and lower under both tobacco and yerba mate crops. CO2 emissions were higher in the rainforest (47.32 kg ha-1 of CO2) than in cultivated soils, which indicates that biological activity is enhanced in rainforest soils where substrates for soil biota and fauna are more readily available. The variability of 76% in APA was explained by total nitrogen, which is closely related to soil organic matter, and by available P. Conversion of subtropical rainforests into agricultural lands reduced SOC content and acid phosphatase activity, thereby lowering soil quality. In this study, acid phosphatase activity proved to be a sensitive indicator to detect changes from pristine to cropped soils, but it failed to distinguish differences among crop systems.

An evaluation of the physiochemical and biological characteristics of foaming swine manure

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Incorporation of dedicated herbaceous energy crops into row crop landscapes is a promising means to supply an expanding biofuel industry while increasing biomass yields, benefiting soil and water quality, and increasing biodiversity. Despite these positive traits, energy crops remain largely unaccep...

40 CFR 160.195 - Retention of records.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

..., terminated, or discontinued. (c) Wet specimens, samples of test, control, or reference substances, and... storage, shall be retained only as long as the quality of the preparation affords evaluation. Specimens obtained from mutagenicity tests, specimens of soil, water, and plants, and wet specimens of blood, urine...

Assessing the potential phytotoxicity of digestate from winery wastes.

PubMed

Da Ros, Cinzia; Libralato, Giovanni; Ghirardini, Annamaria Volpi; Radaelli, Marta; Cavinato, Cristina

2018-04-15

In this study, digestate from winery wastes was investigated focusing on phytotoxicity using macrophytes and evaluating the potential contribution of ammonium and copper. Spreading of digestate on soil could represent a suitable approach to recycle nutrients and organic matter, creating an on site circular economy. In this study, digestate quality was evaluated considering both chemical-physical characteristics and biological toxicity applying germination test. The effluent did not meet the entire amendment quality standard defined by Italian law (Decree 75/2010 germination index > 60% with solution of 30% v/v of digestate), but bio-stimulation was observed at low doses (3.15-6.25% v/v) for S. alba and S. saccharatum. The beneficial concentration agreed with Nitrate Directive dose and suggested that limited addition of digestate could have several positive effects on soil characteristics and on crop growth. Specific test using ammonium and copper solutions showed that these pollutants were not directly correlated to observed phytotoxicity. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The relationships between microbiological attributes and soil and litter quality in pure and mixed stands of native tree species in southeastern Bahia, Brazil.

PubMed

Gama-Rodrigues, Emanuela F; Gama-Rodrigues, Antonio Carlos; Barros, Nairam F; Moço, Maria Kellen S

2011-11-01

This study was conducted to link soil and litter microbial biomass and activity with soil and litter quality in the surface layer for different pure and mixed stands of native tree species in southeastern Bahia, Brazil. The purpose of the study was to see how strongly the differences among species and stands affect the microbiological attributes of the soil and to identify how microbial processes can be influenced by soil and litter quality. Soil and litter samples were collected from six pure and mixed stands of six hardwood species (Peltogyne angustifolia, Centrolobium robustum, Arapatiella psilophylla, Sclerolobium chrysophyllum, Cordia trichotoma, Macrolobium latifolium) native to the southeastern region of Bahia, Brazil. In plantations of native tree species in humid tropical regions, the immobilization efficiency of C and N by soil microbial biomass was strongly related to the chemical quality of the litter and to the organic matter quality of the soil. According to the variables analyzed, the mixed stand was similar to the natural forest and dissimilar to the pure stands. Litter microbial biomass represented a greater sink of C and N than soil microbial biomass and is an important contributor of resources to tropical soils having low C and N availability.

Evaluation of tests to assess the quality of mine-contaminated soils.

PubMed

Alvarenga, P; Palma, P; Gonçalves, A P; Fernandes, R M; de Varennes, A; Vallini, G; Duarte, E; Cunha-Queda, A C

2008-04-01

An acid metal-contaminated soil from the Aljustrel mining area (a pyrite mine located in SW Portugal in the Iberian Pyrite Belt) was subjected to chemical characterisation and total metal quantification (Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn). Water-soluble metals were determined and a sequential extraction procedure was used to investigate metal speciation. Two bioavailable metal fractions were determined: a mobile fraction and a mobilisable fraction. Soil ecotoxicity was studied using a battery of bioassays: plant growth test and seed germination with cress (Lepidium sativum L.), earthworm (Eisenia fetida) mortality, E. fetida avoidance behaviour, luminescent inhibition of Vibrio fischeri and Daphnia magna immobilisation. Although the total content of Cu, Zn and Pb in the soil was large (362, 245 and 1,250 mg/kg dry matter, respectively), these metals were mostly structurally bound (87% for Cu, 81% for Zn and 89% for Pb) and, therefore, scarcely bioavailable. Nonetheless, the D. magna immobilization test using soil leachate showed an EC50 (48 h) of 36.3% (v/v), and the luminescent inhibition of V. fischeri presented an EC20 (15 min) of 45.2% and an EC20 (30 min) of 10.7% (v/v), suggesting a considerable toxic effect. In the direct exposure bioassays, E. fetida avoided the mine soil at the highest concentrations (50%, 75% and 100% v/v). At the same soil concentrations, cress showed negligible growth. The results suggest the need to use a battery of toxicity tests, in conjunction with chemical methods, in order to assess the quality of mine-contaminated soils correctly.

Corrective Action Investigation Plan for Corrective Action Unit 413: Clean Slate II Plutonium Dispersion (TTR) Tonopah Test Range, Nevada, Revision 1

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Matthews, Patrick; Burmeister, Mark; Gallo, Patricia

Corrective Action Unit (CAU) 413 is located on the Tonopah Test Range, which is approximately 130 miles northwest of Las Vegas, Nevada, and approximately 40 miles southeast of Tonopah, Nevada. The CAU 413 site consists of the release of radionuclides to the surface and shallow subsurface from the conduct of the Clean Slate II (CSII) storage–transportation test conducted on May 31, 1963. CAU 413 includes one corrective action site (CAS), TA-23-02CS (Pu Contaminated Soil). The known releases at CAU 413 are the result of the atmospheric deposition of contamination from the 1963 CSII test. The CSII test was a non-nuclearmore » detonation of a nuclear device located inside a reinforced concrete bunker covered with 2 feet of soil. This test dispersed radionuclides, primarily plutonium, on the ground surface. The presence and nature of contamination at CAU 413 will be evaluated based on information collected from a corrective action investigation (CAI). The investigation is based on the data quality objectives (DQOs) developed on June 17, 2015, by representatives of the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection; the U.S. Air Force; and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Field Office. The DQO process was used to identify and define the type, amount, and quality of data needed to develop and evaluate appropriate corrective actions for CAU 413. The CAI will include radiological surveys, geophysical surveys, collection and analyses of soil samples, and assessment of investigation results. The collection of soil samples will be accomplished using both probabilistic and judgmental sampling approaches. To facilitate site investigation and the evaluation of DQO decisions, the releases at CAU 413 have been divided into seven study groups.« less

Soil quality differences in a mature alley cropping system in temperate North America

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Alley cropping in agroforestry practices has been shown to improve soil quality, however information on long-term effects (>10 years) of alley cropping on soils in the temperate zone is very limited. The objective of this study was to examine effects of management, landscape, and soil depth on soil...

Soil management: The key to soil quality and sustainable agriculture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Basch, Gottlieb; Barão, Lúcia; Soares, Miguel

2017-04-01

Today, after the International Year of Soils in 2015 and the proclamation by the International Union of Soil Sciences of the International Decade of Soils 2015-2020, much attention is paid to soil quality. Often used interchangeably, both terms, soil quality and soil health, refer to dynamic soil properties such as soil organic matter or pH, while soil quality also includes inherent soil properties such as texture or mineral composition. However, it is the dynamic or manageable properties that adequate soil management can influence and thus contribute to a well-functioning soil environment capable to deliver the soil-mediated provisioning, regulating and supporting ecosystem services and soil functions. This contribution intends to highlight the key principles of sustainable soil management and provide evidence that they are compliant with a productive, resource efficient and ecologically friendly agriculture. Paradoxically, and despite benefitting from good soil quality, agriculture itself when based on conventional, especially intensive tillage-based soil management practices contributes decisively to soil degradation and to several of the soil threats as identified by the Soil Thematic Strategy, being soil erosion and soil organic matter decline the most notorious ones. To mitigate soil degradation, the European Union's Common Agricultural Policy has introduced conservation measures, mainly through cross-compliance measures supposed to guarantee minimum soil cover, to limit soil erosion and to maintain the levels of soil organic matter. However, it remains unclear to what extent EU member states apply these 'Good Agricultural and Environmental Condition' (GAEC) measures to their utilized agricultural areas. Effective and cost-efficient soil management systems able to conserve or to restore favourable soil conditions, to minimize soil erosion and to invert soil organic matter and soil biodiversity decline and improve soil structure are those capable to mimic as close as possible natural soil conditions while producing food, feed, fibre and fuel. This means to establish and manage crops while disturbing the soil as least as possible, to maintain the soil permanently covered with plants or their residues and to allow for a diversity of plants either in rotation or in association. These principles also known as Conservation Agriculture have shown to be the most promising approach for a sustainable production intensification and proven to work in a wide range of agro-ecological conditions. Although adopted already on more than 150 Mha worldwide, in Europe it still can be considered a novel soil management practice as it is applied on only around 2% of the annual cropland. A paradigm shift and innovative approaches are needed both to recognise the principles of Conservation Agriculture as the only cost-effective, and thus overall sustainable soil management practices capable to deliver the soil-mediated ecosystem services and to make Conservation Agriculture systems work and accepted as the best compromise to attain better soil quality. Keywords: Soil threats, Soil conservation, GAEC, Conservation Agriculture, Resource efficiency

Natural soil reservoirs for human pathogenic and fecal indicator bacteria

USGS Publications Warehouse

Boschiroli, Maria L; Falkinham, Joseph; Favre-Bonte, Sabine; Nazaret, Sylvie; Piveteau, Pascal; Sadowsky, Michael J.; Byappanahalli, Muruleedhara; Delaquis, Pascal; Hartmann, Alain

2016-01-01

Soils receive inputs of human pathogenic and indicator bacteria through land application of animal manures or sewage sludge, and inputs by wildlife. Soil is an extremely heterogeneous substrate and contains meso- and macrofauna that may be reservoirs for bacteria of human health concern. The ability to detect and quantify bacteria of human health concern is important in risk assessments and in evaluating the efficacy of agricultural soil management practices that are protective of crop quality and protective of adjacent water resources. The present chapter describes the distribution of selected Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria in soils. Methods for detecting and quantifying soilborne bacteria including extraction, enrichment using immunomagnetic capture, culturing, molecular detection and deep sequencing of metagenomic DNA to detect pathogens are overviewed. Methods for strain phenotypic and genotypic characterization are presented, as well as how comparison with clinical isolates can inform the potential for human health risk.

[Classification of Priority Area for Soil Environmental Protection Around Water Sources: Method Proposed and Case Demonstration].

PubMed

Li, Lei; Wang, Tie-yu; Wang, Xiaojun; Xiao, Rong-bo; Li, Qi-feng; Peng, Chi; Han, Cun-liang

2016-04-15

Based on comprehensive consideration of soil environmental quality, pollution status of river, environmental vulnerability and the stress of pollution sources, a technical method was established for classification of priority area of soil environmental protection around the river-style water sources. Shunde channel as an important drinking water sources of Foshan City, Guangdong province, was studied as a case, of which the classification evaluation system was set up. In detail, several evaluation factors were selected according to the local conditions of nature, society and economy, including the pollution degree of heavy metals in soil and sediment, soil characteristics, groundwater sensitivity, vegetation coverage, the type and location of pollution sources. Data information was mainly obtained by means of field survey, sampling analysis, and remote sensing interpretation. Afterwards, Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) was adopted to decide the weight of each factor. The basic spatial data layers were set up respectively and overlaid based on the weighted summation assessment model in Geographical Information System (GIS), resulting in a classification map of soil environmental protection level in priority area of Shunde channel. Accordingly, the area was classified to three levels named as polluted zone, risky zone and safe zone, which respectively accounted for 6.37%, 60.90% and 32.73% of the whole study area. Polluted zone and risky zone were mainly distributed in Lecong, Longjiang and Leliu towns, with pollutants mainly resulted from the long-term development of aquaculture and the industries containing furniture, plastic constructional materials and textile and clothing. In accordance with the main pollution sources of soil, targeted and differentiated strategies were put forward. The newly established evaluation method could be referenced for the protection and sustainable utilization of soil environment around the water sources.

Assessment of Pb, Cd and Hg soil contamination and its potential to cause cytotoxic and genotoxic effects in human cell lines (CaCo-2 and HaCaT).

PubMed

Sljivic Husejnovic, Maida; Bergant, Martina; Jankovic, Sasa; Zizek, Suzana; Smajlovic, Aida; Softic, Adaleta; Music, Omer; Antonijevic, Biljana

2018-01-23

Soil contamination by heavy metals is a serious global environmental problem, especially for developing countries. A large number of industrial plants, which continually pollute the environment, characterize Tuzla Canton, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The aim of this study was to assess the level of soil pollution by heavy metals and to estimate cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of soil leachates from this area. Lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd) and mercury (Hg) were analyzed by ICP-AES and AAS. Soil contamination was assessed using contamination factor, degree of contamination, geoaccumulation index and pollution load index. To determine the connection of variables and understanding their origin in soils, principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis (CA) were used. The results indicate that Cd and Hg originated from natural and anthropogenic activities, while Pb is of anthropogenic origin. For toxicity evaluation, CaCo-2 and HaCaT cells were used. PrestoBlue assay was used for cytotoxicity testing, and γH2A.X for genotoxicity evaluation. Concerning cytotoxicity, Cd and Hg had a positive correlation with cytotoxicity in HaCaT cells, but only Hg induced cytotoxicity in CaCo-2 cells. We also demonstrate that soil leachates contaminated by heavy metals can induce genotoxicity in both used cell lines. According to these results, combining bioassays with standard physicochemical analysis can be useful for evaluating environmental and health risks more accurately. These results are important for developing proper management strategies to decrease pollution. This is one of the first studies from this area and an important indication of soil quality in Southeast Europe.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Walsh, P.; El Adlouni, C.; Mukhopadhyay, M.J.

The importance of the search for reliable biomarkers of DNA damage in environmental health assessment is well recognized by the scientific community and regulatory agencies. Among the major biomarkers of DNA damage is the measurement of DNA adducts in target cells or tissues. Up to now, DNA adduct determinations have been directed mostly toward human exposure to toxic substances from the workplace and environment. Moreover, techniques for measuring DNA adducts, and in particular the {sup 32}P-postlabelling technique, presented also the possibility of determining DNA adduct levels in endogenous animal populations exposed to polluted environments as early warning monitors of ecotoxicity.more » Soil contamination is becoming a major environmental issue. Therefore, numerous contaminated sites must now be remediated to protect human health and to permit new uses of these sites as agricultural, residential, or industrial areas. Fulfillment of this task requires standardized and sensitive bioassays to carry out site evaluations and to establish scientifically defensible soil quality criteria. To that effect, the earthworm appears to be one of the best organisms for use in soil toxicity evaluation. Earthworms are probably the most relevant soil species, representing 60 to 80% of the total animal biomass in soil. Present soil bioassays focus mostly on plant species with end points like seed germination, root elongation, seedling growth and seedling emergence, and on acute toxicity evaluation (re: LC 50) on the earthworm Eisenia fetida. As yet, a standardized soil invertebrate test for teratogenic or mutagenic end points has not been developed. In this paper, we report the feasibility of DNA adduct determination by {sup 32}P-postlabelling in the earthworm Lumbricus terrestris as a way to detect the presence of genotoxic substances in soils. 20 refs., 1 fig., 1 tab.« less

Enhanced representation of soil NO emissions in the ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Modeling of soil nitric oxide (NO) emissions is highly uncertain and may misrepresent its spatial and temporal distribution. This study builds upon a recently introduced parameterization to improve the timing and spatial distribution of soil NO emission estimates in the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model. The parameterization considers soil parameters, meteorology, land use, and mineral nitrogen (N) availability to estimate NO emissions. We incorporate daily year-specific fertilizer data from the Environmental Policy Integrated Climate (EPIC) agricultural model to replace the annual generic data of the initial parameterization, and use a 12 km resolution soil biome map over the continental USA. CMAQ modeling for July 2011 shows slight differences in model performance in simulating fine particulate matter and ozone from Interagency Monitoring of Protected Visual Environments (IMPROVE) and Clean Air Status and Trends Network (CASTNET) sites and NO2 columns from Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) satellite retrievals. We also simulate how the change in soil NO emissions scheme affects the expected O3 response to projected emissions reductions. The National Exposure Research Laboratory (NERL) Computational Exposure Division (CED) develops and evaluates data, decision-support tools, and models to be applied to media-specific or receptor-specific problem areas. CED uses modeling-based approaches to characterize exposures, evaluate fate and transport, and

Extracting Quantitative Data from Lunar Soil Spectra

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Noble, S. K.; Pieters, C. M.; Hiroi, T.

2005-01-01

Using the modified Gaussian model (MGM) developed by Sunshine et al. [1] we compared the spectral properties of the Lunar Soil Characterization Consortium (LSCC) suite of lunar soils [2,3] with their petrologic and chemical compositions to obtain quantitative data. Our initial work on Apollo 17 soils [4] suggested that useful compositional data could be elicited from high quality soil spectra. We are now able to expand upon those results with the full suite of LSCC soils that allows us to explore a much wider range of compositions and maturity states. The model is shown to be sensitive to pyroxene abundance and can evaluate the relative portion of high-Ca and low-Ca pyroxenes in the soils. In addition, the dataset has provided unexpected insights into the nature and causes of absorption bands in lunar soils. For example, it was found that two distinct absorption bands are required in the 1.2 m region of the spectrum. Neither of these bands can be attributed to plagioclase or agglutinates, but both appear to be largely due to pyroxene.

Integrating microbial physiology and enzyme traits in the quality model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sainte-Marie, Julien; Barrandon, Matthieu; Martin, Francis; Saint-André, Laurent; Derrien, Delphine

2017-04-01

Microbe activity plays an undisputable role in soil carbon storage and there have been many calls to integrate microbial ecology in soil carbon (C) models. With regard to this challenge, a few trait-based microbial models of C dynamics have emerged during the past decade. They parameterize specific traits related to decomposer physiology (substrate use efficiency, growth and mortality rates...) and enzyme properties (enzyme production rate, catalytic properties of enzymes…). But these models are built on the premise that organic matter (OM) can be represented as one single entity or are divided into a few pools, while organic matter exists as a continuum of many different compounds spanning from intact plant molecules to highly oxidised microbial metabolites. In addition, a given molecule may also exist in different forms, depending on its stage of polymerization or on its interactions with other organic compounds or mineral phases of the soil. Here we develop a general theoretical model relating the evolution of soil organic matter, as a continuum of progressively decomposing compounds, with decomposer activity and enzyme traits. The model is based on the notion of quality developed by Agren and Bosatta (1998), which is a measure of molecule accessibility to degradation. The model integrates three major processes: OM depolymerisation by enzyme action, OM assimilation and OM biotransformation. For any enzyme, the model reports the quality range where this enzyme selectively operates and how the initial quality distribution of the OM subset evolves into another distribution of qualities under the enzyme action. The model also defines the quality range where the OM can be uptaken and assimilated by microbes. It finally describes how the quality of the assimilated molecules is transformed into another quality distribution, corresponding to the decomposer metabolites signature. Upon decomposer death, these metabolites return to the substrate. We explore here the how microbial physiology and enzyme traits can be incorporated in a model based on a continuous representation of the organic matter and evaluate how it can improve our ability to predict soil C cycling. To do so, we analyse the properties of the model by implementing different scenarii and test the sensitivity of its parameters. Agren, G. I., & Bosatta, E. (1998). Theoretical ecosystem ecology: understanding element cycles. Cambridge University Press.

[Evaluation and cumulative characteristics of heavy metals in soil-Uncaria rhynchophylla system of different functional areas].

PubMed

Zhang, Jia-Chun; Zeng, Xian-Ping; Zhang, Zhen-Ming; Lin, Shao-Xia; Zhang, Qing-Hai; Lin, Chang-Hu

2016-10-01

Soil and Uncaria rhynchophylla in different functional areas were selected for the study,the content of heavy metals such as As, Cd, Cu, Cr, Pb, and Hg in soil and U. rhynchophylla was discussed, the characteristics of their accumulation in the U.rhynchophylla was analyzed, the contamination levels of heavy metals in soil in different functional areas was evaluated. The results showed that content of Cu, As, Pb and Cr in soil was being cropland>woodland>wasteland, content of Cd was being woodland>cropland>wasteland, content of Hg was being cropland>woodland>wasteland. According to quality standard of soil environment, soil Cd in woodland, cropland and wasteland all exceeded the state-level standards, soil Cd in woodland exceeded the secondary standard, soil Hg in cropland and wasteland all exceeded the state-level standards. According to technical conditions of green food producing area, soil Cd in woodland exceeded the limit value of standard. According to Green Trade Standards of Importing Exporting Medicinal Plants Preparations,the content of heavy metals of U.rhynchophylla in cropland,woodland and wasteland were correspond to the specification. From the single factor pollution index, the soil in woodland was polluted by Cd. From the comprehensive pollution index, the soils in different functional areas were not contaminated by heavy metals. The enrichment coefficient of heavy metals such as As, Cu, Cr, and Pb in hook of U.rhynchophylla was being wasteland>woodland>cropland, the enrichment coefficient of Cu in hook of U. rhynchophylla in wasteland was more than 1. Except Cu, the enrichment coefficient of other heavy metals was low. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

Holistic information evaluation of divergence of soil's properties by using of legacy data of large scale monitoring surveys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mikheeva, Irina

2017-04-01

Identification of tendencies of soil's transformations is very important for adequate ecological and economical assessment of degradation of soils. But monitoring of conditions of soils, and other natural objects, bring up a number of important methodological questions, including the probabilistic and statistical analysis of the accumulated legacy data and their use for verification of quantitative estimates of natural processes. Owing to considerable natural variability there is a problem of a reliable assessment of contemporary soil evolution under the influence of environmental management and climate changes. When studying dynamics of soil quality it is necessary to consider soil as open complex system with parameters which significantly vary in space. The analysis of probabilistic distributions of attributes of studied system is informative for the characteristic of holistic state and behavior of the system. Therefore earlier we had offered the method of evaluation of alterations of soils by analysis of changes of pdf of their properties and their statistical entropy. The executed analysis of dynamics of pdf showed that often opposite tendencies to decrease and to increase of property can be shown at the same time. However to give an adequate quantitative evaluation of changes of soil properties it is necessary to characterize them in general. We proposed that it is reasonable to name processes of modern changes in soil properties concerning their start meaning by the term "divergence" and investigate it quantitatively. For this purpose we suggested to use value of information divergence which is defined as a measure of distinctions of pdf in compared objects or in various time. As the measure of dissimilarity, divergence should satisfy come conditions, the most important is scale-invariance property. Information divergence was used by us for evaluation of distinctions of soils according heterogeneity of factors of soil formation and with course of natural and anthropogenous processes. This characteristic allowed to allocate the most changed and vulnerable kinds and layers of soils, and also to range natural changes and anthropogenous impacts in size of their influence on properties of the soil. Case study was conducted on considerable part of the Priirtyshskaya plain in South of Western Siberia. Climate here is sharply continental and droughty. Soils were formed from ancient lake and alluvial deposits. It determined their mainly easy particle size distribution and spatial diversity of the texture. It is possible to judge rates and extent of manifestation of processes of degradation on alteration of properties of the main types of soils here: chestnut soils and Haplic Chernozems.

Soil agroecosystem health: current challenges and future opportunities

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Soil health is a broad concept that emphasizes the ecological importance of soils, including sustained plant and animal productivity, human health, and environmental quality. In the United States, soil degradation and associated water quality problems have been widely documented. Improvement and mai...

The influence of soil type and altered lignin biosynthesis on the physiology, growth and carbon allocation in Populus tremuloides

Treesearch

Jessica E. Hancock; Kate L. Bradley; Christian P. Giardina; Kurt S. Pregitzer

2008-01-01

Plants influence soil carbon (C) formation through the quality and quantity of C released to soil. Soil type, in turn can modify a plant's influence on soil through effects on plant production, tissue quality and regulation of soil C decomposition and stabilization. Wild-type aspen and three transgenic aspen lines expressing reduced stem lignin concentrations and/...

Statistical analysis of DOE EML QAP data from 1982 to 1998.

PubMed

Mizanur Rahman, G M; Isenhour, T L; Larget, B; Greenlaw, P D

2001-01-01

The historical database from the Environmental Measurements Laboratory's Quality Assessment Program from 1982 to 1998 has been analyzed to determine control limits for future performance evaluations of the different laboratories contracted to the U.S. Department of Energy. Seventy-three radionuclides in four different matrices (air filter, soil, vegetation, and water) were analyzed. The evaluation criteria were established based on a z-score calculation.

Evaluating Soil Health Using Remotely Sensed Evapotranspiration on the Benchmark Barnes Soils of North Dakota

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bohn, Meyer; Hopkins, David; Steele, Dean; Tuscherer, Sheldon

2017-04-01

The benchmark Barnes soil series is an extensive upland Hapludoll of the northern Great Plains that is both economically and ecologically vital to the region. Effects of tillage erosion coupled with wind and water erosion have degraded Barnes soil quality, but with unknown extent, distribution, or severity. Evidence of soil degradation documented for a half century warrants that the assumption of productivity be tested. Soil resilience is linked to several dynamic soil properties and National Cooperative Soil Survey initiatives are now focused on identifying those properties for benchmark soils. Quantification of soil degradation is dependent on a reliable method for broad-scale evaluation. The soil survey community is currently developing rapid and widespread soil property assessment technologies. Improvements in satellite based remote-sensing and image analysis software have stimulated the application of broad-scale resource assessment. Furthermore, these technologies have fostered refinement of land-based surface energy balance algorithms, i.e. Mapping Evapotranspiration at High Resolution with Internalized Calibration (METRIC) algorithm for evapotranspiration (ET) mapping. The hypothesis of this study is that ET mapping technology can differentiate soil function on extensive landscapes and identify degraded areas. A recent soil change study in eastern North Dakota resampled legacy Barnes pedons sampled prior to 1960 and found significant decreases in organic carbon. An ancillary study showed that evapotranspiration (ET) estimates from METRIC decreased with Barnes erosion class severity. An ET raster map has been developed for three eastern North Dakota counties using METRIC and Landsat 5 imagery. ET pixel candidates on major Barnes soil map units were stratified into tertiles and classified as ranked ET subdivisions. A sampling population of randomly selected points stratified by ET class and county proportion was established. Morphologic and chemical data will be recorded at each sampling site to test whether soil properties correlate to ET, thus serving as a non-biased proxy for soil health.

In situ assessment of phytotechnologies for multicontaminated soil management.

PubMed

Ouvrard, S; Barnier, C; Bauda, P; Beguiristain, T; Biache, C; Bonnard, M; Caupert, C; Cébron, A; Cortet, J; Cotelle, S; Dazy, M; Faure, P; Masfaraud, J F; Nahmani, J; Palais, F; Poupin, P; Raoult, N; Vasseur, P; Morel, J L; Leyval, C

2011-01-01

Due to human activities, large volumes of soils are contaminated with organic pollutants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and very often by metallic pollutants as well. Multipolluted soils are therefore a key concern for remediation. This work presents a long-term evaluation of the fate and environmental impact of the organic and metallic contaminants of an industrially polluted soil under natural and plant-assisted conditions. A field trial was followed for four years according to six treatments in four replicates: unplanted, planted with alfalfa with or without mycorrhizal inoculation, planted with Noccaea caerulescens, naturally colonized by indigenous plants, and thermally treated soil planted with alfalfa. Leaching water volumes and composition, PAH concentrations in soil and solutions, soil fauna and microbial diversity, soil and solution toxicity using standardized bioassays, plant biomass, mycorrhizal colonization, were monitored. Results showed that plant cover alone did not affect total contaminant concentrations in soil. However, it was most efficient in improving the contamination impact on the environment and in increasing the biological diversity. Leaching water quality remained an issue because of its high toxicity shown by micro-algae testing. In this matter, prior treatment of the soil by thermal desorption proved to be the only effective treatment.

Yield and Water Quality Impacts of Field-Scale Integration of Willow into a Continuous Corn Rotation System.

PubMed

Zumpf, Colleen; Ssegane, Herbert; Negri, Maria Cristina; Campbell, Patty; Cacho, Julian

2017-07-01

Agricultural landscape design has gained recognition by the international environmental and development community as a strategy to address multiple goals in land, water, and ecosystem service management; however, field research is needed to quantify impacts on specific local environments. The production of bioenergy crops in specific landscape positions within a grain-crop field can serve the dual purpose of producing cellulosic biomass (nutrient recovery) while also providing regulating ecosystem services to improve water quality (nutrient reduction). The effectiveness of such a landscape design was evaluated by the strategic placement of a 0.8-ha short-rotation shrub willow ( Seemen) bioenergy buffer along marginal soils in a 6.5-ha corn ( L.) field in a 6-yr field study in central Illinois. The impact of willow integration on water quality (soil water, shallow groundwater leaching, and crop nutrient uptake) and quantity (soil moisture and transpiration) was monitored in comparison with corn in the willow's first cycle of growth. Willows significantly reduced nitrate leachate in shallow subsurface water by 88% while maintaining adequate nutrient and water usage. Results suggest that willows offer an efficient nutrient-reduction strategy and may provide additional ecosystem services and benefits, including enhanced soil health. However, low values for calculated willow biomass will need to be readdressed in the future as harvest data become available to understand contributing factors that affected productivity beyond nutrient availability. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

Kudzu (Pueraria montana) invasion doubles emissions of nitric oxide and increases ozone pollution.

PubMed

Hickman, Jonathan E; Wu, Shiliang; Mickley, Loretta J; Lerdau, Manuel T

2010-06-01

The nitrogen-fixing legume kudzu (Pueraria montana) is a widespread invasive plant in the southeastern United States with physiological traits that may lead to important impacts on ecosystems and the atmosphere. Its spread has the potential to raise ozone levels in the region by increasing nitric oxide (NO) emissions from soils as a consequence of increasing nitrogen (N) inputs and cycling in soils. We studied the effects of kudzu invasions on soils and trace N gas emissions at three sites in Madison County, Georgia in 2007 and used the results to model the effects of kudzu invasion on regional air quality. We found that rates of net N mineralization increased by up to 1,000%, and net nitrification increased by up to 500% in invaded soils in Georgia. Nitric oxide emissions from invaded soils were more than 100% higher (2.81 vs. 1.24 ng NO-N cm(-2) h(-1)). We used the GEOS-Chem chemical transport model to evaluate the potential impact of kudzu invasion on regional atmospheric chemistry and air quality. In an extreme scenario, extensive kudzu invasion leads directly to an increase in the number of high ozone events (above 70 ppb) of up to 7 days each summer in some areas, up from 10 to 20 days in a control scenario with no kudzu invasion. These results establish a quantitative link between a biological invasion and ozone formation and suggest that in this extreme scenario, kudzu invasion can overcome some of the air quality benefits of legislative control.

Linkages between forest soils and water quality and quantity

Treesearch

Daniel G. Neary; George G. Ice; C. Rhett Jackson

2009-01-01

The most sustainable and best quality fresh water sources in the world originate in forest ecosystems. The biological, chemical, and physical characteristics of forest soils are particularly well suited to delivering high quality water to streams, moderating stream hydrology, and providing diverse aquatic habitat. Forest soils feature litter layers and...

Corn stover harvest and tillage impacts on near-surface soil physical quality

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Excessive harvest of corn (Zea mays L.) stover for ethanol production has raised concerns regarding negative consequences on soil physical quality. Our objective was to quantify the impact of two tillage practices and three levels of corn stover harvest on near-surface soil physical quality through ...

Exploring the potential of the permanganate oxidation method as a tool to monitor soil quality in agricultural upland systems of Southeast Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hepp, Catherine M.; Bruun, Thilde Bech; de Neergaard, Andreas

2014-05-01

The transition to more intensified upland systems is having an impact on the soil quality, defined as the ability of a soil to both provide and maintain essential services to an ecosystem. As many tropical upland soils are inherently low in quality, it is essential that impacts be monitored. Soil quality is assessed by using a combination of parameters that serve as indicators and cover the soil chemical, biological and physical properties. An ideal indicator should be sensitive to changes in the environment and management practices and should be widely accessible, meaning low resource requirement (i.e. time and equipment). Total organic carbon (TOC) content is a commonly used indicator of soil quality as it is linked to many soil functions and processes; however analysis is costly and requires access to advanced instrumental facilities, rendering it unsuited for many developing countries. An alternative indicator is the soil fraction dominated by easily decomposable carbon; this may be measured by treating soil samples with 0.2M potassium permanganate (KMnO4), an oxidizing agent which is thought to mimic the enzymes released by the soil microbial community. The advantage of this method is that it is accessible: it is fast, requires little resource input and is field appropriate. There is no consensus however as to which soil carbon fraction the method targets. Furthermore Skjemstad et al. (2006) has indicated that KMnO4 may oxidise charcoal, a component of the non-labile carbon pool; this has implications for the suitability of the method when used for soils of shifting cultivation systems. The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential of permanganate oxidizable carbon (Pox C) as a reliable indicator of soil quality in agricultural upland systems in Northern Lao PDR. Focus was placed on the relations between Pox C and other soil quality parameters (bulk density, pH, CEC, TOC, total N, exchangeable K, plant available P) and upland rice yields. The ability of KMnO4 to oxidize charcoal was also a focus however, as the study is still in its initial stage, no results can be discussed. Volumetric soil samples (at the surface and at 10 cm) and upland rice yield measurements were taken from three fields with three plots that were previously left fallow for five years (n=9; soil n=81). Pearson's Correlation test and Stepwise Regression analysis was done using SPSS v 16.0 for Windows. Results show that Pox C is significantly correlated to the measured soil parameters in a manner similar to TOC. Both are positively correlated to the soil nutrients: Total N %, P Avail and K Exch; Pox C however had a stronger correlation to K Exch than TOC. This affirms the important role of Pox C in soil processes in the biological, chemical and physical spheres. Furthermore, the regression analysis identified Pox C as an influencing factor for the variations seen in upland rice yields. It is concluded that Pox C is a suitable indicator for soil quality and may be useful in monitoring changes in the soil quality of agricultural upland systems.

The earth's surface studied from space; Proceedings of Workshop II of the COSPAR 25th Plenary Meeting, Graz, Austria, June 25-July 7, 1984

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ungar, S. G. (Editor)

1985-01-01

Consideration is given to: Landsat image data quality studies; a preliminary evaluation of Landsat-4 Thematic Mapper (TM) data for mineral exploration; and the early evaluation of TM data for mapping forest, agricultural and soil resources. Among other topics discussed are: shortwave infrared detection of vegetation; SPOT image quality and post-launch assessment; an evaluation of SPOT HRV simulation data for Corps of Engineers applications; and the application potential of SPOT imagery for topographic mapping. Consideration is also given to: verification studies of MOS-1 sensors; multiple sensor geocoded data; and the utility of proposed sensors for coastal engineering studies.

[Environmental quality assessment of regional agro-ecosystem in Loess Plateau].

PubMed

Wang, Limei; Meng, Fanping; Zheng, Jiyong; Wang, Zhonglin

2004-03-01

Based on the detection and analysis of the contamination status of agro-ecosystem with apple-crops intercropping as the dominant cropping model in Loess Plateau, the individual factor and comprehensive environmental quality were assessed by multilevel fuzzy synthetic evaluation model, analytical hierarchy process(AHP), and improved standard weight deciding method. The results showed that the quality of soil, water and agricultural products was grade I, the social economical environmental quality was grade II, the ecological environmental quality was grade III, and the comprehensive environmental quality was grade I. The regional agro-ecosystem dominated by apple-crops intercropping was not the best model for the ecological benefits, but had the better social economical benefits.

Phosphorus runoff from turfgrass as affected by phosphorus fertilization and clipping management.

PubMed

Bierman, Peter M; Horgan, Brian P; Rosen, Carl J; Hollman, Andrew B; Pagliari, Paulo H

2010-01-01

Phosphorus enrichment of surface water is a concern in many urban watersheds. A 3-yr study on a silt loam soil with 5% slope and high soil test P (27 mg kg(-1) Bray P1) was conducted to evaluate P fertilization and clipping management effects on P runoff from turfgrass (Poa pratensis L.) under frozen and nonfrozen conditions. Four fertilizer treatments were compared: (i) no fertilizer, (ii) nitrogen (N)+potassium (K)+0xP, (iii) N+K+1xP, and (iv) N+K+3xP. Phosphorus rates were 21.3 and 63.9 kg ha(-1) yr(-1) the first year and 7.1 and 21.3 kg ha(-1) yr(-1) the following 2 yr. Each fertilizer treatment was evaluated with clippings removed or clippings recycled back to the turf. In the first year, P runoff increased with increasing P rate and P losses were greater in runoff from frozen than nonfrozen soil. In year 2, total P runoff from the no fertilizer treatment was greater than from treatments receiving fertilizer. This was because reduced turf quality resulted in greater runoff depth from the no fertilizer treatment. In year 3, total P runoff from frozen soil and cumulative total P runoff increased with increasing P rate. Clipping management was not an important factor in any year, indicating that returning clippings does not significantly increase P runoff from turf. In the presence of N and K, P fertilization did not improve turf growth or quality in any year. Phosphorus runoff can be reduced by not applying P to high testing soils and avoiding fall applications when P is needed.

Impact of Apex Model parameterization strategy on estimated benefit of conservation practices

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Three parameterized Agriculture Policy Environmental eXtender (APEX) models for corn-soybean rotation on clay pan soils were developed with the objectives, 1. Evaluate model performance of three parameterization strategies on a validation watershed; and 2. Compare predictions of water quality benefi...

Sentinel site data for model improvement – Definition and characterization

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Crop models are increasingly being used to assess the impacts of future climate change on production and food security. High quality site-specific data on weather, soils, management, and cultivar are needed for those model applications. Also important, is that model development, evaluation, improvem...

Comprehensive assessment of regional selenium resources in soils based on the analytic hierarchy process: Assessment system construction and case demonstration.

PubMed

Liang, Ruoyu; Song, Shuai; Shi, Yajing; Shi, Yajuan; Lu, Yonglong; Zheng, Xiaoqi; Xu, Xiangbo; Wang, Yurong; Han, Xuesong

2017-12-15

The redundancy or deficiency of selenium in soils can cause adverse effects on crops and even threaten human health. It was necessary to assess selenium resources with a rigorous scientific appraisal. Previous studies of selenium resource assessment were usually carried out using a single index evaluation. A multi-index evaluation method (analytic hierarchy process) was used in this study to establish a comprehensive assessment system based on consideration of selenium content, soil nutrients and soil environmental quality. The criteria for the comprehensive assessment system were classified by summing critical values in the standards with weights and a Geographical Information System was used to reflect the regional distribution of the assessment results. Boshan, a representative region for developing selenium-rich agriculture, was taken as a case area and classified into Zone I-V, which suggested priority areas for developing selenium-rich agriculture. Most parts of the North and Midlands of Boshan were relatively suitable for development of selenium-rich agriculture. Soils in south fractions were contaminated by Cd, PAHs, HCHs and DDTs, in which it was forbidden to farm. This study was expected to provide the basis for developing selenium-rich agriculture and an example for comprehensive evaluation of relevant resources in a region. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Assessment of the spatio-temporal distribution of soil properties in East Kolkata wetland ecosystem (A Ramsar site: 1208)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pal, S.; Manna, S.; Aich, A.; Chattopadhyay, B.; Mukhopadhyay, S. K.

2014-06-01

The present investigation was made to characterize spatial and temporal variations in soil properties and to evaluate possible differences that could be dependent on the tannery effluent discharges, municipal sewage discharges, vegetation cover, soil settlement rate, crop rotation, etc. Soil total organic matter (TOM), cations like, Sodium (Na), Ammonium (NH4), Potassium (K), Calcium (Ca) and Magnesium (Mg) contents in the bank soils and bottom sediments were recorded from seven different characteristic sites in East Kolkata wetland ecosystem, a Ramsar site (Ramsar site No. 1208). The profile maps were constructed by geostatistical methods to describe the spatial distribution as well as temporal variations of all the factors to identify the influences of composite wastewaters. The work was initiated to identify causes and consequences of the waste dumping in the concerned region for the past hundred years and thereby to suggest necessary precautionary measures to prevent further loss of soil quality.

Experimental study of the complex resistivity and dielectric constant of chrome-contaminated soil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Haorui; Yang, Heli; Yi, Fengyan

2016-08-01

Heavy metals such as arsenic and chromium often contaminate soils near industrialized areas. Soil samples, made with different water content and chromate pollutant concentrations, are often needed to test soil quality. Because complex resistivity and complex dielectric characteristics of these samples need to be measured, the relationship between these measurement results and chromium concentration as well as water content was studied. Based on soil sample observations, the amplitude of the sample complex resistivity decreased with an increase of contamination concentration and water content. The phase of complex resistivity takes on a tendency of initially decrease, and then increase with the increasing of contamination concentration and water content. For a soil sample with the same resistivity, the higher the amplitude of complex resistivity, the lower the water content and the higher the contamination concentration. The real and imaginary parts of the complex dielectric constant increase with an increase in contamination concentration and water content. Note that resistivity and complex resistivity methods are necessary to adequately evaluate pollution at various sites.

Effect of mismanagement at the state of organic matter in soil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hladký, Jan; Elbl, Jakub; Kynický, Jindřich; Dvořáčková, Helena; Juřička, David; Pecina, Václav; Brtnický, Martin

2017-04-01

Organic matter is an essential part of the soil. It affects the physical, chemical, and biological properties of the soil. It is therefore necessary to maintain organic matter in the soil and its quality as the prevention of soil degradation. Loss of organic matter is in the Czech Republic threatened up to 45% of arable soil. The most important reason for the loss of organic matter in the soil is poor management, especially improper crop rotation, cultivation of erosion-prone crops where erosion takes away valuable topsoil with nutrients and organic matter. The aim of our study was to verify the influence of inappropriate management on selected 5 plots in southern Moravia in the Czech Republic. It is the region with the highest incidence of water erosion in the Czech Republic. Were selected plots with significantly sloping, where corn was grown. Samples were taken in the autumn after the harvest, each of topsoil. The sampling sites were placed in positions on the slope where soil was not damaged by erosion, as well as the place greatest damage and the place where washed soil was accumulated. Soil average humus content was for undamaged position on the slope 1.93% and 0.84 quality, the most heavily damaged part of the slope humus content dropped to 1.35% and its quality at only 0.56. In the case of position of accumulated soils was found the average amount of humus 1.70% and 0.90 quality. Humus content and its quality is statistically significantly influenced by water erosion (α = 0.05). The study showed that bad management, when there is not crop rotation adapted to the given conditions and not subjected to any suitable soil-protecting technologies, there is significant damage to soils, which shows mainly organic matter decline and a decline in its quality. Continuation of our study will verify the possibility of stabilization of soil organic matter and draft appropriate technologies.

From chemical risk assessment to environmental quality management: the challenge for soil protection.

PubMed

Bone, James; Head, Martin; Jones, David T; Barraclough, Declan; Archer, Michael; Scheib, Catherine; Flight, Dee; Eggleton, Paul; Voulvoulis, Nikolaos

2011-01-01

The 40 years that have passed since the beginning of the 'environmental revolution' has seen a large increase in development of policies for the protection of environmental media and a recognition by the public of the importance of environmental quality. There has been a shift from policy in reaction to high profile events, then to control of releases to single environmental media, and to the present position of moving toward integrated management of all environmental media at present. This development has moved away from classical chemical risk assessment toward environmental holism, including recognition of the ecological value of these media. This work details how policy developments have taken place for air and water, with examples from the USA and EU, in order to compare this with policy development regarding soil. Soil, with quite different policy frameworks and distinct uses, understanding, and threats compared to other environmental media, is currently attracting attention regarding the need for its protection independent of use. Challenges for soil policy are identified and evaluated, and recommendations on how these challenges can be overcome are discussed with relevance to water and air protection policy.

[Effects of different forest restoration approaches on the soil quality in red soil region of Southern China].

PubMed

Wang, Yun; Ouyang, Zhi-Yun; Zheng, Hua; Zeng, Jing; Chen, Fa-Lin; Zhang, Kai

2013-05-01

In 2008-2009, an investigation was conducted on the effects of three typical forest restoration approaches, i. e., naturally restored secondary forest, artificially restored native species Pinus massoniana plantation (Masson pine plantation), and introduced species Pinus elliottii plantation (slash pine plantation), on the soil quality in red soil region of Southern China. The results showed that the soil moisture content, bulk density, particle composition, and the contents of total carbon (C), total nitrogen (N), total phosphorus (P), organic C, available N, available P, and available potassium (K) in natural secondary forest were all superior to those in artificial plantations. The soil physical, chemical, and microbial properties were integrated into a soil quality index, which was significantly higher (1.20 +/- 0.10) in natural secondary forest than in Masson pine plantation (0.59 +/- 0.03) and slash pine plantation (0.59 +/- 0.06). Our results suggested as compared with the restoration with native species P. massoniana and with introduced P. elliottii, natural restoration could be a better forest restoration approach to improve the soil quality in red soil region of Southern China.

Defining the quality of soil organic matter

EPA Science Inventory

Soils represent the largest terrestrial pool of carbon (C) and hold approximately two-thirds of all C held in these ecosystems. However, not all C in soils is of equal quality. Some fractions of the organic forms, i.e., soil organic carbon (SOC) have long residence times while ...

SOIL QUALITY RECOVERY IN PREVIOUSLY FARMED FIELDS SEEDED TO PERENNIAL WARM SEASON NATIVE GRASS

EPA Science Inventory

A study of twelve Conservation Reserve Program sites in northeastern Kansas was conducted to determine native grass species and selected soil textures influence on soil quality recovery.
Plant productivity, plant carbon and nitrogen concentrations, total soil nitrogen and car...

Toward a Simple Framework for Understanding the Influence of Litter Quality on Vertical and Horizontal Patterns of Soil Organic Matter Pools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Craig, M.; Phillips, R.

2016-12-01

Decades of research have revealed that plant litter quality fundamentally influences soil organic matter (SOM) properties. Yet we lack the predictive frameworks necessary to up-scale our understanding of these dynamics in biodiverse systems. Given that ectomycorrhizal (EM) and arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) plants are thought to differ in their litter quality, we ask whether this dichotomy represents a framework for understanding litter quality effects on SOM in temperate forests. To do this, we sampled soils from 250 spatially referenced locations within a 25-Ha plot where 28,000 trees had been georeferenced, and analyzed spatial patterns of plant and SOM properties. We then examined the extent to which the dominance of AM- versus EM-trees relates to 1) the quality of litter inputs to forest soils and 2) the horizontal and vertical distribution of SOM fractions. We found that leaf litters produced by EM-associated trees were generally of lower quality, having a lower concentration of soluble compounds and higher C:N. Concomitant with this, we observed higher soil C:N under EM trees. Interestingly, this reflected greater N storage in AM-dominated soils rather than greater C storage in EM-dominated soils. These patterns were driven by the storage of SOM in N-rich fractions in AM-dominated soils. Specifically, trees with high litter quality were associated with greater amounts of deep and mineral-associated SOM; pools that are generally considered stable. Our results support the recent contention that high-quality plant inputs should lead to the formation of stable SOM and suggest that the AM-EM framework may provide a way forward for representing litter quality effects on SOM in earth system models.

Nutrients, heavy metals and phthalate acid esters in solar greenhouse soils in Round-Bohai Bay-Region, China: impacts of cultivation year and biogeography.

PubMed

Chen, Zhiqun; Tian, Tian; Gao, Lihong; Tian, Yongqiang

2016-07-01

Solar greenhouse is a common facility type used for horticultural crop production in China. However, most solar greenhouse fields have been degraded due to continuous cropping and excessive fertilizer use. Therefore, we investigated solar greenhouse soils covering a wide range of cultivation years and environmental conditions in Round-Bohai Bay-Region to test the effects of cultivation year and biogeography on nutrients, heavy metals, and phthalate acid esters (PAEs). In general, soil pH decreased while soil electrical conductivity (EC), organic matter (OM), total nitrogen (TN), NO3 (-)-N, NH4 (+)-N, mineral nitrogen (MN), Olsen-P, and NH4OAc-K contents increased as time of cultivation increased. However, this trend was influenced by sampling sites. Among sampling sites, Jiangsu showed a relatively low soil pH and high Olsen-P content, while Hebei showed a relatively high soil EC value, NO3 (-)-N, NH4 (+)-N, MN, and NH4OAc-K contents. Liaoning was characterized by relatively high soil OM and TN contents. The nutrient level indexes in evaluation of soil quality on Olsen-P and NH4OAc-K exceeded the standard seriously. The maximum values of the heavy metals Cd, Cu, and Zn were 4.87, 2.78, and 1.15 times higher than the threshold values, respectively. There was a rising trend on the heavy metal contents with the increasing cultivation years, and this trend was significantly influenced by sampling sites. Both Cu and Zn had relative high heavy metal indexes in evaluation of soil pollution. The PAEs were not detected in almost all sampling soils. Overall, the excessive fertilizer application was an important cause of nutrient accumulation and heavy metal pollution, resulting in soil degradation in solar greenhouses.

Seasonal variability of soil aggregate stability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rohoskova, M.; Kodesova, R.; Jirku, V.; Zigova, A.; Kozak, J.

2009-04-01

Seasonal variability of soil properties measured in surface horizons of three soil types (Haplic Luvisol, Greyic Phaeozem, Haplic Cambisol) was studied in years 2007 and 2008. Undisturbed and disturbed soil samples were taken every month to evaluate field water content, bulk density, porosity, ration of gravitational and capillary pores, pHKCl and pHH2O, organic matter content and its quality, aggregate stability using WSA index. In addition, micromorphological features of soil aggregates were studied in thin soil sections that were made from undisturbed large soil aggregates. Results showed that soil aggregate stability depended on stage of the root zone development, soil management and climatic conditions. Larger aggregate stabilities and also larger ranges of measure values were obtained in the year 2007 then those measured in 2008. This was probably caused by lower precipitations and consequently lower soil water contents observed in 2007 than those measured in 2008. The highest aggregate stability was measured at the end of April in the years 2007 and 2008 in Haplic Luvisol and Greyic Phaeozem, and at the end of June in the year 2007 and at the beginning of June in 2008 in Haplic Cambisol. In all cases aggregate stability increased during the root growth and then gradually decreased due to summer rainfall events. Aggregate stability reflected aggregate structure and soil pore system development, which was documented on micromorphological images and evaluated using the ration of gravitational and capillary pores measured on the undisturbed sol samples. Acknowledgement: Authors acknowledge the financial support of the Grant Agency of the Czech Republic grant No. 526/08/0434, and the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports grant No. MSM 6046070901.

Herbicides--Protecting Long-Term Sustainability and Water Quality in Forest Ecosystems

Treesearch

Daniel G. Neary; Jerry L. Michael

1996-01-01

World-wide, sediment is the major water quality problem. The use of herbicides for controllingcompeting vegetation during stand establishment can be benciicial to forest ecosystem sustainability and water quality by minimising off-site soil loss, reducing onsite soil and organic matter displacement, and preventing deterioration of soil physical properties. Sediment...

Farmers' Visions on Soils: A Case Study among Agroecological and Conventional Smallholders in Minas Gerais, Brazil

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Klingen, Klarien Elisabeth; De Graaff, Jan; Botelho, Maria Izabel Vieira; Kessler, Aad

2012-01-01

Purpose: Why do farmers not take better care of their soils? This article aims to give insight into how farmers look at soil quality management. Design/methodology/approach: It analyses diverse land management practices and visions on soils and soil quality of ten agroecological and 14 conventional smallholder farmers in Araponga, Minas Gerais,…

Biological and biochemical soil quality indicators for agricultural management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bongiorno, Giulia

2017-04-01

Soil quality is defined as the capacity of a soil to perform multiple functions. Agricultural soils can, in principle, sustain a wide range of functions. However, negative pressure exerted by natural and anthropogenic soil threats such as soil erosion, soil organic matter losses and soil compaction have the potential to permanently damage soil quality. Soil chemical, physical and biological parameters can be used as indicators of soil quality. The specific objective of this study is to assess the suitability of novel soil parameters as soil quality indicators. We focus on biological/biochemical parameters, due to the unique role of soil biota in soil functions and to their high sensitivity to disturbances. The novel indicators are assessed in ten European long-term field experiments (LTEs) with different agricultural land use (arable and permanent crops), management regimes and pedo-climatic characteristics. The contrasts in agricultural management are represented by conventional/reduced tillage, organic/mineral fertilization and organic matter addition/no organic matter addition. We measured two different pools of labile organic carbon (dissolved organic carbon (DOC), and permanganate oxidizable carbon (POXC)), and determined DOC quality through its fractionation in hydrophobic and hydrophilic compounds. In addition, total nematode abundance has been assessed with qPCR. These parameters will be related to soil functions which have been measured with a minimum data set of indicators for soil quality (including TOC, macronutrients, and soil respiration). As a preliminary analysis, the Sensitivity Index (SI) for a given LTE was calculated for DOC and POXC according to Bolinder et al., 1999 as the ratio of the soil attribute under modified practices (e.g. reduced tillage) compared to the conventional practices (e.g. conventional tillage). The overall effect of the sustainable management on the indicators has been derived by calculating an average SI for those LTEs which included the sustainable management taken into account. A parametric t-test was used to determine the comprehensive significance of the average SI for a given indicator. Reduced tillage increased DOC and POXC in the 0-10 cm of soil (SI=1.19 and 1.18 respectively) compared to conventional tillage. Organic fertilization increased DOC and POXC in the 0-10 cm compared to mineral fertilization (SI=1.43 and 1.41) and compared to no fertilizer applications (SI=1.27 and 1.17). DOC was slightly more sensitive than POXC, however, the t-test resulted to be significant only for POXC. Preliminary tests revealed a significant correlation between POXC and DOC (Spearman ρ=0.53, p<0.001). POXC was more strongly correlated with TOC (ρ=0.8, p<0.001), soil respiration (ρ=0.5, p<0.001) and total nematode number (ρ=0.25, p<0.001), than DOC (ρ=0.37, p<0.001; ρ=0.28, p<0.001; ρ=0.04, p=0.5, respectively). These preliminary results could indicate the better suitability of POXC as soil quality indicator compared to DOC. Further analyses will be implemented to elucidate these relations (including DOC quality parameters and hot water extractable carbon). In the coming months, nematode community composition and abundance of specific groups will be assessed with molecular techniques (sequencing and qPCR). Together, the results will permit to assess the feasibility of the implementation of novel indicators to monitor the effects of agricultural management on soil functions.

Glomalin accumulated in seagrass sediments reveals past alterations in soil quality due to land-use change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

López-Merino, Lourdes; Serrano, Oscar; Adame, María Fernanda; Mateo, Miguel Ángel; Martínez Cortizas, Antonio

2015-10-01

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), symbionts with most terrestrial plants, produce glomalin-related soil protein (GRSP), which plays a major role in soil structure and quality. Both fungi hyphae and protein production in soils are affected by perturbations related to land-use changes, implying that GRSP is a sensitive indicator of soil quality. Unfortunately, GRSP degrades within years to decades in oxic environments, preventing its use as palaeoecological proxy. However, GRSP is transported to marine, near-shore anoxic sediments, where it accumulates and remains non-degraded, enabling the assessment of its potential as a palaeoecological proxy for soil ecosystem's health. Exploiting this fact, we have obtained for the first time a long-term record (c. 1250 years) of GRSP content using a Posidonia oceanica seagrass mat sediment core from the Western Mediterranean (Portlligat Bay, Spain). The trends in GRSP content matched well with land-use changes related to agrarian activities reconstructed by pollen analysis. In periods of cultivation, GRSP accumulation in the mat decreased. Given the role played by GRSP, the results suggest that agrarian intensification may have resulted in perturbations to soil quality. Thus, GRSP in seagrass mat sediments can be used to assess long-term trends in continental soil quality induced by human activities. These findings open new possibilities in long-term ecology research, as other anoxic environments could be potentially valid too. Testing them would open the possibility to identify long-term patterns in soil quality and other environmental stressors that could also affect AMF and GRSP production in soils.

Soil quality assessment in long-term direct seed

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Producers in the Pacific Northwest are adopting direct seed farming to reduce soil erosion, improve soil quality and increase water infiltration. Some direct seed producers are concerned with reaching the yield and profit potential expected with long-term direct seed, and this may be due to soil st...

Multifractal analyis of soil invertebrates along a transect under different land uses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Machado Siqueira, Glécio; Alves Silva, Raimunda; Vidal-Vázquez, Eva; Paz-González, Antonio

2017-04-01

Soil fauna play a central role in many essential ecosystem processes. Land use and management can have a dramatic effect upon soil invertebrate community. Indices based on soil invertebrates abundance and diversity are fundamental for soil quality assessment. Many soil properties and attributes have been shown to exhibit spatial variabilityThe aim of this study was to analyze the scaling heterogeneity of the soil invertebrate community sampled using pitfall traps across a transect. The field study was conducted at Mata Roma municipality, Maranhão State, Brazil. Transects were marked under seven different agricultural/forestry land uses (millet, soybean, maize, eucalyptus, pasture, secondary savannah and native savannah). Native vegetation was considered as a reference, whereas the agricultural fields showed a range of soil use intensities. Along these transects 130 pitfall per land use were installed. First, differences in community assemblages and composition under different land use systems were evaluated using classical indices. Then, the spatial distribution of soil fauna trapped by pitfall techniques, characterized through generalized dimension, Dq, and singularity spectra, f(α) - α, showed a well-defined multifractal structure. Differences in scaling heterogeneity and other multifractal characteristics were examined in relation to land use intensification.

Response of rhizosphere microbial community structure and diversity to heavy metal co-pollution in arable soil.

PubMed

Deng, Linjing; Zeng, Guangming; Fan, Changzheng; Lu, Lunhui; Chen, Xunfeng; Chen, Ming; Wu, Haipeng; He, Xiaoxiao; He, Yan

2015-10-01

Due to the emerging environmental issues related to heavy metals, concern about the soil quality of farming lands near manufacturing district is increasing. Investigating the function of soil microorganisms exposed to long-term heavy metal contamination is meaningful and important for agricultural soil utilization. This article studied the potential influence of several heavy metals on microbial biomass, activity, abundance, and community composition in arable soil near industrial estate in Zhuzhou, Hunan province, China. The results showed that soil organic contents (SOC) were significantly positive correlated with heavy metals, whereas dehydrogenase activity (DHA) was greatly depressed by the heavy metal stress. Negative correlation was found between heavy metals and basal soil respiration (BSR), and no correlation was found between heavy metals and microbial biomass content (MBC). The quantitative PCR (QPCR) and polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) analysis could suggest that heavy metal pollution has significantly decreased abundance of bacteria and fungi and also changed their community structure. The results could contribute to evaluate heavy metal pollution level in soil. By combining different environmental parameters, it would promote the better understanding of heavy metal effect on the size, structure, and activity of microbial community in arable soil.

Mapping Soil Water-Holding Capacity Index to Evaluate the Effectiveness of Phytoremediation Protocols and ExposureRisk to Contaminated Soils in a National Interest Priority Site of the Campania Region (Southern Italy).

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Romano, N.

2015-12-01

Soil moisture is an important state variable that influences water flow and solute transport in the soil-vegetation-atmosphere system, and plays a key role in securing agricultural ecosystem services for nutrition and food security. Especially when environmental studies should be carried out at relatively large spatial scales, there is a need to synthesize the complex interactions between soil, plant behavior, and local atmospheric conditions. Although it relies on the somewhat loosely defined concepts of "field capacity" and "wilting point", the soil water-holding capacity seems a suitable indicator to meet the above-mentioned requirement, yet easily understandable by the public and stakeholders. This parameter is employed in this work to evaluate the effectiveness of phytoremediation protocols funded by the EU-Life project EcoRemed and being implemented to remediate and restore contaminated agricultural soils of the National Interest Priority Site Litorale Domizio-Agro Aversano. The study area is located in the Campania Region (Southern Italy) and has an extent of about 200,000 hectares. A high-level spotted soil contamination is mostly due to the legal or outlaw industrial and municipal wastes, with hazardous consequences also on groundwater quality. With the availability of soil and land systems maps for this study area, disturbed and undisturbed soil samples were collected at two different soil depths to determine basic soil physico-chemical properties for the subsequent application of pedotransfer functions (PTFs). Soil water retention and hydraulic conductivity functions were determined for a number of soil cores, in the laboratory with the evaporation experiments, and used to calibrate the PTFs. Efficient mapping of the soil hydraulic properties benefitted greatly from the use of the PTFs and the physically-based scaling procedure developed by Nasta et al. (2013, WRR, 49:4219-4229).

A Meta-Analysis to Evaluate Property Value Co-Benefits of Using Environmental Site Design for Stormwater Runoff Reduction

EPA Science Inventory

Practices to reduce stormwater runoff are implemented for several primary purposes: to protect and improve water quality and hydromorphology in water bodies that receive stormwater runoff, to prevent soil erosion, to maintain groundwater recharge volume, and to prevent increasing...

Evaluation of a regional air-quality model with bidirectional NH3 exchange coupled to an agroecosystem modelecosystem model

EPA Science Inventory

Atmospheric ammonia (NH₃) is the primary atmospheric base and an important precursor for inorganic particulate matter and when deposited NH₃ contributes to surface water eutrophication, soil acidification and decline in species biodiversity. Flux measurement...

Growth of tropical legume cover crops as influenced by nitrogen fertilization and Rhizobia

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Tropical legume cover crops are important components in cropping systems due to their role in improving soil quality. Information is limited on the influence of nitrogen (N) fertilization on growth of tropical legume cover crops grown on Oxisols. A greenhouse experiment was conducted to evaluate the...

Evaluation of potting media for soilless cultivation of southern highbush blueberry

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Growing blueberry plants in containers for fruit production allows producers to overcome issues with poor soil quality, such as high pH and salinity, and enables blueberry production in more diverse climates. The objective of the present study was to test various soilless substrates for container bl...

Assessing the diversity and composition of bacterial communities across a wetland, transition, upland gradient in Macon County Alabama

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Wetlands provide essential functions to the ecosphere that range from water filtration to flood control. Current methods of evaluating the quality of wetlands include assessing vegetation, soil type, and period of inundation. With recent advances in molecular and bioinformatic techniques, measuremen...

Soil quality influences efficacy of Melia azedarach (Sapindales: Meliaceae), fruit extracts against Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus (Acari: Ixodidae)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Hexane extract of chinaberry, Melia azedarach L., unripe fruits obtained from different municipalities of Goias state in Brazil were evaluated on the southern cattle fever tick, Rhipicephalus microplus (Canestrini), engorged females. Hexanic extracts were assayed in decreasing concentrations from 0....

Evaluating ephemeral gully erosion impact on Zea mays L. yield and economics using AnnAGNPS

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Ephemeral gully erosion causes serious water quality and economic problems in the Midwest United States. A critical barrier to soil conservation practice adoption is often the implementation cost, although it is recognized that erosion reduces farm income. Yet few, if any, understand the relationshi...

Phosphorus retention by fly-ash amended filter media in aged bioretention cells

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Bioretention cells (BRCs) have shown potential for stormwater quantity and quality control. However, the phosphorus (P) removal in BRC has been variable due to differences of soil properties in filter media. The objectives of this research were to identify and evaluate P accumulation in filter media...

Hydrologic Futures: Using Scenario Analysis to Evaluate Impacts of Forecasted Land Use Change on Hydrologic Services

EPA Science Inventory

Land cover and land use changes can substantially alter hydrologic ecosystem services. Water availability and quality can change with modifications to the type or amount of surface vegetation, the permeability of soil and other surfaces, and the introduction of contaminants throu...

Evaluation of Contractor Quality Control of Built-Up Roofing.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-10-01

flood coat Mnd surfacing applied. 1144 - -- , -. .. - -. .. . J - - - - .- o 7. APLICATION OF ROOFrNG. 7.1. GKNERA REUIZNTS. The entire roofing...ATTN: Chief, HNDED-M USA-WES 39180 Mobile 36628 ATTN: Chief, HNDED-SR ATTN: C/Structures ATTN: Chief, SA14EN-D Lower Mississippi 39180 ATTN: Soils

A predictive model for turfgrass color and quality evaluation using deep learning and UAV imageries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Phan, Claude; Raheja, Amar; Bhandari, Subodh; Green, Robert L.; Do, Dat

2017-05-01

Millions of Americans come into contact with turfgrass on a daily basis. Often undervalued and seen as visual support stimulus for a larger entity, millions of acres of turfgrass can be found on residential lawns (which also provides an area for recreation), commercial landscape, parks, athletic fields, and golf courses. Besides these uses, turfgrass provides many functional benefits to the environment, such as reducing soil erosion, cooling its surrounding area, and soil carbon sequestration. However, rapidly expanding uses of turfgrass have also raised alarm for natural resources conservation and environmental quality, the largest impact being water consumption. This paper presents a machine learning approach that can assist growers and researchers in determining the overall quality and color rating of turfgrass, thereby assisting in turfgrass management including optimized irrigation water scheduling. Tools from Google and NVIDIA enable models to be trained using deep learning techniques on personal computers or on small form factor processors that can be used aboard small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The typical evaluation process is a long, laborious process, which is subjective by nature, and thus often exposed to criticism and concern. A computational approach to quality and color assessment will provide faster, accurate, and more consistent ratings, which in turn will help increase irrigation water use efficiency. The overall goal of the ongoing research is to use deep learning techniques and UAV imageries for the turfgrass quality and color assessment and help all the stakeholders to optimize water conservation.

A critical investigation of post-liquefaction strength and steady-state flow behavior of saturated soils

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jong, H.L.

1988-01-01

The first objective was to perform a critical evaluation of the recently proposed steady-state analysis methodology for evaluation of post-liquefaction stability of potentially liquefiable soils. This analysis procedure is based on direct comparison between the in-situ undrained residual (steady state) strength of soils in an embankment or foundation, and the driving shear stresses in these soils. A laboratory investigation was performed to investigate factors affecting steady-state strengths, and also to evaluate the validity of assumptions involved in correcting the results of laboratory steady-state strength tests on undisturbed samples for effects of sampling disturbance in order to estimate in-situ strengths. Next,more » a field case study was performed using the steady-state analysis and testing methodologies to analyze Lower San Fernando Dam, which suffered a liquefaction-induced slope failure as a results of a 1971 earthquake. This leads to the second objective which was to extend the Lower San Fernando Dam case study to consideration of analysis methods used to evaluate the likelihood of triggering liquefaction during an earthquake. Finally, a number of the high quality undisturbed samples were subjected to undrained cyclic testing in order to repeat an earlier (1973) study of the use of cyclic tests data to predict liquefaction behavior at Lower San Fernando Dam.« less

Monitoring Two Small Catchments to Evaluate Effects of No-Tillage Agricultural Management in São Paulo State, Brazil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Figueiredo, R. D. O.; Gonçalves, A. O.; Melo, A. D. S.; de Bona, F. D.; Hernani, L. C.

2015-12-01

In recent years, declines in water and soil quality have been observed in areas of Brazil where no-till agriculture had been previously implemented. Poor soil management associated with the absence of public policies has caused soil erosion, because many farmers are moving back from no-till to traditional cultivation for faster economic gains. A research project - SoloVivo Project - leaded by Embrapa (Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation) in partnership with Itaipu Binacional aims to develop and validate, in a participatory way, tools to evaluate the technical performance of soil and water management at the rural properties that practice no-till agriculture. In this context we have selected two paired small (< 100 ha) catchments in the Paranapanema region, São Paulo State, where no-till management is practiced at two different degrees of effectiveness. In the figure bellow it can be seen a scene of one of the two studied catchments. For monitoring rainfall, soil solution and stream water, each catchment will be equipped with a programmable datalogger (with cell phone communication for data collection) linked to: a high intensity tipping bucket rain gage; a reflectometer to monitor soil volumetric water content, bulk electric conductivity and temperature; a radar water level sensor; a turbidity sensor; and an electric conductivity-temperature probe. We expect that stream flow and sediment generation, besides water quality (measured by conductivity) may serve as indicators of the benefits of no-tillage agriculture done more or less well. The results of this study will be used to stimulate discussions at workshops with the farmers who participate in a rural producers association in the region. In addition this and other results can be used to help the Brazilian National Water Agency (ANA) decide about applying no-till agricultural management systems in its programs of payment for environmental services.

SMOS/SMAP Synergy for SMAP Level 2 Soil Moisture Algorithm Evaluation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bindlish, Rajat; Jackson, Thomas J.; Zhao, Tianjie; Cosh, Michael; Chan, Steven; O'Neill, Peggy; Njoku, Eni; Colliander, Andreas; Kerr, Yann

2011-01-01

Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) satellite has been proposed to provide global measurements of soil moisture and land freeze/thaw state at 10 km and 3 km resolutions, respectively. SMAP would also provide a radiometer-only soil moisture product at 40-km spatial resolution. This product and the supporting brightness temperature observations are common to both SMAP and European Space Agency's Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) mission. As a result, there are opportunities for synergies between the two missions. These include exploiting the data for calibration and validation and establishing longer term L-band brightness temperature and derived soil moisture products. In this investigation we will be using SMOS brightness temperature, ancillary data, and soil moisture products to develop and evaluate a candidate SMAP L2 passive soil moisture retrieval algorithm. This work will begin with evaluations based on the SMOS product grids and ancillary data sets and transition to those that will be used by SMAP. An important step in this analysis is reprocessing the multiple incidence angle observations provided by SMOS to a global brightness temperature product that simulates the constant 40 degree incidence angle observations that SMAP will provide. The reprocessed brightness temperature data provide a basis for evaluating different SMAP algorithm alternatives. Several algorithms are being considered for the SMAP radiometer-only soil moisture retrieval. In this first phase, we utilized only the Single Channel Algorithm (SCA), which is based on the radiative transfer equation and uses the channel that is most sensitive to soil moisture (H-pol). Brightness temperature is corrected sequentially for the effects of temperature, vegetation, roughness (dynamic ancillary data sets) and soil texture (static ancillary data set). European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) estimates of soil temperature for the top layer (as provided as part of the SMOS ancillary data) were used to correct for surface temperature effects and to derive microwave emissivity. ECMWF data were also used for precipitation forecasts, presence of snow, and frozen ground. Vegetation options are described below. One year of soil moisture observations from a set of four watersheds in the U.S. were used to evaluate four different retrieval methodologies: (1) SMOS soil moisture estimates (version 400), (2) SeA soil moisture estimates using the SMOS/SMAP data with SMOS estimated vegetation optical depth, which is part of the SMOS level 2 product, (3) SeA soil moisture estimates using the SMOS/SMAP data and the MODIS-based vegetation climatology data, and (4) SeA soil moisture estimates using the SMOS/SMAP data and actual MODIS observations. The use of SMOS real-world global microwave observations and the analyses described here will help in the development and selection of different land surface parameters and ancillary observations needed for the SMAP soil moisture algorithms. These investigations will greatly improve the quality and reliability of this SMAP product at launch.

[Effects of Different Reclaimed Scenarios on Soil Microbe and Enzyme Activities in Mining Areas].

PubMed

Li, Jun-jian; Liu, Feng; Zhou, Xiao-mei

2015-05-01

Abstract: Ecological degradation in the mining areas is greatly aggravated in recent several decades, and ecological restoration has become the primary measure for the sustainable development. Soil microbe and enzyme activity are sensitive indices to evaluate soil quality. Ecological reconstruction was initiated in Antaibao mining area, and we tested soil physicochemical properties, microbial populations of azotobacteria, nitrifying-bacteria and denitrifying-bacteria, and enzyme activities (including sucrose, polyphenol oxidase, dehydrogenase and urease) under different regeneration scenarios. Regeneration scenarios had significant effects on soil physicochemical properties, microbial population and enzyme activities. Total nitrogen was strongly correlated with azotobacteria and nitrifying-bacteria, however, total nitrogen was not correlated with denitrifying-bacteria. Phenol oxidase activity was negatively correlated with soil organic carbon and total nitrogen, but other enzyme activities were positively correlated with soil organic carbon and total nitrogen. Principal Component Analysis ( PCA) was applied to analyze the integrated fertility index (IFI). The highest and lowest IFIs were in Robinia pseudoacacia-Pinus tabuliformis mixed forests and un-reclaimed area, respectively. R. pseudoacacia-P. tabuliformis mixed forests were feasible for reclaimed mining areas in semi-arid region Northwest Shanxi.

[Variation characteristics of farmland soil pH in the past 30 years of Enshi Autonomous Prefecture, Hubei, China].

PubMed

Hu, Min; Xiang, Yong Sheng; Zhang, Zhi; Cong, Ri Huan; Huang, Fei Yue; Zhang, Jun Qiang; Shang, Li Li; Lu, Jian Wei

2017-04-18

In order to explore temporal-spatial variability of farmland soil pH at Enshi Antonomous Prefecture, Hubei, China, soil pH during the past three decades was analyzed, using the datasets of the Second National Soil Survey (1980-1983) and the Cultivated Land Quality Evaluation (2010-2013). The natural and human factors inducing the change of soil pH were evaluated to provide theoretical guidance for further soil acidification management. Results showed that acidic soil (i.e., pH＜6.5) and neutral and alkaline soil (i.e., pH 6.5-8.5) were accounted for 98.4% and 1.6% in the farmland during the period of 2010-2013, respectively. The ratio increased 61.4% for the acidic soil but decreased 61.2% for the neutral and alkaline soil as compared with the period of 1980-1983. In addition, there was no alkaline soil (pH>8.5) in the region in 2010-2013. According to the dataset of the Second National Soil Survey (1980-1983), acidic soil was mainly distributed at Laifeng, Lichuan, Xuanen and Xianfeng counties, with the area ratio of 74.4%, 63.5%, 61.3% and 60.7%, respectively. For the period of 2010-2013, the ratio of acidic soil enhanced widely which was above 96% for each county. At Enshi Autonomous Prefecture, farmland soil showed an obvious acidification trend during the past three decades, with spatial variation of higher in the eastern part and lower in the western part of the region. Furthermore, soil pH decline occurred among different land use types in different areas. Overall, farmland soil pH declined 0.90 on average, with 1.14 decrease for upland and 0.87 for paddy soil, respectively. Clearly, upland soil acidification was severe than paddy soil. Factors related to soil acidification in the Enshi Autonomous Prefecture were mainly human factors such as unreasonable fertilizer combination, fertilizer ratio change, and more base cations taking away by high crop yield.

Genetic and functional diversity of soil microbial communities associated to grapevine plants and wine quality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mocali, Stefano; Fabiani, Arturo; Kuramae, Eiko; de Hollander, Mattias; Kowalchuk, George A.; Vignozzi, Nadia; Valboa, Giuseppe; Costantini, Edoardo

2013-04-01

Despite the economic importance of vineyards in Italy, the wine sector is facing severe challenges from increased global competition and climate changes. The quality of the grape at harvest has a strong direct impact on wine final quality and the strong relationship between wine composition, aroma, taste, and soil properties has been outlined in the "Terroir concept". However, information on the impact of soil microbial communities on soil functions, grapevine plants, and wine quality is generally lacking. In the current study, soils from two close sites in Central Tuscany (BRO11 and BRO12) cultivated with the same grapevine cultivar Sangiovese, but with contrasting wine quality, were examined. Although the BRO12 site provided a better wine quality than the BRO11, the two soils showed similar physical, chemical, and hydrological properties. Also soil humidity, as determined by FDR (Frequency Domain Reflectometry) sensors, indicated a similar water availability in the first 75 cm during a three years trial (2000-2010). Interestingly, the mean three years value of the ratio between the two stable carbon isotopes 13C/12C, measured in the alcohol of the wines, was significantly higher in BRO12 than in BRO11 (-28,3‰ and -24,4‰, respectively), indicating the presence of a relatively higher water stress in the BRO11 soil. Functional GeoChip microarray analyses revealed higher presence of Actinobacteria in the BRO12 than in the BRO11 soil, where the alfa-Proteobacteria were more abundant. Furthermore, a consistent difference in genes involved in S cycling, with a significant overrepresentation of sulphur-oxidation genes in BRO11 and increased levels of sulphate reduction genes BRO12 was detected. These results are consistent with the high content of sulphates and the abundance of Firmicutes such as Sulfobacillus thermosulfidooxidans in the BRO11 soil. Therefore, the different microbiology of the two soils could be related to the different redox conditions of the two soils. The structure of soil microbial communities was assessed using 16S and 18S rRNA genes pyrosequencing and the determination of some soil microbial properties such as microbial respiration, microbial C-biomass were also determined. The role of both genetic and functional diversity of soil bacterial community on grape physiology and wine quality will be discussed.

The use of soil quality indicators to assess soil functionality in restored semi-arid ecosystems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muñoz-Rojas, Miriam; Erickson, Todd E.; Dixon, Kingsley W.; Merritt, David J.

2016-04-01

Keywords: Pilbara, 1-day CO2 test, microbial activity, mine restoration, soil health, ecosystem services. Introduction Semi-arid and arid environments are highly vulnerable to land degradation and their restoration has commonly showed low rates of success (James et al., 2013). A systematic knowledge of soil functionality is critical to successful restoration of degraded ecosystems since approximately 80% of ecosystem services can be connected to soil functions. The assessment of soil functionality generally involves the evaluation of soil properties and processes as they relate to the ability of soil to function effectively as a component of a healthy ecosystem (Costantini et al., 2015) Using soil quality indicators may be a valuable approach to assess functionality of topsoil and novel substrates used in restoration (Muñoz-Rojas et al., 2014; 2015). A key soil chemical indicator is soil organic C, that has been widely used as an attribute of soil quality because of the many functions that it provides and supports (Willaarts et al., 2015). However, microbial indicators can be more sensitive to disturbances and could be a valuable addition in soil assessment studies in restoration programs. Here, we propose a set of soil quality indicators to assess the soil status in restored soils (topsoil and waste material) of semi-arid environments. The study was conducted during March 2015 in the Pilbara biogeographical region (northwestern Australia) at an iron ore mine site rehabilitated in 2011. Methods Soil samples were collected from two sub-areas with different soil materials used as growth media: topsoil retrieved from nearby stockpiles and a lateritic waste material utilised for its erosive stability and physical competence. An undisturbed natural shrub-grassland ecosystem dominated by Triodia spp. and Acacia spp. representative of the restored area was selected as the analogue reference site. Soil physicochemical analysis were undertaken according to standard methods. Soil microbial activity was measured with the 1-day CO2 test, a cost-effective and rapid method to determine soil microbial respiration rate based on the measurement of the CO2 burst produced after moistening dry soil (Muñoz-Rojas et al., 2016). Soil microbial abundance of specific groups was measured by phospholipid fatty acid analysis. Results and discussion We showed that in addition to organic C and C:N ratio, biological indicators (microbial diversity and activity in particular), are the most sensitive indicators to detect differences among reconstructed soils and analogue undisturbed soils in semi-arid areas. The 1-day CO2 test is an alternative cost- and time-effective method to measure microbial activity and assess soil functionality of restored soils. Our results also showed a positive effect of vegetation on reconstructed soils and a recovery of soil functionality in waste material to levels similar to topsoil once vegetation is established, although soil quality levels are still far from those in undisturbed native soils four years post-restoration. Soil functionality is critical in the restoration process, particularly in semi-arid areas, and the methods used here could be effectively applied in a broad range of restoration projects in arid and semi-arid environments. References Costantini EAC, Branquinho C, Nunes A, Schwilch G, Stavi I, Valdecantos A and Zucca C (2015) Soil indicators to assess the effectiveness of restoration strategies in dryland ecosystems. Solid Earth Discussions 7:3645-3687. James JJ, Sheley RL, EricksonT, Rollins KS, Taylor MH, Dixon KW (2013) A systems approach to restoring degraded drylands. Journal of Applied Ecology 50:730-739. Muñoz-Rojas M., Erickson T, Merritt D, Dixon K (2014) Optimising post-mining soil conditions to maximise restoration success in a biodiverse semiarid environment. Geophysical Research. Abstracts Vol. 16, EGU2014-2069-1, EGU General Assembly. Muñoz-Rojas M, Erickson T, Merritt D, Dixon K (2015) Applying soil science for restoration of post mining degraded landscapes in semi-arid Australia: challenges and opportunities. Geophysical Research. Abstracts Vol. 17, EGU2015-3967-1, EGU General Assembly. Muñoz-Rojas M, Erickson TE, Martini D, Dixon KW, Merritt DJ (2016) Soil physicochemical and microbiological indicators of short, medium and long term post-fire recovery in semi-arid ecosystems. Ecological indicators 63:14-22. Willaarts BA, Oyonarte C, Muñoz-Rojas M., Ibáñez JJ and Aguilera PA (2015) Environmental Factors Controlling Soil Organic Carbon Stocks in Two Contrasting Mediterranean Climatic Areas of Southern Spain. Land Degradation and Development (on-line). DOI: 10.1002/ldr.2417

Estimating the quality of pasturage in the municipality of Paragominas (PA) by means of automatic analysis of LANDSAT data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dejesusparada, N. (Principal Investigator); Dossantos, A. P.; Novo, E. M. L. D.; Duarte, V.

1981-01-01

The use of LANDSAT data to evaluate pasture quality in the Amazon region is demonstrated. Pasture degradation in deforested areas of a traditional tropical forest cattle-raising region was estimated. Automatic analysis using interactive multispectral analysis (IMAGE-100) shows that 24% of the deforested areas were occupied by natural vegetation regrowth, 24% by exposed soil, 15% by degraded pastures, and 46% was suitable grazing land.

Risk evaluation of available phosphorus loss in agricultural land based on remote sensing and GIS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ding, Xiaodong; Zhou, Bin; Xu, Junfeng; Liu, Ting; Xie, Bin

2010-09-01

The surplus of phosphorus leads to water eutrophication. Huge input of fertilizers in agricultural activities enriches nutrition in soil. The superfluous nutrient moves easily to riparian water by rainfall and surface runoff; leads to water eutrophication of riparian wetlands and downstream water; and consequently affects ecological balance. Thus it is significant to investigate the risk of phosphorus loss in agricultural land, to identify high concentration areas and guide the management of nutrition loss. This study was implemented mainly in the area of agricultural use in southern Western Australia, where a three-year period preliminary monitoring of water quality showed that the concentration of different forms of phosphorus in water had far exceeded the standard. Due to the large scale surface runoff caused by occasional storms in Western Australia, soil erosion was selected as the main driving factor for the loss of phosphorus. Remote sensing and ground truth data were used to reflect the seasonal changes of plants. The spatial distribution of available phosphorus was then predicted and combined with the evaluation matrix to evaluate the loss risk of phosphorus. This evaluation was based on quantitative rather than qualitative data to make better precision. It could help making decision support for monitoring water quality of rivers and riparian wetlands.

Identifying the Tillage Effects on Phosphorus Export from Phaeozems-Dominated Agricultural Watershed: a Plot-Scale Rainfall-Runoff Study in Northeast China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Yuyan; Xu, Y. Jun; Xiao, Weihua; Wang, Jianhua; Hao, Cailian; Zhou, Pu; Shi, Min

2017-12-01

Evaluating tillage effects on soil phosphorus (P) loss at the plot-scale has significant implication for developing best management practices (BMPs) to protect water quality and soil productivity management in agricultural watersheds. This paper aims to quantify P loss from tilled soils under different rainfall patterns in a Phaeozems-dominated agricultural watershed. Eleven rainfall events were monitored at three experimental sites growing corns with conventional till, conservational till, and no-till during a growing season from July to August in 2013. Mean event mean concentration of dissolved phosphorus was 0.130, 0.213 and 0.614 mg L-1 and mean particulate phosphorus transfer rate was 103.502, 33.359 and 27.127 g ha-1 hr-1, respectively for three tillage practices. Results showed that less tillage practices could significantly reduce sediment runoff and PP loss, accompanied with a moderate reduction of runoff yield. While the proportion of PP has been cut down, the proportion of DP could account for the majority. Hydrological factors, including antecedent soil moisture and rainfall variables, could exert various effects on DP, PP and sediment losses under different tillage conditions. Further, the results of this study imply that the soil P loss management and water quality protection in black soil region of Northeast China should take consideration of diverse effects of tillage on phosphorus loss and the dynamics of P between different forms.

The Beaver Creek story

USGS Publications Warehouse

Doyle, W.H.; Whitworth, B.G.; Smith, G.F.; Byl, T.D.

1996-01-01

Beaver Creek watershed in West Tennessee includes about 95,000 acres of the Nation's most productive farmland and most highly erodible soils. In 1989 the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Tennessee Department of Agriculture, began a study to evaluate the effect of agricultural activities on water quality in the watershed and for best management practices designed to reduce agricultural nonpoint-source pollution. Agrichemical monitoring included testing the soils, ground water, and streams at four farm sites ranging from 27 to 420 acres. Monitoring stations were operated downstream to gain a better understanding of the water chemistry as runoff moved from small ditches into larger streams to the outlet of the Beaver Creek watershed. Prior to the implementation of best management practices at one of the farm study sites, some storms produced an average suspended-sediment concentration of 70,000 milligrams per liter. After the implementation of BMP's, however, the average value never exceeded 7,000 milligrams per liter. No-till crop production was the most effective best management practice for conserving soil on the farm fields tested. A natural bottomland hardwood wetland and a constructed wetland were evaluated as instream resource-management systems. The wetlands improved water quality downstream by acting as a filter and removing a significant amount of nonpoint-source pollution from the agricultural runoff. The constructed wetland reduced the sediment, pesticide, and nutrient load by approximately 50 percent over a 4-month period. The results of the Beaver Creek watershed study have increased the understanding of the effects of agriculture on water resources. Study results also demonstrated that BMP's do protect and improve water quality.

Functional interpretation of representative soil spatial-temporal variability at the Central region of European territory of Russia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vasenev, I.

2012-04-01

The essential spatial and temporal variability is mutual feature for most natural and man-changed soils at the Central region of European territory of Russia. The original spatial heterogeneity of forest and forest-steppe soils has been further complicated by a specific land-use history and different-direction soil successions due to environmental changes and human impacts. For demand-driven land-use planning and decision making the quantitative analysis, modeling and functional-ecological interpretation of representative soil cover patterns spatial variability is an important and challenging task that receives increasing attention from scientific society, private companies, governmental and environmental bodies. On basis of long-term different-scale soil mapping, key plot investigation, land quality and land-use evaluation, soil forming and degradation processes modeling, functional-ecological typology of the zonal set of elementary soil cover patterns (ESCP) has been done in representative natural and man transformed ecosystems of the forest, forest-steppe and steppe zones at the Central region of European territory of Russia (ETR). The validation and ranging of the limiting factors of functional quality and ecological state have been made for dominating and most dynamical components of ESCP regional-typological forms - with application of local GIS, traditional regression kriging and correlation tree models. Development, zonal-regional differentiation and verification of the basic set of criteria and algorithms for logically formalized distinguishing of the most "stable" & "hot" areas in soil cover patterns make it possible for quantitative assessment of dominating in them elementary landscape, soil-forming and degradation processes. The received data essentially expand known ranges of the soil forming processes (SFP) rate «in situ». In case of mature forests mutual for them the windthrow impacts and lateral processes make SFPs more active and complex both in soils of windthrow mounds and holes: CO2 emission increases by 30-60 %; proteolytic activities - by 50-200 %, average humification rate exceeds 100-1000 g/m2year, and the rate of aggressive fulvic acid formation - 40-300 g/m2year. The average lessivage rate may reach 2-3 kg*cm/m2year and the rate of oxalate extractable Fe2O3, Al2O3migration is 0.6-1.3 kg*cm/ m2year. Eluvial horizons can go deep on 6-18 cm per 50-150 yeas - depending on depth of initial impacts and on morphogenetic profile of background soil. The carried out analysis of Chernozem regional-typological degradation processes has shown qualitative expansion of their set. The outcomes of statistical modeling show essential amplification of dehumification processes due to current violation of traditional balances of organic matter in agrolandscapes. A drop of humus content below threshold values (4.5-6.5 % for different Chernozems) considerably reduces farming effectiveness. Mean annual rate of humus decreasing and increasing varies from 0.1 up to 1.3 g/kg per year, acidification and alkalization - from 0.01 up to 0.13 dp per year, salinity - from 5 up to 18 mg/kg per year. Succession analysis of modern evolution of natural and man-changed soils essentially increases accuracy of quantitative assessments of dominant SFPs' rate and potential, their influence on landscape and soil cover quality and diversity. Their results allow developing the regional and landscape adapted versions of automated systems of land agroecological evaluation (RASLEV) and demand-driven land-use DSS (LODSSAL).

Evaluation of food processing wastewater loading characteristics on metal mobilization within the soil.

PubMed

Julien, Ryan; Safferman, Steven

2015-01-01

Wastewater generated during food processing is commonly treated using land-application systems which primarily rely on soil microbes to transform nutrients and organic compounds into benign byproducts. Naturally occurring metals in the soil may be chemically reduced via microbially mediated oxidation-reduction reactions as oxygen becomes depleted. Some metals such as manganese and iron become water soluble when chemically reduced, leading to groundwater contamination. Alternatively, metals within the wastewater may not become assimilated into the soil and leach into the groundwater if the environment is not sufficiently oxidizing. A lab-scale column study was conducted to investigate the impacts of wastewater loading values on metal mobilization within the soil. Oxygen content and volumetric water data were collected via soil sensors for the duration of the study. The pH, chemical oxygen demand, manganese, and iron concentrations in the influent and effluent water from each column were measured. Average organic loading and organic loading per dose were shown to have statistically significant impacts using Spearman's Rank Correlation Coefficient on effluent water quality. The Hydraulic resting period qualitatively appeared to have impacts on effluent water quality. This study verifies that excessive organic loading of land application systems causes mobilization of naturally occurring metals and prevents those added in the wastewater from becoming immobilized, resulting in ineffective wastewater treatment. Results also indicate the need to consider the organic dose load and hydraulic resting period in the treatment system design. Findings from this study demonstrate waste application twice daily may encourage soil aeration and allow for increased organic loading while limiting the mobilization of metals already in the soil and those being applied.

Influence of agricultural management on chemical quality of a clay soil of semi-arid Morocco

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ibno Namr, Khalid; Mrabet, Rachid

2004-06-01

Morocco's semi-arid lands are characterized by unique challenges. The most important obstacles to the development of durable agriculture are (1) limited and unpredictable supply of soil moisture and (2) low soil quality. Intensive use of soil throughout history has led to depletion in soil quality, leading in return to reduced yields because of the consequent reduced organic matter. Recognizing the need to recover soil quality and production decline, INRA scientists began, in the early 1980s, research on the effects of crop rotations, tillage and residue management on the productivity and quality of cropped soils. The present study concerns the short-term effect of rotation, tillage and residue management on selected quality indices of a calcixeroll (organic matter, nitrogen, particulate organic carbon (Cpom), particulate organic nitrogen (Npom) and pH). Hence, three rotations (wheat-wheat, WW; fallow-wheat, FW; and fallow-wheat-barley, FWB), two tillage systems (conventional offset disking, CT and no-tillage, NT), and three levels of residue in the NT system (NT 0 = no-residue cover, NT 50 = half surface residue cover, NT 100 = full surface residue cover) were selected. Three surface horizons were sampled (0-2.5, 2.5-7 and 7-20 cm). The study results showed an improvement of measured soil chemical properties under NT compared to CT, at the surface layer. No-tillage system helped sequestration of carbon and nitrogen, build-up of particulate organic carbon and nitrogen and sensible reduction of pH only at the surface layer. Continuous wheat permitted a slight improvement of soil quality, mainly at the 0-2.5 cm depth. Effects of rotation, tillage and residue level were reduced with depth of measurements.

Nitrogen availability from residues-based biochar at two pyrolisis temperatures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coscione, Aline Renee; Silveira Bibar, Maria Paula; de Andrade, Cristiano Alberto

2014-05-01

Biochar has been studied for several applications, such as soil quality improvement, heavy metals remediation and N2O mitigation. Considering the soil quality improvement aspect it is desirable to evaluate if the nitrogen content in biochar samples obtained from several residues used as the biomass sources could be available for plants. Samples of sewage sludge (SS), coffee grounds (CG), chicken manure (CM) and fungi mycelia (FM) were pyrolyzed at two temperatures, 400 and 700 oC (indicated by the number 4 and 7 in this abstract, respectively), in order to obtain the biochar samples. The Kjeldahl nitrogen of biochar was (% m/m): 3.0 (CM4, CG7, FM7 and CG4); 2.0 (CM7 e SS4); 3.4 (FM7); 1.4 (SS7), with organic carbon (potassium dichromate method) ranging from 2.0 to 3.0% for all but CG4 (6%). The C/N ratio of biochar samples was: 9 (CM4, SS4 and CG7); 11 (CM7); 15 (SS7); 7 (FM4 and FM7); 21 (CG4). The eight soil + biochar resulting mixtures, prepared using the equivalent to 60 t/ha of biochar (about 3% w/w), and one additional control treatment (no biochar added) were incubated for 90 days, with four replications of each treatment per time evaluated. Inorganic nitrogen and soil pH measurements were performed for all treatments at 0, 5, 15, 30, 60 and 90 days of incubation. Soil moisture was kept at 40% soil water holding capacity, by weighting, during the experiment. The data was submitted to ANOVA with Tukey's average comparison test (p < 0.05). No significative pH changes were observed during the incubation of biochar samples. At the initial incubation time (zero days) no statistical difference was observed among biochar sources or pyrolisis temperatures. After five days of incubation SS4 and CM4 showed significant inorganic nitrogen release compared to all other treatments, behavior repeated at all the following times evaluated. For CM7, FM4 and FM7 maximum nitrogen availability was observed after 15 days, while it occurred after 90 days for SS4. After 90 days, only SS4 and CM4 presented a positive nitrogen balance, reaching 8 and 9 % of the nitrogen added by biochar samples release to the soil, respectively. A first order kinetic model was adjusted for SS4 nitrogen release, enabling the calculation of half life (10 days), potential available nitrogen (76.5 mg/kg) and the speed of the process. However, compared to SS4 the standard nitrogen availability of sewage sludge is up to 30% of its Kjeldahl nitrogen. For organic residues with C/N ratios lower than 20 applied to the soil a fast degradation, with the corresponding increase in inorganic nitrogen availability is expect. Although all the biochar samples tested had C/N ratios below that cutting point, just 2 of 8 presented inorganic nitrogen available in the soil+biochar mixtures. These results show that soil incubation tests are ultimate for the evaluation of the nitrogen potential release to the soil. Low temperature SS based biochar may offer additional nitrogen release to soil besides other soil conditioning properties.

[Evaluation of environmental conditions: air, water and soil in areas of mining activity in Boyacá, Colombia].

PubMed

Agudelo-Calderón, Carlos A; Quiroz-Arcentales, Leonardo; García-Ubaque, Juan C; Robledo-Martínez, Rocío; García-Ubaque, Cesar A

2016-02-01

Objectives To determine concentrations of PM10, mercury and lead in indoor air of homes, water sources and soil in municipalities near mining operations. Method 6 points were evaluated in areas of influence and 2 in control areas. For measurements of indoor air, we used the NIOSH 600 method (PM10), NIOSH 6009 (mercury) and NIOSH 7300 (lead). For water analysis we used the IDEAM Guide for monitoring discharges. For soil analysis, we used the cold vapor technique (mercury) and atomic absorption (lead). Results In almost all selected households, the average PM10 and mercury concentrations in indoor air exceeded applicable air quality standards. Concentrations of lead were below standard levels. In all water sources, high concentrations of lead were found and in some places within the mining areas, high levels of iron, aluminum and mercury were also found. In soil, mercury concentrations were below the detection level and for lead, differences between the monitored points were observed. Conclusions The results do not establish causal relationships between mining and concentration of these pollutants in the evaluated areas because of the multiplicity of sources in the area. However, such studies provide important information, useful to agents of the environmental health system and researchers. Installation of networks for environmental monitoring to obtain continuous reports is suggested.

Soil quality indicators of a mature alley-cropping agroforestry system in temperate North America

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Although agroforestry practices are believed to improve soil quality, reports on long-term effects of alley cropping on soils within agroforestry in the temperate zone are limited. The objective of this study was to examine effects of management, landscape, and soil depth of an established agrofores...

Interactive effects of animal manure and cover crop use in improving agricultural soil quality in Kentucky

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

With greater awareness of the wide-ranging implications degraded soils have in the food chain, there is growing interest in developing technologies and management practices to improve soil quality. To date, such initiatives are at the forefront of soil science as climate change is expected to alter ...

Changes in soil microbial community structure influenced by agricultural management practices in a mediterranean agro-ecosystem.

PubMed

García-Orenes, Fuensanta; Morugán-Coronado, Alicia; Zornoza, Raul; Cerdà, Artemi; Scow, Kate

2013-01-01

Agricultural practices have proven to be unsuitable in many cases, causing considerable reductions in soil quality. Land management practices can provide solutions to this problem and contribute to get a sustainable agriculture model. The main objective of this work was to assess the effect of different agricultural management practices on soil microbial community structure (evaluated as abundance of phospholipid fatty acids, PLFA). Five different treatments were selected, based on the most common practices used by farmers in the study area (eastern Spain): residual herbicides, tillage, tillage with oats and oats straw mulching; these agricultural practices were evaluated against an abandoned land after farming and an adjacent long term wild forest coverage. The results showed a substantial level of differentiation in the microbial community structure, in terms of management practices, which was highly associated with soil organic matter content. Addition of oats straw led to a microbial community structure closer to wild forest coverage soil, associated with increases in organic carbon, microbial biomass and fungal abundances. The microbial community composition of the abandoned agricultural soil was characterised by increases in both fungal abundances and the metabolic quotient (soil respiration per unit of microbial biomass), suggesting an increase in the stability of organic carbon. The ratio of bacteria:fungi was higher in wild forest coverage and land abandoned systems, as well as in the soil treated with oat straw. The most intensively managed soils showed higher abundances of bacteria and actinobacteria. Thus, the application of organic matter, such as oats straw, appears to be a sustainable management practice that enhances organic carbon, microbial biomass and activity and fungal abundances, thereby changing the microbial community structure to one more similar to those observed in soils under wild forest coverage.

The Influence of Hydrophobicity, Inorganic Amendments and Surfactants on Turfgrass Establishment, Growth and Quality in Constructed Root Zone Mixes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McMillan, Mica Franklin

Soil water repellency (SWR) negatively affects turfgrass growth and quality and impedes uniform distribution of water, particularly in sand-based rootzones. Surfactants and soil amendments such as calcined clay are two approaches to improving soil hydrological properties affected by SWR. However, studying SWR in the field is difficult due to the extreme spatial variability in the soil profile. An objective of this dissertation was to assess two methods to impart SWR on sand and examine SWR amelioration strategies using these procedures under a plant environment and deficit irrigation. To determine effectiveness of artificial hydrophobicity, two methods produced severely hydrophobic substrates: stearic acid sand (HSS) and sand:peat (90:10 sand:peat v/v)(HSP). Greenhouse studies compared the effects of substrates HSS, HSP, 100% sand (SAND), sand:peat (90:10 v/v) (SP), sand:calcined clay (90:10 v/v) (CC) and naturally water repellent sand (NWRS) on bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers. x C. transvaalensis Burtt Davy] establishment and growth. Results indicate that HSS and HSP were not toxic to turfgrass but initially, hindered bermudagrass growth. At trials end, SWR had declined in both soils. A second greenhouse study assessed surfactant chemistry on substrates. After three dry downs, surfactants generally improved turfgrass quality in SAND and CC but had no significant effect in HSP and SP. Water drop penetration tests deemed CC and SAND wettable and HSP and SP nonwettable. Contact angle analysis found CC and SAND to be subcritically water repellent while HSP and SP were water repellent. Both HSP and HSS could be used to evaluate the influence of SWR on plant growth. However, both methods have disadvantages. CC remained wettable after several dry downs. In another greenhouse study, perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) seeds coated with 10% w/w alkyl-terminated block copolymer surfactant seed coating (SC) were evaluated as an amelioration strategy. Seed treated with surfactant yielded similar or greater percent coverage, shoot growth, root weight and increased volumetric water in the majority of substrates when compared to substrates sown with untreated seed. Coating seeds with surfactant may be used as a method to improve seed germination, establishment and enhance soil moisture, particularly under deficit irrigation.

Wireless in-situ Sensor Network for Agriculture and Water Monitoring on a River Basin Scale in Southern Finland: Evaluation from a Data User’s Perspective

PubMed Central

Kotamäki, Niina; Thessler, Sirpa; Koskiaho, Jari; Hannukkala, Asko O.; Huitu, Hanna; Huttula, Timo; Havento, Jukka; Järvenpää, Markku

2009-01-01

Sensor networks are increasingly being implemented for environmental monitoring and agriculture to provide spatially accurate and continuous environmental information and (near) real-time applications. These networks provide a large amount of data which poses challenges for ensuring data quality and extracting relevant information. In the present paper we describe a river basin scale wireless sensor network for agriculture and water monitoring. The network, called SoilWeather, is unique and the first of this type in Finland. The performance of the network is assessed from the user and maintainer perspectives, concentrating on data quality, network maintenance and applications. The results showed that the SoilWeather network has been functioning in a relatively reliable way, but also that the maintenance and data quality assurance by automatic algorithms and calibration samples requires a lot of effort, especially in continuous water monitoring over large areas. We see great benefits on sensor networks enabling continuous, real-time monitoring, while data quality control and maintenance efforts highlight the need for tight collaboration between sensor and sensor network owners to decrease costs and increase the quality of the sensor data in large scale applications. PMID:22574050

TECHNICAL GUIDANCE DOCUMENT: QUALITY ASSURANCE AND QUALITY CONTROL FOR WASTE CONTAINMENT FACILITIES

EPA Science Inventory

This Technical Guidance Document provides comprehensive guidance on procedures for quality assurance and quality control for waste containment facilities. he document includes a discussion of principles and concepts, compacted soil liners, soil drainage systems, geosynthetic drai...

TECHNICAL GUIDANCE DOCUMENT: QUALITY ASSURANCE AND QUALITY CONTROL FOR WASTE CONTAINMENT FACILITIES

EPA Science Inventory

This Technical Guidance Document provides comprehensive guidance on procedures for quality assurance and quality control for waste containment facilities. The document includes a discussion of principles and concepts, compacted soil liners, soil drainage systems, geosynthetic dr...

Divergent taxonomic and functional responses of microbial communities to field simulation of aeolian soil erosion and deposition.

PubMed

Ma, Xingyu; Zhao, Cancan; Gao, Ying; Liu, Bin; Wang, Tengxu; Yuan, Tong; Hale, Lauren; Nostrand, Joy D Van; Wan, Shiqiang; Zhou, Jizhong; Yang, Yunfeng

2017-08-01

Aeolian soil erosion and deposition have worldwide impacts on agriculture, air quality and public health. However, ecosystem responses to soil erosion and deposition remain largely unclear in regard to microorganisms, which are the crucial drivers of biogeochemical cycles. Using integrated metagenomics technologies, we analysed microbial communities subjected to simulated soil erosion and deposition in a semiarid grassland of Inner Mongolia, China. As expected, soil total organic carbon and plant coverage were decreased by soil erosion, and soil dissolved organic carbon (DOC) was increased by soil deposition, demonstrating that field simulation was reliable. Soil microbial communities were altered (p < .039) by both soil erosion and deposition, with dramatic increase in Cyanobacteria related to increased stability in soil aggregates. amyA genes encoding α-amylases were specifically increased (p = .01) by soil deposition and positively correlated (p = .02) to DOC, which likely explained changes in DOC. Surprisingly, most of microbial functional genes associated with carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium cycling were decreased or unaltered by both erosion and deposition, probably arising from acceleration of organic matter mineralization. These divergent responses support the necessity to include microbial components in evaluating ecological consequences. Furthermore, Mantel tests showed strong, significant correlations between soil nutrients and functional structure but not taxonomic structure, demonstrating close relevance of microbial function traits to nutrient cycling. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Assessment of SMAP soil moisture for global simulation of gross primary production

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Liming; Chen, Jing M.; Liu, Jane; Bélair, Stéphane; Luo, Xiangzhong

2017-07-01

In this study, high-quality soil moisture data derived from the Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) satellite measurements are evaluated from a perspective of improving the estimation of the global gross primary production (GPP) using a process-based ecosystem model, namely, the Boreal Ecosystem Productivity Simulator (BEPS). The SMAP soil moisture data are assimilated into BEPS using an ensemble Kalman filter. The correlation coefficient (r) between simulated GPP from the sunlit leaves and Sun-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF) measured by Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment-2 is used as an indicator to evaluate the performance of the GPP simulation. Areas with SMAP data in low quality (i.e., forests), or with SIF in low magnitude (e.g., deserts), or both are excluded from the analysis. With the assimilated SMAP data, the r value is enhanced for Africa, Asia, and North America by 0.016, 0.013, and 0.013, respectively (p < 0.05). Significant improvement in r appears in single-cropping agricultural land where the irrigation is not considered in the model but well captured by SMAP (e.g., 0.09 in North America, p < 0.05). With the assimilation of SMAP, areas with weak model performances are identified in double or triple cropping cropland (e.g., part of North China Plain) and/or mountainous area (e.g., Spain and Turkey). The correlation coefficient is enhanced by 0.01 in global average for shrub, grass, and cropland. This enhancement is small and insignificant because nonwater-stressed areas are included.

Using sediment particle size distribution to evaluate sediment sources in the Tobacco Creek Watershed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Cenwei; Lobb, David; Li, Sheng; Owens, Philip; Kuzyk, ZouZou

2014-05-01

Lake Winnipeg has recently brought attention to the deteriorated water quality due to in part to nutrient and sediment input from agricultural land. Improving water quality in Lake Winnipeg requires the knowledge of the sediment sources within this ecosystem. There are a variety of environmental fingerprinting techniques have been successfully used in the assessment of sediment sources. In this study, we used particle size distribution to evaluate spatial and temporal variations of suspended sediment and potential sediment sources collected in the Tobacco Creek Watershed in Manitoba, Canada. The particle size distribution of suspended sediment can reflect the origin of sediment and processes during sediment transport, deposition and remobilization within the watershed. The objectives of this study were to quantify visually observed spatial and temporal changes in sediment particles, and to assess the sediment source using a rapid and cost-effective fingerprinting technique based on particle size distribution. The suspended sediment was collected by sediment traps twice a year during rainfall and snowmelt periods from 2009 to 2012. The potential sediment sources included the top soil of cultivated field, riparian area and entire profile from stream banks. Suspended sediment and soil samples were pre-wet with RO water and sieved through 600 μm sieve before analyzing. Particle size distribution of all samples was determined using a Malvern Mastersizer 2000S laser diffraction with the measurement range up to 600μm. Comparison of the results for different fractions of sediment showed significant difference in particle size distribution of suspended sediment between snowmelt and rainfall events. An important difference of particle size distribution also found between the cultivated soil and forest soil. This difference can be explained by different land uses which provided a distinct fingerprint of sediment. An overall improvement in water quality can be achieved by managing sediment according to the identified sediment sources in the watershed.

The role of soil communities in improving ecosystem services in organic farming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zandbergen, Jelmer; Koorneef, Guusje; Veen, Cees; Schrama, Jan; van der Putten, Wim

2017-04-01

Worldwide soil fertility decreases and it is generally believed that organic matter (OM) addition to agricultural soils can improve soil properties leading to beneficial ecosystem services. However, it remains unknown under which conditions and how fast biotic, physical and chemical soil properties respond to varying quality and quantity of OM inputs. Therefore, the aims of this research project are (1) to unravel biotic, physical and chemical responses of soils to varying quantity and quality of OM addition; and (2) to understand how we can accelerate the response of soils in order to improve beneficial soil ecosystem services faster. The first step in our research project is to determine how small-scale spatio-temporal patterns in soil biotic, physical and chemical properties relate to crop production and quality. To do this we combine field measurements on soil properties with remote and proximate sensing measures on crop development and yield in a long-term farming systems experiment in the Netherlands (Vredepeel). We hypothesize that spatio-temporal variation in crop development and yield are strongly related to spatio-temporal variation in soil parameters. In the second step of our project we will use this information to identify biological interactions underlying improving soil functions in response to OM addition over time. We will specifically focus on the role of soil communities in driving nutrient cycling, disease suppression and the formation of soil structure, all crucial elements of key soil services in agricultural soils. The knowledge that will be generated in our project can be used to detect specific organic matter qualities that support the underlying ecological processes to accelerate the transition towards improved soil functioning thereby governing enhanced crop yields.

Trends of pesticides and nitrate in ground water of the Central Columbia Plateau, Washington, 1993-2003

USGS Publications Warehouse

Frans, L.

2008-01-01

Pesticide and nitrate data for ground water sampled in the Central Columbia Plateau, Washington, between 1993 and 2003 by the U.S. Geological Survey National Water-Quality Assessment Program were evaluated for trends in concentration. A total of 72 wells were sampled in 1993-1995 and again in 2002-2003 in three well networks that targeted row crop and orchard land use settings as well as the regional basalt aquifer. The Regional Kendall trend test indicated that only deethylatrazine (DEA) concentrations showed a significant trend. Deethylatrazine concentrations were found to increase beneath the row crop land use well network, the regional aquifer well network, and for the dataset as a whole. No other pesticides showed a significant trend (nor did nitrate) in the 72-well dataset. Despite the lack of a trend in nitrate concentrations within the National Water-Quality Assessment dataset, previous work has found a statistically significant decrease in nitrate concentrations from 1998-2002 for wells with nitrate concentrations above 10 mg L-1 within the Columbia Basin ground water management area, which is located within the National Water-Quality Assessment study unit boundary. The increasing trend in DEA concentrations was found to negatively correlate with soil hydrologic group using logistic regression and with soil hydrologic group and drainage class using Spearman's correlation. The decreasing trend in high nitrate concentrations was found to positively correlate with the depth to which the well was cased using logistic regression, to positively correlate with nitrate application rates and sand content of the soil, and to negatively correlate with soil hydrologic group using Spearman's correlation. Copyright ?? 2008 by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America. All rights reserved.

Comparison of DNA extraction protocols for microbial communities from soil treated with biochar

PubMed Central

Leite, D.C.A.; Balieiro, F.C.; Pires, C.A.; Madari, B.E.; Rosado, A.S.; Coutinho, H.L.C.; Peixoto, R.S.

2014-01-01

Many studies have evaluated the effects of biochar application on soil structure and plant growth. However, there are very few studies describing the effect of biochar on native soil microbial communities. Microbial analysis of environmental samples requires accurate and reproducible methods for the extraction of DNA from samples. Because of the variety among microbial species and the strong adsorption of the phosphate backbone of the DNA molecule to biochar, extracting and purifying high quality microbial DNA from biochar-amended soil is not a trivial process and can be considerably more difficult than the extraction of DNA from other environmental samples. The aim of this study was to compare the relative efficacies of three commercial DNA extraction kits, the FastDNA® SPIN Kit for Soil (FD kit), the PowerSoil® DNA Isolation Kit (PS kit) and the ZR Soil Microbe DNA Kit Miniprep™ (ZR kit), for extracting microbial genomic DNA from sand treated with different types of biochar. The methods were evaluated by comparing the DNA yields and purity and by analysing the bacterial and fungal community profiles generated by PCR-DGGE. Our results showed that the PCR-DGGE profiles for bacterial and fungal communities were highly affected by the purity and yield of the different DNA extracts. Among the tested kits, the PS kit was the most efficient with respect to the amount and purity of recovered DNA and considering the complexity of the generated DGGE microbial fingerprint from the sand-biochar samples. PMID:24948928