Soil information is needed for environmental monitoring to address current concerns over food, water and energy securities, land degradation, and climate change. We developed the Soil Condition ...ANalysis System (SCANS) to help address these needs. It integrates an automated soil core sensing system (CSS) with statistical analytics and modeling to characterize soil at fine depth resolutions and across landscapes. The CSS’s sensors include a γ-ray attenuation densitometer to measure bulk density, digital cameras to image the measured soil, and a visible–near-infrared (vis–NIR) spectrometer to measure iron oxides and clay mineralogy. The spectra are also modeled to estimate total soil organic carbon (C), particulate, humus, and resistant organic C (POC, HOC, and ROC, respectively), clay content, cation exchange capacity (CEC), pH, volumetric water content, available water capacity (AWC), and their uncertainties. Measurements of bulk density and organic C are combined to estimate C stocks. Kalman smoothing is used to derive complete soil property profiles with propagated uncertainties. The SCANS provides rapid, precise, quantitative, and spatially explicit information about the properties of soil profiles with a level of detail that is difficult to obtain with other approaches. The information gained effectively deepens our understanding of soil and calls attention to the central role soil plays in our environment.
The aim of this study was to determine the differences and the importance of the differences in terms of some socio-economic factors and agricultural practices of the producers who had soil analysis ...in Edirne and Tekirdağ provinces and to evaluate the opinions of the producers about soil analysis and soil analysis subsidies. Three laboratories were selected among the laboratories with the highest number of sample acceptances for soil analysis in the provinces determined in the study. For each province, total of 60 producers who applied to the laboratories in 2015 and who utilized from soil analysis subsidies, and consequently, total of 120 producers were interviewed. The analysis of the differences of the producers who had soil analysis in Edirne and Tekirdağ provinces was determined by the regression tree model (CHAID analysis). According to the CHAID analysis, in which the provinces were taken as the dependent variable, it was seen that the first most distinctive feature was the state-supported agricultural insurance. Of the producers who stated that they did not have agricultural insurance, 31% were located in Edirne and 69% were located in Tekirdağ. It was seen that 56% of the producers in Edirne and 44% of the producers in Tekirdağ had agricultural insurance. The most important feature of the second node was the education level of the producers, the third sub-node decision point was whether the producers had training on fertilization, and the fourth decision point was whether the producers faced risks in agriculture in the last three years. The four most important reasons for the producers to have soil analysis in Edirne province were to increase the product yield, to reduce the cost, to increase product quality and protect the environment, respectively. In the province of Tekirdağ, the criteria of increasing the product yield was on the first rank, increasing the product quality in the second rank, reducing the cost in the third rank and protecting the environment in the fourth rank. It is expected that it will be beneficial to introduce soil analysis conditions to the producers at the stage of purchasing fertilizers, and thus to ensure that the producer purchases fertilizer by determining the type and amount of fertilizer to be disposed of according to the analysis results.
Bu çalışmanın amacı Edirne ve Tekirdağ illerinde toprak analizi yaptıran üreticilerin bazı sosyo ekonomik faktörler ve tarımsal uygulamalar yönünden farklılıklarının ve farklılıkların önem düzeylerinin belirlenmesi ve üreticilerin toprak analizi ve toprak analizi destekleri ile ilgili görüşlerinin değerlendirilmesidir. Araştırmada belirlenen illerde toprak analizi için numune kabul sayısı en fazla olan laboratuvarlar arasından 3 adet laboratuvar seçilmiştir. Her il için 2015 yılında laboratuvarlara başvuran ve toprak analiz desteğinden yararlanan üreticilerden toplamda 60 üretici olmak üzere, toplamda 120 üretici ile görüşülmüştür. Edirne ve Tekirdağ illerinde toprak analizi yaptıran üreticilerin farklılıklarının analizi regresyon ağacı modeli (CHAID analizi) ile belirlenmiştir. İllerin bağımlı değişken olarak alındığı CHAID analizine göre, birinci en belirgin özelliğin devlet destekli tarım sigortası yaptırma olduğu görülmüştür. Tarım sigortası yaptırmadığını ifade eden üreticilerin %31’i Edirne ilinde, %69’u Tekirdağ ilinde yer almaktadır. Edirne ilinde üreticilerin %56’sının, Tekirdağ ilinde üreticilerin %44’ünün tarım sigortası yaptırdıkları görülmektedir. İkinci düğüm noktasının en önemli özelliği, üreticilerin eğitim düzeyleri, üçüncü alt düğüm karar noktasında üreticilerin gübreleme ile ilgili eğitim alıp almama durumları, dördüncü karar noktasında ise üreticilerin son üç yıl içinde tarımda riskle karşılaşıp karşılaşmama durumları yer almaktadır. Edirne ilinde üreticilerin toprak analizi yaptırmalarındaki en önemli dört nedenin sırasıyla ürün verimini arttırmak, maliyeti düşürmek, ürün kalitesini arttırmak ve çevreyi korumak olduğu belirlenmiştir. Tekirdağ ilinde de ilk sırayı ürün verimini arttırmak kriteri almakta olup, ikinci sırayı ürün kalitesini arttırmak, üçüncü sırayı maliyeti düşürmek ve dördüncü sırayı çevreyi korumak kriterleri almaktadır. Üreticilere gübre satın alma aşamasında toprak analizi şartının getirilmesinin, dolayısıyla analiz sonuçlarına göre atılması gereken gübre cinsi ve miktarının belirlenerek üreticinin gübre satın almasının sağlanmasının faydalı olacağı beklenmektedir.
Abstract A large-scale gas transmission pipeline project will pass through typical saline soil areas in Xinjiang, China, to find out the influence of the saline soil on the long-distance pipeline in ...this area, this paper investigates the corrosive behavior of X80 pipeline steel embedded in saline soil with multiple corrosion intensities. Firstly, NaCl, Na 2 SO 4 , NaHCO 3 , and deionized water were used to simulate the saline soil with different corrosion intensities, and then the corrosion test of X80 steel was carried out. A scanning electron microscope was used to observe the X80 steel before and after corrosion. Finally, the weight loss method was used to calculate the corrosion rate, and the corrosive behavior of X80 pipeline steel in Xinjiang saline soil environment was analyzed. The results show that: (1) X80 steel is susceptible to pitting corrosion in the saline soil environment; (2) the rate and level of corrosion were mainly related to the content of Cl − and SO 4 2− . The greater the content, the stronger the pipeline is corroded; (3) the rate and level of corrosion were positively correlated with the corrosion intensities of saline soils.
Intensive use of N fertilizers in modern agriculture is motivated by the economic value of high grain yields and is generally perceived to sequester soil organic C by increasing the input of crop ...residues. This perception is at odds with a century of soil organic C data reported herein for the Morrow Plots, the world's oldest experimental site under continuous corn (Zea mays L.). After 40 to 50 yr of synthetic fertilization that exceeded grain N removal by 60 to 190%, a net decline occurred in soil C despite increasingly massive residue C incorporation, the decline being more extensive for a corn–soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.) or corn–oats (Avena sativa L.)–hay rotation than for continuous corn and of greater intensity for the profile (0–46 cm) than the surface soil. These findings implicate fertilizer N in promoting the decomposition of crop residues and soil organic matter and are consistent with data from numerous cropping experiments involving synthetic N fertilization in the USA Corn Belt and elsewhere, although not with the interpretation usually provided. There are important implications for soil C sequestration because the yield‐based input of fertilizer N has commonly exceeded grain N removal for corn production on fertile soils since the 1960s. To mitigate the ongoing consequences of soil deterioration, atmospheric CO2 enrichment, and NO3− pollution of ground and surface waters, N fertilization should be managed by site‐specific assessment of soil N availability. Current fertilizer N management practices, if combined with corn stover removal for bioenergy production, exacerbate soil C loss.
Antibiotics are used in animal livestock production for therapeutic treatment of disease and at subtherapeutic levels for growth promotion and improvement of feed efficiency. It is estimated that ...approximately 75% of antibiotics are not absorbed by animals and are excreted in waste. Antibiotic resistance selection occurs among gastrointestinal bacteria, which are also excreted in manure and stored in waste holding systems. Land application of animal waste is a common disposal method used in the United States and is a means for environmental entry of both antibiotics and genetic resistance determinants. Concerns for bacterial resistance gene selection and dissemination of resistance genes have prompted interest about the concentrations and biological activity of drug residues and break-down metabolites, and their fate and transport. Fecal bacteria can survive for weeks to months in the environment, depending on species and temperature, however, genetic elements can persist regardless of cell viability. Phylogenetic analyses indicate antibiotic resistance genes have evolved, although some genes have been maintained in bacteria before the modern antibiotic era. Quantitative measurements of drug residues and levels of resistance genes are needed, in addition to understanding the environmental mechanisms of genetic selection, gene acquisition, and the spatiotemporal dynamics of these resistance genes and their bacterial hosts. This review article discusses an accumulation of findings that address aspects of the fate, transport, and persistence of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes in natural environments, with emphasis on mechanisms pertaining to soil environments following land application of animal waste effluent.
1. Biological invasions pose a serious threat to biodiversity and ecosystem functioning across ecosystems. Invasions by ecosystem engineers, in particular, have been shown to have dramatic effects in ...recipient ecosystems. For instance, invasion by earthworms, a below-ground invertebrate ecosystem engineer, in previously earthworm-free ecosystems alters the physico-chemical characteristics of the soil. Studies have shown that such alterations in the soil can have far-reaching impacts on soil organisms, which form a major portion of terrestrial biodiversity. 2. Here, we present the first quantitative synthesis of earthworm invasion effects on soil micro-organisms and soil invertebrates based on 430 observations from 30 independent studies. 3. Our meta-analysis shows a significant decline of the diversity and density of soil invertebrates in response to earthworm invasion with anecic and endogeic earthworms causing the strongest effects. Earthworm invasion effects on soil micro-organisms were context-dependent, such as depending on functional group richness of invasive earthworms and soil depth. Microbial biomass and diversity increased in mineral soil layers with a weak negative effect in organic soil layers, indicating that the mixing of soil layers by earthworms (bioturbation) may homogenize microbial communities across soil layers. 4. Our meta-analysis provides a compelling evidence for negative effects of a common invasive below-ground ecosystem engineer on below-ground biodiversity of recipient ecosystems, which could potentially alter the ecosystem functions and services linked to soil biota.
Global soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks may decline with a warmer climate. However, model projections of changes in SOC due to climate warming depend on microbially-driven processes that are usually ...parameterized based on laboratory incubations. To assess how lab-scale incubation datasets inform model projections over decades, we optimized five microbially-relevant parameters in the Microbial-ENzyme Decomposition (MEND) model using 16 short-term glucose (6-day), 16 short-term cellulose (30-day) and 16 long-term cellulose (729-day) incubation datasets with soils from forests and grasslands across contrasting soil types. Our analysis identified consistently higher parameter estimates given the short-term versus long-term datasets. Implementing the short-term and long-term parameters, respectively, resulted in SOC loss (-8.2 ± 5.1% or -3.9 ± 2.8%), and minor SOC gain (1.8 ± 1.0%) in response to 5 °C warming, while only the latter is consistent with a meta-analysis of 149 field warming observations (1.6 ± 4.0%). Comparing multiple subsets of cellulose incubations (i.e., 6, 30, 90, 180, 360, 480 and 729-day) revealed comparable projections to the observed long-term SOC changes under warming only on 480- and 729-day. Integrating multi-year datasets of soil incubations (e.g., > 1.5 years) with microbial models can thus achieve more reasonable parameterization of key microbial processes and subsequently boost the accuracy and confidence of long-term SOC projections.
Soil health in agricultural systems Kibblewhite, M.G; Ritz, K; Swift, M.J
Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B. Biological sciences,
02/2008, Volume:
363, Issue:
1492
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
Soil health is presented as an integrative property that reflects the capacity of soil to respond to agricultural intervention, so that it continues to support both the agricultural production and ...the provision of other ecosystem services. The major challenge within sustainable soil management is to conserve ecosystem service delivery while optimizing agricultural yields. It is proposed that soil health is dependent on the maintenance of four major functions: carbon transformations; nutrient cycles; soil structure maintenance; and the regulation of pests and diseases. Each of these functions is manifested as an aggregate of a variety of biological processes provided by a diversity of interacting soil organisms under the influence of the abiotic soil environment. Analysis of current models of the soil community under the impact of agricultural interventions (particularly those entailing substitution of biological processes with fossil fuel-derived energy or inputs) confirms the highly integrative pattern of interactions within each of these functions and leads to the conclusion that measurement of individual groups of organisms, processes or soil properties does not suffice to indicate the state of the soil health. A further conclusion is that quantifying the flow of energy and carbon between functions is an essential but non-trivial task for the assessment and management of soil health.
A thermally adapted building envelope relies on a stable balance between form, orientation, and material. The Ksour of Ghardaia and Melika are two of five Ksour that characterise the city of ...Ghardaïa. They are fortified desert cities. Sceliphron, which belongs to the Sphecidae family, is an endemic wasp adapted to the local environment in the Ghardaïa region of central Algeria. Their nests are abundant in the new public buildings near the dam. These wasps build their nests from the soil they collect in nearby areas and choose isolated, safe spots for their nests, sheltered from outside influences. The paper reports work to compare such nests' composition with that of the local architecture.
Steroids are used as faecal markers in environmental and in archaeological studies, because they provide insights into ancient agricultural practices and the former presence of animals. Up to now, ...steroid analyses could only identify and distinguish between herbivore, pig, and human faecal matter and their residues in soils and sediments. We hypothesized that a finer differentiation between faeces of different livestock animals could be achieved when the analyses of several steroids is combined (Δ5-sterols, 5α-stanols, 5β-stanols, epi-5β-stanols, stanones, and bile acids). We therefore reviewed the existing literature on various faecal steroids from livestock and humans and analysed faeces from old livestock breed (cattle, horse, donkey, sheep, goat, goose, and pig) and humans. Additionally, we performed steroid analyses on soil material of four different archaeological periods (sites located in the Lower Rhine Basin, Western Germany, dating to the Linearbandkeramik, Urnfield Period / Bronze Age, Iron Age, Roman Age) with known or supposed faecal inputs. By means of already established and newly applied steroid ratios of the analysed faeces together with results from the literature, all considered livestock faeces, except sheep and cattle, could be distinguished on the basis of their steroid signatures. Most remarkably was the identification of horse faeces (via the ratio: epi-5β-stigmastanol: 5β-stigmastanol + epicoprostanol: coprostanol; together with the presence of chenodeoxycholic acid) and a successful differentiation between goat (with chenodeoxycholic acid) and sheep/cattle faeces (without chenodeoxycholic acid). The steroid analysis of archaeological soil material confirmed the supposed faecal inputs, even if these inputs had occurred several thousand years ago.
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