This editorial belongs to the Special Issue “Impact of Nutrients and Trace Elements in Soil on Plant Growth: Case of the Second-Generation Energy Crops” ...
The multiyear cultivation of
Miscanthus
×
giganteus
Greef et Deu (
M.
×
giganteus
) at the soils polluted by metal(loid)s were researched. The biomass parameters and concentrations of elements: Ti, ...Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, As, Sr, and Mo were determined in the plant’s organs at harvest. The same metal(loid)s were monitored in the plant’s leaves throughout three vegetation seasons. The principal component analysis and general linear model approaches were applied for statistical evaluation followed by Box-Cox transformation. The difference in the distribution of elements in the plant, the content of elements in the soil, various regime of uptake to the plant tissues, and the year of vegetation were analyzed as driving factors of the phytoremediation. The results showed that the leading promoter was the factor of the zone, which was the most essential for Ti, Fe, and Cu and the smallest for Mn. The factor of differences in soil pollution was essential for Zn and Mo, much less for As, Sr, and Mn, limited for Fe, and was not seen for Ti and Cu. The factor of the interrelation effects of the zone and experiment reflected the different regime of uptake for the plant tissues was seen for two elements: more prominent for Cu and smaller for Ti. While analyzing the dynamic of foliar concentrations of the metal(loid)s during 3 years, two groups were defined. Firstly, Fe, Ni, Mn, and Sr showed stable curves with limited distribution of the plant life cycle. Secondly, As, Zn, Cu, and Mo showed different fluctuations in the curves, which can be attributed to essential influence of those elements to the plant life cycle. Further research will be focused on the application of
M.
×
giganteus
to the polluted soil in a bigger scale and comparison results of laboratory and field experiments.
Accumulated copper (Cu) in agricultural soils is non-biodegradable and persists in the environment, which imposes the need for its regular monitoring by selective, rapid, simple, and low-cost ...analytical techniques. The performance of portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometers (pXRF) has significantly improved in the last ten years, and they are increasingly applied for environmental, agronomic, and soil science purposes. This study aims to compare the total Cu content determined in agricultural soil samples using three analytical methods (inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, (ICP-MS), atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS), and pXRF). The research was based on analyses of thirty-five soil samples collected from two vineyards, arable land, and a meadow located in North-West Croatia. In air-dried, milled, and homogenized soil samples, Cu content was detected using a hand-held XRF analyzer under laboratory conditions, while ICP-MS and AAS analysis were performed after open digestion by aqua-regia. Determined Cu content varied in very similar ranges from 51.2 mg/kg to 444.3 mg/kg with an average of 138.9 mg/kg for AAS; from 48.6 mg/kg to 446.4 mg/kg and an average of 139.7 mg/kg for ICP-MS and from 54.0 mg/kg to 435.3 mg/kg with an average of 141.3 mg/kg for pXRF. A high positive correlation between Cu content determined by pXRF and ICP-MS (R2 = 0.996), as well as between pXRF and AAS (R2 = 0.997), along with the results of Bland-Altman statistical analysis indicate that pXRF can be applied as a reliable tool for analyses of Cu-contaminated agricultural soil.
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•pH, EC, and ions were mostly pronounced immediately after burning.•Runoff and erosion were highest 10, and 20–24 months after burn.•Moderate severity burn substantially increased pH, ...Cl¯, SO42¯, Br¯, and K+.•High severity burn increased EC, F¯, Mg2+, and TC in eroded sediments.•Pile-burning should be avoided on slopes.
Slash-pile burning is a frequent land management practice implemented across the Mediterranean. However, the impact of this practice on runoff waters has often been neglected. To address this issue, two experimental burns were conducted: one with moderate (MS) severity, and another with high (HS) severity, to evaluate the impact of different types of slash–pile on the quality of runoff waters. An unburned (UB) treatment was also considered in this study, to evaluate the impacts of slash–pile burning per se. Treatments were established on a slope terrain (∼18°) characteristic of the Adriatic coast. During the two-year study, runoff and erosion samples were collected 22 times after major rainfall events. Aside from runoff, erosion, and total carbon in sediments (TC) were determined, as well as various water quality parameters, including, pH, electrical conductivity (EC), and Br¯, Cl¯, SO42¯, PO43¯, F¯, K+, Na+, Ca2+, and Mg2+. Overall, water quality parameters were more affected shortly after burning, while runoff and erosion were more dependent on precipitation patterns. TC in sediments was higher in HS than in MS, the highest values being observed in the last sampling events for both burned treatments. Regarding runoff water quality, the effects were more pronounced at HS, even if the hydrological response was stronger at the MS. The UB treatment showed significant changes in runoff water quality following major rain events, which was attributed to soil saturation. Our results suggest that slash pile burning has adverse effects on runoff waters, so it is recommended for biomass to be used in other ways, especially in the context of soil and water conservation.
Miscanthus x giganteus is an energy crop relatively recently introduced into Croatia, that is suitable for cultivation on marginal or abandoned agriculturl land. Energy crops can contribute to ...climate change mitigation both by carbon sequestration into soil/plant pool and by substitution of fossil fuels. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to evaluate the impact of Miscanthus x giganteus cultivation on the environment by determination of soil and soil-plant system's carbon budget, as well as to estimate the sequestration potential of Miscanthus stand on abandoned agricultural land at national level. After the 3 years of Miscanthus cultivation, soil pH and K2O decreased, P2O5 increased and Ntot remained the same. Plant biomass increased from April, peaked in September, and decreased towards the spring harvest with harvested yield of 14.5 t/ha. Average soil respiration amounted 9.1 t/ha/y, and didn't show seasonal trend, or significant correlation to soil temperature and moisture. Estimated sequestration potentials of Miscanthus are 1.3 (soil system) and 2.0 (soil-plant system) t/ha/y. The highest contribution to carbon gains and losses had respectively preharvest losses and soil respiration. Between 704 520-3 251 600 t C could be sequestrated in soil/plant pool in Miscanthus lifespan if 5-15% of abandoned agricultural land would be converted to Miscanthus cultivation. Therefore, Miscanthus represents biological carbon sink due to great sequestration potential and additional fossil fuel replacement benefits.
The agricultural practice of burning straw or vine stem is widespread in the Mediterranean to control excess biomass. Although the practice is widespread, the long-term effects on the structure of ...the flora, natural ecological restoration and the impact on biodiversity remain poorly understood and researched. Mediterranean species have post-fire ecological strategies, such as the ability to resprout, the persistence of the seed bank, or the ability to grow or disperse. In this work, an abandoned agricultural field (AAF) was burned by an induced fire. Fifteen rings (diameter 0.2 m.sup.2) were established on the studied area, five for each variant: I. unburned (UB), II. moderately intensive (MB) and III. high intensive (HB). The results showed that the functional group (FG) of grasses dominated in the MB variant, in contrast to the dominance of legumes in the HB variant. Compared to the AAF, the number of grasses FG slightly decreased in both burn variants (MB, HB). The predominant strategy was competitors (C), followed by ruderal plants (R), the number of which increased slightly after burning in the MB and HB variants, while stress tolerance decreased significantly in both variants. These results indicate that the intensity of HB does not promote the survival of grasses in the first year after burning, while legumes and grasses are more resistant to higher fire intensity and therefore have a higher chance of survival. In summary, the burning of straw or vine stem on AAF initiates complex ecological processes that shape the landscape and can significantly influence the biodiversity of the area. Keywords: functional ecology, induced fire, sustainable agriculture, Mediterranean region, biodiversity Poljoprivredna praksa spaljivanja slame strnine ili rozge vinove loze rasirena je u mediteranskoj regiji kao sredstvo za kontrolu viska biomase. Iako se vec nasiroko i dugi niz godina koristi, dugorocni ucinci ove prakse na strukturu flore, prirodnu ekolosku obnovu i njezin utjecaj na biolosku raznolikost i dalje su slabo shvaceni i istrazeni. Mediteranske vrste imaju ekoloske strategije za obnovu nakon pozara, to su; sposobnost ponovnog nicanja, postojanost banke sjemena ili sposobnost rasta i/ili rasprsivanja. U ovom radu, induciranim je pozarom opozarena napustena poljoprivredna polja (AAF). Na istrazivanoj povrsini uspostavljeno je pet celicnih krugova (promjera 0,2 m2), po pet za svaku varijantu: I. kontrola - neopozareno (UB), II. srednji intenzitet (MB) i III. visoki intenzitet pozara (HB). Rezultati su pokazali da u varijanti MB dominira funkcionalna skupina (FG) trava, za razliku od dominacije mahunarki u varijanti HB. U usporedbi s AAF, broj FG zeljanica blago se smanjio u obje opozarene varijante (MB, HB). Dominantna ekoloska strategija bili su kompetitori (C), zatim ruderalne biljke (R) ciji se broj neznatno povecao nakon spaljivanja u MB i HB varijanti, dok je postotak stres tolerantnih biljaka znacajno smanjen u obje varijante. Ovi rezultati pokazuju da visoki intenzitet gorenja HB ne potice prezivljavanje funkcionalne skupine trava u prvoj godini nakon pozara, dok su mahunarke i zeljanice otpornije na veci intenzitet pozara te stoga imaju vece sanse za prezivljavanje. Zakljucno, spaljivanje slama strnine ili rozga vinove loze na AAF-u inicira slozene ekoloske procese koji mogu oblikovati krajobraz i znatno utjecati na bioraznolikost podrucja. Kljucne rijeci: funkcionalna ekologija, inducirani pozar, odrziva poljoprivreda, mediteranska regija, bioraznolikost
Changes in C and nutrient cycling during succession are well studied, however, results can be contrasting for different nutrients and successional sequences. We analyzed soil chemical differences ...between early and late succession of oak-hornbeam forest. Late forest succession efficiently retained plant-available P, and total Mn, Zn, Fe, Cu, and Ni pools in the soil, as their concentrations were similar to those of early-successional grasslands. Available K, soil organic C, and organic matter content, as well as C:N and C:S ratios were higher in late than in early succession. Soil organic N and S concentrations did not differ between the stages.
Selenium (Se) is an essential element for human health in trace amounts but is harmful in excess. Most plants contain a fairly low Se and crop Se supplements ensure adequate levels for human ...nutritional needs. Food is the primary source of Se for humans and due to differences in eating habits, its intake varies considerably. In the human body, selenium deficiency can lead to diseases of the endocrine, musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, reproductive, nervous and immune systems. Selenium is an important ingredient in glutathione peroxidase, the main cellular antioxidant enzyme, which can convert free radicals into peroxides, while vitamin E removes free radicals and neutralizes their potentially harmful effects. Excessive amounts of selenium in the human diet are considered toxic, causing liver and kidney damage, blood clotting, heart and liver necrosis, skin lesions, nausea, vomiting, and loss of hair and nails. Semiconducting properties of Se make it of special value for industry. Selenium is a rare element on the planet, and is a non-renewable resource due to its non-efficient and difficult recycling. Except of coal, which is commonly enriched in Se, there are no ores which could be mined for it. Herewith, the world's scarce Se resources need a careful management, monitoring, recycling, and stockpiling for future generations. The first part of this review outlines selenium concentrations in soil, water, and plants in terms of essential and toxicological effects on animals and humans, while the second part briefly overviews novel biotechnological methods of bioremediation of environmental selenium.
In this local-scale synecological study, we investigated the changes in plant community composition throughout secondary succession occurring after cessation of agricultural land use (i.e. grassland ...abandonment). The successional sequence studied had the following pathway: Avenula pubescens (Huds.) Dumort. haypastures → Brachypodium pinnatum (L.) P.Beauv. successional grassland → Cornus sanguinea L. scrubs → late-successional Populus tremula L. forest → late-successional oak-hornbeam (Quercus-Carpinus) forest. The last forest stage was represented by the association Epimedio-Carpinetum betuli (Horvat 1938) Borhidi 1963. Occurrence of plant species throughout secondary succession was mostly stage-specific; only Fragaria vesca L., Ajuga reptans L., Cornus sanguinea, Prunus spinosa L., and Viola hirta L. showed survival ability throughout almost all stages.
Abstract
Changes in soil chemistry after invasion by bracken (Pteridium aquilinum) have been studied in heathlands, but comparable studies in meadows are lacking. We investigated if bracken invasion ...into P-deficient meadows alters the soil nutrient-resource pool, as well as the mechanisms behind it linked to soil processes and bracken nutrition. Furthermore, we investigated how community composition responds to differences in soil chemistry before and after the invasion. Soil and plant material sampling, along with vegetation survey, were performed during bracken peak biomass. Data analyses included analysis of variance and canonical correspondence analysis (CCA). Bracken invasion increased soil P availability, soil organic C concentration, as well as C:N, C:S and N:S ratios, while decreasing Fe and Co concentrations. Bracken pinnae were rich in P, and its rhizomes were rich in K, whereas N:P of pinnae and rhizomes was low. CCA showed contrasting abundance patterns of frequent meadow species related to P and K availability. Holcus lanatus exhibited competitive advantage under extremely low P availability. Increase in P availability under bracken may have occurred through promoting the leaching of Fe and Al. By increasing P availability for its growth and increasing N limitation for other species, bracken can gain a competitive advantage from the soil resource-niche perspective. Its ability to increase soil P availability, along with the physiological mechanisms behind its high P acquisition efficiency, seem to differentiate bracken from other species of competitive ecological strategy, which are mainly confined to nutrient-rich environments. This enabled bracken to invade P-deficient meadows.
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