Effects of tilling methods on soil penetration resistance, organic carbon and water stable aggregates in a vineyard of semiarid Mediterranean environment

Tillage, especially in semiarid Mediterranean environment, enhances the mineralization process of soil organic matter (SOM) and, in turn, decreases aggregate stability. Furthermore, continuous tillage leads to the formation of plough pan beneath the tilled layer. In the present study, we investigated the effect of an innovative self-propelled machine (spading machine, SM) for shallow tillage on SOM, water stable aggregates (WSA) and soil penetration resistance (PR). Such effects were compared to those of chisel plough (CP), rotary tiller (RT) and no tillage (NT). Each tilling method was applied up to a depth of 15 cm, whereas in NT only a brush cutter was used for weed control. Soil analyse…

Cellulolytic bacteria joined with deproteinized whey decrease carbon to nitrogen ratio and improve stability of compost from wine production chain by-products

Composting residues from wine and dairy chains would contribute to increase the environmental sustainability of the production. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of deproteinized whey combined with bioactivators on the composting process. Bacillus velezensis and Kocuria rhizophila, bacteria with cellulolytic activity, were isolated from raw materials and inoculated in the organic mass to be composted. Piles moistened with deproteinized whey showed the highest reduction of total and dissolved organic carbon due to the stimulation of bacterial activity by nitrogen compounds held within deproteinized whey. Such findings were also confirmed by the speed up of the microbial carbo…

Long-term effects of contrasting tillage on soil organic carbon, nitrous oxide and ammonia emissions in a Mediterranean Vertisol under different crop sequences

This 2-year study aimed to verify whether the continuous application of no tillage (NT) for over 20 years, in comparison with conventional tillage (CT), affects nitrous oxide (NO) and ammonia (NH) emissions from a Vertisol and, if so, whether such an effect varies with crop sequence (continuous wheat, WW and wheat after faba bean, FW). To shed light on the mechanisms involved in determining N-gas emissions, soil bulk density, water filled pore space (WFPS), some carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) pools, denitrifying enzyme activity (DEA), and nitrous oxide reductase gene abundance (nosZ gene) were also assessed at 0–15 and 15–30 cm soil depth. Tillage system had no significant effect on total NH e…

Soil Carbon, Nitrogen and Phosphorus Dynamics as Affected by Solarization Alone or Combined with Organic Amendment

Soil solarization, alone or combined with organic amendment, is an increasingly attractive approach for managing soil-borne plant pathogens in agricultural soils. Even though it consists in a relatively mild heating treatment, the increased soil temperature may strongly affect soil microbial processes and nutrients dynamics. This study aimed to investigate the impact of solarization, either with or without addition of farmyard manure, in soil dynamics of various C, N and P pools. Changes in total C, N and P contents and in some functionally-related labile pools (soil microbial biomass C and N, K2SO4-extractable C and N, basal respiration, KCl-exchangeable ammonium and nitrate, and water-sol…

Cadmium-induced changes in soil biochemical characteristics of oat (Avena sativa L.) rhizosphere during early growth stages

A microcosm was assembled to physically separate soil from roots and was used to study both the impact of living roots on the soil–plant system during early stages of growth and plant responses to abiotic stress. Oat (Avena sativa L.) seedlings were grown in the microcosm unit for 44 days. Twenty-three days after planting, 0.154 mg CdSO4/g dry soil was added. Plants grown in Cd-treated microcosms showed considerable inhibition of shoot growth rates, and leaf chlorophyll content. Soil microbial biomass C and respiration increased with plant age, and most of the measured biochemical indicators decreased with increasing distance from the soil–root interface, thus demonstrating the rhizosphere …

Some European green roof norms and guidelines through the lens of biodiversity : do ecoregions and plant traits also matter?

Abstract Green infrastructure and in particular green roofs are crucial to meet the challenge of sustainable urbanisation fostered by the current European Research and Innovation agenda. Several documents were issued in the last decades in Europe for regulating the design, construction and up-keep of roof greening. In particular, the actual German guidelines have been widely adopted as a reference basis for green roof design and regulation worldwide, because of its exhaustiveness and proven building- and landscaping tradition. With the aim to assess the effectiveness of green roof guidelines and norms in supporting plant and soil biodiversity in different ecoregions, and particularly of the…

Challenges and opportunities for citrus wastewater management and valorisation: A review.

Citrus wastewaters (CWWs) are by-products of the citrus fruit transformation process. Currently, more than 700 million of m³ of CWWs per year are produced worldwide. Until nowadays, the management of CWWs is based on a take-make-use-dispose model. Indeed, after being produced within a citrus processing industry, CWWs are subjected to treatment and then discharged into the environment. Now, the European Union is pushing towards a take-make-use-reuse management model, which suggests to provide for the minimization of residual pollutants simultaneously with their exploitation through a biorefinery concept. Indeed, the recovery of energy nutrients and other value-added products held by CWWs may…

Influenza della diversa gestione di due cover crops sui bioindicatori della qualità di un suolo a vigneto

Long-term effects of contrasting tillage systems on soil C and N pools and on main microbial groups differ by crop sequence

Abstract Determining the best conservation agriculture practices for increasing soil organic carbon (C) and hence soil quality is of paramount importance in the semi-arid Mediterranean environment, where soils are experiencing a continuous decline in organic matter. Therefore, the aim of this long-term study was to assess the combined effects of tillage system and crop sequence on soil organic C and biochemical properties of soil generally used as indicators of soil quality. After 23 years of continuous application of contrasting tillage systems (conventional tillage [CT], vs. no tillage [NT]) and crop sequences (wheat monoculture vs. wheat-faba bean rotation), soil samples were collected f…

SHORT-TERM RESPONSE OF SOIL MICROORGANISMS TO ESSENTIAL OILS WITH ALLELOPATHIC POTENTIAL EXTRACTED FROM MEDITERRANEAN PLANTS

Essential oils (EOs) with allelopathic compounds have been used to reduce or avoid weed germination and growth. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential phytotoxic effects of EOs extracted from different Mediterranean plants on soil microbial biomass and activity. EOs were extracted from leaves of Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehnh (EUC); Eriocephalus africanus L. (ERI); Thymus capitatus (L.) Hoffmanns. & Link (TCP); Citrus reticulata Blanco var. ‘Clemenules’ (TAN) and Citrus limon (L.) Osbeck var. ‘Eureka’ (LEM). Each EO was supplied to pots containing 560 g of soil at three different doses (low, medium, high). After 15, 30, 90, 120 days the supply of EOs, soils were destructively a…

Interrelazioni quali-quantitative tra descrittori fisici, chimici e biochimici di un pedon, prima e dopo il disturbo antropico

La descrizione dei suoli può iniziare col telerilevamento; proseguire con il riconoscimento dell'elemento territoriale e continuare con la determinazione delle caratteristiche chimico-fisiche del terreno, che sono un insieme di analisi, definite di base, necessarie e (supposte) sufficienti ad identificare le caratteristiche fondamentali del suolo. Con le attuali tecniche analitiche sono oggi disponibili descrittori più fini quali contenuto di metalli in traccia e caratteristiche biochimiche. Nel nostro caso-studio, la sensibilità di risposta al disturbo antropico ordina le classi di descrittori nel senso terre rare < metalli < indicatori chimici < indicatori biochimici. I descrittori pedolo…

Bioindicators and nutrient availability through whole soil profile under orange groves after long-term different organic fertilizations

We investigated long-term (18 years) effects of three organic (cow manure (CM), poultry manure (PM), compost from agro-industry orange wastes (OW)) and one inorganic fertilization (IF) on various soil biological indicators (microbial biomass C, soil respiration, total phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs), total bacteria, Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and fungi) and nutrient contents (total and extractable organic C, total and mineral N, available P and K) along the profile of a Typic Haplustept under orange Mediterranean orchards. All fertilizers were added on the same N content basis (190 kg N ha−1 per year). Variables related to carbon cycling gradually worsened with depth, regardl…

DINAMICA DEI NITRATI E MINERALIZZAZIONE DEL CARBONIO IN UN SUOLO A VIGNETO IN AMBIENTE SEMIARIDO

La gestione agronomica del vigneto in ambiente semiarido è spesso caratterizzata sia dalle frequenti lavorazioni del suolo che dall’apporto di fertilizzanti inorganici, in particolare azotati. Tale gestione, congiuntamente alle caratteristiche pedo-climatiche tipiche dell’ambiente semiarido, causa spesso un depauperamento del contenuto in sostanza organica del suolo e, dall’altro lato, incrementa il rischio di dilavamento di nitrati dal suolo. Al fine di controbilanciare tali effetti indesiderati, sono state introdotte nella gestione del suolo a vigneto tecniche di agricoltura conservativa, quali l’introduzione delle cover crops e l’interramento, previa trinciatura, dei residui di potatura,…

Biomassa, attività e struttura della comunità microbica in un suolo di ambiente semiarido sotto diverse essenze forestali

Bioindicatori della qualità del suolo

La qualità del suolo è un aspetto fondamentale della gestione sostenibile dell’agrosistema, al pari della qualità dell’acqua e dell’aria. Studiare la qualità del suolo significa valutare quanto bene esso svolga le proprie funzioni e come esse possano essere migliorate o salvaguardate per il futuro. Poiché la definizione di qualità del suolo è oggettiva, essa non può essere valutata utilizzando fattori di opportuna convenienza, ma attraverso l’uso di indicatori. Le proprietà biochimiche possono essere utilizzate come “indicatori precoci” delle perturbazioni che degradano il suolo in quanto risultano maggiormente sensibili alle variazioni indotte dall’attività antropica e dall’ambiente rispet…

La fertilità

Long‐Term Tillage and Cropping System Effects on Chemical and Biochemical Characteristics of Soil Organic Matter in a Mediterranean Semiarid Environment

Several studies have reported how tillage and cropping systems affect quantity, quality, and distribution of soil organic matter (SOM) along the profile. However, the effect of soil management on the chemical structure of SOM and on its hydrophobic and hydrophilic components has been little investigated. In this work, the long-term (19 years) effects of two cropping systems (wheat monoculture and wheat/faba bean rotation) and three tillage managements (conventional, reduced, and no tillage) on some chemical characteristics of SOM and their relationships with labile carbon (C) pools were evaluated. Soil samples were taken from the topsoil (0–15 cm) of a Chromic Haploxerert (central Sicily, I…

Soil profile dismantlement by land levelling and deep tillage damages soil functioning but not quality

We investigated the effects of land levelling followed by deep tillage, thus inducing a drastic dismantlement of soil profile, on both soil functioning and quality by monitoring various bioindicators (microbial biomass and community structure, basal respiration, enzyme activities) expressed on either whole soil and TOC mass units, respectively. As expected, in disturbed soils all measured properties had much higher coefficients of variation (CVs), regardless of either whole soil or TOC mass basis, due to the induced spatial variability. The amount of total organic C in the first cubic meter of soil profile was of one order of magnitude greater in undisturbed soils compared to disturbed ones…

Soil microbial biomass responses to essential oils extracted from different Mediterranean herbs

Essential oils (EOs) extracted form herbs contain terpenes, terpenoids and polyphenols which show inhibitory effects on seed germination and seedling growth of weeds. Therefore, EOs are potential sources for the development of new bioherbicides. A previous study carried out by the authors has found EOs extracted from Thymbra capitata (L.) Cav., Mentha x piperita L., and Santolina chamaecyparissus L. were able to reduce the emergence and seedling growth of many weeds. However, due to their potential antimicrobial activity, EOs could affect all soil processes mediated by microorganisms. Since EOs impacts seem to be rather complex as they have been found not only to inhibit but also stimulate …

Methodologies to study soil nitrogen Méthodes pour l'étude de l'azote dans le sol Metodologie per lo studio dell'azoto nel suolo

Nitrogen (N) is a key element within terrestrial ecosystems and, thus, the whole knowledge of its transformation processes is crucial. Especially in soil, complex and heterogeneous system, N undergoes several transformations as it is indicated by its various oxidation states. Moreover, it mainly occurs under a number of organic forms, whose identification and quantification is still challenging. Here, we review some extraction methodologies of N from soil, but also the isotope dilution technique, which helps in assessing gross N mineralisation. Finally, we discuss the NanoSIMS technique, which shows a good potential for investigating soil N dynamics at nanoscale. Résumé L'azote (N) est un é…

FERTILITY DECLINE IN AN ANTRHROPOGENIC SOIL Subjected since many years to intensive viticulture.

CPMAS 13C NMR Characterization of Leaves and Litters from the Reafforestated Area of Mustigarufi in Sicily (Italy)

Reafforestation is generally based on the planting of exotic fast growing tree species suitable for adapting to even harsh environments. Once the introduced plants ameliorate soil conditions, they can be progressively replaced by au- tochthonous plant species. Reafforestation is applied worldwide. However, only few studies on the effect of reafforesta- tion on lands from Mediterranean regions are available. This paper reports the characterization by cross polarization 13C NMR spectroscopy of fresh leaves and superficial litters from a reafforestated area in central Sicily (Italy). NMR assign- ment is attempted. A differentiation among the molecular systems within leaves and litters is also …

Ammonium adsorption, desorption and recovery by acid and alkaline treated zeolite

In this study, the suitability of zeolite as a possible medium for ammonium adsorption, desorption and recovery from wastewater was investigated. Specifically, batch adsorption and desorption studies with solutions enriched in NH$_4^+$ were conducted employing zeolite to evaluate how the chemical treatment and contact time affect adsorption and desorption. Several experimental tests were carried out considering both untreated and treated zeolite. Untreated and HCl-Na treated zeolite adsorbed up to 11.8 mg NH$_4^+$ g$^{-1}$ and showed the highest efficiency in recovering NH$_4^+$ from aqueous solution. Regardless of pre-treatment, treatments with NaCl resulted in higher and faster adsorption…

Soil Quality as Affected by Intensive Versus Conservative Agricultural Managements

Soils, the earth’s skin, are at the intersection of the lithosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere. The persistence of life on our planet depends on the maintenance of soils as they constitute the biological engines of earth. Human population has increased exponentially in recent decades, along with the demand for food, materials, and energy, which have caused a shift from low-yield and subsistence agriculture to a more productive, high-cost, and intensive agriculture. However, soils are very fragile ecosystems and require centuries for their development, thus within the human timescale they are not renewable resources. Modern and intensive agriculture implies serious concern about…

Azoto

1. Introduzione p. 282 2. Determinazione dell’azoto totale con analizzatore elementare p. 284 3. Determinazione dell’azoto totale con metodo semi-micro-Kjeldahl p. 284 4. Determinazione dell’azoto totale con metodo semi-micro-Kjeldahl modificato p. 287 5. Determinazione dell’azoto totale estraibile con soluzione salina con metodo micro-Kjeldahl p. 291 6. Determinazione dell’azoto totale estraibile con soluzione salina con metodo micro-Kjeldahl modificato p.294 7. Determinazione colorimetrica degli ioni ammonio estraibili p. 296 8. Determinazione colorimetrica degli ioni nitrato estraibili p. 298 9. Estrazione dell’azoto totale idrolizzabile con acido cloridrico p. 300 10.Determinazione dell…

Determinazione della biomassa microbica del suolo con il metodo della fumigazione

Reversing agriculture from intensive to sustainable improves soil quality in a semiarid South Italian soil

Intensive agriculture (IA) is widespread in South Italy, although it requires frequent tillage, large amounts of fertilizers and irrigation water. We have assessed the efficacy of reversing IA to sustainable agriculture (SA) in recovering quality of a typical South Italy soil (Lithic Haploxeralf). This reversion, lasting from 2000 to 2007, replaced 75% of nutrients formerly supplied inorganically by farmyard manuring and reduced the tillage frequency. Several chemical and biochemical properties, functionally related to C and N mineralisation–immobilisation processes and to P and S nutrient cycles, were monitored annually from 2005 to 2007 in the spring. Reversing IA to SA decreased soil bul…

Caratterizzazione mediante spettroscopia NMR in fase solida di foglie e lettiera di quattro essenze forestali

La velocità di degradazione del materiale vegetale che arriva al suolo dipende dalle caratteristiche chimico-fisiche dei residui che ne influenzano l’appetibilità e, dunque, la facilità con cui i microrganismi li degradano. Molti studi hanno evidenziato come elevate percentuali di lignina e di composti polifenolici possano limitare l’attività dei microrganismi, in quanto poche specie microbiche hanno un apparato enzimatico completo per la degradazione dei suddetti polimeri. Obiettivo del presente lavoro è l’analisi, tramite spettroscopia NMR in fase solida (CPMAS 13C-NMR), della composizione molecolare delle foglie e della relativa lettiera di 4 essenze forestali: Eucaliptus occidentalis En…

Stabilità della comunità microbica di suoli boschivi dopo riscaldamento ed inumidimento controllati

Da diversi anni gli incendi nell’area del bacino del Mediterraneo tendono ad incrementare per numero e superficie interessata. Ad oggi, in Italia la superficie territoriale percorsa dal fuoco è pari a circa 100.000 ettari anno-1, metà dei quali boschivi. A livello nazionale, la Sicilia è tra le regioni più funestate dagli incendi boschivi. Gli effetti dell’incendio possono essere fondamentalmente distinti in due tipi: a) diretto, tramite la combustione, il cui impatto è proporzionale alla durata e al decorso dell’incendio ed b) indiretto, mediato dal riscaldamento indotto del suolo e che si ripercuote sull’entità e sulla velocità dei processi che in esso avvengono. La combustione è un proce…

Key Biochemical Attributes to Assess Soil Ecosystem Sustainability

Soil is not a renewable resource, at least within the human timescale. In general, any anthropic exploitation of soils tends to disturb or divert them from a more “natural” development which, by definition, represents the best comparison term for measuring the relative shift from soil sustainability. The continuous degradation of soil health and quality due to abuse of land potentiality or intensive management occurs since decades. Soil microbiota, being ‘the biological engine of the Earth’, provides pivotal services in the soil ecosystem functioning. Hence, management practices protecting soil microbial diversity and resilience, should be pursued. Besides, any abnormal change in rate of in…

PHYTOTOXIC POTENTIAL OF EUCALYPTUS ESSENTIAL OILS FOR WEED CONTROL

The widespread use of synthetic herbicides has resulted in herbicide-resistant weeds, disturbed ecological balance and negative effects on human health. Due to this fact, it is necessary to rely on alternative weed control strategies using natural compounds released by plants, such as essential oils (EOs). EOs have a short half-life since they are biodegradable, and are safer than synthetic compounds, with little damage to the environment, without even contaminating ground water (Topal and Kocaçalıskan 2006). Essential oils from different species contain allelochemical compounds that possess significant phytotoxic activity. Azizi and Fuji (2006) demonstrated that Eucalyptus (family Myrtacea…

Soil chemical and biochemical properties of a salt-marsh alluvial Spanish area after long-term reclamation

Marisma, one of the largest salt-marsh alluvial areas in SW Spain, has been reclaimed since 1970 by artificial drainage and amendment with phosphogypsum (PG) so as to reduce Na+ saturation. Within the reclaimed area, two 250- × 20-m plots were treated as follows: (1) amendment with 25 Mg/ha of PG every 2 to 3 years between 1979 and 2003 (plot PY); (2) like PY but PG treatment stopped after 1997 (plot DR). A contiguous virgin Marisma salt-marsh plot (MV), neither drained nor amended, was the control. In MV, soil microbial biomass C, most enzyme activities and total organic C content were much greater than in PY and DR soils, despite the salinity stress. The decrease in soil organic matter co…

Enhancing a Transition to a Circular Economy in the Water Sector: The EU Project WIDER UPTAKE

A novel approach for resource recovery includes forward osmosis (FO) as a concentration step in municipal wastewater treatment. The current study investigates different pre-treatment strategies including biological treatment with a moving-bed bioreactor (MBBR) at different loading rates and particle removal by filtration and sedimentation. Membrane performance and recovery potential for energy and nutrients were investigated in laboratory-scale FO experiments in batch mode using pre-treated municipal wastewater as feed and 35 g/L NaCl as a draw solution. Initial water fluxes were in the range of 6.3 to 8.0 L/(m2·h). The baseline fluxes were modelled to account for flux decline due to concen…

Effetti del diverso management colturale e della dose di fertilizzante organico su biomassa ed attività microbica del suolo

Shifting Long-Term Tillage to Geotextile Mulching for Weed Control Improves Soil Quality and Yield of Orange Orchards

Weed control in urban and peri-urban orange orchards is challenging due to operational and legislative restrictions. Tillage, besides from negatively affecting soil fertility and microorganisms, is demanding for humans. On the other hand, herbicides are advised against due to the possibility to reach waterbodies from the soil surface. Therefore, in urban and peri-urban areas, instead of tillage and herbicides, mulching with black plastic geotextile fabric is often used. This study aimed at assessing the impact of long-term soil mulching with black plastic geotextile fabric on soil fertility, microbial community and yield of an orange orchard in comparison to conventional tillage. To this ai…

Dynamics of soil organic carbon pools after agricultural abandonment

Abandonment of agricultural land and the subsequent recolonization by natural vegetation is known to cause increases in C contents, contributing to reduction in atmospheric CO2 concentrations. Assessment of the possible mitigation of CO2 excess requires understanding the SOC dynamics, the origin of C pools and the pathways of their transformation. The aims of this work were to assess, by using the δ13C signature, the changes of old and new organic C in total (soil organic carbon, SOC) and labile (microbial biomass C, MBC, dissolved organic C, DOC, CO2 efflux from soil) pools after vegetation change from vineyard (C3) to grassland (C4) under semiarid Mediterranean climate. Colonization of ab…

Recovering ammonium by treated and untreated zeolitic mixtures: A comprehensive experimental and modelling study

The recovery of ammonium (NH4+) from aqueous solutions by zeolite is attractive. In this study, the physicalchemistry of NH4+ adsorption process from aqueous solution by two zeolitic mixtures, either treated or not treated with NaCl, was assessed. Results suggested that the zeolitic mixture richer in mordenite and with high specific surface area adsorbed more NH4+ than the one richer in clinoptilolite and heulandite showing a lower specific surface area. NaCl treatment increased the amount of NH4+ adsorbed by the zeolitic mixtures. The higher amount of NH4+ adsorbed by the zeolitic mixtures treated with NaCl was explained by the low/high density water model accounting for cation exchange am…

Zeolites for the nutrient recovery from wastewater

To meet the growing food demand of the world population, excessive use of chemical fertilizers is occurring to improve soil fertility and crop production. The excessive use of chemical fertilizers is not economically and environmentally sustainable. Indeed, from one hand, due to the increasing demand of fertilizers is rising their costs whereas, on the other hand, the accumulation of fertilizers in wastewaters is altering the homeostasis of the ecosystems thus causing serious damages to human health [1,2]. The recovery of nutrients, such as nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), from wastewaters is a good option to counteract both economic and environmental issues raised by the excessive use of f…

Influenza del diverso interramento di una cover crop (Veccia/Avena) sui bioindicatori della qualità del suolo

Nella presente ricerca è stato valutato l’effetto delle diverse modalità di interramento di una cover crop (consociazione veccia/avena) su alcuni bioindicatori della qualità del suolo. L’area di studio è situata in Sambuca di Sicilia (AG), su suoli (Typic Haploxerepts) a vigneto, con tessitura argillosa, pH neutro e pendenza media del 10%. L’interramento della biomassa vegetale è stato effettuato con tre diverse modalità: erpicatura (E), fresatura (F) e sfalcio (S). Il campionamento dei suoli è stato eseguito a 2 diverse profondità (0-20 cm; 20-40 cm) dopo circa un mese dall’interramento; contemporaneamente, è stato campionato un suolo contiguo gestito con tecniche colturali tradizionali (T…

Determinazione degli acidi grassi dei fosfolipidi (PLFA) nel suolo

Suoli particolari

Il capitolo analizza le problematiche di natura chimica relative ai suoli che, a causa di particolari fenomeni ambientali e di specifiche pratiche agronomiche, finiscono con l’acquisire alcune proprietà particolari che si discostano da quelle della maggior parte dei suoli di comune uso agrario. Nella fattispecie, sono stati presi in considerazione: a) i suoli acidi, con l’analisi delle cause di acidificazione e delle metodiche per la correzione di tale limite; b) le varie tipologie di suoli sommersi, con le varie controindicazioni che la sommersione comporta; c) i suoli alomorfi, cioè affetti da vari tipi di salinità (suoli salini, salino-sodici e sodici), con particolare riferimento alla l…

Plant litter decomposition and microbial characteristics in volcanic soils (Mt Etna, Sicily) at different stages of development

Soils at different developmental stages were sampled from eight sites on the slopes of Mt Etna, Sicily (Italy) and characterized for total C, microbial biomass and microbial respiration. The values of these parameters were greatest for the most developed soils, but differences in recent management and site characteristics limited analysis of trends with soil development across the eight sites. The decomposition kinetics of both intact leaf litter and the water-insoluble fraction of leaf litter from three common species on Etna [Etnean broom (Genista aetnensis), European chestnut (Castanea sativa), and Corsican pine (Pinus nigra)] were determined in four of the soils (the two with the smalle…

Structural diversity and enzyme activity of volcanic soils at different stages of development and response to experimental disturbance

We investigated the phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) diversity and enzyme activities in soils from the volcano, Mt. Etna (Sicily). The soils were at sites which have been developing for different periods of time and have formed in volcanic lava of differing ages that have been supplemented with volcanic ejecta from subsequent eruptions. However, the plant communities indicated a marked successional difference between the sites and we have used this as a proxy for developmental stage. We have compared the structural and functional properties of the microbial communities in soils from the two sites and tested experimentally the hypothesis that the more diverse community was more resistant and r…

Dinamica del C labile in suoli forestali simulando l'impatto da incendio ed il successivo spegnimento con acqua marina

Obiettivo del presente lavoro è stato quello di valutare, in diversi suoli forestali ed a condizioni controllate di laboratorio, l’impatto del riscaldamento da incendio e del successivo spegnimento con acqua marina sulla dinamica del C estraibile e sulla cinetica di respirazione. A tal fine, in un’area pedoclimatica omogenea, sono stati selezionati 4 suoli sotto diverse essenze forestali: Eucalyptus camaldulensis (EC), E. occidentalis (EO), Pinus halepensis (PH) e Cupressus sempervirens (CS). I campioni di suolo sono stati riscaldati a 25 (controllo), 160 e 380 °C per 30 minuti ed umidificati al 50% della capacità idrica di campo con acqua marina o distillata (controllo), ottenendo così 6 d…

Nutrient Transformations in the Rhizosphere

Soil microbial biomass carbon and fatty acid composition of earthworm Lumbricus rubellus after exposure to engineered nanoparticles

none 6 no First Online: 14 October 2014 The aim of this work was to investigate the effect of engineered nanoparticles (NPs) on soil microbial biomass C (MBC) and on earthworm Lumbricus rubellus. An artificial soil was incubated for 4 weeks with earthworms fed with vegetable residues contaminated by NPs, consisting of Ag, Co, Ni and TiO2. After the treatments, soils were analysed for MBC and total and water soluble metal-NPs, whereas earthworms were purged for 28 days and then analysed for fatty acids (FAs) and total metal-NPs. Longitudinal sections of earthworms were investigated by environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM), equipped with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS),…

RELAZIONI TRA I POOLS DI CARBONIO NEI REGOSUOLI DELLA RISERVA NATURALE ORIENTATA MONTE GALLO (PA)

Elementi di Botanica forestale

SOIL FERTILITY, GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS AND AGRONOMIC PERFORMANCE IN A VINEYARD WITH DIFFERENT SOIL MANAGEMENT IN A SEMIARID MEDITERRANEAN ENVIRONMENT

In the semiarid Mediterranean environment, vineyard soils are often characterised by intensive tillage and large supply of inorganic fertilizers. Those practices, coupled with the semiarid Mediterranean climate features (warm to hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters),speed up the mineralisation of soil organic matter (SOM) so that many lands have lost much fertility. To counteract SOM decline, the introduction of cover crops with or without nitrogen (N) fixing forage legumes, has become a management technique widely used. Indeed, cover crops besides increasing SOM and potentially mineralisable N, it can mitigate soil erosion in sloping vineyards. However, the competition risk for soil wate…

Interrelazioni quali-quantitative tra descrittori fisici, chimici e biochimici di un pedon, prima e dopo un disturbo antropico

La descrizione dei suoli può iniziare col telerilevamento; proseguire con il riconoscimento dell'elemento territoriale e continuare con la determinazione delle caratteristiche chimico-fisiche del terreno, che sono un insieme di analisi, definite di base, necessarie e (supposte) sufficienti ad identificare le caratteristiche fondamentali del suolo. Con le attuali tecniche analitiche sono oggi disponibili descrittori più fini quali contenuto di metalli in traccia e caratteristiche biochimiche. Nel nostro caso-studio, la sensibilità di risposta al disturbo antropico ordina le classi di descrittori nel senso terre rare < metalli < indicatori chimici < indicatori biochimici. I descrittori pedolo…

Chemical, biochemical and microbial diversity through a Pachic Humudept profile in a temperate upland grassland

There is great interest in understanding the factors that drive soil microbial activity and community composition in upland grassland ecosystems. We investigated the role of vertical gradients of chemical properties and various soluble C and N pools on soil microbial community structure by using a combination of chemical and biochemical methods coupled with PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) community fingerprinting and phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) profiling. Soil samples were collected at increasing depth from a temperate upland grassland. Soil organic matter-related pools (total organic C and total Kjeldahl N) and functionally related active pools (microbial biomass C an…

Metabolic responses of microbial community in soil amended with fresh leaves and leaf extracts from eucalyptus spp.

Field observations reveal that often large areas of soil surface beneath Eucalyptus occidentalis Endl. are completely bare or with scant vegetation. Moreover, previous studies have showed that other species of Eucalyptus, such as Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehn, may be effective in suppressing seed germination and weed growth. Such effects have been ascribed to the large number of secondary metabolites within Eucalyptus leaves. Due to their inhibition activity against weeds, leaf extracts might be used for an integrated weed management context, in accordance with the Directive 2009/128/EC. Several studies exist about the effects of Eucalyptus leaf extracts on weeds, whereas they are lacking o…

Parte V - Utilizzazione agronomica ed impatto sul sistema suolo-pianta 15. Aspetti biologici

In this chapter authors focused on how and why biochar, compost, sewage sludge and digestate deriving from waste biomasses affect soil biological activities.

Use of sonication for measuring acid phosphatase activity in soil

Extracellular enzymes in soil often occur in immobilised forms, a state that may alter their interactions with substrates in comparison with enzymes in the solution phase. Sonication was evaluated for its usefulness in studying immobilised acid phosphatase by dispersing soil aggregates. Factors affecting soil dispersion during ultrasound application were soil extraction ratio, total applied energy and power output ml−1 of sonicated soil slurry. For the clay loam soil used, optimal values for these variables were, respectively, 1:6 (w/v) and, at least, 1800 J ml−1 and 15 W ml−1. At the optimal sonication conditions for soil dispersion a substantial increase in phosphatase activity (up to 156…

MODELLI DI STUDIO DI BIOMARKERS PER LA VALUTAZIONE DEL RISCHIO DI CONTAMINAZIONE DA NANOPARTICELLE D’ARGENTO NEL SUOLO (PROGETTO INESE)

Il progetto “Impact of Nanoparticles in Environmental Sustainability and Ecotoxicity” (INESE), finanziato dall’Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), ha studiato gli effetti delle nanoparticelle (NPs) ingegnerizzate su diversi ecosistemi (acquatici e terrestri), proponendo differenti sistemi biologici di studio (piante acquatiche, ricci di mare, organismi del suolo, pomodoro-impollinatore, ecc). In particolare l’UO dell’Università di Bologna ha focalizzato l’attenzione sullo studio dei modelli di interazione tra particelle di suolo, microorganismi (biomassa microbica), invertebrati (Lumbricus rubellus) e pianta (Solanum lycopersicum). In questa sede verranno riportati i risultati ottenuti d…

Effects of afforestation with four unmixed plant species on the soil–water interactions in a semiarid Mediterranean region (Sicily, Italy)

Purpose An assessment of the effect of plant cover on the properties of four afforested soils in central Sicily was performed with the aim of discriminating among them after 60 years of afforestation. Materials and methods Chemical and biochemical soil analyses were coupled to fast field cycling (FFC) NMR relaxation investigations in order to monitor surface interactions of water in water-saturated soils. Results and discussion The traditional soil analyses revealed that the most stable soil properties such as soil texture and pH are not affected by 60 years of afforestation. Soils developed under eucalyptus trees showed larger amounts of hydrophilic organic matter as compared to the soils …

Health deterioration in 25-year reclaimed and cotton cropped salt-marsh soils in SW Spain

Mineralizzazione di carbonio ed azoto nel suolo di aranceti concimati inorganicamente, biologicamente o con fanghi oleari

Changes in chemical and biological soil properties as induced by anthropogenic disturbance: A case study of an agricultural soil under recurrent flooding by wastewaters

Abstract Monitoring the environmental impact of anthropogenic disturbance on soil ecosystem is of great importance for optimizing strategies for soil use, conservation and remediation. The aim of this study was to assess whether and to what extent a long-term, human-induced disturbance could have affected main chemical and biological properties in an agricultural soil. The study site was a hazel (Corylus avellana L.) orchard located in the area surrounding the volcanic apparatus of Somma-Vesuvius (Southern Italy). For the last two decades, the site has been repeatedly subjected to floodings by wastewaters containing not only alluvial sediments but also potentially hazardous compounds from i…

Natural Organic Compounds in Soil Solution: Potential Role as Soil Quality Indicators

This review focuses on the chemical nature of that fraction of already dissolved organic matter into soil solution, or extracted by mild extractants, which is truly readily available for microbial activity and, consequently, more sensitive than total soil organic matter to changes in management and/or environmental conditions. In particular, we deal with low molecular weight compounds such as monosaccharides, amino sugars and amino acids. Soil sampling strategy and extraction procedure, prior to analyses, are crucial to make comparable results among laboratories. Although soil management and climatic conditions may cause large variability, extractable organic C and N may indicate the amount…

BIOMASSA, ATTIVITÀ E STRUTTURA DELLA COMUNITÀ MICROBICA DI UN SUOLO IN AMBIENTE SEMIARIDO SOTTO DIVERSE ESSENZE FORESTALI

Responses to increases in temperature of heterotrophic micro-organisms in soils from the maritime Antarctic

Understanding relationships between environmental changes and soil microbial respiration is critical for predicting changes in soil organic carbon (SOC) fluxes and content. The maritime Antarctic is experiencing one of the fastest rates of warming in the world and is therefore a key location to examine the effect of temperature on SOC mineralization by the respiration of soil micro-organisms. However, depletion of the labile substrates at higher temperatures relative to the total SOC and greater temperature sensitivity of recalcitrant components of the SOC confound simple interpretations of the effects of warming. We have addressed these issues by testing the hypothesis that respiration by …

Variazioni dei descrittori fisici,chimici e biochimici della qualità di un suolo vulcanico coltivato a pistacchio (Pistacea vera L.)in rapporto alle concimazioni fogliari con urea e con estratti proteici.

Soil carbon dynamics as affected by long-term contrasting cropping systems and tillages under semiarid Mediterranean climate

Abstract In a dryland Mediterranean agrosystem (Sicily, Italy) a comparative study was carried out among two crop systems (wheat/wheat and wheat/bean) after 19 years under three most used tillage managements (conventional, dual layer and no-tillage), in order to ascertain the effects of those experimental factors, single and combined, on various soil organic C pools (total and extractable organic C, microbial biomass C, basal respiration). Field CO 2 fluxes from soil, throughout a year, were also determined. Moreover, C input and output were assessed, as well as microbial and metabolic quotients. Tillage management more than cropping system affected the soil organic C stored in the first 15…

Microbial diversity and enzyme function in volcanic soils (Mt. Etna, Sicily): successional patterns and recovery after an environmental disturbance

Effects of compost input and tillage intensity on soil microbial biomass and activity under Mediterranean conditions

Organic amendment and tillage reduction are two common practices to contrast soil organic matter decline, thus promoting sustainable cropping and carbon sequestration. In a horticultural land use system under Mediterranean climate, we evaluated the 9-year effects of two compost inputs (15 and 30 t ha−1 y−1, low and high input, respectively) and two tillage intensities (intensive and reduced) on soil macronutrients concentration, microbial biomass and activity. Total organic C, total N and POlsen were smaller in plots amended at low input, whilst intensive tillage decreased them at both compost inputs. These decreases in intensively tilled plots was ascribed to the disruption of soil aggrega…

Native and planted forest species determine different carbon and nitrogen pools in Arenosol developed on Holocene deposits from a costal Mediterranean area (Tuscany, Italy)

In a coastal Mediterranean area, the effects of two native [Quercus ilex (Holm), Alnus glutinosa and Fraxinus oxycarpa (Hygro)] and one planted [Pinus pinaster (Pine)] forest species on both content and quality of organic C and total N pools in Arenosols was assessed. Three soil profiles per each forest cover were opened and sampled. Total N in the organic layers was not affected by forest covers, whereas total organic C ranged from 36.1 to 63.2 Mg ha−1, being organic layers under Hygro those with the highest contents. Total organic C in the first 50 cm of mineral soil was 64 Mg ha−1 under Holm and 36.7 and 37.6 Mg ha−1 under Pine and Hygro, respectively. Soil covered by Holm and Hygro stor…

RECUPERO A FINI AGRONOMICI DI SUOLI PALUDOSO-SALMASTRI DELLA MARISMA DI LEBRIJA (SPAGNA)

La salinizzazione del suolo interessa un’area di circa 830 milioni di ettari. Le principali conseguenze nelle aree coltivate sono una graduale perdita di fertilità dei suoli, con conseguente diminuzione o perdita dei raccolti. In Spagna, dove oltre 100 mila ettari di terre irrigate è affetto da salinità e un altro 15% è a rischio, la bonifica a scopo agricolo è una pratica comune. Obiettivo della presente ricerca è stato quello di investigare le variazioni della biomassa e dell’attività microbica in suoli paludoso-salmastri bonificati e non. L’area di studio è la Marisma di Lebrija, nell’estuario del fiume Guadalquivir, nel sud-ovest della Spagna. Sono stati presi in esame due parcelle di t…

APPROCCIO METODOLOGICO PER LA VALUTAZIONE DELLA QUALITÀ DEI SUOLI NELLA R.N.O. MONTE GALLO (PA)

Proteasi

Effetti della concimazione fogliare con urea e con estratti proteici sui descrittori fisici, chimicie biochimici della qualità di un suolo vulcanico coltivato a pistacchio (Pistacia vera L.)

La produttività di una coltura e la qualità delle produzioni sono strettamente correlate alla disponibilità dei nutrienti nel suolo. In passato, la concimazione era vista quasi esclusivamente come mezzo per massimizzare le produzioni unitarie delle colture mentre venivano trascurati alcuni aspetti, oggi divenuti fondamentali come, per esempio, il mantenimento di ottimi livelli di fertilità del terreno in assenza di rischi di inquinamento ambientale. La valutazione della fertilità complessiva di un suolo e della relativa qualità è, pertanto divenuto, uno dei principali fattori ai fini dello sviluppo di modelli colturali a basso impatto ambientale. Nella presente nota si riferisce dei primi r…

Management practices to preserve soil organic matter in semiarid mediterranean environment

Organic matter (SOM) is a key constituent of soil as it is a “revolving nutrient fund” and improves soil structure, maintains crop production and minimizes erosion. In semiarid environments, the major problem for sustainable farming systems is the continuous decline of SOM towards levels too low for agricultural purposes. Furthermore, SOM is per se a dynamic entity. Its quantity and quality depend on numerous factors including climate, vegetation type, nutrient availability, disturbance, land use and management practices. In particular, soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks in Mediterranean semiarid agrosystems are constrained by 1) limited C inputs because of low precipitation and high evapotra…

Wastewater treatment sludge composting

In recent years, the amount of sewage sludge generated by wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) has increased due to worldwide population growth and to efficiency of biological treatment processes [1,2]. Sludge is an important source of secondary pollution to aquatic environments and a potential risk to human health; moreover, it represents one of the most important cost items in the functioning of water treatment plants [3–5]. About 60% of the operating costs of secondary wastewater treatment plants in Europe can be associated with the treatment and disposal of products [6]. For this reason, proper sludge management becomes increasingly important, at both national and international level, an…

Potential Effects of Essential Oils Extracted from Mediterranean Aromatic Plants on Target Weeds and Soil Microorganisms

Essential oils (EOs), extracted from aromatic plants, have been proposed as candidates to develop natural herbicides. This study aimed to evaluate the herbicidal potential of Thymbra capitata (L.) Cav., Mentha &times

Dynamics of soil organic matter pools after agricultural abandonment

Changes of land use from croplands to natural vegetation usually increase Carbon (C) stocks in soil. However, the contribution of old and new C to various pools still is not clearly analyzed.We measured the 13C signature of soil organic carbon (SOC) pools after vegetation change from vineyard (C3) to grassland (C4) under Mediterranean climate to assess the changes of old and new C in total SOC, microbial biomass (MB), dissolved organic C (DOC), and CO2 efflux from soil. Development of the perennial grass Hyparrhenia hirta (C4) on vineyard abandoned for 15 or 35 years ago increased C stocks for 13% and 16%, respectively (in the upper 15 cm). This increase was linked to the incorporation of n…

Long-term no-tillage application increases soil organic carbon, nitrous oxide emissions and faba bean (Vicia faba L.) yields under rain-fed Mediterranean conditions.

The introduction of legumes into crop sequences and the reduction of tillage intensity are both proposed as agronomic practices to mitigate the soil degradation and negative impact of agriculture on the environment. However, the joint effects of these practices on nitrous oxide (NO) and ammonia (NH) emissions from soil remain unclear, particularly concerning semiarid Mediterranean areas. In the frame of a long-term field experiment (23 years), a 2-year study was performed on the faba bean (Vicia faba L.) to evaluate the effects of the long-term use of no tillage (NT) compared to conventional tillage (CT) on yield and NO and NH emissions from a Vertisol in a semiarid Mediterranean environmen…

SOIL QUALITY INDICATORS AS AFFECTED BY SHALLOW TILLAGE IN A VINEYARD GROWN IN A SEMIARID MEDITERRANEAN ENVIRONMENT

Within the Mediterranean basin, soil tillage enhances the mineralisation of soil organic matter. We assessed the short-term impact of shallow tillage [field cultivator (FC), rotary tiller (RT) and spading machine (SM)] on some soil quality indicators [bulk density, water-stable aggregates, total and labile organic C pools (microbial biomass and extractable organic C), soil respiration and related eco-physiological indexes] in a Sicilian vineyard. Also no tillage was included. We hypothesized that (i) RT and FC worsened soil quality indicators more than SM, and (ii) within the same tillage system, labile C pools, soil respiration and eco-physiological indexes will respond more efficiently th…

Un suolo antropogenico a confronto con un suolo originario non disturbato:andamento di vari bio- indicatori

Risposta dei bioindicatori della qualità del suolo alla diversa fertilizzazione di un aranceto nell’ Italia Meridionale

Lo scopo della ricerca è stato quello di valutare i cambiamenti indotti dalle diverse tipologie di fertilizzazione sui parametri chimici e biologici di un suolo. Il suolo dell’agro di Lentini (SR, Sicilia), coltivato ad arancio da oltre 50 anni, a partire dal 1995 secondo il metodo biologico , omogeneo per portinnesto e cultivar, è stato addizionato con 4 diversi tipi di fertilizzanti (pollina, minerale, compost da pastazzo e letame). Quattro profili di suolo, ciascuno per tipo di fertilizzazione, sono stati campionati e studiati secondo la sequenza degli orizzonti genetici. In totale 18 campioni orizzonte-specifici di suolo sono stati prelevati e sottoposti ad analisi per valutare il conte…

Long-Term Tillage and Cropping System Effects on Chemical and Biochemical Characteristics of Soil Organic Matter in a Mediterranean Semiarid Environment

Several studies have reported how tillage and cropping systems affect quantity, quality, and distribution of soil organic matter (SOM) along the profile. However, the effect of soil management on the chemical structure of SOM and on its hydrophobic and hydrophilic components has been little investigated. In this work, the long-term (19 years) effects of two cropping systems (wheat monoculture and wheat/faba bean rotation) and three tillage managements (conventional, reduced, and no tillage) on some chemical characteristics of SOM and their relationships with labile carbon (C) pools were evaluated. Soil samples were taken from the topsoil (0–15 cm) of a Chromic Haploxerert (central Sicily, I…

Effect of cobalt and silver nanoparticles and ions on Lumbricus rubellus health and on microbial community of earthworm faeces and soil

The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of silver and cobalt, supplied both as ions and nanoparticles (Ag+, Co2+, AgNPs, CoNPs) through contaminated food to earthworms (Lumbricus rubellus), on their health as well as on microbial community of both soil and earthworm faeces. Earthworms and microbes were exposed to the contaminants in laboratory microcosms with artificial soil. Contaminants were supplied once a week for 5 weeks by spiking them on horse manure. The accumulation of CoNPs and Co2+ in earthworm tissues was two and three times greater than AgNPs and Ag+, respectively. Except for AgNPs, contaminants significantly affected microbial community structure of earthworm faece…

Soil enzyme assays using p-nitrophenyl derivatives: an inter-laboratory comparison

Reproducibility and reliability of soil enzyme assays need to be validated by comparing results among different labs. The Italian Group of Enzymology organized a ring test among five labs. Beta-glucosidase, acid- and alkaline phosphatase activities were chosen as they are all measurable by using substrates with wide applicability, i.e. p-nitrophenyl derivatives. The five labs preliminarily agreed and standardised the specific methodological procedure for each enzymatic activity, also taking into account factors such as practicability and equipment availability. Nine soils with contrasting physico- chemical and biological properties were adequately sampled, pre-treated and sieved, in order t…

Wastewaters from citrus processing industry as natural biostimulants for soil microbial community

Abstract Citrus fruit processing wastewaters (CWWs), being rich in organic matter, may be a valuable resource for agricultural irrigation and, possibly, for the improvement of soil organic carbon (TOC). This issue is becoming crucial for soils of arid and semiarid environments increasingly experiencing water scarcity and continuous decline of TOC towards levels insufficient to sustain crop production. However, before using CWWs in agriculture their effects on the soil living component have to be clarified. Therefore, in this study we assessed the impact of CWWs on soil chemical and biochemical properties. Under laboratory conditions, lemon, orange and tangerine wastewaters were separately a…

Roadmapping the Transition to Water Resource Recovery Facilities: The Two Demonstration Case Studies of Corleone and Marineo (Italy)

The current exploitation of freshwater, as well as the significant increase in sewage sludge production from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), represent nowadays a critical issue for the implementation of sustainable development consistent with the circular economy concept. There is an urgent need to rethink the concept of WWTPs from the conventional approach consisting in pollutant removal plants to water resource recovery facilities (WRRFs). The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of the demonstration case studies at the Marineo and Corleone WRRFs in Sicily (IT), with the final aim showing the effectiveness of the resources recovery systems, as well as the importance of plant o…

Inter-relazioni tra pools di C organico e gruppi funzionali della sostanza organica in un suolo a diversa gestione agronomica

Lavorazioni del suolo e rotazioni colturali giocano un ruolo chiave nell’influenzare sia la quantità sia la qualità della sostanza organica del suolo (SOM). Mentre diversi studi sono stati condotti per valutare gli effetti di tali fattori agronomici sui pools di C organico, anche lungo i profili di suolo, pochi altri hanno investigato anche le relazioni tra i diversi pools di C organico e i gruppi funzionali della SOM. Obiettivi del presente lavoro sono stati quelli di i) valutare gli effetti della lavorazione del suolo e delle rotazioni colturali sui diversi pools di C organico e ii) di investigare le relazioni intercorrenti tra tali pools e i gruppi funzionali della SOM. I campioni di suo…

Water Resource Recovery Facilities (WRRFs): The Case Study of Palermo University (Italy)

The wastewater sector paradigm is shifting from wastewater treatment to resource recovery. In addition, concerns regarding sustainability during the operation have increased. In this sense, there is a need to break barriers (i.e., social, economic, technological, legal, etc.) for moving forward towards water resource recovery facilities and demonstration case studies can be very effective and insightful. This paper presents a new water resource recovery case study which is part of the Horizon 2020 EU Project “Achieving wider uptake of water-smart solutions—Wider Uptake”. The final aim is to demonstrate the importance of a resource recovery system based on the circular economy concept. The r…

Potentiality of extensive green roofs soils in sustaining Mediterranean annual dry grassland of the EU-Habitat 6220*

Nature-based solutions are defined as living solutions inspired by, continuously supported by and using nature (Final Report of the Horizon 2020 Expert Group on 'Nature-Based Solutions and Re-Naturing Cities'). In line with this statement and according to the European research and innovation policy agenda, green roofs (GRs) represent a fundamental requisite for urban sustainable development, being potential stepping stones for plants and animals, including those characterizing habitats of Community interest. In our work, we tested the suitability of green roofs in hosting Mediterranean annual dry grassland of the 92/43 ECC Habitat 6220* (pseudo-steppe with grasses and annuals of the Thero-B…

Impact of Ag and Co engineered nanoparticles on soil microbial community structure in a soil perturbed by Lumbricus rubellus

Knowledge on the impact of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) on both human and environment health is scarce. Several studies sustain that soil is the environmental compartment designed to be the major recipient of engineered nanoparticles (NPs). With the aim of investigating the impact of commercially relevant NPs on soil functioning, we compared the effect of Ag and Co NPs, as well as cobalt and silver ions, on soil microbial community in the presence of Lumbricus rubellus. Earthworms specimens were placed in a rich‐C soil and fed with horse manure spiked with Ag‐NPs, Co‐NPs, Ag+ and Co2+ for a total amount of 10 mg of single pollutant kg‐1 soil. At the end of acute exposure (4 weeks) to pol…

MINERALIZZAZIONE DEL CARBONIO IN SUOLI BOSCHIVI DOPO RISCALDAMENTO ED INUMIDIMENTO CONTROLLATI