Soil Quality Characterization of Mediterranean Areas under Desertification Risk for the Implementation of Management Schemes Aimed at Land Degradation Neutrality

Soil is a key component of ecosystems as it provides fundamental ecosystem functions and services, first of all supporting primary productivity, by physical, chemical and biological interaction with plants. However, soil loss and degradation are at present two of the most critical environmental issues. This phenomenon is particularly critical in Mediterranean areas, where inappropriate land management, in combination with the increasingly harshening of climatic conditions due to Climate Change, is leading to significant land degradation and desertification and is expected to worsen in the future, leading to economic and social crisis. In such areas, it is of fundamental importance to apply …

Bacterial diversity in soils vulnerable to desertification

Introduction Mediterranean soils are experiencing increasingly negative effects of climate change due to drought and extreme weather phenomena that negatively affect agriculture, already suffering social and economic constraints. The soil microbiota is recognized as key player in both diversity and productivity of terrestrial ecosystems and it is mandatory to include its role in sustainable agronomic management. The LIFE Project DESERT-ADAPT - Preparing desertification areas for increased climate change - (http://www.desert-adapt.it/) focuses on agricultural adaptation measures aimed at reverting ongoing desertification trends (while improving the socioeconomic conditions of farmers). In or…

Including the soil microbiota in the quality evaluation of soils vulnerable to desertification

The soil microbiota is recognized as key player in both diversity and productivity of terrestrial ecosystems and it is mandatory to include its role in soil quality evaluation. Drivers of below-ground diversity are still largely unknown and is still unclear if the main soil features (i.e. soil organic matter, nutrient and water availability) are potential drivers of microbial diversity or are regulated by it. Increasingly negative effects of climate change due to drought and extreme weather phenomena are causing Mediterranean soil degradation that rapidly degenerates to desertification. Within the LIFE Desert-Adapt project we investigated bacterial diversity in soils of southern Europe unde…

Aspects of soil phenolic matter (SPM): An explorative investigation in agricultural, agroforestry, and wood ecosystems

Abstract This paper assesses the distribution of soil phenolic matter (SPM) in soil environments from a pedological perspective, with particular emphasis on soil horizonation and its involvement in pedogenic processes. The study was conducted on 15 soil profiles (Andosols, Calcisols, Cambisols, Lixisols, Phaeozems, Podzols, Umbrisols) covering five distinct ecosystems. Although the ecosystems were virtually homogeneous in and of themselves, they represented strongly contrasting climates, geolithology and morphology, land use and vegetation cover (intensive agriculture, chestnut grove, alpine pasture, woody reforestations, and natural woods). Three main SPM fractions were categorised: (i) “t…

Key features of bacterial communities in Southern Europe soils vulnerable to desertification

Mediterranean soils are experiencing increasingly negative effects of climate change due to drought and extreme weather phenomena that negatively affect agriculture, already suffering social and economic constraints. The LIFE project DESERT-ADAPT - Preparing desertification areas for increased climate change - (http://www.desert-adapt.it/index.php/en/) focuses on agricultural adaptation measures aimed at reverting ongoing desertification trends, while improving the socioeconomic conditions of farmers. The soil microbiota is recognized as key player in both diversity and productivity of terrestrial ecosystems and it is mandatory to include its role in sustainable agronomic management. In ord…

Critical range of soil organic carbon in southern Europe lands under desertification risk.

Soil quality is fundamental for ecosystem long term functionality, productivity and resilience to current climatic changes. Despite its importance, soil is lost and degraded at dramatic rates worldwide. In Europe, the Mediterranean areas are a hotspot for soil erosion and land degradation due to a combination of climatic conditions, soils, geomorphology and anthropic pressure. Soil organic carbon (SOC) is considered a key indicator of soil quality as it relates to other fundamental soil functions supporting crucial ecosystem services. In the present study, the functional relationships among SOC and other important soil properties were investigated in the topsoil of 38 sites under different …

Patterns of soil microbial biomass and diversity across Mediterranean agroecosystems in areas under desertification risk

DIVERSITÀ BATTERICA DI SUOLI MEDITERRANEI SOGGETTI A DESERTIFICAZIONE

Siccità e fenomeni meteorologici estremi contribuiscono al degrado dei suoli mediterranei semi-aridi causando erosione, compattazione, salinizzazione, riduzione della sostanza organica e perdita di biodiversità, con conseguenze negative per l’agricoltura e l’ambiente. Gli effetti dei cambiamenti climatici in atto sono esacerbati da pratiche agronomiche insostenibili e pascolo incontrollato che concorrono alla desertificazione dei suoli. E’ fondamentale monitorare la qualità dei suoli semi-aridi per prevenirne il degrado irreversibile. Tale monitoraggio viene usualmente condotto mediante i tradizionali indicatori chimico-fisici di qualità del suolo. Ancora raramente vengono utilizzati indica…

Evaluation of benefits and limitations of a Desertification Adaptation Model framework for sustainable land management in areas under desertification risk

The LIFE project Desert-Adapt (LIFE16 CCA/IT/000011) has designed a Desertification Adaptation Model (DAM) framework of land management to respond to two of the most critical problems experienced by farmers, public land and communities of the Mediterranean Basin, given the need to adapt to current Climate Change and reduce or counteract the increasing phenomenon of land degradation and desertification risk. These two issues are interrelated, as land degradation often characterizes fragile areas where the co-occurrence of climatically unfavourable conditions, mostly prolonged aridity and high temperatures, and inappropriate land management, leads to loss of ecosystem quality, biodiversity, p…

Soil microbial biomass and bacterial diversity in southern European regions vulnerable to desertification

Abstract Soil functionality is strongly dependent on the soil microbiota, which in turn is affected by soil quality and climate. Among global change factors, desertification is the most threatening ecosystem change affecting southern Europe, but the effects on the soil microbiota are largely unknown. In this study, we investigated soil microbial biomass and bacterial diversity in regions of southern European countries (Spain, Portugal and Italy), most under desertification risk, and related to key soil chemical-physical indicators and land use. Soil microbial biomass was positively related, to soil organic carbon (SOC) but bacterial diversity was negatively correlated with it. pH was the mo…