Tecniche e Modelli di Cartografia Digitale Predittiva dei Suoli Basati sull'Approccio SCORPAN per il Downscaling della Nuova Carta dei Suoli della Sicilia

Ecological restoration in contaminated soils of Kokdzhon phosphate mining area (Zhambyl region, Kazakhstan)

Abstract This study provides results of an ecological restoration activity performed in the Kokdzhon phosphate mining of the Zhambyl region (a semi-desert mining area of Kazakhstan). The test area was made by a quarry-hole, about 1.25 hectares wide, that was preliminarily filled with the earthy material of a dump and, subsequently, levelled. The total volume of human transported material (HTM) used was 700 tonnes. Soil samples were taken from 0 to 30 cm depth at 23 sampling sites and several soil quality parameters were determined. In the test area 750 tree species were planted in suitable dug holes: (150 seedlings of Russian Olive; 150 seedlings of Black Saxaul); 150 seedlings of Androsov …

Humic substances along the profile of two Typic Haploxerert

Abstract In Vertisols, organic matter contributes to soil colour by formation of organo-mineral complexes and affects morphological, physico-chemical, biological and biochemical properties. Turbation may affect the chemical and structural composition of the most stabilised fractions of soil organic matter (SOM), i.e., humic substances (HS). The objectives of this study were to: (1) characterise SOM in two Vertisols (V1 and V2) developed under Mediterranean climate in Italy, using some HS characteristics as indicators of SOM turnover in Vertisols, and (2) explore possible differences related to the pedomorphologic conditions of the area under which two soils have formed. SOM evolution along …

A new definition of soil to promote soil awareness, sustainability, security and governance

Abstract In these last decades, the awareness that soil is a very important resource for humans has noticeably increased. Many actions and initiatives to promote soil governance, aiming at sustainable soil management and soil security have been undertaken by several national and international institutions and in many countries. Analysis of the changes of soil perception over the centuries allows highlighting a perfect harmony between the evolution of soil awareness and the level of knowledge and technology achieved by humans during their history and evolution. Notwithstanding these many achievements, soils continue to be scarcely considered in politics and society. We suggest some thoughts …

Integrating soil survey, land use management and political ecology: A case study in a border area between Peru and Ecuador

In Latin America countries, competition for access to natural resources among different groups has been a major reason for the outburst of violence over the last decades. One of the main aims of the political ecology concerns the understanding of the environmental conditions that can underlies the social conflict among people. Such understanding needs to be based on a detailed investigation of the natural resources of the landscape, mainly the soils. Few years ago the Italian Ministry for Foreign Affairs financed a soil survey with a humanitarian purpose: the development of a peace plan between Peru and Ecuador by improving the socio-economic conditions of the rural populations living in th…

Differences of stabilized organic carbon fractions and microbiological activity along Mediterranean Vertisols and Alfisols profiles

This study examined the chemical and structural properties of humic substances and microbiological activity in order to verify differences in carbon dynamics along soil profiles in two Vertisols (Typic Haploxerert and Xeric Epiaquert) and two Alfisols (Mollic Haploxeralf and Ultic Haploxeralf) developed under Mediterranean climate in Italy. Humification parameters, thermal methods, including differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetry (TG), together with Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and fluorescence spectroscopies were used to characterize humic acids (HA). Microbiological activity of soils was assessed by basal respiration, metabolic quotient (qCO2) and Cmic:Corg rat…

Improving soil and water conservation and ecosystem services by sustainable soil management practices: From a global to an Italian soil partnership

The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) identify the need to restore degraded soils in order to improve productivity and the provision of ecosystem services. The aim is to support food production, store and supply clean water, conserve biodiversity, sequester carbon, and improve soil resilience in a context of climate change. Within this framework, in order to achieve the SDGs and to correct land management in the long-term, soil management is considered mandatory. The reduction of land degradation should be based on various sustainable soil management practices that improve and maintain soil organic matter levels, increase water infiltration, and improve soil water management. This tec…

Passato e futuro nella scienza del suolo: la lezione di Fiorenzo Mancini.

I grandi uomini possono, attraverso il loro ricordo, suscitare nelle generazioni future la memoria dei grandi meriti e delle qualità di cui sono stati portatori. “Quindi trarrem gli auspici” scriveva il Foscolo nel 1807. Noi oggi siamo qui, in questa magnifica Aula della Accademia dei Georgofili, per trarre gli auspici che il Professore Fiorenzo Mancini ha lasciato a tutti noi. La Società Italiana della Scienza del Suolo (SISS), ha avuto il Professore Mancini come socio fondatore, come Presidente (negli anni 1972-75) e, successivamente come Presidente Onorario. La SISS ha quindi accolto con autentico piacere l’invito di patrocinare e di contribuire a questa giornata dedicata al Professore F…

Soil Knowledge

Soil being a crypt-resource, that is a hidden resource, it is considered entirely important only when environmental disasters happen. Therefore, it would be necessary to change the paradigm that ties the man to the soil, trying to consider it as a known resource to be managed and protected always and everywhere. The soil should not be manipulated, but it should be managed. To achieve this aim, we need to know it completely. An initial identikit includes salient features that historically the men always looked at: a good depth, a balanced texture, a reaction of the soil tending to neutral, a good stiffness, a good level of organic matter and elements of fertility.

Energy use in the A and B horizons of the soil under a pine and a cedar stand

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses a study that compares organic carbon content, availability of substrates, and microbial metabolism in two afforested sites in Sicily (Italy) developed under the same climatic and physical conditions but underlying different tree species. Given the key role of the soil microbiota in promoting energy exchanges and transformations in the soil profile, an analysis of the microbial activity and of organic carbon pools was performed on twenty profiles. The parameters considered in this study were based on microbial activity, organic carbon fractions, and kinetics of organic C mineralization. In the two systems studied, the competition for available energy …

Una metodologia autovalidante per la quantificazione della frazione amorfa inorganica in suoli dell'Etna

Attività microbiologica e qualità del suolo in una sequenza di suoli di pianura dell'ambiente xerico siciliano

Soil geography and diversity of the European biogeographical regions

For decades, soil geography has beenmainly a qualitative and descriptive discipline. There are nowtechnologies and mathematical tools available that allow formalizing soil geography in more quantitative terms. In this paper, the distribution and diversity of the soils of Europe are analyzed using GIS tools and pedodiversity algorithms. Soil data were taken from the European Soil Database (V2.0) and computed within the spatial framework of the Biogeographical Regions of Europe (BGRE) as defined by the European Environmental Agency (EEA) on the basis of climate and vegetation. The results obtained show the soil assemblages, including dominant soils and endemic and non-endemic soil minorities,…

Il World Soil Day e la percezione del suolo

Indagine spazio-temporale sul consumo dei suoli in una fascia di costa della Sicilia.

The environment and the land use of Etna (Sicily, Italy)

Environmental features and land use of Etna (Sicily — Italy)

Etna is the greatest volcano in Europe and one of the most active in the world. It is a complex strata-volcano formed of lava flows alternating with pyroclastic materials emitted over various eruptive areas which have, over centuries, built up the actual volcano. The climate in the Etna area is basically Mediterranean but rainfall and temperatures are affected by height, exposure of slopes, by winds and by clouds coming from the coast. Temperature distribution is uniform but rainfall is irregular. Moist winds from the sea bring rain to the eastern slopes. Surveys on the pedoclimate show an udometric regime ranging, according to altitude, from xeric to udic and a thermometric regime ranging …

Soil humic acids formation and characteristics in a xeric mollisol reforested with two tree species

Publisher Summary The study discussed in this chapter examines the influence on humic acids (HAs) characteristics of different plant species—Pinus halepensis Miller and Cedrus atlantica (Endl) Carriere—used in the restoration of a Mollisol under xeric conditions. The area studied is in Sicily (Italy), and two stands were compared 40 years after planting. The differences among soil profile developments in the two stands were investigated by chemical and biochemical methods to understand the different levels at which the processes of pedogenesis acted in the study area. The chapter analyzes some chemical and spectroscopic characteristics of HAs, separated from two selected pedons. The results…

Features of selected benchmark soils along an elevational transect of the northeastern part of the Moldavian Plateau (Romania)

Soil morphological, physical and chemical properties are described at four locations along an elevational transect in the northeastern part of the Moldavian Plateau (Romania). These data contribute to the knowledge of the soils of this area and to their classification according to the USDA-Soil Taxonomy, FAO-WRB and the SRTS-Romanian System. The soils were classified as Inceptisols, Alfisols and Mollisols, according to the USDA-Soil Taxonomy; Gleysol, Chernozem and Luvisol, according to the FAO-WRB and Gleiosol, Cernoziom, Preluvosol, Luvosol, according to the SRTS-Romanian System. The selected soils have a range of properties that represent the soilscape of the Moldavian subcarpathian plat…

Soils, environmental awareness and ecological footprint in the European countries

Enzymatic activity of anthropogenic proto-organic soils in soilless farming

In soilless agriculture and horticulture coir is the more used substratum to grow plants because it is widely available and more environmentally friendly than sphagnum or peat. In Italy, soilless agriculture concerns an area of about 1,000 hectares, particularly concentrated in Sicily. The southern coastal belt of this region is the area interested by the most significant experiences in the application of techniques of soilless cultivation that, recently, has been used also for growing table grapes. Starting from the above consideration we suppose that the features of the coconut fiber underlay an evident transformation and that even after few years of table grape cultivation, such organic …

Differenziazione e quantificazione dei carbonati litogenici e pedogenici di Gypsisuoli forestali attraverso l'analisi isotopica

Gli autori riferiscono sui tipi e sui modelli di genesi dei carbonati dei suoli, attraverso l’uso degli isotopi del 13C. Lo studio è stato condotto in un’area dell’interno collinare argilloso siciliano, su suoli che evolvono sui depositi evaporitici della Serie Gessoso-Solfifera. Sono stati scelti cinque pedon su litotipi calcarei e non. I pedon sono stati descritti in campo e campionati secondo la sequenza degli orizzonti genetici; sui campioni di suolo sono state eseguite le seguenti analisi: tessitura, reazione, conducibilità elettrica, gesso, carbonio organico ed inorganico. Inoltre, parallelamente sono state eseguite le analisi isotopiche del carbonio organico ed inorganico. I risultat…

Soils, Past Landscapes and Cultural Heritage: Phytoliths as Indicators of Ancient Crops

Soils, Past Landscapes and Cultural Heritage: Phytoliths as Indicators of Ancient Crops

Spatio-temporal Effects of Land Use Change on the Anthropogenic Soils Formation

Risultati preliminari della caratterizzazione della sostanza organica e della diversità microbica in suoli antropogenici di ambiente arido.

Distribution patterns of fungi and bacteria in saline soils

Saline soils are environments characterized by uneven temporal and spatial water distribution and localized high concentrations of salts. Spatial distribution patterns of fungi and bacteria in saline soils, and the link between microbial community dynamics and salts accumulation are critical issues throughout the world (Ettema, Wardle 2002). This study was focused on spatial distribution patterns of soil fungi and bacteria in a saline soil located in Piana del Signore (Gela, Italy) where some ecological variables acted as shaping factors in aboveground and belowground communities distribution. Bacterial, archaeal, and fungal communities diversity and distribution in ten soil sites (A horizo…

Il Suolo

Anthropogenic processes in the evolution of a soil chronosequence on marly-limestone substrata in an Italian Mediterranean environment

Due to anthropic pressure, many areas of the world are affected by a process of soil “entisolization” that leads to the formation of “anthropogenic soils”. In order to investigate Man's role in soil evolution, a survey was carried out in Southeastern Sicily (Italy), where, for years, there have been wide farming areas with anthropogenic soils. A chronosequence of anthropogenic soils in a vineyard area, cultivated for 22 years, was investigated. The first stage of the chronosequence was made by the original soils which, in the study area, had been undisturbed till the 1980's. These soils, classified as Entic Haploxerolls under the American Soil Taxonomy (ST) or Calcaric Kastanozem according …

Change of distribution of soil phenolic matter along profiles of soils with different use

I suoli subaquei : una nuova percezione della risorsa suolo

Cationi metallici incorporati nei carbonati primari e pedogenici.

Diversi cationi metallici, tra cui alcuni traccianti diagenetici e importanti contaminanti ambientali possono sostituire il calcio nella struttura della calcite o co-precipitare con essa. Scopo di questo lavoro è stato di investigare quali cationi metallici sono associati ai carbonati del suolo e di quantificarli. A tal fine, sono stati scelti cinque pedon evolventi su diversi litotipi e con un contenuto in carbonati piuttosto variabile. I campioni di suolo sono stati trattati con acido acetico 1M per permettere la dissoluzione selettiva dei carbonati e le soluzioni risultanti sono state analizzate per i seguenti cationi metallici: Ca, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Sr, Ba, Pb, U. Dai risultati si evi…

Pedotechnique applications in large-scale farming: Economic value, soil ecosystems services and soil security

Abstract Since ancient times Humans and Soil have experienced interwoven links. Nowadays soil scientists continue to stress such links highlighting the importance of soil in: i) satisfying the ever growing Human demand for food, water and energy, and ii) providing ecosystem services that mitigate climate changes, influence human health and improve biodiversity. Pedotechniques are recently used to generate soils suitable for table grape cultivation in order to increase productivity and grape quality, thus to get substantial financial returns. We show one emblematic study case of pedotechniques applied in Sicily (Italy). Aims of the investigation were: i) stressing threats to soil security de…

Resultados preliminares de el efecto en la substancia organica y la comunidad microbiana de la creciente antropizacion agricola en suelos de ambiente arido.

Soil genetic erosion: New conceptual developments in soil security

In the last decades, in some Mediterranean areas, pedodiversity decreased mainly due to pedotechnique application in large-scale farming that transformed original soils into Anthrosols. Supporting the consideration that soils can be considered as living systems, the original concept of 'soil genetic erosion' is re-proposed. Data, extrapolated and modeled from a Soil Information System in a study case representative of a Mediterranean landscape, predicted that most of the soil types would disappear in few years leading to a decrease of the soil diversity and originating soil genetic erosion. This circumstance is intentionally here told in form of a story where the fairy tale characters are s…

La rete di monitoraggio dei suoli ai fini ambientali della Sicilia

LA VULNERABILITÀ DEI SUOLI ITALIANI

Negli ultimi decenni la pressione esercitata sul paesaggio dalla popolazione italiana – al pari di quella europea – è cresciuta in maniera più intensa e veloce che nel passato. Questa pressione antropica ha avuto un così elevato impatto sull’ambiente che ha causato un notevole intervento dei processi di degradazione del suolo. In particolare: i) vaste aree del paesaggio italiano sono e rimangono esposte alla erosione del suolo che ancora rappresenta uno dei più gravi problemi per la scarsa addozione di misure e pratiche di conservazione del suolo; ii) Il consumo di suolo è ancora molto più evidente nelle principali aree metropolitane e costiere, spinto anche dalla diffusione degli impianti …

POTENTIAL ROLE OF FOREST BENCHMARK SOILS IN STORING ATMOSPHERIC CO2

SOILS AND PLANTS IN AN ANTHROPOGENIC DUMP OF THE KOKDZHON PHOSPHORITE MINE (KAZAKHSTAN)

Soil development is a crucial aspect in the process of mine spoil restoration and is also critical for the establishment of the vegetation. In this short paper, we present the features of mine proto-soils (i.e. soils at the early stage of development) and the natural vegetation species colonizing mine sites in a dry arid environment of Kazakhstan characterized by surface disturbance due to mine activity to access phosphorite deposit. These disturbed soils showed morphological features very different from each other (particularly horizons depth and sequence), even if the main chemical features were quite homogeneous. This is reasonably linked to the features of the Human Transported Material…

Ash-tree manna (Fraxinus spp).

Monitorage de la salinité du sol suite à l’irrigation avec des eaux à degré de salinité divers

Risk of classic Kaposi sarcoma with residential exposure to volcanic and related soils in Sicily

Purpose Before AIDS, endemic (African) Kaposi sarcoma (KS) was noted to occur in volcanic areas and was postulated to result from dirt chronically embedded in the skin of the lower extremities. The primary cause of all KS types is KS-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) infection, but cofactors contribute to the neoplasia. We investigated whether residential exposure to volcanic or related soils was associated with the risk of classic Kaposi sarcoma (cKS) in Sicily. Methods Risk of incident cKS ( N  = 141) compared with population-based KSHV seropositive controls ( N  = 123) was estimated for residential exposure to four types of soil, categorized with maps from the European Soil Database and dire…

Le Climosequenze: strumenti per valutare gli effetti dei cambiamenti climatici su alcune proprietà e caratteri funzionali del suolo - un caso studio in Sicilia.

ATTIVITA’ ENZIMATICA NEI SUOLI DELLE SALINE DI TRAPANI E PACECO

Su oltre 80 campioni di suolo costituenti i diversi orizzonti dei suoli prelevati nelle saline di Trapani e Paceco sono state determinate 18 attività enzimatiche idrolasiche e il contenuto di dsDNA.

Spatio-Temporal Effects of Land Use Change on the Anthropogenic Soils Diffusion: A Case Study in a Mediterranean Vineyard Area

Anthropogenic soils created ex novo by land-use change in large scale farming are, from a pedogenetic point of view, catastrophic events that bring the soils to time zero and change the natural pattern of the soilscape, remarkably, in some cases. The quantitative aspects of pedodiversity of a soilscape in South-East Sicily, where some types of soils, in recent decades, have suffered a consistent reduction due to the transformations by large scale farming, are considered. The evolution of pedodiversity over a 53-year period (1955 to 2008) is examined using a dedicated statistical method and a space–time model based on Markov analysis and cellular automata in order to predict the evolution of…

FONDAMENTI di PEDOLOGIA

Indagini sul ruolo pedogenetico dei polifenoli.2. Variabilità delle forme polifenoliche in relazione a genesi, orizzontazione e uso del suolo

Metodi di Valutazione dei Suoli e delle Terre: Agrumi

Modelli spaziali per indicatori chimici e biochimici di qualità del suolo

Spatial microbial community structure and biodiversity analysis in "extreme" hypersaline soils of a semiarid Mediterranean area

In recent years specific attention has been paid on the biotechnological potential of microorganisms in extreme soils, in particular in saline soils. Salinity is one of the most widespread soil degradation processes on the Earth, and saline soils can be defined as extreme soils or border line habitats in which several factors, as high salt content, may limit the growth of organisms. In this study, the physical, chemical and microbiological soil properties were investigated in the shallower horizon of natural saltaffected soils in Sicily (Italy). The main aim of the research was to evaluate the structure and diversity of bacterial and archaeal communities by terminal-restriction fragment len…

Risk of classic Kaposi sarcoma with exposures to plants and soils in Sicily

Abstract Background Ecologic and in vitro studies suggest that exposures to plants or soil may influence risk of Kaposi sarcoma (KS). Methods In a population-based study of Sicily, we analyzed data on contact with 20 plants and residential exposure to 17 soils reported by 122 classic KS cases and 840 sex- and age-matched controls. With 88 KS-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) seropositive controls as the referent group, novel correlates of KS risk were sought, along with factors distinguishing seronegatives, in multinomial logistic regression models that included matching variables and known KS cofactors - smoking, cortisone use, and diabetes history. All plants were summed for cumulative exposu…

Is land-use change a cause of loss of pedodiversity? The case of the Mazzarrone study area, Sicily

Anthropogenic soils created ex novo by land-us e change in large scale farming are, from a pedogenetic point of view, catastrophic events that bring the soils to time zero and change the natural pattern of the soilscape, remarkably, in some cases. The qu antitative aspects of pedodiversity of a soilsc ape in South-East Sicily, where some types of soils, in recent decades, have suffered a consistent reduction due to the transformations by large scale farming, are considered. The evolution of pedodiversity over a 53-year period (1955 to 2008 ) is examined using a dedicated statistical method and a space – time model based on Markov analysis and cellular autom ata in order to predict the evolu…

Proposal for a new diagnostic horizon for WRB Anthrosols

Abstract To investigate man's role in the creation and evolution of soils in areas of large scale farming, and to investigate the main morpho-descriptive aspects of the related soils, a survey was carried out in south eastern Sicily, Italy, where, as common to other regions of the Mediterranean basin, there are wide areas with anthropogenic soils due to large scale farming activity. The complex genesis pattern of these anthropogenic soils, which shows a double sequence of man-made horizons, sideways oriented to the soil surface, does not allow their classification as Technosols, because their composition is not dominated or strongly influenced by artefacts or human-made materials as is the …

Dynamics of organic carbon pools and microbial diversity over time in anthropogenic terraced soils of Southern Peru

Effects of cropping systems fertility on durum wheat nitrogen uptake, yield and qualitative characteristics

The aim of the trial was to evaluate cropping system effects and nitrogen fertilization on uptake and nitrogen efficiency of durum wheat in terms of qualitative and quantitative yield in a Mediterranean semi arid environment. A four year trial (2000 – 2004) was carried out in the “Sparacia” experimental farm (Sicily – Italy) on Eutric Vertisols. The effects of two cropping systems (durum wheat monocropping and durum wheat - field pea) on durum wheat were investigated in interaction with three nitrogen fertilizations: 0, 60 and 120 kg ha-1. The results showed that qualitative and productive durum wheat response was strongly influenced by year and nutrient availability. Crop rotation and nitr…

Plant Growth-Promoting Activities of Bacteria Isolated from an Anthropogenic Soil Located in Agrigento Province

Bacteria producers of plant growth-promoting (PGP) substances are responsible for the enhancement of plant development through several mechanisms. The purpose of the present work was to evaluate the PGP traits of 63 bacterial strains that were isolated from an anthropogenic soil, and obtained by modification of vertisols in the Sicily region (Italy) seven years after creation. The microorganisms were tested for the following PGP characteristics: indole acetic acid (IAA), NH3, HCN and siderophore production, 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate deaminase activity (ACC) and phosphate solubilization. The results of principal component analysis (PCA) showed that Bacillus tequilensis SI 319, Brevib…

Bread and soil in ancient Rome : a vision of abundance and an ideal of order based on wheat, grapes, and olives

The main environmental features of the Belice basin

Soil consumption due to incorrect land management: the Montevago case study.

Las Nuevas Fronteras de la Ciencia del Suelo

Problematiche di estrazione e quantificazione del Carbonio organico in suoli gessosi con metodologie convenzionali

The man from the glacier: Similaun Man

Ötzi was a man who lived around 3,300 BCE in the Alps, who roamed mountains to hunt dears and ibexes, forestlands to hunt birds and collect fruits, roots, medicinal plants, and grew einkorn and barley in the valleys. He was also a shepherd and a skilled copper miner. The harshness of the environment in which he lived, similar to the current one in terms of climate and vegetation did not prevent the development of rather sophisticated forms of civilization, allowing him to modify the morphology of the terrain through terracing and favour crop cultivation.

Suolo, Risorsa di Paesaggio

La valutazione dei suoli per scopi umanitari: l’esempio della Regione di Piura, Perù.

Un Modello Computerizzato di Valutazione dei Suoli per la Zonazione Vitivinicola Ecosostenibile in Aree Siciliane

Pedo-agronomic aspects of La Monja Area (Ayacaba, Perù)

Role of land set-up systems on soil (physicochemical) conditions

Land reclamation and drainage networks represent one of the most ancient human modifications of the Italian soilscape, where tailored land set-up systems were developed in agro- and forestecosystems in three millennia of man’s activity. Most of once manually maintained land settings are currently scarcely working or even disappeared because of the cost needed for their maintenance and the advent of mechanization that have simplified the field organization. The scarce attention to the soil experienced in the last decades, has accelerated soil erosion and flooding events, which entailed high costs in terms of money and human lives, but also caused reduction of soil thickness, water holding ca…

Soil aggregates, organic matter turnover and carbon balance in a Mediterranean eroded vineyard

The carbon cycle is being affected by the human impacts (Novara et al., 2011; Yan-Gui et al., 2013), and one of those is the intensification in the soil erosion in agriculture land (Cerdà et al., 2009; García Orenes et al., 2009). Vineyards also are affected by the human activities (Fernández Calviño, 2012). Vineyards in Sicily are cultivated on 110.000 ha, 10% of which on >10% slope. Deficiencies of soil organic matter are typical of the semi arid Mediterranean environment especially where traditional intensive cropping practices are adopted (Novara et al., 2012; 2013). These practices in vineyards could lead soil to intensive erosion processes (Novara et al., 2011). The fate of SOC under …

Variability of Soil Organic Carbon and radiocarbon in a Mediterranean benchmark Vertisol

The “genetic erosion” of the soil ecosystem

Abstract This paper takes into consideration the influence of human activities on the loss of pedodiversity in a Mediterranean area due to large scale farming. In particular it examines the quantitative and qualitative soil changes in a period of 53 years (from 1955 to 2008) evaluating the loss of soil diversity at soil subgroups level of the USDA Soil Taxonomy system. The following indices were used: richness; Shannon’s diversity index; Simpson diversity index; Shannon’s evenness index; Simpson’s evenness index. In this case study, considering what we observed in time, the human intervention in soil transformation could increase the diversity in the landscape in an initial phase, but forwa…

L'impatto ambientale della gestione del suolo

Organic matter and microbial community in anthropogenic soils of arid environment.

The “Soil Genetic Erosion”: a new threat for soils?

During the 1990’s the concept of pedodiversity started to be diffused in the scientific literature and the decrement of the soil diversity in space and time - particularly due to human activity - has been seen as a sort of underhand problem affecting soil ecosystems, considering that different soil types face gradual or drastic reduction or complete loss of their unique “genetic features”. Pedodiversity has received considerable recent interest, especially as peculiar aspect of biodiversity and has been assessed by several authors by applying diversity indices used in ecology. This paper takes into consideration the influence of human activities on the loss of pedodiversity in a Mediterrane…

Microbiological analysis and metagenomic profiling of the bacterial community of an anthropogenic soil modified from typic haploxererts

This work aimed to characterize the microbial communities of an anthropogenic soil originating from application of pedotechniques to Vertisols in a Mediterranean environment. Bare soil profiles were sampled at three depths (0–10 cm, 10–30 cm, and 30–50 cm) and compared with the original soil not transformed at the same depths. The anthropogenic soils were characterized by a higher CaCO3 concentration (360–640 g/kg) than control soil (190–200 g/kg), while an opposite trend was registered for clay, where control soil showed a higher concentration (465 g/kg on average) than anthropogenic soil (355 g/kg on average). Organic carbon content was much higher in the unt…

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…

Source of calcium for pedogenic CaCO3 formation in benchmark soils of a Mediterranean semiarid environment

Calcic and petrocalcic horizons (Bk and Bkm, respectively) commonly occur in soils of arid and semiarid regions. Studies carried out to investigate the source of calcium in CaCO3 formation have shown that dust and parent materials represent the main sources. The aim of this study was to investigate if gypsum may be a source of calcium for calcium carbonate formation and, eventually, to quantify it. Five soil pedons, developing on “Serie Gessoso- Solfifera”, were selected in a very representative forest Mediterranean ecosystem in Sicily (I). Pedons were opened, described in field and sampled according to the sequence of genetic horizons. Soil samples were analyzed to investigate 87/86Sr rati…

Economic aspects of pedotechnique applications in large scale farming: a case study

Conference of the World Association of Soil and Water Conservation

Archeobotanical study of traditional agroecosystems based on SEM-EDX analysis of buried phytoliths

The FP7 Project "MEditerranean MOntainous LAndscapes: an historical approach to cultural heritage based on traditional agrosystems (MEMOLA)" (http://www.memolaproject.eu/it) is studying past landscapes using ancient soil horizons as archaeological records. The project aims at evaluating the biodiversity of no longer existing environments, in order to reconstruct the past agroecosystems. One of the approach used in the study consisted in the selective sampling of buried paleo-soil horizons for the search of “testimonials” or useful pedo-archaeological "indicators" that can tell something about past environments and peculiar ecosystems no longer present. To this purpose it was decided to star…

A Vertisol in the Sparacia farm.

I Suoli, risorsa vulnerabile

La diversità dei suoli siciliani: quale futuro?

Compartmentalization of gypsum and halite associated with cyanobacteria in saline soil crusts

The interface between biological and geochemical components in surface crust of a saline soil was investigated using X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), and variable pressure scanning electron microscopy (SEM) in combination with Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectrometry (EDS). Mineral compounds such as halite and gypsum were identified crystallized around filaments of cyanobacteria. A total of 92 genera were identified from the bacterial community based on 16S gene pyrosequencing analysis. The occurrence of the gypsum crystals, their shapes and compartmentalization suggested that they separated NaCl from the immediate microenvironment of the cyanobacteria, and that some cyanobacteria and communities of su…

Anthropogenic soils originated by severe disturbances due to large scale farming

Un modello per la definizione dell’adattabilità dei suoli del tratto terminale del bacino del Belice (AG) allo smaltimento delle acque di vegetazione

Features and ecological significance of benchmark soils of the Moldavian plateau, Romania

Features and ecological significance of benchmark soils of the Moldavian plateau, Romania

Soil interpretation in the context of anthropedogenic transformations and pedotechniques application

Abstract Following a long and vigorous study carried out by the International Committee on Anthropogenic Soils (ICOMANTH), the Soil Taxonomy (ST) classification system recently incorporated a number of changes to include Human-Altered and Human-Transported soils, generally called anthropogenic soils. These changes underwent careful scrutiny as they affect the current classification of existing soil series, and as the proposals and logics are as yet untested against existing data and descriptions. Particular attention was given to the diagnostic characteristics of the anthropogenic soils and to the Subgroups for Human-Altered and Human-Transported soils. In this study, we consider a frequent…

Una cronosequenza antropedogenica nella Sicilia sud-orientale

Evaluaciones pedo-agronomica del territorio de La Monja (provincia de Ayacaba, Parù)

Metodi di Valutazione dei Suoli e delle Terre: Frassino da manna

Land management evolution in Italy and consequences on soil qualities and functions.

Agricoltura superintensiva, pedotecniche e pedodiversità in un’area della Sicilia meridionale

Acque saline e qualità del suolo

Conoscere il Suolo

Il suolo essendo una cripto-risorsa, cioè una risorsa nascosta, viene considerato in tutta la sua importanza solo quando si verificano dei disastri ambientali. Occorrerebbe, quindi, modificare il paradigma che lega l’uomo al suolo per cercare di intendere quest’ultimo sempre, comunque e dovunque, come una risorsa che va conosciuta per essere gestita e protetta. Il suolo non va manipolato ma gestito e, per fare questo, occorre conoscerlo compiutamente. Le caratteristiche salienti che devono essere indagate per un identikit iniziale si individuano in quegli elementi che maggiormente l’uomo ha, da sempre, ricercato nei suoli e cioè una buona profondità, una tessitura equilibrata, una reazione …

Soil Threats

Soil and pedomesofauna relationships under different forests on a western slope of Etna Volcano

Although the pedofauna influences the processes of pedogenesis and has an important role in the main functional properties of the soil, it has rarely been used as a key-element in defining soil quality. As has been stressed, this is due to the fact that the utility of pedofauna as a soil quality indicator is a function of the definition of soil quality which, in turn, depends on different functions, both biotic and abiotic, performed by the soil. If we consider the biological functions of vegetal, animal and microbiotic activity, the usefulness of the pedofauna, as a diagnostic element of soil quality, reaches its maximum since it is one of the indicators of the biodiversity. Previous work …

La salinizzazione

A natural saline soil as a model for understanding to what extent the concentration of salt affects the distribution of microorganisms

Soils preserve and sustain life. Their health and functioning are crucial for crop production and for the maintenance of major ecosystem services. Human induced salinity is one of the main soil threats that reduces soil fertility and affect crop yields. In recent times, great attention has been paid to the general shortage of arable land and to the increasing demand for ecological restoration of areas affected by salinization processes. Despite the diffuse interest on the effects of salinization on plants’ growth, and all the derived socioeconomic issues, very few studies analyzed the ecology of the microbial species in naturally saline soils and the resilience of biological fertility in th…

La percezione del suolo tra anthropedogenesi e technopedogenesi

The contribution of the European Society for Soil Conservation (ESSC) to scientific knowledge, education and sustainability

Soil is an integral component of the global environmental system that supports the quality and diversity of terrestrial life on Earth. Therefore, it is vital to consider the processes and impacts of soil degradation on society, especially on the provision of environmental goods and services, including food security and climate change mitigation and adaptation. Scientific societies devoted to Soil Science play significant roles in promoting soil security by advancing scientific knowledge, education and environmental sustainability. The European Society for Soil Conservation (ESSC) was founded in Ghent (Belgium) on 4 November 1988 by a group of 23 researchers from several European countries. …

Correction: Salinity and Bacterial Diversity: To What Extent Does the Concentration of Salt Affect the Bacterial Community in a Saline Soil?

Three authors were omitted from the author contributions section in the ‘‘contributed to the writing of the manuscript’’ subsection. Please refer to the correct author contributions here: Conceived and designed the experiments: LC GB AB. Performed the experiments: LC GB GLP. Analyzed the data: LC GB FP GLP. Contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools: CD AB GLP. Contributed to the writing of the manuscript: LC FP GB.GLP CD AB

The contribution of the European Society for Soil Conservation (ESSC) to scientific knowledge, education and sustainability

Soil is an integral component of the global environmental system which supports the quality and diversity of terrestrial life on Earth. Therefore, it is vital to consider the processes and impacts of soil degradation on society, especially on the provision of environmental goods and services, including food security and climate change mitigation and adaptation. Scientific societies devoted to soil science play significant roles in reducing soil degradation and promoting soil conservation by advancing scientific knowledge, education and environmental sustainability. The ESSC was founded on 4 November 1988, with the aims to: 1. Support research on soil degradation, soil protection and soil an…

Variabilità spaziale dell'orizzonte gypsico in un ambiente mediterraneo semiarido della Sicilia centro meridionale

Nell’ambiente semiarido della Sicilia centro meridionale vi sono suoli che pur non evolvendo direttamente su substrati gessosi risultano interessati dall’accumulo di gesso secondario. Scopo di questo lavoro è evidenziare le caratteristiche e la distribuzione spaziale dell’orizzonte gypsico proprio di suoli che evolvono su un substrato privo di gesso ma che sono da classificare come Gypsisuoli. È stata scelta un area costituita da un pendio collinare ad andamento Nord-Ovest Sud-Est in cui sono presenti suoli che evolvono su marne argillose del Pliocene inferiore “trubi” e poste a quota topograficamente più bassa rispetto ad un affioramento gessoso del Messiniano. Lungo la pendice sono stati …

Un modello per la definizione della adatabilita' dei suoli del tratto terminale del fiume Belice (AG) allo smaltimento delle acque di vegetazione.

Pedogenic carbonates and carbon pools in gypsiferous soils of a semiarid Mediterranean environment in south Italy

Abstract Soil carbonates are key features in soils of arid and semiarid environment, playing an important role from pedogenetic, landscape history, paleoclimatic and environmental points of view. The objectives of this work were (i) to study pathways of pedogenic carbonate (PC) formation, (ii) to distinguish between lithogenic and pedogenic inorganic C by using the natural C isotope abundance, and (iii) to estimate the soil C pools in a gypsiferous semiarid Mediterranean environment (Sicily, Italy). Five soil pedons developed on calcareous and non-calcareous parent materials from Holocene (10,000 years BP) to Upper Tortonian (7.2–5.3 Ma BP) in age were surveyed. During field soil descriptio…

La Dimensione del Suolo

Development of protofragipanic horizon after severe degradation processes of greenhouses soil

Plant growing in greenhouses and plastic tunnels has some advantages: obtaining early production, plant protection against hail, hoarfrost, late spring and early autumn frosts. The main criteria considered for setting greenhouses are the existence of heating and water sources. Due to the compulsory location imposed by the above conditions, many greenhouses were placed on soils having low capability. After application of ameliorative measures some satisfactory results could be obtained on a relatively short period. Our studies on some soils in greenhouses and plastic tunnels in Romania have shown that after 15-20 years of the intensive exploitation an impermeable soil horizon with brittle bl…

Effects of different cropping systems on the soil organic matter in a xeric environment (Italy)

Atlante di indicatori della qualità del suolo- Scheda 5: area sperimentale università di Palermo, Pietranera, Agrigento

A soil anthro-chronosequence in the farming area of Arequipa (Souther Perù)

AGRUMI

Risorsa suolo e consapevolezza ambientale

Zoning protected areas using digital maps and environmental parameters: study case of “Santa Ninfa caves” natural reserve of Italy.

Elementi di Pedologia

Taxonomic and environmental implication of pedotechnique in large scale farming

Abstract Human activities that involve deep modifications of the soils and a substantial deterioration of their features are numerous and very diverse. Such activities are considered as pedotechniques and, in large-scale farming, are used only under the boost of significant economic returns. In these last decades, the pedotechniques used to tailor soils suitable for table vine cultivation in the Acate valley (Sicily, Italy), not only led to objective difficulties in the classification of these deeply transformed soils but also, to several environmental hazards. In this work after considering the pedotechniques used in tailoring suitable soil for table vine cultivation, we propose to introdu…

Distribuzione di descrittori di qualità fisico-chimica in “Miscic Geofragmexerants”

Citrus

Land set-up systems in Italy: A long tradition of soil and water conservation sewed up to a variety of pedo-climatic environments

Land set-up systems in Italy were and, in a few cases, still are integral parts of agricultural landscapes. The soils of Italy mirror a wide variety of climates and morphologies and derive from a great diversity of parent materials influenced by different soil temperature and moisture regimes. Furthermore, their development was influenced by several anthropogenic activities over time including land settings. Land set-up systems have been widely used throughout the Italian soilscape to regulate surface and underground water and to improve the physical soil features in a way that ensures mixed herbaceous and tree-crops cultivation. In recent times, new technologies have been introduced in agr…

Aspetti pedo-agronomici del territorio "La Monja". Provincia di Ayacaba, Perù

The Sicilian pedological panorama

Education in Soil Science: the Italian approach

The Italian Society of Soil Science (SISS) was founded in Florence on February 18th, 1952. It is an association legally acknowledged by Decree of the President of the Italian Republic in February 1957. The Society is member of the International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS) of the European Confederation of Soil Science Societies (ECSSS) and collaborates with several companies, institutions and organizations having similar objectives or policy aspects. SISS promotes progress, coordination and dissemination of soil science and its applications encouraging relationships and collaborations among soil lovers. Within the SISS there are Working Groups and Technical Committees for specific issues o…

Relief and calcium from gypsum as key factors for net inorganic carbon accumulation in soils of a semiarid Mediterranean environment

Abstract In semiarid environments, the total inorganic carbon (TIC) in soil may contribute to the total carbon (C) pool more than the total organic C pool (TOC), thus playing a key role in storing atmospheric CO2. However, due to the different origin pathways of soil carbonates, not all of the TIC pool can be accounted for CO2 sequestration. Indeed, the inorganic C can be accounted for a net sink of CO2 only when calcium (Ca2+) forming carbonates originate from non-carbonate minerals (atmogenic inorganic C, AIC). The aim of this study carried out in a gypsiferous area is to investigate the dissolution of Ca2+ that comes from gypsum (CaSO4·2H2O) in the formation of soil atmogenic carbonates …

Italian Volcanic Soils

Influence of inheritance and pedogenesis on heavy metal distribution in soils of Sicily, Italy

Abstract The recognition of the potential health hazards associated with heavy metals has focused attention on the levels and behaviours of these elements both in natural and contaminated environments. Various soil types developed from different parent materials in Sicily, Italy, have been analysed in order to compare heavy metal distribution under different geopedological conditions. Total metal concentrations, metal partitioning and distribution profiles are discussed in relation to the inheritance factor and pedogenic processes. Parent material composition largely influences the contents of heavy metals in most of the analysed soils, mainly differentiating pedons for their metal concentr…

Salinity and Bacterial Diversity: To What Extent Does the Concentration of Salt Affect the Bacterial Community in a Saline Soil?

In this study, the evaluation of soil characteristics was coupled with a pyrosequencing analysis of the V2-V3 16S rRNA gene region in order to investigate the bacterial community structure and diversity in the A horizon of a natural saline soil located in Sicily (Italy). The main aim of the research was to assess the organisation and diversity of microbial taxa using a spatial scale that revealed physical and chemical heterogeneity of the habitat under investigation. The results provided information on the type of distribution of different bacterial groups as a function of spatial gradients of soil salinity and pH. The analysis of bacterial 16S rRNA showed differences in bacterial compositi…

Elementi di Pedologia e di Valutazione dei Suoli

Evolution of organic carbon pools and microbial diversity in hyperarid anthropogenic soils

Abstract We investigated the organic carbon pools and the microbial diversity and activity in anthropogenic terraced soils in a desert area of Southern Peru to highlight how the introduction of agriculture influences carbon evolution and storage and genetic and functional diversity of soil microbiota over time. Five sites were selected considering soils cultivated since 5, 15, 20, 35 and 65 years, sampled along the profile depth (0–20 and 20–40 cm layer). Soil and microbial parameters comprised by organic carbon pools, microbial respiration, microbial community physiological profile (CLPP) and microbial diversity (PCR-DGGE) were determined. The results showed that the highest C concentratio…

Humic substances along the profile of two Typic Haploxerert.

In Vertisols, organic matter contributes to soil colour by formation of organo-mineral complexes and affects morphological, physico-chemical, biological and biochemical properties. Turbation may affect the chemical and structural composition of the most stabilised fractions of soil organic matter (SOM), i.e., humic substances (HS). The objectives of this study were to: (1) characterise SOM in two Vertisols (V1 and V2) developed under Mediterranean climate in Italy, using some HS characteristics as indicators of SOM turnover in Vertisols, and (2) explore possible differences related to the pedomorphologic conditions of the area under which two soils have formed. SOM evolution along the soil …

In situ remediation of polluted Spolic Technosols using Ca(OH)2 and smectitic marlstone

Technosols are soils developed on non-traditional substrates and containing large quantities of materials mostly due to intensive human industrial activity, such as artefacts. The increasing number of sites affected by Technosols and their impact on the environment as growing media for plants or as source of pollutants require an understanding of their functioning and evolution, above all the knowledge on the transport of toxic substances from contaminated technogenic soils to groundwater. A case study on properties, remediation and evaluation of Technosols made up by vitrified fly ash and glass–ceramics in Italy was carried out. Original technogenic soils, classified as Spolic Technosols (…

Anthropogenic soils: general aspects and features

In recent decades man's role in soil formation has become a matter of great concern among soil scientists. Man is now considered a soil-forming factor and anthrosolization is recognised as a soil-forming process that consists of a collection of geomorphic and pedological processes resulting from human activities. These human activities include deep working, intensive fertilization, the addition of extraneous materials, irrigation with sediment-rich waters and wet cultivation. In this paper we review the influence of man as a soil forming factor stressing also some peculiar aspects linked to their classification.

Pedotecniche e qualità delle produzioni e dell’ambiente: un caso di studio.

Monitoraggio della salinità del suolo a seguito della irrigazione con acque a diverso grado di salinità.

Anthropedogenesis and Land Use Change: influences on soil qualities and functions.

Atlante di indicatori della qualità del suolo- Scheda 6: foresta demaniale Ledera, S. Stefano Quisquina, Agrigento

Effects of different cropping systems on soil organic matter quality in a xeric environment (Italy)

Effects of crop rotation and N fertilizer on grain yield, qualitative characteristics and nitrogen uptake of durum wheat

Effects of Cropping Systems Fertility on Durum Wheat Nitrogen Uptake, Yield and Qualitative Characteristics Ignazio Poma, Luciano Gristina, Saverio Saladino, Giacomo Venezia, Carmelo Dazzi Dipartimento di Agronomia Ambientale e Territoriale – Viale delle Scienze – 90128 Palermo –Italy pomaign@unipa.it Abstract The aim of the trial was to evaluate cropping system effects and nitrogen fertilization on uptake and nitrogen efficiency of durum wheat in terms of qualitative and quantitative yield in a Mediterranean semi arid environment. A four year trial (2000 – 2004) was carried out in the “Sparacia” experimental farm (Sicily – Italy) on Eutric Vertisols. The effects of two cropping systems (du…

Microscopic findings and soil genetic “indicators” in support of pedoarchaeological studies

Archaeologists use historical artefacts and archaeological records to reconstruct the communities that produced them and the environment in which they lived. Soil protects our buried or damaged heritage of archaeological and historic remains from depletion, damage, and any disturbance. Here are presented some preliminary results obtained in the framework of the FP7 Project "MEditerranean MOntainous LAndscapes: an historical approach to cultural Heritage based on traditional agrosystems (MEMOLA)" where ancient soils horizons are themselves archaeological records. In order to implement the MEMOLA archaeological study and to identify soil genetic "indicators", two integrated approaches were us…

The History of terracing

Terracing, an agricultural technique developed over thousands of years, has transformed landscapes and soils in many parts of the world. Terracing was a revolutionary approach in steep mountainous areas. Success in this activity requires substantial knowledge about soils and how to conserve and manage them on steep slopes, since mountain soils are commonly thin and vulnerable to erosion.

Soil conservation and sustainable development goals(SDGs) achievement in Europe and central Asia: Which role for the European soil partnership?

Abstract Voluntary soil protection measures are not sufficient to achieve sustainable soil management at a global scale. Additionally, binding soil protection legislation at national and international levels has also proved to be insufficient for the effective protection of this non-renewable natural resource. In 2012, the FAO Members established the Global Soil Partnership (GSP) with the mission to facilitate and contribute exchange of knowledge and technologies related to soils, and develop dialogue and raise awareness for the need to establish a binding global agreement for sustainable soil management. Moreover, region-specific aspects of implementation are considered and strengthened th…

The celebration of World Soil day in Italy