Search results for "Soil morphology"
showing 10 items of 10 documents
No till soil organic carbon sequestration could be overestimated when slope effect is not considered
2020
Abstract No tillage (NT) soil management has been considered a strategy for the implementation of environmental sustainability and a possible tool of soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration. Considering the wide range of data on SOC change after NT application in relation to conventional tillage (CT) in different studies, further researches are needed over a diverse range of soil and climate before a proper estimation of the benefits can be provided by the NT. A data set composed of cereal cropping system studies, comparing the SOC content under CT and NT was compiled from the literature using the scientific repositories “Scopus” and “Science direct”. This aims to i) discriminate and quanti…
Soil aggregate stability in three Mediterranean environments
1996
Abstract This paper considers the effect of vegetation on soil aggregate stability in three different Mediterranean landscapes in Southeast Spain. Soils on limestone, marls and clays, with two levels of vegetation cover at each north-facing slopes of the study areas, were investigated. Three aggregate stability tests (CND, TDI and UD) based on the drop impact and ultrasonic dispersion methods and the Emerson dispersion test were performed. The results of the experiments show the positive influence of vegetation on aggregate stability. However, vegetation is less important than lithology in influencing soil aggregate stability. Soil depth and moisture also affect aggregation, but the relatio…
Morphological characterisation of soil structure in tilled fields: from a diagnosis method to the modelling of structural changes over time
2004
Characterisation of soit structure within the tilled layer of cultivated fields is crucial because the importance of this soil characteristic on the biological, chemical and physical properties of the soil and its repercussions on water cycle, root growth and functioning. We present in this paper a method for field characterisation of soil structure. This method, practised since the 1970s, was designed for field diagnosis of the effects of cropping systems on soil structure. It is based on a stratification of the observation face of a pit dug perpendicular to the direction of tillage and traffic: spatial compartments are distinguished, according to the nature of the mechanical stresses they…
Accelerated soil formation due to paddy management on marshlands (Zhejiang Province, China)
2014
Inundation of paddy soils for submerged rice production strongly impacts soil formation. Here we used chronosequences with up to 2000 years of cultivation history to compare soil formation in non-inundated (non-paddy) cropping systems with the formation of soils used for paddy rice production. This approach allowed us to identify the influence of agricultural management at different stages of pedogenesis. Soil samples were taken from two chronosequences derived from uniform parent material in the coastal region of the Zhejiang Province (P.R. China). One chronosequence consisted of paddy soils of different ages (50-2000 years), characterized by a yearly cropping sequence of rice cultivation …
THE IMPACT OF WARFARE ON THE SOIL ENVIRONMENT
2013
Abstract One of the most dramatic ways humans can affect soil properties is through the performance of military activities. Warfare-induced disturbances to soil are basically of three types – physical, chemical, and biological – and are aimed at causing direct problems to enemies or, more often, are indirect, undesired ramifications. Physical disturbances to soil include sealing due to building of defensive infrastructures, excavation of trenches or tunnels, compaction by traffic of machinery and troops, or cratering by bombs. Chemical disturbances consist of the input of pollutants such as oil, heavy metals, nitroaromatic explosives, organophosphorus nerve agents, dioxins from herbicides, …
Humus in World Soils
1996
Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the soil humus and total organic carbon (OC) content. It reviews the results concerning the changes in soil organic matter (SOM) chemical nature regardless of the technical methods used. Information about C cycling and storage in soils is also given. Soil humus is characterized by its amounts and properties such as water retention capacity, aggregation and cementing agent, and the ability to absorb both nutrients and contaminants. The uncontrolled decrease in soil humus content affects soil water regime, aeration, fertility, and purifying capacity. The chapter focuses on the main soil types and the areas of the world where they are found, and conside…
Effects of vegetation at different succession stages on soil properties and water flow in sandy soil
2015
The effects of vegetation at different succession stages on soil properties and water flow were assessed in sandy soil at 3 experimental sites near Sekule village (southwest Slovakia). Site S1 was a pioneer site dominated by mosses, site S2 was an early successional stage with a thin stand of grasses, and site S3 was an early successional stage (more advanced compared to the previous), richer in species, with a denser stand of grasses. It was found that vegetation at different succession stages affected soil properties and water flow in sandy soil, but the order of changes in some soil properties and water penetration depths were different from the order of succession stages.
Influence of afforestation on soil genesis, morphology and properties in glacial till deposits
2013
A study of soil morphological, physical and chemical properties was performed in woodland of different ages, in which spruce (Picea abies), aspen (Populus tremula) and birch (Betula pendula) growing stocks have colonized former agricultural land. The aim of the study was to clarify changes in soil genesis, morphology and properties due to the afforestation of abandoned agricultural land in glacial till deposits. The research showed that soil in these deposits (loamy sand, loam, clay) retains the morphological properties of agricultural land for up to 100 years. Secondary podzolization features in the soil profiles were observed within 100 years of the start of afforestation, whereas the dia…
Influence of soil properties on the aggregation of some Mediterranean soils and the use of aggregate size and stability as land degradation indicators
2001
Abstract Soil aggregation in relation to other soil properties was studied along a climatological transect in the Southeast of Spain. Three sites were selected along this transect ranging from semiarid to subhumid climatological conditions. The aggregate size distribution, the macro and microaggregate stability of the superficial soil horizon and their relations with other soil properties were analysed. Large aggregates (>10, 10–5, 5–2 mm) were present in highest proportions in the most arid of the studied areas. These large aggregates were associated with high values of water-stable microaggregates; however, they did not improve soil structure and are related to high bulk densities and low…
Spatial and short-term temporal variations in runoff, soil aggregation and other soil properties along a Mediterranean Climatological Gradient.
1998
Abstract Physical and chemical soil properties were measured along a mountainous climatological gradient in the province of Alicante (Spain). The objective was to evaluate how the climate affects certain soil properties at different temporal and spatial scales. These properties include infiltration, runoff and sediment concentrations resulting from rainfall simulation experiments performed in winter and in summer. Chemical soil properties like carbonate content, organic matter content and CEC were analysed in reference soil profiles along the gradient. Physical soil properties like soil moisture content, macroaggregation and waterstable microaggregation were measured at monthly intervals du…