Search results for "Soil function"

Deciphering Biotic Interactions and Their Role in Soil Microbial Community Assembly and Functions

2022

Microbial communities play a key role in ecosystem functioning as well as in plant, animal, and human welfare. Their assembly relies on different processes commonly referred to as abiotic and biotic filters. Despite the widespread emphasis on abiotic filters in terrestrial ecosystems, a growing body of evidence suggests that interactions between microorganisms play a critical role in community assembly. However, the contribution of these interactions to microbial community assembly and the factors influencing them have not been clearly established. In most cases, biotic interactions between microorganisms have been investigated based on cocultures of a handful of strains, completely overloo…

Taxonomic and environmental implication of pedotechnique in large scale farming

2016

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…

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

2021

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 …

Evaluation of the surface affinity of water in three biochars using fast field cycling NMR relaxometry

2016

Many soil functions depend on the interaction of water with soil. The affinity of water for soils can be altered by applying soil amendments like stone meal, manure, or biochar (a carbonaceous material obtained by pyrolysis of biomasses). In fact, the addition of hydrophobic biochar to soil may increase soil repellency, reduce water-adsorbing capacity, inhibit microbial activity, alter soil filter, buffer, storage, and transformation functions. For this reason, it is of paramount importance to monitor water affinity for biochar surface (also referred to as ‘wettability’) in order to better address its applications in soil systems. In this study, we propose the use of fast field cycling NMR …

Soil aggregates and humus systems

2016

The European Society for Soil Conservation Conference, organized by the Babes-Bolyai University will take place from 15th June to the 18th June 2016 at the Babes-Bolyai University of Cluj-Napoca in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. The conference will cover areas like Soils – Our Common Future” stresses the vital interconnection between soil and life, as well as its importance for the future of the human society.; International audience; The survey of few main morphological soil aggregates (with intrinsic biological, chemical and physical contents) reveals the existence of different humus systems. Recognizable by naked eyes in the field, each humus system is confined in an ecological frame (climate, ve…

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

2014

Agricultural advances

2013

CT3 ; Département E.A. ; SOFIA; Agricultural advances