Search results for "Soils"
showing 10 items of 157 documents
Lotus spp: biotechnological strategies to improve the bioeconomy of lowlands in the Salado River Basin (Argentina)
2016
The Salado River Basin region is the most important livestock breeding area in Argentina, wherethe Lotus species has been traditionally cultivated as forages. Nearly 60% of their land surface is dominated by salt-affected soils with severe constraints for crop cultivation. In order to cope with that limitation, farmers have utilized species such as non-native L. tenuis (ex- Lotus glaber), which shows a very good adaptation. As a result, inter-seeding of L. tenuis has been proposed as a strategy of choice for improving forage production in marginal areas. The increase in soil quality by these means is achieved by an increment of the organic matter content, improvement of soil fertility as we…
Post-fire hydrological response and suspended sediment transport of a terraced Mediterranean catchment
2017
In July 2013, a wildfire severely affected the western part of the island of Mallorca (Spain). During the first three post-fire hydrological years, when the window of disturbance tends to be more open, the hydrological and sediment delivery processes and dynamics were assessed in a representative catchment intensively shaped by terracing that covered 37% of its surface area. A nested approach was applied with two gauging stations (covering 1.2 km2 and 4.8 km2) built in September 2013 that took continuous measurements of rainfall, water and sediment yield. Average Suspended Sediment Concentration (1,503 mg l-1) and the maximum peak (33,618 mg l-1) were two orders of magnitude higher than tho…
Forest Sharing® as an Innovative Facility for Sustainable Forest Management of Fragmented Forest Properties: First Results of Its Implementation
2023
The forestry sector in Italy and throughout Europe is going through a critical period due to ongoing natural and anthropological processes, such as climate change and the abandonment of rural areas. These processes lead to a constant fragmentation of properties in small forest parcels, with direct impacts on management capacity. In this framework, new sustainable forest management methods are being tested and are shown to be good practices to oppose the decline of forest ecosystems. Their innovative aspects concern the introduction of a form of shared and circular economy, where management is built on the process, rather than on the product. Their technical activities are based on precision…
LA VULNERABILITÀ DEI SUOLI ITALIANI
2012
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 …
Variability of near-surface saturated hydraulic conductivity for the clay soils of a small Sicilian basin
2019
Abstract Proper characterization of saturated hydraulic conductivity, Ks, of clay soils in a hillslope or a basin is still a challenge for soil science. In this investigation, the clay soils of the Maganoce (Sicily, Italy) basin were sampled at 19 sampling sites by the BEST procedure of soil hydraulic characterization. More OM implied less compact conditions (decreasing dry soil bulk density; coefficient of determination, R2 = 0.67), more stability to water of the soil aggregates (increasing water stable aggregates; R2 = 0.83) and, consequently, higher Ks values (R2 = 0.54). Variability of Ks was lower in the steeper zones of the basin than in the flatter ones. A comparison with the Ks data…
Fabric evolution and the related swelling behaviour of a sand/bentonite mixture upon hydro-chemo-mechanical loadings
2015
This experimental study investigates the swelling behaviour of an 80/20 sand/bentonite mixture and the associated fabric evolution under different hydro-chemo-mechanical loadings. Free and confined swelling tests are performed on specimens compacted to different dry densities and wetted with different pore fluids. Controlled suction confined swelling tests are performed to determine the suction–swelling pressure relationship for two different densities. An extensive microstructural characterisation is performed to relate the observed swelling behaviour to the evolution of the different pore networks during wetting. Based on the microstructural analysis, an expression is proposed to determi…
CPMAS 13C NMR Characterization of Leaves and Litters from the Reafforestated Area of Mustigarufi in Sicily (Italy)
2010
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 …
Erosion des sols viticoles par les évènements orageux (Vosne-Romanée) : quels risques pour le futur ?
2007
International audience; Des différences de maturité des raisins ont été constatées, en particulier entre les fruits produits sur les sols clairs et ceux provenant de vignes poussant sur des sols plus sombres. Ce constat a été testé par une expérience de mesures de températures en continu dans le Clos Vougeot et dans Les Cras, deux stations situées à la même altitude, distantes d'environ cent mètres et caractérisées par des sols plus bruns et plus argileux pour la première et par des sols plus clairs et pierreux pour la seconde. Dans les deux stations, les mesures de températures automatiques et régulières (toutes les trente minutes) ont été réalisées pendant un an à partir du 18 mai 2003, à…
SOILS AND PLANTS IN AN ANTHROPOGENIC DUMP OF THE KOKDZHON PHOSPHORITE MINE (KAZAKHSTAN)
2017
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…
Spatial Gradients of Intensity and Persistence of Soil Water Repellency Under Different Forest Types in Central Mexico
2017
Organic residues release hydrophobic compounds to the soil that may induce soil water repellency (WR), which may inhibit infiltration andincrease runoff and soil loss rates. Although there are many studies on soil WR through the world, very few investigations have been con-ducted in Mexican areas. This paper studies the natural background of soil WR in soils from central Mexico under representative forest types,analyzing the spatial distribution of soil WR in relation with tree canopy, vegetation cover and main soil chemical (pH, CaCO3, organic Ccontent and exchangeable cations) and physical properties (texture). The water drop penetration time and the ethanol tests were used to assesspersis…