Search results for "soil"
showing 10 items of 3493 documents
Biological control of Listeria monocytogenes in soil model systems by Enterococcus mundtii strains expressing mundticin KS production
2022
Abstract The agricultural practices applied in pre-harvest greatly influence the presence and the levels of microorganisms in fresh produce. Among these, Listeria monocytogenes represents one of the most lethal foodborne pathogens associated with vegetables. The main hypothesis of this work is that bacteriocin producer Enterococcus mundtii strains can be effective against L. monocytogenes in soil. To this purpose, bacteriocin production by E. mundtii WFE3, WFE20 and WFE31, three strains showing a strong bacteriocin activity in terms of inhibitory power and inhibition spectra, was evaluated in sterile extracts from agricultural soil and peat moss, in organic nutrient solution (ONS) and miner…
The role of plant species on runoff and soil erosion in a Mediterranean shrubland.
2021
Shrubland is a Mediterranean biome characterized by densely growing evergreen shrubs adapted to fire events. To date, scientific research has focused on the impact of vegetation on soil erosion mainly through the control that plant biomass or plant cover exerts on sediment delivery and runoff discharge, being the individual plant species influence on hydrological and erosional processes not achieved in detail. The objective of this research is to determine: i) runoff and soil losses in a shrubland-covered rangeland at Sierra de Enguera, Spain; and ii) how four plant species affect soil and water losses. We measured soil cover, soil properties, runoff discharge and sediment yield under natur…
Unravelling the importance of forest age stand and forest structure driving microbiological soil properties, enzymatic activities and soil nutrients …
2016
This study aimed to investigate the effects that stand age and forest structure have on microbiological soil properties, enzymatic activities and nutrient content. Thirty forest compartments were randomly selected at the Palancares y Agregados managed forest area (Spain), supporting forest stands of five ages; from 100 to 80years old to compartments with trees that were 19-1years old. Forest area ranging from 80 to 120years old and without forest intervention was selected as the control. We measured different soil enzymatic activities, soil respiration and nutrient content (P, K, Na, Mg, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Pb and Ca) in the top cm of 10 mineral soils in each compartment. Results sh…
Rare earths and trace elements contents in leaves: A new indicator of the composition of atmospheric dust
2017
The relationship between the trace element distribution in atmospheric particles and leaves of some exposed plants in the environment was recently demonstrated. This indication would suggest that the trace element analysis of leaves in these plants could provide information about the composition, nature and origin of the atmospheric dust dispersed in the environment. In order to corroborate this hypothesis, the distribution of trace elements and Rare Earths were studied in leaves of some endemic plants, in the atmospheric fallout and in soils of rural, urban and industrial ecosystems in Sicily. These elements have been chosen to discriminate the source and nature of different source on atmo…
Some European green roof norms and guidelines through the lens of biodiversity : do ecoregions and plant traits also matter?
2018
Abstract Green infrastructure and in particular green roofs are crucial to meet the challenge of sustainable urbanisation fostered by the current European Research and Innovation agenda. Several documents were issued in the last decades in Europe for regulating the design, construction and up-keep of roof greening. In particular, the actual German guidelines have been widely adopted as a reference basis for green roof design and regulation worldwide, because of its exhaustiveness and proven building- and landscaping tradition. With the aim to assess the effectiveness of green roof guidelines and norms in supporting plant and soil biodiversity in different ecoregions, and particularly of the…
Short-term changes in infiltration between straw mulched and non-mulched soils after wildfire in Mediterranean forest ecosystems
2018
Abstract Water infiltration is a basic parameter to understand the hydrological response of semi-arid or arid soils – where runoff generation is dominated by infiltration-excess – subjected to wildfire. To evaluate the hydrological effects of straw application on a sandy loam soil after wildfire, the unsaturated hydraulic conductivity, water content and temperature of mulched and nonmulched (considered as control) soils were monitored throughout eight months. Compared to untreated soils, straw maintained higher temperatures and water contents in mulched plots, but reduced their unsaturated hydraulic conductivity, particularly in the drier season. These results suggest that straw release may…
The impact of soil erosion on soil fertility and vine vigor. A multidisciplinary approach based on field, laboratory and remote sensing approaches
2018
Soil erosion processes in vineyards, beyond surface runoff and sediment transport, have a strong effect on soil organic carbon (SOC) loss and redistribution along the slope. Variation in SOC across the landscape can determine differences in soil fertility and vine vigor. The goal of this research was to analyze the interactions among vines vigor, sediment delivery and SOC in a sloping vineyard located in Sicily. Six pedons were studied along the slope by digging 6 pits up to 60 cm depth. Soil was sampled every 10 cm and SOC, water extractable organic carbon (WEOC) and specific ultraviolet absorbance (SUVA) were analyzed. Erosion rates, detachment and deposition areas were measured by the po…
Comparing soil inventory with modelling: Carbon balance in central European forest soils varies among forest types
2018
Abstract Forest soils represent a large carbon pool and already small changes in this pool may have an important effect on the global carbon cycle. To predict the future development of the soil organic carbon (SOC) pool, well-validated models are needed. We applied the litter and soil carbon model Yasso15 to 1838 plots of the German national forest soil inventory (NFSI) for the period between 1985 and 2014 to enables a direct comparison to the NFSI measurements. In addition, to provide data for the German Greenhouse Gas Inventory, we simulated the development of SOC with Yasso15 applying a climate projection based on the RCP8.5 scenario. The initial model-calculated SOC stocks were adjusted…
EFFICIENT DEGRADATION OF CLOFIBRIC ACID BY HETEROGENEOUS PHOTOCATALYTIC OXIDATION PROCESS
2019
International audience; Emerging pollutants such as pharmaceutical active compounds were detected worldwide in different environmental compartments. Nowadays, multiple studies are focused on the investigation of their environmental fate, as well as to find new, efficient and sustainable removal technologies. Several studies demonstrated that heterogeneous photocatalysis is one of the most promising techniques used for water purification. Thus, the aim of our work was to evaluate the photodegradation efficiency of a refractory emergent compound, named clofibric acid, under UV light in aqueous solution. We report that photodegradation and mineralization efficiency are strongly dependent of th…
Multitemporal mapping of peri-urban carbon stocks and soil sealing from satellite data.
2017
Abstract Peri-urbanisation is the expansion of compact urban areas towards low-density settlements. This phenomenon directly challenges the agricultural landscape multifunctionality, including its carbon (C) storage capacity. Using satellite data, we mapped peri-urban C stocks in soil and built-up surfaces over three areas from 1993 to 2014 in the Emilia-Romagna region, Italy: a thinly populated area around Piacenza, an intermediate-density area covering the Reggio Emilia-Modena conurbation and a densely anthropized area developing along the coast of Rimini. Satellite-derived maps enabled the quantitative analysis of spatial and temporal features of urban growth and soil sealing, expressed …