Search results for "soil"
showing 10 items of 3493 documents
Measuring Rainfall Kinetic Power in Two Sicilian Experimental Areas by Drop-Size Distribution Data
2023
The rainfall kinetic energy, which affects soil erosion processes, can be calculated by the drop-size distribution (DSD) and falling velocity. This study presents the outcomes derived by the DSDs recorded with the same optical disdrometer in two experimental areas, located in Sicily (southern Italy). Specifically, the DSDs were recorded from March 2017 to December 2019 at Sparacia and from June 2006 to April 2014 at Palermo. The aims of this paper are both to compare the DSDs for the two sites and to evaluate the applicability of Gamma theoretical distribution. Moreover, the relations of rainfall kinetic power vs. rainfall intensity are assessed. Differences in DSDs, especially for rainfall…
Monitoring peatland water table depth with optical and radar satellite imagery
2022
Peatland water table depth (WTD) and wetness have widely been monitored with optical and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) remote sensing but there is a lack of studies that have used multi-sensor data, i.e., combination of optical and SAR data. We assessed how well WTD can be monitored with remote sensing data, whether multi-sensor approach boosts explanatory capacity and whether there are differences in regression performance between data and peatland types. Our data consisted of continuous multiannual WTD data from altogether 50 restored and undrained Finnish peatlands, and optical (Landsat 5–8, Sentinel-2) and Sentinel-1 C-band SAR data processed in Google Earth Engine. We calculated rando…
Proposal of a Nomenclature for Hydrogeological Instability Risks and Case Studies of Conservative Soil Tillage for Environmental Protection
2022
In order to implement environmental protection, within the Soil Cadastre, previously proposed as a multipurpose inventory that aims to promote sustainable soil uses, the hydrogeological instability caused by human activities is the focus of this work. These activities can be aimed at sustainable agricultural soil use or the building of roads to allow the access to the fields. The soil’s hydrogeological instability causes the unsustainable use and management of a cadastral parcel. Therefore, the aim of this work is to propose a nomenclature for hydrogeological instability risks, as well as the best practices of conservative soil tillage in case studies, in order to reduce environmental impac…
Speciation of Copper in Enriched Agricultural Lime
2011
Agricultural liming materials are used to lower soil acidity and to improve microbial functionality and plant growth. A brownish colored agricultural lime was found to contain up to 180 mg kg ―1 Cu, an amount well above any fertilizing materials code threshold. The dark color of the milled material was due to ample black and brown dendrites consisting of the tectomanganate mineral romanechite (ideally (Ba,H 2 O) 2 (Mn 4+ ,Mn 3+ ) 5 O 10 ) and a mixture of the two nanocrystalline Fe oxides ferrihydrite and goethite. A four-step sequential extraction analysis of the lime powder was not sufficient to argue whether the Cu load was contained in the carbonate matrix or in the oxide dendrites, or,…
Transformation of clay-sized minerals in soils exposed to prolonged regular alternation of redox conditions
2016
Abstract The direction of the transformation of Fe-bearing minerals under harshly changing redox conditions is still under debate. Some studies suggest preferential accumulation of weakly crystalline Fe oxides while other studies showed that repeated redox cycles favour the presence of crystalline phases. Since characterized by distinct redox cycles, paddy soils are ideal for studying redox-related transformations of Fe oxides and Fe-bearing clay minerals. We analysed changes in the Fe mineral assemblage upon long-term reduction–oxidation cycles along a chronosequence of 100, 700, and 2000-year-old paddy soils developed on comparable parent material relative to two non-irrigated counterpart…
In-situ transformation of iron-bearing minerals in marshland-derived paddy subsoil
2016
Transformations of Fe-bearing minerals under alternating redox conditions are not fully understood. In-situ approaches under field conditions have rarely been used. We exposed mesh bags containing ferrihydrite, goethite or nontronite to changing redox conditions in subsoil that had been under paddy management for 100, 700 and 2000 years. After 12 months, the minerals were retrieved and analysed for organic carbon and by X-ray diffraction; in addition, nontronite was analysed for cation exchange capacity and by Mossbauer spectroscopy at 278 and 4.2 K. Field exposure of the test minerals was complemented by measurements of soil redox potential and analyses of soil water. Minerals accumulated …
Mineralverwitterung, tonmineralbildung und rubefizierung in Terrae calcis der slowakei Ein beitrag zum paläoklimatischen aussagewert von kalkstein-Ro…
1984
Mineral weathering, clay mineral formation and rubefication of Terrae calcis in Slovakia — A contribution to paleoclimatic evidence of limestone Rotlehm (terra rossa) in Central Europe Limestone Rotlehm (Terra rossa) is very often interpreted as a product of intensive mineral weathering and clay formation under subtropic (to tropic) climate. Especially the formation of hematite in soils as the main process of rubefication is generally believed to occur only in warm climates with a seasonal alternation of precipitation and drought. Fossil or relict Terrae rossae in Central Europe are therefore very often considered as witnesses of a corresponding paleoclimate. On the other side many authors …
Stakeholders' Perceptions about Fire Impacts on Lithuanian Protected Areas
2014
The aim of this work is to study Lithuanian stakeholders' perceptions of fire impacts in protected areas. For this study, the stakeholders consisted of foresters, ecologists and farmers. A clear understanding of the opinions of stakeholders about fire effects on environmental, social and economic aspects of Lithuanian protected areas will allow an assessment of the stakeholders' reaction to fire policy, including government measures towards fire prevention, suppression and application of prescribed fire to landscape management. The results showed that stakeholders in general think that fire is not a threat to Lithuania and to the ecological processes in the protected areas. However, they ag…
Response of soil bacteria to Hg (II) in relation to soil characteristics and cell location
2006
The response of indigenous bacterial communities to the addition of inorganic mercury (50 μM of Hg(II)) was compared over a 30 day period in four soils of contrasting properties. Hg(II) impact was estimated by following population dynamics of viable heterotrophic bacteria (VH) and mercury resistant bacteria (HgR) by indirect enumeration in unfractionated soil and in the inner and outer parts of soil aggregates obtained by successive washings. Numbers of VH bacteria in unfractionated soils were not affected by mercury in any of the studied soils, whereas an increase in resistant bacteria was observed in all of them. The lag phase before the increase of HgR bacteria and the magnitude of the e…
Mechanically-biologically treated municipal solid waste as a support medium for microbial methane oxidation to mitigate landfill greenhouse emissions.
2005
The residual fraction of mechanically-biologically treated municipal solid waste (MBT residual) was studied in the laboratory to evaluate its suitability and environmental compatibility as a support medium in methane (CH(4)) oxidative biocovers for the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions from landfills. Two MBT residuals with 5 and 12 months total (aerobic) biological stabilisation times were used in the study. MBT residual appeared to be a favourable medium for CH(4) oxidation as indicated by its area-based CH(4) oxidation rates (12.2-82.3 g CH(4) m(-2) d(-1) at 2-25 degrees C; determined in CH(4)-sparged columns). The CH(4) oxidation potential (determined in batch assays) of the MBT re…