Search results for "soil"

The SMAP mission combined active-passive soil moisture product at 9 km and 3 km spatial resolutions

2018

Abstract The NASA Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission was launched on January 31st, 2015. The spacecraft was to provide high-resolution (3 km and 9 km) global soil moisture estimates at regular intervals by combining for the first time L-band radiometer and radar observations. On July 7th, 2015, a component of the SMAP radar failed and the radar ceased operation. However, before this occurred the mission was able to collect and process ~2.5 months of the SMAP high-resolution active-passive soil moisture data (L2SMAP) that coincided with the Northern Hemisphere's vegetation green-up and crop growth season. In this study, we evaluate the SMAP high-resolution soil moisture product deri…

Natural radioactivity in the Alte Madonie Mounts (Sicily, Italy)

2009

With the collaboration of geology experts, we have taken 45 samples of selected soils and rocks. All samples were powdered, dried and sealed in “Marinelli” beakers for 20 days before the measurement so as to ensure that radioactive equilibrium between 226Ra and 214Bi has been reached. Mineralogical and chemical features of the samples were determined by XRD and XRF analysis, instead Gamma ray spectrometric analysis was used in order to quantify radioactivity concentrations. The average values of concentrations of 214Bi, 228Ac and 40K are respectively 30, 19 and 258 Bq/kg while the greatest values were 134, 59 and 748 Bq/kg. A linear relationship exists between 214Bi, 228Ac and 40K activitie…

Special Issue: Water Management Strategies in Irrigated Areas

2016

The 2015 edition of the United Nations World Water Development Report highlighted that ‘water is at the core of sustainable development’. Water has upgraded the quality of human life, and any progress to achieve a more sustainable world will deal with the maintenance and/or the improvement of water management. Water demand has grown at more than twice the population rate in the XX century. By 2025, it is estimated that about 1.8 billion people will live in countries or regions with absolute water scarcity, and two-thirds of the world population could be under stress conditions.

Paired-site approach for studying soil organic carbon dynamics in a Mediterranean semiarid environment

2012

This work investigated the effects of land cover and land-use change (LUC) on the ability of a soil to store carbon (C) and reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, in a Mediterranean area. Using a paired-site approach, we estimated the effect of land-cover change on the C stock from 1972 to 2008 in a natural reserve (Grotta di Santa Ninfa) in western Sicily. We selected 15 paired sites representative of five LUCs. We studied the effect of land use on soil organic C (SOC) content in bulk soil and in different particle-size fractions (2000–1000 µm, 1000–500 µm, 500–250 µm, 250–63 µm, 63–25 µm, and <25 µm). Laboratory incubation of the soil samples was conducted to measure CO2 evolution in bulk…

Application of a model for the evaluation of the “Visitor Satisfaction” in a nature reserve of South Italy

2017

The protected natural area represents an important resource because from it sustainable and long-lasting social and economic development processes can start. In fact, the conservation of biodiversity can help create economic values by using natural capital which, if properly valorised, can help the momentum of local sustainable development and create diffuse welfare in terms of employment and income. To such a purpose, the evaluation both of the demand by those who enjoy the services of a protected area and of the level of satisfaction that visitors draw from their experience becomes a priority. The present study aims at investigating the behaviour and the preferences of the visitors to a p…

Land surface temperature derived from airborne hyperspectral scanner thermal infrared data

2006

Abstract The AHS (airborne hyperspectral scanner) instrument has 80 spectral bands covering the visible and near infrared (VNIR), short wave infrared (SWIR), mid-infrared (MIR), and thermal infrared (TIR) spectral range. The instrument is operated by Instituto Nacional de Tecnica Aerospacial (INTA) and it has been involved in several field campaigns since 2004. The main goal of this paper is to analyze the feasibility of retrieving land surface temperature from the 10 AHS thermal infrared bands, from 71 to 80, located in the region between 8 and 13 μm. For this purpose, three different methods have been considered: (i) the single-channel method, which uses only one thermal band; (ii) the sp…

Biodiversity of nematofauna associated with the rice field agro-ecosystem in north Italy

2008

This research is intended to give an idea on the soil biodiversity associated with the rice field agro-ecosystem. The research was carried out in two areas of North Italy where Oryza sativa is a traditional crop. The nematodes were extracted from soil samples and from the rhizosphere of rice plants. The nematode community was investigated for the genus composition, trophic structure and biodiversity. 22 families and 45 different genera were recorded. The dominant trophic group was the bacteriophagous with the genus Rhabditis. Other important genera were Pratylenchus, Helicotylenchus and Acrobeloides. Phytophagous represent in almost all fields not more than the 20% of the total nematodes. I…

Diffusive emissions of hydrothermal methane and higher hydrocarbons from the soil at Nisyros (Greece)

2014

Molecular analysis of the nitrate-reducing community from unplanted and maize-planted soils

2002

ABSTRACT Microorganisms that use nitrate as an alternative terminal electron acceptor play an important role in the global nitrogen cycle. The diversity of the nitrate-reducing community in soil and the influence of the maize roots on the structure of this community were studied. The narG gene encoding the membrane bound nitrate reductase was selected as a functional marker for the nitrate-reducing community. The use of narG is of special interest because the phylogeny of the narG gene closely reflects the 16S ribosomal DNA phylogeny. Therefore, targeting the narG gene provided for the first time a unique insight into the taxonomic composition of the nitrate-reducing community in planted an…

Genetic and Environmental Controls on Nitrous Oxide Accumulation in Lakes

2015

We studied potential links between environmental factors, nitrous oxide (N2O) accumulation, and genetic indicators of nitrite and N2O reducing bacteria in 12 boreal lakes. Denitrifying bacteria were investigated by quantifying genes encoding nitrite and N2O reductases (nirS/nirK and nosZ, respectively, including the two phylogenetically distinct clades nosZ(I) and nosZ(II)) in lake sediments. Summertime N2O accumulation and hypolimnetic nitrate concentrations were positively correlated both at the inter-lake scale and within a depth transect of an individual lake (Lake Vanajavesi). The variability in the individual nirS, nirK, nosZ(I), and nosZ(II) gene abundances was high (up to tenfold) a…