Abstract
Simple SummaryModel tests under laboratory conditions are very common in soil ecology and microbiology, but few of them are related to flooding, and comparison of the results of such an experiment with natural conditions is unprecedented. The present study investigated the basic parameters determining the biological activity of soil subjected to flooding under laboratory and natural conditions. The results obtained show that soil inundation under both natural and laboratory conditions significantly affects soil fertility and processes. The changes are more pronounced in the laboratory experiment than in the field conditions. Nevertheless, model studies are needed in environmental ecology and microbiology to predict changes under different stress factors, but their scale and pathway must be carefully planned.Studies using soil microcosms are very common, but few involve flooded soils, and comparing the results from such an experiment with natural conditions is unheard of. In the present study, we investigated the biological activity of soil (pH value, dehydrogenases and phosphatase activities) and the metabolic potential (EcoPlate™ Biolog®) of soil microorganisms in three fluvisol subjected to flooding under laboratory and natural conditions. The results indicate that soil flooding under both natural and laboratory conditions affected soil pH, enzymatic activity and metabolic potential (AWCD, average well colour development) of soil microorganisms. Changes in these parameters are more pronounced in the microcosmic experiment than in the field conditions. Furthermore, depending on the characteristics of the soil (i.e., its type, structure, vegetation) some of the soil quality parameters may return to their preflood state. Microcosm studies are needed in environmental ecology and microbiology to predict changes due to various factors, but their scale and course must be carefully planned.
Highlights
The European Union Floods Directive defines a flood as a covering by water land which is not normally covered by water [1]
The aim of our study was to analyse whether the biological activity of soils after 7 days of flooding and after the receding of water would maintain a similar trend in the model experiment and Biology 2022, 11, 386
Each of the blocks was trans‐ ferred into a separate transparent, polypropylene container (33 × 33 × 42 cm) and flooded by water taken from the Vistula River above the place of soil sampling (Janowiec, Lubel‐ skie Voivodeship; 51°19′06.8′′ N and 21°54′53.5′′ E) (Figure 2)
Summary
The European Union Floods Directive defines a flood as a covering by water land which is not normally covered by water [1]. The European Academies’ Science Advisory Council (EASAC) conducts observations on climate change [2]. Researchers indicate that, all types of phenomena—geophysical, meteorological, hydrological and climatic— show an increase in global occurrence, the highest increase was recorded for hydrological phenomena such as floods, mudslides and snow avalanches. In Europe, the flood risk has increased in the last years [3,4]. Over the past three decades, the number of extreme weather events, including hydrological events, in Europe has increased by 60% [2]. The forecasts show that climate change leads to an increase in the intensity of storms and flooding in Europe by 2100 [5]. It is estimated to increase the sea level and the height of storm waves and to increase the frequency of coastal flooding events [5,6]
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