Abstract
Making quantitative evaluations of the environmental functions of the soil in a quantitative way is an urgent necessity for transitioning towards the sustainable use of soils. The objective of this work was to use and improve the Soil and Environment software for soils of volcanic areas, for which the software was not designed to work on. The study was conducted in the volcanic area of Michoacan, Mexico. Nine soil profiles were described; samples were taken from each horizon and the physical and chemical properties of each sample were analyzed. The Soil and Environment software was used to conduct pedoecological evaluations of the soil samples and, subsequently, an evaluation of the environmental functions of the soils and the modeling of scenarios was carried out. The soil profiles studied showed variable properties of hydraulic conductivity, field capacity, air capacity, effective cation exchange capacity, and soil organic carbon. The soils showed very high nutrient retention, high naturalness and sorption of heavy metals, and low cultural and natural archive properties. The Soil and Environment software generally works well with soils of volcanic areas; however, we suggest improvements in the evaluation method of the following functions: naturalness and agricultural quality. Additionally, the estimating method of aeration capacity and hydraulic conductivity should be calibrated for the properties of the volcanic soils. The modeling of scenarios allowed us to identify the soil profiles that are most vulnerable to degradation. The modeling of scenarios provided a clear idea of the negative and positive effects that a change in soil use would have.
Highlights
Some estimations suggest that about 12 million hectares of soil are lost and degraded per year in the world [1]
The soils in the study area reflect the characteristic features of volcanic areas and the predominant role of the parent material and relief as the shaping factors that govern them [34,35]
That ranged from very slightly acidic to very slightly alkaline, while the percentage of organic matter was intermediate for the first horizon and null for the deeper horizons (Table 3). This soil obtained intermediate values of hydraulic conductivity and aeration capacity, which were attributed to the argic horizon, which limits water filtration
Summary
Some estimations suggest that about 12 million hectares of soil are lost and degraded per year in the world [1]. The accelerated growth of the world population has increased the demand for food and materials obtained from the soil [2]. This phenomenon has exerted ever greater pressure on edaphic resources and, as a consequence, has accelerated degradation of the soil, putting at risk the capacity of the soils to provide enough to guarantee food security [3]. The agricultural capacity of soils has been evaluated using quantitative methods [4,5,6], but only isolated properties, such as slope, depth, etc., have been taken into account. Several lakes and aquifers are located, Sustainability 2019, 11, 4552; doi:10.3390/su11174552 www.mdpi.com/journal/sustainability
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