Soils of the Dinaric karst in Slovenia: properties, pedogenesis and land use

Modification of the Earth’s surface i.e. land use change, is the main human activity for survival and is the key player in the management of natural resources, including water. Little attention has, however, been given to understand the role the territorial vegetation changes may play in strategic management of water resources. In the basin of Aswa northern Uganda, the changes in land use due to complex demographic and social economic factors is among the numerous challenges faced in management of the limited water resources in the area. The aim of the current study was to explore the opportunities land use changes in the basin may offer to water resources management, looking mainly at the expansion in future agriculture and afforestation as the critical land use change issues. The study was structured into four broad objectives: The first objective was to generate the reference land use dataset (1986 & 2001). The available techniques (the supervised and the unsupervised image classification) were explored using Landsat multi-spectral images. Through careful evaluation, the supervised image classification with the best classification accuracy of 81.48% was used to generate 1986 and 2001 land use maps. The second objectives of the study was to generate experimental land use scenarios required for testing the effect of spatial land use policies on hydrologic processes in the basin. The Multi-criteria-GIS methodology was developed and six experimental land use scenarios were generated using simple but consistence set of bio-physical and socio-economic parameters. The third objective was to customise the hydrologic process model SWAT that was used to simulate the hydrologic impact of the land use change scenarios. The calibration of the hydrologic model SWAT used monthly historical streamflow records from 1970 to 1974 recorded at the basin outlet. The model was manually calibrated using the Nash-Sutcliffe coefficient as objective function. The efficiency of the model during calibration was 0.46. Validation of the model using an independence monthly streamflow records from 1975 to 1978 was done and the model efficiency was 0.66, much better than in calibration period. The forth and last objective of the study was to simulate the hydrologic processes in the reference years and the hydrologic processes impacted by the land use change scenarios and to evaluate how this impact affects water resources management strategies. An independent validation of the model to identify the validity of extending the optimal parameters set in simulation of 2001 and land use change hydrologic processes was carried out by comparing the simulated actual evapotranspiration fraction with estimated actual evapotranspiration fraction obtained using surface energy balance method and the thermal MODIS images. Validation indicated acceptable model performance in simulating 2001 hydrologic processes, with a spatial correlation coefficient of 0.45. The application of the model in simulations of the hydrologic processes in the reference years noted that 2001 had more water yield than 1986 by 9.2 mm. The analysis of the impact of land use change in the reference years indicated an increase of 2.52 mm of water yield in the year 2001. Simulation of the hydrologic impact of the experimental land use indicated that Land use types, which in this study were restricted to plantation forest and generic agriculture, land use extent and location of the land use with respect to precipitation rate and amount, greatly influence the hydrologic process of the basin and the net water yield. It was noted that the water yield of the basin can be significantly decreased by over 15%, if more than 37% of the plantation forests are introduced in the wet zone. In the dry sub-basins however, afforestation of up to 42% had insignificant effect on water yield, which could therefore be exploited so as to offset the afforestation pressure in the wet sub-basin while at the same time enhancing the basin water yield. The effect of agricultural land use change on water yield was however less sensitive to climatic zones. 53% increase in agricultural land cover responded with an increase in water yield by about 27%.

This research was carried out in Pengeragoan Village, Pekutatan District, Jembrana Regency, from July to September 2023. The aim of this research was to determine the chemical properties of soil and determine soil fertility status classes and provide direction in land management according to the level of soil fertility status for each type. Land use in Pengeragoan Village, Pekutatan District, Jembrana Regency. The types of land use that exist include coffee plantations, cocoa plantations, coconut plantations, mixed plantations, natural forests, teak forests and rice fields. Sampling was carried out compositely on several existing land use types, namely coffee plantations (Tki), cocoa plantations (Tko), coconut plantations (Tka), mixed plantations (Tc), natural forests (Tha), teak forests (Tj), and rice field (Ts). Determination of soil fertility status is carried out by measuring soil chemical properties parameters, namely soil Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC), Base Saturation (KB), P-total, K-total and C-organic. The research results show that the soil fertility status in several types of land use falls into the criteria of high, medium and low. Natural forest and mixed garden land use types have high soil fertility status. The land use types of coffee plantations, cocoa plantations and teak forests have medium soil fertility status. The land use types of coconut plantations and rice fields have low soil fertility status. The management direction recommended from the results of evaluating soil fertility status and several supporting soil chemical properties for each type of land use is the need to add N and P nutrients to the land use types of coffee plantations, mixed plantations and natural forests. In the types of land use of cocoa plantations, coconut plantations, teak forests and rice fields, it is necessary to add nutrients N, P and organic materials in the form of plant litter and organic fertilizer.

Soil microbes in urban ecosystems are affected by a variety of abiotic and biotic factors resulting from changes in land use. However, the influence of different types of land use on soil microbial properties and soil quality in urban areas remains largely unknown. Here, by comparing five types of land use: natural forest, park, agriculture, street green and roadside trees, we examined the effects of different land uses on soil microbial biomass and microbial functional diversity in B eijing, C hina. We found that soil properties varied with land uses in urban environments. Compared to natural forest, soil nutrients under the other four types of urban land use were markedly depleted, and accumulation of C u, Z n, P b and C d was apparent. Importantly, under these four types of land use, there was less microbial biomass, but it had greater functional diversity, particularly in the roadside‐tree soils. Furthermore, there were significant correlations between the microbial characteristics and physicochemical properties, such as organic matter, total nitrogen and total phosphorus ( P < 0.05), suggesting that lack of nutrients was the major reason for the decrease in microbial biomass. In addition, the larger C / N ratio, N i concentration and pool of organic matter together with a higher p H contributed to the increase in microbial functional diversity in urban soils. We concluded that different land uses have indirect effects on soil microbial biomass and microbial community functional diversity through their influence on soil physicochemical properties, especially nutrient availability and heavy metal content.

The variation in soil permeability levels as a result of several types of land use on dry land in Aceh Besar district is not widely known. Therefore, a study of the ability of soil to pass water (soil permeability) as a result of various land use patterns is very important to conduct research in order to maintain a sustainable environment. The metode of research used is directly survey method. The Field survey carried out by taking soil samples that were taken in a composite manner in the processing layer (0-20 cm) and intact. The variables measured include: permeability, soil organic fraction. Intact soil sampling is carried out using a ring or tube to determine soil permeability based on the constan head method. Meanwhile, composite soil samples, which are samples collected from several observation points mixed evenly into a homogeneous sample, those were used to variable soil organic fraction content using the pipette method. Permeability in the type of land use forest shrubs, mixed gardens, moor and teak forests were classified into the medium class. The order of increasing permeability starts from the type of land use for forest shrubs, mixed gardens, moorlands, teak forests and rainfed rice fields. Permeability rates didn't have correlation with organic matter content in several types of dry land use in Aceh Besar district. By increasing sand content, the pores between particles increase, the capillary action weakens, and water easily evaporates through the macro pores, or directly penetrate deep into the soil for vegetation use By increasing clay content, the effect of soil on local rainfall redistribution on vegetation growth changes from decreasing to increasing whereas sand, on the other hand, those was based on a limited distribution of soil types only with high clay content

Poor land resources management with the consequence of soil degradation is the main cause of low agricultural productivity and food insecurity in the rural highlands of Ethiopia. The current study was undertaken at Meja watershed, located in the Jeldu district, Oromia region. The aim of the study was to assess the impacts of different land use types on soil quality parameters in the watershed. Soil samples collected from the upper 0-20 cm depth from cultivated, grazing and forest lands was analyzed for various soil quality parameters. The results indicated that soil parameters such as, cation exchange capacity (CEC) and organic matter (OM) content were significantly higher for forest and grazing land than for cultivated land whereas electrical conductivity (EC), total nitrogen (TN), available phosphorus (AvP), exchangeable K, Ca and Mg contents were significantly higher for forest land compared to both grazing and cultivated lands. Other soil parameter such BD was higher for cultivated land than for the other land use types. The results clearly indicated that land use types significantly influenced soil quality suggesting that a change from forest land to the other land use types aggravated soil degradation resulting in soil fertility decline in the study watershed.

Land use change may modify key soil attributes, influencing the capacity of soil to maintain ecological functions. Understanding the effects of land use types (LUTs) on soil properties is, therefore, crucial for the sustainable utilization of soil resources. This study aims to investigate the impact of LUT on primary soil properties. Composite soil samples from eight sampling points per LUT (forest, grassland, and arable land) were taken from the top 25 cm of the soil in October 2019. The following soil physicochemical parameters were investigated according to standard protocols: soil organic matter (SOM), pH, soil moisture, NH4+–N, NO3––N, AL-K2O, AL-P2O5, CaCO3, E4/E6, cation exchange capacity (CEC), base saturation (BS), and exchangeable bases (Ca2+, Mg2+, K+, and Na+). Furthermore, soil microbial respiration (SMR) was determined based on basal respiration method. The results indicated that most of the investigated soil properties showed significant difference across LUTs, among which NO3––N, total N, and K2O were profoundly affected by LUT (p ≤ 0.001). On the other hand, CEC, soil moisture, and Na+ did not greatly change among the LUTs (p ≥ 0.05). Arable soils showed the lowest SOM content and available nitrogen but the highest content of P2O5 and CaCO3. SMR was considerably higher in grassland compared to arable land and forest, respectively. The study found a positive correlation between soil moisture (r = 0.67; p < 0.01), Mg2+ (r = 0.61; p < 0.01), and K2O (r = 0.58; p < 0.05) with SMR. Overall, the study highlighted that agricultural practices in the study area induced SOM and available nitrogen reduction. Grassland soils were more favorable for microbial activity.

The study was conducted in the Punggur Kecil Village, Kubu Raya Regency, on three types of land use those are langsat plantations, mixed cropping and rice fields. Land use change or land conversion is one of the factor that decteasing soil quality. Land use changed that occurs in punggur kecil, reguires any research aim to determining the soil quality index on three types of land use, those are Langsat plantations, mixed crops and rice fields in the punggur kecil village sungai kakap, Kubu Raya District. Soil sampling using a diagonal system at 3 study sites with 5 points. The amount of samples in the three types of land use are 15 samples. Research parameters include supporting parameters such as soil profile, structure, vegetation type, depth of ground water level, pyrite content and distance of observation location from river / sea. Soil physical properties include bulk density, moisture content in field capacity, total porosity and texture. Soil chemical properties include soil reaction (pH), N-Total, P-Available, K-exchangeble, Ca-exchangeble, Mg-exchangeble, Na- exchangeble, Base Saturation, Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC) and C-Organic. Biological properties include: earthworm population. Stages of research include determining the location of research sampling, sample analysis in the laboratory, determination of the minimum data set (MDS) with principal component analysis (PCA) as a weight index, scoring of soil indicators and determination of soil quality index. Data processing using microsof excel 2010 and statistical applications SPSS 16. The results showed langsat plantations have a soil quality index of 0.44 (medium criteria). Mixed crop land has a soil quality index value of 0.35 (low criteria). Rice fields have a soil quality index value of 0.35 (low criteria).

Background. Soil quality is a key factor determining its ability to support plant growth and development, maintain ecological balance and ensure the sustainability of agroecosystems. It is determined by a set of physicochemical and biological soil properties that are closely interrelated and affect its fertility, structure and ecological functions. However, the nature of land use can have a significant impact on these soil properties and, consequently, on its quality. Therefore, the results of this study will contribute to the optimal and rational management of soil ecosystems. Purpose. The gray forest soil (Haplic Luvisol) plots with different types of land use in the Laishevsky district of the Republic of Tatarstan were studied. The influence of different types of land use (arable land, hay meadow, mowing without phytomass removal, fallow land) on the physicochemical (humidity, granulometric composition, organic matter content, nitrate content) and microbiological (respiratory activity, microbial biomass, metabolic activity) parameters of the gray forest soil was assessed. Materials and methods. Four soil pits were laid in the Laishevsky District of the Republic of Tatarstan on sites with the following types of land use: arable land, hay meadow, mown without phytomass removal, and fallow land. The soil was analyzed for its physicochemical properties: moisture according to GOST 5180-2015, particle size distribution using a Microtrac Bluewave laser diffractometer (Microtrac Retsch GmbH, Germany), organic matter content according to GOST 27753.10-88, and nitrate content according to GOST 26951-86. The soil microbiological characteristics were analyzed: respiration activity according to ISO 16072:2002 and microbial biomass according to ISO 14240-1:1997. The total metabolic activity of the soil microbial community was determined using the AWCD (average cell color density) index and commercial Biolog Ecoplates (Biolog Inc., USA). Results. It was found that the arable soil profile is characterized by a more uniform distribution of organic matter content, a higher content of nitrates (13%) and microbial biomass (145.5 mg/kg). Homogenization of the upper layer and the associated more uniform distribution of sand and silt fractions were revealed in the soil under arable land. Differentiation of particle size distribution along the profile, higher respiration (up to 0.76 μg C-CO2/g*h) and metabolic activity, as well as accumulation of organic matter were observed in the soils of natural land use types. Conclusion. The conducted studies confirmed the significant influence of the type of land use on the physicochemical and biological properties of gray forest soil. Intensive agricultural activity, in particular the use of soil for arable land, leads to changes in its profile. Reducing the anthropogenic impact on the soil helps to preserve and improve soil properties. The results obtained indicate the need for rational management of soil resources aimed at minimizing degradation processes and maintaining the ecological functions of soils. Optimization of land use taking into account the identified patterns will ensure sustainable soil fertility and the preservation of their biodiversity. EDN: MCGAOQ

Converting forests and grasslands to farms can impact soil properties and increase acidity. This study examines the effects of various land use types (LUTs) (cultivated, grazing, and forest) on soil characteristics and surface acidity in the Hula and Gorche districts of southern Ethiopia, analyzing 72 soil samples from six villages. The LUTs significantly influenced (p < 0.05) soil properties and acidity. Cultivated and grazing lands had higher sand content, bulk density, and levels of exchangeable acidity (EA) and acid saturation, but lower exchangeable bases and percent base saturation (PBS) compared to forest lands. In contrast, forest land had greater clay content, lower bulk density, and higher pH levels, indicating milder acidity. Total nitrogen and available phosphorus were also found to be lower in these areas. Soil organic carbon (SOC) levels were moderate in cultivated and grazing lands but high in forested regions. Significant correlations were identified in the chemical properties of the soil. Variations in soil SOC, cation exchange capacity, and PBS likely explain the differences in acid‐buffering capacity across various land uses. The increased EA and lower pH in cultivated lands may enhance the availability of micronutrients, with soil acidity being a key factor that affects land use and micronutrient levels. The study recommends integrated strategies, including forest trees that enhance soil fertility and optimal agronomic practices, to manage soil acidity and fertility, aiming to increase crop productivity in regions facing similar challenges.

Accounting for land use in life cycle assessment: The value of NPP as a proxy indicator to assess land use impacts on ecosystems

ABSTRACTSoil properties may exhibit large spatial variability. Frequently this variability is auto-correlated at a certain scale. In addition to soil-forming factors, soil management, land cover, and agricultural system may affect the spatial variability of agricultural soils. Soil organic matter (OM) is an important soil property contributing toward soil fertility and a key attribute in assessing soil quality. Increasing soil OM increases cation exchange capacity (CEC) and enhances soil fertility. We analyzed the impact of land use on the spatial variability of OM and CEC in a tropical soil, an Oxisol, within São Paulo state, Brazil. Land uses were prairie, maize, and mango. Soil samples were taken at 0–10 and 10–20 cm depths at 84 points within 1-ha plots, i.e., 100 m × 100 m. Statistical variability was higher for soil OM than for CEC. The mango plot contained the highest soil OM, whereas prairie the lowest. Also, soil OM and CEC were significantly related at all land use treatments and depths studied. All soil OM data sets and most of the CEC data sets (with two exceptions) exhibited spatial dependence. When spatial variability was present, the semivariograms showed a nugget effect plus a spherical or an exponential structure. Patterns of soil OM and CEC spatial variability (i.e., model type, ranges of spatial dependence, and nugget effects) were different between land uses and soil depths. In general, CEC exhibited a lower spatial autocorrelation and a weaker spatial structure than soil OM. Moreover, soil OM displayed a higher autocorrelation and was more strongly structured at the 0–10 cm depth than at the 10–20 cm depth. Interpolation by kriging or inverse distance weighting (IDW) allowed to illustrate how the spatial variability of soil OM and CEC differed due to land cover and sampling depth. Modeling and mapping the spatial distribution of soil OM and CEC provided a framework for spatially implicit comparisons of these soil properties, which may be useful for practical applications.

This study investigates the effects of different land-use types (forest, arable land, and wetland) on key soil properties, microbial communities, and nitrogen cycling in the Lesser Khingan Mountains. The results revealed that forest (FL) and wetland (WL) soils had significantly higher soil organic matter (SOM) content compared with arable land (AL), with total phosphorus (TP) being highest in FL and available nitrogen (AN) significantly higher in WL. In terms of enzyme activity, AL and WL showed reduced activities of ammonia monooxygenase (AMO), β-D-glucosidase (β-G), and β-cellobiosidase (CBH), while exhibiting increased N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) activity, highlighting the impact of land use on nitrogen dynamics. WL also exhibited significantly higher microbial diversity and evenness compared with FL and AL. The dominant bacterial phyla included Actinobacteriota, Proteobacteria, and Acidobacteriota, with Acidobacteriota being most abundant in FL and Proteobacteria most abundant in WL. Network analysis showed that AL had the most complex and connected microbial network, while FL and WL had simpler but more stable networks, suggesting the influence of land use on microbial community interactions. Regarding nitrogen cycling genes, AOA-amoA was most abundant in AL, while AOB-amoA was significantly enriched in FL, reflecting the influence of land use on ammonia oxidation. These findings highlight how land-use types significantly affect soil properties, microbial community structures, and nitrogen cycling, offering valuable insights for sustainable land management.

This study aimed to determine the impact of land use on organic carbon (OC) pools of soils with contrasting native organic matter (OM) content. Surface (0–15 cm) soils of four land uses (cropland, orchard, grassland, and fallow) were collected from four agroecological zones (AEZs) of Bangladesh with different OM content (AEZ-7: very low, −3: low, −9: medium, and −5: high). Bulk soils were physically fractionated into particulate and mineral associated OM (POM and MOM: >53 and <53 µm, respectively). Both bulk and fractionated soils were analyzed for OC and nitrogen (N). Among the land uses, undisturbed soils (grassland and fallow land) had significantly higher total OC (0.44–1.79%) than disturbed soils (orchard and cropland) (0.39–1.67%) in all AEZs. The distribution of OC and N in POM and MOM fractions was significantly different among land uses and also varied with native OM content. In all AEZs, cropland soils showed the lowest POM-C content (0.40–1.41%), whereas the orchard soils showed the highest values (0.71–1.91%). The MOM-C was highest (0.81–1.91%) in fallow land and lowest (0.53–1.51%) in orchard, and cropland had a moderate amount (0.70–1.61%). In croplands, distribution of a considerable amount of OC in the MOM pool was noticeable. These findings reveal that total OC in soils can be decreased with cultivation but does not inevitably indicate the loss of OC storage in the stable pool. Carbon storage potential of soils with both high- and low-native OM contents can be increased via proper land use and managements.

In order to investigate changes caused in clay mineralogy and potassium (K) status by different land-use types, 42 soils samples (0–30 cm) were monitored and analyzed. Soil samples belonging to Reference Soil Groups of Cambisols and Vertisols were collected from three neighboring land uses involving cropland (under long-term continuous cultivation), grassland, and forestland. The soils reflected an alkaline and calcareous aspect as were characterized by high pH (mean of 7.1 to 7.5) and calcium carbonate equivalent (mean of 35 to 97 g kg−1) in the three land-use types. X-ray diffraction patterns of the clay fraction showed that the soils were mainly composed of illite, smectite, chlorite, and kaolinite. Chlorite and kaolinite remained unweathered irrespective of land use and soil types, soil processes, and physicochemical attributes assessed. Some changes in the XRD diffractograms of illite and smectite (the intensity or the position of peaks) were observed in the cultivated soils compared to those of the adjoining grassland that may explain the dynamics of the K trapped in illite interlayer sites. Potassium issues reflected a heterogeneous response to changes in land-use types. In light of this, a pronounced variation in soluble K (4–22 mg kg−1), exchangeable K (140–558 mg kg−1), and non-exchangeable K (135–742 mg kg−1) appeared among the land-use types for both Cambisols and Vertisols, corresponding to variability in clay content, nature and type of clay mineral (mainly illite and smectite), cation exchange capacity (CEC), and soil organic carbon (SOC). In general, the largest amounts of soluble K and exchangeable K were recorded in the forestland, whereas the highest contents of non-exchangeable K were found in the grassland for both Cambisols and Vertisols. Exchangeable K, available K, CEC, and clay contents in the soils with higher smectite values (25–50 %) were significantly different (P ≤ 0.05) compared to those of the lower smectite values (10–25 %). This suggests that smectite is a major source for surface sorption of K in the studied soils.

Impact of intensive land use on heavy metal concentrations and ecological risks in an urbanized river network of Shanghai