Soil Features Research Articles

Using pack animals instead of tractors in Central Italy's protected areas: No evidence of reduced soil disturbance

In thinning operations in Mediterranean beech forests, pack animals are often used when topographic conditions do not allow for the use of mechanisation to perform logging operations. Otherwise, mechanised extraction is the primary choice. In an effort to reduce soil disturbance caused by mechanised ground-based logging, the forest authorities who guard protected areas have been mandating animal logging at all logging sites in recent years. Since no comparative scientific trials of soil disturbance of these two extraction systems have ever been conducted in the target setting, there is no scientific evidence to sustain this approach. On this basis, we chose two study areas where the forest authorities mandated animal logging. Each study area consists of three sub-compartments, one unharvested, one harvested by animals, and one harvested by tractor in the same year (2021). We examined soil compaction, soil organic matter, and soil microarthropod biodiversity in animal skid trails, tractor skid trails, soil unaffected by extraction methods, and unharvested control sites in each study areas. We used linear mixed-effects models, indicating the study area as random intercept, to investigate the effect of the experimental treatments on the target soil features, and to check the relationship among soil physico-chemical parameters and soil microarthropod biodiversity. We discovered that only the animal and tractor skid trails showed signs of disturbance in terms of soil compaction and organic matter loss. Additionally, there was a significant decline in the biodiversity of soil microarthropods in both the skid trail types, with values of the QBS-ar index which were practically halved in comparison to the control area. We did not find any significant difference in the values in the tractor and animal skid trails for any of the examined soil characteristics. Low soil microarthropod biodiversity was found to be correlated with high soil compaction in terms of penetration resistance and low soil organic matter levels, according to linear mixed-effects models. Despite our preliminary findings, we made it clear that the short wood system by a tractor fitted with forwarding bins is unquestionably a very soil-disturbing extraction system, that ought to be avoided when conducting logging operations in protected areas. However, pack animals are not a suitable solution to reduce soil disturbance. Other extraction systems such as chute, small-scale cable yarders, as well as combination of animals and machine avoiding extensive traffic on the forest soil, are better solutions to the fundamental issue of low-impact logging in protected areas.

Contribution of mycorrhizal symbiosis and root strategy to red clover aboveground biomass under nitrogen addition and phosphorus distribution.

Soil nutrients exhibit heterogeneity in their spatial distribution, presenting challenges to plant acquisition. Notably, phosphorus (P) heterogeneity is a characteristic feature of soil, necessitating the development of adaptive strategies by plants to cope with this phenomenon. To address this, fully crossed three-factor experiments were conducted using red clover within rhizoboxes. Positions of P in three conditions, included P even distribution (even P), P close distribution (close P), and P far distribution (far P). Concurrently, N addition was two amounts(0 and 20mg kg- 1), both with and without AMF inoculation. The findings indicated a decrease in aboveground biomass attributable to uneven P distribution, whereas N and AMF demonstrated the potential to affect aboveground biomass. In a structural equation model, AMF primarily increased aboveground biomass by enhancing nodule number and specific leaf area (SLA). In contrast, N addition improved aboveground biomass through increased nodule number or direct effects. Subsequently, a random forest model indicated that under the far P treatment, fine root length emerged as the primary factor affecting aboveground biomass, followed by thickest root length. Conversely, in the even P treatment, the thickest root length was of paramount importance. In summary, when confronted with uneven P distribution, clover plants adopted various root foraging strategies. AMF played a pivotal role in elevating nodule number, and SLA.

The influence of volcanic ash (VA) on the mechanical properties and freeze-thaw durability of lime kiln dust (LKD)-stabilized kaolin clayey soil

Improving soft clay soil's mechanical properties and durability has been the subject of intense research. In this context, traditional stabilizers such as cement and lime have been introduced as the most widely used materials. However, the utilization of these conventional additives poses several challenges due to recent global concerns regarding the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, international research is shifting toward using environmentally friendly soil-stabilizing waste materials. This study, for the first time, evaluates the stabilization of kaolin clay soil using lime kiln dust (LKD) as a high CaO content waste pozzolan and volcanic ash (VA) as a natural pozzolan with considerable SiO2 and Al2O3 contents. In general, the research aims to demonstrate the effective performance of these two inexpensive and environmentally friendly additives in improving the mechanical characteristics and durability of kaolin clay soil, thereby providing the essential groundwork for the practical application of this method in stabilizing soft clay soil. This study included preparing samples with LKD at 3%, 5%, 7%, and 10% of the dry weight of clay and replacing LKD with VA at 0%, 25%, 75%, and 100%. The specimens were cured for 3, 7, and 28 days. Following the curing process, the optimal sample was subjected to varying numbers of freeze-thaw (F-T) cycles. The samples were examined by conducting a series of standard compaction, unconfined compressive strength (UCS), ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) tests at different stages of adding stabilizers, as well as before and after exposure of F-T cycles. The findings revealed that adding LKD and VA increased the UCS by accelerating and improving the pozzolanic and hydration reactions. Also, the combination of LKD and VA in kaolin soil enhanced F-T durability, resulting in less strength deterioration even after 10 cycles, when compared to the untreated control sample. In particular, the optimal mixture containing 5% LKD and 25% VA replacement improved 11 times in UCS compared to untreated kaolin clay and showed a slight reduction of only 7% after 10 F-T cycles. Overall, the incorporation of LKD and VA enhanced the mechanical properties and F-T durability of kaolin clay soil, making it a low-cost, sustainable, and eco-friendly option for soil improvement.

Application of a support vector regression model employing meta-heuristic algorithms for estimating pile bearing capacity

ABSTRACT The design of pile foundations hinges significantly on the pile-bearing capacity (PBC), a crucial factor affected by numerous soil features and parameters. Piles serve as a key component in relocating structural loads to the ground, underscoring the need for accurately determining PBC in geotechnical design. While prior research has delved into utilizing artificial neural networks (ANN) for predicting PBC, they encounter shortcomings such as grappling with finding global minima and slow convergence rates. This study introduces Support Vector Regression (SVR) as a machine-learning approach, augmented by two meta-heuristic optimization techniques: the Giant Trevally Optimizer (GTO) and Smell Agent Optimization (SAO), to achieve optimal results. These techniques empower engineers and data scientists to develop more precise and reliable predictive models in geotechnical engineering, ultimately enhancing the safety and efficiency of foundation design and construction. Drawing upon an extensive dataset compiled from previous studies, a predictive model was constructed to estimate PBC using soft computing techniques. The outcomes overwhelmingly favored the SVGT model, a fusion of the SVR model with GTO, demonstrating excellent anticipative capacities with an outstanding R2 value of 0.998 and an impressively low RMSE value of 91.21.

Investigating the Long-Term Effects of Anthropogenic Practices on Soil Features

Anthropogenic practices have been increasingly conducted on the rise in addressing the escalatingdemands for socioeconomic development, resulting in significant impacts on land ecosystems. This research seeks toevaluate the influence of anthropogenic activities on soil features in mountainous regions of Vietnam by focusing 84samples collected from 12 locations across Lam River Basin at seven soil profiles (0-10, 10-20, 20-30, 30-40, 40-60, 60-80 and 80-100 cm).The findings reveal notable differences in soil texture among land use types (LUTs). Forest cover lands (FCLs),showed the least amount of sand content, varying from 29.7% to 37.6%, while unplanted and bare lands (UBLs) had thehighest sand ratios, up to 53.9%. FCLs exhibited lowest bulk density (BD), soil porosity (SP) and soil electricalconductivity (EC) and C:N ratio with respective ranges of 0.93-1.29 g.cm-3, 32.7-36.5%, 0.526-0.743 mS.m-1 and6.74 -8.52, respectively.In contrast, crop cultivation lands (CCLs) demonstrated higher values for BD (1.17-1.25 g/cm3), SP (39.25-43.19%), EC (0.583-0.792 mS.m-1) and C:N ratio (11.27-15.77). UBLs, on the other hand, exhibited even highest valuesup to 1.23-1.36 g.cm-1, 43.19-49.62%, 0.437-0.619 mS.m-1 and 11.68-16.58% and displayed high levels of exchange ironsand soil organic content compared to FCLs. Other factors such as pH varied little in space between the sampled soillocations and along the soil profiles. Overall, the study indicates that anthropogenic practices have impacts on the soilfeatures across the study area.

Combining multiple feature selection methods and structural equation modelling for exploring factors affecting stand biomass of natural coniferous-broad leaved mixed forests

Recognition of biotic and abiotic factors affecting biomass of natural mixed forests is of great importance for forest carbon estimation and management. When estimating stand biomass using models, different variable selection methods often yield inconsistent results, and there is lack of systematic analysis. This study aimed to combine multiple feature selection methods with structural equation modelling (SEM) to identify a set of variables affecting stand biomass more reasonably. Eight methods were applied for feature selection based on data from 286 permanent sample plots in natural coniferous-broad leaved mixed forests in northeast China. These methods included Pearson correlation analysis, two methods derived from principal component analysis (PCA), stepwise regression, redundancy analysis (RDA), generalized additive model (GAM), random forest (RF), and boosted regression tree (BRT). A total of 56 candidate variables were considered, covering stand, biodiversity, climate and soil features. Significant variability was observed in the variables selected, however, there were 6 variables consistently identified across all methods, including tree species diversity (N_Sp_Div), stand structural diversity (N_ Size_ Div), nearest taxon index (NRI), community weighted mean based on dry matter mass of leaves (CWM.LDMC), soil pH, and degree-days above 18 °C (DD18). Then, these variables were included in the SEM with stand average age and additive stand density index (aSDI) to explore the direction and magnitude of their impacts on stand biomass. The SEM results showed that aSDI and average age had the greatest positive effects on stand biomass, and structural diversity also had a significant positive effect. DD18 affected stand biomass both directly and indirectly, with the total negative effect. Soil pH indirectly affected stand biomass via aSDI. Our findings demonstrated that combining multiple feature selection methods with SEM was an effective approach for understanding multiple factors affecting stand biomass, and provided valuable insights for forest biomass estimation and carbon management.

LOADS ON SUBMERGED WALLS OF PROTECTIVE STRUCTURES

The intensification of military operations on the territory of Ukraine, which are accompanied by missile attacks and bombing of territories, requires the use of reliable protective structures. Modern codes require the provision of each new building with storage facilities that guarantee the safety of life and health of citizens, so the correct determination of all loads on the structural elements of protective structures is an urgent issue. Taking into acoount the fact that the previous codes were somewhat outdated and had limited access for a long time, a significant event was the adoption in 2023 of new codes for the design of protective structures of civil defence. The main requirements and recommendations of SBC B.2.2-5:20023 were taken into account when conducting research on determining the loads on buried walls of bomb shelters. Such structures, as we know, perceive a constant load from the lateral pressure of the soil, which during an explosion is supplemented by an episodic load from the action of an air wave. Modern specialized literature contains rather limited information on scientific research and development in the field of design of protective structures. An actual issue is also the study of the influence of determining factors on the intensity of the load on the walls of buried protective structures and the possibility of its adjustment in order to reduce it. Taking into account the nature of the distribution of loads on the underground walls of bomb shelters, a dependence was obtained to determine the resulting active pressure and quasi-static load caused by the action of an air wave. The pressures from the soil and the blast wave at different orientations of the contact wall and for different types of soil environment were studied. The loads in contact of a smooth and rough wall with sandy, sandy and loamy soils with different indicators of physical and mechanical characteristics were considered. The obtained results indicate a significant influence of the geometric parameters of the wall and the features of the contact soil on the resulting pressure, which can vary depending on the studied factors by 10-20%, which indicates the possibility of reducing the load on protective structures, operating with the considered indicators.

Chemical and mineralogical constitution of redoximorphic features and mechanism of formation of Plinthosols from the Araguaia River plain, Brazil

ABSTRACT Currently in Brazil, large grain cultivation projects on Plinthosols are a reality, however, there is little or no knowledge of the real mechanism of formation of the plinthite feature, in addition to what is reported in the literature as being a product of oxidation-reduction processes of iron element. This study evaluates iron redoximorphic features and investigates their chemical and mineralogical composition in two profiles of Plinthosols from the Araguaia River plain (P1 and P2). The study strengthens the understanding of the pedogenetic processes involved in the formation of mottles and plinthite. In this sense, it assesses whether the formation mechanisms corroborate the literature. Soil features were sampled in the upper right and left position at the initial plinthic horizon, upper right and left position at the main plinthic horizon, and lower right position at the base horizon of the plinthite zone in the profile. Separated samples comprising the soil matrix, mottles, and plinthite under natural moisture conditions were ground into powder form for chemical determinations by X-ray fluorescence (XRF), sulfuric acid attack (H 2 SO 4 ), sodium dithionite-citrate-bicarbonate (DCB), and ammonium acid oxalate; and mineralogical determinations by X-ray diffraction. Iron contents in all determined forms were always higher in the plinthite feature, intermediate in the mottle feature, and lower in the soil matrix feature. Most of the Fe in all redoximorphic features is included in the structure of primary minerals and their derivatives (vermiculite, illite, and VHEs). Only part of the iron present (about 35.40 % in P1 and 41.98 % in P2) is detected in the form of oxides such as goethite and hematite, which could be formed in redox processes. The mottle and plinthite features under study are not the product of the classic process of segregation, mobilization, and accumulation of iron as a consequence of redox processes. These features were formed or emerged as a result of a relatively slow and constant weathering process of their source material, which is gradually decomposed in an aqueous medium, releasing most of its components. These components include iron and more mobile elements such as bases and silicon, which leave the system through drainage water, and of which a small part may eventually recombine to form new less complex minerals such as kaolinite and oxides.

Ginseng rusty root symptoms result from nitric oxide stress in soil

Ginseng, from the roots of Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer, is a widely used herbal medicine in Asian countries, known for its excellent therapeutic properties. The growth of P. ginseng is depend on specific and strict environments, with a preference for wetness but intolerance for flooding. Under excessive soil moisture, some irregular rust-like substances are deposited on the root epidermis, causing ginseng rusty symptoms (GRS). This condition leads to a significant reduce in yield and quality, resulting in substantial economic loses. However, there is less knowledge on the cause of GRS and there are no effective treatments available for its treatment once it occurs. Unsuitable environments lead to the generation of large amounts of reactive oxygen species (ROS). We investigated the key indicators associated with the stress response during different physiological stages of GRS development. We observed a significant change in ROS level, MDA contents, antioxidant enzymes activities, and non-enzymatic antioxidants contents prior to the GRS. Through the analysis of soil features with an abundance of moisture, we further determined the source of ROS. The levels of nitrate reductase (NR) and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activities in the inter-root soil of ginseng with GRS were significantly elevated compared to those of healthy ginseng. These enzymes boost nitric oxide (NO) levels, which in turn showed a favorable correlation with the GRS. The activities of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase first rose and then decreased as GRS developed. Excess soil moisture causes a decrease in oxygen levels. This activated NR and NOS in the soil, resulting in a production of excess NO. The NO then diffused into the ginseng root and triggered a burst of ROS through NADPH located on the cell membrane. Additionally, Fe2+ in soil was oxidized to red Fe3+, and finally led to GRS. This conclusion was also verified by the Sodium Nitroprusside (SNP), a precursor compound producing NO. The presence of NO from NR and NOS in water-saturated soil is responsible for the generation of ROS. Among these, NO is the main component that contribute to the occurrence of GRS.

Distinct features of topsoil carbon fractions across urban forests in eastern China

AbstractRapid urbanization has increased the areas of urban forests that store considerable soil carbon (C). Different soil C fractions may show distinctive contents and spatial patterns in view of their contrasting sensitivities to various drivers. However, current studies on soil C fractions are mostly limited to natural ecosystems and little is known about the large‐scale patterns and drivers of soil C fractions in urban forests. Based on a field survey of urban forests across a north–south transect in eastern China, we analysed the spatial variations and main drivers of topsoil (surface layer, 0–10 cm; subsurface layer, 10–20 cm) C fractions (i.e., soil organic C, SOC; soil inorganic C, SIC; particulate organic C, POC; mineral‐associated organic C, MAOC). Our results showed that topsoil contents of POC, MAOC and SOC changed non‐linearly with latitude, with lowest values occurring in the cities in the warm temperate region. In contrast, SIC content showed the highest values in the warm temperate region. POC instead of MAOC was found to be a major fraction of SOC in urban forests. The spatial variation in topsoil POC content was mainly explained by mean annual temperature, soil clay and silt content, and park age. The spatial variation in MAOC content was mainly explained by soil clay and silt content, mean annual precipitation, mean annual temperature and park age. In contrast, the spatial variation in SIC content was mainly explained by mean annual precipitation and soil pH. These findings demonstrate distinct features of different soil C fractions in urban forests and provide useful implications for urban soil carbon management.

Iron Behaviour and Soil Properties in Hydromorphic Soils of Beni Moussa, Tadla Plain, Morocco

Abstract This study aims to determine the behaviour of iron and its relation to the physicochemical properties in the hydromorphic soils of the Tadla plain (Morocco). An extensive analysis using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA) from a statistical perspective was employed to ensure a comprehensive examination. The results reveal that the organic matter (OM) shows very high values, likely due to the collected samples near the sewerage network. Magnetic susceptibility (MS) measurements indicate that all the samples have positive and low values, indicating an abundance of paramagnetic minerals (such as ilmenite, siderite, and clay minerals). The iron concentration [ppm] increases from the top to the bottom of the Rivers, suggesting migration in a reduced form. Pearson’s correlation coefficients indicate that OM is positively correlated with cation exchange capacity (CEC) (r = 0.83) and electrical conductivity (EC) (r = 0.85) but negatively correlated with MS (r = –0.57) and iron oxide (r = 0.42). Calcium carbonate content (CaCO3) is positively correlated with sand (r = 0.49), but negatively with MS (r = –0.7). Iron (Fe) is positively correlated with frequency-dependent (FD) (r = 0.7), but negatively with sand (r = –0.608). Clay is strongly negatively correlated with silt (r = –0.88) and oxalate extractable iron oxides (Feo) (r = –0.55), respectively. These findings suggest that the physicochemical features of Beni Moussa hydromorphic soils are strongly linked and that iron in the soil is required for the stability of specific soil components.

Meso-scale investigation on the permeability of frozen soils with the lattice Boltzmann method

Complex composition and intricate pore-scale structure of frozen soils poses significant challenges in reliably and efficiently obtaining their permeability. In this study, we propose a modified quartet structure generation set (QSGS) numerical tool for generating frozen soils and present the development of a computational simulation code based on the multiple-relaxation-time lattice Boltzmann method (LBM). In the modified QSGS, the arc-shaped water-ice interface is depicted, and the influence of pore-scale geometry on freezing temperature is considered. The validity of combining the proposed QSGS model and the LBM code is proved by comparing calculated results to analytical and experimental results of porous media. Our objective was to investigate the effects of soil features, including porosity, grain diameter, shape anisotropy of soil particles, and ice content on the intrinsic permeability of frozen soil. Additionally, we examined the relationship between these features and the specific surface area and tortuosity. Numerical results show that the intrinsic permeability of frozen soils increases with increasing porosity, larger granular diameter, and anisotropy, which is identical with the pressure gradient. The presence of ice led to clogging flow pathways and drastically decreased the intrinsic permeability, which is significantly less than unfrozen soil with same effective porosity. This study provides a useful tool to investigate the intricate interplay between the pore-scale structure and the intrinsic permeability of frozen soils.

Some first observations on ant-nest morphology and micromorphology, the effects of wildfires, and their implications for the understanding of archaeological features

Ants are among the soil mesofauna that cause significant bioturbation at the location of their nests. They can have significant impact on the preservation of soil features and on post-depositional artefact distribution. Moreover, there is discussion on the natural or anthropogenic nature of so-called ‘pit-hearth’ features dating to the Mesolithic. Such features are common in parts of the Netherlands, NW Belgium, and NW Germany, and form an important body of evidence in the study of hunter-gatherer landscape use. However, it has been hypothesized that these features represent ant nests burnt due to climate-related wildfires, instead of anthropogenic pit hearths, and are therefore of little archaeological value, other than as a potential proxy for climate conditions. Considering the lack of direct evidence on underground characteristics of ant nests, we investigated the characteristics of two wood ant nests: Oone abandoned and one accidently burnt in a wildfire c. 10 years earlier. We trenched through the ant nest remains and used micromorphology to study the characteristics of the ant-influenced soil profiles. The surface domes of the ant nests had disappeared, leaving behind a bowl-shaped depression. In the burnt ant nest, a thin band of charred litter-like organic material was all that was left over from the burned superstructure. These depressions seem not to reach deeper than the top of cemented podzol Bhs-horizons. Surrounding and underneath the depression, extensive networks of tunnels and chambers were found in the B- and C-horizons. If archaeological artefacts had been present on the site, they would have become buried and moved to the top of the B-horizon. Any soil features would have been destroyed. Moreover, the extensive tunnel and chamber network extending from the depression would potentially affect the botanical record and the OSL signal of the deposits.Comparison of our results with Mesolithic pit-hearth features shows substantial differences between the two types of remains. Ant nest depressions do not extend into (cemented) podzol B horizons, whereas Mesolithic pit hearths typically have their base in the C horizons. The extensive tunnelling in B- and C-horizons of large ant nests has not been observed in Mesolithic pit-hearth features. On the other hand, the large amount of charred humus and charcoal fragments in Mesolithic pit hearths are lacking in the burned ant nest we studied. We therefore conclude that Mesolithic pit-hearth features are not the result of the burning down of ant nests, but should be regarded as anthropogenic features.

Formation and degradation of textural pedofeatures in soils of ancient tropical coastal plains in southeastern Brazil

Textural features in soils are defined as having a distinct granulometric composition compared to the surrounding groundmass. Among these, clay coatings are found in various pedo-environments, covering a range of climatic conditions, from wetter regions to semiarid areas. This study aimed to understand how textural features in ancient coastal plain soils can reveal mechanisms of their pedogenetic evolution and how this relates to environmental transformations. Three soil profiles were studied at different points in a toposequence, representing the upper, middle, and lower thirds. The study area is located in the municipality of Seropédica, in the state of Rio de Janeiro, southeastern Brazil. Morphological, physical, chemical, mineralogical, and micromorphological analyses were conducted on the selected profiles. Acrisols, formed in free-draining conditions, were later transformed into Planosols due to base level oscillation and the percolation of brackish solutions through the soils. The pedogenetic model proposed in this study involves the following stages: i) Clay formation by in situ mineral weathering, mainly of phyllosilicates, with pseudomorphization of the structures. ii) Destruction of the pseudomorphized structures by pedoplasmation with proximal migration of clay and genesis of textural features of coating and filling. iii) Partial and episodic saturation of the base of the profile with solutions enriched in sodium of a fluvial-marine nature. iv) Dispersion of the clays, leading to the destruction of the textural features and soil micromass, accompanied by relative sand enrichment and E horizon formation. v) Local lowering of the surface and smoothing of the base of the slopes. This transformation model is unprecedented for the southeastern region of Brazil, increasing the evolutionary complexity of soil genesis in areas of ancient fluvial-marine plains.

Carbon stocks in Planosols along a rainfall gradient in Northeast Brazil

Planosols have sandy-textured surface horizons that abruptly cover a dense subsoil with high clay content, which usually limits drainage and influences soil moisture. Here, we investigated changes in C storage through the pedogenic horizons of soil profile, including detailed sampling of A and B horizons along a transect to cover rainfall variation (584–1130 mm year−1) and soil cover of Planosols, including dry land areas in Northeast Brazil. The soil profile located under highest precipitation and with the greatest pedogenic development (150 cm) showed the largest C stock (101.91 Mg/ha), surpassing estimates of other soil classes. In addition, our results suggest that soil cover and pedogenesis impact C storage in Planosols. An average of 64 % of C is stored in subsurface horizons that present abundant clay fraction; thus, the dynamics of subsurface soil organic carbon (SOC) appear to be more controlled by soil features than by climate. Values of δ13C indicated the predominance of C3 plant, except in area with sugarcane cultivation (C4 plant). Changes in C distribution within the horizon suggest changes in degree of decomposability of soil organic matter (SOM), mainly in A1 and B1 layers, with A horizon richer in labile compounds. δ15N values indicated that N dynamics differ in the gradient. The thermal analyses showed that around 70 % or more of humin fraction is composed of structures more resistant to degradation, suggesting that C stock in Planosols has relative stability. However, in driest part of the climate transect, SOM may be more vulnerable to losses due to the large relative quantity of aliphatic groups in soil surface and subsurface. This work provides insights into the mechanisms the determine C storage distribution in tropical Planosols and contributes to appropriate use and management of these soils to ensure the valuable ecosystem service of C storage.

Predictive Machine Learning Model to Assess the Adsorption Efficiency of Biochar-Heavy Metals for Effective Remediation of Soil-Plant Environment.

Biochar is crucial for agricultural output and plays a significant role in effectively eliminating heavy metals (HMs) from the soil, which is essential for maintaining a soil-plant environment. This work aimed to assess machine learning models to analyze the impact of soil parameters on the transformation of HMs in biochar-soil-plant environments, considering the intricate non-linear relationships involved. A total of 211 datasets from pot or field experiments were evaluated. Fourteen factors were taken into account to assess the efficiency and bioavailability of HM-biochar amendment immobilization. Four predictive models, namely linear regression (LR), partial least squares (PLS), support vector regression (SVR), and random forest (RF), were compared to predict the immobilization efficiency of biochar-HM. The findings revealed that the RF model was created using 5-fold cross-validation, which exhibited a more reliable prediction performance. The results indicated that soil features accounted for 79.7% of the absorption of HM by crops, followed by biochar properties at 17.1% and crop properties at 3.2%. The main elements that influenced the result have been determined as the characteristics of the soil (including the presence of different HM species and the amount of clay) and the quantity and attributes of the biochar (such as the temperature at which it was produced by pyrolysis). Furthermore, the RF model was further developed to predict bioaccumulation factors (BAF) and variations in crop uptake (CCU). The R2 values were found to be 0.7338 and 0.6997, respectively. Thus, machine learning (ML) models could be useful in understanding the behavior of HMs in soil-plant ecosystems by employing biochar additions.

Hybrid soil strength prediction model for geotechnical ground investigation using convolutional neural network and ensemble learning

Abstract A hybrid model of soil strength prediction from the image data and feature data of soil was proposed, which is aimed at providing an efficient solution in geotechnical ground investigation by leveraging the power of AI. In this model, CNN purely with the encoder was used to establish the relationship between image data and strength parameters of soil, while ensemble learning stacked of three base learners, i.e., KNN, LASSO, and LSVM, was applied to the feature data. Then, the CNN part and the ensemble learning part were integrated into the loss function. Results show that the convergence of the hybrid model was slower than that of the ensemble learner. However, with the aid of soil image which has more features of soil in essence, the predicted soil strengths by the hybrid model better matched with the actual ones, compared with the ensemble learner and base learners. This hybrid model offers an effective framework of multi-modal data fusion for geotechnical engineering, by leveraging the synergy of the high-dimensional feature extraction capabilities of CNN and the generalization abilities of ensemble learning.

Successional stages in Mediterranean grasslands differ in the quality of ecosystem services in urban greenspaces

Urban habitats represent new opportunities to study natural processes such as ecological succession. Our work focused for the first time on the changes in ecosystem services occurring in the ecological succession from annual to perennial grasslands in Mediterranean peri-urban greenspaces. Student’s t test was used to analyse the influence of the grassland type on plant and soil features, and showed that soil under perennial grassland had a significantly higher C content and arylamidase and arylsulfatase activity than annual grasslands. In contrast, annual grasslands showed a significantly higher plant-species richness, and their soils had higher bulk density and phenoloxidase and arylamidase activity compared to perennial grasslands. Neither the labile nor recalcitrant fractions of the organic matter showed any significant difference between communities. When all the soil factors were included together, Redundancy Analysis revealed a significant gradient in soil phenoloxidase activity and organic matter distinguishing perennial from annual grasslands. We conclude that when annual grasslands give way to perennial grasslands through natural succession in Mediterranean greenspaces, certain ecosystem services such as soil carbon storage and water regulation improve, while biodiversity maintenance declines. Thus, Mediterranean urban greenspaces where natural succession occurs should be handled in such a way as to preserve both type of habitats in order to improve a wider range of ecosystem services.

Spontaneous vegetation recovery in recently abandoned avocado (Persea americana Mill.) orchards in semi‐arid Central Chile

AbstractAvocado (Persea americana Mill.) is an important commodity with substantial global growth in semi‐arid regions under irrigation, such as Central Chile. This region of Chile has faced severe drought that has resulted in the abandonment of avocado orchards, previously established in a global biodiversity hotspot. This study investigates the early effects of abandonment of avocado farms on vegetation recovery and soil after severe droughts. We measured and characterized early plant successional processes by identifying the flora, vegetation coverage, similarity, and soil characterization through 42 transects distributed in four recently abandoned sites, a productive farm, and a natural site. Multivariate analysis was used to identify significant relationships between soil and habitat properties and vegetation abundance and coverage variations for the dominant species. The Jaccard similarity coefficient was used to compare sites. The establishment of native or endemic species was extremely limited and variable between sites. In total, we recorded 55 vascular plants (49.1% were native). The results indicated that Schinus molle L. has become a dominant colonizer, particularly in highly disturbed planting rows in abandoned farms. Factors such as the sources of S. molle propagules, soil salinity, and organic matter accumulation were identified as key predictors of its coverage and presence in abandoned farms. The study concludes that the abandonment of avocado farms, coupled with severe drought, has created favorable conditions for the recruitment of this species, adversely impacting other native species. This research underscores the importance of considering the remaining features of soil and habitat in new successional processes in highly disturbed areas.

Origin and evolution of soil materials of the Paleo-Chadian linear-dune landscape in the Far North Region of Cameroon

The mineralogy and micromorphology of associated red Arenosols and both yellow and grey Gleysols of the Paleo-Chadian linear-dune landscape of the Far North Region of Cameroon were studied in order to obtain information about depositional environments and pedogenic processes. Differences between the red soils and both others include a significant difference in clay content, which is much higher in the grey and yellow soils. The composition of the clay fraction is also different, with kaolinite and illite as main mineral phases in the red soils, whereas smectite is strongly predominant in the grey soils and a major phase in the yellow soils. Mössbauer spectroscopy analysis reveals a predominance of hematite as iron oxide mineral in the red soils, in contrast to goethite-predominance in the yellow soils. Thin section observations reveal poor sorting of the coarse fraction, differences in feldspar content, and an absence of reworked clay aggregates, as well as the presence of pore-related carbonate features in the grey soils and iron oxide nodules in the grey and yellow soils. The obtained results indicate that the red soils are derived from a different parent material than the other soils. The grey soils developed on flood-related fluvial deposits in interdune depressions, whereas the red soils formed on aeolian sands and the yellow soils show a mixed origin. In the interdune depressions, hydromorphic conditions led to iron reduction and pedogenic carbonate enrichment.