Scarcity Of Soil Research Articles

The soil crisis – signal of a continuing crisis in humanity’s thinking

Soil is the basis of life on planet Earth and therefore naturally belongs to all of humanity. In fact, the ownership of the soil is a determinant of the ownership of life. In 2004, with Slovakia’s accession to the European Union, Slovak soil was also included in the European Union’s reservoir of soil wealth. At present, soil and its protection belong to a pan-European area of interest, forming a unified system of legislative protection and practical use of land. However, in the light of the European Union’s current objectives of preserving a sustainable environment, the system of soil protection and use is facing new challenges determined by economic oscillation. One such challenge is the problem of what can be described as the ‘soil crisis’. The soil crisis risks giving rise to phenomena that could lead to a trend towards soil scarcity, soil loss or even soil extinction. The soil crisis is a signal of a continuing crisis in humanity’s thinking.

The Impact of Water and Soil Scarcity and Pollution on Industrial Agglomeration: Evidence from China

Water and soil scarcity and pollution have become more severe problems in China in recent years. On one hand, rapid economic growth has led to increasing environmental problems. On the other hand, the environmental problems resulting from human economic activities can impose new constraints on industrial agglomeration, making economic development unsustainable. In the present study, an individual fixed-effect model was constructed based on the framework of the new economic geography and the provincial-level data of China. The model estimated its parameters with OLS in order to analyze how the mechanisms of industrial agglomeration are affected by resource security and environmental factors. In addition, this study also used Hausman statistical tests and Fisher–PP unit root tests to analyze the endogenous problems and robustness of the model, respectively. The results showed that water and soil scarcity and environmental pollution have negative effects on industrial agglomeration. The negative effects were observed to significantly increase with levels of local government competition, but did not vary with the regional market segmentation.

Protohistoric pastoral landscape in northern Istria revealed by airborne LiDAR: hill forts, enclosures and long linear walls in the Mali Kras plateau (southwestern Slovenia)

This paper presents the results of an international research aimed at investigating the ancient landscape of the Mali Kras plateau, a sector of northern Istria (southwestern Slovenia). The remains of two main protohistoric hill forts, Mali Kras and Socerb, and a few minor sites were already reported from this area. A cemetery, associated with Socerb hill fort, was in use between the sixth century BC and the first century AD. Airborne LiDAR remote sensing of Mali Kras plateau has allowed to identify several unknown archaeological features, ranging from approximately square features (30 × 30 m) to larger enclosures with different shapes, very long linear features and stone mounds. The elaboration and digitization of high-definition remote sensing data compared with historical cartography, field surveys, targeted small-scale excavations and thermoluminescence dating have been performed in order to decode the complex archaeological palimpsest. The square structures can be attributed to Middle-Recent Bronze Age on the basis of pottery finds. These structures are located close to natural passages from the plateau to the gulf of Trieste, in areas with low visibility and scarcity of soil, which were traditionally used for grazing activities. The other identified enclosures, some of them sharing a similar chronology, were also probably used for pastoral activities but for other purposes since their shape and size are different. Two main long drystone walls define the southeastern sector of Mali Kras plateau in correspondence of the most accessible entrance to the area. The preliminary data and comparisons with similar structures suggest these walls could correspond to protohistoric linear boundaries built to delimit grazing or agricultural areas under direct control of the nearby settlements. The enclosures identified at Mali Kras plateau, most probably connected to herding activities, and perhaps the long linear walls too, could reflect the development of new husbandry practices in the Middle-Recent Bronze Age in the karst areas of the north Adriatic hinterland, such as observed in the alpine territory.

Mid‐term effects on ecosystem services of quarry restoration with Technosols under Mediterranean conditions: 10‐year impacts on soil organic carbon and vegetation development

The use of Technosols for the restoration of limestone quarries overcomes the usual “in situ” scarcity of soil and/or its poor quality. The use of mine spoils, improved with mineral and/or organic amendments, could be an efficient and environmentally friendly option. Properly treated sewage sludge from urban wastewater treatment plants could be a suitable organic amendment and fertilizer (rich in N and P) whenever its pollutant burden is low (heavy metals and/or organic pollutants). Its appropriate use could improve essential soil physical and chemical properties and, therefore, promote key ecosystem services of restored areas, such as biomass production and carbon sequestration, as well as biodiversity and landscape recovery. However, the mid‐term impacts of these restoration practices on soil functioning and their services have rarely been reported in the available literature. In this study we assess the mid‐term effects (10 years) of the use of sewage sludge as a Technosol amendment on soil organic carbon (SOC), nutrient status, and plant development in several restored quarries. Soils restored using sewage sludge showed a threefold increase in SOC compared to the corresponding unamended ones, despite the moderate sludge dosage applied (below 50 tonnes/ha). Plant cover was also higher in amended soils, and recruitment was not affected by sludge amendment at these doses. This study demonstrates that, used at an appropriate rate, sewage sludge is a good alternative for the valorization of mine spoils in quarry restoration, improving some important regulatory ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration, without compromising woody plant encroachment.

The dual strategy of the bromeliad Pitcairnia burchellii Mez to cope with desiccation

Pitcairnia burchellii is a bromeliad found in Brazilian rocky outcrops. Given its capacity to cope with soil scarcity and extreme water deficit, this species is thought to behave as a resurrection plant. Herein, we evaluated water relations, gas exchange, the content of pigments, sugar and abscisic acid (ABA), and the metabolic profile of P. burchellii plants during desiccation and recovery after rehydration. During water withholding, the net photosynthesis rate, transpiration, and chlorophyll content decreased rapidly whereas leaf and root soluble carbohydrates increased presumably due to the starch breakdown. These drought-induced physiological changes were associated with a significant increase in leaf ABA content. Marked changes in amino acids, sugar alcohols such as galactinol and erythritol and dehydroascorbic acid levels were observed after desiccation. Our findings indicate that P. burchellii tolerates leaf protoplasmic dehydration and recovers its normal cellular metabolism within a short period after rehydration, as described for other resurrection species. However, plants of P. burchellii subjected to long-term desiccation presented a long delay in foliar tissue dehydration when compared with soil moisture loss, suggesting a cooperative role of the rhizome to cope with extreme water deficit.

Multi-temporal scale changes of streamflow and sediment discharge in the headwaters of Yellow River and Yangtze River on the Tibetan Plateau, China

The changes of water and sediment discharges in the headwaters of large Asian rivers have increasingly become a hot issue. This study investigated the streamflow and sediment discharge changes in the headwaters of Yellow River Basin (YRB) and Yangtze River Basin (YARB) by using long-term hydro-meteorological data from 1956 to 2012. The nonparametric Mann–Kendall test, Pettitt test, cumulative anomaly curve (CAC), and double cumulative curve (DCC) were used to identify trends and change points of the hydro-meteorological variables and quantify the response of streamflow and sediment discharge to climate change and anthropogenic activities. The results are as follows. (1) Slightly decreasing trend in streamflow and increasing trend in sediment discharge were detected from 1956 to 2012 in the headwater of YRB. Meanwhile, both streamflow and sediment discharge in the headwater of YARB showed increasing trend. Change-point analyses further revealed that turning (transition) years existed and the abrupt decline in streamflow and sediment discharge began in 1989. (2) The specific sediment yield–runoff depth and sediment concentration–streamflow relationships in the two basins could be well fitted by the power function on the annual, flood season, and monthly scales. Sediment productive ability of runoff during the flood season was much greater than that over the full year. (3) The headwater of YRB contributed huge amount of water resources and very little sediment to the downstream, however, the headwater of YARB had little influence on downstream. (4) Compared with the baseline period (1956–1989), precipitation reduction played a major role in the streamflow and sediment discharge reductions in the post-baseline period (1990–2012). Given the scarcity of soil and water resources, anthropogenic and climatic impacts on streamflow and sediment discharge must be given more attention in the future.

The 4Rs for cover crops and other advances in cover crop management for environmental quality

Humans have used soil resources for thousands of years. Human use has degraded and eroded soil worldwide in ways that damage food production, biodiversity, and ecosystem services. A direct implication of soil degradation is that soil scarcity will become a critical future problem for global agricultural production. With limited new lands for cultivation worldwide and a projected increase in global population to 10 billion this century, long-term agricultural sustainability is an increasing global concern. To conserve soil, better agricultural methods that sustain the soil are needed (Montgomery 2007). Soil management must focus on regaining a balance in (1) organic carbon (C) inputs and losses, (2) soil erosion and production, and (3) release and loss of nutrients (Amundson et al. 2015). Soil does far more than just support farming and forestry. It stores C, filters water, transforms nutrients, and sustains plant and animal biodiversity by conservation of critical shrinking wildlife habitat. It is unclear how these essential processes will respond to agricultural intensification, or how they might be enhanced in tandem with farming (Banwart 2011).

Hydrogeology of the Skadar Lake basin (Southeast Dinarides) with an assessment of considerable subterranean inflow

The Skadar Lake basin is located in the south-eastern part of the classical Dinaric karst region (northern Mediterranean). This region is well known for its highly developed karst and the presence of all types of karstic features. In addition to the high degree of karstification, the advantage of Skadar Lake’s catchment area in terms of water resources is also reflected in the following factors: a large amount of precipitation, scarcity of soil and vegetation cover, favourable geological and geomorphological conditions for karst aquifer discharge, the isolation of the Skadar basin from the influence of the Adriatic Sea and an availability of water for simple abstraction. For the purposes of a more complete determination of the water balance of Skadar Lake, among other undertakings, it has been necessary to determine the groundwater inflow to the lake through numerous sublacustrine springs (vruljas). By using thermal infrared satellite and terrestrial imaging, the locations of the largest sublacustrine springs have been detected and their yield assessed by means of water balance calculation after the application of the KARSTLOP method. The mean annual groundwater inflow to the lake, from the south-western edge only, is 9.86 m3/s. The total outflow of water from the lake through the Bojana River is around 304 m3/s. The coincidence of several important natural factors leads to the large average specific yield (surface and subsurface) in the Skadar Lake catchment area (54 l/s/km2), which makes this region one of the richest areas of freshwater in the world.

草原化荒漠草本植物对人工施加磷素的响应

PDF HTML阅读 XML下载 导出引用 引用提醒 草原化荒漠草本植物对人工施加磷素的响应 DOI: 10.5846/stxb201011021568 作者: 作者单位: 中国科学院寒区旱区环境与工程研究所 作者简介: 通讯作者: 中图分类号: 基金项目: 中国科学院重要方向项目(KZCX2-EW-301);国家自然科学基金资助项目(40930636) Response of herbaceous vegetation to phosphorus fertilizer in steppe desert Author: Affiliation: Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute , Chinese Academy of Sciences Fund Project: 摘要 | 图/表 | 访问统计 | 参考文献 | 相似文献 | 引证文献 | 资源附件 | 文章评论 摘要:利用人工外源施加磷素的野外试验研究了荒漠区草本植物群落物种丰富度、多度、盖度、生物量、优势种株高等生态学特征对不同磷素水平的响应。试验结果表明:在水肥充足的施肥当年,物种丰富度和多度均随着施磷水平的提高而下降,50 g/m2的高肥处理下二者均显著低于不施肥的对照(P < 0.05)。盖度和地上部生物量在施肥当年均随着施磷水平的提高而增加,50 g/m2的高肥处理下二者与对照相比其增幅分别达到了47.59%和360.49%(P < 0.05)。而在干旱的年份,即施肥后第2年,物种丰富度、多度、盖度和地上部生物量在不同磷素水平下其和对照间的差异均不显著(P > 0.05)。另外,外源磷素的施加会降低荒漠区草本植物的地下部生物量;而优势种草本植物茵陈蒿、多根葱、无芒隐子草和锋芒草株高对不同水肥耦合模式的响应存在种间差异。可见,在湿润的年份,外源磷素的施加会降低荒漠区草本植物群落的物种多样性,但会提高其种群生产力;而在干旱的年份,水分的缺乏抑制了磷肥残效的作用,外源磷素施加后对荒漠区草本植物群落物种多样性和种群生产力的影响不显著。表明水分为荒漠区草本植物生长的第一非生物限制性因子,水、肥可共为限制性因素。 Abstract:In desert ecosystems, low soil moisture and high soil alkalinity decrease phosphorus (P) bioavailability, which results in a scarcity of soil P. Low soil P availability limits plant growth, development and reproduction, and consequently P is one of the most important limiting factors for vegetation growth and restoration in desert ecosystems. Furthermore, productivity of most plant communities increases following nutrient addition, while species diversity shows different responses to nutrient addition. Nevertheless, little attention has been directed towards identification and quantification of P pools in water-limited desert ecosystems, and results of P fertilization experiments in non-arid regions are not applicable to arid regions receiving <200 mm annual precipitation. The aim of this study was to understand the effects of artificial P addition on the vegetation structure of herbage synusia and to offer a solid basis for long-term restoration and scientific management of desert ecosystems. We selected the herbaceous vegetation in steppe desert on the southeastern margin of the temperate Tengger Desert, northern China, as a case study and collected data through field surveys after artificial addition of P fertilizer in spring. Phosphorus fertilizer was added in the first year, in which the annual precipitation was 271 mm (1.4 times the average annual precipitation). In the second year, no P was applied and the annual precipitation was 127 mm. The species, number of individuals, height and coverage were recorded monthly. Using these data, we analyzed the response in species richness, abundance, coverage, biomass and the height of frequent species of the desert herbaceous vegetation community to artificially amended P under ambient precipitation. Species richness and abundance decreased gradually with increasing level of P fertilization in the first year, and both variables did not change significantly in response to 12.5 and 25 g/m2 fertilization (P > 0.05), but decreased significantly with 50 g/m2 fertilization treatment, compared with the control (P < 0.05). Coverage and aboveground biomass increased gradually with the increase in P fertilization level in the same year, and in the 50 g/m2 fertilization treatment the coverage and aboveground biomass increased by 47.59% and 360.49%, respectively, compared with the control (P < 0.05). In the second year, species richness, abundance, coverage and aboveground biomass all showed no significant difference in the different fertilization treatments compared with the control (P > 0.05). The plant community composition changed markedly following P addition, with species number decreasing from 12 to 6 in the first year and to 5 in the second year. Addition of P decreased root biomass of the herbaceous plants. Artemisia capillaris Thunb., Cleistogenes songorica (Roshev.) Ohwi, Allium polyrhizum Turcz. ex Regel and Tragus berteronianus Schult. showed different responses in plant height to P addition under different water-nutrient regimes. It is inferred that P addition is able to decrease species diversity and improve plant productivity of the desert herbaceous vegetation community in a moist year, whereas low annual precipitation inhibits the residual effect of P fertilizer in the subsequent drier year, which resulted in no significant effect on species diversity and population productivity. Generally, our results indicate that water is the most important abiotic factor for the growth of the desert herbaceous vegetation, and that water and nutrient are colimiting factors in the desert ecosystem. 参考文献 相似文献 引证文献

Biogeochemical effect of karst soil on the element contents in the leaves of two species of Flos Lonicerae

In order to study the characteristics of element values in the cell of plants and soils and their relationships that would help to evaluate the biogeochemical effect of soil on the element contents in the cells of plants in the same environment of Southwestern China, the soil samples were collected for analysis and the weight and atom percentage of elements (WT% and AT%) in the leaves of two different species of &lt;I&gt;Flos Lonicerae&lt;/I&gt; were analyzed by the electron probe (EDX-9100). The results of soil analysis show that the nutrient element contents in the soil are determined by the liable content of elements, which were arranged as: Ca &gt; Mg &gt; Cu &gt; Mn &gt; K &gt; Na &gt; P &gt; B &gt; SiO&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; &gt; Zn &gt; Fe, even though the total element values in soil of different horizons were arranged as: SiO&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; &gt; Fe &gt; Ca &gt; Mg &gt; K &gt; Na &gt; Mn &gt; P &gt; Zn &gt; B &gt; Cu. It indicates that karst environment is composed of soluble calcium-rich rock and soil scarcity. Moreover, the migratory velocity and availability of elements are also determined by their coefficient variability. According to statistical results, Ca, Mn and P in the soil have high coefficient variability, reflecting its background of karst soil. Based on the electron probe, it is shown that the content of Ca is higher while Mg is the lowest in the cell of two different species of &lt;I&gt;Flos Lonicerae (r&lt;/I&gt; = –0.156, &lt;I&gt;P&lt;/I&gt; &lt; 0.05) and the content of P in the cell is inferior to Ca (&lt;I&gt;&lt;/I&gt;r = 0.868, &lt;I&gt;P&lt;/I&gt; &lt; 0.01). By studying the relationship of soil and the plants, it can be seen that these results are probably caused by the characteristics of local biogeochemistry. Ca is mainly absorbed by plant with the help of transpiration and accumulated in the cell, and thus becomes a predominant element in the cell. The accumulation of Ca in cell of plant will affect the absorbency and the content of other elements in the cell of &lt;I&gt;Flos Lonicerae&lt;/I&gt;, resulting in the different contents of other elements in the &lt;I&gt;Flos Lonicerae&lt;/I&gt; through synergistic and antagonistic action, followed by the affected quality and officinal value of the &lt;I&gt;Flos Lonicerae&lt;/I&gt;.

Patterns of plant traits in Pyrenean alpine vegetation

Here we studied the adaptation of plant communities to environment in the alpine belt of the Catalan Pyrenees through comparative analysis of plant traits. The starting point consisted of about 800 phytocoenological relevés from the Banc de Dades de Biodiversitat de Catalunya, which corresponded to 47 communities (associations and subassociations) and included 683 taxa. Eleven attributes were examined in each community. Some of these traits are directly referred to the community level (averages of cover, species richness or diversity of life forms) and others to species level, but expressed as the relative cover in the communities (percentages of life forms, succulence, evergreeness, woodiness, lateral spread ability, dissemination type). Alpine landscape is mainly made up of hemicryptophytes, of which graminoids dominate in terms of cover and non-graminoids in species number. Strong persistence via plurennial stocks or dense turfs, entire above-ground renewal over winter, lateral spreading over short distances and generalistic diaspore dissemination complete the main attributes of the High Pyrenees and most alpine floras. Nevertheless, considerable percentages of particular plant types (like therophytes, various kinds of chamaephytes, succulents, evergreens and berry-producers) give a highly diversified alpine belt. On the basis of the attributes, we performed a fuzzy multivariate classification of plant communities, which gave seven main vegetation groups, and five subgroups in the largest category (pastures). Most of the groups coincided with high-level syntaxa (classes, orders) and corresponded to the main habitats of the alpine belt, defined in terms of topography and related soil and microclimate descriptors. With respect to the spectrum of attributes of the whole alpine flora, the most differentiated groups of communities corresponded to several main habitats, all of which associated with stress conditions (scarcity of soil, unfertile or waterlogged substrata). These plant communities tend to be species-poor and show relatively high percentages of particular types. Groups less differentiated from the global spectrum included mainly richer communities with more shared dominances, and correspond to more balanced environments.

Measurement of the scarcity of soil in agriculture

The paper defines the concept of land degradation and costs and effects of soil erosion. Through the concept of optimal levels of soil erosion, a conceptual model of the social costs of soil degradation is elaborated. The discussion focuses on the measurement aspects of the economic scarcity of soil in the agriculture sector. Reliable estimates of the true impacts of soil degradation can only be made if data on marginal damage costs and marginal conservation costs are available. The different scarcity indicators are evaluated and competitive land rental prices are considered as appropriate in indicating soil scarcity in agriculture.

Economic assessment of technological change and land degradation in agriculture: application to the Sri Lanka tea sector

Productivity change is an important potential aspect of technological change, so that productivity measurement plays a crucial role in assessing the effects of technological change in agriculture. This study contributes to an understanding of total factor productivity change by assessing the extent and nature of such change for the Sri Lankan tea industry over the period 1960–1995. The total factor productivity measures are then used to define a conceptually sound measure of the production cost of land degradation, providing insight into the scarcity of soil in the tea sector. Based on the theoretical relationship of the impact of technological progress and land degradation on tea production, a regression model is fitted to decompose the total factor productivity variable. Technological change, when the study period as a whole is considered, produced cost savings, rather than output increases. Tea output levels have been maintained, despite significant decreases in total inputs. On the basis of available data and the chosen model, it could be concluded that the positive impact of technological progress has outweighed the negative effect of land degradation in Sri Lanka's tea sector, over the study period. The study highlights the systems aspect of analysis into the productivity and land degradation issues in agriculture.

Estado actual del conocimiento y la conservación de los moluscos continentales de Costa Rica

The high biodiversity level in Costa Rica reflects a complex topography as well as species input from South and North America, including the Caribbean. However, terrestrial malacofauna is not very diverse when compared with other groups such as insects. A possible cause is the scarcity of soil rich in calcium carbonate. Endemism is 31% in terrestrial species and 8% in freshwater species. A total of 233 species and subspecies have been reported from the country (50 freshwater and 183 terrestrial). Dangerous influences for the continental mollusks include water pollution, deforestation and the destruction of calcium-rich habitats (they have no legal protection). I recommend the protection of calcium-rich soil still covered by forest, wetlands, sites with high abundance or biodiversity, and mountain forests (especially those over 1500 m of altitude). Taxonomic and ecologic studies are the priority for conservation biology of the Costa Rican mollusks.

Reversing desertification by using dam reservoir sediments as agriculture soils

Bottom sediments from two reservoirs in South Portugal were subject to chemical, physical and mineralogical study to test their suitability for agricultural use. In spite of large differences in geomorphic characteristics and lithology of the drainage basin, they have high levels of total, exchangeable and soluble forms of nutritional elements much needed for sustainable food-fibre production. Comparing our results with natural soils, we conclude that sandy sediments could be good agricultural soils on their own and the more clayey varieties, fertilizers for low quality soils. If sediment removal from the reservoirs becomes economically feasible, the suitability for agricultural use may eventually solve some classical problems such as: (1) the period of life of dam reservoirs filled with sediments, (2) the water quality, and (3) the scarcity of soils in some regions, turning a global problem into a global resource.