Temporary Cover Research Articles

Vineyard cover crop management strategies and their effect on soil properties across Europe

AbstractVineyard soils are often of inherently poor quality with low organic carbon content. Management can improve soil properties and thus soil fertility. In European wine‐growing regions, a broad range of inter‐row management strategies evolved based on specific local site conditions and the varying effects of management intensities on soil, water balance, yield and grape quality. Accordingly, there is a need to investigate the effects of locally common cover crop management strategies and tillage intensity on soil organic carbon content and soil physical parameters. In this study, we investigated the impact of the most common inter‐row management practices in Austria, France, Romania and Spain. In all countries, we compared paired sites. Each site with cover crops and inter‐row management of low intensity was compared with one site with (temporarily) bare soil and high management intensity. All studied sites with cover crops and low management intensity, except those in Spain, had higher organic carbon contents than the paired more intensively managed vineyards. However, the highly water‐limited Spanish vineyards with temporary cover crops had lower organic carbon contents than the paired sites with bare soil. Sites with more organic carbon had better results for bulk density, percolation stability (PS), hydraulic conductivity and available soil water, with soil hydraulic parameters being less pronounced than others. Country comparison of inter‐row weed control systems showed that PS was particularly low in sampled vineyards in Romania and Spain, where weed control is based on intensive mechanical tillage. Alternating management systems with tillage every second inter‐row showed a decrease in soil structure compared with permanent green cover. Thus, inter‐row management with cover crops and reduced tillage increases soil organic carbon content and improves soil structure compared with bare soil management. If local constraints, such as water scarcity, do not allow year‐round planting, alternating inter‐row management with several years of alternating periods may be an option to mitigate those adverse effects. However, negative impact on the soil structure occurs with the very first tillage operation, whereas negative effects on the carbon balance only appear after long‐term use of tillage.

Graft take outcomes of burn patients transplanted with CEA derived from a modified composite culture technique: A case series.

Low-cost and efficient culture environments comparable to standard techniques would undoubtedly improve burn outcomes in under-resourced settings. The aim of this case series was to report on the CEA graft-take using a modified composite culture technique. CEA transplants, following emergency ethical approval, occurred for burn patients (n=25) with low survival prognosis and/or exhausted donor sites. Keratinocytes were retrieved from skin biopsies, seeded centrally on routinely-used dressing gauze and incubated at 37 °C in pediatric incubators. Fresh autogenous plasma was applied daily and hydrogel every third or fourth day. After confluence, the CEA was transplanted onto debrided wound beds. Xenografts were used for temporary cover during the culture period. Final graft take assessment (21 days) was assessed and calculated as a graft take percentage for total CEA area transplanted. Central indices were described as mean (95% CI) and frequency (%) for age, total body surface area, abbreviated burn severity index scores, survival prognosis and graft take. Eleven patients survived with a mean age of 36.1 years (95% CI 25.8-46.4), 45.0 %TBSA burns (95% CI 35.1-54.9), 9.7 ABSI scores (95% CI 8.6-10.8) and 79.5% graft take (95% CI 62.9-96.0). Reduced graft take (61.2%) was observed in patients with perineum burns and increased graft take (97%) in uncomplicated burns. The average CEA graft take was 79.5% using a low-cost culture technique and comparable to the largest case series in literature. The survival of the major burn cases was highly favourable considering injury severity, expected outcomes without CEA and the observed challenges.

Successful salvage of upper extremity following severe crush injury associated with vascular compromise using a supra thin free anterolateral thigh flap

Traumatic injuries of the upper limbs can often result in serious and challenging wounds involving multiple compartments such as skin, bone, tendons and neurovascular structures. These type of injuries of the upper extremity pose several challenges to the plastic surgeon. The main difficulty is to provide a stable, long lasting and aesthetically acceptable coverage that enables joints excursion so that patient can return to work at the earliest. Here, we present a case of 45 years old gentlemen who sustained severe crush injury associated with avulsed radial and ulnar artery of left upper limb following road traffic accident. At presentation, there was no pin prick in his hand and hand was pale. At first surgery, hand was revascularized using a vein graft in radial artery and skin grafting was done over the forearm defect as a temporary cover. After 12 hours, when the viability of hand was reassured, the defect was covered with free supra thin anterolateral thigh (ALT) flap. Patient’s hand and flap both survived and he was discharged in a satisfactory condition.

Comparison of Intact Fish Skin Graft and Allograft as Temporary Coverage for Full-Thickness Burns: A Non-Inferiority Study.

The extent and depth of burn injury may mandate temporary use of cadaver skin (allograft) to protect the wound and allow the formation of granulation tissue while split-thickness skin grafts (STSGs) are serially harvested from the same donor areas. However, allografts are not always available and have a high cost, hence the interest in identifying more economical, readily available products that serve the same function. This study evaluated intact fish skin graft (IFSG) as a temporary cover to prepare the wound bed for STSG application. Thirty-six full-thickness (FT) 5 × 5 cm burn wounds were created on the dorsum of six anesthetized Yorkshire pigs on day -1. To mimic the two-stage clinical situation, on day 0, wounds were excised down to a bleeding wound bed and a temporary cover (either IFSG or cadaver porcine skin) was applied; then, on day 7, wounds were debrided to a viable wound bed prior to the application of autologous 1.5:1 meshed STSG (mSTSG). Rechecks were performed on days 14, 21, 28, 45, and 60 with digital images, non-invasive measurements, and punch biopsies. The IFSG created a granulated wound bed receptive to the application of an mSTSG. FT burn wounds treated with an IFSG had similar outcome measures, including contraction rates, trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) measurements, hydration, and blood perfusion levels, compared to cadaver skin-treated burn wounds. Pathology scoring indicated significant differences between the allograft- and IFSG-treated wounds on day 7, with the IFSG having increased angiogenesis, granulation tissue formation, and immune cells. Pathology scoring indicated no significant differences once mSTSGs were applied to wounds. The IFSG performed as well as cadaver skin as a temporary cover and was not inferior to the standard of care, suggesting the potential to transition IFSGs into clinical use for burns.

Permeabilitas Tanah Lanau Sebagai Temporary Landfill Cover yang Distabilisasi dengan Bakteri dan Larutan Sementasi

In the development of waste management, piles of rubbish can produce liquid waste called leachate. Leachate from landfills can affect human health and pollute the environment and aquatic biota because leachate contains various chemical compounds and many pathogenic bacteria. To minimize the impact of landfill waste on the surrounding environment, the waste is covered with material that can isolate it from the surrounding environment. This research aims to determine the optimal level of cementation solution addition to waste sludge as temporary landfill cover using the MICP method. The research results reveal that the sample permeability meets the criteria for a temporary cover landfill, where the permeability specification limits are between 10-4 to 10-5 cm/s. The research revealed that 0.25M cementation solution and Bacillus Subtilis bacteria had the lowest permeability. Soil without cementation solution has a permeability coefficient value of 5.04×10-4 cm/s, and decreases to 6.67×10-5 cm/s with a cementation solution concentration of 0.25M over a 28-day peram period. Variations in the 0.25M cementation solution showed its ability to reduce soil permeability by up to 86.7%. Permeability has decreased, which means the soil pores are getting smaller. Thus, this addition can reduce soil permeability and minimize the possibility of environmental damage by leachate.

Xenograft: a suitable treatment of eyelid complications in long-standing necrobiotic xanthogranuloma.

A porcine xenograft was successfully used as a temporary biological cover for severe xanthogranulomatous defects of the eyelid. Xenografts were successfully used in both upper and lower eyelid reconstructions. Other surgical techniques or the use of full-thickness skin grafts were not possible.

Construction of Temporary Landfill Shield by Utilizing MICP Stabilized Water Treatment Plant Sludge Waste

The addition of Bacillus Subtilis bacteria to the mud soil at IPAM (Integrated Wastewater Treatment Plant) Perumda Tirta Manuntung Km.8 in Balikpapan City aimed to enhance its suitability as a temporary cover layer in places like landfills. Initial mud testing revealed key characteristics: Chemical Characteristics: The mud's specific chemical composition was identified, providing a foundation for a deeper understanding of its properties. Physical Characteristics: The mud falls into the fine-grained soil category, with 63% of particles passing through a No. 200 sieve. Moisture content is high at 42.54%, primarily composed of silt (39.8%) and clay (25%). Mechanical Characteristics: Standard proctor tests yielded a maximum dry unit weight of 1.099 gr/cc and an optimum water content of 33.65%. Initial soil permeability met temporary landfill cover criteria, with a permeability value of 5.04×10-4 cm/s. Further research demonstrated that by introducing Bacillus Subtilis bacteria at varying concentrations and incubation periods, mud permeability could be altered. The highest permeability, 4.27×10-4 cm/s, was achieved with an 8% bacteria concentration and a 7-day incubation period, while the lowest permeability, 1.19×10-5 cm/s, resulted from an 8% bacteria concentration and a 28-day incubation period. These findings suggest that Bacillus Subtilis addition can modify mud permeability, making it more suitable as a temporary landfill cover. This presents a potential solution for more effective IPAM management.

Cutaneous Cell Therapy Manufacturing Timeframe Rationalization: Allogeneic Off-the-Freezer Fibroblasts for Dermo-Epidermal Combined Preparations (DE-FE002-SK2) in Burn Care.

Autologous cell therapy manufacturing timeframes constitute bottlenecks in clinical management pathways of severe burn patients. While effective temporary wound coverings exist for high-TBSA burns, any means to shorten the time-to-treatment with cytotherapeutic skin grafts could provide substantial therapeutic benefits. This study aimed to establish proofs-of-concept for a novel combinational cytotherapeutic construct (autologous/allogeneic DE-FE002-SK2 full dermo-epidermal graft) designed for significant cutaneous cell therapy manufacturing timeframe rationalization. Process development was based on several decades (four for autologous protocols, three for allogeneic protocols) of in-house clinical experience in cutaneous cytotherapies. Clinical grade dermal progenitor fibroblasts (standardized FE002-SK2 cell source) were used as off-the-freezer substrates in novel autologous/allogeneic dermo-epidermal bilayer sheets. Under vitamin C stimulation, FE002-SK2 primary progenitor fibroblasts rapidly produced robust allogeneic dermal templates, allowing patient keratinocyte attachment in co-culture. Notably, FE002-SK2 primary progenitor fibroblasts significantly outperformed patient fibroblasts for collagen deposition. An ex vivo de-epidermalized dermis model was used to demonstrate the efficient DE-FE002-SK2 construct bio-adhesion properties. Importantly, the presented DE-FE002-SK2 manufacturing process decreased clinical lot production timeframes from 6-8 weeks (standard autologous combined cytotherapies) to 2-3 weeks. Overall, these findings bear the potential to significantly optimize burn patient clinical pathways (for rapid wound closure and enhanced tissue healing quality) by combining extensively clinically proven cutaneous cell-based technologies.

Does olive cultivation sequester carbon?: Carbon balance along a C input gradient

Currently, there are some initiatives aimed at transforming agriculture from being a source to a sink of greenhouse gases, mainly by encouraging combination of management practices that drive nature-based climate processes (NbCS) resulting in an increase in the stocks of soil and biomass organic carbon. Olive grove cultivation represents a key socio-economic and environmental asset for Mediterranean rural regions. Being a woody crop planted in an orchard fashion, the potential for organic carbon accumulation in the biomass and the soil is very high. In this study, farm, trees and soil carbon balances were analysed in 12 pairs of olive groves located in Southern Spain with different tree densities, age, varieties and irrigation regimens. One from each pair of the olive groves has applied (> 8 years) a combination of management practices that promote NbCS resulting in an increase in the entry of carbon, whereas the other comparable nearby olive grove has not implemented management practices that promote NbCS or C entries (non-NbCS). C balance at the farm level was mainly neutral or positive and averaged + 1.20 Mg C ha−1 y−1. However, C balance in the NbCS olive groves was 5 times higher than that of the non-NbCS. The mean soil C balances were negative (−0.18 Mg C ha−1 y−1; losing soil organic C) in the non-NbCS and positive (+1.48 Mg C ha−1y−1) in the NbCS olive groves thanks to the increase in the carbon entries due to the management practices which boost NbCS. This study highlights the important contribution of olive farming in mitigating climate change, which in turn would be an economic incentive for olive growers. Nonetheless, there is a high potential for improvement by implementing management practices which enhance nature-based processes such as the cultivation of temporary spontaneous cover crops and the application of shredded tree pruning and composted olive mill pomace and/or manure to the soil.

Practical psychiatry: Providing temporary psychiatric cover.

Psychiatric cover for healthcare staffing shortfalls is increasingly common post-pandemic. We aim to provide comprehensive practical advice on providing temporary inpatient or outpatient cover as a psychiatrist, based on the authors' clinical experience and the existing research literature. There is limited peer-reviewed advice available on providing safe and effective temporary psychiatric consultant cover for patient care. We suggest a framework for reviewing the potential hazards and benefits of a temporary post, and planning for the role, guided by consideration of the following: caring for patients, supporting staff, working with peers, and understanding local healthcare systems and the local regulatory environment. Application of this reflective framework is informed by the psychiatrist's assessment of the temporary role, and consideration of the local service conditions.

Современные взгляды на проблему местного лечения ожоговых ран

The issues of modern tactics of burn wounds local treatment using various medications and temporarywound coverings were reviewed by the authors. Despite a variety of modern dressings for local treatmentof burn wounds, the specialists are not yet fully satisfied with results. The development and widespreadintroduction into clinical practice, contribute to the improvement of treatment results in this category ofpatients. The use of temporary wound coverings reduces the recovery process, being the most physiologically acceptable coverings of the wound burn surface, achieving their main goal – early formation ofgranulation tissue, reduction of secondary inflammatory processes. The effectiveness of local treatmentof burn wounds depends on the timely and correct choice of drugs depending on the phase of the woundprocess.

Suitable hybrids of very early watermelon and their fertilizer rates when grown under temporary film cover

The article presents the results of studying the growth, development, productivity, yield and quality of fruits of varieties and hybrids of watermelon under conditions of film shelters. It was revealed that the largest early yield (159.6-196.4 c/ha) with high qualities (sugar content 7.0-7.6%) was observed in heterotic hybrids - Montana F1, Talisman F1, Dolby F1, Hollar F1, Super Crimson F1. The isolated watermelon hybrids proved to be favorable for growth and formation of the optimal leaf surface area, powerful tops, root system and productive bushes when applying organomineral fertilizers at a rate of 10 t/ha of manure + N125-150P100-120K62-75 kg/ha or per each nest 1.0 kg of manure + N13.0-15.8P10.5-12.6K6.6-8.0 grams. At the same time, the marketable yield was 18-20 t/ha and more.

Field evaluation of selected autochthonous herbaceous species for cover crops in Mediterranean woody crops

This study evaluated under two contrasting field conditions, and during two seasons, four autochthonous species, Bromus rubens (Br), Brachypodium distachyon (Bd), Medicago truncatula (Mt) and Anthemis arvensis (Aa), as single species and in mixtures of Br + Mt, Br + Aa and Br + Mt + Aa, to determine their suitability as temporary cover crops (CCs) for Mediterranean woody crops. Br, Bd and Mt reached above 90 % ground cover (GC) in spring, while Aa reached a maximum of 80 %; in early winter GC varied from 0 % to 40 %, approximately, depending on the sowing date in the fall. The thermal time required to reach 30 % GC and seed maturity appeared as two key traits to evaluate the suitability of autochthonous species as temporary CCs for Mediterranean woody crops. Our experiment showed that early seeding (no later than mid-October) is critical to exploit these traits into effective CCs under Mediterranean conditions. Phenologic models developed for the tested species, based on temperature, are capable of predicting their development properly under field conditions, and they might be used to predict the evolution of GC when calibrated from field experiments. Aboveground biomass was affected by edaphic conditions, with higher values being observed in the most fertile soil, in Córdoba, in the range of 300–700 g m−2, compared to Adamuz with 150–350 g m−2. When used as monospecific CCs, Br, Bd and Mt had a higher aboveground biomass than Aa. We observed no differences in aboveground biomass among mixtures within each of the two locations. Differences in fine root biomass (RB) and fine root length density (RLd) resembled those of aboveground biomass, albeit with a higher variability. When used as monospecific CCs, fine RB and fine RLd were higher for Br and Bd, followed by Mt, with Aa having the lower values. Fine RB, or fine RL, in the top 0–30 cm of soil is also a relevant trait for selecting temporary CCs for Mediterranean woody crops. Our results show that they are also greatly affected by edaphic-climatic conditions and that they have a moderate correlation with aboveground biomass. The analysis of soil water uptake in the Córdoba plot showed no significant differences among the monospecific species and the mixtures, with ET values during the 2014/15 and 2015/16 growing seasons in the range of 325–300 mm.

Bird–building collisions increase with weather conditions that favor nocturnal migration and with inclement and changing weather

AbstractCollisions with building windows are a top bird mortality source, but few studies have evaluated how bird–window collisions are influenced by weather. By monitoring collisions daily at 21 buildings in Minneapolis, Minnesota, over 4 migration seasons, we show that weather influences numbers of window collisions of nocturnal migrants in spring and fall, indicating that collisions may be forecastable based on weather conditions. Collisions increased with weather favoring migration, such as consecutive nights of south wind in spring and even short periods of north wind in fall. We also found evidence that spring and fall collisions increase with weather changes that impede migration, such as changes from fair conditions and tailwinds early in the night to headwinds near sunrise. Our study suggests complex weather effects never before considered in the context of bird collisions, including possible time lag effects of conditions 2–3 nights before collisions occur, effects of multi-day sequences of conditions, and interactions between conditions at different times of night. More research is needed to determine if the accuracy of weather-based collision prediction systems improves by integrating such nuances and to clarify mechanisms through which these complex effects operate, such as influences of weather on migration intensity and collision avoidance behavior. Weather-based forecasts may allow refinement of collision mitigation approaches (e.g., reducing building lighting on certain nights or using temporary glass coverings or treatments). However, because challenges remain to communicating such temporally targeted actions and implementing them in a timely manner, other bird-friendly practices (e.g., season-long lighting reduction and permanent glass treatments) should continue to be prioritized.

Odor emission rate of a municipal solid waste sanitary landfill during different operation stages before final closure

This study investigated the odor emission rate from different areas of a municipal solid waste landfill. The surface odor emission rate (SOER) of eight odorous compound groups were determined by flux chamber method. The SOER of working face, seams of daily cover, membrane surface of daily cover, seams of temporary cover, membrane surface of temporary cover, seams of intermediate cover, membrane surface of intermediate cover were 138.34, 49.83, 13.56, 90.35, 14.48, 4.05, and 8.14 μg/(m2·s), respectively. Therefore, odor emission hotspots were at seams of daily and temporary cover areas. Converting the odor emissions at emission hotspots to the entire membrane cover surface, the average SOER of working face, daily cover area, temporary cover area and intermediate cover area were 138.34, 17.95, 22.43, and 6.24 μg/(m2·s), respectively. Combined with the size of each landfill area, the total odor emissions of the four above areas of a landfill zone were 830, 108, 1346, and 5175 mg/s, respectively, suggesting the necessity to control the odor emission of membrane cover stages especially for large-scale landfills. In terms of odor components, alcohols (38.7 %), sulfur compounds (22.9 %) and aldehydes (15.7 %) were major odorous groups.

Temporal and Spatial Variation in Odor Pollution and Membrane Barrier Effect in Municipal Solid Waste Landfill

In order to explore the source characteristics as well as the temporal and spatial variations in odor pollution in municipal waste landfills, gas samples were collected from a landfill in an eastern coastal area of China throughout winter and summer. The total concentration of malodorous substances reached 60000 μg·m-3. There were more types of odor pollutants detected in summer than in winter, the average concentration was 30-300 times higher than that in winter, and the concentration of sulfur compounds increased by 4.7-136.7 times in summer. Oxygenated compounds had the highest concentration, and the total concentration of sulfur compounds accounted for less than 10% of malodorous substances. However, sulfur compounds contributed more than 90% to the theoretical odor concentration. Sulfur compounds such as methyl mercaptan and propane mercaptan were the key odorants in the landfill. After the landfill unit was covered, the concentration of odorous substances and the theoretical odor concentration on the surface of the landfill showed an increasing trend with time, indicating that the covering had a certain odor barrier effect; however, the landfill unit still had a large odor release potential. The similarity analysis showed that the odorous gas accumulated in the unit with temporary cover and without an exhaust system could be released to the environment through the overlapping gap of the membrane and the location of membrane rupture, resulting in more serious odor pollution around the landfill at night than that during the day.

The concept of modern ecosystem for the Ural Aluminium Smelter

The main requirement for the ecosystem of a modern industrial enterprise is to ensure the reduction of human impact on the environment. Facing the strict environmental policies of today, most production companies are forced to implement additional environmental measures, which can be quite costly. The share of such costs in the cost of production is constantly rising, which is especially critical in the steel industry where the rate of return is traditionally low. An effective way of tackling this problem would be to develop and implement a strategy for a comprehensive environmental modernization of production sites. This paper examines a concept of such strategy drawn up for the Ural Aluminium Smelter. The paper describes the main aspects related to the use and disposal of hazardous production waste – i.e. red muds and flue gas emissions. The concept is aimed at minimizing the negative impact of waste on the environment by waste neutralization and utilization in the production of additional marketable products. Such potential products may include iron-bearing pellets for iron and steel industry, mortars and fertilizers. The main organic additive considered for use in the above products is peat, a natural renewable resource found locally. A special focus of the modernization concept is on the development and implementation of innovative soil material designed as a temporary cover for existing tailings aimed at preventing wind erosion. It is shown that the use of flue gases for neutralization of highly alkaline solid waste will help reduce the impact of harmful emissions.

Northern quolls in the Pilbara persist in high‐quality habitat, despite a decline trajectory consistent with range eclipse by feral cats

AbstractTheory suggests that the distributions of threatened species do not generally contract to the species' core habitat. Rather, surviving populations that decline to range edges often persist in suboptimal habitat because it is least affected by their important threats. The northern quoll (Dasyurus hallucatus) is an endangered carnivorous marsupial that occurs in patchy populations across northern Australia, now almost entirely in rugged habitats. The overall goal of this study was to assess differences in quality across available habitat types to determine if rugged habitats do constitute higher quality habitat for northern quolls, as no field data are yet available to test this hypothesis. Through fieldwork in the Pilbara (Western Australia), we assessed habitats based on vegetation, shelter availability, and prey availability. While we did not find significant differences in prey availability across habitats, we found differences in the availability of potential dens and temporary shelters suggesting that shelters are of higher abundance in rocky‐riparian and rocky habitats. Habitat associations of prey suggest that northern quolls in rocky‐riparian habitats may feed or subsidize their diets with prey from adjacent habitats including grasslands, which carry risk of predation by feral cats in our study area. Our results agree with GIS‐based studies from the Pilbara, namely rugged habitats currently represent the highest quality habitat for northern quolls there. There are two nonexclusive hypotheses explaining the contraction of quolls to rocky habitats; we found stronger support for the den hypothesis than the prey availability hypothesis, suggesting that shelter availability is an important current determinant of habitat quality for northern quolls in the Pilbara. Our study helps to highlight the role of den availability and temporary cover as a crucial component of habitat quality for northern quoll presence and abundance across the landscape under current conditions.

Aboveground Carbon Fixation and Nutrient Retention in Temporary Spontaneous Cover Crops in Olive Groves of Andalusia

In Southern Spain, olive trees have traditionally been cultivated in marginal areas with relatively shallow and bare soils under rainfed conditions, resulting in heavy soil losses and soil degradation. The implementation of temporary spontaneous cover crops in the inter-rows of olive groves, has proven to be a suitable diversification strategy to reduce soil erosion but it can also contribute to climate change mitigation and the boosting of internal nutrient recycling. However, information on the contribution of cover crops to atmospheric CO2 fixation and on nutrient retention in olive groves is scarce, which is a major drawback when it comes to modelling on larger spatial scales. In this study, we aimed to assess the potential effects of temporary spontaneous cover crops in olive groves on CO2 fixation and nutrient retention. The aerial biomass of cover crops (0.25m2 frames) and contents of carbon and nitrogen (CNHS analyser), phosphorus and potassium (IPC-MS) were analyzed in 46 commercial olive groves with different tree densities and cover crop layouts; the whole farm (WCC), the whole farm except the area below the tree canopy (CCC) or in bands of a given width in the inter-row area (BCC). Cover crops of 56% of the olive groves were under BCC whereas only 17% were under WCC. The annual net primary production of cover crops under WCC (1,707.4 kg DM ha−1 y−1) was significantly higher than that of CCC (769.5 kg DM ha−1 y−1) and with intermediate values for BCC (1,186.4 kg DM ha−1 y−1). Similarly, the annual rate of C-CO2 fixation in the annual net primary production of olive groves with WCC (642.1 kg C ha−1 y−1) was 1.35 and 2.1 times higher than the olive groves with BCC and CCC, respectively. On average, 19.5 kg N ha−1 y−1, 2.48 kg P ha−1 y−1 and 24.30 kg K ha−1 y−1 was accumulated in the biomass of the cover crops. This study demonstrates that cover crops contribute significantly to CO2 reduction and the retention of significant amounts of tree-unused nutrients. In addition, the higher the area covered by cover crops, the higher the contribution to these ecosystem services.

Comparison of Soil Organic Carbon Stocks Evolution in Two Olive Orchards with Different Planting Systems in Southern Spain

This study presents an evaluation of soil organic carbon (SOC) and stock (SOCstock) for the whole rooting depth (60 cm), spaced 55 months in two adjacent olive orchards with similar conditions but different tree densities: (i) intensive, planted in 1996 at 310 tree ha−1; (ii) superintensive, planted in 2000 at 1850 tree ha−1. This was carried out to test the hypothesis that olive orchards at different plant densities will have different rates of accumulation of SOC in the whole soil rooting depth. SOC increased significantly in the superintensive orchard during the 55-month period, from 1.1 to 1.6% in the lane area, and from 1.2 to 1.7% in the tree area (average 0–60 cm), with a significant increase in SOCstock from 4.7 to 6.1 kg m−2. In the intensive orchard, there was not a significant increase in SOCstock in 0–60 cm, average of 4.06 and 4.16 kg m−2 in 2013 and 2018, respectively. Results indicate a potential for a significant increase in SOC and SOCstock in olive orchards at higher tree densities when combined with temporary cover crops and mulch of chopped pruning residues. The increase is associated with an increase in SOC, mainly at a 0–15 cm depth. Results also point to the need for improve our monitoring capabilities to detect moderate increases in SOC.