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The primary challenges in metropolitan planning, selection of sites, and developing preemptive safety measures lie in the characterization and precise appraisal of underground soil info from geotechnical and geological perspectives. In this context, this article addresses the utilization and evaluation of inverse distance weighting (IDW) interpolation techniques to characterize and construct geotechnical soil models (GSMs) through a conventional Geographic Information System (GIS). Soil data was dragged from 112 soil exploration reports, focusing on parameters such as undrained shear strength (S u) , soil types and standard penetration resistance (N-value). The GSMs based on N-value, soil types, and S u have been accomplished using the IDW method within ArcGIS. The findings revealed that the investigated region could be classified into four zones based on N-values, namely zone-A(7–15), zone-B(16–25), zone-C(50–65), and zone-D(> 100/Refusal). Higher N-values were attributed to the presence of gravel/shale/limestone/sandstone, while lower values were associated with the presence of alluvial strata. Empirical models with high correlation coefficients (up to 0.99) were developed for each zone to estimate soil stiffness and strength attributes based on N-values promptly. Shale/sandstone/limestone prevail on the east/west side of the study area, while the central-north section comprises silty-clay/lean-clay. Gravels underlain by sandy soils characterize the central-south side. S u within the study region ranged from 5 to 390 kPa, with correlation coefficients of 81% for S u prediction, 86% for N-values, and 82.3% for soil types. A thorough comprehension of geotechnical parameters would benefit structural designers as they aim to improve land-use planning and establish essential remedial actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Communication is fundamental in the animal kingdom, essential to interactions such as mating, defense, and parental care. Vibrational communication has often been overlooked in the past, but in recent decades, it has become clear that insects use substrate vibrations as a communication signal. In burying beetles of the genus Nicrophorus, which are known for their biparental brood care, both parents stridulate. Spending a considerable period of their lives underground, it is very likely the beetles utilize vibrations as part of their communication system. As playback experiments are challenging with this species, this study looked at the physical propagation of the signal of Nicrophorus vespilloides Herbst (Coleoptera: Siliphidae) through three soil types, as well as behavior, to see whether vibrational communication is possible. The aims were to determine: (1) whether the soils used in the laboratory compare to soil from the field, (2) whether the distance of propagation is enough for the range the beetles cover during brood care, (3) whether the two sexes show a difference in stridulation likelihood, (4) whether propagation of defensive signals differs from brood care signals, and (5) whether we can determine a behavior during stridulations that shows a clear and useable reaction to the signal. We manipulated beetles to induce stridulation and then used laser Doppler vibrometers to record the signals using three substrates and various distances, alongside behavioral observations. We showed that the three substrates tested, peat, coconut coir, and forest soil, displayed differences in terms of vibrational propagation, and that burying beetle stridulation signals can be transmitted up to about 25 cm in the soil. We also showed that the location where the animals stridulate exerts a significant influence on the total duration and number of stridulations. Overall, vibrational communication is in principle conceivable in this species, as the signals are transmitted far enough in the natural substrate to allow complex communication, opening possibilities for vibrational communication during this biparental brood care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cyanobacterial biofertilizers provide soil fertility and productivity gains at varying levels in paddy rice cultivation. The colonization and influences of introduced strains in different soil types with characteristic compositions of native cyanobacteria remain largely unknown. In this work, seven paddy rice soils with the composition of indigenous cyanobacteria described by amplicon sequencing analysis were inoculated with the cyanobacterial biofertilizer. The microbial abundance and the cyanophage concentrations were evaluated under light-dark or continuous dark cycles using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assays. The copies of cyanobacterial-16S rRNA gene markers varied from 5.65 × 106 to 9.22 × 107 g-1 soil, and their abundance increased significantly in the inoculated soils. The cyanophage concentrations, quantified using the capsid assembly protein gene g20 in the soils tested, ranged from 3.04 × 108 to 9.24× 108 g-1 soil on 30 days after incubation. There were significant increases in the abundance of the nifH gene copies, about 1.54×105 to 1.35×106 g-1, in the inoculated soils, albeit with soil type-specific responses. The gene markers of C and N cycling (i.e., cbbL and nifH, respectively), taxonomic markers (of archaea, bacteria, and cyanobacteria), and cyanophage-specific gene copies showed strong and positive correlation with the cyanobacterial biofertilizer inoculation. However, the genes related to nitrification (bacterial and archaeal amoA) and denitrification (nirS, nirK, narG, and nosZ) were clustered together in the uninoculated soils. The rice rhizospheres in three representative paddy soil types, using metatranscriptomics analysis, showed distinctive colonization by cyanobacteria, with several members yet to be described. These results indicate the potential for improving cyanobacterial biofertilizers for their contributions to plant growth and fertility gains in a soil-specific way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vegetation restoration has an important effect on soil carbon (C) pool dynamics. Highly stable iron (Fe)‐associated C is an important component of the soil C pool and it plays a crucial role in the soil C cycle. However, a knowledge gap remains regarding the existence of Fe‐associated C variation during vegetation restoration. Herein, 0–60 cm soil samples of cropland, grassland, shrubland and forestland from three soil types (loam, loess and sandy soils) were collected to explore the response of Fe‐associated C to vegetation restoration. The results showed that soil Fe‐associated C proportion in the study area ranged from 2.2% to 26.3%. Surface soil (0–20 cm) Fe‐associated C content in loess and sandy soils increased following vegetation restoration, but decreased in loam soil. The accumulation efficiency of soil Fe‐associated C during vegetation restoration was higher in coarser soils. Moreover, the Fe‐associated C content and proportion of forestland with a higher soil organic matter (SOM) pool were the highest among the land use types. Vegetation restoration affects soil Fe‐associated C in two different ways: (1) increasing the SOM and dissolved organic C and improving the efficiency of C and Fe binding to promote the accumulation of Fe‐associated C; (2) decreasing the total soil Fe content, reducing the trivalent iron (Fe(III)) to bivalent iron (Fe(II)) and breaking the binding of C and Fe to decrease soil Fe‐associated C content, and these two different ways were found in all three soil types. Additionally, higher SOM accumulation efficiency and less root destruction caused by vegetation restoration in coarse soils resulted in a higher Fe‐associated C accumulation efficiency. Synthesis and applications. Vegetation and soil type strongly regulated the effects of vegetation restoration on soil Fe‐associated C. Forestlands may be the optimum vegetation type to provide soil C sequestration benefits, effectively increasing soil C pool and maximising Fe‐associated C content. This study has addressed the knowledge gap regarding the effects of vegetation restoration on soil Fe‐associated C and provides scientific basis for a better understanding of the soil C cycle and developing scientific vegetation restoration measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some soil characteristics, such as the shear wave velocity, the shear modulus, the Poisson ratio, and the porosity, affect how clay soils behave. The soil design parameters under loading, such as soil liquefaction induced by dynamic earthquake loading, employ the shear wave velocity and shear module with modest stress. In order to understand the pore saturation, the Poisson ratio and seismic velocity ratio are also utilized. Additionally, one of the most crucial physical characteristics for assessing permeability at the base of any engineering structure, resolving consolidation issues that may arise at the foundation of an engineering structure, and influencing the deformation behavior of soils is soil porosity. Predicting the porosity of clay soils is a crucial first step in tackling engineering and environmental issues that may arise in the soil after an earthquake or not. With the use of dynamic soil metrics such as seismic velocities, shear modules, bulk modules, seismic velocity ratios, and Poisson ratios, the current work aims to estimate soil porosity. Seismic refraction was used by various studies in the past to conduct in-situ geophysical research. The lithological characteristics of the soil (such as the grain size, shape, type, compaction, consolidation, and cementation of the grains) and the physical characteristics of the soil (such as porosity, permeability, density, anisotropy, saturation level, liquid–solid transition, pressure, and temperature), as well as the elasticity characteristics of the soil (such as shear modulus (G), bulk modulus (K), Young modulus (E), Poisson ratio (μ) and Lamé constants (λ )) all have an impact on seismic waves passing through a medium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Rhizosphere microbiomes are pivotal for crop fitness, but the principles underlying microbial assembly during root–soil interactions across soils with different nutrient statuses remain elusive.We examined the microbiomes in the rhizosphere and bulk soils of maize plants grown under six long‐term (≥ 29 yr) fertilization experiments in three soil types across middle temperate to subtropical zones.The assembly of rhizosphere microbial communities was primarily driven by deterministic processes. Plant selection interacted with soil types and fertilization regimes to shape the structure and function of rhizosphere microbiomes. Predictive functional profiling showed that, to adapt to nutrient‐deficient conditions, maize recruited more rhizobacteria involved in nutrient availability from bulk soil, although these functions were performed by different species. Metagenomic analyses confirmed that the number of significantly enriched Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes Orthology functional categories in the rhizosphere microbial community was significantly higher without fertilization than with fertilization. Notably, some key genes involved in carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus cycling and purine metabolism were dominantly enriched in the rhizosphere soil without fertilizer input.In conclusion, our results show that maize selects microbes at the root–soil interface based on microbial functional traits beneficial to its own performance, rather than selecting particular species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change requires the introduction of alternative crops in certain temperate areas due to the warmer and drier growing seasons. Maize, one of the most important crops, is projected to become less tolerant of a drier climate. Therefore, it is necessary to find an alternative species that is less susceptible to environmental stressors. This study compared the germination, growth vigour, and stress tolerance of maize and sorghum grow in six types of soil under three water regimes. The results indicate that sorghum germination is faster and more uniform. The most significant differences in germination rates were found in chernozem (88.9% and 72.2% for sorghum and maize, respectively) and saline solonetz (74.4% and 63.3% for sorghum and maize, respectively). Maize exhibited higher growth vigour only in three cases, i.e., under solonetz–flooding, shifting sand–drought, and brown forest floor–flooding conditions. An ANOVA showed a significant difference between sorghum and maize stress conditions due to soil conditions and water availability (p < 0.0001). Sorghum can be a suitable alternative to maize, but only in areas with hot, dry periods and in areas where the soil is not too prone to waterlogging, regardless of its quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pseudostellaria heterophylla of the Caryophyllaceae family is an important medicinal herb in traditional Chinese medicine, but it encounters continuous cropping obstacle during cultivation. This study aimed to study the differences in the response of Pseudostellaria heterophylla cultivation to soil microorganisms and phenolic substances in different types of soil (Loamy soil and Clayey soil). The analysis of soil metabolites using HPLC-ESI-Q/TOF-MS and HPLC-DAD techniques revealed that the content of various phenolic components in the rhizosphere soil increased significantly after Pseudostellaria heterophylla cultivation. Pseudostellaria heterophylla cultivation in yellow soil could increase the abundance of Proteobacteria, Ascomycota, and Thermoplasmatota, while in brown soil, the abundance of Ascomycota significantly decreased. In addition, Pseudostellaria heterophylla cultivation could increase the α-diversity of bacteria and fungi in yellow soil, while reducing the α-diversity of archaea, and the impact on diversity in brown soil was relatively small. Correlation analysis showed that phenolic compounds were more likely to regulate the genera Bradyrhizobium, Calcarisporiella, Boothiomyces and Methanocella. Pseudostellaria heterophylla may regulate rhizosphere microbial diversity and community structure by secreting phenolic. However, in different types of soil environments, the response mechanism of soil microorganisms to Pseudostellaria heterophylla planting might vary. Our study provides new insights that the variability in the response of different soil types to Pseudostelariae heterophylla cultivation should be taken into account when developing strategies for reducing continuous cropping obstacles in medicinal plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore the changes in winter wheat yield and quality under global warming. The winter wheat variety 'Zhenmai 168' and twelve typical farmland soils, including yellow brown soil, sandy black soil, aeolian sandy soil, red soil, fluvo-aquic soil, black soil, loess, sierozem, purple soil, latosol, saline-alkali soil and brown soil were used as test materials. An open temperature increase system was carried out a simulated atmospheric warming frame experiment. The experiment established normal temperature control (CK) and warming of 1.5°C (eT) treatment, and the warming treatment throughout the whole growth period. The changes in production during the ripening stage was reflected by indicators such as the number of kernels per panicle and the weight of 1000 grains, and nutritional indicators such as the grain starch, protein and its components reflect the quality composition. The results showed as follows: (1) the open warming during the whole growth period decreased the yield of winter wheat grown in yellow-brown soil, sandy soil, black soil, loess, sierozem and purple soil by 33.82%, 20.96%, 16.60%, 55.92%, 28.45% and 21.19%, respectively. While the winter wheat yield in fluvo-aquic soil increased by 16.13% (P<0.05), and had no significant effect in other soils. (2) In terms of nutritional quality of winter wheat, for starch and its components, the contents of amylose and amylopectin decreased to varying degrees under the effect of warming, and the decrease in amylose was greater than that of amylopectin. The total starch content of winter wheat in red soil, black soil, loess, sierozem, purple soil, saline-alkali soil and brown soil decreased significantly (P<0.05). For grain protein and its components, albumin and globulin showed a significant increase trend, while gliadin and glutenin decreased significantly, and the decrease was greater than the increase of the first two. Except for the total protein content of winter wheat in red soil, which had no significant change, the winter wheat under other eleven types of soil all decreased significantly (P<0.05). The total soluble sugar of winter wheat showed a significant increasing trend only under fluvo-aquic soil, sierozem and purple soil conditions (P<0.05). (3) The membership function was used to comprehensively rank the quality of the normal temperature control and warming treatments. The best performers were black soil winter wheat in the normal temperature group (U=0.707), followed by the brown soil (U=0.691), sierozem (U=0.647), purple soil(U=0.644) and loess(U=0.644) winter wheat in the normal temperature control group, and the worst quality is the red soil in the normal temperature group (U=0.364) and warming group (U=0.368). Except for the fluvo-aquic soil, the quality of winter wheat in the other eleven types of soils showed that warming was worse than the control. (4) The path analysis results show that under normal temperature conditions, the biggest influencing factor on winter wheat yield is the number of kernels per panicle, with a direct path coefficient of 0.630, followed by the effective number of panicles and globulin, both of which have direct effects, with path coefficients of 0.538 and -0.118, respectively. Under warming conditions, the largest influence on factor of winter wheat is the number of kernels per panicle, with a direct path coefficient of 0.603, followed by the effective panicle number, the weight of 1000 grains and total starch. The effective panicle number and total starch have an indirect effects through the number of kernels per panicle, with path coefficients of 0.322 and 0.381, respectively. In summary, warming affected the quality of winter wheat through the combined effects of yield composition and grain nutritional composition. Among the twelve typical farmland soils, winter wheat in fluvo-aquic soil had a positive effect on warming, while in other soils had a negative effect, suggesting that the response of winter wheat yield and quality formation to climate warming was regulated by soil types. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crop residue ashes exhibit significant capacity to adsorb pesticides and affect their adsorption behaviour in soils. The present study evaluated the effect of sugarcane trash ash (STA), the third most important crop whose residues are burnt in fields in India, on atrazine and fipronil leaching behaviour in three sugarcane growing soils. The STA reduced downward mobility of atrazine in soils but, effect varied with the soil type. No atrazine residues were detected in the leachate. Atrazine was fairly mobile in the sandy loam soil than the loam and the clay loam soils and increasing leaching intensity from 64 to 128 mm, further increased herbicide's downward mobility. Significant atrazine degradation was observed during leaching process and 38–43, 1.5–12.5 and 27–41% of column applied atrazine was degraded in the silty clay loam, the sandy clay loam and the loam soils, respectively. Higher atrazine degradation in the clay loam and the loam soils was attributed to slow water percolation rate and longer time to complete leaching process. Hydroxyatrazine, deethylatrazine and deisopropylatrazine metabolites of atrazine were detected in the soil samples, but their amounts varied in different treatments. Compared to atrazine, fipronil was highly retained in the surface layer (0–5 cm) in the control and STA-mixed soil columns and no fipronil was detected in the leachate. Trash burning is a regular practice; therefore, continuous mixing of STA in soils can reduce leaching of mobile pesticides applied in sugarcane crop. This study has implications in identifying the role of crop residue burning on fate of pesticides applied in soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Riau is one of the susceptible regions in Indonesia, which faces frequent land and forest fires. Fires occur in various land covers and soil types, both peat and mineral soils, which emitted huge carbon to the atmosphere. Forest fires emit greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide (CO2). The objective of the research was to quantify CO2 from land and forest fires. The quantification emission was for 2016 – 2018 based on the fire radiant power (FRP) dataset along with the buffer methodology for assessing fire-affected land extents across different land covers. The FRP dataset we used to be only at a confidence level of 70% or higher, which represents hotspots. The results revealed large numbers of FRP focal points (> 1000) that can be identified as fires for 2016 and 2018, whereas only small numbers (121) were identified for 2017. Then we quantified the area burned of 95,396 Ha in Riau for 2016, which was double to the 2018’s area burned. Further, this burning contributed to CO2 emission equal to 313,456 tCO2 for 2016. Emission in 2017 was a relatively low as not many observed fires detected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Terrestrial gamma radiation is the major source of outdoor radiation exposure to human being. Because of the variation of underlying geological characteristics of surface soil, the terrestrial gamma radiation dose (TGRD) rates vary significantly with the soil type. This work performed in situ measurements of the TGRD rate for a range of geological formation and soils of Katsina State, Nigeria by using a portable hand-held radiation survey metre, RADOS. The TGRD rates ranged between 45 and 271 nGyh−1 with an overall mean value of 116 nGyh−1, which is two times higher than the world average value of 59 nGyh−1. Geological formation (Silicified sheared rock) was found to have the highest mean TGRD value of 163 nGyh−1. Likewise, soil type (lithosols, ferruginous crusts and ferruginous tropical soils) appeared to have the highest mean TGRD value of 134 nGyh−1. One-way ANOVA was used to investigate the variation of the significant difference between the geological formations and soil types with TGRD, which shows the influence of geological formation and soil types on the measured TGRD values of the study area. Measured data could further be used to evaluate the public radiation exposure and in formulating safety standards and radiological guidelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil, a significant natural resource, plays a crucial role in supporting various ecosystems and serves as the foundation of Pakistan's economy due to its primary use in agriculture. Hence, timely monitoring of soil type and salinity is essential. However, traditional methods for identifying soil types and detecting salinity are time-consuming, requiring expert intervention and extensive laboratory experiments. The objective of this study is to propose a model that leverages MODIS Terra data to identify soil types and detect soil salinity. To achieve this, 195 soil samples were collected from Lahore, Kot Addu, and Kohat, dating from October 2022 to November 2022. Simultaneously, spectral data of the same regions were obtained to spatially map soil types and salinity of bare land. The spectral reflectance of band values, salinity indices, and vegetation indices were utilized to classify the soil types and predict soil salinity. To perform the classification and regression tasks, the study employed three popular techniques in the research community: Random Forest (RF), Ada Boost (AB), and Gradient Boosting (GB), along with Decision Tree (DT), K-Nearest Neighbor (KNN), and Extra Tree (ET). A 70–30 test train validation split was used for the implementation of these techniques. The efficacy of the multi-class classification models for soil types was evaluated using accuracy, precision, recall, and f1-score. On the other hand, the regression models' performances were evaluated and compared using R-squared (R 2 ), Mean Squared Error (MSE), Mean Absolute Error (MAE), and Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE). The results demonstrated that Random Forest outperformed other methods for both predicting soil types (accuracy = 65.38, precision = 0.60, recall = 0.57, and f1-score = 0.57) and predicting salinity (R 2 = 0.90, MAE = 0.56, MSE = 0.98, RMSE = 0.97). Finally, the study designed a web portal to enable real-time prediction of soil types and salinity using these models. This web portal can be utilized by farmers and decision-makers to make informed decisions regarding soil, crop cultivation, and agricultural planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land-use systems (LUSs) and soil types (STs) are strongly related to factors that influence soil degradation and carbon (C) loss. However, the way in which land use and soil type affects the soil organic C (SOC) pools, and soil aggregation in the Sanjiang Plain, has not been thoroughly investigated. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate soil physic–ochemical properties, soil aggregates, and C management index (CMI) in three different LUSs (grassland, dryland, and paddy field) under two STs (meadow soil and albic soil) of the Sanjiang Plain in northeast China. A total of 60 composite soil samples were collected for laboratory analyses. The results were as follows: soil properties were affected by LUS and ST, especially soil chemical properties; ST had no significant effect on soil aggregates but significantly affected its SOC content, while LUS had a significant effect on soil aggregates (p < 0.01), except for small macro-aggregates (2–0.25 mm); the mean weight diameter (MWD) and SOC in meadow soil was significantly different under different land uses, with grassland being the highest and dryland the lowest. However, there was no significant difference in albic soil. The heterogeneity of grassland, dryland, and paddy field showed that different LUSs had particular effects on SOC and its active components because LUS had significant effects on C pool index (CPI) and CMI, but ST and its interaction had no significant effects on CPI and CMI. Overall, the results showed that LUS was an important factor affecting CMI in the Sanjiang Plain, rather than ST, and the paddy field CMI was optimal in the Sanjiang Plain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The bacteria that dominate and become enriched in the rhizosphere during continuous cropping are of increasing interest, as they can greatly adapt to the rhizosphere. However, there are still little knowledge about the general composition and function of these bacteria. In this study, we planted tomatoes in three different soils for three planting cycles and used both high-throughput sequencing and culture-dependent workflows. Despite significant differences in bacterial communities from the initial soils, we observed a similar succession in the rhizosphere bacterial community compositions. We identified certain bacteria that were gradually enriched and potentially beneficial, such as Rhizobium and Flavobacterium. However, some other potentially beneficial bacteria, such as Massilia and Lysobacter, were gradually depleted. Additionally, we found that predicted functions related to xenobiotic biodegradation, nutrient metabolism and antibiotic biosynthesis were enriched in different rhizosphere soils. Beijerinckia fluminensis GR2, which was gradually enriched in all tested soils, significantly inhibited the growth of Ralstonia solanacearum and protected the host from infection. Our study provides new insights into the assembly mechanism of gradually enriched bacteria and their role as plant-beneficial microbes that adapt well to the rhizosphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focuses on the effect of agricultural soil management on soil organic matter (SOM) composition. The addition of manure and crop residues was tested under different pedoclimatic conditions. The quality of SOM was assessed using diffuse reflectance infrared spectroscopy. The following parameters were calculated from the spectra: sum of aliphatic bands (ΣAL), aromatic bands at wave numbers 1 620 and 1 520 cm--1 (AR1620 and AR1520), potential wettability (PWI), organic matter quality (OMQ), and decomposability (DI) indexes. The addition of manure or crop residues may not cause fundamental changes in the qualitative composition of SOM. Rather, pedoclimatic conditions determine which components are fixed in the soil on a long-term scale. A dominant effect of soil type was found in the distribution of all spectral parameters studied using main effect ANOVA. The main differences between the soil types concern the aromatic, oxygen and nitrogen groups contained in the SOM. Chernozems are soils with higher OMQ and DI, whereas Cambisols are soils with low OMQ and DI and the highest PWI. The stabilisation of SOM in soils can thus be based on the biochemical persistence of organic molecules, their specific affinity for minerals and the formation of aggregates that protect enclosed SOM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a country, Pakistan is mostly dependent on fossil fuels for fulfilling its energy demand, which is expensive, as well as being environmentally unfriendly. It is high time that the country decides to shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy resources like geothermal, wind, solar, etc., to cater for global warming issues. Pakistan has a lot of potential geothermal sites, as the location of Pakistan lies on several fault lines and hot springs, thus making it very easy to extract the temperature from deep inside the earth and harness it for Geothermal Energy. Also, a sound knowledge of ground temperature is essential to use geothermal energy, which is obtained by drilling boreholes and putting in sensors. However it becomes a very expensive and labor intensive procedure. Therefore, to avoid the huge cost for drilling boreholes, particularly for ground temperature analysis, a numerical approach has been considered for determining ground temperature. Furthermore, correlation charts between air and ground temperatures have been developed, as there were no proper studies on the ground temperature of Pakistan. Then, with the help of a boreholes drilled in the National University of Sciences and Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan, the actual ground and numerically calculated temperatures have been compared. The results show a temperature error margin in the range between 0.27% for higher depths of about 5.6 m and 7.3% near the surface of about 2.7 m. Thus, it is shown that the proposed method is easy to implement and better than large scale testing methods for the depths at which geothermal energy is extracted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract—The response of sandy and clay subsurface soils, representing classes of non-cohesive and cohesive soils, during seismic motion of various intensities is analyzed based on the in situ observations—records by seismic vertical arrays of the Japanese strong motion network KiK-net. From a total of ~800 stations, five stations with sandy and five stations with clayey subsurface soils represented in the upper layers in their purest forms were selected for the analysis. For sandy and clayey stations, models of soil behavior during strong motion were constructed by the method of (Pavlenko and Irikura, 2003), showing vertical distributions of stresses and strains induced by strong motion in soil layers; and the behaviors were compared. Similar estimates of the amplification of seismic waves in sands and clays during weak motions and similar stress-strain relations describing the behavior of subsurface soils during moderate seismic motions are obtained. The liquefaction of sandy soils during strong motions (the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, Mw ~ 9.0) and the effects of extended seismic source (the directivity of seismic radiation) on the behavior of sandy and clayey soils and amplification of seismic waves are analyzed. Differences in the behavior of sandy and clayey soils are observed only during strong motions, namely, liquefaction occurs in sandy soils (when the groundwater level is about several meters from the surface), but never in clayey soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural environmental radioactivity aroused mainly from primordial radionuclides such as 40K and 238U and 232Th decay series, and have been present in varying concentrations within the earth and in the tissue of every living being. Natural radioactivity can be found everywhere; in the soil, public water supplies, oil, and the atmosphere and it poses a measurable exposure to human beings. The present study developed a statistical model that can be used to predict the Terrestrial Gamma Radiation Dose rates (TGRD) based on soil types and geological formations irrespective of the environment. About 295 TGRD measurements were taken using a micro-Roentgen survey meter (model 19) manufactured by Ludlum, from different locations within the study area. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was utilized in establishing the relationships between TGRD with underlying geological formations and soil types as well as in the development of the model. The developed model was tested by predicting the TGRD value over different combinations of soil types and geological formations, and it was found to fit in well with more than 80% degree of accuracy which is within the acceptable limit. The developed model in this study, may help in establishing the background radioactivity levels in a terrestrial environment that can be used to evaluate any changes that may arise as a result of any release due to both natural and or human activities in a certain area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study evaluated the effect of phosphate fertilizer dose, soil type, or both on the growth and yield of maize vegetable in soil with different P content of Southern Vietnam Methods: This research was studied from 2015-2018. Experiment 1 was set up in pots with three phosphorus fertilizer levels and five soil types in a greenhouse at Can Tho University. Experiment 2 was set up at Tra Vinh sandy soil (Dystri-Gleyic-Arenosols). Result: The results showed that in the phosphorus-rich groups, there was no difference in the effect of phosphate dose on the growth and yield of maize vegetable, but there were differences between soil types. Differences in the development and yield of maize between soil types may be due to soil composition and pH. Maize plants adapted and yielded better on sandy soils (Dystri-Gleyic-Arenosols) compared to alluvial (Eutri-Mollic-Gleysols), alkaline (Umbri-Epiorthi-Thionic-Gleysols) and red soils (Hapli-Plinthic-Ferralsols). In addition, the total phosphorus content in fruit-bearing leaves was higher in the phosphorus-rich treatment than in the low phosphorus fertilizer application treatment. Still, no symptoms of excess phosphorus on maize vegetable was detected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Subsoiling has been widely used all over the world as an important operation method of no-tillage farming. For energy-saving and life-extension, the tillage resistance and wear-corrosion of subsoilers have attracted wide attention. In this study, the tillage resistance, soil disturbance, wear and corrosion of subsoiler with S-T-SK-2# biomimetic structures (S means subsoiler; T means tine; SK means shank; 2#, h/s=0.57, h=5 mm and α=45°.) and self-healing coating under two seasons, two locations with different soil properties (black loam and clay soil) and subsoiling speeds (2 km/h and 3.6 km/h) were investigated. The soil moisture content and compactness affected the tillage resistance and wear-corrosion. The tillage resistance and degree of corrosion on all subsoilers were much larger in clay soil than that in black loam soil. Compared with S-T-SK-2#, the tillage reduction rate of C-S-T-SK-2# (S-T-SK-2# with self-healing coating) was up to 14.32% in clay soil under the speed of 2 km/h. The significance tests of regression equation results showed that subsoiler type and soil properties had a significant impact on soil disturbance coefficient, swelling of total soil layer, bulkiness of the plough pan. It is of a guiding significance for the analysis of soil disturbance. Synergism mechanism of subsoiler coupling with biomimetic structures and self-healing coating was analyzed in following. It depicted the guiding effect of biomimetic structure and the shield function of self-healing coating, resulting in anticorrosion and wear resistance of subsoiler. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Terrestrial gamma radiation dose (TGRD) rates were measured in situ from different locations in Katsina State, Nigeria, using a portable radiation survey metre based on geological formations and soil types. The measured TGRD rates ranged from 45 to 271 nGyh–1 with an average value of 116 ± 1 nGyh–1. Geological formation (silicified sheared rock) and soil type (lithosols and ferruginous crusts and ferruginous tropical soils) appeared to have the highest mean TGRD values of 163 and 134 nGyh–1 with sandstone geological formation and alluvial and hydromorphic soils having the lowest TGRD with values of 80 and 61 nGyh–1, respectively. One way ANOVA results shows that the tested null hypothesis was rejected. Thus, indicating that there exists a strong relationship between the various geological formations, soil types with the measured TGRD values based on the alternate hypothesis. Human health hazard indices like annual effective dose equivalent (AEDE), lifetime outdoor annual equivalent dose, and relative excess lifetime outdoor cancer risk associated with the mean TGRD of the study area were also calculated and found to be 0.711, 9.955 mSv, and 5.79 × 10–4, respectively. These values were higher than the world average values but favourable compared with the safety limits recommended by ICRP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quinoa is a resilient high-yielding pseudo cereal, gaining attention because of its high nutritional value, strong growth potent ial, and tremendous source of essential amino acids, micronutrients, vitamins, phenolic compounds, and minerals. The main aim of this investigation was to find the best suitable soil type for maximizing the growth and yield of Quinoa. The pot study was undertaken at the Department of Agronomy, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, during the Kharif 2022 season. Eight soil samples (clay loam soils of wetlands of TNAU, sandy loam soils of eastern block of TNAU, sandy loam soils of Mettupalayam, sandy clay loam soils of 36 B eastern block of TNAU, sandy clay loam soils of 37 B eastern block of TNAU, clay loam soils of Ooty, sandy clay loam soils of Govindanaickenpalayam and sandy clay loam soils of Annur) were collected round Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu and tested in a complete randomized design with three replications. The pot study results revealed that growth parameters viz. Plant height (81.5 cm), number of leaves plant-1 (164.8), leaf area (317.7 cm²), number of branches plant-1 (38.0) and dry matter production (22.78 g) were significantly higher in the clay loam soils of Ooty than all other soil types. Similarly, yield attributes such as the number of panicles plant-1 (21.7), panicle length (13.08 cm), number of grains panicle-1 (3050) and grain yield plant-1 (9.60 g) of Quinoa were also higher in the same clay loam soils followed by that in sandy clay loam soils of Govindanaickenpalayam. Red soils of Mettupalayam had shown the lowest growth, yield and yield attributes of Quinoa. Based on the above results, it was concluded that the clay loam soil of Ooty was the best suited for cultivating Quinoa crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is a result of many years of field and laboratory research of the soils in Pčinja river basin, North Macedonia, spread out on 237.640,71 ha ranging from 191 to 1664 m above the sea level in order to gain a better understanding of the productive capacities of the soils and measures for their improvement. The catchment area of Pčinja River is a spatial area that extends in two states in the of the Republic of North Macedonia and the part of the Republic of Serbia, whose boundaries are naturally clearly defined. Soil samples were taken by spade and one composite sample was prepared for each sampling site, each containing about 3 kg of soil. Before sieving the samples were air dried. In laboratory, the following analyses have been carried out on the soil samples: hygroscopic moisture, mechanical composition, pH of the soil solution, humus content and total nitrogen, content of carbonates. The mechanical composition and chemical properties of the soils have been determined by standard methods. This area is very heterogeneous, with numerous relief forms, with different expositions and inclinations, and with great differences of altitude. Additionally, there are several geological formations of a very heterogeneous petrographic-mineralogical composition and climate-vegetation zones. Long-term effects of human involvement should also be noted. The vast diversity of the factors required for soil formation in this area is the reason for the formation of many different soil types as well as the lower taxonomic units. These types of soils are characterized by different properties (chemical, physical, and physical-mechanical, productive). Therefore, they have varied effects on agricultural production. There are 9 different soil types and 18 complexes of more than two land types distributed in the Pčinja River basin together with a considerable amount of subtypes, varieties and forms. The most represented with the largest area are: Vertisol, Fluvisol, Fluvisol (Colluvial Soils) and Cambisol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study employs spatial interpolation techniques based on extensive geotechnical sub-soil data to develop geotechnical zonation maps for the district of Sargodha, Pakistan. The sub-soil data was extracted from 170 geotechnical investigation reports that contained soil type, standard penetration (N-value), and groundwater depth (exploring a depth of up to 15 m). Two spatial interpolation techniques were employed: (1) inverse distance weighting (IDW) and (2) kriging. IDW technique was used in ArcGIS-10.5 to develop zonation maps of N-values and soil type at various depths, while the kriging method was adopted to generate contours for the groundwater table (GWT) in Surfer 18. The outcomes revealed that subjected region was split into three major zones established on N-values (i.e., zone 1 (1–5), zone 2 (6–10), and zone 3(> 10)) and four subzones generated on soil types. The silty clay is prevalent up to 3 m, followed by sandy soil up to 15 m deep. Empirical correlations of N-values with depth have been proposed with R 2 = 0.99 and RMSD = 0.51, enabling rapid assessment of stiffness and strength characteristics of subsoils during preliminary planning and feasibility studies of different projects. The GWT contour plots showed that the depth of GWT in zone 1 varies between 2.5 and 3.25 m, 0.75 and 4.5 m in zone 2, and 1.75 and 4.0 m in zone 3. Furthermore, the correlation coefficient to forecast N-values is about 95%, 97% for soil type, and 86% for GWT. It is anticipated that these maps will be a helpful resource for engineers and planners in their attempts to achieve improved land-use planning and to determine necessary remedial action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerical studies for considering soil-structure interaction (SSI) are widely used to provide a better understanding of the seismic behavior of structures. The outcomes of these numerical studies are strongly depending on the input parameters. Back to the literature, for modelling different types of soil, there are convenient procedures whereby a single value of the Poisson's ratio is estimated for each type of soil; however, a range limitation between 0.10 and 0.40 is possible, and then other required parameters are determined utilizing the tables of the international seismic codes and the equations of the literature. In this article, a comprehensive parametric study was carried out with the aim of evaluating influences of the Poisson’s ratio on the seismic behavior of structures, and sixteen values of Poisson’s ratios were interpolated between 0.11 and 0.41 in order to examine all possible trails. For achieving this goal, a 4-story steel structure was analyzed on four different soil types (soft, stiff, very dense, and rock soils) under the El Centro acceleration record. The results in terms of time history top displacement and base shears have been discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SOC storage (SOCS) plays a vital role in global climate change. Understanding the spatial pattern and features of soil organic carbon (SOC) and its influencing factors is important for increasing SOC fixation. However, few studies exist on the organic carbon reserves of farmland on a regional scale. This study revealed the SOCD and SOCS values and distribution using Hubei Province as a sampling region. The results demonstrated that the spatial distributions of farmland system carbon storage and density were uneven, and the spatial heterogeneity was related to geography, cultivated area, and soil type. The SOCD ranged from 0.559 to 10.613 kg/m2, with an average of 3.3710 ± 0.0337 kg/m2, and the soil carbon reserve of the farmland system was ~17.81 Tg. The SOCD varied with topography and soil type: in mountainous cultivated land, it was generally higher than that in hilly land and in the plains. However, the plain cultivated areas contained the highest carbon reserves. Within the farmland system, paddy soil, the dominant soil type, exhibited higher SOCD and larger SOC storage capacity. Soil types with the same physicochemical properties exhibited different organic carbon storage capacity in different geomorphic and regional environments. Specifically, paddy soil was found to have higher SOCD and SOCS than the other soil types, and its soil carbon storage capacity was high; the SOC reserves of wheat-rice tillage were the largest among the main tillage methods. Boosting the soil carbon sink requires fundamental improvement in soil properties by improving soil texture, using conservation tillage to increase soil organic matter, and reducing unnecessary human interference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A modeling approach was developed to study nitrogen attenuation with travel distances. • Both vertical and horizontal distances along nitrogen transport paths were studied. • Three nitrogen attenuation rates (vertical, horizontal, and total) were studied. • Empirical equations were obtained to quantify the three nitrogen attenuation rates. • The equations are highly practical since they only require saturated hydraulic conductivity. Onsite Sewage Treatment and Disposal Systems (OSTDS) used for domestic wastewater treatment are a source of nitrogen (ammonium and nitrate) contamination to groundwater and surface water. One way to manage the contamination is to establish setback distances for nitrogen attenuation through nitrification and denitrification reactions within the setback distances. Determining the setback distances requires investigating nitrogen attenuation as a function of distance from OSTDS. While field investigations have been conducted, there have been few modeling investigations. Using an ArcGIS-based Nitrogen Load Estimation Toolkit, this study simulates nitrogen attenuation for over 20,000 OSTDS at five study areas across Florida, where a third of households are served by OSTDS. Different from conventional studies that only consider the horizontal distances (between an OSTDS and a surface water body that receives OSTDS effluents), this study also considers the vertical distances (between an OSTDS drainfield and water table beneath the drainfield) to account for the nitrogen reactive transport processes in the vadose zones and groundwater aquifers, making the assessment of nitrogen attenuation more comprehensive. Modeling results yield the following three empirical but quantitative relations: (1) vertical attenuation rate as a function of vertical distance and saturated hydraulic conductivity (K s) available in the Soil Survey Geographic Database, (2) horizontal attenuation rate as a function of horizontal distance and K s , (3) total attenuation rate as a multiplication of the vertical and horizontal attenuation rates. These relations can be used to determine nitrogen attenuation within vertical and horizontal distances to OSTDS for practical management of OSTDS nitrogen contamination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reducing antibiotic levels in soil ecosystems is vital to curb the dissemination of antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) and mitigate global health threats. However, gaps persist in understanding how antibiotic resistome can be suppressed during antibiotic degradation. Herein, we investigate the efficacy of a biochar biofilm incorporating antibiotics-degrading bacterial strain (Arthrobacter sp. D2) to mitigate antibiotic resistome in non-manured and manure-amended soils with sulfadiazine (SDZ) and trimethoprim (TMP) contamination. Results show that biofilm enhanced SDZ degradation by 83.0% within three days and increased TMP attenuation by 55.4% over 60 days in non-manured soils. In the non-manured black soil, the relative abundance of ARGs increased initially after biofilm inoculation. However, by day 30, it decreased by 20.5% compared to the controls. Moreover, after 7 days, biofilm reduced TMP by 38.5% in manured soils and decreased the total ARG abundance by 19.0%. Thus, while SDZ degradation did not increase sulfonamide resistance genes, TMP dissipation led to a proliferation of insertion sequences and related TMP resistance genes. This study underscores the importance of antibiotic degradation in reducing related ARGs while cautioning against the potential proliferation and various ARGs transfer by resistant microorganisms. [Display omitted] • Biochar biofilm (BB) reduced the antibacterial stress exerted on soil microbiota. • BB enhanced the dissipation of sulfadiazine and trimethoprim in non-manured soils. • BB promoted the proliferation of non-resistant bacteria in manured soils. • Sulfadiazine degradation did not result in an increase in related resistance genes. • Trimethoprim decrease correlated with the increase of related ARGs and insertion sequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comammox Nitrospira (CMX) is a no vel discovered "one-step" nitrifying microorganism, and the understanding of its niche specialization and response to agricultural practices in intensive ecosystems is still in its infancy. In this study, we investigated the effect of CMX community activated by nitrogen (N) inputs and soil types on two long-term maize N fertilizer experiments in the main maize-producing areas of North China (calcareous fluvo-aquic soil) and Southwest China (acidic purple soil). CMX includes clade A and clade B, with clade B detected only in the purple soil. The results indicated that the abundance and alpha diversity of CMX in the purple soil were higher than those in fluvo-aquic soil. Greater network complexity and enhanced cooperation have led to a broader ecological niche for CMX in acidic purple soils, but not in fluvo-aquic soil. The clade A community were affected mainly by soil organic carbon (C), N contents in fluvo-aquic soil, while pH and the ratio of C:N were the primary factors for CMX in purple soil. Moreover, the alpha diversity and niche breadth of clade A in fluvo-aquic soil and clade B in the purple soil increased under optimal N application (148 kg N ha−1 for fluvo-aquic soil,180 kg N ha−1 for purple soil). Overall, these findings provide new insights into the adaptation mechanisms of CMX communities under distinct agricultural soil conditions and offers microbial perspective of optimizing N fertilizer management strategies. It refines our understanding of the microbial-soil nutrient cycling processes, promoting the development of future microbe-driven soil management strategies. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we have proposed a new classification method for determining different soil classes based on three machine learning approaches, namely: support vector classification (SVC), multilayer perceptron (MLP), and random forest (RF) models. For the development of models, we have used a database of 4888 soil samples obtained from Vietnam projects. In the model’s study, 15 soil properties factors (variables) have been selected as input parameters for classifying soil samples into 5 soil classes: lean clay (CL), elastic silt (MH), fat clay (CH), clayey sand (SC), and silt (ML). To evaluate and analyze the results quantitatively and qualitatively, various methods such as learning curve (time and number of training samples), confusion matrix, and several statistical metrics such as precision, recall, accuracy, and F1-score were used. Results indicated that performance of all the three models (average accuracy score = 0.968) is good but of the SVC model (accuracy score = 0.984) is best in accurate classification of soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In geotechnical engineering classification of soils is an important accept because to provide guidance about soils based on their experimental analysis. The classification of system can be done in various ways because one should not rely on empirical information for solving the problems. These soil types are classified based on their behavioural conditions and based on generalized information provided by the scientists, engineers and resource persons. Classification of soil type by visiting particular location is difficult so remote sensing images are used. The most widely used remote sensing method for classification of soils is hyperspectral image (HSI) technology. To classify HSI different soft computing techniques are applied and compared algorithms with their accuracies to know the best algorithm for classification of soil types. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since hunger and malnutrition are affecting billions of people, the effect of cropping seasons, soil types and climatic conditions (temperature and precipitation) on yield, iron (Fe), zinc (Zn) and amino acids content in grains of hybrid maize (Zea mays), at smallholder farms in Eastern Uganda, was examined. Thirty-six (36) on-farm experiments under maize–bean intercropping with NPK fertilizer were established across three soil types (Petric Plinthosols, Lixic Ferralsols and Vertisols) and growing conditions (seasons, temperature and rainfall). We found significant differences in the grain yield between seasons, but not between soil types. Fe (mean of 22.48 mg/kg) in maize–grains significantly correlated with Zn (mean of 23.21 mg/kg), soil pH, soil organic matter and total nitrogen. Grain amino acid concentrations differed significantly between the seasons and across soil types. Precipitation and temperature did not significantly influence grain-yield nor grain Fe and Zn contents. For two seasons, the hybrid maize variety did not perform better than other varieties in the regions. Thus, a critical finding is that improved varieties of maize is not enough to facilitate increased Fe and Zn uptake nor amino acids content in their grains to desired levels. Hence, a diet dominated by maize will not supply sufficient micronutrients (Fe and Zn) to meet the human dietary requirements in this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated phosphorous (P) sorption characteristics under lime rates, and validated them under field conditions. Soil samples from nitisols and luvisols were taken, mixed with lime(tha−1) at[0,0], [5.25, 3.75], [10.5, 7.5] and [15.75, 11.25], respectively, and incubated for 30 days. It was equilibrated with KH2PO4 at 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 mgPL−1. The data were tested with Freundlich and Langmuir models. External P requirement (EPR) and changes in chemical properties were evaluated. The field validation on wheat involved rates of P (0, 8.2, 16.4, 24.6, 32.9, and 41.1 kg ha−1) and lime (0, 650, and 1300 kgha−1) in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Freundlich was found the best-fitted model. Freundlich coefficient (Kf) ranged from 212 to 45 mgPkg−1 (nitisols) whereas it was 112.7 to 16.29 mgPkg−1 (luvisols). EPR (kgPha−1) without and the highest lime rate were: nitisols (142.5 and 52.32 kgPha−1) and luvisols (124.84 and 25.94 kgPha−1). Liming reduced EPR by 63.3% (nitisols) and 79.3% (luvisols). Liming increased soil pH from [4.55 to 6.60 in the nitisols, and 5.33 to 6.51 in luvisols]; exchangeable acidity (cmol(+)kg−1) 3.84 to 0.01 nitisols, and 0.72–0.05 luvisols, and available P (mg/kg) 3.2–6.32 nitisol, and 2.74–8.72 luvisols. Furthermore, applying 32.9 kgPha−1 x 1300 kgha−1 lime resulted in grain yield (4345.2 kgha−1) that was 449% more than the untreated crop (791.3 kgha−1). The validation result suggested higher P than blanket P recommendation. It also justifies that excess P or lime alone cannot be a complete solution for P management and increased yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acid-volatile sulfides (AVS) are strongly associated with the bioavailability of some divalent metals such as cadmium, copper, lead, nickel and zinc. However, the global spatial variability of AVS for aquatic systems is unknown. The specific goals of this study were to: (1) summarize all available AVS monitoring data from all types of freshwater and saltwater waterbodies (streams/creeks, rivers, lakes/ponds/reservoirs and estuarine/marine areas) and (2) compare AVS concentrations from these various types of waterbodies considering both soil type classification and biomes. AVS measurements were reported from 21 different countries. A total of 17 different soil types were reported for all waterbody types and both podzols and luvisols were found in all waterbody types. Nine different biomes were sampled for all waterbody types. The temperate broadleaf and mixed forest biome was sampled for AVS in all waterbody types. Mean AVS concentrations ranged from 0.01 to 503 µmoles/g for 140 different waterbody types and the 90th centile for all these waterbodies was 49.4 µmoles/g. A ranking of waterbody type means from low to high AVS measurements showed the lowest mean value was reported for streams/creeks (5.12 µmoles/g; range from 0.1 to 39.8 µmoles/g) followed by lakes/ponds/reservoirs (11.3 µmoles/g; range from 0.79 to 127 µmoles/g); estuarine/marine areas (27.2 µmoles/g; range from 0.06 to 503 µmoles/g) and rivers (27.7 µmoles/g; range from 1.13 to 197 µmoles/g). The data provided in this study are compelling as it showed that the high variability of AVS measurements within each waterbody type as well as the variability of AVS within specific locations were often multiple orders of magnitude differences for concentration ranges. Therefore, a comprehensive spatial and temporal scale sampling of AVS in concert with divalent metals analysis is critical to avoid possible errors when evaluating the potential ecological risk of divalent metals in sediment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In several types of soils in Ukraine 28 species of naked amoebae were identified. In total, 1020 soil samples were selected and analyzed. For the first time, the species and morphotypes сomplexes of naked amoebae in the common chernozems, dark chestnut chernozems, podzolized chernozems, sod weakly podzolic soils, weakly podzolic clayey sandgrounds, grey podzolized grounds, grey forest soils of Ukraine were studied. Previously, only the species complexes of naked amoebae in the water bodies of Ukraine were investigated. There is no information on the composition of amoebas in soils. The highest number of species was found in the forest grey soils (26 species), the lowest number of species was observed in sod weakly podzolic soils (2 species). In grey forest soils the most common amoeba species were Cochliopodium sp. (58%), Vahlkampfia sp. (2) (54%), in grey podzolized grounds – Vahlkampfia sp. (2) (92%), Vahlkampfia sp. (1) (91%), Vexillifera sp. (84%), Cochliopodium sp. (71%), in weakly podzolic clayey sandgrounds – Vahlkampfia sp. (1) (75%), Cochliopodium sp. (71%), Vahlkampfia sp. (2) (57%), M. cantabrigiensis (50%), in podzolized chernozems – Vahlkampfia sp. (2) (78%), Vahlkampfia sp. (1) (75%), T. striata (69%), Acanthamoeba sp. (1) (61%), Vannella sp. (56%), Cochliopodium sp. (50%), in sod weakly podzolic soils – Vahlkampfia sp. (1) (75%), in common chernozems – Acanthamoeba sp. (1) (100%), S. stenopodia (83%), Vahlkampfia sp. (1) (66%), Vahlkampfia sp. (2) (58%), and S. stagnicola (50%), in dark chestnut chernozems – Vahlkampfia sp. (1) (100%), Vannella sp. (100%), Vexillifera sp. (100%), Cochliopodium sp. (100%), R. platypodia (63%), T. striata (50%), and S. stenopodia (50%). The identified species belonged to the eruptive, polytactic, monopodial, striate, rugose, lingulate, fan-shaped, mayorellian, dactylopodial, branched, lens-like, and acanthopodial morphotypes. Amoebae of the rugose and branched morphotypes were the least abundant in the studied soils. The species and morphotype composition of the naked amoebae were affected by soil humidity and, to a lesser degree, by temperature and acidity of soils, which indicates the adaptive nature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to study the relationship between the distribution and aflatoxin production capacity of Aspergillus species and soil types, 35 soil samples were collected from the main peanut planting areas in Xiangyang, which has 19.7 thousand square kilometers and is located in a special area with different soil types. The soil types of peanut planting areas in Xiangyang are mainly sandy loam and clay loam, and most of the soil is acidic, providing unique nature conditions for this study. The results showed that the Aspergillus sp. population in clay loam (9050 cfu/g) was significantly larger than that in sandy loam (3080 cfu/g). The percentage of atoxigenic Aspergillus strains isolated from sandy loam samples was higher than that from clay loam samples, reaching 58.5%. Meanwhile the proportion of high toxin-producing strains from clay loam (39.7%) was much higher than that from sandy loam (7.3%). Under suitable culture conditions, the average aflatoxin production capacity of Aspergillus isolates from clay loam samples (236.97 μg/L) was higher than that of strains from sandy loam samples (80.01 μg/L). The results inferred that under the same regional climate conditions, the density and aflatoxin production capacity of Aspergillus sp. in clay loam soil were significantly higher than that in sandy loam soil. Therefore, peanuts from these planting areas are at a relatively higher risk of contamination by Aspergillus sp. and aflatoxins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil health or soil degradation criteria are until now not well documented for a greater number of soil profiles under conventional and conservation tillage management in the literature. In order to evaluate the compaction status of more than 700 arable sites analyzed within the last 40 years, the Compaction Verification Tool (CVT) was applied according to Zink et al. (2011). Besides the ratio of air capacity (AC, at a matric potential of −6 kPa) and saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks), the ratio of AC and air conductivity (Ka, at a matric potential of −6 kPa) was considered for evaluating the compaction status with respect to potentially harmful soil alterations. The compaction status was classified into the CVT classes I–IV, where a harmful subsoil compaction was assumed, if both values of AC and Ks or AC and Ka simultaneously exceeded (are smaller than) their defined critical value indicating limited conditions for plant growth (CVT class IV). We analyzed the compaction status of soil profiles with respect to clay content, soil type, structural stage (aggregate forms) and time span of sampling (1980–1999, 2000–2020) under conventional and conservation tillage for top- and subsoil horizons. While also some of the annually plowed topsoils under conventional tillage showed critical values of AC, Ks and Ka, the occurrence of harmful soil compaction is most dominant in the subsoil horizons (> 30 cm depth) because of a higher proportion of class IV which increased with the clay content (from < 12 % to > 12 % clay), irrespective of the applied ratio used for verification (AC/Ks or AC/Ka). Especially the highly productive Luvisols showed a high percentage of harmful compaction in the subsoil (30–41 % in CVT class IV). Soil profiles under conservation tillage management are less affected by harmful compaction. The more aggregated subsoils showed smaller proportions of class IV, which was further influenced by the clay content. • The soil threat by harmful soil compaction (CVT IV) can be explained on the ratio of AC:Ks and AC:Ka. • Luvisols show severe subsoil compaction, documented by a higher number of Class IV subsoil sites. • Soils with clay contents > 12 % are often more intensely deformed than sandier sites. • The ratios between AC and Ks and AC and Ka show similar results. • Soils under conservation tillage are less degraded than under conventional tillage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Plantain has been shown to possess biological nitrification inhibiting (BNI) activity, which can reduce nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from ruminant urine patches. However, the effectiveness of plantain in mitigating these emissions remains unclear.In this study, the 15N flux method was employed to investigate the relationship between different plantain proportions in pasture sward and gaseous nitrogen (N) ((N2O and dinitrogen (N2)) loss following dairy cow urine deposition (660 kg N ha-1) on the Allophanic and Gley soils.The findings indicate that the presence of plantain reduced cumulative N2O emissions after urine deposition, but there was no direct correlation between the nominal sowing rate and its mitigation effectiveness. However, in the Allophanic soil, there was a reduction in cumulative N2O emissions with an increase in the proportion of plantain in the dry matter. Plantain presence increased total N2 emissions in both soil types, possibly due to its BNI function, which would retain mineral N in the soil for an extended period, providing substrate for complete denitrification. The total N2 emissions from the Allophanic soil with plantain presence were higher compared to those from the Gley soil.This study revealed the role of soil type in the effect of plantain on N2O and N2 emissions from urine patches. The increase of proportion of plantain in the pasture dry matter in the Allophanic soil decreased cumulative N2O emissions, while no effect of plantain proportion was observed in the Gley soil.Methods: Plantain has been shown to possess biological nitrification inhibiting (BNI) activity, which can reduce nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from ruminant urine patches. However, the effectiveness of plantain in mitigating these emissions remains unclear.In this study, the 15N flux method was employed to investigate the relationship between different plantain proportions in pasture sward and gaseous nitrogen (N) ((N2O and dinitrogen (N2)) loss following dairy cow urine deposition (660 kg N ha-1) on the Allophanic and Gley soils.The findings indicate that the presence of plantain reduced cumulative N2O emissions after urine deposition, but there was no direct correlation between the nominal sowing rate and its mitigation effectiveness. However, in the Allophanic soil, there was a reduction in cumulative N2O emissions with an increase in the proportion of plantain in the dry matter. Plantain presence increased total N2 emissions in both soil types, possibly due to its BNI function, which would retain mineral N in the soil for an extended period, providing substrate for complete denitrification. The total N2 emissions from the Allophanic soil with plantain presence were higher compared to those from the Gley soil.This study revealed the role of soil type in the effect of plantain on N2O and N2 emissions from urine patches. The increase of proportion of plantain in the pasture dry matter in the Allophanic soil decreased cumulative N2O emissions, while no effect of plantain proportion was observed in the Gley soil.Results: Plantain has been shown to possess biological nitrification inhibiting (BNI) activity, which can reduce nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from ruminant urine patches. However, the effectiveness of plantain in mitigating these emissions remains unclear.In this study, the 15N flux method was employed to investigate the relationship between different plantain proportions in pasture sward and gaseous nitrogen (N) ((N2O and dinitrogen (N2)) loss following dairy cow urine deposition (660 kg N ha-1) on the Allophanic and Gley soils.The findings indicate that the presence of plantain reduced cumulative N2O emissions after urine deposition, but there was no direct correlation between the nominal sowing rate and its mitigation effectiveness. However, in the Allophanic soil, there was a reduction in cumulative N2O emissions with an increase in the proportion of plantain in the dry matter. Plantain presence increased total N2 emissions in both soil types, possibly due to its BNI function, which would retain mineral N in the soil for an extended period, providing substrate for complete denitrification. The total N2 emissions from the Allophanic soil with plantain presence were higher compared to those from the Gley soil.This study revealed the role of soil type in the effect of plantain on N2O and N2 emissions from urine patches. The increase of proportion of plantain in the pasture dry matter in the Allophanic soil decreased cumulative N2O emissions, while no effect of plantain proportion was observed in the Gley soil.Conclusion: Plantain has been shown to possess biological nitrification inhibiting (BNI) activity, which can reduce nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from ruminant urine patches. However, the effectiveness of plantain in mitigating these emissions remains unclear.In this study, the 15N flux method was employed to investigate the relationship between different plantain proportions in pasture sward and gaseous nitrogen (N) ((N2O and dinitrogen (N2)) loss following dairy cow urine deposition (660 kg N ha-1) on the Allophanic and Gley soils.The findings indicate that the presence of plantain reduced cumulative N2O emissions after urine deposition, but there was no direct correlation between the nominal sowing rate and its mitigation effectiveness. However, in the Allophanic soil, there was a reduction in cumulative N2O emissions with an increase in the proportion of plantain in the dry matter. Plantain presence increased total N2 emissions in both soil types, possibly due to its BNI function, which would retain mineral N in the soil for an extended period, providing substrate for complete denitrification. The total N2 emissions from the Allophanic soil with plantain presence were higher compared to those from the Gley soil.This study revealed the role of soil type in the effect of plantain on N2O and N2 emissions from urine patches. The increase of proportion of plantain in the pasture dry matter in the Allophanic soil decreased cumulative N2O emissions, while no effect of plantain proportion was observed in the Gley soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Weeds reduce agricultural productivity by competing for resources intended for crops. Recently, the deactivation of weed seedbanks by microwave (MW) radiation has been developed as a chemical-free weed management practice. It is unknown, if these extreme heat disturbances permanently alter the soil microbiome of different farming systems. We performed a microcosm experiment to quantify the immediate and short-term effect of MW heating on the soil microbiome. We exposed three different soil types (representing dryland, temperate and irrigated farming systems) to MW heating, and monitored the fungal and bacterial communities over a month of recovery. Bacterial and fungal community composition were strongly dependent on the soil of origin. Following MW heating, bacterial and fungal richness decreased in all soils and did not recover during the period studied (four weeks). Notably, in all soils, bacterial communities became more dissimilar to each other following disturbance, but in fungi, this depended on the soil of origin. These results highlight the importance of considering the resistance and recovery of the resident soil microbiota in developing long-term sustainable MW-based weed management system. • Soils' resident microbiota were dependent on the origin of soil. • Soil heating intensities declined the richness of bacterial and fungal communities. • Four weeks appeared to be insufficient time for microbial recovery. • Heat disturbance led to changes in the abundance of bacterial and fungal taxa. • Heating induced an obvious difference in bacterial communities' composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantifying soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics is critical for monitoring agricultural sustainability and mitigating global climate change. A study was done to investigate the SOC changes between 2003 and 2016 by DeNitrification-DeComposition (DNDC) model in an intensively cultivated region of eastern China, using a detailed high-resolution soil database, which contained 4875 sites (0–20 cm depth) with the sampling density of one sample per km2 in 2003. Results showed the DNDC model had good performance for simulating the SOC dynamics in the study area. Spatial analysis showed that 71% of the study area gained C, whilst 29% maintained their C balance with no C loss in all areas. Results suggested that the current management practice facilitated soil C sequestration in this region although soil type also played an important role. SOC density (SOCD) in lime concretion black soil was significantly higher than those in other soils. The averaged global warming potential ranged from 3865.8 to 7110.8 kg CO2 equivalent ha−1 yr−1 from 2003 to 2016 with CH4 contributing the largest proportion, which might be associated with the high input of fertilizer. Spatially high-resolution estimates of SOC using DNDC can support dual agricultural and carbon management in this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Allochthonous supply of dissolved organic matter (DOM) and nutrients from the catchment have a substantial impact on the physical and chemical properties of lake water. Transport of DOM and nutrients is affected by different catchment characteristics, e.g., catchment area, soil and land cover, and population density. The aim of this study was to relate geological, hydrological, land-cover, and soil characteristics of 52 temperate catchments in Estonia to variability in DOM (measured as dissolved organic carbon [DOC]), total organic nitrogen (TON), and total phosphorus (TP) in lakes and to assess the relative importance of different land-cover and soil types as sources of these substances. DOC, TON, and TP were very diverse in the studied lakes. Strong positive correlation between DOC and TON indicated that these substances had similar concentration patterns and sources. Catchment soil cover was the best predictor of DOC, TON, and TP levels in lakes, explaining up to 43.8% of their variabilities. This observation can partly be explained by different soil organic carbon (SOC) content: soils with higher SOC were associated with higher lake DOC and TON, whereas soils with low SOC corresponded to lower DOC and TON. Similar to other temperate lakes, bogs and peat soils were a major source of DOM in our studied lakes. DOC, TON, and color were positively associated with percentages of peat soils in the catchment. On the other hand, TP increased with the proportion of urban areas in the catchments, indicating the importance of human impact on its concentration. Understanding the impact of different catchment characteristics on DOC, TON, and TP in temperate lakes is crucial for developing transport models used for predicting future levels of DOM and nutrients under changing climate and land use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Questions: Vegetation in forest understories is determined by a complex interplay of many different environmental factors, including light, water and nutrient availability. Changes in these conditions, especially changes in nitrogen (N) availability, have been widely discussed to cause shifts in species composition and loss of oligotrophic species. We examined whether nitrogen is the most important factor for the decline of nitrogen-sensitive species in understorey communities, as measured by average Ellenberg N values and the share and number of nitrogen-sensitive character species. Location: Nine different oligo-mesotrophic types of temperate forest in southwest Germany. Methods: We combined understorey vegetation and soil data from 135 forest stands. To study the importance of variables in explaining the vegetation gradients, we used random forest analyses and non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) ordinations combined with fitting of environmental vectors. Results: We detected strong differences between three examined forest type groups: eutrophication in the understorey vegetation of broad-leaved forests on carbonate soils was strongly related to high canopy closure and low soil carbon/phosphorus (C/P) ratio. In broad-leaved forests on acidic soil, base saturation played a major role, but the vegetation was also influenced by the C/N and C/P ratios. In coniferous forests on acidic soil, soil pH and organic layer depth were important, as were the C/N, C/P and N/P ratios. Conclusion: Our results show that eutrophication in understorey forest vegetation is not monocausal. Rather, oligotrophic species of forest communities are reduced at sites with higher N or P availability and/or higher base saturation and soil pH. These conditions favor fast-growing ubiquitous species in the competition for light and other limiting factors. Since these factors were of varying importance between the forest types examined, differences shaping the forest communities need to be regarded when evaluating the impact of environmental changes, for example through atmospheric nitrogen deposition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To provide technical support and theoretical guarantee for the prevention and control of soil heavy metal pollution, the main types of topsoil and parent material in Jilin Province were systematically collected, accurately tested by atomic fluorescence spectrometry and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, and comprehensively evaluated through five indexes. By principal component analysis, it was initially judged that there were 2 or 3 major heavy metal sources in topsoil, which could be attributed to the parent material, soil-forming process, and/or anthropogenic factor. The pH of surface soil mainly depended on its parent material, and changed to a certain extent during its formation. The contents of heavy metals As, Hg, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn in surface soils were both significantly influenced by parent materials and soil-forming processes. Here the geo-accumulation index calculated by corresponding background value of parent material was more suitable for pollution assessment than the other four indexes, and the heavy metal contamination degree in each type of soil basically followed the order: Hg > Cd > Cu, Pb, Zn, As > Cr, Ni. Furthermore, the heavy metal contamination level in the types of soils was ranked as follows: cambisol, phaeozem > podzol, planosol > chernozem. The health risk assessment indicated that the soil in the study area had no significant carcinogenic or non-carcinogenic risks. Excluding the influence of parent material and soil-formation process, the comprehensive evaluation of soil heavy metal pollution will be more reasonable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate the effect of different soil textures on chemical composition and antioxidant properties of essential oils from Solanum nigrum. Methods: Four soils of differing texture were formulated from soil under fallow to cultivate S. nigrum in a glasshouse. Essential Oil was extracted from fresh shoots by solvent-free microwave extraction (SFME) and analysed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Antioxidant properties were assayed (DPPH) and ABTS Results: GC-MS profiling revealed variations in the quality index (QI), number of chemical constituents and antioxidant results of S. nigrum oil. Geraniol and citronellol were the two principal components. The highest activity of the antioxidant was found in plants cultivated on clay loam soil. Fifty percent (50%) Inhibitory Concentration (IC50) ranged from 1.196 to 1.594 µg/mL and 0.067 to 3.59 µg /mL in DPPH and ABTS assays, respectively. Conclusions: This research work indicates that soil texture influences the oil quality, quantity and chemical composition of oil extracted from S. nigrum shoots. Essential oil extracts from S. nigrum grown on clay loam soils recorded the highest antioxidant properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Warming and elevated CO2 (eCO2) may influence the input of photosynthetic carbon (C) into soils and subsequent soil C storage. The biochemical properties vary among soils, which likely act different roles in the fate of photosynthetic C and soil C sequestration in response to warming and eCO2. However, the interactive effects of climate change and soil types on the photosynthetic C retained in soil and relevant mechanisms are poorly understood. We performed a pot experiment in open-top chambers to examine the effects of eCO2 (550 ppm) combined with elevated temperature (eT, 2 °C higher than the air temperature) on the retention of plant-C of maize (Zea mays L.) grown in Phaeozem, Fluvisol, Kastanozem and Acrisol with 13CO2 labeling at the silking stage. The proportion of 13C to the total fixed 13C increased by 44.6%, 96.1% and 41.9% in Phaeozem under eT, eCO2 and eT plus eCO2 treatments compared with control, while decreased in other three soils in response to either eCO2, eT or eT plus eCO2. The effect of climate change on fresh C input in maize cropping soils depended on soil type, and soil net C losses may occur in the Fluvisol, Kastanozem and Acrisol under climate change. Abbreviations: eCO2: elevated CO2, 550ppm; eT: warming; aCO2: ambient CO2, 400ppm; aT: ambient temperature; OTC: open-top chamber; DOC: dissolved organic carbon; SOC: soil organic carbon; C: carbon; S: soil; T: temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is a result of many years of field and laboratory research of the soils in Crna River Basin, spread out on 497 514,81 ha, with the altitudes ranging from 150 to 2601 m above sea level with the main goal of gaining better understanding of the productive capacities of soils and soil conservation measures for their improvement. The catchment area of the Crna River is a spatial area that extends in two states in the southwest of the Republic of North Macedonia and the northern part of the Republic of Greece. The filed research of the soils and preparation of soil samples has been done according to ISO 10381-1 and ISO 10381-2 protocols. Soil samples were analysed in the laboratory: hygroscopic moisture; mechanical composition; pH of the soil solution; humus content and total nitrogen; content of carbonates; available nutrients P2O5 and K2O. The mechanical composition and chemical properties of the soils were determined by standard methods. Physical-geographical conditions of the studied area are heterogeneous, with numerous relief forms; different expositions and inclinations, and with great differences of altitude. There are several geological formations of a very heterogeneous petrographic-mineralogical composition and climate-vegetation zones. Long-term effects of human participation should also be noted. The vast diversity of the factors required for soil formation in the catchment area of the Crna River are the reason for the formation of many different soil types as well as the lower taxonomic units. There are 14 (fourteen) different soil types distributed in the Crna River Basin together with a considerable amount of subtypes, varieties and forms. The most significant soil types are: Fluvisol and Cambisol. These types of soils are characterized by different properties (chemical, physical, physical-mechanical and productive). Therefore, they have varied effects on agricultural production (field crop, viticulture and fruit production). The aim of this research was to present combined measures of soil conservation for soils from mountain terrains, lake terraces and undulating-hilly terrains, including from sloping terrains and from plain terrains, based on the research that was implemented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the three last decades, continental Ecuador biosphere reserves (CEBRs) have undergone important land cover transformations because of human‐managed systems such as agriculture, livestock, forestry, and urbanization. Thus, the native landscape structure has been altered, exhibiting a mosaic of patches with varying sizes and shapes. The resulting landscape could shape some patterns over time, reflecting the complex interactions between human activities and biotic‐abiotic factors, such as soil, climate, and water availability. Quantifying the landscape patterns and their dynamics is essential for the monitoring and assessment of the ecological consequences of land‐cover change in time. Based on the soil maps and raster land‐cover maps from 1990 to 2016 of two CEBRs, the spatial deforestation patterns were quantified through lacunarity and multifractal analysis. To conduct these analyses, the deforested areas were identified and overlapped to predominant soil types. The results showed that the deforestation process pattern and soil types interact through complex relations due to specific site characteristics. Thereby, both soil and land cover interacted in fractal structures. The patch area distribution of deforestation patterns linked to soil types reveals a power‐law relationship in which, as the area of the deforested patches increased, their frequency decreased. Also, this relation presents self‐similarity and multifractal behaviour over a wide range of scales from 46–2,674 pixels, with a pixel size of 30 m × 30 m. However, each CEBR showed varying degrees of heterogeneity and complexity, which were reflected through lacunarity and multifractal parameters. The dynamics of deforestation patterns linked to soil types can be spatially dependent on the initial patchiness state, the distance to the adjacent patches, and the suitability of the soil for agrarian activities. Altogether, these were the spatial underlying factors of the deforestation evolution in the two CEBRs. Highlights: Deforestation patterns show spatial self‐similarityDeforestation patterns are linked to soil typesLandscape ecology, lacunarity, and multifractal analyses are useful to understand deforestation patternsInitial patch location, distance to the nearest neighbour and soil suitability boost the deforestation expansion [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the crystallization behavior in the field of radioactive contaminated soil immobilization, different particle size soils are heated at 1300 °C within 30 min by microwave sintering. The XRD results show that mullite phase appears in the yellow soil when the particle size is over 150 mesh. The behavior of crystallization is also related to the grain size and aluminum–silicon molar ratio. As the particle size increases, the crystallinity values generally decrease in all sintered soils. When the particle size is fixed, the crystallinity values are lowest in yellow sintered soil and highest in black sintered soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]