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Aims Agricultural soils in Germany store 2.54 Pg of organic carbon (C). However, information about how and when this C entered the soils is limited. This study illustrates how depth profiles of organic matter can shed light on different entry paths of organic C. Methods Machine learning was used to explain total organic C (TOC), C:N, particulate organic C (POC), δ13C and δ15N values down to 100 cm depth based on pedology, geology, climate and management-related variables from the German Agricultural Soil Inventory. We estimated TOC turnover rates based on the relationship between the proportion of maize (only C4 plant) in crop rotations and soil δ13C values. Results In the upper 30 cm of cropland, fresh photosynthates added on average 0.2 to 0.8 Mg C ha− 1 year− 1. Organic fertiliser was another source of topsoil C, especially in grassland. Sandy sites in north-west Germany contained historic C from past heathland and peatland. One third of German agricultural land was found to be on colluvial and alluvial deposits, in which allochthonous C from upstream and upslope areas evidently increased the TOC content of subsoils. In and below hardpans, TOC content and C:N and POC:TOC ratios were low, indicating restricted root-derived C input. Conclusions Our data indicate that ongoing management in German agricultural soils mainly affects topsoil C, while C storage in subsoils reveals significant legacies from allochthonous, buried or translocated C inputs. Specific attention should be focused on the sustainable loosening of hardpans that could result in a slow, but significant increase in subsoil C stocks.

In some coastal areas, tidal ranges represent an important energy potential. This energy is harnessed through tidal power plants (TPPs), which cause environmental impacts during the construction and operation phases. The objective is to propose an environmental impact potential (EIP) index to be used as a tool to select suitable areas for the installation of TPPs. The EIP is based on a combination of geographic information systems and multicriteria analysis, which take into account the degrees of vulnerability of the following environmental variables: land use, geomorphology, geology, slope, pedology and vegetation. The results showed that the EIP values in most areas of the Amazon region coast decrease from north to south, and 15% of the areas had low EIP values because they are farther from estuaries, which are technically better for the implementation of TPPs. In the rest of the region, 82% of the areas have average EIP values, and 3% have high EIP values. These areas are near the mouth and are more susceptible to erosion and flooding. In this case, the environmental impact is greater in relation to those of areas with the greatest river influence. Thus, from an environmental point of view, the EIP index has proven to be a preliminary and simple application assessment tool for choosing the best area for TPP installation for the sustainable use of natural resources.

Near-surface disposal is anticipated to be the preferred option for the disposal of low and intermediate levels of radioactive waste in Bangladesh. A geographic information system (GIS) and a multi-criteria analysis were used for screening all of Bangladesh to identify potential areas to establish a near-surface disposal facility (NSDF). Five main data criteria, namely geology, hydrology, climatology, pedology and socio-economy, were used in the analysis and were further sub-divided into 14 sub-criteria. Layers of these sub-criteria graded on a scale of 0–5 were used as raw data for the analysis, where 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 indicate excluded area, completely unsuitable, unsuitable, moderately suitable, suitable and most suitable, respectively. Finally, a suitability map was generated using the analytic hierarchy process and GIS software, which indicated about 1.78% (2621.88 km2) of the total area to be most suitable for the construction of a NSDF in Bangladesh.

In 2017, the Japanese Society of Pedology (the Fifth Committee for Soil Classification and Nomenclature) established the Japanese soil classification system. In the classification system, all the s...

To address concerns among members of the Canadian Society of Soil Science (CSSS) regarding the discipline’s capacity to train new soil professionals, specifically in pedology and field skills, members of the CSSS’s soil education and pedology committees have proposed to develop a pedology field school. To aid in the selection of learning outcomes that are relevant to professional practice, an online survey was sent to Canadian soil professionals within private industry and governmental organizations. Professional feedback was also requested regarding the creation of a web-based national soil education resource and the certification of soil pedological skills. According to the survey results, the quality of new graduates’ pedology and field skills was perceived as poor. Certain soil field skills and knowledge were thought to be either completely absent from the current Canadian curriculum (e.g., spatial variability of soil processes), or not well mastered by graduates (e.g., interpreting soil survey reports). Important learning outcomes were identified, such as interpreting soil survey information, soil mapping, and soil-landscape classification with soil description–classification and soil genesis content needed as a refresher. Taking into consideration existing regional field schools, we recommend that the CSSS co-create, where needed, and coordinate, where they already exist, regional pedology field schools throughout Canada. We also propose that the CSSS develop a national pedology certification and a web-based soil education resource. Also, further study is necessary to shed light on the contribution of non-disciplinary graduates to the professional practice and the impact this has on the perception of soil education in Canada.

Runoff farming is a key hydro-agricultural strategy that has proven efficient in arid areas. Research in Arabia on the function, development, maintenance, durability and abandonment of this technology is scarce. A multiproxy investigation (cartography, sedimentology, pedology, geochemistry, paleo-ecology and chronology) was conducted on a recently abandoned terraced area in Rustaq, Northern Oman. The aim was to characterize the formation, function and management of this runoff system and the driving factors behind its success. Cycles of cultivation were identified during the Iron Age II/III periods (specifically 750–450 BCE), the Early Pre-Islamic Period (PIR) (specifically 350–200 BCE), the Early and Middle Islamic periods (specifically 8–10th C CE, 13th-14th C CE) and the late Islamic period (specifically 17th C CE and later). This expansion and perenniality was possible thanks to: 1- available water (local to micro-regional orogenic precipitation despite a regional aridification during these periods); 2- suitable soils (weathered geological outcrops, probable aeolian /dust particles); 3- a system of production combining crops and husbandry; 4- a progressive increase in agricultural specialization (crops grown and techniques) in parallel with a diversification in hydraulic technology. These results are to some degree in accordance with known phases of settlement intensification and economic growth, but also reveal the persistence of small-scale rural livelihoods during periods of harsh conditions for which archaeological traces are very scarce.

Understanding the spatio-temporal variability of the microbial properties in soil with a different pedogenesis is crucial in evaluating their structure-function relationship and their influence on the functions of an ecosystem. The aims of the study were to determine the spatio-temporal variations in the selected microbial properties at the surface horizon in a conventionally managed arable field. The area selected for the research, which was mainly covered with typical Luvisols and Phaeozems, was a uniformly managed system that was considered to be homogenous in relation to texture. Winter rape was cultivated after winter wheat as the forecrop. A grid soil sampling (10 m × 10 m) was used to assess the spatial heterogeneity of the soil properties across a 0.4 ha field. Soil samples were collected from the upper 20 cm of both soils at 50 points in April and August 2008. The colony-forming units (CFUs) of bacteria, fungi and actinomycetes, soil basal respiration (BR), microbial biomass carbon (CMIC) as well as enzymatic activity were analyzed. The data were evaluated using classical statistical and geostatistical methods. In both soils, fungal CFUs were significantly lower than the bacterial CFUs with a B/F (bacteria/fungi) ratio of 68.4 in the Luvisols and 192.4 in the Phaeozems, while CFUs of the actinomycetes was similar in both soil types. Most of the studied properties were significantly higher in April than in August, while there was an opposite trend for dehydrogenase activity (DHA). In turn, fluorescein diacetate hydrolysis (FDAH) and CMIC did not show significant differences between the sampling months. Only some of the microbial properties had a significant spatial autocorrelation (Moran's I) and these were spatially dependent at the scale of the sampling grid. Most of the spatially correlated properties were in moderate and strong variability class, while the fungal CFUs in Luvisols (April), Phaeosems (August) and FDAH in Phaeosems (April) were in the weak variability class (a nugget effect >75%). Only the bacterial CFUs in Luvisols had a pure nugget effect. Most of the microbial-related properties did not exhibit a spatial structure at the examined scale, thus suggesting that changes in these properties would be detectable at a distance shorter than ten meters. More frequent seasonal sampling must be included in the sampling strategy in order to better understand whether the studied properties have any permanent spatial patterns in soil over time or whether they are more randomized.

Pedology focuses on understanding soil genesis in the field and includes soil classification and mapping. Digital soil mapping (DSM) has evolved from traditional soil classification and mapping to the creation and population of spatial soil information systems by using field and laboratory observations coupled with environmental covariates. Pedological knowledge of soil distribution and processes can be useful for digital soil mapping. Conversely, digital soil mapping can bring new insights to pedogenesis, detailed information on vertical and lateral soil variation, and can generate research questions that were not considered in traditional pedology. This review highlights the relevance and synergy of pedology in soil spatial prediction through the expansion of pedological knowledge. We also discuss how DSM can support further advances in pedology through improved representation of spatial soil information. Some major findings of this review are as follows: (a) soil classes can be mapped accurately using DSM, (b) the occurrence and thickness of soil horizons, whole soil profiles and soil parent material can be predicted successfully with DSM techniques, (c) DSM can provide valuable information on pedogenic processes (e.g. addition, removal, transformation and translocation), (d) pedological knowledge can be incorporated into DSM, but DSM can also lead to the discovery of knowledge, and (e) there is the potential to use process‐based soil–landscape evolution modelling in DSM. Based on these findings, the combination of data‐driven and knowledge‐based methods promotes even greater interactions between pedology and DSM. HIGHLIGHTS: Demonstrates relevance and synergy of pedology in soil spatial prediction, and links pedology and DSM. Indicates the successful application of DSM in mapping soil classes, profiles, pedological features and processes. Shows how DSM can help in forming new hypotheses and gaining new insights about soil and soil processes. Combination of data‐driven and knowledge‐based methods recommended to promote greater interactions between DSM and pedology.

Extreme environmental conditions that occur in Arctic, Antarctic, high mountains, extremely arid regions, as well as in toxic or nutrient-poor substrates, shallow waters, under intense anthropogenic impact, and in specific atmosphere or its absence in extraterrestrial systems, lead to the formation of soils and soloids (soil-like bodies) that cannot be adequately described, and their genesis and geography cannot be satisfactorily explained within the framework of the traditional Dokuchaev’s pedology. A new scientific direction is proposed—extreme pedology (genesis and geography of soils in extreme environments), which requires its own theory, conceptual apparatus, and methodological basis. It is based on the assumption that soils and soloids can develop in extreme conditions under the deficit or surplus of resources. In the first case, soloids are just few millimeters thick; in the second case, they have the profiles of multimeter scale. Various classes of soils and soloids extremeness are specified: factorial, regime-functional, and chorological (extra-areal). The behavior of extreme objects in time and the nature of their pedogenic records can have both specific and common features with normal soils. Morphological and analytical study of soils and soloids of extreme environments requires state-of-the-art methodological approaches and scientific equipment.

Plateau dunes are unique landforms which formed as erosion relicts in blow-out areas in Late Pleistocene sandy deposits. They are negative forms in contrast to normal dunes where sand is accumulated (positive form). Plateau dunes are located in the European Aeolian Sand Belt in the Netherlands, Germany and Denmark and they are flat-topped features with a bog in the central part often covered by a thin aeolian sand layer. A conceptual model of formation and further development of plateau dunes in time are presented in detail, using 14C dates of buried peat layers and OSL dates of sandy sediments. Special focus is on the influence of climate factors, pedology, and human activity on the formation of plateau dunes.

Soil micromorphology is an excellent tool for relating quantitative laboratory data to soil development in complex pedogenic settings. This study utilizes micromorphology, scanning electron microscopy, bulk soil geochemistry, clay mineralogy, and particle-size analysis to reconstruct the depositional and pedogenic history of the Serpentine Hot Springs fluted point site on the Seward Peninsula, Alaska. Sediment deposition occurred via colluviation, which dominated during the late glacial period and early- to middle-Holocene, and aeolian processes, which dominated during the Younger Dryas (YD) and late Holocene. Two buried soils are present: one dating to the Holocene Thermal Maximum (HTM) and the other dating just before the Neoglacial period. Pedofeatures fall into four categories: 1) cryogenic features; 2) clay illuviation features; 3) podzolization/redox features; and 4) anthropogenic features. The spatial relationships among these features provides insight into the pedogenic history of the soil. The HTM soil is characterized by clay illuviation, suggesting warm, mildly acidic, well-drained soil conditions. The pre-Neoglacial soil is characterized by incipient placic horizon development and podzolization, indicative of moist, acidic, variably drained conditions. Cryogenic features associated with late Holocene Neoglaciation dominate the modern soil. Despite cryogenic activity and the presence of permafrost, the cultural stratigraphy of the site remains intact.

The values of geodiversity, defined through different qualitative and/or quantitative methods, represent a fundamental asset for the development of geoconservation actions. Quantitative methods can be considered those of less subjectivity since their dependence on the evaluator and its scientific knowledge is restricted. In turn, aiming to clearly expose the achieved results, this work used geoprocessing tools, as it has been used in several studies of geodiversity index in Brazil. Rio Grande do Norte, a state located in the extreme northeast and one of the smallest of the country, still does not have an assessment for its entire territory, despite being geologically diverse, with rocks dated back from the Archean until the Holocene. Thus, the objective of this work is to fill this gap in the studies of Brazilian geodiversity. For this, we used the evaluation methodology based on the grid overlay, with 5.5 × 5.5 km mesh, on the available cartographic bases: lithology, mineral occurrences, geomorphology, pedology, and hydrography. The thematic subindexes were added, which resulted in the geodiversity index map for the entire state. It was classified into five classes: very low, low, medium, high, and very high. It was verified that most of the state is in low areas in the geodiversity index and that the high and very high areas are concentrated in specific portions, mainly in three distinct regions: Eastern Serido, Center-East, and Eastern Coast. It was observed that Rio Grande do Norte state is endowed with high potential regions of geodiversity.

In Brazil several digital soil class mapping studies were carried out from 2006 onwards to maximize the use of existing maps and information and to provide estimates for wider areas. However, there is no consensus on which methods have produced superior results in the predictive value of soil maps. This study conducts a systematic review of digital soil class mapping in Brazil and aims to analyze the factors which can improve the accuracy of digital soil class maps. Data from 334 digital soil class mapping studies were grouped and analyzed by Student's t-test, Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test and Kruskal-Wallis test. When conventional maps were used for validation, the studies showed average values of 63 % and when field samples were used, 56 % for Overall Accuracy. Studies compatible with the Planimetric Cartographic Accuracy Standard for Digital Cartographic Products (PEC-PCD) averaged between 4 % and 15 % higher accuracy than those of the incompatible group. There seems to be no evidence that increasing the number of variables and samples results in more accurate soil map prediction, but studies using variables related to four soil-forming factors enhanced accuracy. From a density of 0.08 MU km–2 and upwards, it became more difficult for studies to obtain greater accuracy. Artificial neural network classifiers and Decision Tree models seem to be producing more accurate digital soil class maps.

Australia’s Murray-Darling Basin (MDB) is an agriculturally and ecologically valuable region impacted by water abstraction and climate change. Black Box (Eucalyptus largiflorens (Myrtaceae)), an important floodplain tree largely endemic to the Basin is of concern because its overall condition is sub-optimal. Knowledge about key aspects of Black Box tree function such as mineral nutrition remains limited. This field study examined the latter by measuring essential plant nutrients, aluminium, and soil chemistry over 12 months spanning an environmental water release event. Samples were collected 4–8 weekly from mature trees on loamy sands of the Hattah Lakes system in north-western Victoria. This commenced prior to water release, continuing through peak levels at the study sites, to recession. Paired leaf and soil samples were obtained from/beneath mature trees at 8 time-points in 2017–2018. Flooding induced mostly temporary soil chemical changes in the surface horizon, which enhanced trace-nutrient access to trees. Results suggest that the short-term flooding of Black Box on drained loamy sands likely provides nutritional advantage by generating soil chemical fluxes. They also raise questions about flooding-induced movement of nutrients through the soil profile, and about the combined effects of pedology and duration of flooding on the nutritional health of Black Box.

International audience; Soil bulk density (BD) is a key soil property in soil science. BD is measured at the scale of the soil horizon with conventional methods: core sampling and rubber balloon. Regardless of the method, BD measurement in the field is cumbersome and time consuming, especially in stony soils, and new, less invasive methods have emerged, but their measurement quality needs to be compared with conventional methods. The photogrammetric technique (SfM) consists of the reconstruction of a given scene in 3D from multi-view photographs. The aim of the present work is to assess the SfM as a rapid, accurate method of measuring the volume of undisturbed soil for BD measurements, regardless of the soil depth and stone content. Ten soil horizons were investigated from various types of soils with different soil properties, especially texture (10 to 48% of clay) and stone content (0 to 73%). The bulk density of each horizon was measured with a reference method (core sampling), an excavation method (rubber balloon) and two recently developed sensor-based methods: SfM and a lightweight flash LiDar. For the sensor-based methods, an automated post-processing method was developed to reduce the human operating time. The BDs measured from the SfM were significantly similar to those measured from core sampling. At this stage, the lightweight flash LiDar is not sufficient to measure the BD with high accuracy. Finally, we recommend the use of SfM to measure BD regarding its robustness in varying soil conditions, especially stony soils, and we discuss the potential of the method regarding the recent advances in its field use with smartphones. Highlights: Soil bulk density (BD) is a key soil property in soil science The photogrammetric technique and flash Lidar were applied to measure BD in the field The photogrammetric technique and flash Lidar were compared to classical methods The flash lidar is not sufficient to measure the BD with high accuracy The photogrammetric technique is recommended especially in stony soils.

In this paper, considering the far-field seismic input, an accelerogram recorded in the bedrock at Wuquan Mountain in Lanzhou city during the 2008 Wenchuan Ms8.0 earthquake was selected, and numerical dynamic analyses were conducted. The one-dimensional equivalent linear method was implemented to estimate the ground motion effects in the loess regions. Thereafter, slope topographic effects on ground motion were studied by applying the dynamic finite-element method. The results revealed the relationship between the PGA amplification coefficients and the soil layer thickness, which confirmed that the dynamic response of the sites had obvious nonlinear characteristics. The results also showed that there was an obvious difference in the dynamic magnification factor between the short-period and long-period structures. Moreover, it was found that the amplification coefficient of the observation point at the free surface was greater than the point inside the soil at the same depth, which mainly occurred in the upper slope. Through this study, the quantitative assessment of ground motion effects in loess regions can be approximately estimated, and the amplification mechanism of the far-field ground motion mechanism can be further explained. In addition to the refraction and reflection theory of seismic waves, the resonance phenomenon may help explain the slope topographic effect through spectrum analysis.

International audience; Pedometrics, the application of mathematical and statistical methods to the study of the distribution and genesis of soils, has broadened its scope over the past two decades. The primary focus of pedometricians has traditionally been on spatial and spatio-temporal soil inventories with numerical soil classification, geostatistical modelling of spatial variation and mapping. The rapid development of remote and proximal soil sensing as well as data-driven statistical modelling techniques have had a major impact on pedometrics over the past decades. During this time, a general demand for quantitative digital soil information for environmental modelling and management has compelled pedometricians to address other soil-related questions from a quantitative point of view: soil genesis and utility and quality of soil. While scientific progress is largely an autonomous process that is difficult to steer, research efforts could benefit from an agenda with pressing pedometric research topics. This paper defines and discusses ten recent or longstanding pedometrics challenges, with the attempt to identify knowledge gaps and suggest new concepts and methods to overcome them. The ten challenges were selected through a collaborative effort and may serve as a guidance for future pedometrics research and to foster collaboration among soil scientists. The challenges discussed in this paper are also indicators of the current understanding and state of knowledge from which progress can be measured in the future.

The subject of this article is the dynamics of water in a soil pedostructure sample whose internal environment is subjected to a potential gradient created by the departure of water through surface evaporation. This work refers entirely to the results and conclusions of a fundamental theoretical study focused on the molecular thermodynamic equilibrium of the two aqueous phases of the soil pedostructure. The new concepts and descriptive variables of the hydro-thermodynamic equilibrium state of the soil medium, which have been established at the molecular level of the fluid phases of the pedostructure (water and air) in a previous article, are recalled here in the systemic paradigm of hydrostructural pedology. They allow access to the molecular description of water migration in the soil and go beyond the classical mono-scale description of soil water dynamics. We obtain a hydro-thermodynamic description of the soil&prime, s pedostructure at different hydro-functional scale levels including those relating to the water molecule and its atoms. The experimental results show a perfect agreement with the theory, at the same time validating the systemic approach that was the framework.

The present work describes a transferability analysis for soil and water bioengineering techniques as an instrument for sustainable erosion control in Central and South America based on an empirical data base from the last decades. In total, 31 case studies in Mexico, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Colombia, Ecuador and Brazil generated a database from an area where soil and water bioengineering techniques are not commonly used. The Transferability Analysis is structured in seven steps: (1) Objectives of the procedure, (2) Impacts of the measure, (3) Identification of up-scaling/down-scaling needs (4) Identification of the main phases and its components, (5) Identification of the level of importance of the components, (6) Assessment of the components in the context of the Take-Up Site and (7) Conclusions. For the assessment of soil and water bioengineering via the Transferability Analysis, in step 4 the following main phases have been identified from the data base: (a) Planning Phase, (b) Construction Phase, (c) Use Phase, as well as (d) End of Life Phase of a construction. Within these categories, 14 components have been defined: (a) know-how of soil and water bioengineering techniques, local climate conditions, botany, hydraulics, pedology, (b) materials, qualified labor, equipment and mechanical instruments, economic resources, (c) monitoring, efficiency, sustainability, maintenance, (d) replicability. The following assessment of the components allowed to determine key barriers, as well as key support factors for the transfer of soil and water bioengineering. As a result, barriers appeared to be the components qualified labor, equipment/mechanical instruments, hydraulics, know-how in soil and water bioengineering and pedology. Neither barriers, nor supporting key factors resulted to be the components local climate conditions, economic resources and efficiency. Supporting key factors for the transfer were materials, monitoring, sustainability, maintenance and replicability. The most important key factor of success was assessed to be botany, as various plant species with important characteristics for soil and water bioengineering are available in Central and South America, able to compensate the constraints through barriers in certain cases.

Mountain biking, also known as singletracking, is an emerging sector in outdoor recreation activities. Experience shows that although bicycling is considered a low-impact activity, singletracking may have adverse environmental footprints. Here, we review and conceptually analyze the forces applied on singletracks, and implement mathematical modeling of these forces, for a range of climatic conditions and geographic settings. Specifically, we focus on the hydrological and geomorphic impacts of singletracking, and highlight the importance of applying geomorphic principles in their design. Also, we demonstrate specific measures for establishing singletracks on hillslopes and in ephemeral stream channels. We discuss how climate, topography, surface roughness, hydrological connectivity, and pedology determine the processes of water runoff and soil erosion on singletrack trails. Further, we demonstrate how riders’ behavior determines the rate of shearing, wearing, compaction, deformation, and rutting of the singletrack, as well as the expansion of physical damages to the track’s surroundings. These conditions and effects determine the durability of singletracks, with implications for maintenance requirements over time. The specific implications of the emerging sector of electric mountain bikes on singletrack durability are discussed. Insights of this paper will benefit landscape designers and land managers aiming to foster ecotourism and sustainable recreation opportunities.

In arid zones, geomorphology and soils play a fundamental role in groundwater surveys as they condition the recharge phenomenon and some processes that modify water chemistry. The objective of this work was to identify the groundwater provenance and the relationship between its chemistry and isotope contents with the geomorphology and soil in the northeastern Patagonia, Argentina. Over an area of 10,600 km2, groundwater levels and major ionic and stable isotopic contents were measured. The main geomorphological units were mapped using satellite images and digital elevation models. In soils, pedogenetic carbonate contents (PC) and clay accumulation index (CAI) were measured. Different hydrochemical facies were identified in relation to geomorphological units, being the Cl–SO4–Na and Cl–Na ionic types dominant in fluvial terrace plains (terrace associations, TAs). The Cl–SO4–Na types are the most saline groundwaters and are coincident with the TA where Petrocalcids are the dominant soils. With less salinity contents, Cl–SO4–Na and Cl–Na types are the groundwaters associated with TA where the dominant soils are Natrargids and Haplocalcids. The only sector with Cl–HCO3–Na is those with fresh water coincident with the Aeolian field unit, where Psamments soils develop. Likewise, groundwater is isotopically differentiated in response to the origin being mostly allocthonus in the fluvial terrace plains and from local recharge in the Aeolian fields. The fluvial terraces are gravel deposits that would favor a local recharge, but this is prevented both by pedogenic carbonate and clay contents which developed in the upper part of the deposit. In this way, the measurement of pedogenetic carbonates and clays becomes soil properties of utmost importance to be considered in groundwater prospecting in arid regions worldwide.

The baseline conditions for a particular river or stream type are essential to classify aquatic ecosystems based on physical and biological characteristics. In this study, we proposed a river typology for different ecoregions, climate and topography of northwestern Argentina using parameters, and combined key variables to establish reference conditions. A set of geographical, hydro-morphological, hydrological, geological (pedology and sedimentology) and physicochemical variables were measured from different rivers and analyzed with clustering and ordination techniques to develop a typology. We analyzed the correspondence of the physical river conditions and benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages using non-metric multidimensional scaling analysis, dissimilarity among assemblages, ANOSIM approach and envfit analysis in order to make an ecological validation of the classification. Our results allowed us to classify the neotropical rivers studied, according to typological systems adapted from the European Water Framework Directive. The combination of ecoregions and topography along with other variables associated (system B), was better corresponded with biological arrangements. Hence, ecoregions and topography combined turned out to be more precise as a criterion to define river types and their local abiotic and biotic reference conditions. Macroinvertebrate distribution corresponded with the classifications proposed and was related with abiotic features of the rivers. The physical variables as altitude, grain size, water temperature and turbidity were key parameters to develop a schematic model to define river types that could be implemented and tested in other countries of the region. Five river types have been identified, characterized, and included in three large groups: Mountains, Foothills, and Lowlands (Plains). Our results showed that topography and climate are two aspects that strongly influence South American freshwater biota. We propose the schematic model developed in our study as a baseline to define freshwater biomes based on altitude (topography), ecoregions (climate) and biological functional traits at a broad spatial scale (continental or global). Fil: Pero, Edgardo Javier Ignacio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto de Biodiversidad Neotropical. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto Miguel Lillo. Instituto de Biodiversidad Neotropical. Instituto de Biodiversidad Neotropical; Argentina Fil: Georgieff, Sergio Miguel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto Miguel Lillo; Argentina Fil: Gultemirian, Maria de Lourdes. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto de Biodiversidad Neotropical. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto Miguel Lillo. Instituto de Biodiversidad Neotropical. Instituto de Biodiversidad Neotropical; Argentina Fil: Romero, Fátima. Fundación Miguel Lillo; Argentina Fil: Hankel, Guillermo Eduardo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto de Biodiversidad Neotropical. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto Miguel Lillo. Instituto de Biodiversidad Neotropical. Instituto de Biodiversidad Neotropical; Argentina Fil: Dominguez, Eduardo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto de Biodiversidad Neotropical. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto Miguel Lillo. Instituto de Biodiversidad Neotropical. Instituto de Biodiversidad Neotropical; Argentina

Regional differences and regulatory mechanisms of vegetation productivity response to changing environmental conditions constitute a core issue in macroecological researches. To verify the main limiting factors of different macrosystems [temperature-limited Tibetan Plateau (TP), precipitation-limited Mongolian Plateau (MP), and nutrient-limited Loess Plateau (LP)], we conducted a comparative survey of the east-west grassland transects on the three plateaus and explored the factors limiting regional productivity and their underlying mechanisms. The results showed that aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP) of LP (109.10 ± 16.76 g m-2 yr-1) was significantly higher than that of MP (66.71 ± 11.11 g m-2 yr-1) and TP (57.02 ± 10.59 g m-2 yr-1). The response rate of ANPP with environmental changes was different among different plateaus, being closely related to the main limiting factors. On MP, this was precipitation, on LP it was temperature and nutrients, and on TP, it was non-specific, reflecting restriction by the extremely low temperature. After autocorrelation screening of environmental factors, different regions exhibited different productivity response mechanisms. MP was mainly influenced by temperature and precipitation, LP was influenced by temperature and nutrient, and TP was influenced by nutrient, reflecting the modifying effect of the main limiting factors. The effect of each regional environment on ANPP was 72.56% on average and only 27.18% after simple regional integration. The regional model could optimize the simulation error of the integrated model, and the relative deviations in MP, LP, and TP were reduced by 31.76%, 17.22%, and 2.23%, respectively. These findings indicate that the grasslands on the three plateaus may have different or even the opposite mechanisms to control productivity.

Past builders have developed very low-embodied energy construction techniques optimizing the use of local building materials. These techniques are a source of inspiration for modern sustainable building. Unfortunately, this know-how was orally transmitted and was lost as earth construction fell into disuse during the 20th century in European countries. The absence of written documents makes necessary to use an archaeological approach in order to rediscover these construction strategies. Micromorphological analysis of thin sections collected in earth building walls was used for the first time to describe cob construction technique and highlighted several typical pedofeatures allowing to clearly identifying this process. Finally, a first comparison of the cob and rammed earth micromorphological features permitted to identify two key factors to distinguish these two techniques, the manufacturing state (solid or plastic) and the organization of the material in the wall. Keywords: Cob, Rammed earth, Micromorphology, Architectural heritage, Pedology

International audience; Since the turn of the millennium, digital soil mapping (DSM) has revolutionized the production of fine resolution gridded soil data with associated uncertainty. However, the link to conventional soil maps has not been sufficiently explained nor are the approaches complementary and synergistic. Further training on the digital soil mapping approaches, and associated strengths and weaknesses is required. The user community requires training in, and experience with, the new digital soil map products, especially about the use of uncertainties for risk modelling and policy development. Standards are required for public and private sector digital soil map products to prevent the production of poor-quality information which will become misleading and counter-productive. Machine-learning methods are to be used with caution with respect to their interpretability and parsimony. The use of DSM products for improved pedological understanding and soil survey interpretations requires urgent investigation.

The aim of this paper is highlighting the strong vine–wine vocation of the Campania inland (southern Italy) through the description of the physical features of two areas, in which two fine wines are produced: the Guardiolo, from the western sector of the Sannio area, and the Greco di Tufo, from northern Irpinia. Recently, initiatives were developed to promote these territories. They allowed attracting tourists and making these areas well-known. In order to indirectly contribute to achieve this goal, some noticeable features of the local landscape have to be considered. In fact, a careful analysis shows that they are often very important for the quality of vines and wines. Therefore, the knowledge of these features, i.e., geology, geomorphology, and pedology, especially when they are representative of the whole landscape and are attributable to the terroir, can also improve the enhancement of the territory by increasing sensitivity to the geological heritage. In this sense, the geological and geomorphological features occurring in these two wine production areas of the Campania region, which emphasize the local history and the original traditions of vine cultivation and wine production, were considered and described in this paper.

Knowledge of the distribution, types and properties of buried soils, i.e. palaeosols, is essential in understanding how lowlands in northern central Europe have changed over past millennia. This is an indispensable requirement for evaluating long-term human impact including soil erosion and land-cover dynamics. In the Serrahn area (62 km2), a young glacial landscape representative for northeastern Germany and part of the Muritz National Park, 26 pedosedimentary sections were documented and analysed. To this end, a multiproxy-approach was applied using pedology, micromorphology, geochronology, and palaeoecology. Statistical and spatial analyses of c. 5200 soil profiles, of which 10% contain palaeosols, show that buried soils cover an area of 5.7 km2, i.e. 9% of the area studied. Most palaeosols are Cambisols, Arenosols and Gleysols. Palaeosols are mainly covered by aeolian and colluvial sands, as well as by lacustrine sands and peat. Radiocarbon and luminescence dating together with palynological and anthracological data reveal that former land surfaces were dominantly buried through erosion triggered by human activity in the late Holocene. In addition, but to a clearly smaller extent, Lateglacial/early Holocene palaeosols and cover sediments occur. Following Medieval clear-cutting and intensive land use, the study area is today again widely forested. The high share of buried land surfaces detected here is expected to be representative for the hilly glacial landscapes even in the wider region, i.e. in northern central Europe, and should be considered in soil mapping, soil carbon budgeting and assessments of past human impact.

The Iranian loess plateau is a unique area for its landscape and complex topography. There is however not any legacy soil data available for this region. Based on soil knowledge and previous evidences, it is known that various topographic attributes have considerable effects on soil development in such areas. To reach this goal, random forest (RF) models were used to relate a large set of environmental covariates and a total of 64 soil profiles in a part of the Iranian loess plateau. The prediction of a soil map at four soil taxonomic levels was first carried out in an area of about 5390 ha. Geomorphology, elevation and aspect were the most important covariates that impact on the predictive performances of the soil map at each taxonomic level. The accuracy of the RF models was tested by 10-fold cross-validation and reported using the overall accuracy and Kappa index, which were equal to 76% and 0.56 at suborder level, 72% and 0.51 at great group level, 54% and 0.31 at subgroup level, and 40% and 0.23 at family level, respectively. Conversely, the results of uncertainty, as reported by the confusion index (CI), indicated that the uncertainty tends to increase towards lower taxonomic categories (i.e., from suborder to family level). Having relied on the covariates importance, the impact of pixel size and accuracy of topographic attributes were assessed with the aim of improving the prediction at a comparison area of 210 ha. Two Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) were considered. The first one was derived from topographic lines initially drawn at 1:25,000 scale and a spatial resolution of 5 m (DEM A), while the second one was obtained at a 0.3 m spatial resolution (DEM B) using an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). At the suborder level, the overall accuracy was 95% and 78% for the predicted maps with 0.3 × 0.3 m and 5 × 5 m pixel sizes, respectively. It is thus shown that the extracted DEM from a UAV technique can lead to an improved accuracy for the spatial prediction of soil maps at different taxonomic levels. Though this methodology could be used in other regions with limited soil data, its applicability and benefits could also depend on the specific topography variations, pedology knowledge and covariates at hand.

International audience; Geoarchaeological approaches to ancient urban contexts focus on the study of the town as an artefact, and as an artificial and anthropogenic sedimentary basin. In such context the relationship between societies and the geosystem generates diverse and dense pedo-sedimentary formations. The studied scales of such a complex socio-system encompass local geochemical substrate, artificial superficial formations, and relationship between town and hinterland. In the actual conditions of massive and accelerated artificialisation of spaces, the study of those systems can give new clues to better understand the Anthropocene. Different geoarchaeological approaches developed in Europe to study this hybrid urban object are exposed here. From the Iron Age to modern period, they deal with questions of pre-urban topography, social management of material flows, pollutions, occupation of spaces, stratigraphy, and taphonomy. The obtained results underline the diversity of the relations between societies and soils, rivers, hazards in a long-term co-construction of artificial urban systems, which are our heritage now.; L’objet des approches géoarchéologiques de l’urbain est constitué du site, de la ville en tant qu’artefact et bassin artificiel de sédimentation anthropique. Dans ces contextes, les relations entre les sociétés et le géosystème produisent des formations pédo-sédimentaires denses et diverses. Les échelles traitées sont celles d’un socio-système complexe, incluant le substrat pédo-géo-chimique local, les formations superficielles artificielles et les relations avec l’hinterland. Dans un contexte actuel d’artificialisation accéléré des espaces, comprendre ces systèmes peut être une clé pour aborder l’Anthropocène. Différentes approches géoarchéologiques de cet objet urbain hybride, conduites en Europe, sont exposées dans cet article. De l’âge du Fer à la période moderne, elles abordent les questions de topographie préurbaine, de gestion sociale des flux de matériaux, de pollutions, d’occupation des espaces et d’évolution des stratifications. Les résultats montrent la diversité des relations entre les sociétés et les sols, dans une co-construction sur le temps long de systèmes urbains artificiels.

International audience; The transfer and storage of chemical elements in particulate matter are controlled by physical, chemical and biological processes. Their dynamics are well understood, especially in environments that show strong tectonic and/or geomorphic pressures, and are frequently reconstructed over centuries or decades to evaluate climate change effects for example. However, observations carried out at high spatial and temporal resolutions are less common, particularly in lowland areas. The present study aimed to better understand the links between earth surface processes, such as soil weathering and erosion, by combining pedology, geochemistry and hydrology at a small catchment scale. It focuses on the transfer of selected chemical elements (Ca, K, Ti, Fe, Mn, Rb and Sr) associated with particulate erosion and transport. The first (topsoil) and last (subsoil) soil horizons from different soil profiles and stream bed-load sediments of the Egoutier catchment (8 km2, Loiret, France) were studied. The objective was to investigate the relationship between the weathering and erosion processes. The soils are developed on ancient alluvium as evidenced by their physical and chemical properties, which clearly displayed a weathering profile from bedrock to topsoil layers. Ca, Fe and Rb showed migration dynamics from the topsoils to the subsoils, whereas Mn appeared immobilized within topsoils. Enrichments of all investigated elements increased in bed-load sediments. Topsoil erosion is the main source of sediment. However, Fe and Rb enrichments also highlight the remobilization of subsoils during periods of enhanced precipitation. Furthermore, Fe and Rb enrichments show a selective erosion of clay minerals. K and Sr contents evidence mineral break-up processes favoring mechanical erosion of all mineral phases. Moreover, their enrichments can be interpreted as the result of higher erosion rates and deposition during high rainfall events. The same conclusion can be drawn for Mn and Ca although their spatial variabilities depend on contributions from runoff in urban areas, as rainwaters from anthropized areas supply Ca mineral phases and diluted Mn depleted bearing phases from topsoil layers.

The Brazilian Congress of Soil Science (Congresso Brasileiro de Ciência do Solo - CBCS) is the oldest soil science event in South America. The CBCS had 29,643 participants and 23,621 publications in 30 thematic areas between 1947 and 2017. There were only five editions of the CBCS (1947-1979) in which Soil Fertility did not produce the highest number of papers. Standardization of Soil Study Methods and Representation/Soil Teaching was the most prolific in one year, and Soil Genesis, Morphology, and Cartography produced the most papers in the other four years. Subsequently, the area renamed as Soil Fertility and Plant Nutrition had the highest number of papers. By grouping papers into the scientific divisions of the Brazilian Society of Soil Science (Sociedade Brasileira de Ciência do Solo - SBCS), we verify that the division of Soil Use and Management had the most papers in most congresses. In 2017, the number of papers and the number of male researchers in the Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development were associated for each thematic area. The trends in CBCS publications were influenced by the natural and historic-economic characteristics of the country, in addition to changes that occurred in SBCS, universities, research institutes, and legislation.

The precise assessment of soil organic matter (SOM) is required when studying soil pedology, chemistry, physics, and fertility. Besides, it is a key for evaluating soil quality, plant growt...

The concepts and classifications of humus forms developed since the time of scientific pedology formation are critically discussed. The concept of humus forms (types) relates to the classification of a set of topsoil organic and organomineral horizons, which reflects morphologically distinct phases of plant litter and soil organic matter decomposition, but not to the fractions of soil organic matter. Humus forms reflect various types of transformation and accumulation of organic matter in the soil. The stages of development and modern classifications of humus forms abroad are described. The taxonomy of humus forms in Russian literature and its application for the mapping and evaluation of forest soils are considered, as well as its use for the mathematical simulation of soil organic matter mineralization and humification. Prospects for the development of the classification of humus forms in combination with the basic soil classification of European Russia are discussed. A call for an understanding and a common language in soil science at the international level is underlined.

[No abstract available]

Tells (archaeological mounds) predominantly consist of poorly consolidated to unconsolidated sediments, and soils that are highly anthropogenic. This study examines pedogenic processes related to carbonate mobilization in tells in comparison with their peripheral soils (reference soil profiles). The key objective of this study is to test the hypothesis that tell deposits evolve through concurrent processes of sedimentation and pedogenesis (synlithogenic pedogenesis), and further explain it. Case studies are presented from three tells in semi-arid and Mediterranean climatic zones of the Levant. The methods applied included field survey, analyses of particle size distribution, pH, %CaCO3 and organic carbon content, and soil micromorphology. Soils of the tells contain miscellaneous cultural materials that derive mainly from degraded mud bricks, pottery and burnt wood. Chemical data show basic pH values, high CaCO3 content, and minor amounts of organic carbon. Field observations and lab analyses both indicate high similarity amongst the tells and their reference soil profiles. Buried tell soils show same characteristics as near-surface soils. However, the reference soil profiles show incipient horizonation, slightly darker colours, and more developed structure. Micromorphology of both the tells and the reference profiles show cohesively welded peds in a vughy microstructure, groundmass with an open porphyric c/f-related distribution, and discontinuous carbonate recrystallization. Relative rates of soil formation in the tells can be estimated when archaeological records are established. Contrary to the tells, the reference soil profiles show lower porosity and only minor remnants related to earth construction materials. We classify the soils of the studied tells as archaeological Calcareous Anthraltic Xerorthents. The correlative WRB classification would be Calcic Urbic Technosols (Archaic). The anthropogenic materials are as calcareous as the natural soils, but due to human action, carbonates in the tells are distributed differently. Based on these observations, ancient human actions and the dry climate have led to very little mobilization and accumulation of carbonates. The information provided in this study adds to the pedological understanding of archaeological environments. Specifically, it can be useful for the study of site formation processes of tells.

The preservation of natural resources via the management of diffuse pollution is currently considered to be a significant challenge in France. Pollution reduction policies are notably based on the identification of vulnerable areas. In this context, our work aims to develop a method for characterizing the surface water vulnerability to phytosanitary pollution by implementing an interdisciplinary methodology combining geomatics, environmental science and agronomy. Such work consists in offering local stakeholders a decision support tool towards the participatory management of the diffuse pollution issue. This study is based on the geographic contribution of spatial analysis to the large-scale and high-definition identification of physical elements of the environment. It is also based on the study of agro-environmental indicators for the analysis of phytosanitary pressure on watercourses. The combination of these different data sources will make it possible to assess the vulnerability of diffuse pollution at a territorial level, by taking into account factors of agricultural pressure at plot level (crop types and phytosanitary practices), as well as factors of environmental sensitivity at watershed level (pedology, rainfall, topography, etc.). The results obtained will be mapped at plot level, then at the level of the Gimone watershed located in the southwest of France.

This paper presents a low-cost methodology for forecas%ng and mapping of CBR values (California Bearing Ra%o) of soils in the energies normal compression (CBR-N) and inter-mediate (CBR-I), which contribute to the decision-making process as to their use for paving purposes. GIS, Ar%ficial Neural Networks (ANN) and modeling techniques as well as biophysical and spa%al variables were used as explanatory of the modeled phenom-enon. The researched characteris%cs (pedology, geology, geomorphology, vegeta%on, hypsometry and posi%on) correlated with CBR values of soils in both energy compac%on. CBR data were extracted from pre-exis%ng projects and studies in the study area, in this case, the metropolitan area of Fortaleza (MAF). Thus, they were calibrated, validated and tested in many different ANN to find the two models best fit, for the genera%on of CBR-N es%mates and CBR-I, of the soil MAF from the studied biophysical variables. The geotechnical characteris%cs es%mated by these models enabled the development of two Neural Geotechnical Maps stra%fied to predict the values, CBR-N and CBR-I. The results show that ANN technique is promising to predict the mechanical proper%es of soils and can assist in making decisions regarding the use of these in road projects Este artigo apresenta uma metodologia de baixo custo para previsão e mapeamento dos valores de CBR (California Bearing Ratio) dos solos nas energias de compactação normal (CBR-N) e intermediária (CBR-I), que possa contribuir para o processo da tomada de decisão, quanto ao seu uso para fins de pavimentação. Utilizou-se Geoprocessamento e Redes Neurais Artificiais (RNA) como técnicas de modelagem, bem como variáveis biofísicas e espaciais para explicar o fenômeno modelado. As características pesquisadas (pedologia, geologia, geomorfologia, vegetação, altimetria e posição) se correlacionaram com os valores de CBR dos solos nas duas energias de compactação. Os dados de CBR foram extraídos de projetos e estudos pré-existentes na área escolhida, neste caso, a Região Metropolitana de Fortaleza (RMF). Dessa forma, calibraram-se, validaram-se e testaram-se diversos modelos em RNA até encontrar os dois modelos de melhor ajuste para a geração de estimativas de CBR-N e CBR-I. As características geotécnicas estimadas por esses modelos possibilitaram a elaboração de dois Mapas Geotécnicos Neurais estratificados para previsão dos valores de CBR-N e CBR-I. Os resultados mostram claramente que a técnica de Redes Neurais Artificiais é promissora, tanto para estimar as propriedades mecânicas dos solos quanto para prever sua ocorrência e localização na área estudada.

Long-term weathering patterns in northeastern China are not well known due to few well-preserved terrestrial paleo-environmental archives in this area. The Chaoyang section is a typical well-preserved loess-paleosol sequence in northeast China with continuous deposition since 423 ka BP; the deposit thus represents an archive of climate change for this region. The sequence was geochemically characterized by major elemental compositions, elemental ratios, a ternary diagram of Al2O3-(CaO* + Na2O)-K2O, improved quantitative reconstruction and elemental distributions with respect to the average for the upper continental crust (AUCC). Another typical loess-paleosol sequence of Lingtai section from the central Chinese Loess Plateau was used for comparison with the loess-paleosol one. The similar AUCC-normalized major elemental distributions and strong correlation of the major elemental compositions between the loess-paleosol sequences indicate that they may have originated predominantly from a similar loess source. Based on the variability in chemical indices corresponding to soil magnetic susceptibility (SUS) and field observations, the loess-paleosol formation period of 423–77 ka BP was separated into eight sub-periods including four periods with greater chemical weathering intensity (paleosols) and four periods characterized by the relative lesser chemical weathering intensity (loess). Relatively intense desilication and fersiallitization primarily occurred in the loess-paleosol sequence from northeast China with greater losses of SiO2 (3.54% in average) and gains of Fe2O3 (0.77%) and Al2O3 (0.33%). Such processes also were reflected in an increase in the amount of K2O (0.41%). Ca and Na leaching was still predominant in the loess-paleosol sequence from the central Chinese Loess Plateau with greater losses of CaO (28.03%) and Na2O (14.03%). The sequence from northeast China records chemical weathering during 423–77 ka BP, which is comparable to the weathering cycles in the sequence from the central Chinese Loess Plateau.

Climate and topography have been widely recognized but studied separately as important factors controlling soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics. Subsequently, the significance of their interplay in determining SOC storages and their pools is not well understood. Here we examined SOC storages and SOC-mineral interactions along two hillslope transects in differing climate zones (MAP = 549 mm in semi-arid eucalyptus savannah vs. 816 mm in temperate eucalyptus forest) in southeastern Australia. On eroding slopes, SOC inventories were twice as large at the wetter site (4.5 ± 0.6 vs. 2.3 ± 0.9 kg m−2), whereas depositional soils had similar SOC inventories at both locations (7.5 ± 2.0 vs.7.0 ± 2.2 kg m−2). On eroding slopes, carbon concentrations of the mineral-associated SOC fraction ( 2.0 g cm−3) increased by ~50% with increasing rainfall, which was also positively correlated to abundances of clay minerals and pedogenic iron oxides. Within individual hillslopes, carbon concentrations of the mineral-associated SOC fraction doubled from eroding to depositional soils at the drier site, but no topographic trend was observed at the wetter site. The effects of topography on SOC inventories and mineral-associated SOC were more strongly expressed under the drier climate, where vegetation was sparser and soil erosion involved mineral grain size sorting. Our results demonstrate that SOC pools and their interactions with minerals are dependent on topographic locations, emphasizing the need to include geomorphic data when assessing climatic controls of SOC.

This work applies pedometric tools to analyse soil property information relevant to morphological characterisation and soil classification. The objective of this paper was further to identify similarities in soil properties among a soil profile collection. The harmonisation of soil data enables the comparison between soil profiles, transference of information and modelling of soil horizons distribution. The statistical procedures were implemented in R software, through the Algorithms for Quantitative Pedology (AQP package), which contains a collection of algorithms to model soil resources and aid soil classification, soil profile aggregation and visualisation. The procedures allowed definition of values for soil properties in every one-centimetre layer of the soil profile, by regrouping the data in a different layer thickness, and it was possible to analyse similarity between profiles using a dissimilarity matrix for each depth slice. The AQP allowed analysis of a large number of soil profiles, in terms of ...

Here we analyse geomorphic, pedologic and hydrologic processes of relevance to archaeological research on the pre-colonial irrigation system at Engaruka, Tanzania. Although archaeological studies have been carried out in Engaruka for several decades, geophysical processes have not been in focus, despite having the potential to contribute to the understanding of both the ancient irrigation system and the current land use in Engaruka. Geomorphology and pedology were explored through field surveys and mapping using air photos and satellite images. The effects of the flash-flood during the 1997–1998 El Nino were mapped and quantified in the field. Maximum flash-flood discharge in Engaruka River was estimated using Manning's Equation. The geomorphic study revealed that Engaruka is an environment where high-magnitude processes (debris flows, flash-floods, rock slides) dominate landform development. Low-magnitude processes (sheet-wash, wind erosion), transfer fine-textured sediment to low terrain, causing successive coarsening of soil texture in fields of the ancient irrigation system. Andisol occurrence in the dry environment is associated with current irrigation, indicating incremental improvement of arable land resulting from human land use. Andisols appear transient; discontinuation of irrigation has caused a reversion to Entisols, as water retention and structure deteriorate upon drying. A flash-flood during the 1997–1998 El Nino caused destruction of parts of the archaeological remains, with severe impact on current land use and settlements. Approximately 80 ha (4%) of the total area of the ancient remains were covered by debris flow deposits and alluvium, or scoured by new drainage lines of the water courses. The denudation caused by the single flash-flood is estimated to 9 mm in the catchment of Engaruka River. Manning's Equation yielded a least possible maximum discharge in Engaruka River, in the order of 270 m3/s, some 600–700 times higher than normal, dry season discharge.

Our investigation pointed out, with a detailed classification, a vast variability of forest humus and soil under spruce forests on two different sites with North and South exposition, permitting to identify a pedogenetic trend between different sylvogenetic phases of forest evolution and specific humus forms. We identified the soil indicators that have to be checked for measuring soil changes relating to humus changing. First of all we noted a humus change on soil morphological features. Such features are produced by physical and biochemical pedofauna bioturbations. Pedofauna according to the peculiar microclimate of the soil, depends on the forest development. Biochemical litter environment produces specific humus form. During the growth of a forest there is a policyclic soil evolution with physical-chemical changes that we can observe in time on soil and humus forms. The humus forms are related with the air (biospheric fluxes), with the organic-mineral components (as micro and macroelements cycles) and with pedofauna. We observe physical change (as structure, porosity, horizontation, particle-size, pattern, mineralogy) and chemical change (as for pH, C, N) in soil horizons which is due to humus change. The humus forms have been investigated in relation to the development of vegetation growth, with the aim to identify a representative humus form of a specific sylvogenetic phase. Such research suggests an hypothesis that the humus form is a guide of the environment states to which it belongs. During the open canopy stage (that is the phase before the presence of very young plantations) it is possible to observe many different humus forms: from the acid one as Moder (Hemimoder), that is heredity of the previous use of the land, to the new form of Mull (Oligomull) that is the result of the new forest cycle, more suitable for spruce renovation.

Local to regional paleoenvironmental reactions to past climate changes are preserved in loess-paleosol sequences (LPS). In order to extract this information we used a multi-methodological approach in the Upper Paleolithic site of Krems-Wachtberg East in Lower Austria. Detailed field studies and high-resolution geochemical, colorimetric, and granulometric analyses help to understand the interplay between soil formation, loess accumulation, and surface processes. In comparison to the main profile/excavation of Krems-Wachtberg 2005–2015 it can be stated that OSL- and 14C-ages as well as the (archeological) stratigraphy of both profiles are comparable. However, pedogenic features are more evident at Krems-Wachtberg East. The new investigations show that well-established weathering indices do not clearly trace interstadial soil formation in the studied profile. Apart from this fact, single specific elements like Fe and Mg react more sensitive to initial pedogenic processes. Weak pedogenesis can further be evidenced by quantitative spectrophotometric results. The latter is also capable of refining and supporting the stratigraphy/pedology based on field analyses. As a general rule, next to loess also initial soil horizons of the MIS 3 are remarkably rich in primary carbonates indicating that soil formation took place in an alkaline environment. Due to the fact that hydrolysis of feldspars could not clearly be detected by the application of pedochemical indices, soil formation was probably limited to the oxidation of iron bearing minerals and weak carbonate leaching. These phases of favorable climatic conditions in terms of pedogenesis were terminated by increasing dust input towards the onset of MIS 2. The eolian deposits are overprinted during reducing conditions in soils and/or modified by colluvial processes. Altogether, weak pedogenesis can be reliably detected using a multi-methodological approach which leads to enhanced paleoenvironmental interpretations. The OSL-ages put the profile in a range of ∼41 to 30 ka. We present a tentative correlation of the studied loess profile to the record of the North Greenland Ice Core Project (NGRIP) for the part of the profile where OSL and 14C complement each other.

Methodological basics of the study and quantitative assessment of pedodiversity are discussed. It is shown that the application of various indices and models of pedodiversity can be feasible for solving three major issues in pedology: a comparative geographical analysis of different territories, a comparative historical analysis of soil development in the course of landscape evolution, and the analysis of relationships between biodiversity and pedodiversity. Analogous geographic concepts of geodiversity and landscape diversity are also discussed. Certain limitations in the use of quantitative estimates of pedodiversity related to their linkage to the particular soil classification systems and with the initial soil maps are considered. Problems of the interpretation of the results of pedodiversity assessments are emphasized. It is shown that scientific explanations of biodiversity cannot be adequately applied in soil studies. Promising directions of further studies of pedodiversity are outlined. They include the assessment of the functional diversity of soils on the basis of data on their properties, integration with geostatistical methods of evaluation of soil variability, and assessment of pedodiversity on different scales.

The science of hydropedology has progressed significantly in the past two decades, especially with regards to the interpretation of soil morphology and relating these interpretations to the hydrolo...

Water-extractable organic matter (WEOM) is the most labile, dynamic, and bioavailable fraction of soil organic matter (SOM). WEOM is a very important component of soil because it is responsible for the mobilization and translocation of many elements and pollutants in the soil environment and plays a crucial role in the biogeochemistry of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N), mineral weathering as well as pedogenesis. The main objectives of this study were: 1) to determine the quantity and chemistry of WEOM in the surface horizons of High Arctic soils under different types of tundra vegetation in the eastern part of the Fuglebergsletta coastal plain in the Hornsund area of southwestern Spitsbergen; 2) to determine relationships between quantity of WEOM and physical and chemical soil properties; and 3) to verify the hypothesis that soil surface horizons covered with different types of tundra vegetation and showing different physical and chemical properties exhibit different quantity and quality of WEOM. Soil samples (uppermost 10 cm) in six replicates from surface horizons were randomly collected at sites differing in terms of tundra vegetation type (wet moss, ornithocoprophilous, lichen-heath, polygonal). The obtained results indicate that the highest concentration of water-extractable organic carbon (WEOC) and water-extractable total nitrogen (WETN) occurs in surface horizons of soils covered with wet moss and ornithocoprophilous tundra vegetation. Soils covered with lichen-heath and polygonal tundra vegetation exhibit a markedly and significantly lower concentration of WEOC and WETN. On average, WEOC constitutes maximally up to 8.0% of total soil organic carbon (SOC) and WETN constitutes maximally up to 1.5% of total nitrogen (Ntot) content in the studied soil surface horizons. The lowest proportion of WEOC to total SOC and WETN to Ntot occurs in soils containing the highest content of SOM. On the other hand, the highest proportion of WEOC to total SOC and WETN to Ntot is present in soils characterized by the lowest content of SOM. Concentration of WEOC and WETN is highly positively and significantly correlated to the content of SOC, Ntot, total phosphorus (Ptot), and the C/N ratio as well as negatively and significantly correlated to pH and ash content. Fourier-transform infrared attenuated total reflectance (FTIR-ATR) spectra indicate clear differences in the chemistry of WEOM between the studied soils. The WEOM in the surface horizons of soils under wet moss and ornithocoprophilous tundra vegetation is characterized by a prevalence of aromatic compounds over aliphatic compounds. On the other hand, WEOM in surface horizons of soils covered with polygonal tundra vegetation exhibits a prevalence of aliphatic compounds over aromatic compounds. WEOM in surface horizons of soils under lichen-heath tundra vegetation contains an almost equal concentration of aromatic compounds and aliphatic compounds.

The sedimentary basins of Reconcavo and Tucano, Bahia, represent the most important Brazilian Phanerozoic continental basin system, formed during fracturing of Gondwana. The northern basin of Tucano has a semiarid climate (Bsh) while the southern basin of Reconcavo has a tropical rainforest climate (Af). The aim of this study was to determine the distribution of trace metals in soils derived from various sedimentary rocks and climates. Soils were collected at 30 sites in 5 geological units at 0–20 cm and 60–80 cm deep under native vegetation. Physical and chemical attributes (particle size distribution, pH, Al, exchangeable bases, organic matter) were determined, as well as the pseudo-total concentrations (EPA 3050 b) and the total concentrations (X-ray fluorescence) of Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn. The concentrations of metals were overall correlated to soil texture, according to lithologic origin. Shales resulted in Vertisols 30.4 (Zn), 27.2 (Ni), 16.9 (Cu), 7.5 (Cr) and 2.5 (Pb) times more concentrated than Arenosols derived from the sandstones. High Cr and Ni values in clay soils from shales were attributed to diffuse contamination by erosion of mafic rocks of the Greenstone Belt River Itapicuru (from 3 km northwest of the study area) during the late Jurassic. Tropical rainforest climate resulted in a slight enrichment of Pb and Cr, and Ni had the higher mobility during soil formation (enrichment factor up to 6.01). In conclusion, the geological environment is a much more controlling factor than pedogenesis in the concentration of metals in sedimentary soils.

Protecting groundwater resource from pollution in arid zone is coming an important act for sensing development in this region calling for geomatics tools to characterize the geological and hydrogeological environment. The present work gives a new way to combine remote sensing and geographic information systems to elaborate vulnerability map of Deffa watershed (in Amour Mountains). This region is a good example of arid zones how know an important growth of agriculture, but there is under gap of geological, hydrogeological and soil knowledge. In the first time, we analyzed the Landsat 8-OLI image data with bands combination, ratios composition in RGB and filters to cartography the lithology's contours and lineament map. The false color composition of bands (765, 753, and 543) in RGB given the primary lithological delimitation . Supported by band rationing technique, we produced of 1/50000 geological map. The filter treatments given the lineament map superposed to the first one to realize geo-structural map. In addition, these images served to elaborate pedology map, using Decision Tree (Slope, Redness Index and Lithology parameters). Secondly, we established a GIS including the result map of RS treatment (lithology, lineament and soil maps) and additional spatial information (aquifer type and deep of groundwater surface and precipitations …). In GIS, the vulnerability index are calculated using GOD and PI methods. Both of maps displayed four classes of vulnerability: between Low and Extreme in the first map, and Very low to High vulnerability in the second one. In the some areas, we have controversial values of vulnerability; this leads us to validate these maps using pollution indicators (NO 3−, NH4+ and SO42−). The validation displayed that the PI coincides better with special concentrations of pollutants.