The influence of leaf litter diversity and soil fauna on initial soil erosion in subtropical forests

2015 ◽  
Vol 40 (11) ◽  
pp. 1439-1447 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steffen Seitz ◽  
Philipp Goebes ◽  
Pascale Zumstein ◽  
Thorsten Assmann ◽  
Peter Kühn ◽  
...  

2013 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 206-213 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuan Zhizhong ◽  
Cui Yang ◽  
Yan Shaokui


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ivan Dugan ◽  
Leon Josip Telak ◽  
Iva Hrelja ◽  
Ivica Kisić ◽  
Igor Bogunović

<p><strong>Straw mulch impact on soil properties and initial soil erosion processes in the maize field</strong></p><p>Ivan Dugan*, Leon Josip Telak, Iva Hrelja, Ivica Kisic, Igor Bogunovic</p><p>University of Zagreb, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of General Agronomy, Zagreb, Croatia</p><p>(*correspondence to Ivan Dugan: [email protected])</p><p>Soil erosion by water is the most important cause of land degradation. Previous studies reveal high soil loss in conventionally managed croplands, with recorded soil losses high as 30 t ha<sup>-1</sup> under wide row cover crop like maize (Kisic et al., 2017; Bogunovic et al., 2018). Therefore, it is necessary to test environmentally-friendly soil conservation practices to mitigate soil erosion. This research aims to define the impacts of mulch and bare soil on soil water erosion in the maize (Zea mays L.) field in Blagorodovac, Croatia (45°33’N; 17°01’E; 132 m a.s.l.). For this research, two treatments on conventionally tilled silty clay loam Stagnosols were established, one was straw mulch (2 t ha<sup>-1</sup>), while other was bare soil. For purpose of research, ten rainfall simulations and ten sampling points were conducted per each treatment. Simulations were carried out with a rainfall simulator, simulating a rainfall at an intensity of 58 mm h<sup>-1</sup>, for 30 min, over 0.785 m<sup>2</sup> plots, to determine runoff and sediment loss. Soil core samples and undisturbed samples were taken in the close vicinity of each plot. The results showed that straw mulch mitigated water runoff (by 192%), sediment loss (by 288%), and sediment concentration (by 560%) in addition to bare treatment. The bare treatment showed a 55% lower infiltration rate. Ponding time was higher (p < 0.05) on mulched plots (102 sec), compared to bare (35 sec), despite the fact that bulk density, water-stable aggregates, water holding capacity, and mean weight diameter did not show any difference (p > 0.05) between treatments. The study results indicate that straw mulch mitigates soil water erosion, because it immediately reduces runoff, and enhances infiltration. On the other side, soil water erosion on bare soil under simulated rainstorms could be high as 5.07 t ha<sup>-1</sup>, when extrapolated, reached as high as 5.07 t ha<sup>-1 </sup>in this study. The conventional tillage, without residue cover, was proven as unsustainable agro-technical practice in the study area.</p><p><strong>Key words: straw mulch, </strong>rainfall simulation, soil water erosion</p><p><strong>Acknowledgment</strong></p><p>This work was supported by Croatian Science Foundation through the project "Soil erosion and degradation in Croatia" (UIP-2017-05-7834) (SEDCRO).</p><p><strong>Literature</strong></p><p>Bogunovic, I., Pereira, P., Kisic, I., Sajko, K., Sraka, M. (2018). Tillage management impacts on soil compaction, erosion and crop yield in Stagnosols (Croatia). Catena, 160, 376-384.</p><p>Kisic, I., Bogunovic, I., Birkás, M., Jurisic, A., Spalevic, V. (2017). The role of tillage and crops on a soil loss of an arable Stagnic Luvisol. Archives of Agronomy and Soil Science, 63(3), 403-413.</p>



1979 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 87-104 ◽  
Author(s):  
KRISTINE P. PLOWMAN


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Igor Bogunovic ◽  
Leon Josip Telak ◽  
Ivan Dugan ◽  
Carla S. S. Ferreira ◽  
Paulo Pereira

<p>High majority of soil erosion studies focus on cereal croplands, vineyards, olive, avocado, citrus, almond, persimmon, apple, and apricot orchards. To date, there is a lack of information about the possible impacts of tillage management on soil properties and hydrological response in fig orchards. Understanding this will be crucial to design efficient soil conservation practices and degradation control. Therefore, the aim of this research was to study the initial soil erosion in fig plantations and temporal evolution of initial soil erosion after the tillage intervention on undeveloped, Calcic Fluvisol in Dalmatia, Croatia. The study was conducted by collecting undisturbed soil samples, followed by rainfall simulations (58 mm h<sup>-1</sup>, during 30 min, over 0.785 m<sup>2</sup> plots) in eight repetitions per measurement 2 days, 1 month, and 3 months after the intensive tillage. The results showed a clear difference among soil properties trough time. Seasonal effect significantly modifies soil properties and hydrological response. Soil bulk density and mean weight diameter increase (p < 0.05), while water holding capacity, water stable aggregates, soil organic content, and available phosphorus decrease (p < 0.05) by time after tillage<sub>. </sub>The highest runoff was measured 1 month (100.5 m<sup>3</sup> ha<sup>-1</sup>), followed by 3 months (82 m<sup>3</sup> ha<sup>-1</sup>), and 0 months (48.3 m<sup>3</sup> ha<sup>-1</sup>) after tillage. Sediment losses were highest at 3 months (3488.9 kg ha<sup>-1</sup>), followed by 3.5 times lesser losses at 1 month (990.6 kg ha<sup>-1</sup>), and 8.2 times lower right after the tillage (426.1 kg ha<sup>-1</sup>). Temporal variations of soil erodibility in this study were under the influence of soil natural consolidation and precipitation. Fig orchards on young, undeveloped soils are highly erodible forms of land use and conservation practices need to be deploy in order to mitigate land degradation.</p><p><strong>Keywords:</strong> soil physical properties, runoff, permanent plantation, short-term changes, undeveloped soil</p><p><strong>Acknowledgments</strong></p><p>This work was supported by Croatian Science Foundation through the project "Soil erosion and degradation in Croatia" (UIP-2017-05-7834) (SEDCRO).</p>



1988 ◽  
Vol 20 (6) ◽  
pp. 875-878 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Huhta ◽  
H. Setälä ◽  
J. Haimi
Keyword(s):  


2013 ◽  
Vol 33 (6) ◽  
pp. 1731-1739
Author(s):  
季晓燕 JI Xiaoyan ◽  
江洪 JIANG Hong ◽  
洪江华 HONG Jianghua ◽  
马元丹 MA Yuandan


2019 ◽  
Vol 286 (1910) ◽  
pp. 20191300 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guille Peguero ◽  
Jordi Sardans ◽  
Dolores Asensio ◽  
Marcos Fernández-Martínez ◽  
Albert Gargallo-Garriga ◽  
...  

Soil fauna is a key control of the decomposition rate of leaf litter, yet its interactions with litter quality and the soil environment remain elusive. We conducted a litter decomposition experiment across different topographic levels within the landscape replicated in two rainforest sites providing natural gradients in soil fertility to test the hypothesis that low nutrient availability in litter and soil increases the strength of fauna control over litter decomposition. We crossed these data with a large dataset of 44 variables characterizing the biotic and abiotic microenvironment of each sampling point and found that microbe-driven carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) losses from leaf litter were 10.1 and 17.9% lower, respectively, in the nutrient-poorest site, but this among-site difference was equalized when meso- and macrofauna had access to the litterbags. Further, on average, soil fauna enhanced the rate of litter decomposition by 22.6%, and this contribution consistently increased as nutrient availability in the microenvironment declined. Our results indicate that nutrient scarcity increases the importance of soil fauna on C and N cycling in tropical rainforests. Further, soil fauna is able to equalize differences in microbial decomposition potential, thus buffering to a remarkable extent nutrient shortages at an ecosystem level.



2016 ◽  
Vol 565 ◽  
pp. 1165-1174 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Rodrigo Comino ◽  
T. Iserloh ◽  
T. Lassu ◽  
A. Cerdà ◽  
S.D. Keestra ◽  
...  


2017 ◽  
Vol 419 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 305-317 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Ristok ◽  
Katrin N. Leppert ◽  
Katrin Franke ◽  
Michael Scherer-Lorenzen ◽  
Pascal A. Niklaus ◽  
...  


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