scholarly journals Potential impacts of climate change on soil properties

2018 ◽  
Vol 67 (1) ◽  
pp. 121-141 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Gelybó ◽  
E. Tóth ◽  
C. Farkas ◽  
Á. Horel ◽  
I. Kása ◽  
...  

Climate change is expected to have a vigorous impact on soils and ecosystems due to elevated temperature and changes in precipitation (amount and frequency), thereby altering biogeochemical and hydrological cycles. Several phenomena associated with climate change and anthropogenic activity affect soils indirectly via ecosystem functioning (such as higher atmospheric CO2 concentration and N deposition). Continuous interactions between climate and soils determine the transformation and transport processes. Long-term gradual changes in abiotic environmental factors alter naturally occurring soil forming processes by modifying the soil water regime, mineral composition evolution, and the rate of organic matter formation and degradation. The resulting physical and chemical soil properties play a fundamental role in the productivity and environmental quality of cultivated land, so it is crucial to evaluate the potential outcomes of climate change and soil interactions. This paper attempts to review the underlying long-term processes influenced by different aspects of climate change. When considering major soil forming factors (climate, parent material, living organisms, topography), especially climate, we put special attention to soil physical properties (soil structure and texture, and consequential changes in soil hydrothermal regime), soil chemical properties (e.g. cation exchange capacity, soil organic matter content as influenced by changes in environmental conditions) and soil degradation as a result of longterm soil physicochemical transformations. The temperate region, specifically the Carpathian Basin as a heterogeneous territory consisting of different climatic and soil zones from continental to mountainous, is used as an example to present potential changes and to assess the effect of climate change on soils. The altered physicochemical and biological properties of soils require accentuated scientific attention, particularly with respect to significant feedback processes to climate and soil services such as food security.

Author(s):  
Trina Stephens

Land‐use change can have a major impact on soil properties, leading to long‐term changes in soilnutrient cycling rates and carbon storage. While a substantial amount of research has been conducted onland‐use change in tropical regions, empirical evidence of long‐term conversion of forested land toagricultural land in North America is lacking. Pervasive deforestation for the sake of agriculturethroughout much of North America is likely to have modified soil properties, with implications for theglobal climate. Here, we examined the response of physical, chemical and biological soil properties toconversion of forest to agricultural land (100 years ago) on Roebuck Farm near Perth, Ontario, Canada.Soil samples were collected at three sites from under forest and agricultural vegetative cover on bothhigh‐ and low‐lying topographic positions (12 locations in total; soil profile sampled to a depth of 40cm).Our results revealed that bulk density, pH, and nitrate concentrations were all higher in soils collectedfrom cultivate sites. In contrast, samples from forested sites exhibited greater water‐holding capacity,porosity, organic matter content, ammonia concentrations and cation exchange capacity. Many of these characteristics are linked to greater organic matter abundance and diversity in soils under forestvegetation as compared with agricultural soils. Microbial activity and Q10 values were also higher in theforest soils. While soil properties in the forest were fairly similar across topographic gradients, low‐lyingpositions under agricultural regions had higher bulk density and organic matter content than upslopepositions, suggesting significant movement of material along topographic gradients. Differences in soilproperties are attributed largely to increased compaction and loss of organic matter inputs in theagricultural system. Our results suggest that the conversion of forested land cover to agriculture landcover reduces soil quality and carbon storage, alters long‐term site productivity, and contributes toincreased atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations.


Proceedings ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 74
Author(s):  
Adelcia Veiga ◽  
Carla Ferreira ◽  
Luís Pinto ◽  
Anne-Karine Boulet ◽  
Eunice Louro ◽  
...  

Intensification of agriculture worldwide has led to a growing awareness on their environmental impacts, namely on soil quality and long term impact on crop productivity. As a consequence, there is an increasing concern regarding best agricultural management practices and their impact on physical, chemical and biological soil properties. In the Centre region of Portugal, maize is one of the most important arable crops and represents more than 32% of the cultivated area. Maize fields have been intensively managed under conventional practices, but increasing land degradation is leading farmers to adopt improved management practices, such as the application of composted sludge from urban wastewater treatment plants. This study aims to assess the long term impact of composted sludge application as soil amendment in maize cropping fields. The study was performed in Baixo Mondego, in central region of Portugal, largely devoted to agriculture and where maize is one of the most relevant crops. The study was performed in two study sites with similar soil and weather characteristics - one managed under conventional practices, with intensive application of fertilizers, and another field where a significant part of mineral fertilizers is replaced by composted sludge. Both sites use these agricultural management practices for more than 5 years. In 2018, two soil sampling campaigns were performed to assess the physical (texture and bulk density) and chemical soil properties (organic matter content, total nitrogen, total and extractable phosphorus, exchangeable cation (K+, Ca2+, Na+, Mg2+) and heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Pb, Zn and Ni)). Results show that composted sludge improves soil organic matter content (1.2% vs. 2.2%), total (2747 mg kg-1 vs. 1134 mg kg-1) and available phosphorous (821.85 mg kg-1 vs. 98.44 mg kg-1) comparing with conventional management practices. Higher contents of heavy metals, specifically Cu, Zn, Cd and Cr, were found in the field with sludge application than in the conventional one, which may represent a long term risk for soil contamination. Information regarding the long term impacts of best management practices on soil quality is relevant and should guide farmers and policy makers to attain agricultural sustainability.


Clay Minerals ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 44 (2) ◽  
pp. 239-247 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Nørnberg ◽  
A. L. Vendelboe ◽  
H. P. Gunnlaugsson ◽  
J. P. Merrison ◽  
K. Finster ◽  
...  

AbstractA long-standing unresolved puzzle related to the Danish temperate humid climate is the presence of extended areas with large Fe contents, where goethite and ferrihydrite are present in the topsoil along with hematite and maghemite. Hematite and, particularly, maghemite would normally be interpreted as the result of high temperature as found after forest fires. However, a body of evidence argues against these sites having been exposed to fire. In an attempt to get closer to an explanation of this Fe mineralogy, an experimental forest fire was produced. The results showed a clear mineralogical zonation down to 10 cm depth. This was not observed at the natural sites, which contained a mixture of goethite/ferrihydrite, hematite and maghemite down to 20 cm depth. The experimental forest fire left charcoal and ashes at the topsoil, produced high pH and decreased organic matter content, all of which is in contrast to the natural sites. The conclusion from this work is that the mineralogy of these sites is not consistent with exposure to forest fire, but may instead result from long-term transformation in a reducing environment, possibly involving microbiology.


Author(s):  
Juliana Vantellingen ◽  
Sean C. Thomas

Log landings are areas within managed forests used to process and store felled trees prior to transport. Through their construction and use soil is removed or redistributed, compacted, and organic matter contents may be increased by incorporation of wood fragments. The effects of these changes to soil properties on methane (CH<sub>4</sub>) flux is unclear and unstudied. We quantified CH<sub>4</sub> flux rates from year-old landings in Ontario, Canada, and examined spatial variability and relationships to soil properties within these sites. Landings emitted CH<sub>4</sub> throughout the growing season; the average CH<sub>4</sub> emission rate from log landings was 69.2 ± 12.8 nmol m<sup>-2</sup> s<sup>-1</sup> (26.2 ± 4.8 g CH<sub>4</sub> C m<sup>-2</sup> y<sup>-1</sup>), a rate comparable to CH<sub>4</sub>-emitting wetlands. Emission rates were correlated to soil pH, organic matter content and quantities of buried woody debris. These properties led to strong CH<sub>4</sub> emissions, or “hotspots”, in certain areas of landings, particularly where processing of logs occurred and incorporated woody debris into the soil. At the forest level, emissions from landings were estimated to offset ~12% of CH<sub>4</sub> consumption from soils within the harvest area, although making up only ~0.5% of the harvest area. Management practices to avoid or remediate these emissions should be developed as a priority measure in “climate-smart” forestry.


2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (No. 3) ◽  
pp. 140-149 ◽  
Author(s):  
Šimanský Vladimír ◽  
Lukáč Martin

Soil structure is a key determinant of many soil environmental processes and is essential for supporting terrestrial ecosystem productivity. Management of arable soils plays a significant role in forming and maintaining their structure. Between 1994 and 2011, we studied the influence of soil tillage and fertilisation regimes on the stability of soil structure of loamy Haplic Luvisol in a replicated long-term field experiment in the Dolná Malanta locality (Slovakia). Soil samples were repeatedly collected from plots exposed to the following treatments: conventional tillage (CT) and minimum tillage (MT) combined with conventional (NPK) and crop residue-enhanced fertilisation (CR+NPK). MT resulted in an increase of critical soil organic matter content (St) by 7% in comparison with CT. Addition of crop residues and NPK fertilisers significantly increased St values (by 7%) in comparison with NPK-only treatments. Soil tillage and fertilisation did not have any significant impact on other parameters of soil structure such as dry sieving mean weight diameters (MWD), mean weight diameter of water-stable aggregates (MWD<sub>WSA</sub>), vulnerability coefficient (Kv), stability index of water-stable aggregates (Sw), index of crusting (Ic), contents of water-stable macro- (WSA<sub>ma</sub>) and micro-aggregates (WSA<sub>mi</sub>). Ic was correlated with organic matter content in all combinations of treatments. Surprisingly, humus quality did not interact with soil management practices to affect soil structure parameters. Higher sums of base cations, CEC and base saturation (Bs) were linked to higher Sw values, however higher values of hydrolytic acidity (Ha) resulted in lower aggregate stability in CT treatments. Higher content of K<sup>+</sup> was responsible for higher values of MWD<sub>WSA </sub>and MWD in CT. In MT, contents of Ca<sup>2+</sup>, Mg<sup>2+ </sup>and Na<sup>+</sup> were significantly correlated with contents of WSA<sub>mi </sub>and WSA<sub>ma</sub>. Higher contents of Na<sup>+</sup> negatively affected St values and positive correlations were detected between Ca<sup>2+</sup>, Mg<sup>2+ </sup>and Na<sup>+</sup> and Ic in NPK treatments.


2008 ◽  
Vol 53 (No. 5) ◽  
pp. 225-238 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Finžgar ◽  
P. Tlustoš ◽  
D. Leštan

Sequential extractions, metal uptake by <i>Taraxacum officinale</i>, Ruby&rsquo;s physiologically based extraction test (PBET) and toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP), were used to assess the risk of Pb and Zn in contaminated soils, and to determine relationships among soil characteristics, heavy metals soil fractionation, bioavailability and leachability. Regression analysis using linear and 2nd order polynomial models indicated relationships between Pb and Zn contamination and soil properties, although of small significance (<i>P</i> < 0.05). Statistically highly significant correlations (<i>P</i> < 0.001) were obtained using multiple regression analysis. A correlation between soil cation exchange capacity (CEC) and soil organic matter and clay content was expected. The proportion of Pb in the PBET intestinal phase correlated with total soil Pb and Pb bound to soil oxides and the organic matter fraction. The leachable Pb, extracted with TCLP, correlated with the Pb bound to carbonates and soil organic matter content (<i>R</i><sup>2</sup> = 69%). No highly significant correlations (<i>P</i> < 0.001) for Zn with soil properties or Zn fractionation were obtained using multiple regression.


2009 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 245 ◽  
Author(s):  
Achouak El Arfaoui ◽  
Stéphanie Sayen ◽  
Eric Marceau ◽  
Lorenzo Stievano ◽  
Emmanuel Guillon ◽  
...  

Environmental context. The wide use of pesticides for pest and weed control contributes to their presence in underground and surface waters, which has led to a continuously growing interest in their environmental fate. Soils play a key role in the transfer of these compounds from the sprayer to the water as a result of their capacity to retain pesticides depending on the soil components. The knowledge of soil composition should enable one to predict pesticide behaviour in the environment. Abstract. Eight calcareous soils of Champagne vineyards (France) were studied to investigate the adsorption of the herbicide terbumeton (TER). A preliminary characterisation of the soil samples using X-ray diffraction (XRD), elemental and textural analyses, revealed a wide range of soil properties for the selected samples. The adsorption isotherms of TER were plotted for all samples. The determination of soil properties, which significantly correlated with the Kd distribution coefficient, allowed identification of organic matter and CaCO3 as the two main soil components that govern the retention of the herbicide. Organic matter was the predominant phase involved in the retention but its role was limited by the presence of calcite. Finally, the ratio of CaCO3 content to organic matter content was proposed as a useful parameter to predict the adsorption of terbumeton in chalky soils. The evolution of Kd as a function of this ratio was successfully described using an empirical model.


Weed Science ◽  
1983 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 368-372 ◽  
Author(s):  
Josef Kozak ◽  
Jerome B. Weber

Adsorption of five phenylurea herbicides, metobromuron [3-(p-bromophenyl)-1-methoxy-1-methylurea], monolinuron [3-(p-chlorophenyl)-1-methoxyl-1-methylurea], linuron [3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1-methoxy-1-methylurea], chlorbromuron [3-(4-bromo-3-chlorophenyl)-1-methoxy-1-methylurea], and CGA-15646 [3-(3-chloro-4-methylphenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea] by eight selected soils of Czechoslovakia were studied. Constants from Freundlich and Langmuir equations were calculated and correlated with the major soil properties. Freundlich K values ranged from 1.84 to 128, and the Freundlich equation was better fitted to the adsorption isotherms than was the Langmuir equation. Soil organic-matter content was the most important factor influencing the range of adsorption.


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