Evaluation of Geostatistical Techniques for Mapping Spatial Distribution of Soil PH, Salinity and Plant Cover Affected by Environmental Factors in Southern Iran

Abstract. This research collected forest soil samples from Fukushima, Japan, where the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident contaminated the land. The purpose of this study was to examine how the local topography influenced the radiocesium (Cs-137) accumulation patterns in soils over the years since the accident. As an analytical method, the general additive model (GAM) was used to determine at what percentages the topographic parameters explain Cs-137 contamination levels down to a depth of 30 cm. For comparison, topographic parameters were extracted from both 1 m and 10 m digital evaluation models (DEMs). The effects of topography were compared with the effects of the soil water content and dry soil bulk density. An additional Tukey’s honestly significant difference (HSD) test was conducted to determine the significance of the hillslope aspect and vegetation cover differences on concentration predictions. The results showed that, at this study site, topographic parameters extracted from the 10 m DEM better predicted Cs-137 levels. The models with a single topographic parameter did not explain Cs-137 levels higher than 30 %. However, combining the parameters improved the explanation percentages. The relative influences of topographic parameters and soil properties were similar throughout the soil depth, showing their subsurface co-functionalities for Cs-137 concentration levels. Tukey’s HSD test results showed the inter-effects of topography and vegetation cover differences. The results of this study indicate that the selection of topographic parameters, as well as the chosen methods of their extractions, have implications for physical models assessing radionuclide contamination levels.

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The effects of mulch (Olea europea and Pinus halepensis) on burned soils: A preliminary study in Adriatic coast (Croatia)

10.5194/egusphere-egu2020-1295 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Domina Delač ◽

Paulo Pereira ◽

Ivica Kisić

Keyword(s):

Soil Properties ◽

Soil Ph ◽

Pinus Halepensis ◽

Control Treatment ◽

Summer Drought ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Adriatic Coast ◽

Olea Europea ◽

Preliminary Study ◽

And Control

The effects of mulch (Olea europea and Pinus halepensis) on burned soils: A preliminary study in Adriatic coast (Croatia)Delac, Domina1*; Pereira, Paulo2*; Kisic, Ivica11University of Zagreb, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of General Agronomy, Svetosimunska cesta 25, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia. (*[email protected])2Mykolas Romeris University, Environmental Management Laboratory, Ateitis street 20, LT-08303, Vilnius, Lithuania (*[email protected])&#160;In the recent decades the frequency and intensity of summer drought periods is increasing in Adriatic coast. These changes in climate increase the vulnerability to wildfires. Wildfires can change soil physical and chemical properties. However, these effects can be mitigated by mulching. The aim of this work is to study the effects of mulch (Olea europea and Pinus halepensis) on fire affected soils. The wildfire occurred on 28 July 2019 and affected an area of about 900 ha in Dalmatia, near Adriatic Coast (43&#176;45'06.0"N 15&#176;56'02.9"E with an elevation of 105 m a.s.l.). &#160;The mean annual temperature is 15.8 &#176;C, and the annual precipitation is 800 mm. It was affected agricultural land with dominant culture Olea europea and abandoned grassing where dominates Pinus halepensis. Soils are classified as calcocambisols. Twenty-five days after the fire, two plots (5 treatments per plot) were established and covered with Olea europea and Pinus halepensis mulch. A control plot was established as well. Soil were sampled (0 &#8211; 5 cm), twenty- days after fire (August, 2019), before mulch application, and then 3 months after fire (November, 2019). A total of 15 samples were collected per treatment (45 each sampling date). The soil properties analysed were soil pH, soil organic matter (SOM), mean weight diameter (MWD) to express aggregate stability, and soil water repellency (SWR) measured with water drop penetration time method (WDPT) in different fractions (2 &#8211; 1 mm; 1 &#8211; 0.5 mm, 0.5 &#8211; 0.25 mm, and <0.25 mm). Soil pH was not significantly different among sampling dates and treatments. SOM was significantly different among sampling dates for Olea europeae treatment and control. Olea europeae treatment had a significantly higher SOM then Pinus halepensis and control treatment. MWD was significantly higher within Olea europeae treatment. Within Pinus halepensis and control treatment no significant difference was observed. The soil was classified as slightly water repellent (5 &#8211; 60 seconds) in Olea europeae soil finer fraction (0.5 &#8211; 0.25 mm and <0.25) in both sampling dates. In Pinus halepensis treatments and control, soil was wettable (<5 seconds), and no significant difference was observed among sampling date. Future sampling and analysis will be conducted during one year to estimate the effect of Olea europeae and Pinus halepensis mulch on soil properties.Keywords: Wildfire, Olea europeae, Pinus halepensis, mulch.&#160;AcknowledgmentsThis work was supported by Croatian Science Foundation through the project "Influence of Summer Fire on Soil and Water Quality&#8221; (IP-01-2018-1645).

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Soil-Landscape Modeling and Remote Sensing to Provide Spatial Representation of Soil Attributes for an Ethiopian Watershed

Applied and Environmental Soil Science ◽

10.1155/2013/798094 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 2013 ◽

pp. 1-11 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Nurhussen Mehammednur Seid ◽

Birru Yitaferu ◽

Kibebew Kibret ◽

Feras Ziadat

Keyword(s):

Remote Sensing ◽

Spatial Distribution ◽

Soil Properties ◽

Vegetation Index ◽

Soil Depth ◽

Statistical Prediction ◽

Field Observations ◽

Linear Regression Models ◽

Alternative Source ◽

Soil Attributes

Information about the spatial distribution of soil properties is necessary for natural resources modeling; however, the cost of soil surveys limits the development of high-resolution soil maps. The objective of this study was to provide an approach for predicting soil attributes. Topographic attributes and the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) were used to provide information about the spatial distribution of soil properties using clustering and statistical techniques for the 56 km2Gumara-Maksegnit watershed in Ethiopia. Multiple linear regression models implemented within classified subwatersheds explained 6–85% of the variations in soil depth, texture, organic matter, bulk density, pH, total nitrogen, available phosphorous, and stone content. The prediction model was favorably comparable with the interpolation using the inverse distance weighted algorithm. The use of satellite images improved the prediction. The soil depth prediction accuracy dropped gradually from 98% when 180 field observations were used to 65% using only 25 field observations. Soil attributes were predicted with acceptable accuracy even with a low density of observations (1-2 observations/2 km2). This is because the model utilizes topographic and satellite data to support the statistical prediction of soil properties between two observations. Hence, the use of DEM and remote sensing with minimum field data provides an alternative source of spatially continuous soil attributes.

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Online appendix 1:Exploring an extensive dataset to establish woody vegetation cover and composition in Kruger National Park for the late 1980s

Koedoe ◽

10.4102/koedoe.v56i1.1200-1 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 56 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Gregory A. Kiker ◽

Rheinhardt Scholtz ◽

Izak P.J. Smit ◽

Freek J. Venter

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Vegetation Cover ◽

National Park ◽

Large Scale ◽

Plant Cover ◽

Canopy Cover ◽

Woody Species ◽

Kruger National Park ◽

Tree Cover ◽

Woody Vegetation

Woody plant cover and species composition play an important role in defining the type and function of savanna ecosystems. Approximately 2000 sites in the Kruger National Park (KNP) were surveyed by F.J. Venter over a period from 1985 to 1989, recording vegetation, soil and topological characteristics. At each of these sites (approximately 20 m × 20 m each), woody vegetation cover and species were recorded using a rapid, Braun-Blanquet classification for three height classes: shrub (0.75 m – 2.50 m), brush (2.50 m – 5.50 m) and tree (> 5.50 m). The objective of this study was to re-analyse the vegetation component of the field data, with a specific focus to provide a spatially explicit, height-differentiated, benchmark dataset in terms of species occurrence, species richness and structural canopy cover. Overall, 145 different woody species were recorded in the dataset out of the 458 species documented to occur in the park. The dataset describes a woody layer dominated by a relatively small number of widely occurring species, as 24 of the most common woody species accounted for all woody species found on over 80% of all sites. The less common woody species (101) were each recorded on 20 sites or less. Species richness varied from 12 to 1 species per site. Structural canopy cover averaged 9.34%, 8.16% and 2.89% for shrub, brush and tree cover, respectively. The dataset provides a useful benchmark for woody species distribution in KNP and can be used to explore woody species and height class distributions, as well as comparison with more recent or future woody vegetation surveys.Conservation implications: The results provided evidence that large-scale, woody vegetation surveys conducted along roads offer useful ecosystem level information. However, such an approach fails to pick up less common species. The data presented here provided a useful snapshot of KNP woody vegetation structure and composition and could provide excellent opportunities for spatio-temporal comparisons.

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Effects of animal manures on enzymes activities and physico-chemical properties of a degraded humid ultisol

Agro-Science ◽

10.4314/as.v21i1.4 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

pp. 22-26

Author(s):

A.I. Afangide ◽

N.H. Okoli ◽

M.A. Okon ◽

N.T. Egboka ◽

P. Inyang

Keyword(s):

Soil Properties ◽

Soil Ph ◽

Soil Depth ◽

Block Design ◽

Swine Manure ◽

Poultry Manure ◽

Chemical Properties ◽

Animal Manures ◽

Standard Procedures ◽

Physico Chemical

Application of animal manures for soil amendment plays a major role in the improvement of soil properties and enzymatic activities of a degraded Ultisol. This study assessed the effects of poultry manure (PM) and swine manure (SM) on the activities of catalase and urease enzymes and some soil properties. The PM and SM were applied at the rate of 30 t ha–1 each on experimental plots arranged in a randomized complete block design with three replicates. Soil samples were collected at day 0, 14, 28, 42, 56, 70 and 84 from 0-15 and 15-30 cm depths and analyzed for catalase and urease enzymes and some soil properties using standard procedures. The results showed increase in soil pH (in H2O) from 4.0 to 5.4 following manure application. At 0-15 cm soil depth, PM and SM recorded 28.1 and 28.8% increases in soil pH (in H2O), respectively. Soil organic carbon was highest (2.6 g kg–1) at 0-15 cm depth for soil amended with SM while the lowest value of 1.1 g kg–1was obtained at 15-30 cm depth for soil unamended with SM. In PM-amended soil, catalase activities ranged from 1.32 to 6.77 mg g–1 while its activities in SM-treated soil significantly (p < 0.05) varied between 1.55 and 8.11 mg g–1. Urease showed ranges of 0.72-3.90 mg g–1 and 0.96-4.71 mg g–1 in PM-amended and SM-treated soils, respectively. The results uphold that animal manures improve soil properties and are enzymatically controlled.

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Vegetation cover at the Maguntan mud volcano (Sakhalin Island, Russia): species composition and spatial distribution

Phytocoenologia ◽

10.1127/phyto/2015/0013 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 45 (1) ◽

pp. 125-134 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Kirill Korznikov

Keyword(s):

Spatial Distribution ◽

Plant Communities ◽

Vegetation Cover ◽

Plant Cover ◽

Stress Gradient ◽

Mud Volcano ◽

Grass Species ◽

Eruptive Center ◽

Floristic Richness ◽

Local Endemic

Mud volcano vegetation is not well-studied even in comparison with that of geothermal areas. Mud volcanoes provide opportunities to study the formation of the spatial and species structure of vegetation cover in distinct conditions, showing the trends in vegetation succession. The mud fields of the Maguntan mud volcano (Sakhalin, Russia) are cool, not warm, and their mud fluids have high salinity and alkalinity. In the 20th century some local endemic taxa were found at this place: Artemisia limosa, Gentianella sugawarae, Primula sachalinensis and Deschampsia tzvelevii. I identified nine plant communities and analyzed floristic richness, vegetation cover and endemism rate using data from 185 1 m × 1 m quadrats. The salinity decreases with distance from the volcano's main eruptive center. The total plant cover, number of plant species, and floristic richness increase with the distance from the volcano's center. Endemic taxa including the local endemic grass species Deschampsia tzvelevii are located in young mud substrates. Detrended correspondence analysis showed that the plant communities are arranged along a stress gradient. The spatial distribution of plant communities may be interpreted via succession dynamics.

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Effect of Organic Manures on Soil Properties and Yield of Finger Millet (Eleusine Coracana) Gaertn

Mapana Journal of Sciences ◽

10.12723/mjs.6.16 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

pp. 90-95

Author(s):

C. Vijaya Kumar ◽

G. N. Gajanana ◽

B. Basavaraj

Keyword(s):

Organic Carbon ◽

Grain Yield ◽

Soil Ph ◽

Soil Depth ◽

Maximum Yield ◽

Fertilizer Application ◽

Npk Fertilizers ◽

Available N ◽

Organic Manures ◽

Significant Difference

Pot experiment was conducted during 1993 on ragi grown on a sandy clay loam soil to know the periodic changes in 0-15 cm soil depth on pH, organic carbon(O.C.),available N,P and K due to application of organic manure in conjunction with fertilizer. Application of organic manures alone or in combination with fertilizer increased the soil pH, organic carbon(O.C.),available N,P and K and grain yield when compared to NPK alone. The addition of FYM compared to green leaf manure and vermicompost increased soil pH significantly. The organic carbon(O.C.)content of GLM treated soil significantly superior to VC treatment but was at par with FYM treatment at all stages of plant growth. At all stages organic manures in combination with fertilizer were superior in influencing available N,P and K compared to NPK(fertilizers) alone. There was no significant difference in the grain yield due to application of organic manures individually or in combination with fertilizers compared to NPK but maximum yield was noticed on adding 50% fertilizer N as GLM + 50% N + P + K.

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Soil Available Phosphorus Investigated for Spatial Distribution and Effect Indicators Resulting from Ecological Construction on the Loess Plateau, China

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su132212572 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (22) ◽

pp. 12572

Author(s):

Shengdong Cheng ◽

Ganggang Ke ◽

Zhanbin Li ◽

Yuting Cheng ◽

Heng Wu

Keyword(s):

Spatial Distribution ◽

Loess Plateau ◽

Soil Depth ◽

Available Phosphorus ◽

Land Uses ◽

The Loess Plateau ◽

Small Catchment ◽

Soil Available Phosphorus ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Soil And Water

Soil phosphorus is a major determinant and indicator of soil fertility and quality, and is also a source of nonpoint-source pollution. In order to control soil and water loss in the Loess Plateau, a series of soil and water conservation measures have been taken, resulting in changes in land use and differences in spatial distribution. It is necessary to study soil available phosphorus (SAP) to evaluate land productivity and environmental quality. In this study, the spatial distribution of SAP in different land uses was investigated in a small catchment area of Loess Plateau, and the field-influencing factors were determined on five layers with soil depth of 20 cm. The results show the minimum and maximum SAP content occurred at 20–40 cm and 80–100 cm soil depth and reach a value of 27.26 mg/kg and 29.37 mg/kg at catchment scale, respectively. There is significant difference among the SAP of the five soil layers (p < 0.01). The SAP of different land uses is, in order: forestland < slope farmland < dam farmland < terrace < grassland. Different land uses’ topographies make a difference to the spatial distribution of SAP. Slope and soil texture are the domain factors influencing the SAP concentration at the catchment.

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Exploring an extensive dataset to establish woody vegetation cover and composition in Kruger National Park for the late 1980s

Koedoe ◽

10.4102/koedoe.v56i1.1200 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 56 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Gregory A. Kiker ◽

Rheinhardt Scholtz ◽

Izak P.J. Smit ◽

Freek J. Venter

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Vegetation Cover ◽

National Park ◽

Large Scale ◽

Plant Cover ◽

Canopy Cover ◽

Woody Species ◽

Kruger National Park ◽

Tree Cover ◽

Woody Vegetation

Woody plant cover and species composition play an important role in defining the type and function of savanna ecosystems. Approximately 2000 sites in the Kruger National Park (KNP) were surveyed by F.J. Venter over a period from 1985 to 1989, recording vegetation, soil and topological characteristics. At each of these sites (approximately 20 m × 20 m each), woody vegetation cover and species were recorded using a rapid, Braun-Blanquet classification for three height classes: shrub (0.75 m – 2.50 m), brush (2.50 m – 5.50 m) and tree (> 5.50 m). The objective of this study was to re-analyse the vegetation component of the field data, with a specific focus to provide a spatially explicit, height-differentiated, benchmark dataset in terms of species occurrence, species richness and structural canopy cover. Overall, 145 different woody species were recorded in the dataset out of the 458 species documented to occur in the park. The dataset describes a woody layer dominated by a relatively small number of widely occurring species, as 24 of the most common woody species accounted for all woody species found on over 80% of all sites. The less common woody species (101) were each recorded on 20 sites or less. Species richness varied from 12 to 1 species per site. Structural canopy cover averaged 9.34%, 8.16% and 2.89% for shrub, brush and tree cover, respectively. The dataset provides a useful benchmark for woody species distribution in KNP and can be used to explore woody species and height class distributions, as well as comparison with more recent or future woody vegetation surveys.Conservation implications: The results provided evidence that large-scale, woody vegetation surveys conducted along roads offer useful ecosystem level information. However, such an approach fails to pick up less common species. The data presented here provided a useful snapshot of KNP woody vegetation structure and composition and could provide excellent opportunities for spatio-temporal comparisons.

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Regional spatial variability of root-zone soil moisture in arid regions and the driving factors — a case study of Xinjiang, China

Canadian Journal of Soil Science ◽

10.1139/cjss-2019-0006 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 99 (3) ◽

pp. 277-291 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Xiangdong Li ◽

Ming’an Shao ◽

Chunlei Zhao ◽

Tong Liu ◽

Xiaoxu Jia ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Soil Moisture ◽

Environmental Factors ◽

Spatial Variability ◽

Soil Properties ◽

Soil Profile ◽

Land Surface ◽

Hydrological Cycle ◽

Root Zone ◽

Soil Depth ◽

Regional Scale

Soil moisture is a key element of the hydrological cycle, and it significantly impacts the surface water and energy fluxes. However, a knowledge gap exists on the spatial variability of root-zone soil moisture at the regional scale in arid and hyperarid regions. Thus, soil moisture measurements at 142 sites were taken in Xinjiang (northwest China), and the relationships between soil moisture and 19 environmental factors were analyzed. The results showed that both absolute gravitational soil water content (SWC) and relative extractable water (REW) increased with increasing soil depth in the 0–100 cm soil profile. It generally decreased in the order of cropland > forestland > grassland > shrubland > bare land. Semivariograms suggested that SWC had moderate spatial dependence over a large range of 473–558 km, and REW was more randomly distributed at the regional scale in Xinjiang. Redundancy analysis suggested that environmental factors could explain 47.5%–50.9% of the variability of soil moisture, which was more strongly driven by land surface factors (p < 0.01) than by climatic factors (p > 0.05). Soil properties and other local variables explained, respectively, 40.7% and 32.3% of the variability of soil moisture in the 0–100 cm soil profile. Soil properties independently accounted for 12.8% and 28.1% of the variability in soil moisture in the 0–50 and 50–100 cm soil layers, respectively. Soil texture, field capacity, wilting point, organic carbon, bulk density, land use, and normalized difference vegetation index were the dominant factors influencing soil moisture variations.

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