scholarly journals Biological and biochemical properties in evaluation of forest soil quality

2014 ◽  
Vol 56 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ewa Błońska ◽  
Jarosław Lasota

Abstract The aim of this study was to assess the possibility of using biological and biochemical parameters in the evaluation of forest soil quality and changes caused by land use. The study attempted to determine a relationship between the enzymatic activity of soil, the number of earthworms and soil physico-chemical properties. The study was carried out in central Poland in adjoining Forest Districts (Przedbórz and Smardzewice). In soil samples taken from 12 research plots, basic physico-chemical properties, enzyme activity (dehydrogenase, urease) and density and biomass of earthworms were examined. Enzyme activity showed a large diversity within the forest site types studied. The correlations between the activity of the enzymes studied and C/N ratio indicated considerable importance of these enzymes in metabolism of essential elements of organic matter of forest soils. Urease and dehydrogenase activity and earthworm number showed susceptibility to soil pH, which confirmed relationships between enzyme activity and abundance of earthworms and soil pH in H2O and KCl.

2015 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 395-410 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shah Md Yusuf Ali ◽  
Md Ahiduzzaman ◽  
Sharmin Akhter ◽  
M Abdul Matin Biswas ◽  
Nafis Iqbal ◽  
...  

Pineapple is considered as one of the most wanted tropical fruits and it is widely taken for fresh consumption as well as their flesh and juice are used for preparation of different product in Agro-processing industries. For such industrial processes, it is important to know the information of characteristics changes of pineapple during day after storage. Four varieties of pineapple were collected from different areas of Bangladesh named Honey Queen (H.Q), Giant Kew (G.K), Asshini and Ghorasal. Some Physico-chemical properties (weight loss, moisture content, ash and edible portion, pH, TSS, titrable acidity (TA), total sugar, reducing sugar) biochemical properties (ascorbic acid) and sensorial attributes (color, odor, firmness, appearances, sweetness and overall acceptability) of pineapple juice were studied during day after storage. This study examined the Comparison of different varieties of pineapple fruit characteristics and sensory quality of the pineapple fruits during storage. It was shown that there was a significant changes between the storage periods in relation to different varieties of fruits. The firmness of pineapple fruits were in outside and inside to be 0.21 to 0.27 N/m2 and 0.06 to 0.10 N/m2, respectively. The pH values of different varieties were found to be in the range of 4.30 to 4.36. The highest and lowest sweetness index were estimated to be 36.30 and 22.15 for Honey Queen and Asshini respectively. The highest and lowest magnitude of sugar contents of four pineapple varieties were found to be in the range of 14.16 to 15.8 mg/100g.The average TSS values were found to be 15.12%, 12.33%, 13.14% and 12.95% for H.Q., G.K., Asshini and Ghorashal, respectively. The comparative study indicated the characteristics of different varieties of pineapple changes during after storage.Res. Agric., Livest. Fish.2(3): 395-410, December 2015


Author(s):  
H. Feng ◽  
G. O. Abagandura ◽  
S. Senturklu ◽  
D. G. Landblom ◽  
L. Lai ◽  
...  

Abstract Increasing crop diversity has been highly recommended because of its environmental and economic benefits. However, the impacts of crop diversity on soil properties are not well documented. Thus, the present study was conducted to assess the impacts of crop diversity on selected soil quality indicators. The cropping systems investigated here included wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grown continuously for 5 years as mono-cropping (MC), and a 5-year cropping sequence [(wheat–cover crop (CC)–corn (Zea mays L.)–pea (Pisum sativum L.) and barley (Hordeum vulgare L.)–sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.)]. Each crop was present every year. This study was conducted in the northern Great Plains of North America, and soil quality data were collected for 2016 and 2017. Selected soil quality indicators that include: soil pH, organic carbon (SOC), cold water-extractable C (CWC) and N (CWN), hot water-extractable C (HWC) and N (HWN), microbial biomass carbon (MBC), bulk density (BD), water retention (SWR), wet soil aggregate stability (WAS), and urease and β-glucoside enzyme activity were measured after the completion of 5-year rotation cycle and the following year. Crop diversity did not affect soil pH, CWC, CWN, HWC, HWN and SWR. Cropping systems that contained CC increased SOC at shallow depths compared to the systems that did not have CC. Crop diversity increased WAS, MBC, and urease and β-glucoside enzyme activity compared with the MC. Comparison of electrical conductivity (EC) measured in this study to the baseline values at the research site prior to the establishment of treatments revealed that crop rotation decreased EC over time. Results indicate that crop diversity can improve soil quality, thus promoting sustainable agriculture.


1970 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 63-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Zabed Hossain ◽  
Mihir Lal Saha ◽  
Chaman Binta Aziz ◽  
Sirajul Hoque

This study examined the effect of deforestation on the soil properties (physico-chemical and bacterial) of the Sal (Shorea robusta Roxb. Ex Gaertn.) forests in Bangladesh. Physico-chemical properties and the bacterial colony counts of soil were studied by comparing a natural Sal forest site with deforested and planted with Menjium site, deforested and planted with Mahogoni site, as well as deforested but not planted but covered with profuse growth of Axonopus compressus grass species site. Moisture content was significantly lower in the deforested and planted with Menjium site and deforested and planted with Mahogoni site than the natural forest site and the deforested but not planted site. Total organic carbon, total nitrogen and available nitrogen contents were significantly lower in the natural forest site. Significantly higher number of bacterial colony and higher organic carbon and moisture contents were found in the deforested but not planted site indicating that both organic carbon and moisture content were important for microbial growth. The present study clearly showed that deforestation significantly altered the soil physico-chemical and bacterial communities of the Sal forests. It was also revealed that plantation with different exotic plants were found to be different in influencing soil properties. Key words: Bacterial colony; Deforestation effects; Sal forest; Soil physico-chemical properties DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/dujbs.v19i1.8945 DUJBS 2010; 19(1): 63-72


Author(s):  
Gintaras JARAŠIŪNAS ◽  
Irena KINDERIENĖ

The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of different land use systems on soil erosion rates, surface evolution processes and physico-chemical properties on a moraine hilly topography in Lithuania. The soil of the experimental site is Bathihypogleyi – Eutric Albeluvisols (abe–gld–w) whose texture is a sandy loam. After a 27-year use of different land conservation systems, three critical slope segments (slightly eroded, active erosion and accumulation) were formed. Soil physical properties of the soil texture and particle sizes distribution were examined. Chemical properties analysed for were soil ph, available phosphorus (P) and potassium (K), soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (N). We estimated the variation in thickness of the soil Ap horizon and soil physico-chemical properties prone to a sustained erosion process. During the study period (2010–2012) water erosion occurred under the grain– grass and grass–grain crop rotations, at rates of 1.38 and 0.11 m3 ha–1 yr–1, respectively. Soil exhumed due to erosion from elevated positions accumulated in the slope bottom. As a result, topographic transfiguration of hills and changes in soil properties occurred. However, the accumulation segments of slopes had significantly higher silt/clay ratios and SOC content. In the active erosion segments a lighter soil texture and lower soil ph were recorded. Only long-term grassland completely stopped soil erosion effects; therefore geomorphologic change and degradation of hills was estimated there as minimal.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (19) ◽  
pp. 8209
Author(s):  
Sang-Hwan Lee ◽  
Min-Suk Kim ◽  
Jeong-Gyu Kim ◽  
Soon-Oh Kim

Diagnosis of the risk of soil pollution and the performance of measures for the recovery of contaminated soil requires proper monitoring of the extent of soil function damage and its recovery process. Soil enzymes reveal ecosystem perturbations, are sensitive to management choices, and have been used as indicators of biogeochemical cycles, organic matter degradation, and soil remediation processes. Thus, enzymes can indicate, along with other physical or chemical properties, soil quality. In this paper, we review the effects of soil pollutants [toxic trace elements (TTE), and petroleum hydrocarbons (PHC)] on enzymatic activities and evaluate the usefulness of soil enzyme’s activity for monitoring recovery processes in contaminated soil. Soil enzymes can be said to be a powerful means of monitoring to properly indicate the degree of deterioration of soil quality caused by soil pollution and to diagnose the process of functional recovery of contaminated soil. Further research is needed to establish the quantitative relationships between the soil physico-chemical properties and enzyme activity and the effect of soil remediation on the functional recovery of soil-related to soil quality.


Author(s):  
Ji Young Jung ◽  
Si Young Ha ◽  
Chul Hwan Kim ◽  
Han-Min Park ◽  
Gi Young Kweon ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 65-71
Author(s):  
Israt Jahan ◽  
AKM Abul Ahsan ◽  
MMR Jahangir ◽  
Mahmud Hossain ◽  
Md Anwarul Abedin

Soil physico-chemical properties are an important phenomenon for sustainable crop production and maintenance of optimum soil health. Hence, a laboratory measurement was conducted with soil samples of three years long experimental field of the Department of Soil Science, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh to assess the changes in five selected soil physico-chemical properties viz. soil texture, bulk density, soil pH, total nitrogen and organic matter. The experiment was laid out in a split plot design with two water regimes (continuous flooding and alternate wetting & drying) in the main plots and five fertilizer treatments (N0 - control, N1- 140 kg N/ha as PU, N2- 104 kg N/ha as USG (2× 1.8 g/ 4 hills), N3 - 5 t CD + PU @ 140 kg N /ha on IPNS basis and N4- 5 t CD + USG (2× 1.8 g/ 4 hills @ 104 kg N/ha)) in the subplots under rice-rice cropping pattern with three replications. After three years, soil samples were collected at 0-5 and 5-10 cm soil depths for measuring bulk density and at 0-10 cm depth for other soil properties and analyzed. Results found that % sand, % silt, % clay, bulk density and soil pH was not changed significantly compared to initial status. Percentage of total nitrogen and organic matter was significantly affected by irrigation and fertilization. Total nitrogen (%) was higher in AWD whereas organic matter (%) was higher in CF practice. The highest total nitrogen (%) and organic matter (%) was found in N4 treatment in which USG was applied in combination with cowdung as organic manure. It can be suggested that N4 treatment was formed good combination for sustaining chemical properties of soil. Further long- term experimentation will be needed to know the changes in soil properties for sustainable crop production and improving soil health. Asian Australas. J. Biosci. Biotechnol. 2020, 5 (2), 65-71


Agro-Science ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 22-26
Author(s):  
A.I. Afangide ◽  
N.H. Okoli ◽  
M.A. Okon ◽  
N.T. Egboka ◽  
P. Inyang

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.


Author(s):  
Pawan Kumar Bharti

The study area considered for environment impact assessment (EIA) studies is an area covering 5 kms radial distance from proposed plant site in the foothills of Himalaya at Nganglam, Pemagatshel, Bhutan. Analyzing the soil samples collected from six locations in the study area has assessed the soil characteristics in the study area, especially the extent of pollution undergone by the soils due to various sources and reasons. Sampling locations were chosen to represent the soil quality of the study area. A preliminary reconnaissance survey was made to get a general picture of the area's land use. The activities around the sampling sites were also taken into consideration to learn the sources of pollution if any or factors governing the physico-chemical properties of the soil. To analyze the soil quality of the area and to assess the impact of industrial or urban activities on land environment with respect to any specific contamination, soil quality studies were carried out under EIA study.


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