scholarly journals Environmental soil quality index and indicators for a coal mining soil

2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 617-638 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. E. Masto ◽  
S. Sheik ◽  
G. Nehru ◽  
V. A. Selvi ◽  
J. George ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Coal Mining ◽  
Soil Quality ◽  
Quality Index ◽  
Underground Mining ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Soil Parameters ◽  
Soil Quality Index ◽  
Mining Sites ◽  
Opencast Mine

Abstract. Assessment of soil quality is one of the key parameters for evaluation of environmental contamination in the mining ecosystem. To investigate the effect of coal mining on soil quality, opencast and underground mining sites were selected in the Raniganj Coafield area, India. The physical, chemical, biological parameters, heavy metals, and PAHs contents of the soils were evaluated. Soil dehydrogenase (+79%) and fluorescein (+32%) activities were significantly higher in underground mine (UGM) soil, whereas peroxidase activity (+57%) was higher in opencast mine (OCM) soil. Content of As, Be, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, and Pb was significantly higher in OCM soil, whereas, Cd was higher in UGM. In general, the PAHs contents were higher in UGM soils probably due to the natural coal burning in these sites. The observed values for the above properties were converted into a unit less score (0–1.00) and the scores were integrated into environmental soil quality index (ESQI). In the unscreened index (ESQI-1) all the soil parameters were included and the results showed that the quality of the soil was better for UGM (0.539) than the OCM (0.511) soils. Principal component analysis was employed to derive ESQI-2 and accordingly, total PAHs, loss on ignition, bulk density, Be, Co, Cr, Ni, Pb, and microbial quotient (respiration: microbial biomass ratio) were found to be the most critical properties. The ESQI-2 was also higher for soils near UGM (+10.1%). The proposed ESQI may be employed to monitor soil quality changes due to anthropogenic interventions.

scholarly journals Assessment of environmental soil quality around Sonepur Bazari mine of Raniganj coalfield, India

Solid Earth ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 811-821 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. E. Masto ◽  
S. Sheik ◽  
G. Nehru ◽  
V. A. Selvi ◽  
J. George ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Trace Metals ◽  
Coal Mining ◽  
Soil Quality ◽  
Underground Mining ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Soil Parameters ◽  
Soil Quality Index ◽  
Mining Sites ◽  
Exposure Risks ◽  
Raniganj Coalfield

Abstract. Assessment of soil quality is one of the key parameters for evaluation of environmental contamination in the mining ecosystem. To investigate the effect of coal mining on soil quality, opencast and underground mining sites were selected in the Raniganj coalfield area, India. The physical, chemical, and biological parameters of the soils, and trace metals and PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) in the soils were evaluated. Soil dehydrogenase (+79 %) and fluorescein (+32 %) activities were significantly higher in underground mine (UGM) soil, whereas peroxidase activity (+57 %) was higher in opencast mine (OCM) soil. Content of As, Be, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, and Pb was significantly higher in OCM soil, whereas Cd was higher in UGM. In general, the PAHs contents were higher in UGM soils, probably due to the natural coal burning at these sites. The observed values for the above properties were converted into a unitless score (0–1.00) and the scores were integrated into an environmental soil quality index (ESQI). In the unscreened index (ESQI-1) all the soil parameters were included and the results showed that the quality of the soil was better for UGM (0.539) than the OCM (0.511) soils. Principal component analysis was employed to derive ESQI-2 and accordingly, total PAHs, loss on ignition, bulk density, Be, Co, Cr, Ni, Pb, and microbial quotient (respiration: microbial biomass ratio) were found to be the most critical properties. The ESQI-2 was also higher for soils near UGM (+10.1 %). The observed indicators and the ESQI results revealed that soil quality assessment for these coal mining soils is largely depended on soil PAHs and potentially toxic trace metals. The proposed ESQI may be further refined by incorporating specific parameters related to human exposure risks and exposure pathways.

scholarly journals Development of a Soil Quality Index for Soils under Different Agricultural Management Conditions in the Central Lowlands of Mexico: Physicochemical, Biological and Ecophysiological Indicators

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (22) ◽  
pp. 9754
Author(s):  
Héctor Iván Bedolla-Rivera ◽  
María de la Luz Xochilt Negrete-Rodríguez ◽  
Miriam del Rocío Medina-Herrera ◽  
Francisco Paúl Gámez-Vázquez ◽  
Dioselina Álvarez-Bernal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Quality ◽  
Quality Index ◽  
Agricultural Soils ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Agricultural Management ◽  
Soil Quality Index ◽  
Agricultural Industry ◽  
Data Variability

The Bajío—Mexico’s central lowlands—is a region of economic importance because of its agricultural industry. Over time, agricultural practices have led to soil deterioration, loss of fertility, and abandonment. In this study, six agricultural soils were analyzed: AGQ, CTH, CTJ, JRM, CRC, and CYI, and used to develop a soil quality index (SQI) that includes the use of physicochemical, biological, and ecophysiological indicators to differentiate soil quality. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used, reducing the indicators from 46 to 4, which represents 80.4% of data variability. It was implemented the equation of additive weights using the variance of the principal components as a weight factor for the SQI. The developed SQI was according to the indicators WHC, SLT, N-NO3−, and qCO2, differentiating the quality of soils from the agricultural management in low quality (JRM < CYI < AGQ) and moderate quality (CTJ < CRC < CTH). The use of biological and ecophysiological indicators added to the PCA and the equation of additive weights allowed establishing an SQI with a minimum of indicators, sensitive to agricultural management, facilitating its interpretation and implementation for the Mexican Bajío region and soils in similar conditions around the world.

scholarly journals The Assessment of Soil Quality Index for Paddy Fields with Indicator Biology in Jatipurno Districts, Wonogirl

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 20
Author(s):  
Supriyadi Supriyadi ◽  
Widyatmani Sih Dewi ◽  
Desmiasari Nugrahani ◽  
Adila Azza Rahmah ◽  
Haryuni Haryuni ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Quality ◽  
Quality Index ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Biological Indicators ◽  
Paddy Fields ◽  
Soil Quality Index ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Organic Rice ◽  
Minimum Data

Increased rice needs in an extensive use of paddy fields in the Jatipurno, Wonogiri. Managing rice fields can reduce soil quality. Proper management can improve soil quality, Jatipurno has management such as organic, semi-organic and inorganic paddy field management which have a real effect on soil quality. Assessment of soil quality is measured by physical, chemical and biological indicators, where each factor has a different effect. The chemical indicators are often used as the main indicators for determining soil quality, whereas every parameter has the opportunity to be the main indicator. So, biological indicators can play indicators. The main indicators are obtained from the correlation test (p-values &le; 0,05 - &lt; 0,01) and Principal Component Analysis with high value, eigenvalues &gt; 1 have the potential to be used as Minimum Data Sets. The result is biological can be able to use as the Minimum Data Set such as microbial carbon biomass, respiration, and total bacterial colonies. The Soil Quality Index (SQI) of various paddy management practices shows very low to low soil quality values. The management of organic rice systems shows better Soil Quality Index with a score of 0,20 compared to other management. The practice of organic rice management shows that it can improve soil quality.

GIS AND STATISTICAL EVALUATION OF SOIL QUALITY OF SIDI YAHYA, GHARBPLAIN (MOROCCO)

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 881-893
Author(s):  
Mbark Lahmar ◽  
Najib El Khodrani ◽  
Serine Omrania ◽  
Houria Dakak ◽  
Ahmed Douaik ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Properties ◽  
Soil Quality ◽  
Interpolation Method ◽  
Sustainable Use ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Soil Parameters ◽  
Distance Weighted ◽  
Spatial Interpolation Method

The study of soil quality in irrigated areas is necessary to evaluate the sustainability of the agricultural production system. Indeed, the assessment of this quality is based on the physicochemical and biological characterization of soil parameters, as well as the knowledge of their spatial distribution and their evolution over time. This work aims to make a diagnosis of the current situation of soil quality of SidiYahya in the Gharb plain, Morocco. For this, sampling was carried out from 33 sites distributed over the studied plain during 2019. In this study, different soil properties including specifically texture, pH, electrical conductivity (EC), organic matter (OM), phosphorus (P2O5), and potassium (K2O) were measured while exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP) was calculated using the standard formula. Based on the observed soil properties a map was prepared by using a geographic information system (GIS), which was based specifically on the inverse distance weighted (IDW) spatial interpolation method. Data were processed using different statistical tools like descriptive statistics, correlation, and principal component analysis (PCA). Results of the study revealed that 70% of the soils have a heavy clayey texture with a predominance of vertisols (55%). Further, the study area soil is mainly alkaline (70%), poor in organic matter (61%) and phosphorus (52%), while very rich in potassium (70%), and non-saline (88%) contents. Soil pH was reported to be the least variable whereas sand, phosphorus, and salinity were the highest variable. IDW allowed mapping the soil properties by moving from punctual information to whole extent information. Furthermore, correlations were found between various soil properties by using PCA, 3 principal components (PCs) were able to extract 76% of the information from the 9 initial soil properties. Collected soil samples were grouped into 3 groups, based on their scores on the 3 PCs. Based on these two kinds of information, delineation of management zones can be established for a site-specific supply of agricultural inputs leading to better management of soil and water resources for securing their sustainable use.

scholarly journals Towards an ecological index for tropical soil quality based on soil macrofauna

2009 ◽  
Vol 44 (8) ◽  
pp. 1056-1062 ◽  
Author(s):  
Esperanza Huerta ◽  
Christian Kampichler ◽  
Violette Geissen ◽  
Susana Ochoa-Gaona ◽  
Ben de Jong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Quality ◽  
Quality Index ◽  
Agroforestry Systems ◽  
Soil Quality Index ◽  
Soil Macrofauna ◽  
Ecological Index ◽  
Natural Systems ◽  
Simple Index ◽  
Earthworm Biomass

The objective of this work was to construct a simple index based on the presence/absence of different groups of soil macrofauna to determine the ecological quality of soils. The index was tested with data from 20 sites in South and Central Tabasco, Mexico, and a positive relation between the model and the field observations was detected. The index showed that diverse agroforestry systems had the highest soil quality index (1.00), and monocrops without trees, such as pineapple, showed the lowest soil quality index (0.08). Further research is required to improve this model for natural systems that have very low earthworm biomass (<10 g m-2) and a high number of earthworm species (5-7), as it is in the tropical rain forest, whose soil quality index was medium (0.5). The application of this index will require an illustrated guide for its users. Further studies are required in order to test the use of this index by farmers.

Assessing the soil quality of alpine grasslands in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau using a modified soil quality index

2013 ◽  
Vol 185 (10) ◽  
pp. 8011-8022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuanyuan Li ◽  
Shikui Dong ◽  
Lu Wen ◽  
Xuexia Wang ◽  
Yu Wu
Keyword(s):  
Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Soil Quality ◽  
Quality Index ◽  
Alpine Grasslands ◽  
Soil Quality Index ◽  
Modified Soil

scholarly journals Quantitative Evaluation of Soil Quality Using Principal Component Analysis: The Case Study of El-Fayoum Depression Egypt

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 1824
Author(s):  
Mohamed K. Abdel-Fattah ◽  
Elsayed Said Mohamed ◽  
Enas M. Wagdi ◽  
Sahar A. Shahin ◽  
Ali A. Aldosari ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Principal Component Analysis ◽  
Cluster Analysis ◽  
Soil Quality ◽  
Quality Index ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Component Analysis ◽  
Soil Samples ◽  
Western Desert ◽  
Geographical Information ◽  
Soil Quality Index

Soil quality assessment is the first step towards precision farming and agricultural management. In the present study, a multivariate analysis and geographical information system (GIS) were used to assess and map a soil quality index (SQI) in El-Fayoum depression in the Western Desert of Egypt. For this purpose, a total of 36 geo-referenced representative soil samples (0–0.6 m) were collected and analyzed according to standardized protocols. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to reduce the dataset into new variables, to avoid multi-collinearity, and to determine relative weights (Wi) and soil indicators (Si), which were used to obtain the soil quality index (SQI). The zones of soil quality were determined using principal component scores and cluster analysis of soil properties. A soil quality index map was generated using a geostatistical approach based on ordinary kriging (OK) interpolation. The results show that the soil data can be classified into three clusters: Cluster I represents about 13.89% of soil samples, Cluster II represents about 16.6% of samples, and Cluster III represents the rest of the soil data (69.44% of samples). In addition, the simulation results of cluster analysis using the Monte Carlo method show satisfactory results for all clusters. The SQI results reveal that the study area is classified into three zones: very good, good, and fair soil quality. The areas categorized as very good and good quality occupy about 14.48% and 50.77% of the total surface investigated, and fair soil quality (mainly due to salinity and low soil nutrients) constitutes about 34.75%. As a whole, the results indicate that the joint use of PCA and GIS allows for an accurate and effective assessment of the SQI.

scholarly journals Water and Soil Quality of Coffee Plantations in the Western Ghats Region, Chikkamagaluru District, Karnataka, India

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 502-514
Author(s):  
Lingayya Raghavendra ◽  
Melally Giddegowda Venkatesha
Keyword(s):  
Soil Quality ◽  
Western Ghats ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Soil Samples ◽  
Soil Parameters ◽  
Sampling Location ◽  
Quality Factors ◽  
Coffee Plantations ◽  
The Western Ghats

To assess water and soil quality in the Western Ghats' coffee plantations, 66 water and 224 soil samples were collected at four locations for estimation 20 parameters in water and 16 parameters in soil samples. Principal component analysis as applied to a set of chemical data obtained by the laboratory analysis of water and soil. Study locations represented arabica coffee (Coffea arabica) plantations around 50 km2 from Chikkamagaluru town. PCA showed the interrelationship of water and soil parameters for four sampling locations. The clustering of sampling location results was due to the consequence and concentration of water and soil variables. The principal component bi-plot of phosphorous, conductivity, hardness, total dissolved solids, sulphate, magnesium, and alkalinity determined water quality factors. Heavy metals, nitrogen, and total phosphorous greatly influenced the quality of soil samples at different locations.

scholarly journals Analytical Study on Fertility Status and Soil Quality Index of Shorearobusta Forest, Central Nepal

2019 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Mahendra Singh Thapa ◽  
Thakur Bhattarai ◽  
Ram Prasad Sharma ◽  
Baburam K. C ◽  
Lila Puri
Keyword(s):  
Soil Fertility ◽  
Soil Quality ◽  
Quality Index ◽  
Subsurface Layer ◽  
Soil Parameters ◽  
Community Forest ◽  
Soil Quality Index ◽  
Fertility Status ◽  
Soil Fertility Status ◽  
Different Altitudes

Physiochemical parameters of soil under Shorearobusta forest was estimated to evaluate the soil fertility status and soil quality index in different altitudes of community managed forest of Khairani Municipality Chitwan district Nepal. Altogether 75 soil samples were collected from the forest area at five different depths. Sandy clay loam and sandy loam texture was found in surface and subsurface layer respectively. The mean soil pH of altitudinal strata was 5.57 which is moderately acidic and showed decreasing trend with increasing soil depths. Average bulk density ranged from 1.14 to 1.30 in all attitudes. Organic carbon varied from 0.30 to 1.30% and organic matter ranges from 0.52 to 2.23%. The amount of mean available phosphorus seem low to medium rating in these forest strata. Mean exchangeable potassium varied from 61.89 mg kg-1 to 96.02 mg kg-1 in different altitudes. Most of these soil attributes decreased with the increasing depth. Pearson correlation analysis among the different soil parameters were showed statistically significant at the 0.01 level (2 – tailed) and 0.05 levels (2 - tailed).One way ANOVA of the studied soil parameters in different altitudes observed that they were statistically significant at 0.05 level (p ≤ 0.05). The overall soil fertility status of the Kankali Community Forest is low to medium. An average SQI was found 0.55 (fair) up to 120 cm depths,slightly decreased with increasing soil depths. Regulation of Leaf litter collection and adoption of appropriate silvicultural operation may help to increase the fertility status and site quality of Kankali community forest.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document