Atlantic Forest soil as reference in the soil quality evaluation of coconut orchards (Cocos nucífera L) under different management

The evaluation of the soil quality is important to identify potential problems of soil degradation.The assessment of the soil quality requires the determination of several soil parameters and the integration of specific soil properties measurements into mathematical models, such as the soil quality index (SQI).The aims of this study were to: (i) determine the SQI for an Ultisol under a remnant of Atlantic Rain Forest; (ii) use the SQI for the Atlantic Rain Forest as a reference to evaluate the effects of conventional and integrated management in coconut orchards. It was hypothesized that the conventional management of coconut (Cocos nuciferaL.) orchards reduces the SQI compared with Atlantic Rain Forest. A soil quality index was constructed using an additive model that considered three main soil functions (the ability of the soil to promote root growth, water storage and flux, and nutrient supply) and a set of soil indicators. The SQI values were 0.66, 0.54 and 0.46 for the Atlantic Forest,integrated and conventional orchards, respectively; therefore, there was decline in soil quality in both orchards. Even though there was an increase in the organic matter content in the integrated coconut orchard as result of the maintenance of the organic residues on the soil surface and the presence of cover crops, the SQI indicated that, in that type of highly weathered soil, a more conservative approach needs to be applied to avoid further soil quality degradation.

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

Tribhuvan University Journal ◽

10.3126/tuj.v33i2.33560 ◽

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.

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Soil quality index for extensive pastures in hilly landforms region of highly weathered soils in an Atlantic forest biome, Brazil

African Journal of Range and Forage Science ◽

10.2989/10220119.2021.1885489 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-12

Author(s):

DL Burak ◽

E de C Monteiro ◽

RR Passos ◽

E de Sá Mendonça

Keyword(s):

Soil Quality ◽

Atlantic Forest ◽

Quality Index ◽

Soil Quality Index ◽

Weathered Soils ◽

Highly Weathered Soils ◽

Forest Biome

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Environmental soil quality index and indicators for a coal mining soil

Solid Earth Discussions ◽

10.5194/sed-7-617-2015 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

pp. 617-638 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

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.

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Quality index of an Oxisol under different management systems in the Brazilian Cerrado

Revista Brasileira de Engenharia Agrícola e Ambiental ◽

10.1590/1807-1929/agriambi.v25n5p319-324 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 25 (5) ◽

pp. 319-324

Author(s):

Marla O. Fagundes ◽

Diony A. Reis ◽

Roberto B. Portella ◽

Fabiano J. Perina ◽

Julio C. Bogiani

Keyword(s):

Soil Quality ◽

Cover Crops ◽

Quality Index ◽

Soil Bulk Density ◽

Conventional Tillage ◽

Management Systems ◽

No Tillage ◽

Brazilian Cerrado ◽

Soil Quality Index ◽

Tillage System

ABSTRACT Assessing soil quality under different cover crops or different management systems is essential to its conservation. This study aimed to evaluate an Oxisol cultivated with corn and cotton, after different crop successions and under no-tillage system (NTS) and conventional tillage system (CT), through the soil quality index (SQI), using an area of native Cerrado as reference. The study was carried out in the municipality of Luís Eduardo Magalhães, Western Bahia, Brazil. Soil samples with the preserved and non-preserved structure were collected in the layers of 0-0.05 m, 0.05-0.10 m, and 0.10-0.20 m to determine the macroporosity, the soil bulk density, the available water, the levels of total organic carbon, the clay dispersed in water, and the degree of flocculation. The averages of the attributes measured in the treatments and the soil quality index, which was elaborated by the method of deviations of the values of the attributes measured in the treatments concerning the reference area, followed by normalization, were compared by the Duncan test (p ≤ 0.05). The soil under CT, in all treatments, had its quality reduced when compared to the NTS. Also, the SQI used was sensitive to detect the changes caused by the management systems and assign consistent scores to the evaluated soil quality.

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DETERMINING THE SOIL QUALITY INDEX IN THE BATUMI DELTA, GEORGIA

Agrociencia ◽

10.47163/agrociencia.v55i1.2344 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 55 (1) ◽

pp. 1-18

Author(s):

Bülent Turgut ◽

Merve Ateş ◽

Halil Akıncı Akıncı

Keyword(s):

Factor Analysis ◽

Soil Quality ◽

Quality Index ◽

Organic Matter Content ◽

Aggregate Stability ◽

Clay Content ◽

Matter Content ◽

Soil Quality Index ◽

Analytic Hierarchy ◽

Score Functions

The soil quality index is a quantitative assessment concept and it is used in the evaluation of ecosystem components. Because of the high potential for agriculture and biodiversity, deltas are the most valuable parts of the ecosystem. This study aimed to determine the soil quality index (SQI) in the Batumi Delta, Georgia. For this purpose, the study area was divided into five plots due to their morphological positions (L1, L2, L3, L4, and L5). A total of 125 soil samples were taken for analysis including clay content (CC), silt content (SC), sand content (SaC), mean weight diameter (MWD), aggregate stability (AS), amount of water retained under -33 kPa (FC) and -1500 kPa (WP) pressures and organic matter content (OM). These properties were used as the main criteria, and the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Factor Analysis were used for weighting them. Sub-criteria were scored using expert opinion and the linear score functions, such as “more is better” and “optimum value”. For determining SQI, the additive method (SQIA), the weighted method with AHP (SQIAHP), and the weighted method with factor analysis (SQIFA) were used. The resulting SQI scores of the three methods were ordered as SQIAHP>SQIA>SQIFA, but these differences were not significant. However, the SQI scores of the plots (p≤0.01) showed statistically significant differences and were ordered as L5>L4>L3>L2>L1.

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Soil Fertility Status and Soil Quality Index in Tibrekot Community Forest, Western Nepal

Indian Journal of Forestry ◽

10.54207/bsmps1000-2015-105hk3 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 38 (3) ◽

pp. 201-208

Author(s):

Ram Sharma ◽

M.K. Gupta

Keyword(s):

Soil Quality ◽

Quality Index ◽

Soil Depth ◽

Soil Parameters ◽

Available Phosphorus ◽

Community Forest ◽

Soil Quality Index ◽

Soil Layers ◽

Fertility Status ◽

Soil Fertility Status

Physiochemical attributes of soil under Schima-Castanopsis forest managed by the local community as Community Forest user’s group in Lesser Himalayan meta-sedimentary zone in Hemja VDC of Kaski district, western Nepal was estimated to evaluate the soil fertility status and soil quality Index. Soil organic carbon was varied from 0.62 to 3.73 per cent and soil organic matter 1.06 to 6.41 per cent in different layers in the soils at different altitudes. The mean soil pH of all soil layers was moderately acidic. The soil acidity showed decreasing trend with increasing depths. The bulk density was increases with increasing soil depths and varied from 0.78 to 1.22 g/cm3 in different soil layers. Total nitrogen varied from 0.11 percent in lowest layer (90-120 cm) to 0.40 in top layer (0-15 cm) at different elevation. The available phosphorus in different soil layers varied from 1.48 to14.90 mg kg-1. The layer wise mean value of available phosphorus was observed maximum in lowest soil depth 90-120 cm (11.76 mg kg-1) followed by 0-15 cm layer (10.13 mg kg-1). Exchangeable potassium content under in all soil depths varied from 29.40 mg kg-1 to 72.85 mg kg-1. The layer wise exchangeable potassium content was observed maximum in 90-120 cm depth (64.17 mg kg-1) and 60-90 cm (64.05 mg kg-1) followed by 0-15 cm soil depth (58.23 mg kg-1). Differences were tested through one way ANOVA of the studied soil parameters in different altitudes and observed that they were statistically significant at 0.05 level (p = <0.05). Pearson correlation analysis among the different soil parameters in TCF were showed statistically significant at the 0.01 level (2 – tailed) and 0.05 levels (2 - tailed). The Soil Quality Index of surface layer at all altitudes was higher and varied from 0.62 to 0.76 (fair to good) as compared to subsurface layer that was ranged from 0.54 to 0.56 (fair). The SQI was decreased with increasing soil depths. An average SQI in TCF was 0.60 (fair) up to 120 cm depths.

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Soil vital signs: A new Soil Quality Index (SQI) for assessing forest soil health

10.2737/rmrs-rp-65 ◽

2007 ◽

Cited By ~ 24

Author(s):

Michael C. Amacher ◽

Katherine P. O'Neil ◽

Charles H. Perry

Keyword(s):

Forest Soil ◽

Soil Quality ◽

Quality Index ◽

Soil Health ◽

Vital Signs ◽

Soil Quality Index

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A new approach to elaborate a multifunctional soil quality index

Journal of Soils and Sediments ◽

10.1007/bf02991142 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 4 (3) ◽

pp. 201-204 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Giancarlo Barbiroli ◽

Giovanni Casalicchio ◽

Andrea Raggi

Keyword(s):

Soil Quality ◽

Quality Index ◽

Soil Quality Index ◽

New Approach

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Land Degradation Vulnerability Mapping in a Newly-Reclaimed Desert Oasis in a Hyper-Arid Agro-Ecosystem Using AHP and Geospatial Techniques

Agronomy ◽

10.3390/agronomy11071426 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (7) ◽

pp. 1426

Author(s):

Ahmed S. Abuzaid ◽

Mohamed A. E. AbdelRahman ◽

Mohamed E. Fadl ◽

Antonio Scopa

Keyword(s):

Remote Sensing ◽

Soil Quality ◽

Land Degradation ◽

Quality Index ◽

Management Strategies ◽

Remote Sensing Data ◽

Western Desert ◽

Soil Quality Index ◽

Climate Conditions ◽

Sensing Data

Modelling land degradation vulnerability (LDV) in the newly-reclaimed desert oases is a key factor for sustainable agricultural production. In the present work, a trial for usingremote sensing data, GIS tools, and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) was conducted for modeling and evaluating LDV. The model was then applied within 144,566 ha in Farafra, an inland hyper-arid Western Desert Oases in Egypt. Data collected from climate conditions, geological maps, remote sensing imageries, field observations, and laboratory analyses were conducted and subjected to AHP to develop six indices. They included geology index (GI), topographic quality index (TQI), physical soil quality index (PSQI), chemical soil quality index (CSQI), wind erosion quality index (WEQI), and vegetation quality index (VQI). Weights derived from the AHP showed that the effective drivers of LDV in the studied area were as follows: CSQI (0.30) > PSQI (0.29) > VQI (0.17) > TQI (0.12) > GI (0.07) > WEQI (0.05). The LDV map indicated that nearly 85% of the total area was prone to moderate degradation risks, 11% was prone to high risks, while less than 1% was prone to low risks. The consistency ratio (CR) for all studied parameters and indices were less than 0.1, demonstrating the high accuracy of the AHP. The results of the cross-validation demonstrated that the performance of ordinary kriging models (spherical, exponential, and Gaussian) was suitable and reliable for predicting and mapping soil properties. Integrated use of remote sensing data, GIS, and AHP would provide an effective methodology for predicting LDV in desert oases, by which proper management strategies could be adopted to achieve sustainable food security.

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