Ecomorphic Structure Transformation of Soil Macrofauna Amid Recreational Impact

The level of reacreation load on the components of urban green areas is increasing, so identifying the effective management tools in these ecosystems is becoming crucial for ensuring the maintenance of soil biota habitats. The purpose of this study is to reveal a pattern of structuring community of soil macrofauna under a recreational impact based on an ecomorphic approach. The article assesses the level of recreational transformation of the soil macrofauna of public green spaces in the city of Melitopol on the territory of Novooleksandrivskyi Park. For research purposes, a testing site was allocated in an area with a high level of recreational load, with samples taken within this site. To collect soil macrofauna and assess soil properties at each point of the testing site, soil and zoological tests were carried out and the following soil indicators were measured: temperature, electrical conductivity, humidity and soil penetration resistance, litter depth and grass stand height. The community ordination was performed using two approaches: OMI and RLQ analysis. The study found that the ecological niches of soil macrofauna in recreational conditions are spatially structured. The main factors for structuring the ecological niche of soil macrofauna within the study area are soil penetration resistance in the range of the entire measured layer, soil moisture, and distance to trees. As for the number of species, the basis of the coenomorphic structure of soil macrofauna are silvants (45.5%) and pratants (24.2%). As for the species abundance, the basis of the coenomorphic structure of macrofauna comprises pratants (64.5%), slightly less stepants (19.1%) and silvants (16.1%), and sporadic occurrence of paludants (0.2%). Such coenomorphic structure can be considered as ecologically labile. Zoophages, hemiaerophobes, and megatrophs are tolerant to a high level of recreational load. The area corresponding to the highest level of recreational load is vacant. This indicates factual absence of soil macrofauna species that could exist amid intense recreational exposure

Characterization of the soil compaction based on the mapping of the apparent electrical conductivity

Based on the measurement of soil penetration resistance (PR), it is possible to identify compacted soil layers, where root growth may be harmed, affecting crop development and yield. The objective of this work was to analyze the use of management zones (MZ), delimited on the basis of mapping of the spatial variability of the soil apparent electrical conductivity (ECa), in the differentiation of soil compaction levels. The work was carried out in a 25.8-ha no-tillage area, cultivated under a center pivot. The ECa was measured under two soil moisture conditions (13.7 and 16.45%), using the Terram® equipment. Soil penetration resistance (PR) was measured using the SoloStar PLG5500 penetrograph. Based on the spatial variability ECa mapping, management zones (2, 3, and 4 zones) were delimited. The mean PR values ??of each MZ were compared by the t-test of means. It was possible to differentiate mean values ??of penetration resistance (PR), which vary from 0.9 to 2.10 MPa, from the characterization of management classes generated on the basis of the ECa spatial variability. The highest stratification of PR values ??was obtained as a function of sampling directed at delimited management zones when the soil had lower moisture content (13.7%). The highest mean PR values ??were obtained for the split of the ECa map into at least three classes. It was identified that for the study area there is no need to perform any mechanical decompaction operation.

Impacts of wood extraction on soil: assessing rutting and soil compaction caused by skidding and forwarding by means of traditional and innovative methods

Intensive forestry operations may cause soil compaction, plastic soil disturbances and rutting, which are responsible for undesirable effects on soils, vegetation and water bodies. Despite the numerous studies aimed to identify the main factors affecting soil damages, it still remains unclear whether wood extraction methods and driving direction (uphill or downhill) may affect the impacts of forest machines. This research analyses soil compaction and soil penetration resistance as well as rutting from forwarding and skidding using the same farm tractor in up- and downhill wood extraction. Rutting was estimated by 3D soil reconstruction derived by portable laser scanning (PLS) and close-range photogrammetry using structure for motion (SfM). Our findings showed that the direction of extraction did not affect soil damage severity during forwarding on a 25% slope. On the contrary, in order to reduce soil compaction, downhill skidding is preferable to uphill skidding. The results showed that the pressure on the ground caused by vehicles can be distributed horizontally, thus affecting also the soil between the wheel tracks. The soil bulk density inside the tracks after 10 forwarding passes increased by 40% and with 23% between the wheel tracks. The soil displacement in skidding trails (7.36 m3 per 100 m of trail) was significantly higher than in forwarding (1.68 m3 per 100 m of trail). The rutting estimation showed no significant difference between the PLS and SfM methods, even comparing the two digital surface models (DSMs) obtained, even if photogrammetry was preferred for technical and practical reasons.

Challenges and potential approaches for soil recovery in iron open pit mines and waste piles

The revegetation of areas impacted by iron mining may be hampered by a series of chemical and physical impediments exhibited by those areas. Physical problems, such as penetration resistance and steep slopes, may outweigh the chemical problems, such that both should be considered for soil recovery. This study aimed to evaluate the main soil attributes that are directly related to plant growth on areas affected by iron mining activities discussing possible solutions. For this purpose, chemical and physical attributes including penetration resistance on open pit mines, waste piles and native forest in Carajás Mineral Province were analysed. The results show that the open pits had low to medium levels of P and low levels of organic matter and of the micronutrients B, Zn and Cu. In the waste piles, the chemical parameters were less hindering than in the open pits. Soil penetration resistance in open pits was higher than in the waste piles and the forest; however, there was a reduction of up to 69% in soil resistance in open pits in the rainy season. The principal chemical problems observed in mine pits can be easily corrected, although the inclination of open pit slopes in combination with elevated soil density increase the risks of losses of fertilizers and seeds by runoff. Penetration resistance is the most serious problem for the development of plants in mine pits, although the use of irrigation water can help to maintain tolerable levels of resistance in soil for proper root growth of native species.

Effect of Cover Crop, Slurry Application with Different Loads and Tire Inflation Pressures on Tire Track Depth, Soil Penetration Resistance and Maize Yield

Agricultural soils can be affected in their ecological functions by in-field traffic of agricultural machinery. A three-factorial research design was carried out in a field experiment to test the effect of slurry tanker filling level (filled, half-filled, empty), tire inflation pressure of the slurry tanker (high: 300 kPa, low: 100 kPa), and ground covering (+cover crop, −cover crop) on tire track and soil penetration resistance (averaged, 0–20 cm, 21–40 cm) after application on the fields in spring. Additionally, the effect on grain yield of the subsequent culture was considered. The total weight of the tractor slurry tanker combination was 16,470 kg (empty), 25,940 kg (half-filled), and 34,620 kg (filled). The low tire inflation pressure of the slurry tanker increased the mean tire–soil contact area by 75% (filled), 38% (half-filled), and 16% (empty tanker). The results obtained show a significant effect of tire inflation pressure and ground covering on the measured parameters. The tire inflation pressure reduction effect on track depth was highest in the filled slurry tanker (−17.8%). With increasing wheel load, the effect of reduced tire inflation pressure on soil penetration resistance (0–20 cm) increased. In the subsoil (21–40 cm), the effect of tire inflation pressure was much lower, indicating that a reduction of tire inflation pressure preserves the upper layers rather than the lower ones. Furthermore, cover crops are linked to a higher degree of soil deformation after traffic with the tractor–slurry combination due to their loosening effect on the topsoil. Tire tracks were 15.0% deeper in the cover crop field than in the field without a cover crop. It is assumed that cover crop mixtures with different types of root mass can influence the mitigation of soil compaction in an ameliorative way.

Spatial investigation of soil penetration resistance and its impacts on cultivation of ‘BRS Princesa’ banana

The present study aimed to investigate the spatial variability of soil penetration resistance (SPR) in cultivation areas of ‘BRS Princesa’ banana, to evaluate its effects on the chemical and physical attributes of the soil and to indicate localized management. The experiment was carried out in an area of cultivation ‘BRS Princesa’ banana, in which 60 georeferenced points were recorded. SPR was measured from the cone index to 0.40 m depth using an impact penetrometer. Disturbed samples were collected at depths of 0-0.05, 0.05-0.10, 0.10-0.20 and 0.20-0.40 m and the soil attributes pH, Ca, Mg, Al, Na, K, P, H + Al, SB, T Value, V%, total sand, total clay, silt, TOC, POC, MAOC and gravimetric moisture were determined. The data were subjected to descriptive statistics, Pearson’s linear correlation and geostatistical analysis. SPR values in subsurface suggest greater compaction in subsurface and the significant correlations with soil attributes indicate losses for banana plants, so localized management should be carried out. It was found that 46.7% of the total area of the banana plantation does not need to be decompacted, and localized subsoiling at a varying depth is indicated in the other regions.

Spatial Organization of the Micromollusc Community under Recreational Load

The recreational load is an important factor in transforming the living conditions of living organisms in the urban environment. This article examines the role of recreation as a driver of the changing habitat of soil micromolluscs in the park environment in an urban landscape. The hypothesis that recreational exposure changes the hierarchical organization of the spatial distribution of the micromollusc community was tested. An experimental polygon was located in Novooleksandrivskiy Park (Melitopol, Ukraine) and represented 7 transects with 18 test points in each. The set of soil properties explained 24.7% of the variation in the mollusc community. The distance from trees was able to explain 6.8% of mollusc community variation. The distance from recreational pathways was able to explain 12.2% of the variation in the mollusc community. The spatial eigenfunctions were able to explain 54.2% of mollusc community variation. The spatial patterns of variation in the structure of the assemblage of molluscs were found to be due to various causes. Thus, the broad-scale component was due to the distance from trees and the distance fro m the recreational pathways and was associated with the variability of soil penetration resistance, aggregate structure, electrical conductivity, soil moisture and density. The recreational load is the cause of this pattern formation. In turn, the medium-scale component reflected the influence of soil aggregate composition on the mollusс community and components independent of soil properties. The fine-scale component reflected the variability of the mollusc community, which was independent of soil properties.

Spatial Organization of the Micromollusc Community under Recreational Load

The recreational load is an important factor in transforming the living conditions of living organisms in the urban environment. This article examines the role of recreation as a driver of the changing habitat of soil micromolluscs in the park environment in an urban landscape. The hypothesis that recreational exposure changes the hierarchical organization of the spatial distribution of the micromollusc community was tested. An experimental polygon was located in Novooleksandrivskiy Park (Melitopol, Ukraine) and represented 7 transects with 18 test points in each. The set of soil properties explained 24.7% of the variation in the mollusc community. The distance from trees was able to explain 6.8% of mollusc community variation. The distance from recreational pathways was able to explain 12.2% of the variation in the mollusc community. The spatial eigenfunctions were able to explain 54.2% of mollusc community variation. The spatial patterns of variation in the structure of the assemblage of molluscs were found to be due to various causes. Thus, the broad-scale component was due to the distance from trees and the distance fro m the recreational pathways and was associated with the variability of soil penetration resistance, aggregate structure, electrical conductivity, soil moisture and density. The recreational load is the cause of this pattern formation. In turn, the medium-scale component reflected the influence of soil aggregate composition on the mollusс community and components independent of soil properties. The fine-scale component reflected the variability of the mollusc community, which was independent of soil properties.