Abstract. A major obstacle to selecting the most appropriate crops and closing the yield gap in many areas of the world is a lack of site-specific soil information. Accurate information on soil properties is critical for identifying soil limitations and the management practices needed to improve crop yields. However, acquiring accurate soil information is often difficult due to the high spatial and

Abstract. Since the 1950s, heavy plowing of Mollisols, combined with a lack of organic matter intake, has resulted in severe soil degradation in northeast China. The use of biochar in combination with fertilizer is a sustainable method of improving soil quality. In this paper, we conducted field experiments to explore the response of the stability mechanism of the soil aggregate, the dynamic properties

Abstract. In this technical note, we introduce a web-based application, the soil knowledge library (KLIB), for the compilation and classification of scientific publications on soil process research according to the specific site conditions and experimental boundary conditions. The tool was developed based on the understanding that experimental findings in soil science are highly dependent on soil type

Abstract. Enhanced efficiency fertilizer (EEF) technologies that employ product coatings to delay nitrogen (N) release or are chemically stabilized to inhibit key steps of N transformations in soil offer potential for improving N use efficiency (NUE) in agricultural systems. However, the dynamics of N release and transformation from single technologies may result in a spatial or temporal mismatch of

Abstract. Long-term excessive application of mineral fertilizer leads to accumulation of phosphorus (P) in lime concretion black soil, which increases the risk of P migration and loss from soil profile. The colloids in the profile are important carriers for P migration due to high P adsorption and transport capacity. In this study, water extractable colloids (WECs) were obtained from 0 ~ 120 cm soil

Abstract. Twelve years after the nuclear accident that occurred at the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant in March 2011, radiocesium contamination (with a large dominance of 137Cs, with a 30-years half-life) remains a major concern in various municipalities of Northeastern Japan. The Japanese authorities completed an unprecedented decontamination programme in residential and cultivated areas affected

Abstract. Soil organic matter (SOM) plays an important role in the global carbon cycle, especially in alpine ecosystems. However, ongoing forest expansion in high elevation systems potentially alters SOM storage through changes in organic matter (OM) inputs and microclimate. In this study we investigated the effects of an Picea abies L. afforestation chrono-sequence (40–130 years) of a former subalpine

Abstract. The quality and quantity of soil organic matter (SOM) are key elements that impact soil health and climate regulation by soils. The Rock-Eval® thermal analysis technique is becoming more commonly used, as it represents a powerful method for SOM characterization by providing insights into bulk SOM chemistry and thermal stability. In this study, we applied this technique on a large soil sample

Abstract. Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) are key contributors to desert ecosystem functions, therefore, biocrust restoration following mechanical disturbances is imperative. In the Negev Desert hyperarid regions, phosphate mining has been practiced for over 60 years, destroying soil habitats and fragmenting the landscape. In this study, we selected one mining site restored in 2007, and we used

Abstract. The introduction of innovative technologies in agriculture is key not only to improving the efficiency of agricultural production, crop yields, and quality but also to balancing energy use and preserving a cleaner environment. Biopreparations are environmentally friendly means of restoring the vitality of the soil on which plants can thrive. Biopreparations have an impact on soil health and

Abstract. An assessment of the soil and bedrock thermal structure of the Sierra de Guadarrama, in Central Spain, is provided using subsurface and ground surface temperature data coming from four deep (20 m) monitoring profiles belonging to the Guadarrama Monitoring Network (GuMNet), and two shallow (1 m) from the Spanish Meteorology Service (AEMET), covering the time span of 2015–2021 and 1989–2018

Abstract. Seagrass meadows are among the most valuable ecosystems on Earth. However, in tropical countries, there is a substantial knowledge gap in “seagrass science”. To address this gap, seagrass soils from three Brazilian coastal regions were investigated (the northeastern, southeastern, and southern coasts). Soil profiles from different geological and bioclimatic settings were sampled, described

Abstract. Effects of oil-palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) management on silicon (Si) cycling under smallholder oil-palm plantations have hardly been investigated. As oil palms are Si accumulators, we hypothesized that management practices and topsoil erosion may cause Si losses and changes in spatial Si concentration patterns in topsoils under oil-palm cultivation. To test this hypothesis, we took topsoil

Abstract. Summarizing information from large bodies of scientific literature is an essential but work-intensive task. This is especially true in environmental studies where multiple factors (e.g., soil, climate, vegetation) can contribute to the effects observed. Meta-analyses, studies that quantitatively summarize findings of a large body of literature, rely on manually curated databases built upon

Abstract. Mulching of agricultural soils has been identified as a viable solution to sequester carbon into the soil, increase soil health and fight desertification; as such, it is an interesting option for carbon farming in Mediterranean areas. Models are used to project the effects of agricultural practices on soil organic carbon in the future for various soil and climatic conditions, and to help

Abstract. In the natural environment, soils undergo wetting and drying (WD) cycles due to precipitation and evapotranspiration. The WD cycles have a profound impact on soil physical, chemical, and biological properties and drive the development of structure in soils. Degraded soils are often lacking structure, and the effect of organic amendments and WD cycles on structure formation of these soils

Abstract. Soil salinity and sodicity caused by saline water irrigation are widely observed globally. Clay dispersion and swelling are influenced by sodium (Na+) concentration and electrical conductivity (EC) of soil solution. Specifically, soil potassium (K+) also significantly affects soil structural stability, but which concern was rarely addressed in previous studies or irrigation practices. A soil

Soil organic carbon (SOC) plays a vital role in the global carbon cycle and is a potential sink for carbon dioxide. Agricultural management practices can support carbon sequestration and, therefore, offer potential removal strategies whilst also improving overall soil quality. Meta-analysis allows one to summarize results from primary articles by calculating an overall effect size and to reveal the

Abstract. Chromium (Cr) pollution in soils is a global concern that should be assessed. Pollution Induced Community Tolerance (PICT) methodology is a highly sensitive tool that can directly indicate metal toxicity in the microbial community. Ten soils with a wide range of properties were spiked with 31.25, 62.5, 125, 250, 500, 1000 and 2000 mg Cr·kg-1, in addition to the control. Bacterial growth (using

Abstract. Inclination and spatial variability in soil and litter properties influence soil greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes, and thus on-going climate change, but their relationship in forest ecosystems is poorly understood. To elucidate this, we explored the effect of inclination, distance to a stream, soil moisture, soil temperature, and other soil and litter properties on soil-atmosphere fluxes of carbon

Understanding soil phosphorus (P) transformation and turnover under various fertilization managements is important for evaluating sustainable P fertility and potential bioavailability in agriculture managements. Thus, long-term fertilization experiments (∼ 38 years) with the application of different inorganic and organic fertilizers in paddy red soils were conducted to determine the effect of different

Identifying the drivers of soil organic carbon (SOC) stock changes is of the utmost importance to contribute to global challenges like climate change, land degradation, biodiversity loss, or food security. Evaluating the impacts of land use and management practices in agriculture and forestry on SOC is still challenging. Merging datasets or making databases interoperable is a promising way, but still

Abstract. The topography is a critical factor that determines the characteristics of regional soil formation. Small-scale topographic changes are defined as microtopographies. As a characteristic topographic condition in hilly mountainous regions, the redistribution of water and soil materials caused by microtopography is the main factor affecting the spatial heterogeneity of soil and the utilization

Abstract. Bioturbating animals can affect physical and chemical soil properties on near-surface soil by either foraging for food or constructing suitable habitats. Thereby, bioturbation can influence the soil texture either sorting or mixing the different grain sizes clay, silt and sand during burrowing. Additionally, bioturbating animals can increase the macronutrients carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and

Abstract. Earthworm invasion in North American forests has the potential to greatly impact soil microbial communities by altering soil physicochemical properties, including structure, pH, nutrient availability, and soil organic matter (SOM) dynamics. While most research on the topic has been carried out in northern temperate forests, little is known on the impact of invasive earthworms on soil microbial

Soil erosion rates on arable land frequently exceed the pace at which new soil is formed. This imbalance leads to soil thinning (i.e. truncation), whereby subsoil horizons and their underlying parent material become progressively closer to the land surface. As soil erosion is a selective process and subsurface horizons often have contrasting properties to the original topsoil, truncation-induced changes

Abstract. Soil erosion features and ideal tillage practices are not very clear at the crop seedling stage in Chinese Mollisols. Simulated rainfall experiments were conducted at the rainfall intensities of 50 and 100 mm h-1 to investigate the differences in soil erosion of a 5° hillslope during the maize seedling stage between conservation and conventional tillage measures, including cornstalk mulching

Abstract. Land degradation is a cause of many social, economic, and environmental problems. Therefore identification and monitoring of high-risk areas for land degradation are necessary. Despite the importance of land degradation, the topic receives often relatively little attention. The present study aims to create a land degradation map in terms of soil erosion caused by wind and water erosion of

Forest liming is a management tool that has and continues to be used extensively across northern Europe to counteract acidification processes from anthropogenic sulfur and nitrogen (N) deposition. In this study, we quantified how liming affects soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks and attempt to disentangle the mechanisms responsible for the often contrasting processes that regulate net soil carbon (C)

Forest soils are fundamental in regulating the global carbon (C) cycle; their capacity to accumulate large stores of C means they form a vital role in mitigating the effects of climate change. Understanding the processes that regulate forest soil C dynamics and stabilisation is important to maximise the capacity and longevity of C sequestration. Compared with surface soil layers, little is known about

Abstract. Soil and water efficient management are key factors to ensure olive sustainable production. The use of compost based on olive waste (alperujo) as fertilizer could enhance ecosystem services while the need to transition to a zero waste circular economy is achieved. The present work includes a comparative study of the effect of alperujo compost (AC) vs inorganic fertilization under different

Abstract. Anaerobic ammonium oxidation coupled with iron(III) reduction (Feammox) is a recently discovered pathway of nitrogen removal. However, little is known about the pathways of N transformation via Feammox in the Yellow River wetland. In this study, the difference between Feammox in a natural wetland (site YJW) and a crop rotation wetland (site TEH) was researched using isotope tracing and metagenome

Insights into the controlling factors of soil organic carbon (SOC) stock variation are necessary both for our scientific understanding of the terrestrial carbon balance and to support policies that intend to promote carbon storage in soils to mitigate climate change. In recent years, complex statistical and algorithmic tools from the field of machine learning have become popular for modelling and mapping

Abstract. Increasing soil organic carbon (SOC) in agricultural soils is nowadays receiving growing attention also due to the COP21 initiative of “4 per 1000”. In this study, the effect of five decades of different residue management (residue removal, residue incorporation, and residue incorporation + poultry manure) was investigated on SOC stock and related to the 4 per 1000 and C saturation concepts

Abstract. Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) are key contributors to desert ecosystem functions; therefore, biocrust restoration following mechanical disturbance is imperative. In the Negev Desert hyperarid regions, phosphate mining has been practiced for over 60 years, destroying soil habitats, and fragmenting the landscape. To understand the effects of mining activity on soil health, we previously

Abstract. The soil water retention curve (SWRC) is a key soil property required for predicting basic hydrological processes. SWRC is often obtained in laboratory with non-harmonized methods. Moreover, procedures associated to each method are not standardized. This can induce a lack of reproducibility between laboratories using different methods and procedures or using the same methods with different

Adopting soil and crop management practices that conserve or enhance soil structure is critical for supporting the sustainable adaptation of agriculture to climate change, as it should help maintain agricultural production in the face of increasing drought or water excess without impairing environmental quality. In this paper, we evaluate the evidence for this assertion by synthesizing the results

Abstract. Quantifying soil redistribution rates is a global challenge addressed with direct sediment measurements (e.g., traps), models and isotopic, geochemical and radiogenic tracers. The isotope of Plutonium, namely Pu-239+240, is a relatively new soil redistribution tracer in this challenge. Direct validation of Pu-239+240 as soil redistribution is, however, still missing. We used a unique sediment

Abstract. In sub-Saharan Africa, long-term maize cropping with low external inputs has been associated with the loss of soil fertility. While adding high-quality organic resources combined with mineral fertilizer has been proposed to counteract this fertility loss, the long-term effectiveness and interactions with site properties still require more understanding. This study used repeated measurements

Abstract. Amino sugars, as the biomarkers of microbial residues, help explore soil microorganisms’ response to global climate change. However, research on how microorganisms in the alpine meadows regulate the soil carbon cycle under the influence of climate change is limited. We hypothesized that climate change might cause different effects on soil microbial residues due to the impact on soil physical

The previous rather abstract debate about sustainable development has been focused by the introduction of the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015 and the related European Union (EU) Green Deal (GD) in 2019. Restricting attention to agriculture, proposed targets and indicators are, however, not specific enough to allow a focus for developing innovative and sustainable management

Abstract. Biodegradable mulch films (BDMs) are a sustainable and promising alternative to non-biodegradable polyethylene mulches used in crop production systems. Nitrogen amendments in the form of fertilizers are used by growers to enhance soil and plant-available nutrients, however, there is limited research on how these additions impact biodegradation of BDMs tilled into soils. A four-month soil

Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) composed of cyanobacteria, bacteria, algae, fungi, lichens, and bryophytes stabilize the soil surface. This effect has mainly been studied in arid climates, where biocrusts constitute the main biological agent to stabilize and connect soil aggregates. Besides, biocrusts are an integral part of the soil surface under Mediterranean and humid climate conditions, mainly

To meet the sustainable development goals and enable sustainable management and protection of peatlands, there is a strong need for improving the mapping of peatlands. Here we present a novel approach to identify peat soils based on a high-resolution digital soil moisture map that was produced by combining airborne laser scanning-derived terrain indices and machine learning to model soil moisture at

Abstract. Fertilization managements have important impacts on soil P transformation, turnover, and bioavailability. Thus, long-term fertilization experiments (~38 years) with the application of different inorganic and organic fertilizers in paddy red soils were conducted to determine their effect on P pool accumulation and microbial communities, especially for phosphate solubilizing microorganisms

To understand global soil organic matter (SOM) chemistry and its dynamics, we need tools to efficiently quantify SOM properties, for example, prediction models using mid-infrared spectra. However, the advantages of such models rely on their validity and accuracy. Recently, Hodgkins et al. (2018) developed models to quantitatively predict peat holocellulose and Klason lignin contents, two indicators

Abstract. Climate and parent material both affect soil C persistence, yet the relative importance of climatic versus mineralogical controls on soil C dynamics remains unclear. To test this, we collected soil samples in 2001, 2009, and 2019 along a combined gradient of parent material (andesite, basalt, granite) and climate (mean annual temperature (MAT): 6.5 °C “cold”, 8.6 °C “cool”, 12.0 °C “warm”)

Abstract. Since the 1950s, heavy plowing of Mollisols, combined with a lack of organic matter intake, has resulted in severe soil degradation in Northeast China. The use of biochar in combination with fertilizer is a sustainable method of improving soil quality. In this paper, we conducted field experiments to explore the response of the stability mechanism of the soil aggregates, the dynamic properties

Abstract. The straw return practice is essential to soil organic matter (SOM) accumulation in the black soil area with high carbon sequestration potential. However, due to lacking accurate spatial distribution of straw return, few studies took straw return as a variable to carry out rigorous research on the impact of straw return on SOM variation on a regional scale. Based on soil samples and 16 environmental

Abstract. The quality and quantity of soil organic matter (SOM) are key elements of soil health and climate regulation by soils. The Rock-Eval® thermal analysis technique is increasingly used as it represents a powerful method for SOM characterization by providing insights on bulk SOM chemistry and thermal stability. In this study, we applied this technique on a large soil sample set from the first

Abstract. We evaluated the performance of a new, simple test to evaluate soil structural stability. The QuantiSlakeTest (QST) consists in a quantitative approach of the slake test, a dynamic weighting of a dried structured soil sample once immersed in water. The objective of this work was threefold: we aimed to (i) derive indicators from QST curves to evaluate soil structural stability regarding the

The soil inorganic carbon (SIC) pool is a major component of soil carbon (C) pools, and clarifying the predictors of SIC stock is urgent for decreasing soil C losses and maintaining soil health and ecosystem functions. However, the drivers and their relative effects on the SIC stock at different soil depths remain largely unexplored. Here, we conducted a large-scale sampling to investigate the effects

The maintenance of the large soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks of the boreal forest under climate change is a matter of concern. In this study, major soil carbon pools and fluxes were assessed in 22 closed-canopy forests located along an elevation and latitudinal climatic gradient expanding 4 ∘C in mean annual temperature (MAT) for two important boreal conifer forest stand types: balsam fir (Abies balsamea)

The effectiveness of conservation agriculture (CA) and other soil management strategies implying a reduction of tillage has been shown to be site-dependent (crop, clime and soil), and thus any new soil and crop management should be rigorously evaluated before its implementation. Moreover, farmers are normally reluctant to abandon conventional practices if this means putting their production at risk

Abstract. Insights into the controlling factors of soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks variation is necessary both for our scientific understanding of the terrestrial carbon balance and to support policies that intend to promote carbon storage in soils to mitigate climate change. In recent years, complex statistical and algorithmic tools from the field of machine learning became popular for modelling

Inversion tillage is a commonly applied soil cultivation practice in Europe, which often has been blamed for deteriorating topsoil stability and organic carbon (OC) content. In this study, the potential to reverse these negative effects in the topsoil by alternative agricultural management practices are evaluated in seven long-term experiments (running from 8 to 54 years the moment of sampling) in

The shortage of water resources and the decline in soil organic matter (SOM) are critical limiting factors affecting the improvement in rice productivity, while alternate wetting and drying (AWD) irrigation and recycling application of rice straw (S) are considered favorable mitigation measures. However, the impact of such measures on rice yield and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, especially nitrous

Abstract. Rare earth element oxides (REOs) are effective tracers to investigate soil aggregate dynamics and are also useful to quantify the interaction between C and aggregate dynamics. Although the effect of the REO labeling process on soil aggregates has been considerably investigated, its effect on soil organic carbon remains unknown. The objectives of this study were to (1) determine the effect

Abstract. Photosystem II (PS II) pesticides, recognised as a threat to ecological health, were targeted for reduction in sugarcane farming in the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) catchments. Alternative herbicides, the non-PS II herbicides (including glyphosate, paraquat, 2,4-D, imazapic, isoxaflutole, metolachlor, and S-metolachlor), continue to be used in these catchments. However, the potential ecological

Abstract. In the natural environment, soils undergo wetting and drying (WD) cycles due to precipitation and evapotranspiration. The WD cycles have a profound impact on soil physical, chemical, and biological properties and drive the development of structure in soils. Degraded soils are often lacking structure and the effect of organic amendments and WD cycles on structure formation of these soils is