The soil organic matter (SOM) content and stability in natural gypsum soils and soils from mining/industrial areas were compared, in terms of their physical, chemical and micromorphological properties, to determine whether the old brownfield soils were acting as carbon (C) sinks, counteracting increasing carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere. The mining/industrial soils were 50–400 years old, so had been left sufficiently long for full self-restoration. Despite having very different origins, both natural and brownfield soils stored similar amounts of SOM, and had similar pH values, calcium carbonate contents and textures. They were also fully covered with similar grass plant communities. The mining/industrial soils exhibited similar microstructures to the gypsum soils and were often quite porous. The most striking difference between them and the natural gypsum soils was that the mining/industrial soils were strongly polluted with zinc, lead and cadmium. The 50-year-old brownfield soils differed from the others in terms of having a lower state of SOM transformation, with a much higher C/N ratio, lower aggregate water resistance index, lower dehydrogenase activity and greater areas of undecomposed or slightly decomposed plant residues. These parameters in the older (150–400 years) brownfield soils were similar to those of the natural soils.

Urban gardens have important social, environmental and economic roles in big cities, contributing to their sustainability. However, food production in urban gardens may be compromised due to soil pollution that resulted from decades of industrial non-regulated environmental activity and mobile transport. In this study, 12 soils from the urban agricultural area of Rome (Italy) were analyzed for the metals Be, Ba, Pb, Co, Ni, V, Zn, Hg, Cd, As, Cu, and Cr. All but one of the soils under analysis were characterized by at least one metal concentration above the threshold limit defined by the Italian Legislative Decree 152/2006 (ILD) for agricultural soils. Multivariate analysis showed that the soils could be classified into five clusters: clusters I and II had relatively lower mean metal concentrations; clusters III, IV, and V had relatively higher mean metal concentrations with several metal concentrations above the threshold proposed by ILD. Three factors contributing to the variability of the metal’s concentration in the soils under investigation were identified: geological factor, related with metals As, Ba, Be, and V; anthropogenic factor, related with Pb and Cu; and, a mixed factor related with Co, Cr, Ni, and Zn. High metal content may limit the utilization of urban soils as urban gardens for food production.

Abstract: During firing from a mortar, an important issue is the parameters of compressibility of the ground on which the mortar is placed. This affects the operation of the mortar (including safety). During the qualification tests of the mortar, the influence of different types of substrate on its strength and work during shooting should be examined. Until now in the Polish standardization documents was no clear description about the substrate parameters used for this kind of tests. Analysis of the literature also did not allow to determine the dependence of the mortars displacement in the function of the type of substrate and its geotechnical parameters. Therefore, the authors carried out analytical and experimental analysis of the use of geotechnical methods to determine the parameters of the substrate for mortar testing. The paper presents the proposed types of standardized soil and their research methods. Preliminary tests were also carried out using the prescribed measurement methods and a comparative mortar firing test. Subsequently, an analysis of the results was carried out and the possibilities of using the proposed methods of measuring the parameters of soil compressibility were determined.

The aim of this paper was to determine the soil phosphorus release risk from drained and re-wetted peatlands under different landcovers. The study was carried out at 10 soil profiles (organic soils, frequently with mursh in the topsoil, developed from low peat with various degrees of decomposition, on mineral subsoil or gyttja) located south-west of Lake Kośno nature reserve in northern-central Europe (north-eastern Poland). The soil samples were collected from the depths of 0-30 cm, 50-80 cm and 100-130 cm during spring, summer and autumn (in April, July, and October). In the laboratory, the following soil properties were determined: ash content, soil reaction, content of total organic carbon, total nitrogen, total and plant-available phosphorus. Gyttja formations and hemic peats had the highest total P content (6.77 g∙kg-1 and 2.29 g∙kg-1, respectively). Murshes contained twice less P (1.18 g∙kg-1). In spring, more plant-available phosphorus (AP sp) was released in murshes (0.29 g∙kg-1) than in peats (0.07-0.14 g∙kg-1). In the summer, higher amounts of plant-available P were stated in fiber peats (0.37 g∙kg-1) than in murshes (0.26 g∙kg-1), whereas in autumn, the amounts of P in murshes (0.22 g∙kg-1) and peats (0.21-0.23 g∙kg-1) did not vary. Generally, average contents of AP were the highest in murshes (0.26 g∙kg-1) and fiber peats (0.25 g∙kg-1), and the lowest in sapric peats (0.15 g∙kg-1). The release of phosphorus from organic compounds or binding of P by organic matter (immobilization) depends on the C:P ratio in plant residues and soil. If it is wide (>300), P is bound, if it is narrower (150–200), P is released. In the tested soil formations, the C:P ratio was frequently above 300. Only in some murshes and gyttjas the C:P ratio was below 150, which may indicate a risk of phosphorus release to groundwaters.

The paper presents the results of soil research in the Prinevskaya lowland within the boundaries of St. Petersburg. The study of the direction and rate of change in the properties of fallow lands, aimed at understanding the process of post-agrogenic transformation of soils, as well as the development of a monitoring system for changes in the parameters and properties of fallow soils will contribute to the optimization of the soil-ecological state of soils excluded from agricultural turnover in St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region.

The continued application of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in indoor residual spraying has posed significant threat to human health in Northern part of South Africa, despite its ban. In this study, we investigated the occurrence and spatial distribution of DDTs and its metabolites in surface soil (30 samples) collected in and around the spray homesteads; demarcated into three concentric zones A, B, C in Tshilamusi Vhembe district, South Africa. DDTs were the most abundant of all the OCPs chemicals found in soil samples. The concentrations of DDT range from 12.19 to 65.69 µg/kg, with the highest occurring at zone A which is the zone of application. DDTs and all its metabolites considered in this study were found in appreciable concentrations in soil of Zones B and C, far from spray sites. The results showed a strong correlation between distance and concentration levels of DDTs and its metabolites. However, there is a need for proper monitoring of OCPs chemicals in other environmental matrices as well as relevant agencies enforcing strict adherence to regulations on consumption of OCPs.

Various type of soils have been identified based on their electrical and magnetic properties, especially with regards to peat soils. Peat soils are commonly considered as partly decomposed vegetation. In this study, electrical and magnetic properties have been used in K-means clustering to identify layers of peat soils. K-means clustering is a partitioning method that treats observations in the data. Data cores were obtained at every centimeter and examined for their electrical conductivity (σ) and magnetic susceptibility (χ_m) properties. A 291 cm core was obtained at Tegal Arum Village in South Kalimantan, Indonesia. The K-means clustering results indicate two different layers at 148 cm, and this is supported by loss on ignition (LOI) measurements. In the first layers, a 87.65% LOI was found associated with peat soils (above 248 cm). Whereas, in the second layers, there was a 26.11% LOI associated with mineral soils (below 248 cm). The results of this study using K-means clustering can be used to delineate soil layers.

This paper assesses the performance of an embankment constructed in 2010 with a stabilised expansive soil. Two types of treatment were employed at construction time: 4% lime and a mix of 2% lime and 3% cement. A sampling campaign was carried out in 2021 to evaluate the long-term performance of the stabilised soil properties. To assess the compressibility of the soil, oedometer tests were carried out on samples from different parts of the embankment. The results were compared to the compression curve of the untreated soil, also sampled in the same embankment. Complementary shrinkage tests were performed to investigate the effect of the treatment on swelling and shrinkage. The obtained results showed that the behaviour of the material from the outer part was similar to the mechanical performance of the untreated soil, demonstrating strong alteration in the effect of both treatments over time. This alteration was noticeable to a distance of approximately two metres from the external surface. Beyond this distance, the performance of the soil was comparable to the behaviour of recently treated soil. These observations, similar for each treatment dosage, raise questions as to the durability of the treatment on the outer part of the backfill.

Soil proteases are involved in the transformation of organic matter and thus influence the nutrient turnover in the ecosystem. Phytohormones, similarly to proteases, are synthesized and secreted into the soil by fungi and microorganisms and regulating their activity in the rhizosphere. The aim of our work was to find out how the presence of auxins, cytokinins, ethephone and chlorocholine chloride affects the activity of native soil proteases at the spruce tree stand. Auxins stimulated the native proteolytic activity in the spruce tree stand. Synthetic auxins most stimulated the activity of 2-naphthoxyacetic acid and the naturally occurring auxins of indole-3-acetic acid in the organic horizon of the spruce forest. Cytokinins, ethephone and chlorocholine chloride inhibited the activity of native soil proteases in the spruce tree stand. The highest inhibitory effect was found in ethephone and chlorocholine chloride. Overall, the negative effect of phytohormones on the activity of the native proteolytic activity may slow down the decomposition of organic matter and thus make plant nutrition more difficult. The outcomes of our work assist with understanding of the effect of substances produced by the rhizosphere on the activity of soil microorganisms and the soil nitrogen cycle.

Knowledge about the genesis and evolution of black soils in the Eastern Mediterranean is vital for sustainable land management. In this study, the black soils that currently occur in the Eastern Mediterranean were analyzed in different bioclimatic zones and were found to genetically be long to three soil types: 1-Calcareous black soils (Rendzina, Para-Rendzina) (Rendzic or Somerirendzic Leptosols -Typic Rendolls or Lithic Rendolls), 2-Hydromorphic black soils (Calcic Chernozems -Haploxerolls). 3- Black soils on Basalt (Somerirendzic Leptosols) (Haploxerolls). The impact of the relief was obvious on both the thickness of the solum and the mollic horizon. Rendzina occurs on the toe and feet slope, Para-Rendzina on the shoulders, and Chernozems on a flat plain. The color of the epipedon in Rendzina reflects the origin of the prevailing parent material from which they are derived: Proper Rendzina found on limestone, chalk, sandstone, conglomerate, and claystone; Reddish Rendzina on Dolomite and hard limestone, and Grayish Rendzina on Serpentine. It was also found that the Hydromorphic black soils only occur on calcic marl and lacustrine deposits in the depressions arising from the Dead Sea faults under saturation or bad drainage conditions. This soil has a thick, dark mollic horizon and high organic matter content.

Sometimes a pavement deflects only because of seasonal volume change of expansive soils in the pavement subgrade. Engineering practitioners expect an implementable and straightforward analysis method for a geosynthetic-reinforced pavement subjected to the swelling/shrinkage issue of expansive clayey subgrade, in an effort to find the bending moment, shear force and tension force distributions through the reinforced pavement, which are induced from the volumetric changes of subgrade soils. The virtual load method (VLM) was proposed in the past following the Timoshenko beam theory to analyze geosynthetic-reinforced pavement on expansive soils. In the VLM, the unknown virtual distributed load was obtained in the way by applying the inverse theory for the identification of material parameters of the pavement-foundation system. It was seen that the selection of the number of material parameters to obtain virtual load significantly affects the accuracy of the structural properties of the pavement and tensile properties of the geosynthetics if the linear least square method is used. In this paper, a unique numerical scheme was proposed in the hopes of solving the issue. After a forward problem was solved numerically, the Timoshenko beam deflection was taken as a start-up for the inverse problem to back analyze the load applied to the pavement. Solutions from forward/backward examples have explicitly shown the accuracy achieved related to the bending moment in the pavement and tension in the geosynthetic reinforcements. The proposed methodology can be applied for an in-depth understanding of the geosynthetic function for the mitigation of longitudinal cracks on pavements caused by heave/shrinkage of expansive soils.

In Taiwan, farmers often apply excess compost to ensure adequate crop yield in highly frequent tillage, highly weathered, and lower fertility soils. The potential of biochar (BC) for diminishing soil C mineralization, and improving soil nutrient availability in compost over-fertilized soil is promising, but the study is still under-examined. To test the hypothesis, 434 days in vitro C mineralization kinetics of incubation experiment were conducted. Woody BC 0%, 0.5%, 1.0% and 2.0% (w/w) made of lead tree (Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de. Wit) were added to an Oxisols, and two Inceptisols of Taiwan. In each treatment, 5% swine manure compost (2 times recommended amount) was added and served as the over-fertilized soil. The results indicated that soil type strongly influenced the impact of BC addition on soil carbon mineralization potential. Respiration per unit of total organic carbon (total mineralization coefficient, TMC) of three studied soils significantly decreased with BC addition increased. Principal component analysis (PCA) suggested that for retaining more plant nutrients in addition to the effects of carbon sequestration, it is recommended that farmer could use locally produced biochars and composts in highly weathered and highly frequent tillage soil. Adding 0.5%-1% woody BC in soil should be reasonable and appropriate.

In Taiwan, farmers often apply excess compost to ensure adequate crop yield in highly frequent tillage, highly weathered, and lower fertility soils. The potential of biochar (BC) for diminishing soil C mineralization, and improving soil nutrient availability in compost over-fertilized soil is promising, but the study is still under-examined. To test the hypothesis, 434 days in vitro C mineralization kinetics of incubation experiment were conducted. Woody BC 0%, 0.5%, 1.0% and 2.0% (w/w) made of lead tree (Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de. Wit) were added to an Oxisols, and two Inceptisols of Taiwan. In each treatment, 5% swine manure compost (2 times recommended amount) was added and served as the over-fertilized soil. The results indicated that soil type strongly influenced the impact of BC addition on soil carbon mineralization potential. Respiration per unit of total organic carbon (total mineralization coefficient, TMC) of three studied soils significantly decreased with BC addition increased. Principal component analysis (PCA) suggested that for retaining more plant nutrients in addition to the effects of carbon sequestration, it is recommended that farmer could use locally produced biochars and composts in highly weathered and highly frequent tillage soil. Adding 0.5%-1% woody BC in soil should be reasonable and appropriate.

The hazard and the carcinogenic risks due to the exposure to some potentially toxic elements by the Santiago Island (Cape Verde) population where calculated, considering soil ingestion, inhalation and dermal contact as exposure pathways. The topsoil of Santiago Island is enriched in Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, V, Zn, Mn and Cd to upper crust values. Hazard indices (HI) were calculated for these metals and As exposures, of Santiago Island population and the calculations were performed for children and adults. For children HI are higher than 1 for Co, Cr and Mn. So there is indication of potential non-carcinogenic risk for children, due to the high Co (HI=2.995), Cr (HI=1.329) and Mn (HI=1.126), values in soils. For the other elements and for adults there is no potential non-carcinogenic risk. Cancer risk was calculated for As, Cd, Cr and Ni exposures, for adults and children and the results are always lower than the carcinogenic target risk of 1x10-6, for As, Cd, and Ni. However, cancer risk are higher than the carcinogenic target risk for Cr, for adults. Regarding As, for children the fraction due to Riskingestion represents 51.6%, while Riskinhalation represents 48.0% and Riskdermalcontact represents only 0.4% of total risk. For adults Riskinhalation represents 81.3%, Riskingestion represents 16.6% and Riskdermal contact represents 2.1%. These results reflect the higher daily ingestion dose for children and the higher inhalation rate and higher dermal contact surface for adults. For the other elements and for adults the cancer risk due to Cr, Ni and Cd inhalation is always higher than for children, reflecting the higher inhalation rate for adults.

Wildfires have short- and long-term impacts on the geoenvironment, including the changes to biogeochemical and mechanical properties of soils, landfill stability, surface- and groundwater, air pollution, and vegetation. Climate change has increased the extent and severity of wildfires across the world. Simultaneously, anthropogenic activities—through the expansion of urban areas into wildlands, abandonment of rural practices, and accidental or intentional fire-inception activities—are also responsible for a majority of fires. This paper provides an overall review and critical appraisal of existing knowledge about processes induced by wildfires and their impact on the geoenvironment. Burning of vegetation leads to loss of root reinforcement and changes in soil hydromechanical properties. Also, depending on the fire temperature, soil can be rendered hydrophobic or hydrophilic and compromise soil nutrition levels, hinder revegetation, and, in turn, increase post-fire erosion and debris flow susceptibility of hillslopes. In addition to direct hazards, wildfires pollute air and soil with smoke and fire suppression agents releasing toxic, persistent, and relatively mobile contaminants into the geoenvironment. Nevertheless, the mitigation of wildfires’ geoenvironmental impacts does not fit within the scope of this paper. In the end, in no exhaustive way, some areas of future need for research are highlighted.

The assessment of soil contamination in the vicinity of integrated siderurgical plants is of outmost importance for agroecosystems and human health, and sensitive techniques should be employed for accurate assessment of chemical elements (metals, potential toxic elements, rare earths, radioelements) in soil and further evaluation of potential ecological and safety risk. In this paper a total of 45 major, minor and trace elements (Al, As, Au, Ba, Br, Ca, Cd, Ce, Co, Cr, Cs, Cu, Dy, Eu, Fe, Hf, Hg, I, K, La, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Nd, Ni, Pb, Rb, Sb, Sc, Sm, Sn, Sr, Ta, Tb, Th, Ti, Tm, U, V, W, Y, Yb, Zn and Zr) were quantified in soils located around a large siderurgical works (Galati, SE Romania) using instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) in combination with X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The statistical analysis results and vertical distribution patterns for three depths (0-5 cm, 5-20 cm, 20-30 cm) indicate inputs of toxic elements in the sites close to the ironmaking and steelmaking facilities and industrial wastes dumping site. For selected elements, a comparison with historical, legislated and world reported concentration values in soil was performed and depth migration, contamination and toxic risk indices were assessed. The distribution of major, rock forming elements was closer to the Upper Continental Crust (UCC), and to the Dobrogea loess, finding confirmed by the ternary diagram of the incompatible trace elements Sc, La and Th, as well as by the La to Th rate. At the same time, the La/Th vs. Sc and Th/Sc vs. Zr/Sc bi-plots suggested a felsic origin and a weak recycling of soils mineral components.

A single paragraph of about 200 words maximum. For research articles, abstracts should give a pertinent overview of the work. We strongly encourage authors to use the following style of structured abstracts, but without headings: (1) Background: Place the question addressed in a broad context and highlight the purpose of the study; (2) Methods: briefly describe the main methods or treatments applied; (3) Results: summarize the article's main findings; (4) Conclusions: indicate the main conclusions or interpretations. The abstract should be an objective representation of the article and it must not contain results that are not presented and substantiated in the main text and should not exaggerate the main conclusions.

Marine water pH is becoming progressively reduced in response to atmospheric CO2 elevation. Considering that marine environments support a vast global biodiversity and provide a variety of ecosystem functions and services, monitoring of the coastal and intertidal water pH assumes obvious significance. Because current monitoring approaches using meters and loggers are typically limited in application in heterogeneous environments and are financially prohibitive, we sought to evaluate an approach to acidification biomonitoring using living gastropod shells. We investigated snail populations exposed naturally to corrosive water in Brunei (Borneo, South East Asia). We show that surface erosion features of shells are generally more sensitive to acidic water exposure than other attributes (shell mass) in a study of rocky-shore snail populations (Nerita chamaeleon) exposed to greater or lesser coastal geochemical acidification (acid sulphate soil seepage, ASS), by virtue of their spatial separation. We develop a novel digital approach to measuring the surface area of shell erosion. Surficial shell erosion of a muddy-sediment estuarine snail, Umbonium vestiarium, is shown to capture variation in acidic water exposure for the timeframe of a decade. Shell dissolution in Neripteron violaceum from an extremely acidic estuarine habitat, directly influenced by ASS inflows, was high variable among individuals. In conclusion, gastropod shell dissolution potentially provides a powerful and cost-effective tool for rapidly assessing marine pH change across a range of spatial and temporal frameworks and coastal intertidal environments. We discuss caveats when interpreting gastropod shell dissolution patterns.

Agriculture is the main economic activity of Mozambique and there is lack of information about the quality of agricultural soils. In this paper, five soils from the Manica and Sussudenga districts (Manica province) were sampled in the years 2021/2022 and 2022/2023 (before and after the rainy seasons), were subjected to an agronomical and environmental chemical analysis to assess its quality, either from the fertility and environmental contamination point of view. Standard analytical methodologies from external certified laboratories and local X-ray fluorescence measurements were used. All the studied soils are acidic (pH ranging from 4.5 and 5.4), have no salinity problems (conductivity ranging from 4.2 to 11.8 mS/m), have low amount of soil organic matter (0.90% to 1.81%), and soils from the Sussudenga district have a very low cation exchange capacity (CEC) (average of 3.33 cmolc/kg), while those from Manica district ranges from very low to average CEC (3.59 to 13.11 cmolc/kg). Also, Sussudenga soils have a phosphorous deficiency (values ranging from <20 to 38.5 mg/kg) and there are deficiencies and/or excesses of some macro and micronutrients in all soil samples. Manica soils are contaminated, apparently from geogenic origin, with Cr (280 to 1400 mg/kg), Co (80 mg/kg), Ni (78 to 680 mg/kg) and V (86 mg/kg). Agricultural soils monitoring must be fostered in Mozambique in order to improve food quality and quantity to assure economic and environmental sustainability.

Soil washing is a rapid and efficient method for heavy metals removal. In this study, in order to prove the feasibility of leaching remediation technology for remediation of lead-contaminated soil around a smelter, intermittent oscillating washing tests and extensive continuous tests were conducted to remediate Pb contaminated soils. Plant growth tests with wheat (Bainong Aikang 58) were also conducted to investigate the effects of leaching on plant growth and the Pb content of stems and leaves. The results revealed that in soils, Pb mainly exists in the forms of PbCO3, Pb5(PO4)3Cl2, PbSO4, and in small amounts of PbS. The intermittent oscillating washing tests showed that a lower liquidsolid(L/S) ratio and a higher leaching temperature and time were related to increased Pb removal efficiency. The Pb removal efficiency rates in the oscillating washing tests and the extensive continuous tests were 72.50% and 69.94%, respectively. In addition, the chemical and physical characteristics of the soil were basically unchanged after the leaching regimes. The results of the plant growth tests showed that the leaching regimes did not have a negative effect on the survival rate and growth of the wheat, and the heavy metal contents of the stem and leaf were effectively reduced. This study provides a reference for the large-scale remediation of contaminated soils.

Soil texture is a key property influencing most soil physical, chemical, and biological processes and its catchment-scale spatial variation may yields insights for soil management. Texture data are generally available only at a few locations, since sampling and laboratory analyses are time consuming. Therefore, it is essential to predict soil size particles texture variability using appropriate methods. Moreover, soil texture distribution across a catchment is influenced by erosion and sedimentation processes controlled by hillslope morphology, which can be quantified through some topographic attributes. The study was aimed to evaluate the ability of a multivariate approach based on non-stationary geostatistics to merge remotely sensed high-resolution LiDAR-derived topographic attributes with Vis-NIR diffuse reflectance spectroscopy and laboratory analysis to produce high-resolution maps of soil sand content and estimation uncertainty in a forested catchment in southern Italy. Moreover, the proposed approach was compared with the commonly used univariate approach of ordinary kriging. Soil samples were collected at 135 locations within a 139 ha-forest catchment with granitic parent material and subordinately alluvial deposits, where soils classified as Typic Xerumbrepts and Ultic Haploxeralf crop out. A number of linear trend models coupled with different auxiliary variables were compared and the best one resulted the model using clay content as auxiliary variable. The improvement of estimation from using only LiDAR data (elevation) compared to the univariate (no trend) model was rather marginal.

Florida geologic units and soils contain a wide range in concentrations of naturally-occurring arsenic. The average range of bulk rock concentrations is 1 to 13.1 mg/kg with concentrations in accessary minerals being over 1,000 mg/kg. Soils contain natural arsenic concentrations of between 0.18 and 2.06 mg/kg with organic-rich soils having the highest concentrations. Anthropogenic sources of arsenic have added about 610,000 metric tons of arsenic into the Florida environment since 1970, thereby increasing background concentrations in soils. The anthropogenic sources of arsenic in soils include: pesticides (used in Florida beginning in the 1890’s), fertilizers, chromated copper arsenate (CCA)-treated wood, soil amendments, cattle-dipping vats, chicken litter, sludges from water treatment plants, and others. The default Soil Cleanup Target Level (SCTL) in Florida for arsenic in residential soils is 2.1 mg/kg which is below some naturally-occurring background concentrations in soils and anthropogenic concentrations in agricultural soils. A review of risk considerations shows that adverse health impacts associated with exposure to arsenic is dependent on many factors and that the Florida cleanup levels are very conservative. Exposure to arsenic in soils at concentrations that exceed the Florida residential cleanup level in residential environments does not necessarily pose a meaningful public health risk.

The aquatic vegetation of the Neva Bay is characterized by high biodiversity and play an important role. In recent years, hydrotechnical works associated with transport and industrial construction have been carried out in the Gulf of Finland. As a result of industrialisation and active anthropogenic impact these areas are a place of hyperaccumulation of nutrients and pollutants. This paper presents results of the ecotoxicological state assessment of subaquatic soils and investigation of the development of macrophyte thicket ecosystems of the Neva Bay.

Global concerns of decreasing water availability and food security are being exacerbated by the increasing demand for food, water quality degradation, and climate change impacts. Rice is an essential crop for food security with paddy rice cultivation largely practiced using traditional flooding conditions. Water regimes and components of the soil water balance in paddy rice catchments affect uptake of water by rice roots. Paddy management, especially puddling, significantly affects soil hydrological properties, such as hydraulic conductivity, percolation, and seepage in the paddy rhizosphere. Improved knowledge of these interactions is vital for developing sustainable water management strategies in paddy fields. Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) practice contributes to sustainable water management, but little is known about effects of soil wetting and drying duration on gravitational soil water flow, moisture dynamics, and hydraulic conductivity in the rice paddy rhizosphere. These factors depend on soil type, rice variety, rooting conditions, and environmental factors, such as solar radiation and temperature. Here we examine the paddy cultivation environment and soil properties under traditional continuous flooding and AWD practice. Some studies indicate that the duration and frequency of wetting and soil drying under AWD practice in paddy fields affects soil hydraulic conductivity that alters the next cycle of water application. During droughts and short rainy seasons, rainfall, soil properties, and atmospheric conditions control soil moisture dynamics in paddy fields. Limitations and challenges of applying AWD in paddy soils, including the variation of hydrological properties and the need for frequent field manual monitoring of water level (WL) head, are discussed. Implications of AWD practice on yield, water use efficiency, soil hydrology, and reduction of methane emissions, are outlined along with opportunities to improve AWD integration within government policies, irrigation schemes, and adoption by farmers. Coupled crop models can provide important insights for sustainable agricultural water management.

Soil organic matter is an important component that reflects soil fertility and promotes plant growth. The soil of typical Chinese tea plantations was used as the research object in this work, and by combining soil hyperspectral data and image texture characteristics, a quantitative prediction model of soil organic matter based on machine vision and hyperspectral imaging technology was built. Three methods, standard normalized variate (SNV), multisource scattering correction (MSC) and smoothing, were first used to preprocess the spectra. After that, random frog (RF), variable combination population analysis (VCPA) and variable combination population analysis and iterative retained information variable algorithm (VCPA-IRIV) algorithms were used to extract the characteristic bands. Finally, the quantitative prediction model of nonlinear support vector regression (SVR) and linear partial least squares regression (PLSR) for soil organic matter was established by combining nine color features and five texture features of hyperspectral images. The outcomes demonstrate that, in comparison to single spectral data, fusion data may greatly increase the performance of the prediction model, with MSC+VCPA-IRIV+SVR (R2C=0.995, R2P=0.986, RPD=8.155) being the optimal approach combination. This work offers excellent justification for more investigation into nondestructive methods for determining the amount of organic matter in soil.

Information on how bacteria in plants and soil, along with extracellular enzymes, affect nutrient cycling in Encephalartos villosus growing in nutrient-poor and acidic scarp forests is lacking. Bacteria in coralloid roots, rhizosphere, and non-rhizosphere soils were isolated to determine the potential role of soil bacterial communities and their associated enzyme activities in nutrient contributions in rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere soils. The role of soil characteristics and associated bacteria on E. villosus nutrition and nitrogen source reliance was investigated. Encephalartos villosus leaves, coralloid roots, rhizosphere, and non-rhizosphere soils were collected at two scarp forests. Leaf nutrition, nitrogen source reliance, soil nutrition and extracellular enzyme activities were assayed. A phylogenetic approach was used to determine the evolutionary relationship between identified bacterial nucleotide sequences. Twenty, twelve and seven different bacterial genera were isolated from rhizosphere, non-rhizosphere, and coralloid roots, respectively. Phosphorus and nitrogen cycling enzyme activities in E. villosus rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere soils were insignificant. More than 70% of the leaf nitrogen was derived from the atmosphere. This study revealed that plant-associated bacteria with plant growth-promoting functions, soil bacteria, and associated extracellular enzymes play a role in E. villosus nutrition and nitrogen source reliance and contribute to E. villosus rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere soil nutrition.

Ca-bentonite (CB) alone and in a mixture with limestone (L), tobacco biochar (TB) and zeolite (Z) on the fixation, geochemical fractions and absorption of Cd and Zn by Chinese cabbage in smelter heavily polluted (S-HP) and smelter low polluted (S-LP) soils were investigated. The results showed that the CB+TB and CB+L+TB treatments significantly immobilized Cd up to 22.03% and 29.68%, respectively, and reduced uptake by Chinese cabbage shoot to 35.98% with CB+Z+L and 61.35% with CB+L in S-HP and S-LP soils compared with the control. The CB+ Z+ L+TB treatment mobilized Cd up to 4.45% and increased absorption in the shoot by 9.85% in S-HP soil. The greatest immobilization of Zn was 53.18% and 58.20% with the CB+Z+L+TB treatment, which reduced Zn uptake in the plant shoot by 9.94% with CB + L and 58.04 with CB+Z+L+TB in S-HP and S-LP soils. The CB+Z+TB and CB+TB treatments mobilized Zn up to 35.40% and 4.80%, respectively, in both soils. Furthermore, the uptake of Zn in plant shoot was observed by 58.96% and 7.82% with application of CB+Z and CB+TB treatments, respectively, in S-HP and S-LP soils. Overall, our results suggest that Ca-bentonite alone and in mixtures with different amendments can be used to reduce the phyto-extraction of Cd and Zn in Zn-smelter polluted soils.

In this paper, we present the application of a special soil resistivity model, the Exponentially Graded Multilayered Soil model, to the interpretation of Borehole Resistivity Logging surveys. The model, which was recently introduced by the authors, offers an alternative to the interpretation provided by constant resistivity layer models. The model is applied to synthetic soil surveys as well as to a real survey that is not satisfactorily interpreted using conventional models.

The study was performed to get the first insight of distribution of the low field volume magnetic susceptibility (MS) throughout the Zagreb city area, based on in-situ field measurements. Most interesting locations were selected for soil sampling and geochemical content was determined using ICP-OES. A geostatistical approach was applied on MS and geochemical results. Median value of 0.245 x 10-3 SI units is proposed to be used as relevant average MS value in Zagreb area. Mean concentrations of heavy metals in Zagreb soils (in µg/g) are: Pb (36.82), Zn (87.77), Cu (30.84), Cd (0.66), Cr (29.04), Co (11.89) and Ni (28.40), being relatively low in comparison with Croatian legislation and with European and world average. Boxplot analyses showed that 45% of studied elements do not show any anomaly, while the rest of elements mostly show only one weak anomaly and they are located at the same sites as MS anomalies. Statistical analysis found significant correlations between MS and following elements: Cd, Co, Fe, Mn, Na, Pb, Sb and Zn. In-situ MS measurements proved to be an efficient tool for initial screening of large areas in terms of elevated heavy elements concentrations, enabling cheap and fast assessment of state of environment.

The conservation of coastal wetland ecosystems, like mangrove forests and salt marshes, represents a critical strategy for mitigating atmospheric emissions and climate change in the 21st century. Yet the existence of these environments is threatened by human-induced disturbances, namely deforestation and accelerated sea-level rise. Coastal systems maintain surface elevation in response to sea-level rise through a combination of physical and biological processes both above and below the ground surface. The quantification and relative contribution of belowground process controls (e.g., seasonal water content, organic matter decomposition) on surface elevation change is largely unexplored but crucial for informing coastal ecosystem sustainability. To address this knowledge deficit, we integrated measurements of surface elevation change of the live root zone (0.5 to 1 m depth) with geotechnical data from co-located sediment cores in the Sundarbans mangrove forest (SMF) of southwest Bangladesh. Core data reveal that the primary belowground controls on surface elevation change include seasonal fluctuations in pore-water content and the relative abundance of fine-grained sediments capable of volumetric expansion and contraction, supporting an elevation gain of ~2.42 ± 0.26 cm yr⁻¹. In contrast to many mangrove environments, the soils of the SMF contain little organic matter and are dominantly composed (>90%) of inorganic clastic sediments. The mineral-rich soil texture likely leads to less compaction-induced subsidence as compared to organic-rich substrates and facilitates surface equilibrium in response to sea level rise. Despite a relatively high soil bulk density, soil carbon (C) density of the SMF is very low owing to the dearth of preserved organic content. However, rates of C accumulation are balanced out by locally high accretion rates, rendering the SMF a greater sink of terrestrial C than the worldwide mangrove average. The findings of this study demonstrate that C accumulation in the SMF, and possibly other alluvial mangrove forests, is highly dependent on the continued delivery of sediment to the mangrove platform and associated settings.

Mining activities could produce a large volume of spoils, waste rocks, and tailings, which are usually deposited at the surface and become sources of metal pollution. Phytostabilization of the mine spoils could limit the spread of these heavy metals. Phytostabilization can be enhanced by using soil amendments like manure-based biochar capable of immobilizing metal(loid)s when combined with plant species that are tolerant of high levels of contaminants while simultaneously improving properties of mine soils. However, the use of manure-based biochar and other organic amendments for mine spoil remediation are still unclear. In this greenhouse study, we evaluated the interactive effect of biochar application and compost on shoots biomass yield (SBY), roots biomass yield (RBY), uptake, and bioconcentration factor (BCF) of Zn and Cd in corn (Zea mays L.) grown in mine soil. Biochar sources (BS) consisted of beef cattle manure (BCM); poultry litter (PL); and lodge pole pine (LPP) were applied at 0, 2.5, and 5.0% (w/w) in combination with different rates (0, 2.5, and 5.0%, w/w) of cattle manure compost (CMC), respectively. Shoots and roots uptake of Cd and Zn were significantly affected by BS, CMC, and the interaction of BS and CMC. Corn plants that received 2.5% PL and 2.5% BCM had the greatest Cd and Zn shoot uptake, respectively. Corn plants with 5% BCM had the greatest Cd and Zn root uptake. When averaged across BS, the greatest BCF for Cd in the shoot of 92.3 was from the application BCM and the least BCF was from the application of PL (72.8). Our results suggest that incorporation of biochar enhanced phytostabilization of Cd and Zn with concentrations of water-soluble Cd and Zn lowest in soils amended with both manure-based biochars while improving biomass productivity of corn. Overall, phytostabilization technique and biochar application have the potential to be combined in the remediation of heavy metals polluted soils.

Our research assesses the effects of four forest species, namely Swietenia macrophylla King, Swietenia mahogany (L.) Jack., Pinus occidentalis Swartz, and Pinus caribaea Morelet var. Caribaea, on organic carbon (OC) dynamics and carbon dioxide equivalent balance (BCO2 Eq.) in the soils beneath these species. Reforestation projects in the study region cover 1,200, 543, 770, and 1,152 hectares, with these four species, respectively, being the most relevant species in reforestation projects within the country. To determine the BCO2 Eq. per unit area, we compared the greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes of carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O) with the OC reserves found in the mineral soil to a depth of 30 cm and in the forest litter. For 18 months, we conducted field measurements in sixteen stands, four for each species. Our results indicate that S. macrophylla absorbed the highest amount of CO2, while S. mahogany released the highest amount into the atmosphere. BCO2 Eq. from S. macrophylla soils was -23.19 metric tons of CO2 Eq. ha-1 year-1, while for P. occidentalis, S. mahogany, and P. caribaea, the corresponding quantities were -3.838, -2.299, and +0.982, respectively. During the measurement period, soils under S. macrophylla, P. occidentalis, and P. caribaea were net sinks of CO2 Eq., while soils under S. mahogany behaved as a source. The absorption rate of CO2 Eq. from the atmosphere was approximately 6, 10, and 24 times higher in S. macrophylla when compared to the respective rates of P. occidentalis, P. caribaea, and S. mahagony.

A mathematical model that comprehensively captures the real behavior of riverbed deformation, encompassing all pertinent effects, is developed. The underwater slope reformation process, with the generatrix aligned along the flow velocity in the model, is considered. A numerical model is introduced to calculate the flow involving a deformable bottom, and the model's validation is established through rigorous analysis of experimental findings. The research firmly confirms the suitability of the proposed mathematical and numerical model for describing deformations in uneven and unsteady river flows, including the movement of dredging slots and channel quarries. The model's minimal equation count and reliance on empirical constants demonstrate the model's efficiency. The model's predictions align strongly with experimental data, although optimal values of empirical coefficients vary slightly across different experiments. Hence, there is a call for further investigation to derive more universally applicable closure relationships for the model. The importance of validating the model with reliable field data and its potential extension to accommodate hydraulically diverse soils is emphasized. Such an extension is feasible due to the concentration transfer equation, enabling independent calculations for particle fractions of varying sizes as long as the total particle concentration in the stream remains within reasonable limits. This dedicated research contributes significantly to understanding riverbed deformations and advancing accurate modeling and management of riverine environments.

In this study, we made an estimate of the carbon and nitrogen content in the undisturbed terrestrial ecosystems in the northern taiga zone of Russia’s Murmansk region. The goal of this study was to examine the carbon and nitrogen dynamics in atmospheric fallout, assimilating organs of coniferous trees (Picea obovata and Pinus sylvestris), needle litter, soils, and soil water. The objects of our re-search were the most common dwarf shrub-green moss spruce forests and lichen-dwarf shrub pine forests of the boreal zone. The study was carried out on permanent plots between 1999 and 2020. Long-term dynamics of carbon concentrations in snow demonstrated a trend towards increasing carbon concentrations in forested and treeless areas of Murmansk region. It was shown that in representative spruce and pine forests, the concentrations and atmospheric fallout of carbon compounds and carbon leaching with soil water were higher below the tree crowns, compared to between the crowns. In soil water, a decrease was found in carbon leaching with the soil profile depth. For soils, the highest carbon concentrations were found in the organic and illuvial soil ho-rizons. The main soil sinks of carbon and nitrogen in northern taiga forests were found to be located in the organic soil horizon below the crowns. In northern taiga forests, the carbon content of living Picea obovata and Pinus sylvestris needles and Pinus sylvestris needle litter had minor variability; no significant interbiogeocoenotic and age differences were found. We found that the nitrogen content in brown needles and needle litter was significantly lower compared to photosynthetically active needles.

Vachellia nilotica (L.) Willd. Ex Del. is multipurpose leguminous tree which is common in grass-land and savanna ecosystems in southern and eastern Africa. These ecosystem soils are reported to be acidic and nutrient limited, specifically with regards to nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P). The presence of this plant in these terrestrial ecosystems improves soil fertility benefiting the sur-rounding vegetation due to its ability fix atmospheric N. This study seeks to understand the mi-crobial symbiosis and physiological adaptations of V. nilotica in these acidic and nutrient defi-cient KZN soils. The soils used for this study were collected from the Ukulinga Grassland Nutri-ent Experiment located at the Ukulinga research farm of the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pie-termaritzburg, South Africa. Due to long-term soil nutrient addition treatments, these soils of-fered a diverse nutrient variation for better understanding the effects of acidity and nutrient var-iation on microbial symbiosis, plant nutrition and biomass accumulation of V. nilotica. V. nilotica was able to maintain growth by relying on both atmospheric and soil derived N across all treat-ments decreasing carbon (C) growth costs. There was an increased reliance on atmospheric de-rived N of un-nodulated high N treated plants. The plants grown in high N+P soils were able to nodulate with various species from the Mesorhizobium genus which resulted in an increased bio-mass compared to other plants. The results of this study show that V. nilotica can alter N sources to reduce C growth costs. Also, free-living N2 fixing bacteria play an important role under P deficient conditions.

The Suspended soils (which are also called canopy soil), associated with epiphytic plants in tropical forest canopies, have a very special type of biological cycle, morphological organization and ecological functional role. To date, only some features of these soils have been described for certain sectors of the tropics, in particular Southeast Asia. It was studies out whether the chemical composition and hydrological parameters depend significantly on the genesis of suspended soil, or they represent a single soil phenomenon with a certain supposed ecosystem function. Suspended soils are characterized by average values of hygroscopic moisture comparable with mineral soils. At the same time the maximum water holding capacity and field moisture capacity reaches hundreds and even thousands of percent which cannot but lead to mesophilization of the microclimate of the near-stem environments. In any case suspended soils are characterized by 4-10 higher values of hydrologic properties than mineral terrestrial soils of the same landscapes. The carbon content in suspended soil materials varied widely and was comparable with that of tropical forest litter and boreal peatlands . At the same time, tropical suspended soils are characterized by very low nitrogen content, which is reflected in very high carbon-to-nitrogen ratios. Such a values are typical of peats and forest litter and indicates a very low degree of humification of organic matter. Soil pH values tends to the acidic, and more often very acidic range. This corresponds well to the low content of labile forms of calcium and magnesium and corresponds to the oligotrophy of the soils. The content of mobile forms of phosphorus, potassium and ammonium nitrogen is extremely high in suspended soils. The high content of nutrients in tropical suspended soils is enormously high compared to forest soils of other climatic zones and should be noted as their most important attributive characteristic. Taking into account the high accumulative-sorption capacity of suspended soils, the low content of heavy metals in them indicates the absence of modern aerotechnogenic pollution of all the studied ecosystems. Thus, we are talking about a certain deficiency of heavy metals in the eluvial ecosystem of the tropical rain forest. This once again confirms the hypothesis that the essence of epiphytic soil formation was and is that the biotic cycle breaks away from the ground and moves evolutionarily into the middle and upper tiers of the tropical rainforest ecosystem. Tree trunks in this context represent vertically and subhorizontally oriented phase interfaces, similar to parent materials, and epiphytic soils are analogues of peat accumulations with extremely high water-holding capacity, which is of extremely important environmental significance.

Quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) landscapes are valued for their biodiversity, water retention, fire mitigation, aesthetics, and recreation opportunities. Across North America, some aspen populations are experiencing population declines as they face uninhibited ungulate browsing, drought, fire suppression, insects, disease, and inappropriate management. Increased human development and recreational use within aspen landscapes can serve as additive stressors, though there is a dearth of literature examining these elements. At a popular recreational area in Utah, USA, identifying the cause of apparent decline within a larger aspen community is complicated by development upstream and recreation-related activities. We sought to: 1) assess the overall condition of the aspen at the site, 2) understand key variables that influence aspen conditions, and 3) elucidate how aspen fitness varies across the site. We collected data from forty-five plots using established aspen sampling methods, including ungulate presence, tree characteristics, soil chemistry, and environmental descriptors. Results suggest that a combination of higher levels of browsing and elevated soil sodium may be causing premature mortality and limiting aspen recruitment in a portion of the study area. These findings will inform future management at this site, as well as similar recreational forest settings experiencing compound stressors.

The consistently positive Australian economic environment and stable population increase have led to a higher demand for new houses in recent years. Prefabrication is a promising method to help alleviate the issues related to housing shortage and affordability due to reduced material wastage, construction delays due to weather conditions, unexpected costs, shortage in labour and onsite risks. With the advancements in automation and manufacturing methods such as Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DfMA), the quality and precision of prefabricated materials is tightly controlled, and the fabrication and assembly period are reduced. However, the full potential of prefabricated construction is yet to be realised in part due to most of developments being focused on its superstructure. A review of the current available options suitable for houses is necessary to understand the present state of the residential footing industry, which will help evaluate the necessary innovations for the growth of the Australian construction industry considering the local reactive soil conditions. This paper presents a summary of existing footing systems and potential prefabricated footing solutions for low-rise residential structures with one storey to two storeys. This paper also reviews the benefits and challenges of designing, manufacturing, transporting, handling and installing of prefabricated footings on site, which have great influence on the acceptance of these innovative footing systems.

Byers Peninsula (62°34’-62°40’S-60°54’61°13’W), 60 km2 in size, is considered one of the largest ice-free areas in Antarctica. Since 2006, the Spanish Polar Program has taken part in a large number of environmental studies involving effects of climate changes, limnology and microbiology, live cycles, but not albedo. Surface albedo is one of the key physical parameters in the surface energy budget of polar regions. Most of Antarctica is covered by ice sheets; only about 0.44% of the area is permanently ice-free. However, in maritime Antarctica, the ice-free areas, corresponding to small islands, peninsulas, and coastal beaches, account for about 3% of the territory. To incorporate the contribution of these areas into global albedo models, it is necessary to relate the soil properties of the ice-free areas to the surface albedo response. Also, mapping soil properties and albedo have and special interest in these ice-free areas. Image classification using machine learning methods trained with georeferenced soil data could be useful for mapping soil properties and albedo in multispectral optical satellite images. A shallow neural network implemented using the Keras Python module was used to define and train models of soil properties using 15 explanatory variables corresponding to bands and spectral indices of a Sentinel image and a population of 49 soil samples taken from the top 5 centimeters of the soil profile. The soil samples were analyzed in the laboratory and a spectral library in the Vis-Nir range (350-2500 nm) was created. The albedo of the samples was integrated from the ADS spectra. At the same time, a linear regression model of albedo using the soil properties as explanatory variables was performed. The R2 fit of this new model was about 0.82 and the error of estimation was 4.1. The model was extended to the entire Byers Peninsula using the ML soil property models as explanatory variables. The RMSE of the extended models increased up to 8.2. We think that the main cause of this increase (2.6 points) is related to the error propagation, phenomenon due to the use of models as explanatory variables. However, another important part of the error increase could be due, among other reasons, to the use of an image that, although corrected, is not completely free of clouds.

The traditional bored pile technology has some arduous problems, such as the sediment at the pile tip, the mud skin along the pile shaft, and the stress release due to borehole construction. The post-grouted technology at the pile tip of bored pile has emerged because of demand. The grouting migration height (GMH) is of great significance to the strengthen and reinforcement of the pile foundation. This paper derives the calculation formula of the GMH based on the theory of the column hole expansion and Herschel-Bulkley model. The influence of relevant parameters on the GMH is discussed. Aiming at the problem of the grouting migration along the pile shaft in layered soils, the iterative calculation method of the GMH is proposed. The correctness of the GMH is verified by an engineering case, which can guide the engineering practice. The result shows that the GMH increases with the increase of the grouting pressure, the pile diameter and the thickness of the mud skin, and the grouting pressure is positively correlated with the GMH. The GMH decreases with the increase of the buried depth, the consistency coefficient and the rheological index. On this basis, the correctness of the GMH is verified by an engineering case.

Soil contamination with petroleum hydrocarbons (PHCs) has become a global concern in the word due to intensification of industrial activities. This creates a serious environmental issue, therefore there is a need to find solutions, including application of efficient remediation technologies, or to improve current techniques. Rhizoremediation is a sub-category of the phytoremediation which refers to Phytomanagement that uses plants and their associated microbiota. These green technologies have received a global attention as a cost-effective and possible efficient remediation technique that can be applied to cleanup PHCs-polluted soils. The mechanism of rhizoremediation process is that plant roots stimulate soil microbes to mineralize organic contaminants to H2O and CO2. However, this multipartite interaction is much complex because many biotic and abiotic factors can influence microbial processes in the soil, making the efficiency of rhizoremediation unpredictable. This review reports the progress made on rhizoremediation approaches that can overcome the limitations and improve the efficiency of PHCs-contaminated soils. The addressed approaches in this review include: 1) selecting plants with desired characteristics suitable for rhizoremediation, 2) the exploitation and manipulation of plant microbiome by using inoculant containing plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) or hydrocarbon-degrading microbes, or a combination of both types of organisms, and 3) enhancement of the understanding of how host-plant assembles a beneficial microbiome, and how it functions, under pollutant stress.

rdinary people and political leaders must know the sources of greenhouse gas emissions and their effect on global climate change before they have ability to make decisions to reduce emissions and increase sinks of these gases. These people must, however, understand where greenhouse gas emissions are formed and how reductions can be made: they must understand where carbon dioxide sinks are and how to preserve or increase these sinks. North Savo is the example used in this work to describe the present emissions and sinks. There are proposals on what should and could be done to reduce greenhouse gas emissions caused by traffic, heating, forests and agriculture. There are possibilities of reducing emissions of greenhouse gases in traffic and heating in spite of the fact that the province has a low population density with long distances between homes and workplaces and schools, and a cold climate. We believe that research will also find solutions for reducing greenhouse gases and protecting waters, which are used for recreational purposes and for raw water of drinking water in many places. Luckily forests cover large areas of North Savo and their growth is an important carbon dioxide sink. In addition, forest soils serve as a valuable storage of carbon. Besides carbon dioxide emissions, emissions of nitrous oxide and methane must also be considered since they are more potent greenhouse gases than carbon dioxide and land use can thus influence these gas emissions.

The problem of land degradation has become a global issue. It is primarily caused by direct destruction of the natural ecosystems, irrational use and depletion of the land resources, and the growing agro-technogenic load on soils. The current state of sloped agricultural landscapes is characterized by a significant increase in the area of soils with varying degrees of erosion that require the development of scientifically based measures to protect against the erosion processes for the purpose of their further environmentally safe use, taking into account the requirements of sustainable development of the land use and farming systems, and the agricultural sphere, as a whole. There has been obtained and summarized modern scientific information on the development of adaptive-ecological and organizational-economic measures for the conservation (establishment) of erosion-degraded and low-productivity soils of arable sloped lands through the environmentally sound use of agricultural lands, the development and implementation of a soil-protective adaptive-landscape farming system. Contemporary scientific research has been carried out by means of field route studies and land inventory to determine the geomorphological and soil characteristics of the studied polygons, taking into account the basic principles of application in the geospatial analysis and practical use in the landscape studies by means of the Auto CAD computer program, the boundaries of the polygons - watersheds on raster topographic maps being determined, digitized in the local coordinate system (SK-63). The research methodology included the collection and analysis of cartographic and field experimental materials to determine the geoecological situation of the formation and manifestation of spatio-temporal erosion-hydrological processes in the area studied, conducting scientific research to study the erosion and washout of soils in the key areas, agricultural landscape polygons, determining the influence of natural and anthropogenic factors upon the estimated intensity of the erosion processes, and office processing of the results, obtained in the field. The reliability and validity of the results are confirmed by the large volume of data obtained and their statistical processing, based on the software: Office 2016, "Statistika 13", "Statgraphics 19" and "MapInfo Pro v12.5.5". It has been established that the introduction of a set of measures for the conservation of the degraded lands of the sloped agro-landscape systems by stopping intensive economic activity with subsequent use of the land plots as hayfields and pastures, ensured a significant reduction in soil loss due to erosion, while the soil loss on heavily and moderately eroded soils of the studied sites amounted to 2.38-4.19 t ha-1, which differs slightly from the maximum permissible standard indicators of soil loss for the heavily and moderately eroded soils. The main characteristics of the agrochemical, agrophysical and other properties of the washed-out chernozems have stabilized during the conservation period. At the same time, the humus content in the cultivated soil layer has increased to 3.85%, the optimal values are characterized by the soil acidity pH 7.1 - 7.3 (close to neutral). Attention has been focused on the specifics of the land conservation by excluding it from economic circulation with its subsequent use as pasture and hay lands.

This paper deals with the environmental characterization of a large and densely populated area, with a poor reputation for contamination, considering the contribution of environmental features (air, soil, soil hydraulic and groundwater) and the potential effects on human health. The use of Geographic Information System (GIS) has made possible a georeferenced inventory and, by overlaying environmental information, an operational synthesis of comprehensive environmental conditions. The cumulative effects on environmental features were evaluated, taking into account superposition effects, by means of the spatial multicriteria decision analysis (S-MCDA). The application of the S-MCDA for converging the combination of heterogeneous factors, related to soil, land and water, deeply studied by heterogeneous groups of experts, constitutes the novelty of the paper. The results confirmed an overall higher potential of exposure to contaminants in the environment and higher mortality rates in the study area for some tumours, but hospital admissions for tumours were generally similar to the regional trend. Besides, mortality data may be strictly dependent on the poor socioeconomic conditions, quality of therapy and a lack of welfare in the area relative to the rest of Italy. Finally, as regards the possible relationship between presence of contaminants in the environment and health conditions of the population no definite conclusions can be drawn, although the present study encourages the use of the new proposed methods, that increase the possibilities for studying the combined effect of more environmental factors.

This paper reviews numerical methods used to simulate desiccation cracks in clayey soils. It examines five numerical approaches: Finite Element (FEM), Lattice Boltzmann (LBM), Discrete Element (DEM), Cellular Automaton (CAM), and Phase Field (PFM) Methods. The FEM is widely used to capture moisture diffusion, shrinkage, and cracking during drying. LBM is used to simulate fluid flow in clayey soils, while the DEM focuses on capturing the behavior of individual particles and their interactions. CAM simplifies crack evolution with computational efficiency, while PFM provides a continuous representation of crack formation and propagation. The author discusses the complexity of the problem, the continuum mechanics governing and constitutive equations that describe it, and the influence of various factors such as the multiphase nature of soils, heterogeneity, nonlinearities, coupling, scales of analysis, and computational aspects. The review highlights the characteristics, strengths, and limitations of each method. It emphasizes the importance of appropriate method selection for every problem depending on the aim of the analysis. The article concludes by reviewing the integration of multiple numerical methods to enhance the simulation of desiccation cracks in clayey soils.

Heavy metals constitute pollutants particularly common in air, water, and soil. They are present in both urban and rural environments, on land and in marine ecosystems, causing serious environmental problems since they do not degrade easily, remain almost unchanged for long periods, and bioaccumulate. Detection, though especially quantification, is a systematic process as monitoring of their levels needs to be carried out at regular intervals since there is often seasonal variation. The need for rapid and low-cost determination of metals is therefore considerable. In the present study atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS), using a flame or graphite furnace, and square wave anodic stripping voltammetry (SWASV), using a bismuth thin film electrode, a sensitive voltammetric method is being compared and analytically validated. Atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) represents a well-established analytical technique while anodic stripping voltammetry is being criticized for its applicability in complicated sample matrices such as soil samples. This sample-handling challenge is being investigated in the present study. The results show that both methods AAS and ASV were satisfactorily correlated and showed that the concentration of metals is lower than the limit values, but with increasing trend. Therefore, continuous monitoring of metal levels in the urban complex of the city is necessary and a matter of great importance. Regarding Cd, the detection limits of Cd are lower compared to those of AAS when using the graphite furnace, while an overestimation was noted when using flame-AAS in comparison with those found with SWASV. The SWASV method has the advantage of being cheaper and faster, enabling the simultaneous determination of heavy elements across the range of concentrations that these elements can occur in Mediterranean soils. Additionally, we applied a dsDNA-modified electrode which can be used in the speciation analysis of Cu(I) and Cu(II). The changes in the characteristic peaks of guanine and adenine can be applied in the redox speciation analysis of copper in soil which represents an issue of great importance.

Leguminous Inga trees are thought to enhance soil carbon (C) accumulation following reforestation through mostly unknown mechanisms. This study amplified soil DNA using the ITS1F and ITS4 primers for PCR and Illumina MiSeq methods to identify fungal taxa, and traditional C analysis methods to evaluate how planted 4, 8, 11-year-old, Inga punctata trees affected soil fungal community compositions and C utilization patterns compared to old growth I. punctata trees and adjacent unplanted pasture within the same reforestation zone in Monteverde, Costa Rica. Along the tree age gradient the planted I. punctata trees enhanced the tree soil C-capture capacity as indicated by increased levels of soil Biomass-C, Respiration, and efficiency of organic C use (as lower qCO2 values), and development of increasingly more abundant, stable and successionally developed fungal communities, including those associated with decomposition of complex organic C compounds. The level and strength of differences coincided with differences in time of separation between the pasture and tree age or between the different tree ages. Fungal taxa were also identified as potential indicators of early and late stages of soil recovery. Thus, planting I. punctata should be part of future reforestation strategies used in this region of Costa Rica.