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Forests
Special Issues
Soil Chemistry in Forestry and Agroforestry Systems—Heavy Metal Pollution
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Soil Chemistry in Forestry and Agroforestry Systems—Heavy Metal Pollution

A special issue of Forests (ISSN 1999-4907). This special issue belongs to the section "Forest Soil".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2024) | Viewed by 1063

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Hermano Melo Queiroz

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Guest Editor
Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture, University of São Paulo (ESALQ-USP), Av. Pádua Dias 11, Piracicaba 13418-900, SP, Brazil
Interests: heavy metals in soils; soil geochemistry
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Diego Barcellos

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Environmental, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Federal University of São Paulo, Rua São Nicolau, Diadema, SP, Brazil
Interests: soil; soil analysis; environment; soil fertility; fertilizers; water quality
Dr. Gabriel Nuto Nóbrega

E-Mail
Guest Editor
Department of Soil Sciences (DSC), College of Agricultural Sciences, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Brazil
Interests: soil science; soil genesis and classification; biogeochemistry; coastal wetlands

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Forest and agroforestry systems can contribute to addressing many current and future environmental challenges. However, these ecosystems are susceptible to the heavy metal pollution generated by natural causes or human activities, such as land-use change, pesticide use, effluent discharge, and air pollution. This can impact water and soil quality, as well as the ecosystem services provided (e.g., provisioning, regulating, and supporting services). It is crucial to adopt sustainable practices, preservation, restoration, and environmental regulations to protect these ecosystems. Forestry and agroforestry systems encompass a wide range of ecosystems, including forests, woodlands, and integrated tree–crop systems. These ecosystems play a crucial role in environmental sustainability, as they support biodiversity, mitigate climate change, and provide essential resources. However, they are also susceptible to heavy metal pollution, which can originate from various sources such as mining, industrial activities, and agricultural practices. Heavy metals can accumulate in soils, affecting water quality, plant health, and overall ecosystem vitality.

Monitoring, understanding, and mitigating heavy metal pollution in these systems is essential to preserving their ecological functions and ensuring a sustainable future. This includes knowledge regarding sources, fate, interactions in soil phases (organic and inorganic), and remediation practices.

As cutting-edge research, we expect studies encompassing advanced monitoring methodologies, environmental consequences, the major sources and fates of heavy metals, impacts on soil quality, wildlife, and human health, as well as successful cases of ecosystem remediation techniques (e.g., phytoremediation, biodegradation, agromining, conservation policies, etc.). Additionally, these approaches should foster interest in public or private institutions to ensure that decision-makers can benefit from the generated knowledge.

Dr. Hermano Melo Queiroz
Dr. Diego Barcellos
Dr. Gabriel Nuto Nóbrega
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Forests is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • environmental contamination
  • green chemistry
  • soil contamination
  • public policy
  • groundwater contamination
  • trace elements
  • human health
  • environmental geochemistry
  • conservation and restoration
  • remediation techniques
  • phytoremediation
  • tailings
  • waste discharge
  • anthropogenic soils

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 5179 KiB  
Article
Accumulation Pattern and Potential Ecological Risk of Heavy Metals in Topsoil as Affected by Diverse Sources in Different Ecosystems in Western Dabie Mountain
by Tao Yang, Feng Wu, Minxuan Luo, Jiatai Xiong, Xiaoli Nie, Fan Cao, Yunzhao Ruan, Fu Li, Wubiao Huang, Tao Liang and Yujing Yang
Forests 2024, 15(7), 1116; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15071116 - 27 Jun 2024
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Abstract
Soil heavy metal (HM) control has become a pressing global ecological and environmental issue, with a significant focus on the western Dabie Mountain in China, a region that is recognized for its ecological barriers and water sources. We analyzed the concentrations, pollution status, [...] Read more.
Soil heavy metal (HM) control has become a pressing global ecological and environmental issue, with a significant focus on the western Dabie Mountain in China, a region that is recognized for its ecological barriers and water sources. We analyzed the concentrations, pollution status, and potential ecological risks of 10 HMs (i.e., Cu, +Pb, Zn, Cr, Ni, Co, Cd, As, Hg, and Mn) in the topsoil of different ecosystems in this region. The effects of four soil groups (Anthrosol, Fluvisols, Gleysol, and Alisols) and three soil texture types (sandy, clayey, and loamy soils) on the above aspects were also analyzed. Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) models were performed to identify and quantify the potential sources and contribution rates of these HMs. Results showed that the level of HM pollution may be negligible, and there was no potential ecological risk. Of all metals, Pb and Cd exhibited the highest levels of pollution. The potential ecological risk associated with soil HMs decreased from croplands to urban and further to forests. Cu and Co were more likely to accumulate in Anthrosols, while Alisols were more likely to accumulate Pb, Cd, and Hg and had a higher overall potential ecological risk. The overall risk in clayey and loamy soils is both higher than in sandy soils. The HM accumulation in topsoil was closely related to the soil organic matter and clay contents. The potential main sources of HMs in this region can be agricultural activities, soil parent material, mining, industrial activities, and vehicle emissions. These findings suggest that special attention should be paid to soil Pb and Cd in western Dabie Mountain. Future efforts can focus on reducing mining, smelting, and industrial emissions, as well as strengthening the research on the migration patterns and mechanisms of HMs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Chemistry in Forestry and Agroforestry Systems—Heavy Metal Pollution)
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20 pages, 8652 KiB  
Article
Variability of Concentrations of Potentially Toxic Metals in the Topsoil of Urban Forest Parks (Southern Poland)
by Oimahmad Rahmonov, Agnieszka Kowal, Małgorzata Rahmonov and Sławomir Pytel
Forests 2024, 15(6), 1020; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15061020 - 12 Jun 2024
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Abstract
Forest ecosystems and urban parks are an integral part of the natural environment and the natural system of a city, where they form a mosaic of habitats resulting from the variation in soil cover due to human activities. The study was conducted in [...] Read more.
Forest ecosystems and urban parks are an integral part of the natural environment and the natural system of a city, where they form a mosaic of habitats resulting from the variation in soil cover due to human activities. The study was conducted in urban forests in five urban parks in Upper Silesia (southern Poland) and investigated the chemical properties and content of potentially toxic metals (PTMs) in the topsoil, which had an average thickness of 15 cm for all samples. The soil reaction ranged from acidic (pH = 4.7–5.1, in KCl) to slightly acidic (pH = 5.6, to neutral—6.6–7.2) at most sites. The organic carbon (OC) content was relatively high at all sites, ranging from 1.19 to 14.3%, with the highest total nitrogen (Nt) content being 0.481%. The average total phosphorus (Pt) content in the parks ranged from 310 mg kg−1 to 684 mg kg−1, while the highest values were 1840 mg kg−1. The total Cr, Cu, Co and Ni content was within acceptable limits, while the Zn, Pb, Cd, As, Sr and Ba exceeded acceptable standards. In terms of content, Zn dominated the PTMs at each site (Zn > Pb > Ba > Sr > Cu > Cr > As > Ni > Cd > Co), while Ba and Pb alternated in taking second place (Zn > Ba > Pb > Sr > Cu > Cr > Ni > As > Co > Cd). Environmental indicators, such as the geoaccumulation index (Igeo), enrichment factor (EF) and potential ecological risk index (RI), showed that the analyzed soils are highly contaminated with PTMs. Among the sources of pollution in the urban forest are low emissions from coal combustion, industrial activities, water runoff from streets and proximity to transportation routes. Identification of PTM levels in urban parks will provide valuable information on the behavior of these metals, which is important in sustainable development and can help evaluate the local spatial development plans of urbanized areas. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Chemistry in Forestry and Agroforestry Systems—Heavy Metal Pollution)
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