Search Results (50)

Optimizing Ecological security patterns (ESPs) is critical for advancing territorial spatial restoration and fostering sustainable regional development. While research on ESPs’ construction has grown significantly, key challenges persist, particularly in the accurate identification of priority conservation areas and the integration of socioeconomic development with ecological conservation. To address these challenges, this study selects Jiangsu Province as a representative case. We move beyond single-factor assessments by combining ecosystem service importance evaluation with a multi-factor ecological sensitivity analysis (including water pollution, soil erosion, air pollution, and anthropogenic pressure). A comprehensive ecological resistance surface is then developed, incorporating both natural and anthropogenic disturbance factors, to evaluate spatial patterns of ecological security. Utilizing the Minimum Cumulative Resistance (MCR) model, we delineate ecological corridors and ultimately construct the ESPs by synthesizing ecological sources and corridors. Key results include: Jiangsu’s ESPs comprises 33 ecological patches (total area: 14,622.46 km², 13.71% of the study region), predominantly composed of water bodies, wetlands, and cultivated land. Thirteen ecological corridors (total length: 1920.38 km) primarily traverse cultivated land, construction land, and water bodies. The optimized ESPs strategy termed “Two Cores, Two Barriers, Three Belts, Multiple Corridors” offers a concrete spatial blueprint. The findings provide effective scientific reference for assessing and managing regional ecological security trends. Full article

Although significant progress has been made in the conservation of Père David’s deer (Elaphurus davidianus) populations, rapid population growth in coastal wetlands has caused severe habitat degradation. This highlights the urgent challenge of balancing ungulate population dynamics with wetland restoration efforts, particularly considering the limited data available on post-disturbance ecosystem recovery in these environments. In this study, we evaluated soil quality and bacterial community dynamics at an abandoned feeding site and a nearby control site within the Dafeng Milu National Nature Reserve during 2020–2021. The goal was to provide a theoretical basis for the ecological restoration of Père David’s deer habitat in coastal wetlands. The main findings are as follows: among the measured indicators, bulk density (BD), soil water content (SWC), sodium (Na⁺), total carbon (TC), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), available potassium (AK), microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN), and the Chao index were selected to form the minimum data set (MDS) for calculating the soil quality index (SQI), effectively reflecting the actual condition of soil quality. Overall, the SQI at the feeding site was lower than that of the control site. Based on the composition of bacterial communities and the functional prediction analysis of bacterial communities in the FAPROTAX database, it is shown that feeding sites are experiencing sustained soil carbon loss, which is clearly caused by the gathering of Père David’s deer. Co-occurring network analyses demonstrated the structure of the bacterial community at the feeding site was decomplexed, and with a lower intensity than the control. In RDA, Na⁺ is the main soil property that affects bacterial communities. These findings suggest that the control of soil salinity is a primary consideration in the development of Père David’s deer habitat restoration programmes, followed by addressing nitrogen supplementation and carbon sequestration. Full article

Land reclamation is crucial for restoring ecosystems in mining areas, improving land use efficiency, and promoting sustainable regional development. Traditional single-indicator assessments fail to capture the full complexity of reclamation, highlighting the need for a more comprehensive evaluation approach. This study combines field-measured and remote sensing data to develop multiple evaluation indices, creating a comprehensive framework to assess reclamation effectiveness. A soil quality index based on the Minimum Data Set (SQI_MDS) was developed to analyze spatial variations in soil quality, efficiently capturing key soil attributes. Remote sensing data were used to calculate the Dump Reclamation Disturbance Index (DRDI) and the Enhanced Coal Dust Index (E_CDI) to evaluate vegetation recovery and ecological improvements. The Comprehensive Evaluation Quality Index (CEQI) was introduced, synthesizing soil, vegetation, and ecological conditions for a holistic assessment. Key findings include significant soil quality improvement over time, with MDS effectively capturing variations; vegetation recovery increased with reclamation duration, though regional disparities were observed; ecological conditions steadily improved, as evidenced by a decline in ECDI values and reduced contamination; and the CEQI reflected overall improvements in reclamation effectiveness. This study offers a practical framework for coal mining land reclamation, providing scientific support for decision-making and guiding effective reclamation strategies for ecological restoration and sustainable land management. Full article

The sugarcane cultivation has used heavy machinery on a large scale, which causes soil compaction. The minimum tillage has been used to reduce the traffic of machines on the crop, but there is a lack of appropriate tools for the implementation of this technique, especially in sugarcane areas. The University of Campinas—UNICAMP developed a conservation soil tillage tool called “Rotary paraplow”, the idea was to join the concepts of a vertical milling cutter with the paraplow, which is a tool for subsoiling without inversion of soil. The rotary paraplow is a conservationist tillage because it mobilizes only the planting line with little disturbance of the soil surface and does the tillage with the straw in the area. These conditions make this study pioneering in nature, by proposing an equipment developed to address these issues as an innovation in the agricultural machinery market. We sought to evaluate soil tillage using rotary paraplow and compare it with conventional tillage, regarding soil physical properties and yield. The experiment was conducted in an Oxisol in the city of Jaguariuna, Brazil. The comparison was made between the soil physical properties: soil bulk density, porosity, macroporosity, microporosity and penetration resistance. At the end, a biometric evaluation of the crop was carried out in both areas. The soil properties showed few statistically significant variations, and the production showed no statistical difference. The rotary paraplow proved to be an applicable tool in the cultivation of sugarcane and has the advantage of being an invention adapted to Brazilian soils, bringing a new form of minimal tillage to areas of sugarcane with less tilling on the soil surface, in addition to reducing machine traffic. Full article

Current deep excavation applications, which pose risks for constructing high-rise buildings and infrastructures, are increasing. Therefore, the increasing urbanization, underground infrastructure requirements, and time and cost constraints in construction projects have led to a growing demand for rapid, economical, and safe deep excavation designs. Although numerical modeling tools enable rapid analyses, the reliability of soil engineering parameters remains a challenge due to natural variability, sample disturbances, and differences between laboratory and field test conditions. In this study, PLAXIS 2D (Version 24) was used to model a deep excavation, allowing for the assessment of soil–structure interaction and excavation-induced deformations. The objectives are to compare field data with the numerical model and identify which soil parameters are critical for excavation. Through the sensitivity analysis, the study highlighted that the variations in shear strength parameters, such as cohesion and internal friction angle, are crucial and shall be precisely determined. The performed analyses revealed that even minor changes in the internal friction angle can dramatically impact displacements by doubling them and highlight the significant disparity between the minimum and maximum margins. The numerical analysis underscores the need for precise parameter measurement and careful analysis to achieve reliable results and ensure safer, more effective designs. The comparison of numerical results with field measurements confirmed the model’s accuracy. Full article

The alpine marsh wetlands in the Qilian Mountains of Qinghai (QMQ) are under constant threat from the effects of climate change and human activities. Identifying the key ecological protection areas (KEPAs) of marsh wetlands is the prerequisite for formulating protection strategies and executing spatial planning programs. The current study developed a novel method to identify the KEPAs of marsh wetlands by following the ecosystem pattern–characteristics–functions (EPCFs) combined method and the ecological source–ecological corridor–ecological node research paradigm. More specifically, an evaluation system for ecological resistance was constructed by integrating the drivers of EPCFs in the marsh wetlands. Additionally, the marsh wetland degradation disturbances were analyzed through the drivers of EPCFs incorporated with a field survey. The findings indicated the following: (1) The marsh wetlands had a total water yield of approximately 3.96 × 10⁸ m³. The soil conservation rate and habitat quality per unit area were calculated to be 52.92 t·hm⁻²·a⁻¹ and 0.992, respectively, with higher values observed on the southern bank and lower values on the northern bank of the river in the QMQ. (2) The KEPAs for the marsh wetlands covered a total extent of 996.53 km² in the QMQ, encompassing 40 ecological sources, 39 ecological corridors, and 40 ecological nodes, predominantly located in the river source regions. (3) The KEPAs were restructured into an ecological framework comprising two ecological axes, four ecological belts, four ecological cores, and multiple nodes in the QMQ. In response to the factors contributing to the degradation of marsh wetlands, adaptive measures including prioritizing natural restoration, modifying grazing strategies, executing ecological restoration projects as a minimum, and designating protected areas have been recommended. This research could contribute to enhancing the efficiency of regional territorial planning and offer a theoretical foundation for improving the ecological protection framework of regional marsh wetlands. Full article

Recurrent wildfires can negatively affect soil quality, and post-fire soil quality recovery is critical for maintaining sustainable ecosystem development. The objective of this study was to evaluate the changes and recovery of soil properties and soil quality in the forests of dry/warm river valleys in southwest China after disturbance by high-severity fires. In this study, the impact of fire on soil properties and soil quality was investigated for three years post-fire. Unburned forest land with a similar natural environment compared to the fire area was used as a control. Soil samples were collected from three different depths of 0–10 cm, 10–20 cm, and 20–30 cm, respectively. Principal component analysis (PCA) combined with the Norm value was used to select the minimum data set (MDS), thus calculating the soil quality index (SQI). The results showed that the soil properties changed significantly after high-severity fires. On average, soil bulk density (0.91 g/cm³, p = 0.001), total nitrogen (0.12 g/kg, p = 0.000), total phosphorus (0.10 g/kg, p = 0.000), and total potassium (5.55 g/kg, p = 0.000) were significantly lower in the burned areas than in the unburned areas at the first sampling. These indicators increased in the following three years but still did not recover to unburned levels. Compared with the above indicators, soil porosity and organic matter increased post-fire, but gradually decreased over time. Soil clay, geometric mean diameter, and total potassium were included in the MDS. The SQI was ranked as unburned > 3 years > 2 years > 1 year > 6 months. The SQI was significantly (p = 0.001) reduced six months post-fire by an average of 36%, and, after three years of recovery, the soil quality of the post-fire areas could be restored to 81% of soil in unburned areas. Apparently, high-severity fires caused changes in soil properties, thereby significantly decreasing soil quality. Soil quality gradually improved with increasing restoration time. However, the complete recovery of soil quality post-fire in forest land in the dry/warm river valley will take a longer time. Full article

Intensive agricultural practices lead to a deterioration in soil quality, causing a decline in farm productivity and quality, and disturbing the ecosystem balance in command areas. To achieve sustainable production and implement effective soil management strategies, understanding the state and spatial variability of soil quality is essential. The study aims to enhance the understanding of soil quality variability and provide actionable insights for sustainable soil management. In this regard, principal component analysis (PCA) and digital soil mapping were used to assess and map the spatial variability of the soil quality index (SQI) in the Cauvery command area, Mandya district, Karnataka, India. A total of 145 georeferenced soil samples were drawn at 0–15 cm depth and analyzed for physico-chemical properties. PCA was used to reduce the dataset into a minimum dataset as eight important soil indicators and to determine relative weightage factors, which were used for assessing SQI with linear and non-linear scoring methods. For spatial assessment of SQI, the random forest algorithm with environmental covariates was used to map eight soil indicators selected in the minimum dataset. The soil property maps were subjected to linear and non-linear scoring, followed by multiplying with corresponding weightage factors and summation to produce SQI maps. Results reveal that values of SQI calculated using linear scoring, range from 0.10 to 0.64, with a mean of 0.39, while non-linear scoring exhibits a wider range of 0.12 to 0.78 and a mean of 0.48. With a slight higher sensitivity index of 6.5, non-linear scoring proved to be the better scoring method compared to linear scoring. Spatial assessment shows that the R² and LCC between the calculated and predicted SQI were higher for non-linear scoring (0.66 and 0.66) compared to linear scoring (0.60 and 0.65). The SQI maps reveal high spatial variability with more than 40 percent of soils classified as moderate-to-low index. The soils with low SQI were distributed in eastern parts, whereas western parts exhibited high-to-very-high soil quality. To achieve production goals and improve soil quality in the eastern region, sustainable soil and crop management strategies must be developed, and their effects on soil quality should be assessed. Full article

Rocky desertification is a devastating process in Karst areas of Southwest China and induces serious fragmentation in ecosystems. Therefore, vegetation restoration and the scientific evaluation of soil quality are key restorative strategies in these areas. In this study, a natural closed forest and a disturbed forest with three restoration models, including an evergreen broad-leaved forest, mixed forest, and deciduous forest, were investigated in Huanjiang County. More than nineteen soil properties (including physical, chemical, and biotic properties) were analyzed across treatments, and principal component analyses (PCA) were combined with a minimum data set (MDS) applied to evaluate the soil quality. Our study sought to identify a vegetation restoration model to improve the soil quality in this area. We demonstrated that soil physical and chemical properties, microbial biomass, and enzyme activities significantly differed across all of the models. Soil water content, capillary porosity, total porosity, organic carbon, total phosphorus, available phosphorus, and urease activity were high in the mixed forest, leading to better physical soil properties. Also, relatively high soil total nitrogen, total potassium, available nitrogen, available potassium, microbial biomass C and N, catalase, sucrose, and alkaline phosphatase levels were observed in the deciduous broad-leaved forest, resulting in improved soil chemical properties. Based on the minimum data set (MDS) method, six indicators, including non-capillary porosity, organic carbon, total phosphorus, pH, microbial biomass nitrogen, and urease activity, were selected to evaluate the soil quality across the models. Our data showed that, among the five models, the deciduous broad-leaved forest had the highest soil quality index (0.618), followed by the mixed forest (0.593). Stepwise regression analysis showed that soil organic carbon explained 79.9% of the variations in the soil quality indices, suggesting it was a major factor affecting the soil quality. Thus, vegetation restoration models mainly comprised of native tree species effectively improved the soil quality in Karst rocky desertification areas, with deciduous broad-leaved forests displaying the best effects, followed by mixed forests. Full article

Agriculture is a sector of great importance for Mexico’s economy, generating employment and contributing significantly to the country’s gross domestic product. The Bajio stands out as one of the most productive agricultural regions in Mexico. However, intensive agricultural practices in this area have caused a progressive deterioration and loss of soil fertility. This study focused on evaluating the quality of soils used for agriculture in the Bajio region of the State of Guanajuato, Mexico. This evaluation, utilised soil quality indexes (SQIs) based on a total of 27 physicochemical, biological and enzymatic indicators. These indicators were selected by means of a principal component analysis (PCA), which allowed for the identification of a minimum set of data. The SQIs developed in this study categorised soils into different quality levels, ranging from low to high, mainly based on the values observed in the biological indicators (SMR and qCO₂), which comprised the established SQIs. The inclusion of these biological indicators provides the developed SQIs with greater sensitivity to detect minor disturbances in agricultural soils due to human activity, compared with SQIs consisting only of physicochemical indicators. The developed SQIs can be used to ensure high-quality food production in soils used for corn cultivation under similar conditions, both nationally and internationally. Full article

The tillage method determines several soil physical parameters that affect the emergence of post-rice chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) in the Indo-Gangetic Plain of South Asia. Mechanised row-sowing with minimum soil disturbance and crop residue retention in medium-to-heavy-textured soils will alter the seedbed when compared to that prepared after traditional full tillage and broadcast sowing. Whilst minimum soil disturbance and timely sowing may alleviate the soil water constraint to crop establishment, other soil physical properties such as soil strength, bulk density, and aggregate size may still inhibit seedling emergence and root elongation. This study’s objective was to determine the limitations to chickpea crop establishment with increasing bulk density and soil strength, and different aggregate sizes below and above the seed. In two growth cabinet studies, chickpea seed was sown in clay soil with (i) a bulk density range of 1.3–1.9 Mg m⁻³ (Experiment 1) and (ii) the combination of bulk densities (1.3 and 1.8 Mg m⁻³) and aggregate sizes (<2 mm and >4 mm) above and below the seed (Experiment 2). Root length was significantly reduced with increasing bulk density (>1.4 Mg m⁻³), and soil strength impeded early root growth at >1 MPa. Where main root growth was impeded due to high bulk density and soil strength, a greater proportion of total root growth was associated with the elongation of lateral roots. The present study suggests that the soil above the seed needs to be loosely compacted (<1.3 Mg m⁻³) for seedling emergence to occur. Further research is needed to determine the size of the soil aggregates, which optimise germination and emergence. We conclude that soil strength values typical of field conditions in the Indo-Gangetic Plain at sowing will impede the root growth of chickpea seedlings. This effect can be minimised by changing tillage operations to produce seedbed conditions that are within the limiting thresholds of bulk density and soil strength. Full article

Conservation of endangered plant species in their indigenous regions is of crucial importance, especially for those grown in semi-arid regions. The objectives of this study were to explore the Nazareth iris’s (Iris bismarckiana) natural habitat and identify new suitable sites to initiate a reintroduction program of this endangered plant species in a semi-arid environment. The study was conducted in Dibbeen Forest Reserve, Jordan, where six zones inside the reserve [A–F] were assessed in addition to zone G outside the reserve borders that represents the area where I. bismarckiana still exists. Habitat selection variables (topography, soil physical and chemical properties, climatic data, and potential risks and benefits) from all zones within the reserve were cross matched with that of zone G. The results showed that climatic data of all selected sites were suitable for reintroduction; all sites are open to direct sunlight most of the day. The minimum soil depth was greater than 40 cm in all zones, while soil respiration level revealed that zone A (a recreation site) was below the recommended thresholds. The percentage of stone volume (>2 mm) in the soil profile was high in zones D and F. Zones E, C, and F were extremely steep (>40 degrees), which undermined their potential to be suitable habitats. All sites are susceptible to high human disturbance risk except zone B, which is protected and under continuous surveillance by the Reserve Botanist. Considering all measured suitability indicators, including slope degree suitability (<25), soil respiration (57–77 mg kg⁻¹), soil stone percentage value (8.3%), tree canopy cover (open area), and human disturbance potential (low risk), zone B holds promise as a suitable site for a I. bismarckiana reintroduction program. Therefore, the initiation of long-term reintroduction programs within this site with timely surveillance is urgently needed to conserve and support such valuable species self-regeneration. Full article

The relevance of the Arctic regions’ study is rapidly increasing due to the sensitive response of fragile ecosystems to climate change and anthropogenic pressure. The microbiome is an important component that determines the soils’ functioning and an indicator of changes occurring in ecosystems. Rybachy Peninsula is the northernmost part of the continental European Russia and is almost completely surrounded by Barents Sea water. For the first time, the microbial communities of the Entic Podzol, Albic Podzol, Rheic Histosol and Folic Histosol as well as anthropogenically disturbed soils (chemical pollution and human impact, growing crops) on the Rybachy Peninsula were characterized using plating and fluorescence microscopy methods, in parallel with the enzymatic activity of soils. The amount and structure of soil microbial biomass, such as the total biomass of fungi and prokaryote, the length and diameter of fungal and actinomycete mycelium, the proportion of spores and mycelium in the fungal biomass, the number of spores and prokaryotic cells, the proportion of small and large fungal spores and their morphology were determined. In the soils of the peninsula, the fungal biomass varied from 0.121 to 0.669 mg/g soil. The biomass of prokaryotes in soils ranged from 9.22 to 55.45 μg/g of soil. Fungi predominated, the proportion of which in the total microbial biomass varied from 78.5 to 97.7%. The number of culturable microfungi ranged from 0.53 to 13.93 × 10³ CFU/g in the topsoil horizons, with a maximum in Entic Podzol and Albic Podzol soils and a minimum in anthropogenically disturbed soil. The number of culturable copiotrophic bacteria varied from 41.8 × 10³ cells/g in a cryogenic spot to 5551.3 × 10³ cells /g in anthropogenically disturbed soils. The number of culturable oligotrophic bacteria ranged from 77.9 to 12,059.6 × 10³ cells/g. Changes in natural soils because of anthropogenic impact and a change in vegetation types have led to a change in the structure of the community of soil microorganisms. Investigated tundra soils had high enzymatic activity in native and anthropogenic conditions. The β-glucosidase and urease activity were comparable or even higher than in the soils of more southern natural zone, and the activity of dehydrogenase was 2–5 times lower. Thus, despite the subarctic climatic conditions, local soils have a significant biological activity upon which the productivity of ecosystems largely depends. The soils of the Rybachy Peninsula have a powerful enzyme pool due to the high adaptive potential of soil microorganisms to the extreme conditions of the Arctic, which allows them to perform their functions even under conditions of anthropogenic interference. Full article

Soil quality, nitrogen, and organic matter content are increasingly being researched due to their impact on the environment. We assessed the effects of different soil management practices on the distribution and accumulation of soil organic carbon (SOC) in a durum wheat–faba bean rotation system cultivated in a Mediterranean-type area of Southern Italy, over six years. The effects of three levels of soil disturbance—conventional tillage (CT), minimum tillage (RT), and no tillage—(NT) on the SOC and nitrogen (N) content at soil depths of 0–15, 15–30, 30–60, and 60–90 cm were compared in a long-term experiment starting in the 2009–2010 growing season. The three soil management systems showed significant differences (p < 0.05) in the surface layer (0–15 cm depth) in SOC content and total nitrogen, with the largest accumulation occurring in the conservation system (NT). In the deep layers (30–60 and 60–90 cm), however, no significant differences were found between the three tillage systems. The ascending order of the tendency to accumulate SOC and N in the soil in the 0–15 cm layer was NT > CT > RT. In addition, the C/N ratio showed a more equilibrated rate in the NT system. The conservation tillage (NT) gave the best results in terms of the physical characteristics of the soil, showing a higher stability index compared to CT and RT. Conservation tillage is therefore recommended for wheat cultivation in the dry areas of Southern Italy, due to its benefits in terms of both crop yield improvements and environmental protection. Full article

This study proposes a method of gradually loading plate load on-site using lever arms to squeeze out pore water from clayey soils, allowing the soil to settle. Several types of tests were conducted, including a conventional field plate load test (CFPLT), a numerical field plate load test (NFPLT) and an innovative field plate load test (IFPLT) proposed in this study. Three trial pits with soils of varied engineering properties were studied using CFPLT, which employed the use of a heavy jack for load application, the NFPLT test using PLAXIS and an IFPLT, which employed a lever arm to magnify the applied static load. Disturbed soil samples collected from these trial pits were tested for index properties while the undisturbed soil samples were tested using the undrained triaxial compression test (UTCT) and laboratory consolidation tests. The results of the index properties classified these three clay soils as silt of low plasticity (ML) for clay from site 1, and clay of low plasticity (CL) for clay from site 2 and 3. The cohesion and angle of internal friction from the UTCT recorded cohesion values were 28, 29 and 37 kN/m² for sites 1, 2 and 3, respectively, while the angle of internal friction values were 13, 8 and 6° for sites 1, 2 and 3, respectively. The plate load testing using the three methods showed similar graph pattern except that the allowable load occurred at approximately 350 kN/m² for the CFPLT and 150 kN/m² for the IFPLT. The high value of bearing capacity in CFPLT is due to the short period of time taken to load from a jack, which allowed the test to be completed within a short period of time. The ultimate bearing capacities computed from the laboratory test have values of 315.0, 231.0 and 270.0 kN/m² for sites 1, 2 and 3, respectively. These values agree closely with the bearing capacities obtained for CFPLT but higher than the values recorded for the IFPLT. This is probably due to the long period of sustained loading during testing, which allowed for dissipation of pore water during each loading. Settlements obtained using the IFPLT were close to 25 mm, which is recommended as minimum settlements for building structures BS 8004, 1986. Full article