To establish an assessment of floristic and edaphic characteristics of steppe formations we conducted a phytoecological study on a local scale by comparing the current plant diversity and soil in three (3) stations representative of the vegetation to alfa (Stipa tenacissima L.) located south of Saida (western Algeria). The relations between the station, the vegetation and the characteristics of soils in the steppe are very imperfectly known. This study intends to analyze the relationship between floristic composition and edaphic parameters of the steppe at alfa. Anthropogenic pressures on plant structure are different imbalance resulting in one ecological. The floristic and edaphic data have been the subject of a factorial correspondence analysis (A.F.C). The floristic inventory denotes a regressive dynamics of the formations at alfa passing from one site to another. Thus 39 plant species have been inventoried in the site in good condition, against 26 species for the moderately degraded site and 16 species only for the damaged site. The coupled results between species and edaphic parameters show the relations between the plant diversity and the physico-chemical characteristics of the soils. The statistical analyses do appear a strong correlation between floristic composition, the state of vegetation and the edaphic parameters.
Natural disturbances, such as forest fires, cause significant changes in the structure and functioning of semi-arid ecosystems. After such disturbances, the impact on the soil ecosystem in its entirety is misunderstood. In this study, two years after the last fire, changes in the physicochemical and biological properties of Aleppo pine forest soils in the semi-arid zone were observed. Among all physical properties analysed, only the soil moisture remained significantly lower in the burnt zone in contrast to control zone. Considering the chemical properties, the only negatively affected parameter is the rate of organic matter. In terms of biological properties, results showed that the fire caused a significant decrease in soil microorganisms by decreasing basal respiration and microbial biomass. Conversely, the metabolic quotient recorded higher values in the fire zone than in the control zone. These results indicate that microbial communities in semi-arid soils, already stressed by climatic hazards, are very sensitive to the passage of even low-intensity fires.
This study explores how chemical and microbial properties of litters can be affected by coastal environments across the Mediterranean basin. A litterbag experiment including Pinus halepensis Mill. and Pistacia lentiscus L., collected from both inland and coastal areas, was set up in France, Greece and Algeria. Control litterbags were left in their sampling sites and a transfer of litterbags from inland to coastal areas was performed to test whether the effect of the specific constraints of coastal environments varies according to the country and the litter type. After 10 months, litter chemical composition (CP/MAS 13C‐NMR) and microbial activities (cellulase activity, basal respiration, catabolic diversity using Biolog) and community structure (TRFLP) were analysed. Coastal conditions led to various responses: (i) litter aromaticity differed in the coastal zones depending on the country (high in the Greek coastal area, low in the Algerian coastal zone), (ii) fewer functionally diversified microbial communities were found in the Greek coastal area compared to the French and Algerian coasts, (iii) genetic diversity and richness were strongly impacted after transfer to the coastal zone whatever the country. The type of litter shaped microbial communities: (i) at a local scale (i.e., in either coastal or inland areas) catabolic profiles and cellulase activities varied with the plant species, (ii) at a regional scale, the effect of coastal conditions differed with the plant species (basal respiration, Shannon‐Weaver index, catabolic diversity H′, cellulases and catabolic profiles). Thus, litter microbial properties differed in coastal environments across the Mediterranean basin and plant litter type plays a major role in microbial properties at a large spatial scale. Highlights The environmental drivers of litter microbial sensitivity to water potential stress were investigated Litterbag transfers from inland to coastal areas were performed in the Mediterranean. Soil and land system units conform to long‐tail or heavy tail distributions. Microbial diversity of inland litters decreased when exposed to coastal conditions Litter plant species shape microbial functioning even at wide spatial scales. Coastal areas and plant litter drive microbial responses to water potential stress.
Beneficial Autochthonous Microorganisms (BAMs) are a multi-purpose technology that has already been used in Latin America and Southeast Asia but is still unknown in Africa and particularly Algeria. The aim is to examine the effect of BAMs on agricultural soils and olive fields. The study was carried out in two degraded olive fields located in the Oued Tafna basin west of Tlemcen (The Semi-arid region in Western Algeria). The objective is to evaluate the effectiveness of BAMs on the chemical characteristics of the soils, particularly in terms of organic matter (MO), pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total limestone (CaCO3), moisture, organic carbon (C) and olive production and its weight. Statistical analysis (Independent Test) between all groups (treated and controls) showed a significant difference, in conductivity (EC) where we recorded “0.214±0.03μs /cm “ in treated soils vs. “0.198±0.029μs/cm “ in control soils a different statistical significance was recorded for the other parameters, however, it was observed that there is a relative increase in these parameters in the soils of the treated groups such as carbon (C): “2.85±1.06%” organic matter (MO): “4.91± 1.83%”, “pH=7.81±0.225”, “CaCO3 27.76±4.99% and a decrease in humidity “15.11±3.77%” compared to control soils. The results of statistical analyses (Mann-Whitney Test and Suite Test) of olive production showed a clear alternation (every other year) in fruit production in the control group and a positive effect of BAMs on olive production in the treated group, with a slight increase of production (19 kg in 2019 vs. 30 kg in 2020), but without any significant difference regarding the weight of the fruit between the two sessions. However, a highly significant difference “p=0.00<0.001” in fruit weight was noted between the treated groups “3.908g” and “5.70g” and the control ones “4.40g “ and “5.00g” in 2019 and 2020 respectively. The use of MAB is an interesting technique to restore the chemical properties of degraded soils, and increase olive tree production. To achieve more reproducible results (in terms of quantity and quality), sufficient doses of these BAMs and periodicals must be added to provide a good nutritional supplement and reduce farmers’ use of pesticides and mineral fertilizers.
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