Growing human impact on the environment, including soil, is being refl ected in the evolution of soil classifi cation systems, which include adjustments to enable the proper and complex classifi cation of anthropogenic soils. An example of human-changed landscapes is molinotopes, where soils and other landscape elements were altered due to the construction and operation of water mills. Four soil profi les were selected in the immediate surroundings of a former mill pond in Turznice village (the Grudziądz Basin, N Poland), where specifi c anthropogenic soils were formed. The aims of the study were: 1) to determine the systematic position of the studied soils in relation to their humanimpacted genesis, and 2) to assess the status of pollution by toxic metals including Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn. Profi les 1, 2 and 3 were formed under undisputedly strong human infl uence, as revealed by their morphological features (i.e. artefacts, clear and abrupt horizon boundaries), basic properties (irregular changes of TOC not connected with natural soil-forming processes), selected heavy-metal contents and values of applied pollution index (enrichment with heavy metals in samples collected from horizons developed due to human activity). These profi les were classifi ed as aggerosols (newly introduced soil type within the order of technogenic soils) according to PSC (2019) or Phaeozems (profi les 1 and 2) and Arenosol (profi le 3). While the systematic position of these pedons according to PSC ( 2019) is a direct result of their anthropogenic genesis, only the Relocatic qualifi er indicates such an infl uence according to WRB (IUSS, 2015). Profi le 4, representing quasi-natural pedon in the vicinity of the former mill pond, was classifi ed as arenosol according to PSC (2019) and as Phaeozem according to WRB (IUSS, 2015). In regards to both national and international regulations, the collected soil samples are considered to be unpolluted by the studied heavy metals. The obtained results expand our knowledge of the soil cover evolution induced with human activities around former mill ponds and could be useful in the complex assessment of landscape classifi cation.
This paper proposes a set of TEA-related, environmental sustainability indicators for an assessment of the resource use efficiency of bio-based products. The resource use includes consumption of material, energy, water and land area. Five indicators, i.e. biotic resource use efficiency, land use efficiency, biotic secondary resource use efficiency, abiotic resource use efficiency -water and energy, are associated with a direct input into TEA, while three, i.e. land use intensity, biodiversity and soil nutrient balance, are affected by the former. The exploitation of resources is associated with economic and social indicators connected with food and energy security, water scarcity and human welfare. The proposed set of indicators can be considered in the context of certification of bio-based products, although their applicability require specific case studies, determination of potential thresholds and aggregation in the context of environmental as well as economic and social sustainability assessment.
Vertisols occurring in the Sępopol Plain in northeastern Poland are characterized by high natural fertility. They belong to the group of soils with high clay content, which show the ability of periodic shrinking and swelling of clay minerals. As a result of variable moisture conditions, deep cracks and sliding surfaces are formed on the surface of the soil aggregates. The purpose of this research was to determine the chemical, physical, air-water and redox properties of vertisols developed from glaciolimnic sediments of the Weichselian glaciation, and having textures of clay (C), loam (L) and heavy clay (HC). The studied soils had high fi eld water capacity (pF 2.0) and high content of water unavailable to plants (pF 4.2), as well as low volume of air pores. A signifi cant positive correlation was found between the amount of clay and the volume of water unavailable to plants (pF 4.2), and a negative correlation between the amount of clay and content of water available to plants (AWC), including water readily available to plants (RAWC). The distribution of soil pores was unfavourable, and the ratio of macropores to mesopores to micropores in humic horizons was 1:2.7-5.1:1.5-5.4. The studied vertisols had low values of redox potential (Eh) and oxygen diffusion rate (ODR). The values of the Eh were above 300 mV, a threshold value for oxidised and reduced soil, only in surface horizons.
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