An approach to derive relationships for defining land degradation and desertification risk and developing appropriate tools for assessing the effectiveness of the various land management practices using indicators is presented in the present paper. In order to investigate which indicators are most effective in assessing the level of desertification risk, a total of 70 candidate indicators was selected providing information for the biophysical environment, socio-economic conditions, and land management characteristics. The indicators were defined in 1,672 field sites located in 17 study areas in the Mediterranean region, Eastern Europe, Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Based on an existing geo-referenced database, classes were designated for each indicator and a sensitivity score to desertification was assigned to each class based on existing research. The obtained data were analyzed for the various processes of land degradation at farm level. The derived methodology was assessed using independent indicators, such as the measured soil erosion rate, and the organic matter content of the soil. Based on regression analyses, the collected indicator set can be reduced to a number of effective indicators ranging from 8 to 17 in the various processes of land degradation. Among the most important indicators identified as affecting land degradation and desertification risk were rain seasonality, slope gradient, plant cover, rate of land abandonment, land-use intensity, and the level of policy implementation.

Indicator-based approaches are often used to monitor land degradation and desertification from the global to the very local scale. However, there is still little agreement on which indicators may best reflect both status and trends of these phenomena. In this study, various processes of land degradation and desertification have been analyzed in 17 study sites around the world using a wide set of biophysical and socioeconomic indicators. The database described earlier in this issue by Kosmas and others (Environ Manage, 2013) for defining desertification risk was further analyzed to define the most important indicators related to the following degradation processes: water erosion in various land uses, tillage erosion, soil salinization, water stress, forest fires, and overgrazing. A correlation analysis was applied to the selected indicators in order to identify the most important variables contributing to each land degradation process. The analysis indicates that the most important indicators are: (i) rain seasonality affecting water erosion, water stress, and forest fires, (ii) slope gradient affecting water erosion, tillage erosion and water stress, and (iii) water scarcity soil salinization, water stress, and forest fires. Implementation of existing regulations or policies concerned with resources development and environmental sustainability was identified as the most important indicator of land protection.

In the present work, land cover and land use changes between 2003 and 2008 were assessed in the Cupatitzio River sub‐basin located in the Trans‐Mexican Volcanic System and Balsas Depression in Mexico. The effects of land cover conversion from temperate forest to avocado orchards on soil properties were determined. Land cover and land use databases were built for the years 1975, 2003, and 2008 using available cartographic information and interpretation of panchromatic SPOT images for the year 2008. Additionally, soil sampling was carried out in 16 representative sites in the higher parts of the sub‐basin, where avocado plantation dynamics have caused important changes in areas covered by temperate forests. Results show that (i) temperate coniferous and tropical low deciduous forests were reduced at an annual rate of 0·9 per cent (1, 001 ha y−1) between 1975 and 2008; (ii) cropland areas expanded at an annual rate of 0·7 per cent between 1975 and 2008, representing a growth of 553 ha y−1; (iii) wet soil aggregate stability, mechanical resistance to penetration and nitrate (N‐NO3) concentration in the topsoil layer of Andosols were significantly affected by land use conversion to avocado orchards. Other soil properties such as organic matter, interchangeable K, and available P showed degradation tendencies. These results suggest the importance of implementing strategies for mitigating the accelerated process of transformation and degradation of natural resources in the Cupatitzio River sub‐basin. The implementation of programs for deforestation reduction should be a priority in the restoration strategy. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Several technologies have been proposed to characterize the nutrient release patterns of slow-release fertilizers (SRF) and controlled-release fertilizers (CRF) during the last few decades. These technologies have been developed mainly by manufacturers, and are product-specific, based on the regulation and analysis of each SRF and CRF product. Despite previous efforts to characterize SRF and CRF materials, no standardized, validated method exists to assess their nutrient release patterns. However, the increased production and distribution of these materials in specialty and nonspecialty markets requires an appropriate method to verify product claims and material performance. A soil incubation column leaching procedure was evaluated to determine its suitability as a standard method to estimate nitrogen (N) release patterns of SRFs and CRFs during 180 days. The influence of three soil/sand ratios, three incubation temperatures, and four soils on method behavior was assessed using five SRFs and three CRFs. In general, the highest soil/sand ratio increased the N release rate of all materials, but this effect was more marked for the SRFs. Temperature had the greatest influence on N release rates. For CRFs, the initial N release rates and the percentage N released/day increased as temperature increased. For SRFs, raising the temperature from 25 to 35 degreesC increased initial N release rate and the total cumulative N released, and almost doubled the percentage released/day. The percentage N released/day from all products generally increased as the texture of the soil changed from sandy to loamy (lowa>California>Pennsylvania>Florida). The soil incubation technique was demonstrated to be robust and reliable for characterizing N release patterns from SRFs and CRFs. The method was reproducible, and variations in soil/sand ratio, temperature, and soil had little effect on the results.

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Applying water-soluble nitrogen (N) fertilizer to Florida citrus (Citrus spp.) trees on deep sandy soils may lead to poor nutrient use efficiency and possible nitrate contamination of groundwater if rainfall or irrigation is excessive. Controlled-release fertilizer (CRF) is a possible alternative to increase N uptake efficiency and minimize losses to the environment, but current grower acceptance is limited as a result of lack of experience with CRF performance and its high relative cost. The objective of this study was to measure the N release characteristics of a CRF blend (CitriBlen®) designed for mature Florida citrus trees and its three CRF components [Agrocote® Type A, Agrocote® Type C(D), and Agrocote® Poly-S®] under laboratory and field conditions. We first characterized N release from these CRF materials using a 270-day laboratory soil incubation. The quantity of N released was influenced by CRF material used; after 270 days, cumulative leached N recoveries were 90%, 82%, 85%, and 69% of the total N applied as CitriBlen®, Agrocote® Type A, Agrocote® Type C(D), and Agrocote® Poly-S®, respectively. We then measured the N release patterns of the fertilizers in a 1-year field evaluation and developed their N release curves. Studies were simultaneously conducted in central and southwestern Florida. Mesh bags containing 3.5 g of elemental N from each source were placed on the soil surface within the irrigated zone under a citrus tree canopy to estimate N release rates from the fertilizers. Despite differential N release rates between locations, at 1 year, the rank of N release was Type A > CitriBlen® > Poly-S® > Type C(D). CitriBlen® N release patterns matched well with the current University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences citrus fertilization strategy recommended as a best management practice.

Slow-release fertilizers marketed to the public usually include a claim that nutrient release will last for a specific time period (e.g., 6, 9, or 12 months). However, no official laboratory method exists that can verify these claims. A long-term (180 days) incubation method has been developed that produces constants for an exponential model that characterizes nutrient release as a function of time. In addition, a relatively short-term (74 h) extraction method has been developed to assess nutrient release under accelerated laboratory conditions. Through regression techniques, release constants established for individual slow-release nutrient sources by the incubation method are used in conjunction with the laboratory extraction data to verify the release claims of slow-release fertilizers. Nutrient release for selected single materials has been predicted with greater than 90% accuracy in previous studies. Nutrient release from mixtures of slow-release products has been more variable. It is typical for water-soluble and slow-release fertilizers to be mixed in commercial products. Ultimately, it is intended that these methodologies will be accepted as an official method to verify nutrient release claims placed on slow-release fertilizers.

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