Humic Substances as Indicator of Degradation Rate of Chernozems in South-Eastern Poland

Abstract

Unfavourable quantitative and qualitative changes of soil organic matter result from degradation processes, such as water erosion connected with intense arable land use. In order to take adequate preventive action, the proper indicators of soil quality or degradation are urgently needed. In particular, tests considering the soil organic matter quality seem to be beneficial for soil monitoring. In this paper, we performed organic matter fractionation using the Tyurin and IHSS procedures on eight profiles of chernozemic soils (non-degraded, eroded, forest and accumulative soils). The study conducted confirmed the applicability of using humic and fulvic fractions in order to determine the pedogenesis processes and degradation rates of chernozemic soils. For example, the HA/FA ratio was higher in non-eroded and accumulative soils, compared with eroded or forest profiles. These findings were supported by statistical discrimination performed on the mid-infrared spectra of humic acids extracted from the selected profiles. Groups of samples were divided into classes depending on land usage or degradation rate. Considering the results, fractions of humic substances can be recommended as useful tools for the assessment of soil transformation.

Biochar and Organic Fertilizer Co-Application Enhances Soil Carbon Priming, Increasing CO2 Fluxes in Two Contrasting Arable Soils

“…The pH was determined in H 2 O in a 1:5 suspension (v/v) using a pH meter (Mettler-Toledo, Graifensee, Switzerland). For soil samples, particle size distribution was measured using the mesh and hydrometer method, and the content of calcium carbonates as an equivalent was determined using the Scheibler apparatus (according to DIN 18129, ISO 10,693 method), an approach frequently applied in Poland to determine CaCO 3 content in soil samples [29,30]. Cation exchange capacity was measured by an MP-AES 4200 Spectrometer (Agilent Technologies, Santa Clara, CA, USA) after extraction with 1 M ammonium acetate.…”

The influence of forest vegetation on the physical properties of chernozems in the steppe zone of Ukraine

“…The discussion about the formation of chernozem soils under forest vegetation in steppe conditions has been ongoing for a long time (Travleev, 1996;Dudek et al, 2022). Comprehensive studies of soils, the genesis of which is associated with artificial and natural forest vegetation in the steppe zone of Ukraine, confirm the formation in these conditions of chernozem soils, the properties of which differ to a certain extent from the properties of zonal chernozems that formed under steppe vegetation (Belova & Travleev, 1999).…”

Efecto de la labranza y fertilización nitrogenada en los cultivos de fréjol y maíz sobre indicadores biológicos de la calidad de un suelo andino del Ecuador

“…La calidad del suelo se mide por indicadores que son variables físicas, químicas y biológicas; y permiten medir cuantitativa o cualitativamente cambios que suceden en el suelo a corto, mediano o largo plazo (Dudek et al, 2022;Jamioy Orozco et al, 2015;Rojas et al, 2016). Entre los indicadores más estudiados están: la textura, humedad, estabilidad de agregados, densidad aparente, velocidad de infiltración del agua, MOS, CO, materia orgánica particulada [MOP], conductividad eléctrica [CE], N mineralizado, pH, carbono [C] y N de la biomasa microbiana [BM], respiración microbiana [RM] el adenosín trifosfato [ATP], actividad enzimática (deshidrogenasa, catalasa, ureasa, proteasa, fosfatasa, β-glucosidasa, fluoresceína diacetato [FDA]) (Cantú et al, 2007;Henríquez et al, 2014) y glomalina (Ávila-Salem et al, 2020).…”