Seasonality, altitude and human activities control soil quality in a national park surrounded by an urban area

et al. 2021

IJERPH

Self Cite

Anthropization often leads to land use transformation, causing deep changes to soil properties and its quality. Land use change could be an environmental and socioeconomic problem, as it impacts soil quality and ecosystem services. There is an urgent need to understand the pressures affecting soil quality. The aim of the work is to quantify the impact of different land uses on soil abiotic and biotic properties and on its quality. To achieve the aims, soils from different land uses (forest, urban and agricultural) were collected in the surroundings of Naples and analyzed for pH, water content, contents of C and N, C/N ratio and total and available concentrations of Cu, Ni and Pb, microbial and fungal biomasses, basal respiration and metabolic quotient. Then, a soil quality index (SQI) was calculated for each land use. The results showed that soil abiotic and biotic properties of the agricultural sites differed from those of forest and urban sites. At agricultural sites, microbial abundances decreased due to low amount of C and N and to high amount of Cu and Pb. This caused low use efficiency of energetic substrates and a reduced soil quality of agricultural sites as compared to forest and urban sites.

Section: Study Area and Soil Samplingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of Anthropic Activities on Soil Quality under Different Land Uses

Santorufo

et al. 2021

IJERPH

Self Cite

“…Hydrolase (HA) and dehydrogenase (DHA) activities were evaluated using fluorescein diacetate (1 mg mL −1 ) and 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride 1.5%, respectively, as substrates according to Memoli et al [39]. The results were, respectively, expressed as mmol of fluorescein (FDA) and triphenylformazan (TPF) produced in 1 min for 1 g of dried soil.…”

Section: Biological Analysesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Do Wildfires Cause Changes in Soil Quality in the Short Term?

Santorufo

et al. 2020

IJERPH

Self Cite

Wildfires have high frequency and intensity in the Mediterranean ecosystems that deeply modify the soil abiotic (i.e., pH, contents of water, organic matter and elements) and biotic properties (i.e., biomass and activity). In 2017, an intense wildfire occurred inside the Vesuvius National Park (Southern Italy), destroying approximately 50% of the existing plant cover. So, the research aimed to evaluate the fire effects on soil quality through single soil abiotic and biotic indicators and through an integrated index (SQI). To achieve the aim, soil samples were collected inside the Vesuvius National Park at 12 sampling field points before fire (BF) and after fire (AF). The findings highlighted that in AF soil, the contents of water and total carbon, element availability, respiration and the dehydrogenase activity were lower than in BF soil; in contrast, pH and hydrolase activity were significantly higher in AF soil. The microbial biomass and activity were affected by Al, Cr and Cu availability in both BF and AF soils. Despite the variations in each investigated soil abiotic and biotic property that occurred in AF soil, the overall soil quality did not significantly differ as compared to that calculated for the BF soil. The findings provide a contribution to the baseline definition of the properties and quality of burnt soil and highlight the short-term effects of fire on volcanic soil in the Mediterranean area.

“…According to Memoli et al (2019) and Panico et al (2020), the higher temperature at low elevation than at high elevation that characterize Vesuvius slopes could have strongly in uenced the soil characteristics and process rates and be at least partly responsible for the highest soil OM contents and C pools in lowelevation pine forests and in high-elevation shrublands. The important role of temperature appeared to be con rmed by the clearly signi cant and positive relationship between the C sequestration rate and mean annual temperature found for different European (North and South Europe) coniferous stands by Berg and McClaugherty (2020).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

C and N Pools In Afforested Pine Forests and Natural Shrublands 

Marco

et al. 2021

Preprint

Self Cite

AimsPlant cover and microclimatic conditions can profoundly alter the balance between productivity and decay, with relevant effects on soil C and N pools. In this contest, the aim of the present study was to assess how, in Mediterranean areas, soil properties and C and N sequestration differs between afforested pine forests and natural shrublands in different microclimatic conditions at low and high elevations.MethodsThe study was performed along the soil profile distinguishing between the organic layers, fermentation and humic layers, and surface mineral soils. The comparison between plant covers and elevations were carried out for C and N pools and soluble fractions, molecular characterization by solid state 13C NMR of organic layers and by 1HNMR of soil soluble fractions, potential mineralization rates and microbial and fungal amounts.ResultsOur data confirm that coniferous tree species sequester C faster than shrubs and herbaceous species especially at low elevation under favourable microclimatic conditions. Soil C and N pools reflect changes in the chemical composition of the upper organic layers and of soil soluble organic matter. In pine forests, the higher concentration of N in the upper organic layer speeds up the N loss in the fermentative layer and stimulates humus formation and C accumulation at low elevations.ConclusionsPlant cover and microclimatic conditions drive the C sequestration rate and the soil organic matter stability. Chemical changes highlighted by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy can clarify patterns of decay processes and help to make predictions in a climate change scenario.