Soil physicochemical and microbiological indicators of short, medium and long term post-fire recovery in semi-arid ecosystems

Muñoz‐Rojas, Miriam; Erickson, Todd E.; Martini, Dylan; Dixon, Kingsley W.; Merritt, David J.

doi:10.1016/j.ecolind.2015.11.038

Cited by 138 publications

(93 citation statements)

References 75 publications

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“…Cationic exchange capacity (CEC) is a measure of the soil capacity to adsorb and release cations (Jordán et al, 2009;Khaledian et al, 2016;Muñoz-Rojas et al, 2016b). Similar to the SOM trend, CEC also decreased significantly from the topsoil layers to the subsoil layers in the four collapsing gullies.…”

Section: Cation Exchange Capacity (Cec)mentioning

confidence: 75%

“…The particle-size distribution (PSD) was determined by the sieve-and-pipette method (Gee and Bauder, 1986). Soil organic matter (SOM) was measured by the K 2 Cr 2 O 7 -H 2 SO 4 oxidation method of Walkey and Black (Nelson and Sommers, 1982). Cation exchange capacity (CEC) was measured after extraction with ammonium acetate (Rhoades, 1982).…”

Section: Soil Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

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Soil Atterberg limits of different weathering profiles of the collapsing gullies in the hilly granitic region of southern China

et al. 2017

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Abstract. Collapsing gullies are one of the most serious soil erosion problems in the tropical and subtropical areas of southern China. However, few studies have been performed on the relationship of soil Atterberg limits with soil profiles of the collapsing gullies. Soil Atterberg limits, which include plastic limit and liquid limit, have been proposed as indicators for soil vulnerability to degradation. Here, the soil Atterberg limits within different weathering profiles and their relationships with soil physicochemical properties were investigated by characterizing four collapsing gullies in four counties in the hilly granitic region of southern China. The results showed that with the fall of weathering degree, there was a sharp decrease in plastic limit, liquid limit, plasticity index, soil organic matter, cation exchange capacity and free iron oxide. Additionally, there was a gradual increase in liquidity index, a sharp increase in particle density and bulk density followed by a slight decline, a decrease in the finer soil particles, a noticeable decline in the clay contents, and a considerable increase in the gravel and sand contents. The plastic limit varied from 19.43 to 35.93 % in TC, 19.51 to 33.82 % in GX, 19.32 to 35.58 % in AX and 18.91 to 36.56 % in WH, while the liquid limit varied from 30.91 to 62.68 % in TC, 30.89 to 57.70 % in GX, 32.48 to 65.71 % in AX and 30.77 to 62.70 % in WH, respectively. The soil Atterberg limits in the sandy soil layers and detritus layers were lower than those in the surface layers and red soil layers, which results in higher vulnerability of the sandy soil layers and detritus layers to erosion and finally the formation of the collapsing gully. The regression analyses showed that soil Atterberg limits had significant and positive correlation with SOM, clay content, cationic exchange capacity and Fe d , significant and negative correlation with sand content and no obvious correlation with other properties. The results of this study revealed that soil Atterberg limits are an informative indicator to reflect the weathering degree of different weathering profiles of the collapsing gullies in the hilly granitic region.

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Section: Cation Exchange Capacity (Cec)mentioning

confidence: 75%

Section: Soil Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

Soil Atterberg limits of different weathering profiles of the collapsing gullies in the hilly granitic region of southern China

et al. 2017

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“…One way to improve soil conditions is to apply organic amendments to the soil. Numerous studies have assessed the use of organic amendments for vegetation establishment and soil fertility, including agricultural soils (Ojeda et al, 2003;Jordán et al, 2010;Jiménez et al, 2013;Tejada and Gonzalez, 2013), eroded soils (Cohen-Fernández and Naeth, 2013;Prats et al, 2016;Donn et al, 2014;Hosseini Bai et al, 2014;Cerdà et al, 2016;, post-mining soils (Eldridge et al, 2012;Benigno et al, 2013;Muñoz-Rojas et al, 2016b), and afforested soils under Mediterranean conditions (Hueso-González et al, 2014Sadeghi et al, 2015).…”

Section: P Hueso-gonzález Et Al: Effects Of Topsoil Treatments On Amentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of topsoil treatments on afforestation in a dry Mediterranean climate (southern Spain)

González¹,

Murillo²,

Ruíz-Sinoga³

2016

Solid Earth

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Abstract. Afforestation programs in semiarid areas are associated with a high level of sapling mortality. Therefore, the development of alternative low-cost and low-environmentalimpact afforestation methods that ensure the survival of seedlings is crucial for improving the efficiency of Mediterranean forest management. This study assessed the effects of five types of soil amendments on the afforestation success (e.g., plant growth and survival) of a Mediterranean semiarid area. The amendments tested were (i) straw mulch; (ii) mulch containing chipped branches of Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis L.); (iii) sheep manure compost; (iv) sewage sludge from a wastewater treatment plant; and (v) TerraCottem hydroabsorbent polymer. We hypothesized that in the context of dry Mediterranean climatic conditions, the use of organic amendments would enhance plant establishment and ensure successful afforestation. The results showed that afforestation success varied among the various soil amendment treatments in the experimental plots. The amendments had no effect on soil organic carbon, pH, or salinity, but the results indicated that the addition of mulch or hydroabsorbent polymer can reduce transplant stress by increasing the soil water available for plant growth throughout the hydrological year, and potentially improve the success of afforestation by reducing plant mortality.

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“…When attempting to restore degraded, arid ecosystems challenges include limited rainfall, high temperatures, and soils with low nutrient levels and water holding capacity Muñoz Rojas et al, 2016a). Thus, despite the efforts and investments to restore these systems worldwide (Keesstra et al, 2016a), restoration of drylands has low rates of success (James et al, 2013;Sheley et al, 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Climate and soil factors influencing seedling recruitment of plant species used for dryland restoration

Muñoz‐Rojas

Erickson

Martini

et al. 2016

SOIL

Self Cite

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Abstract. Land degradation affects 10-20 % of drylands globally. Intensive land use and management, largescale disturbances such as extractive operations, and global climate change, have contributed to degradation of these systems worldwide. Restoring these damaged environments is critical to improving ecosystem services and functions, conserve biodiversity, and contribute to climate resilience, food security, and landscape sustainability. Here, we present a case study on plant species of the mining intensive semi-arid Pilbara region in Western Australia that examines the effects of climate and soil factors on the restoration of drylands. We analysed the effects of a range of rainfall and temperature scenarios and the use of alternative soil materials on seedling recruitment of key native plant species from this area. Experimental studies were conducted in controlled environment facilities where conditions simulated those found in the Pilbara. Soil from topsoil (T) stockpiles and waste materials (W) from an active mine site were mixed at different proportions (100 % T, 100 % W, and two mixes of topsoil and waste at 50 : 50 and 25 : 75 ratios) and used as growth media. Our results showed that seedling recruitment was highly dependent on soil moisture and emergence was generally higher in the topsoil, which had the highest available water content. In general, responses to the climate scenarios differed significantly among the native species which suggest that future climate scenarios of increasing drought might affect not only seedling recruitment but also diversity and structure of native plant communities. The use of waste materials from mining operations as growth media could be an alternative to the limited topsoil. However, in the early stages of plant establishment successful seedling recruitment can be challenging in the absence of water. These limitations could be overcome by using soil amendments but the cost associated to these solutions at large landscape scales needs to be assessed and proven to be economically feasible.

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Soil physicochemical and microbiological indicators of short, medium and long term post-fire recovery in semi-arid ecosystems

Cited by 138 publications

References 75 publications

Soil Atterberg limits of different weathering profiles of the collapsing gullies in the hilly granitic region of southern China

Soil Atterberg limits of different weathering profiles of the collapsing gullies in the hilly granitic region of southern China

Effects of topsoil treatments on afforestation in a dry Mediterranean climate (southern Spain)

Climate and soil factors influencing seedling recruitment of plant species used for dryland restoration

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