a mineral soil (Farnham and Finney, 1965), which provides a high potential for diffusion and storage of O2 Organic soils in the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) of southfor microbial utilization in the organic soil. Neller (1943) ern Florida, USA, are subsiding due primarily to oxidation by aerobic microorganisms. Since there are large C losses in drained Histosols, reported that soil O2 rang...

The concentrations of lead, cadmium and copper in roadside soil and plants in Elazig, Turkey were investigated. Soil samples were collected at distances of 0, 25 and 50 m from the roadside. The concentrations of lead, cadmium and copper were measured by Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry (FAAS). A slotted tube atom trap (STAT) was used to increase the sensitivity of lead and cadmium in F...

Soil physic-chemical properties differ at different depths; however, differences in afforestation-induced temporal changes at different soil depths are seldom reported. By examining 19 parameters, the temporal changes and their interactions with soil depth in a large chronosequence dataset (159 plots; 636 profiles; 2544 samples) of larch plantations were checked by multivariate analysis of cova...

Sustainable and rational management of agrophytocenoses depends on various bioindices and methods of application, particularly the development and protection of soil resources (Lai et al., 2002). Among other indices, enzyme activity is proposed as a universal index of soil fertility and contamination (Dilly et al., 2003). To ascertain and to make a comparison of bioactivity variation during the...

Nutrient depletion is one of the major causes that contribute to decline in soil productivity in the highlands of Ethiopia. It is generally a reversible constraint as long as soil test based fertilizer application is in place. However, Ethiopian subsistence agriculture has suffered for years due to lack of proper knowledge to combat nutrient depletion. To date, blanket application is the tradit...

Pig manure (PM) is widely used as an organic fertilizer to increase yields of crops. Excessive application of compost containing relatively great concentrations of copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) can change soil quality. To clarify the effects of different rates of application and to determine the optimal rate of fertilization, PM containing 1,115 mg Cu kg(-1), dry mass (dm) and 1,497 mg Zn kg(-1), d...

On military training ranges, low-order, incomplete detonations deposit RDX (hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine) into surface soils. In this study, we evaluated RDX biodegradation in surface soils obtained from a military training range in Alaska. Two factors were compared: (i) soil water potential during the incubations; and (ii) the use of acetonitrile (ACN) as an RDX carrier to spike sam...

Soil erosion is a serious environmental problem in Kothagiri Taluk. Many studies have been carried out to map shifting cultivation and areas susceptible to soil erosion. Mostly, estimated soil loss is taken as the basis to classify the level of soil loss susceptibility of area. The Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) function is a commonly used erosion model for this purpose in Kothagi...

Phytoextraction relies on plants with a high capacity to absorb heavy metals and remove them from the soil. The objective of this study was to analyze the potential of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) and white mustard (Sinapis alba L.) for phytoextraction of Zn-contaminated soil. Research was based on a strict pot experiment conducted in a greenhouse. Seven treatments were established with inc...

Iodine biofortification of vegetables can become an alternative (to iodized salt) method of introducing this element into human diet. Development of agronomic rules concerning its application requires detailed evaluation of iodine influence on plant physiological and biological processes including mineral nutrition and quality of yield. The aim of the study was to determine the effect of iodine...