The taxonomic hierarchy and nationwide distribution of soils with a salic horizon were studied using the USA Natural Resources Conservation Service Soil Survey Geographic (SSURGO) Database to provide a more holistic view of the role of soil-forming factors in pedogenesis than from isolated case studies. Soils with a salic horizon occupied an area of 11 000 km2, i.e., 0.1% of land area in the co...

to understand the relationship between natural physicochemical properties of soil and abundance of citrus root nematode (tylenchulus semipenetrans), a survey was conducted during 2009-2010 in some 37 citrus orchards, in kohgilouyeh va boyerahmad province, iran. distribution of the citrus nematode was determined by collecting random samples from the soil and citrus plant roots, extracting and en...

Soil erosion poses economic and environmental concerns in many tropical uplands. Agroforestry has been proposed as a sustainable land use that can mitigate soil erosion and promote the economic welfare of small farmers. To evaluate such claims, we must (a) develop a composite measure of effectiveness, such as a soil conservation index, and (b) define it in terms understood by the farmers who ul...

An environmental soil survey to detect Burkholderia pseudomallei was performed during the dry and wet seasons in Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia. Soil was sampled at regular intervals during a 15-month period at different depths from areas which were representative of the local, soil environment. Selective culture techniques using Ashdown's and Galimand and Dodin's methods and the polymer...

Soil depth is an important input parameter in hydrological and ecological modeling. Presently, the soil depth data available in national soil databases (STATSGO, SSURGO) is provided as averages within generalized land units. Spatial uncertainty within these units limits their applicability for spatially distributed modeling. This work reports a statistical model for prediction of soil depth in ...

In deciduous forests, soil moisture is an important driver of numerous physical, microbial, and biogeochemical processes. Therefore, characterizing the interactions between vegetation and soil moisture is critical to forecast long-term water resources and ecosystem health. However, these interactions are difficult to measure, both in time and space. Recent studies have shown the ability of elec...

Organic farming system and sustainable management of soil pathogens aim at reducing the use of agricultural chemicals in order to improve ecosystem health. Despite the essential role of microbial communities in agro-ecosystems, we still have limited understanding of the complex response of microbial diversity and composition to organic and conventional farming systems and to alternative methods...

The stable oxygen isotope compositions of soil phosphate (δ(18)O(p)) were suggested recently to be a tracer of phosphorus cycling in soils and plants. Here we present a survey of bioavailable (resin-extractable or resin-P) inorganic phosphate δ(18)O(p) across natural and experimental rainfall gradients, and across soil formed on sedimentary and igneous bedrock. In addition, we analyzed the soil...

The Soil Survey Geographic (SSURGO) database provides the highest resolution for a county-wide soil database in the United States. AvSWAT and ArcSWAT are developed for using soil input prepared in a format of the State Soil and Geographic (STATSGO) database. The available SSURGO processing extension tool currently works only with AvSWAT but not with ArcSWAT. The purpose of this study is to deve...

Soil water availability is most essential in the Sahelian agriculture but is hampered by several factors. Surface crusts or crust-like surfaces, which are characteristic of most Sahelian soils, have been shown to decrease water in®ltrability and increase runoff. Their type and structure are in ̄uenced by soil texture, vegetation cover, erosion and deposition effects of wind and water. A soil and...