Skidding operations induce changes in soil physical properties, which have the potential to impact soil sustainability and forest productivity. Our objective was to investigate the effects of traffic frequency, trail slope, and soil moisture content on soil compaction, total porosity and rut depth. Treatments included a combination of three different traffic intensities (3, 7, and 14 passes), t...

SLIDE 4 The marsh plain in Californian salt marshes, which extend from Point Concepción near Santa Barbara, down to Baja California, are well suited to the study of species composition and species assemblages and their relationship to ecosystem function because: The herbaceous vegetation is easily sampled. The marsh plain coexists without interference from invasive species. Halophyte traits are...

Conservative agriculture is considered as an alternative to tackle the need for increased agricultural production based on sustainable agriculture activities with the aim of increasing production and product stability along with preserving the environment. Tillage is one of the most important factors affecting soil structure. Selection of appropriate tillage systems varies according to the cond...

We tested a trait-based approach to link a soil disturbance to changes in invertebrate communities. Soils and macro-invertebrates were sampled in sandy soils contaminated by long-term wastewater irrigation, adding notably organic matter and trace metals (TM). We hypothesized that functional traits of invertebrates depict ways of exposure and that exposure routes relate to specific TM pools. Geo...

Soil amino acids are often an important source of nitrogen (N) for plants, and anticipated global changes, including climate warming and rising atmospheric CO2 levels, have the potential to alter plant and microbial production and consumption of this N source in soils. We determined soil amino acid composition over a 1-year period at diurnal and seasonal time scales in a multi-factor global cha...

Despite the prevalence of disturbances in forests, the effects of disturbances on soil carbon processes are not fully understood. We examined the influences of a winter storm on soil respiration and labile soil organic carbon (SOC) of a Moso Bamboo (Phyllostachys heterocycle) plantation in the Wuyi Mountains in Southern China from May 2008 to May 2009. We sampled stands that were damaged at hea...