Understanding how the concentration and chemical quality of dissolved organic matter (DOM) varies in soils is critical because DOM inXuences an array of biological, chemical, and physical processes. We used PARAFAC modeling of excitation–emission Xuorescence spectroscopy, speciWc UV absorbance (SUVA254) and biodegradable dissolved organic carbon (BDOC) incubations to investigate the chemical qu...

Introduction: The initial in-situ chemical analysis of the four soil samples delivered to the Wet Chemistry Laboratory (WCL) provided concentrations of the soluble ionic species in the soil along with the pH and conductivity. Even though at first the results appeared to present a simple picture of the soluble soil chemistry , it has become clearly evident that the analyses were complicated by a...

Soil microbial properties are known to exhibit high spatial and temporal variability, which can hinder our understanding of the effects of agricultural management on soil microbial activities, populations and communities. However, if this variability is explicitly considered in soil sampling schemes, experimental results can help us better understand soil microbial properties. In this initial a...

Fossorial rodents damage lawns/water impoundments/crops. We conducted a two-choice, parametric-type study to determine the effects of capsicum-oleoresin/soil mixtures (0.00, 0.75, 1.50, and 2.25%) upon soil-contact, soil-digging, and pelage-grooming behaviors in northern pocket gophers (Thomomys talpoides). In 3 alternate-day (1-h/day) exposures to > or = 1.50% capsicum-oleoresin soil mixtures,...

Fresh water source scarcity in arid and semiarid area is limitation factor for saline-sodic soil reclamation. The reusing of agricultural drainage and industrial wastewater are preferred strategies for combating with this concern. The objective of current study was evaluation in application of industrial sugar manufacture wastewater due to high soluble organic compounds in saline-sodic and sodi...

BACKGROUND Plant allelochemicals released into the soil can significantly impact the performance of associated plant species thereby affecting their competitive ability. Soil microbes can potentially affect the interaction between plant and plant chemicals by degrading the allelochemicals. However, most often plant-plant chemical interactions are studied using filter paper bioassays examining t...

Food security in the East African Highlands is dependent upon the productivity of lands managed by smallholders who face difficult challenges in maintaining the fertility of their soils. A study was conducted to identify indicators of soil fertility status that are consistent with farmers’ perceptions of soil fertility. Physical, chemical and biological properties of soils were measured from pa...

Although microorganisms are degrading the contaminants in bioremediation processes, soil animals can also have important--while usually an indirect--role in these processes. Soil animals are useful indicators of soil contamination, both before and after the bioremediation. Many toxicity and bioavailability assessment methods utilizing soil animals have been developed for hazard and risk-assessm...

Arid ecosystems are characterized by high spatial heterogeneity, and the variation among vegetation patches is a clear example. Soil biotic and abiotic factors associated with these patches have also been well documented as highly heterogeneous in space. Given the low vegetation cover and little precipitation in arid ecosystems, soil microorganisms are the main drivers of nutrient cycling. None...