Field and laboratory studies have indicated that rock fragments in the topsoil may have a large impact on soil properties, soil quality, hydraulic, hydrological and erosion processes. In most studies, the investigated rock fragments still remain visible at the soil surface and only properties of these visible rock fragments are used for predicting runoff and soil loss. However, there are indica...

Soil erosion has been a problem in agriculture since ancient times. The main impact of erosion on the soil is a loss of soil productivity because of decreased capacities in soil biological, chemical, and physical properties. Various researchers have reported reduced crop yields in eroded soils (Frye et al., 1982; Olson and Carmer, 1990; Chengere and Lal, 1995; Shaffer et al., 1995). This loss i...

Many forest roads are being closed as a step in watershed restoration. Ripping roads with subsoilers or rock rippers is a common practice to increase the infiltration capacity of roads prior to closure. When considering the effectiveness of ripping for reducing runoff and erosion and the potential reduction in slope stability by saturating road fills, it is important to know how ripping changes...

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) play major roles in ecosystem functioning such as carbon sequestration, nutrient cycling, and plant growth promotion. It is important to know how this ecologically important soil microbial player is affected by soil abiotic factors particularly heavy metal and metalloid (HMM). The objective of this study was to understand the impact of soil HMM concentration o...

Ploughless soil tillage impacts on yields and selected soil quality parameters is reviewed from the Scandinavian countries of Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. Soil conditions as well as climatic conditions vary widely, this resulting in variations in the length of the growing season, which is very short in the northern part of Scandinavia. The success of reduced tillage and direct drilling ...

Sampling of agricultural soils from the Mexican northeastern region was performed to detect Trichoderma spp., genetically characterize it, and assess its potential use as a biologic control agent against Macrophomina phaseolina. M. phaseolina is a phytopathogen that attacks over 500 species of cultivated plants and causes heavy losses in the regional sorghum crop. Sampling was performed immedia...

Recently disturbed and ‘control’ (i.e. less recently disturbed) soils in the Mojave Desert were compared for their vulnerability to wind erosion, using a wind tunnel, before and after being experimentally trampled. Before trampling, control sites had greater cyanobacterial biomass, soil surface stability, threshold friction velocities (TFV; i.e. the wind speed required to move soil particles), ...

Abstract Tenerife Island, has a wide environmental diversity due to its altitude (3718m at its highest point) and to the climatic differences between its windward and leeward slopes. This work studies the changes in the natural soil quality along environmental gradients on the Tenerife Island and how this natural quality is modified by man’s effect on the ecosystem. For this purpose, a total of...

Soils provide plants with a medium in which roots can anchor themselves and support their canopies, and from which they can tap reserves of water and nutrients. To supply adequate space, water and nutrients, a good soil should be deep, permeable, porous, with good water and nutrient retention capacity and rich in a balanced amount of minerals and organic compounds. Most soils do not have these ...

Invariably, many agricultural soils of the world are deficient in one or more of the essential nutrients needed to support healthy plants. Acidity, alkalinity, salinity, anthropogenic processes, nature of farming, and erosion can lead to soil degradation. Additions of fertilizers and/or amendments are essential for a proper nutrient supply and maximum yields. Estimates of overall efficiency of ...