Article
Ecology
Jan Plue, Hans Van Calster, Inger Auestad, Sofia Basto, Renee M. Bekker, Hans Henrik Bruun, Richard Chevalier, Guillaume Decocq, Ulf Grandin, Martin Hermy, Hans Jacquemyn, Anna Jakobsson, Malgorzata Jankowska-Blaszczuk, Rein Kalamees, Marcus A. Koch, Rob H. Marrs, Bryndis Marteinsdottir, Per Milberg, Inger E. Maren, Robin J. Pakeman, Gareth K. Phoenix, Ken Thompson, Vigdis Vandvik, Markus Wagner, Alistair G. Auffret
Summary: This study investigates the potential role of soil seed banks in different habitats in Europe and finds that high seed bank diversity and compositional similarity with the herb layer may act as a functional buffer against the impact of global environmental changes on plant communities. However, climate warming could threaten this capacity. Dormant life-history stages can be important sources of diversity in changing environments, but their ability to buffer change may only be temporary.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2021)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Fabio de Oliveira Roque, Angelica Guerra, Matthew Johnson, Carlos Padovani, Juliano Corbi, Alan P. Covich, Donald Eaton, Walfrido Moraes Tomas, Francisco Valente-Neto, Ana Claudia Piovezan Borges, Alexandra Pinho, Alexeia Barufatii, Bruno do Amaral Crispim, Rafael Dettogni Guariento, Maria Helena da Silva Andrade, Ary Tavares Rezende-Filho, Rodolfo Portela, Marcia Divina, Julio Cesar Sampaio da Silva, Cassio Bernadino, E. Erica Fernanda Goncalves Gomes de Sa, Pedro Cordeiro-Estrela, Arnaud Desbiez, Isabel M. D. Rosa, Lisa Yon
Summary: A study estimated the pesticide load in the Pantanal and surrounding highlands region for 2050 under different scenarios, predicting varying levels of pesticide usage depending on the scenario. Higher pesticide usage is expected in subbasins with greater agricultural areas within major hydrographic basins.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Studies
Daiva Jukneliene, Vaiva Kazanaviciute, Jolanta Valciukiene, Virginija Atkoceviciene, Gintautas Mozgeris
Summary: This study conducted a spatially explicit assessment of land use and land-use changes in Lithuanian municipalities since 1971, revealing an increase in forest and built-up land areas, and a decrease in areas of producing land, meadow/pasture, and wetlands. Different historical periods with varying land management policies were found to have influenced the trends in land-use changes.
Article
Plant Sciences
Ashish N. Nerlekar, Avishkar Munje, Pranav Mhaisalkar, Ankila J. Hiremath, Joseph W. Veldman
Summary: The consequences of land-use change in western Maharashtra, India, result in declines in old-growth savannas and changes in plant communities, with decreased native species richness and cover, as well as increased cover of invasive species. Among the different land-use types, tillage agriculture has the greatest dissimilarity to old-growth savannas.
JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Amin Rastandeh, Meghann Jarchow
Summary: Although the importance of biodiversity conservation in urban landscapes has been recognized in many forest, desert, and coastal biomes, not much research has been done on urbanization in grasslands and its impacts on biodiversity. In this study, we conducted a pilot spatio-temporal study to assess the effects of land-use and vegetation change on grasslands in the Upper Missouri River Basin under different climate-change scenarios. We found that grassland conversion in urban landscapes was higher compared to the whole region, but this trend was not directly related to urban expansion. Additionally, habitat proximity was negatively correlated with urban expansion. This study emphasizes the need to measure changes in habitat composition and configuration to better understand opportunities and limitations for biodiversity conservation in urban landscapes.
URBAN FORESTRY & URBAN GREENING
(2023)
Article
Soil Science
Sofia Delin, Maria Stenberg
Summary: This study compared the effects of slurry application timing in early Autumn, late Autumn, and Spring on nitrate leaching in Swedish conditions. The results showed that nitrate leaching was higher after Autumn applications compared to Spring applications, but the difference varied depending on the experiment and vegetation type.
SOIL USE AND MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Esra H. Sohlstrom, Ulrich Brose, Roel van Klink, Bjorn C. Rall, Benjamin Rosenbaum, Martin Schadler, Andrew D. Barnes
Summary: Climate change and land-use intensification pose increasing threats to biodiversity. In a field-scale grassland experiment, we tested the combined effects of climate change and land-use intensification on arthropod biodiversity. We found that climate change reduced arthropod abundance, while land-use intensification reduced overall community abundance and altered species composition. These changes will have profound consequences for ecosystem functioning under future environmental conditions.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Adam Kimberley, Danny Hooftman, James M. Bullock, Olivier Honnay, Patricia Krickl, Jessica Lindgren, Jan Plue, Peter Poschlod, Anna Traveset, Sara A. O. Cousins
Summary: Increasing landscape connecting elements cannot compensate for large-scale grassland area loss, leading to significant declines in both structural and functional connectivity. Generalist species are negatively affected by connectivity, with structural connectivity having the strongest impact, while functional connectivity determines the presence of grassland specialist species in focal grasslands.
Article
Environmental Studies
Gintautas Mozgeris, Daiva Jukneliene
Summary: The study addresses methodological principles for land use development scenario modeling assumed for use in processes of GHG accounting and management, with a focus on Lithuania. Calibration of the modeling approach using historical land use data indicated a high prediction accuracy for forest and built-up land, supporting suggestions for key measures to improve the GHG balance and carbon stock changes in the country.
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Leonardo R. Ramirez, Ina Saeumel
Summary: This study explored the impact of land use change on the diversity of native forests in Uruguay. It found that the fragmentation of grasslands led to a decrease in woody species, while large interconnected native forests in a landscape dominated by grasslands harbored a high diversity of species. The history of surrounding landscapes played a crucial role in determining the diversity of native forests.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Review
Biodiversity Conservation
Charles W. Davison, Carsten Rahbek, Naia Morueta-Holme
Summary: Research shows that land-use change is one of the greatest threats to nature, but there are challenges in forming a comprehensive synthesis due to influences such as location, research methods, and taxonomic focus. Biases in taxonomy and regional representation have been identified, calling for more studies in understudied regions to capture regional differences and enhance understanding of the impacts of land-use change on biodiversity.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Rene L. M. Schils, Conny Bufe, Caroline M. Rhymer, Richard M. Francksen, Valentin H. Klaus, Mohamed Abdalla, Filippo Milazzo, Eszter Lellei-Kovacs, Hein ten Berge, Chiara Bertora, Anna Chodkiewicz, Claudia Damatirca, Iris Feigenwinter, Pilar Fernandez-Rebollo, Shiva Ghiasi, Stanislav Hejduk, Matthew Hiron, Maria Janicka, Raoul Pellaton, Kate E. Smith, Rachel Thorman, Tom Vanwalleghem, John Williams, Laura Zavattaro, Jarl Kampen, Ria Derkx, Pete Smith, Mark J. Whittingham, Nina Buchmann, J. Paul Newell Price
Summary: Permanent grasslands in Europe are crucial for providing various ecosystem services, but their area has been declining over time. This review found that land use change and increased management intensity have negative impacts on the multifunctionality of grasslands. Preserving permanent grasslands and adopting low-intensity management practices are important for preserving ecosystem services.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Economics
Juha Hiedanpaa, Sabaheta Ramcilovik-Suominen, Matti Salo
Summary: Global capitalism has transformed the Earth system, leading to the Anthropocene era. Land use change has played a crucial role in this transformation, as highlighted by the IPCC and CBD. This study focuses on Chile, Finland, and Laos and examines their institutional aspects of land use change and the implications for the bioeconomy and biosociety. By analyzing legal and policy documents and conducting ongoing research, the authors explore the differences and similarities in land use institutions and discuss the entanglement of state, property, power, and the prevailing economic conception of democracy.
FOREST POLICY AND ECONOMICS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Santiago Tamagno, Alison J. Eagle, Eileen L. McLellan, Chris van Kessel, Bruce A. Linquist, Jagdish Kumar Ladha, Mark E. Lundy, Cameron M. Pittelkow
Summary: Nitrate leaching from agriculture is a major cause of groundwater contamination and freshwater ecosystem degradation. Analysis of global field studies revealed that rainfall, nitrogen fertilizer rate, and crop nitrogen removal are the most important factors affecting nitrate leaching. To reduce nitrogen losses, science-based management practices should be adopted and tailored to different regions.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Xiaoqian Niu, Xiaoxu Jia, Xiaofan Yang, Jiao Wang, Xiaorong Wei, Lianhai Wu, Mingan Shao
Summary: Excess nitrate loading in the groundwater of the Guanzhong Plain in the Yellow River Basin of China poses significant environmental and health risks. The sources of nitrate are mainly manure and sewage, as well as chemical nitrogen fertilizers. The transition from croplands to orchards has exacerbated nitrate accumulation in the vadose zone. The residence time of nitrate in the vadose zone varies, but in areas with thin vadose zone or recent chemical nitrogen fertilizer loading, nitrate might reach the aquifer in the near future.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Agronomy
Nuria Basdedios, Zhilin Zhong, Yanhong Wu, Wolfgang Wilcke
Summary: This study investigated the impact of base metals on vegetation establishment along a glacier retreat chronosequence, finding that initial high Ca bioavailability and the accumulation of organic layer played crucial roles in the development of vegetation towards mature forest.
Article
Soil Science
Esthela Margarita Gonzalez Sarango, Sophia Leimer, Carlos Valarezo Manosalvas, Wolfgang Wilcke
Summary: The application of biochar can provide nutrients and improve nutrient retention in strongly weathered soils. However, this study found that applying biochar alone did not significantly enhance the fertility of degraded Amazonian soils or tree growth.
SOIL SCIENCE SOCIETY OF AMERICA JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Soil Science
Esthela Margarita Gonzalez Sarango, Carlos Valarezo Manosalvas, Wolfgang Wilcke
Summary: The use of biochar is expected to improve soil fertility and nutrient cycling in degraded tropical soils. However, this study found that biochar did not affect nitrogen losses in both litterfall and soil. It did, however, have an impact on other nutrient concentrations and fluxes in litterfall.
SOIL USE AND MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Liesbeth van den Brink, Rafaella Canessa, Harald Neidhardt, Timo Knuever, Rodrigo S. Rios, Alfredo Saldana, Lohengrin A. Cavieres, Yvonne Oelmann, Maaike Y. Bader, Katja Tielboerger
Summary: Litter decomposition rates are influenced by climate, decomposer organisms, and litter quality. The hypothesis of a home-field advantage, where decomposer communities are locally adapted to accelerate decomposition of local litter, remains controversial and lacks support across different climates. The decomposition process is primarily influenced by litter quality and the overall ability of decomposer communities, rather than the origin or location of the litter.
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Gaetane Le Provost, Noelle Schenk, Caterina Penone, Jan Thiele, Catrin Westphal, Eric Allan, Manfred Ayasse, Nico Bluthgen, Runa S. Boeddinghaus, Andrea Larissa Boesing, Ralph Bolliger, Verena Busch, Markus Fischer, Martin M. Gossner, Norbert Hoelzel, Kirsten Jung, Ellen Kandeler, Valentin H. Klaus, Till Kleinebecker, Sophia Leimer, Sven Marhan, Kathryn Morris, Sandra Mueller, Felix Neff, Margot Neyret, Yvonne Oelmann, David J. Perovic, Sophie Peter, Daniel Prati, Matthias C. Rillig, Hugo Saiz, Deborah Schaefer, Michael Scherer-Lorenzen, Michael Schloter, Ingo Schoening, Marion Schrumpf, Juliane Steckel, Ingolf Steffan-Dewenter, Marco Tschapka, Juliane Vogt, Christiane Weiner, Wolfgang Weisser, Konstans Wells, Michael Werner, Wolfgang Wilcke, Peter Manning
Summary: This study examines the impact of biodiversity on the supply of ecosystem services in European agricultural grasslands. The results show that plant diversity at both plot-level and surrounding areas plays a significant role in the provision of cultural and aboveground regulating services. In contrast, provisioning and belowground regulating services are more influenced by field-level management and abiotic factors. The findings also highlight the positive influence of biodiversity on different stakeholder groups.
NATURE ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2023)
Letter
Ecology
Fons van der Plas, Thomas Schroeder-Georgi, Alexandra Weigelt, Kathryn Barry, Sebastian Meyer, Adriana Alzate, Romain L. Barnard, Nina Buchmann, Hans de Kroon, Anne Ebeling, Nico Eisenhauer, Christof Engels, Markus Fischer, Gerd Gleixner, Anke Hildebrandt, Eva Koller-France, Sophia Leimer, Alexandru Milcu, Liesje Mommer, Pascal A. Niklaus, Yvonne Oelmann, Christiane Roscher, Christoph Scherber, Michael Scherer-Lorenzen, Stefan Scheu, Bernhard Schmid, Ernst-Detlef Schulze, Vicky Temperton, Teja Tscharntke, Winfried Voigt, Wolfgang Weisser, Wolfgang Wilcke, Christian Wirth
NATURE ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Stefan Merseburger, Arnim Kessler, Sadadi Ojoatre, Christoph Berthold, Yvonne Oelmann, Wolfgang Wilcke
Summary: The stable isotope ratios of hydrogen in local meteoric water correlate with those in bulk soil and organic matter, allowing for probabilistic spatial assignments to soil samples. The 82H values of soil clay fractions are driven by the 82H values of local precipitation on a global scale.
GEOCHIMICA ET COSMOCHIMICA ACTA
(2023)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Stefan Merseburger, Arnim Kessler, Yvonne Oelmann, Wolfgang Wilcke
Summary: Steam equilibration overcomes the problem of adsorbed water in traditional H isotope measurements. This study developed a new method to determine the equilibrium isotope fractionation factor alpha(ex-w) in clay minerals and soil samples. The results showed that structurally different mineral groups exhibited systematically different alpha(ex-w) values, while the determined values were similar to the widely assumed values in the literature.
RAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY
(2023)
Article
Soil Science
Valerie Sentek, Andre Velescu, Wolfgang Wilcke, Catarina Henke, Nils Peters, Gerd Welp, Wulf Amelung
Summary: The use of polymer-coated urea (PCU) can improve nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) and reduce environmental trade-offs. However, the impact of climate and soil properties on N release from PCU is not well understood. This study investigated the effects of soil texture, moisture, and temperature on the release kinetics of N from PCU. The results showed that soil texture did not affect N release patterns, but release rates varied among soils. Changes in soil moisture had no effect on N release, while lowering soil temperatures decreased N release rates from PCU.
SOIL USE AND MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Nuria Basdedios, Yanhong Wu, Wolfgang Wilcke
Summary: The Mg stable isotope ratios can serve as proxies for Mg turnover and identifying mineral sources of Mg loss. In the Hailuogou glacial retreat chronosequence, approximately one-third of the initial Mg has been lost in the topsoil over 127 years. The correlation between the Mg isotope ratios and Mg depletion rates suggests their potential application in studying ecosystem dynamics.
ACS EARTH AND SPACE CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Diana Carolina Acosta-Rojas, Maciej K. Barczyk, Carlos Ivan Espinosa, Nina Farwig, Juergen Homeier, Yvonne Tiede, Boris A. Tinoco, Andre Velescu, Wolfgang Wilcke, Eike Lena Neuschulz, Matthias Schleuning
Summary: This study investigated seed, fruit, and leaf traits and their associations with abiotic and biotic factors in tree communities in the tropical mountains of southern Ecuador. The results showed a trade-off between seed number and size, as well as associations between fruit and leaf traits and soil C/N ratio and rainfall.
ACTA OECOLOGICA-INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Pablo Alvarez, Andre Velescu, Kerstin Pierick, Juergen Homeier, Wolfgang Wilcke
Summary: This study assessed the temporal variability, sources, and transformations of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in a tropical montane forest using stable C isotope ratios. The results showed that the δ13C values of DOM did not vary seasonally and that roots and root exudates are major belowground DOM sources. The δ13C values of DOM provide an additional tool to assess the sources and turnover of DOM.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Laura Argens, Wolfgang W. Weisser, Anne Ebeling, Nico Eisenhauer, Markus Lange, Yvonne Oelmann, Christiane Roscher, Holger Schielzeth, Bernhard Schmid, Wolfgang Wilcke, Sebastian T. Meyer
Summary: Ecosystem management aims to provide multiple ecosystem services simultaneously. The multifunctionality of ecosystem services can be limited by tradeoffs and enhanced by synergies among underlying ecosystem functions. This study investigates the drivers of correlations between ecosystem functions and highlights the importance of measuring pairs of functions repeatedly under different conditions to derive recommendations for grassland management.
Article
Agronomy
Wolfgang Wilcke, Vera Zimmer, Juergen Bauhus, Ingo Schoening, Marion Schrumpf, Beate Michalzik, Jan Siemens
Summary: Our study demonstrates the significant effects of climatic and edaphic conditions, forest-management intensity, and plant community diversity on litterfall quantity, quality, and turnover in temperate forests. Increasing forest-management intensity decreases litterfall mass and nutrient concentrations and slows down turnover rates. On the other hand, increasing plant diversity improves nutrient-use efficiency and promotes nutrient cycling within the forest ecosystems.
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Jiarui Zhao, Xiaohu Yuan, Zhanjun Liu, Haotian Shi, Bingnian Zhai, Yuanjun Zhu
Summary: Overfertilization is common in rainfed apple orchards on China's Loess Plateau, but its impacts on soil physicochemical properties in deep soil profiles are poorly understood. This study found that different land-use types showed divergent distribution patterns in soil properties, with low variability for SWC and pH, moderate variability for NH4+-N, AP, and AK, and high variability for SOC, NO3--N, and EC. The results also showed that fertilization influenced soil water content, NO3--N, AP, and AK, and NO3--N played a crucial role in regulating pH and EC. Soil profiles were useful for studying the evolution of soil quality.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Daniel Nyfeler, Olivier Huguenin-Elie, Emmanuel Frossard, Andreas Luscher
Summary: Grass-legume mixtures combine high yields, low fertiliser requirements, and low nitrate leaching better than either pure grass or pure legume swards, both during the intact plant cover and after tilling for the subsequent crop.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Martin Faucher, Seraphine Grellier, Clemence Chaudron, Jean-Louis Janeau, Gabrielle Rudi, Fabrice Vinatier
Summary: The Mediterranean region is expected to experience more intense rainfall events and severe droughts due to climate change, leading to an increase in runoff and erosion rates in agrosystems. Vegetation cover can help reduce erosion and the soil seed bank can provide cost-effective vegetation. This study assessed the effect of vegetation cover on seed loss in vineyards and evaluated the differences in the soil seed bank along a transect. The results suggest that vegetation may not protect interrows from runoff-induced seed loss.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Christian Thierfelder, Blessing Mhlanga, Isaiah Nyagumbo, Kelvin Kalala, Esau Simutowe, Mazvita Chiduwa, Chloe Maclaren, Joao Vasco Silva, Hambulo Ngoma
Summary: The performance of different maize-legume diversification strategies was compared in southern Africa. Intercropping systems showed significant nutritional and economic benefits, but had higher labor requirements compared to other cropping systems. Soil organic carbon content and pH were not affected by the tested cropping systems.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Han Chen, Han Li, Yizhao Wei, Edward Mcbean, Hong Liang, Weimin Wang, Jinhui Jeanne Huang
Summary: This research introduces a hybrid four-sub-deep neural network (HFSD) model for partitioning NEE into GPP and ER. The HFSD employs dual sub-deep neural networks to estimate ERa and ERb and incorporates GPP and environmental variables to predict vegetation transpiration. The results of the model show that the dual sub-DNNs architecture enhances the accuracy of ER simulations, while using EC-derived T as a constraint improves the accuracy of GPP simulations. Correlation analyses suggest that solar radiation and air temperature primarily influence the seasonal variations in GPP and ER, while soil moisture has a strong impact during dry seasons. This study advances the biophysical description of data-driven models for NEE partitioning and enhances the accuracy of GPP and ER estimates.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Michael Glaser, Stefan Dullinger, Dietmar Moser, Johannes Wessely, Milan Chytry, Zdenka Lososova, Irena Axmanova, Christian Berg, Jana Buerger, Serge Buholzer, Fabrizio Buldrini, Alessandro Chiarucci, Swen Follak, Filip Kuezmic, Stefan Meyer, Petr Pysek, Nina Richner, Urban Silc, Siegrid Steinkellner, Alexander Wietzke, Franz Essl
Summary: This study investigated changes in vascular plant species in Central European arable fields and their edges from 1930 to 2019. The results showed a small decline in overall species occupancy, but a more pronounced species turnover. Species with environmental preferences for nutrient-rich sites with neutral pH increased in occupancy, while species typical for arable fields decreased. No response to climate change was observed, and there was a decrease in archaeophytes and native species and an increase in neophytes.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Thomas Abrell, Krishna Naudin, Felix J. J. A. Bianchi, Debora Veiga Aragao, Pablo Tittonell, Marc Corbeels
Summary: This study demonstrates that reducing fallow periods in shifting cultivation systems in the Eastern Amazon region has negative effects on soil fertility and weed pressure, posing a threat to the sustainability and productivity of local farming systems.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Jun Wang, Lu Lv, Ronggui Hu, Haiyang Ma, Bo Liu, Wenju Zhang, Lei Wu
Summary: Nitrification and denitrification are crucial for nitrogen losses in agricultural soils and are affected by soil properties. This study investigated the patterns and controlling factors of nitrification and denitrification potentials in paddy soils in major rice-producing areas of Hubei Province, China. The results showed that soil pH and SOC were the primary factors regulating nitrification and denitrification potentials, respectively.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Olga Fishkis, Jessica Weller, Jorn Lehmhus, Franz Pollinger, Jorn Strassemeyer, Heinz -Josef Koch
Summary: The Farm to Fork strategy of the European Union aims to reduce pesticide use and replace chemical measures with mechanical methods in weed control. However, there is currently no comprehensive evaluation of the ecological and economic parameters of mechanical methods. This study quantified these parameters for different weed control methods in sugar beet and found that no method can be considered fully environmentally friendly.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Mercedes Guerrero-Brotons, Nuria Perujo, Anna M. Romani, Rosa Gomez
Summary: Proper bed substrate selection is crucial for the performance of constructed wetlands, especially when treating drainage water with high nitrogen and low carbon and phosphorus concentrations. In a field-scale pilot plant, adding a carbon-rich substrate such as soil or biochar increased phosphorus availability in beds. Beds with soil displayed higher microbial density and activity, as well as better plant growth compared to gravel. These findings highlight the importance of selecting suitable substrates for treating irrigated agricultural water.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Beatrice Giannetta, Cesar Plaza, Giorgio Galluzzi, Iria Benavente-Ferraces, Juan Carlos Garcia-Gil, Marco Panettieri, Gabriel Gasco, Claudio Zaccone
Summary: This study examines the long-term effects of biochar application on soil organic C protection and finds that biochar, especially when combined with other amendments, has the potential to increase the content of particulate organic C and mineral-associated organic C in soils. The presence of ferrihydrite may mediate the positive effects on mineral-associated organic matter.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Emily Rose Waring, Carl Pederson, Ainis Lagzdins, Chelsea Clifford, Matthew J. Helmers
Summary: Addressing the global problem of eutrophication requires better management of inorganic nitrogen in the agricultural landscape. This study compares the effects of different tillage practices and cover crops on soil and water quality. The results show that the conventional tillage system is more effective in improving water quality and maintaining crop yields compared to other tillage practices. Additionally, the study reveals that the impact of tillage practices and cover crop growth methods on water and soil quality changes over time.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Annalisa Stevenson, Yakun Zhang, Jingyi Huang, Jie Hu, Keith Paustian, Alfred E. Hartemink
Summary: Considerable advances have been made in the assessment and mapping of soil organic carbon stocks. However, the rates of change in carbon stocks are influenced by various factors and need to be quantified. This study found that sandy soils under cultivation and forests have different organic carbon stocks. Factors such as tillage, irrigation, and nitrogen applications contribute to the decline in soil organic carbon stocks. Afforestation of abandoned cultivated fields can increase soil organic carbon, but it is still lower than soils under forest that have never been cultivated.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Zhiyuan Yao, Chuanxiong Huang, Huiling Hu, Tao Wang, Yulong Li, Xiaoming Sune, Sina Adl, Bo Zhu
Summary: Enhancing soil organic carbon levels through improved fertilization strategies is important for soil health and sustainable crop production. This study found that the relative abundance of organisms from higher trophic levels and increased network complexity in the soil micro-food webs are vital contributors to effective SOC accumulation.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Qing Qu, Lei Deng, Zhouping Shangguan, Jian Sun, Jinsheng He, Kaibo Wang, Zhengchao Zhou, Jiwei Li, Josep Penuelas
Summary: Grazing exclusion is a widely implemented strategy for restoring degraded grassland ecosystems and increasing carbon stocks. This study analyzed data from 199 experiments to understand the temporal responses and factors influencing plant and soil carbon stocks following grazing exclusion in different grassland ecosystems. The results showed that plant biomass carbon stocks and soil organic carbon stocks decreased exponentially or rationally with years since enclosure. Grazing exclusion had positive effects on aboveground biomass carbon, but the effects on belowground biomass and soil carbon were influenced by climate, initial carbon levels, and grazing exclusion duration. The response of carbon stocks to grazing exclusion stabilized after approximately 40 years, with soil carbon sequestration showing a lagged pattern compared to plant biomass carbon. The study highlighted the effectiveness of grazing exclusion in regions with low carbon content and non-water limited conditions. However, it might not be an effective measure to increase soil organic carbon stocks in water-limited areas like desert grasslands.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
