Soil and Water Research - Latest articles
Results 31 to 60 of 68:
Temporal changes of soil characteristics on Lítov spoil heap, Czech Republic
Enkhtuya Enkhtaivan, Oldøich Vacek, Petra Vokurková, Marko Spasiæ, Radim Va¹át, Ondøej Drábek
Soil & Water Res., 2024, 19(3):133-143 | DOI: 10.17221/17/2024-SWR 
This study aimed to examine the changes in selected soil properties at Lítov spoil heap (Sokolov, Czech Republic) and compare the current situation with the situation described twenty years ago. A total of 110 soil samples were taken at Lítov at the same sites as in 1998. The analyses of basic soil characteristics involved: exchangeable soil pH (pHKCl), organic carbon content (Cox), quality of humic substances (A400/A600), exchangeable acidity (Ea), and two types of aluminium contents in the soil. Changes in all soil characteristics between 1998 and 2018 were statistically evaluated, compared,...
The use of enzyme assays to assess soil biodiversity of diverse land use systems integrating trees – Preliminary research
Magdalena Myszura-Dymek, Barbara Futa, Gra¿yna ¯ukowska, Klaudia Ró¿owicz, Norbert B³oñski
Soil & Water Res., 2024, 19(2):122-131 | DOI: 10.17221/16/2024-SWR
Most studies of agroforestry system biodiversity focus on assessing visible, aboveground biodiversity, largely ignoring soil biodiversity. To fill this gap, a preliminary assessment of soil biodiversity in an agroforestry system was undertaken based on changes in soil enzyme activity. The study was conducted in the village of Maziarnia, Lubelskie Voivodeship, Poland, Europe. Arable fields with spring wheat, mid-field trees and perennial mixed forest were selected for the study. Soil material for physicochemical analyses (pHH2O, pHKCl, sorption properties, total carbon and total nitrogen) and biochemical analyses (activity of acid...
Assessment of agricultural land salinization via soil analysis and remote sensing data: Case study in Pavlodar region, Kazakhstan
Dauren Rakhmanov, Boøivoj ©arapatka, Kamilla Alibekova, Jan Èernohorský, Petr Hekera, Zhassulan Smanov
Soil & Water Res., 2024, 19(2):111-121 | DOI: 10.17221/5/2024-SWR
Soil salinization is one of the most widespread soil degradation processes, especially in arid and semi-arid regions. In such climatic conditions, soluble salts accumulate in the soil, leading to deterioration in soil properties and ultimately reduced crop yield. The purpose of this study was to analyse the relationship between the level of soil salinity and the main spectral indicators obtained from Landsat satellite data. The studied area was the Maisky district, which is located in the southeastern part of the Pavlodar region of Kazakhstan. The variants of the research were agricultural lands using sprinkler irrigation and flood irrigation, as well...
Application of biostimulation and bioventing system as bioremediation strategy for the treatment of crude oil contaminated soils
Ifeanyi Michael Smarte Anekwe, Yusuf Makarfi Isa*
Soil & Water Res., 2024, 19(2):100-110 | DOI: 10.17221/66/2023-SWR
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the application of biostimulation and bioventing for the treatment of crude oil-contaminated soils. The research needed to check how various industrial biostimulants will perform in the treatment of contaminated soils and whether or not there is a synergetic effect that has to do with the stimulant composition. Soil samples used for this study were collected from South Africa. The soil samples were air-dried for 24 h and subsequently passed through a standard sieve of 2 mm screen. The soil consists of 79.32% sand (2.00–0.02 mm), 14.71% silt (0.02–0.002 mm) and 5.97% clay (< 0.002 mm). A microcosm...
Soil organic carbon and its labile fractions in the conditions of water erosion on arable land of Chernozems area
Erika Balontayová, Viera Petlu¹ová, Peter Petlu¹, Juraj Hre¹ko, ©tefan Koco
Soil & Water Res., 2024, 19(2):90-99 | DOI: 10.17221/3/2024-SWR
The depletion of organic carbon in the topsoil and the reduction of the humic horizon leads to a decrease in soil productivity. This study focussed on evaluating the influence of water erosion on the quantity and quality of organic carbon (OC) in the topsoil. The determination of the differences in the OC with dependence on the soil thickness and the role of the soil texture in a depletion of OC in the humic horizon and its labile fractions were studied in four arable land localities (Haplic Chernozem, HC; Eutric Regosol, ER). The following carbon parameters were included: total organic carbon (TOC), labile carbon oxidisable by KMnO4 (CL),...
Comparison of two soil quality assessment models under different land uses and topographical units on the southwest slope of Mount Merapi
Retno Meitasari, Eko Hanudin*, Benito Heru Purwanto
Soil & Water Res., 2024, 19(2):77-89 | DOI: 10.17221/76/2023-SWR
This study aims to compare the soil quality indexing model by adding and weighting the soil under different land uses and slope positions on the southwest slope of Mount Merapi, Indonesia. Soil sampling was carried out based on a landscape analysis divided into four geomorphological units (slopes): upper, middle, lower and foot slopes. The research design was nested where the soil sample was located (surface soil 0–30 cm). Based on the research results, soil quality indices (SQI) of forest on the upper slopes is very high. SQI of dry fields on the middle, lower and foot slopes is low to medium. SQI of mixed gardens on the middle and lower...
List of Reviewers 2023
Editorial Department
Soil & Water Res., 2024, 19(1):I
Analysing the impact of climate change on evapotranspiration in a climate-sensitive region: Example of Central Anatolia (Türkiye)
Muhammet Azlak, Levent ªaylan
Soil & Water Res., 2024, 19(1):64-76 | DOI: 10.17221/107/2023-SWR
Evapotranspiration (ET) is one of the main components of the hydrological cycle and plays a crucial role for water resources. It is sensitive to climate change, and therefore, estimating ET under changing climatic conditions is essential in comprehending hydrological processes, particularly in agricultural water management. In this study, the impact of climate change on ET in the Central Anatolia region of Türkiye was assessed. For this purpose, RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 climate change scenarios based on two Earth System Models, HadGEM2-ES and MPI-ESM-MR, were employed for three future time periods: 2025–2049, 2050–2074, and 2075–2098. As...
Erosion risk analysis in a changing climate
Jan Prachowski, Jan Szturc, Josef Kuèera, Jana Podhrázská
Soil & Water Res., 2024, 19(1):50-63 | DOI: 10.17221/110/2023-SWR
Soil is an irreplaceable natural resource, with irreplaceable ecosystem functions. One of the greatest risks of soil degradation in the Czech Republic is accelerated erosion, which causes numerous damages to soil properties with negative impacts on the environment. The climate development in recent decades and its forecasts may further intensify these processes. This article deals with the analysis of the impacts of changes in selected climatic factors on the development of erosion processes, which in the conditions of the Czech Republic are influenced mainly by the development of precipitation in the growing season and the development of the values...
Digital soil mapping using machine learning-based methods to predict soil organic carbon in two different districts in the Czech Republic
Shahin Nozari, Mohammad Reza Pahlavan-Rad, Colby Brungard, Brandon Heung, Lubo¹ Borùvka
Soil & Water Res., 2024, 19(1):32-49 | DOI: 10.17221/119/2023-SWR
Soil organic carbon (SOC) is an important soil characteristic as well as a way how to mitigate climate change. Information on its content and spatial distribution is thus crucial. Digital soil mapping (DSM) is a suitable way to evaluate spatial distribution of soil properties thanks to its ability to obtain accurate information about soil. This research aims to apply machine learning algorithms using various environmental covariates to generate digital SOC maps for mineral topsoils in the Liberec and Doma¾lice districts, located in the Czech Republic. The soil class, land cover, and geology maps as well as terrain covariates extracted from the digital...
Assessing soil aggregate stability by measuring light transmission decrease during aggregate disintegration
Mikulá¹ Madaras, Robert Krejèí, Markéta Mayerová
Soil & Water Res., 2024, 19(1):25-31 | DOI: 10.17221/78/2023-SWR
Advancements in technology have recently enabled to assess soil aggregate stability (SAS) using digital devices. To address the need for a faster and more efficient method of measuring SAS, we have developed a simple yet effective approach using a specialized device. The innovative method named SlakeLight involves measuring the changes in light transmittance as aggregates undergo slaking. The device consists of the measuring chamber, which is placed on a LED light source with a surface-homogeneous distribution of luminosity. During the disintegration process of aggregates immersed in water, reduction in the light emitted to the photodiodes is proportional...
Soil pore structure and its research methods: A review
Nannan Wang, Tibin Zhang
Soil & Water Res., 2024, 19(1):1-24 | DOI: 10.17221/64/2023-SWR
Soil pore is an important part of soil structure. According to the causes of formation, soil pores can be divided into biological pores formed by animal movement and plant root development and non-biological pores formed by dry-wet and freeze-thaw alternation or artificial tillage. The soil pore structure affects the migration of water, gas, nutrients and so on in the soil, especially the macropores can also produce water or solute preferential migration. Studying soil pores is of great significance for predicting soil hydraulic properties, reducing groundwater pollution and soil nutrient loss. Based on previous studies on soil pore structure, this...
Index of Volume 18_Authors Index
Editorial Department
Soil & Water Res., 2023, 18(4):I-IV
Soil organic matter quality of variously managed agricultural soil in the Czech Republic evaluated using DRIFT spectroscopy
Lenka Pavlù, Jiøí Balík, Simona Procházková, Petra Vokurková, Ivana Galu¹ková, Ondøej Sedláø
Soil & Water Res., 2023, 18(4):281-291 | DOI: 10.17221/89/2023-SWR
This study focuses on the effect of agricultural soil management on soil organic matter (SOM) composition. The addition of manure and crop residues was tested under different pedoclimatic conditions. The quality of SOM was assessed using diffuse reflectance infrared spectroscopy. The following parameters were calculated from the spectra: sum of aliphatic bands (ΣAL), aromatic bands at wave numbers 1 620 and 1 520 cm–1 (AR1620 and AR1520), potential wettability (PWI), organic matter quality (OMQ), and decomposability (DI) indexes. The addition of manure or crop residues may not cause fundamental changes...
Implications of surfactant application on soil hydrology, macronutrients, and organic carbon fractions: An integrative field study
Cansu Almaz, Recep Serdar Kara, Markéta Miháliková*, Svatopluk Matula
Soil & Water Res., 2023, 18(4):269-280 | DOI: 10.17221/88/2023-SWR
This study investigates the effects of repeated applications of the non-ionic soil surfactant H2Flo (ICL-SF Inc., Israel) on the soil water content, hydraulic conductivity, nutrient distribution, and organic carbon fractions (OCFs) in non-hydrophobic loamy sand soils under subsurface drip irrigation. Our results indicate that H2Flo treatment reduces both saturated and unsaturated hydraulic conductivity while promoting the uniform irrigation distribution, consistent with previous findings on surfactants’ effects on sandy soils. An increase in soil pH levels, organic carbon content, and extractable magnesium, calcium, and potassium was observed...
Seasonal variations of vegetative indices and their correlation with evapotranspiration and soil water storage in a small agricultural catchment
Tailin Li, Massimiliano Schiavo, David Zumr
Soil & Water Res., 2023, 18(4):246-268 | DOI: 10.17221/60/2023-SWR
A precise measurement of evapotranspiration (ET) and soil water storage (SWS) is necessary for crop management and understanding hydrological processes in agricultural catchments. In this study, we extracted the vegetative indices (VIs, including normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI), soil-adjusted vegetation index (SAVI), and enhanced vegetation index (EVI)) from satellite images of the Nuèice catchment. We found a consistent seasonal pattern of VIs across the catchment with higher values and variation ranges during spring and summer and lower values and variation ranges during autumn and winter. Spatial variation of VIs also followed a seasonal...
Changes in grassland area in lowlands and marginal uplands: Medium-term differences and potential for carbon farming
Jana Poláková, Anna Marou¹ková, Josef Holec, Michaela Koláøová, Jaroslava Jankù
Soil & Water Res., 2023, 18(4):236-245 | DOI: 10.17221/65/2023-SWR
Grassland as a part of farmland is important for agrobiodiversity, soil protection and agricultural production (grazing, hay production). In the Czech Republic, grassland area increases with increasing altitude. In this study we evaluated the period 1966–2021 and the change in grassland area in different locations in South Bohemia region: fertile lowlands (Písek, Èeské Budìjovice, Tábor districts) and marginal uplands (Èeský Krumlov, Prachatice districts). Data on land use including the share of grassland were obtained from the Czech Cadastral and Surveying Office and Czech Statistical Office. In the upland districts, there is the largest share...
Changes in soil properties due to land reclamation and climate change in South Moravian floodplain forest
Lubo¹ Sedlák, Soham Basu, Lubica Pospí¹ilová, Alois Prax, Jiøí Kulhavý, Jakub Prudil, Hana Hornová, Tomá¹ Vichta
Soil & Water Res., 2023, 18(4):227-235 | DOI: 10.17221/34/2023-SWR
Land use changes together with riverbed regulations to avoid the annual floods affect the ecosystem of floodplain forests. Later subsequent revitalization measures, transboundary controlled river management, wetland restoration, and integrated planning were realized to reduce the negative effect of groundwater dropping and other environmental problems. This study aimed to follow the dynamic of groundwater level, soil properties and forest vitality as affected by climate change. The continuous dataset (2019–2022) of soil physical and hydrophysical parameters and tree radial growth parameters were obtained. Groundwater level was evaluated by z-score...
Chemical relationships in earthworm casts of two urban green spaces indicate the earthworm contribution to urban nutrient cycles
Madalina Iordache, Iacob Borza, Valentina Andriucã
Soil & Water Res., 2023, 18(4):219-226 | DOI: 10.17221/26/2023-SWR
Due to the earthworms’ implications in nutrient cycles through their burrowing and casting activity, earthworms are worth considering when urban biogeochemical cycles are analysed. Several chemical parameters and their relationships were analysed in earthworm casts of two urban parks, namely the pH, total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (Nt), plant available phosphorus (P), plant available potassium (K), and calcium water soluble (Ca). It was statistically significantly found that the TOC, Nt, P and K are reciprocally determined in the earthworm casts: 74.4% of the pH variability is co-determined by the N, P, K, TOC, and Ca contents; 95.9%...
The effects of slope and altitude on soil organic carbon and clay content in different land-uses: A case study in the Czech Republic
Shahin Nozari, Lubo¹ Borùvka
Soil & Water Res., 2023, 18(3):204-218 | DOI: 10.17221/105/2022-SWR
Soil organic carbon (SOC) and clay, as indicators of soil fertility, are mainly used to determine the ability of soil to retain water and store the nutrients that are necessary for plant growth. However, the distribution of SOC and clay is influenced by topography and land-use. In the present study, the relationships between SOC, clay, altitude, and slope in the topsoil of two different districts in the Czech Republic including the Liberec (71 samples) and Doma¾lice (67 samples) districts were investigated. To analyse the relationships between slope and SOC, linear regression was used. Results showed that SOC content increased when slope, clay, or altitude...
Modelling of alluvial soil quality and production in permanent banana Harton plantations
Nelino Florida Rofner, Cesar Augusto Gozme Sulca, Alex Rengifo Rojas
Soil & Water Res., 2023, 18(3):192-203 | DOI: 10.17221/22/2023-SWR
Plantain is the most important crop for the Peruvian Amazonian population, developed in recent alluvial soils rich in nutrients, but fragile and susceptible to degradation. Therefore, the impact of permanent cultivation was evaluated, through modelling, on indicators of recent alluvial soil quality and production in plantations of Musa paradisiaca L. var. Harton, in the Aguaytia River valley, Peru. The treatments were areas with permanent plantain plantations of 2 (T0), 15 (T1), 4 (T2), and 5 (T3) years of management, evaluating soil physicochemical indicators and plantain production indicators. The results show significant differences for all...
Temporal variation in soil rill erodibility and critical shear stress during concentrated flow for three different crops
Ke-lin Chen, Yun-fei Yan, Yi-heng Li, Heng Zhang, Ke-ming Tang, Huai-yu Wu, Yi-yang Kang
Soil & Water Res., 2023, 18(3):181-191 | DOI: 10.17221/42/2023-SWR
Soil rill erodibility (Kr) and critical shear stress (τc) are important parameters in some physical soil erosion models. In the present study, the temporal variations in Kr and τc by overland flow were investigated using undisturbed topsoil samples collected from three cropped plots (ryegrass, lucerne, and corn) and a fallow plot. In this study, the potential factors leading to these changes were examined from March to September 2022 in western Sichuan Province, China. The results revealed significant seasonal variations in Kr, τc, soil bulk density...
Assessment of old eutrophication in the sediments of Marchica Lagoon (a post-restored lagoon, Mediterranean): The role of geochemistry and granulometry of the sediments
Abderrahmane Rahhou, Mostafa Layachi, Mustapha Akodad, Najib El Ouamari, Asmae Aknaf, Ali Skalli, Hamza Loukili, Youssef Bernichi, Brahim Oudra, Mourad Baghour
Soil & Water Res., 2023, 18(3):169-180 | DOI: 10.17221/142/2022-SWR
The aim of this study is to present the seasonal variation of organic matter (OM), total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP) in the bottom sediments of Marchica Lagoon, a post-restorated lagoon located in the Moroccan Mediterranean, and to estimate the potential role of the geochemistry and granulometry of bottom sediments in the retention of old eutrophication. The organic index of bottom sediment was found generally higher in old-eutrophic and enclosed areas. The surface sediments show variable levels of OM, TOC, TP, and TN; high in some cases (12.3%, 6.71%, 0.70%, and 0.30% respectively). These high levels were recorded...
Strategies and methods for predicting soil organic matter at the field scale based on the provincial near infrared spectral database
Shengyao Jia, Chunbo Hong, Hongyang Li, Yuchan Li, Siyuan Hu
Soil & Water Res., 2023, 18(3):158-168 | DOI: 10.17221/133/2022-SWR
The development and provision of soil spectral library (SSL) could facilitate the application of near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy for economical, accurate, and efficient determination of soil organic matter (SOM). In this work, the performances of partial least squares regression (PLSR) and convolutional neural network (CNN) combined with the datasets of Zhejiang provincial SSL (ZSSL) and the feature subset (FS) were compared for the prediction of SOM at the target field. The FS dataset was chosen from ZSSL based on similarity to the spectral characteristics of the target samples. The results showed that compared with modelling using ZSSL, modelling...
Psychoactive substances in soils, plants, freshwater and fish: A mini review
Kateøina Vejvodová, Radka Kode¹ová, Pavel Horký, Lubo¹ Borùvka, Pavel Tlusto¹
Soil & Water Res., 2023, 18(3):139-157 | DOI: 10.17221/58/2023-SWR
This review focuses on the behaviour of four psychoactive compounds (carbamazepine, tramadol, sertraline and citalopram) in the environment. The review presents how they may directly affect freshwater systems, soils and living organisms and to which extent. The transformation of these very stable compounds in soils were controlled by oxidation, demethylation, decarboxylation and hydroxylation. Sorption to organic matter and clay particles controlled their mobility. Despite their expected sorption in soils, sediments and sludge, all compounds can be taken up by plants and by fish. In plants, all compounds and several of their metabolites were found...
Measuring of infiltration rate in different types of soil in the Czech Republic using a rainfall simulator
David Kabelka, David Kincl, Jan Vopravil, Jiøí Brychta, Jan Baèovský
Soil & Water Res., 2023, 18(2):128-137 | DOI: 10.17221/132/2022-SWR
Knowledge of the issue of water movement in the soil is the basis for agricultural activity, but also for many other sectors. One of the basic indicators that is evaluated in soil science is the rate of water infiltration into the soil. The article specifically states how soil texture and soil moisture affect the rate of water infiltration. The results show that changes in water infiltration can be significant and certain trends can be traced. The rate of water infiltration into the soil is most affected by the sand fraction (soil particles 0.05–2 mm). The higher the percentage of these soil particles in the soil, the lower the changes in infiltration...
Soil resistance to flowing water erosion as affected by tea planting age in Three Gorges Reservoir Area of China
Guanhua Zhang, Wenjun Yang, Jiajun Hu, Jigen Liu, Wenfeng Ding, Hai Xiao
Soil & Water Res., 2023, 18(2):116-127 | DOI: 10.17221/157/2022-SWR
Soil erosion resistance is influenced by intrinsic soil properties and multiple external factors. This study investigated the effect of tea planting age on soil resistance to flowing water erosion (reflected by rill erodibility (Kr) and critical shear stress (τc)) in Three Gorges Reservoir Area. One slope farmland (as the control) and five tea plantations cultivated for 3 to 34 years were selected for sampling sites. The results indicated that bulk density (BD), soil cohesion (Coh), water stable aggregate (WSA), mean weight diameter (MWD), soil organic carbon (SOC), litter density (LD), and root mass density (RMD)...
Detection of high erosion risk areas and their incorporation into environmental impact assessment
Efrén Tarancón-Andrés, Jacinto Santamaria-Peña, David Arancón-Pérez, Eduardo Martínez-Cámara, Julio Blanco-Fernández
Soil & Water Res., 2023, 18(2):102-115 | DOI: 10.17221/91/2022-SWR
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is normally used independently of the physical and temporal location of the product, process or service under analysis. This makes LCA results more easily comparable and globally accepted. At the same time, it has drawbacks though, e.g. land use will have the same impact regardless of location. However, the use of certain terrains in high erosion risk areas as compared to others in low erosion risk areas will have a different impact on the ecosystem. The availability of airborne Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data (ALS) allows a quick and accurate morphogeometric analysis of any terrain. For this reason, this article...
Influence of Paulownia fortunei (Seem.) Hemsl. roots on preferential flow in the red soil hilly region
Zhuo Tian, Shuaipu Zhang, Qinxue Xu, Mingfeng Bi, Jianhua He
Soil & Water Res., 2023, 18(2):89-101 | DOI: 10.17221/140/2022-SWR
Preferential water flow in soil significantly affects runoff, water infiltration, storage, groundwater environment, and soil stability. Plant roots positively affect preferential flow development. This study explored the relationship between the root system of Paulownia fortunei (Seem.) Hemsl. and preferential flow using dyeing tracer test and image analysis techniques. A typical red soil hilly region on the outskirts of Guilin City (Guangxi, China) was selected as the study area. A Bright Blue solution was used to visualize the pathways followed by the infiltrated water in simulated rainfall experiments, and Image Analyzer of Plants was used...
δ13C as a tool to determine the origin of soil organic carbon: Case study of a restored sloping orchard
Mateja Mur¹ec, Jean Leveque
Soil & Water Res., 2023, 18(2):81-88 | DOI: 10.17221/101/2022-SWR
The effect of drip irrigation on the origin and size fraction of soil organic carbon was studied in the soils of an apple orchard (Malus domestica Borkh.) on hilly (20%) terrain in northeastern Slovenia in three slope positions (upslope, midslope and downslope), comparing irrigated with non-irrigated soils. Physical fractionation of soil organic carbon was performed on three soil layers (0–0.05, 0.05–0.15 and 0.15–0.30 m) in three size fractions: fraction A (> 0.0002 m), fraction B (0.0002‒0.00005 m) and fraction C (< 0.00005 m). Fraction A was the richest in soil organic carbon (7.7%), but fraction C was the dominant...