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Conservation grassland significantly reduces soil erosion risk in agricultural landscapes, as shown by a nationwide analysis of over 1.9 million Farmer’s blocks (DPBs) records from the Czech Republic (2016–2022). A logit regression model revealed that grassland establishment lowers the likelihood of erosion events by about 64%, with erosion risk strongly influenced by altitude, land use, and management practices. Spatial mapping and soil suitability classification identified nearly 240 00 hectares – mainly along 33 000 concentrated runoff pathways – as suitable for targeted grassland conversion. Despite its soil-protective function, high opportunity costs hinder uptake in economically productive regions. Cluster analysis across EU Member States confirmed a strong link between low permanent grassland share and high erosion exposure. The findings underscore the need for regionally tailored policies, long-term financial support, and flexible land management options to enhance soil resilience and promote sustainable agriculture.

The dump catchments water regime optimization is one of fundamental recultivation operations in areas devastated after surface coal mining. Two dump catchments (at Radovesice and Loket in the Krušné hory Mts., Czech Republic) were selected to study whether their hydrological balance allows to keep life in them on a sufficiently natural level. The WBCM-6 water balance model was implemented. Different hydrological conditions of the mentioned dump catchments located ca. 90 km apart were compared. The Radovesice catchment lies in a precipitation shadow and suffers from a much greater precipitation deficiency than the Loket one. Its long-term annual precipitation deficit makes about 100 mm. Based on the analysis of the dry year 2003 growing season, biotechnical hydrological measures, in particular cascades of small reservoirs, were proposed.

As a critical and universal soil physical property, soil water repellency significantly affects soil and water erosion and vegetation restoration, particularly in the karst region. This study analysed soil properties, namely, particle size distribution (PSD) in abandoned farmland and different plantations in karst areas, and their impact on water repellency to provide references for its ecological restoration. First, for the shaddock plantation, citrus plantation, ginkgo plantation, Robinia pseudoacacia plantation, and abandoned farmland, the research objects, soil particle size and water drop penetration time were measured, and the fractal parameters of soil PSD were computed. Soil PSD characteristics’ influence on water repellency was inferred according to, for example, correlation, redundancy, and stepwise regression analyses. Sand content in the shaddock plantation and clay content in the citrus plantation was the highest. The soil particles of abandoned farmland and plantations were primarily sand. The values of volume dimension D(0) in descending order were citrus plantation, shaddock plantation, ginkgo plantation, R. pseudoacacia plantation, and abandoned farmland. The values of information dimension D(1), correlation dimension D(2), and information dimension/volume dimension D(1)/D(0) in descending order were R. pseudoacacia plantation, ginkgo plantation, citrus plantation, abandoned farmland, and shaddock plantation. No significant differences were found in the symmetry degree Df, the spectral width Da of the singular spectral function, and the single fractal dimension D among the abandoned farmland and different plantations. Slight water repellency was observed in the abandoned farmland and different plantations. The degree of water repellency in descending order was R. pseudoacacia plantation > ginkgo plantation > abandoned farmland > citrus plantation > shaddock plantation. Significant correlations were found between fractal parameters and water repellency, and fractal parameters were suitable potential indicators for soil water repellency.

Pesticides and their transformation products are increasingly detected in agricultural soils and surface waters, raising concerns about their persistence, mobility, and ecological impacts. Irrigation with river water contaminated by agricultural runoff represents a significant but understudied pathway contributing to soil pollution. In this study, we investigated pesticide occurrence across soils, irrigation water, and groundwater in three intensively cultivated river basins. Soil samples from vegetable-producing fields exhibited complex contamination profiles, with 12–40 co-occurring compounds and total residues frequently exceeding levels reported for European arable soils. Several pesticides, including pendimethalin, mandipropamid, and azoxystrobin, were found at notably high concentrations, with some soils surpassing 5 000 µg/kg. Comparison of detection frequencies across matrices revealed diverse transport and retention behaviour: while certain legacy compounds (e.g., atrazine metabolites) were ubiquitous in both surface and groundwater, others showed strong soil accumulation with limited mobility. Irrigation water was identified as a non-negligible contamination source, particularly for persistent and mobile substances, although direct field applications remained the dominant contributor to peak soil concentrations. By integrating targeted and non-target screening, this study provides the most comprehensive assessment to date of pesticide burdens in riverirrigated agricultural soils and highlights the need for improved monitoring strategies in systems where soil and water pollution are tightly interconnected.

In this study, we present a detailed geochemical characterisation and stable isotope systematics of silver (Ag) in a mining waste facility at the Namib Lead & Zinc mine in Namibia (Africa). We examined a series of flotation tailings and ore minerals to address two principal questions: (1) the distribution, chemical form and leachability of Ag, and (2) the local Ag isotopic signature(s) and its variability in relation to Ag speciation in the solid phase, as well as the fate of stable Ag isotopes. Our findings reveal a significant correlation between Ag and Pb concentrations, indicating that galena is the primary Ag carrier. Most importantly, all mild extractions mobilised only a minimal amount of Ag (≤ 1 wt.% of the total amount). This suggests that most Ag is associated with geochemically stable phases, specifically sulphides, which are not subjected to leaching and/or intensive weathering. Unlike other isotope studies, the present research demonstrates a homogeneous Ag isotopic signal in the tailings and individual ore samples with an average δ¹⁰⁹Ag value of ~ 0‰ (± 0.1, 2SD). Therefore, this study provides new knowledge and clearly supports the use of Ag isotopic data to track primary Ag sources globally, not only in Africa.

This study reports layered double hydroxides (LDHs) modified wheat straw biochar (W-B), denoted as (LDH/W-B), as an efficient adsorbent material for removal of lead (Pb²⁺) ions from aqueous solution. This study also juxtaposes the adsorptive performance of LDH/W-B with W-B for Pb²⁺ removal. W-B was prepared via pyrolysis of wheat straw in a muffle furnace, using a controlled heating rate of 5 °C per min to reach 600 °C over a duration of three hours. Subsequently, LDH/W-B was synthesised using the co-precipitation method. Both resulting adsorbents were characterised for surface morphology and functional groups by means of scanning electron microscope (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), respectively. The influence of key adsorption parameters on the adsorption efficiency of W-B and LDH/W-B was systematically evaluated. At 60 min, the maximum Pb²⁺ removal efficiency was observed to be 78.21% for W-B and 92.4% for LDH/W-B. An increase in adsorbent dosage from 0.05 to 0.7 g and at a contact time of 1 h further enhanced Pb²⁺ removal, achieving efficiencies of 97% for W-B and 99% for LDH/W-B. The optimal conditions for maximum Pb²⁺ removal were determined to be 0.3 g of adsorbent (W-B and LDH/W-B), an initial heavy metal concentration of 10 mg/L, and a contact time of 1 h. Pb²⁺ removal data of W-B and LDH/W-B best fitted to the Langmuir isotherm and pseudo-second order kinetic model, which confirmed the dominance of chemisorption of Pb²⁺ ions. Additionally, the maximum theoretical adsorption capacity for Pb²⁺ is close to the experimentally obtained values, suggesting that the adsorption of Pb²⁺ primarily occurs through monolayer formation on the surface of both adsorbents. Overall, this study demonstrates that LDH/W-B is a highly promising adsorbent for Pb²⁺ removal in wastewater treatment applications.

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 fraction in the total soil volume (86‒92%), making it the largest source of soil organic carbon (73%). The δ¹³C signature was performed to determine the existence of two different types (origins) of soil organic carbon: fresh and sedimentary. Fresh organic carbon dominates in the A fraction, while sedimentary organic carbon dominates in the C fraction and may contribute to higher structural stability, besides higher carbonates in the finest fraction. Irrigation mainly contributes to the higher stock of soil organic carbon (predominantly fresh and less sedimentary) in the coarse A fraction (21.14 t/ha in irrigated and 14.17 t/ha in non-irrigated soils).

Agricultural production is one of the main sources of anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, contributing 50% and 60% of CH₄ and N₂O emissions, respectively. This study evaluated the rice yield and components, the CH₄ and N₂O emissions and the global warming potential between the triple rice (R-R-R) and sesame-rice rotation (S-R-R) systems in Can Tho city, Vietnam. The experiments were conducted in 3 cropping seasons: Spring-Summer 2016, Summer-Autumn 2016, and Winter-Spring 2016-2017. The results showed that there was no significant difference in yield components and grain yield between triple rice and rotation systems. The application of sesame rotation in rice-based could reduce the CH₄ and N₂O emission by 30.5% and 18.7%, respectively. Global warming potential in the S-R-R rotation was 9860 kg CO_2e/ha, significantly lower than the R-R-R rotation (12410 kg CO_2e/ha) by 20.6%. These results show that the S-R-R rotation has the potential to mitigate GHG emissions, especially CH₄, which contributes to a large amount of emissions in rice cultivation.

This study aimed to control land subsidence by improving the groundwater balance in the Varamin plain using the Groundwater Modelling System software and a multi-criteria decision model. For this purpose, aquifer level quantification and subsidence rate simulation were performed with the MODFLOW model and SUB package, respectively. The results showed a 6 m decrease in the aquifer level over a 5-year period and the subsidence rate in the central parts was 37 cm. Accordingly, the aquifer was evaluated by considering eight different restoration strategies based on reduced exploitation and artificial feeding. The results showed that the environmental criterion related to the subsidence adjustment index had the highest weight (0.27) and was introduced as the most important decision-making criterion. The evaluation of the results and priorities using the Complex Proportional Assessment (COPRAS) method showed that a 30% reduction in exploitation with artificial feeding is the best restoration strategy and can improve the subsidence rate and aquifer level by 36% and 76%, respectively, over a 5-year period (2024).

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 offers a methodology, based on Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) method and airborne LiDAR data, for the straightforward detection of zones with high vulnerability to erosion problems. Based on these local erosion risk data, a method is developed to assess the environmental impact of land use, based on its location. In this way, the LCA methodology is incorporated to gather local data, dependent on the specific location of the activity under analysis. The methodology developed has been applied, as a case study, to a specific municipality in the high mountains of the Autonomous Community of La Rioja (Spain).

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 and the means, and standard deviation values were considered. The monthly assessment of soil and climatic conditions showed that the uneven distribution of rainfall and the increase in temperatures have significantly affected the soil hydrological regime and forest growth. Continual monitoring is necessary to prepare projection models, which can help better understand both the soil and tree growth parameters in the changing environment.

Water erosion and the subsequent sediment deposits can cause a number of environmental problems. The damage can be mitigated by means of sediment barriers. Their use is most often associated with the construction or protection of transport infrastructure. In some cases, they can also be used in forestry and agriculture. However, there is still a number of questions concerning sediment barriers regarding their proper function, efficiency and some implementation parameters. For these reasons, we decided to verify three types of sediment barriers. They were tested by simulated flooding at a flow of 5 and 10 L/s, always for a span of 25 min. All the tested barriers had a similar soil particle trap efficiency of about 90%. We assume that this result was due to some of our modifications to the sediment barriers and, above all, through the ensured run-off, where there were no structural failures within the barriers. Furthermore, it was also found, during the simulations, that the required sediment process of the eroded soil was not significantly affected by the size of the storage space. Therefore, it should be designed primarily with regard to the required amount of sediment and not to retain a significantly large volume of water.

Grasslands are the main land use types in China, but their reclamation into croplands can influence the terrestrial carbon and, consequently, impact the global carbon balance. The long-term reclamation of alpine-cold grasslands to croplands are expected to decrease the soil organic carbon (SOC) and its fractions. Here, we conducted an in situ systematic study to measure the SOC and its fraction in soils sampled in an alpine-cold grassland with a gradient of cultivation history from 0 to 40 years. The SOC and its fractions significantly decreased after reclamation (P < 0.05), and the changes in the 0-20 cm soil layer were the greatest among the three sampling depths. After 40 years of reclamation, the SOC content and storage at 0-20 cm decreased by 74 and 60%, respectively. The decreases in the soil labile carbon fractions were more rapid and apparent than the SOC, especially the particular organic carbon (POC), which decreased by 82%. The soil humus carbon fractions also decreased, particularly the humic acid carbon (HAC), which decreased by 81%. The reduction rates of SOC and its fractions gradually decreased with an increase in the cultivation history. Besides, the ratios of the optical densities or absorbances of humic acid (HA) and fulvic acid (FA) solutions at 465 and 665 nm (E₄/E₆ ratios) and the hue coefficient (Δlog K values), which is the logarithm disparity between the 400 and 600 nm absorbance of the HA (FA) substance, in the solution gradually decreased, indicating that the quality of the soil humus decreased. The reclamation significantly decreased the SOC and its fractions in the alpine-cold soils, which should not be underestimated in the impact on the terrestrial carbon cycles and balance in the long run.

The morphological, water-physical and chemical properties, basal respiration of the southern chernozem (Chernozem Haplic Endosalic) and erosional sediment in the Trans-Ural steppe zone (Republic of Bashkortostan, Russia) were studied. The surface soil horizon significantly differs from the sediment by the better structure and water aggregate stability. The particle size distribution of the sediments, due to erosion, contains more silt and clay fractions compared to the slope soil. It indicates a great potential for the carbon saturation of the soil which is limited by degradation. The slope soil is slightly saline, the type of the salinisation is sulfate with the participation of hydrocarbonates. The CО2 emissions, the organic carbon and alkaline-hydrolysable nitrogen content is low; and significantly lower than in the erosional sediment, but the content of exchangeable cations and water-soluble salts is higher. The structural composition of the humic acid (HA) extracted from the soil and erosional sediments was determined by 13C NMR spectroscopy. Aliphatic structural fragments predominate (65%) with a maximum signal level in the area of C, H-alkyls in the HA of the surface horizon. In the HA of the erosional sediment, the proportion of aromatic structural fragments is higher (up to 59%), which is associated with the processes of hydrolysis and condensation. In the HA of the slope soil, the formation of predominantly C, H-alkyls, oxygen-containing groups, including carboxyl ones, takes place. Differences in the composition of the structural fragments and functional groups of the soil and sediment HA are due to the different stability of the organic matter under conditions of the development of the soil erosion processes.

External islands of the Gulf of Finland are an archipelago of relatively small islands located in central-eastern parts of the gulf. These islands are unique natural environments that represent an informative model for the evaluation of former agricultural soil dynamics in abandoned agricultural landscapes. Soils of these islands have been in a fallow state for about 70 years, although before that, they were arable vegetable soils of Finnish settlements for a long time. The morphological pedodiversity of external islands of the Gulf of Finland was studied during a complex expedition that took place within the framework of the program "My Region" in 2019 and was supported by Nord Stream 2 AG. The determination of main soil characteristics was carried out using standard analysis procedures. The unique soils of these areas could be used for the evaluation of the long-term evolution of anthropogenically developed soils after being in an abandoned (fallow) state. Data on soil morphology, taxonomy state and agrochemical soil characteristics are discussed, as are current soil pollution processes of these remote areas based on trace elements. Lands of external islands of the Gulf of Finland are characterised by a wide diversity of soil patterns at different stages of development.

Mine water is one of the factors threatening the environment. The aim of the review article is to discuss and critically evaluate individual strategies for the remediation of neutral mine water. A critical evaluation is an essential tool to determine an appropriate remediation strategy. A wetland system is the preferred method of metal removal. However, the disadvantage is that it takes up more space compared to other methods and has a lower metal removal efficiency compared to active metal removal methods. When creating a suitable strategy, it is also necessary to assess the conditions of the mining site, which partially or completely prevent the use of the selected remediation strategy. The benefit of this review article is the processing of suitable combinations of treatment methods for the removal of potentially hazardous elements and their subsequent recovery. Future research in the field needs to focus on the analysis of the negative aspects of the environment that may disrupt or support the implementation of the selected method of remediation.

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 of erosion potential of water released by snowmelt in the winter (non-growing) period. The analysis was carried out on a total area of 459.5 km², in different morphological and climatic conditions. The impact of climate change was assessed using historical and updated values of rain erosivity and snow erosion potential factors. The results show an increase in the risk of erosive loss in the growing season for all the analysed areas, while the values of erosive loss in the non-growing period differ from each other depending on the climatic and morphological conditions of the areas under study.

Soil salinity is a growing problem for agricultural production in irrigated areas of arid and semi-arid regions. The extent of salinity levels has not been fully studied in the Kesem irrigation scheme in Ethiopia's Afar region. The objective of the study was to identify the main issues related to soil salinity and their variations, and to assess the influence of environmental variables on soil salinity using multivariate analysis (MVA). The dominant cations in the soil were found to be soluble Na⁺, Ca²⁺ and K+ while SO₄^2-and Cl^- were the dominant anions. These ions are responsible for the salinity in the scheme. Groundwater table surveys showed that cultivated fields experienced greater fluctuations in groundwater levels compared to abandoned land due to frequent irrigation. The first two principal components (PCA) explained approximately 60% and 63% of the total variation in salinity for the top and bottom layers, respectively. The difference between the top and bottom layers suggests a management influence. According to redundancy analysis (RDA), the groundwater depth and length of irrigation years were identified as the major environmental factors contributing to 99% and 52% of the variability in salinity, respectively. These findings highlight the importance of considering the rising groundwater levels in future land management decisions.

The labile fractions of organic carbon (OC), which are a reflection of the properties of soil and its use, appear to be suitable parameters for their use as indicators. The aim of this study was to determine the reliable and relatively simple indicators for detecting the chemical and physical stabilizations of OC, which would respond sensitively to land use. The study includes forest ecosystem (FE) and agroecosystem (AE) with different tillage intensities (reduced tillage, RT and conventional tillage, CT) on real farms. Parameters of the labile C and N were tested. For a depth of < 0.1 m in the FE, the hot water extractable organic carbon (HWEOC) for chemical stabilization and labile nitrogen (N_L) for physical stabilization appear as the most suitable indicators. Higher values of HWEOC indicate the OC stabilization by decreasing decomposition, pH or by increasing carbonates, recalcitrant fractions, and higher values of N_L by OC incorporation into the silt fraction and larger macro-aggregates. In the AE with RT, these are the HWEOC for chemical stabilization and carbon pool index (CPI) or index of carbon lability (LI_C) for physical stabilization. Higher values of CPI and LI_C indicate the stabilization by the formation of size-optimal dry-sieved (DSA; 1–3 mm) and wet-sieved (WSA; 1–2 mm) soil aggregates. In the AE with CT, it was the N_L. Its higher values point to the stabilization through the carbonates, alkaline cations, size-fraction of > 0.01 mm and the formation of DSA (1–3 mm). For a depth of < 0.3 m in the AE, these are the C_L (for RT), higher value of which points to the stabilization by clay and alkaline cations, and HWEOC (for CT), higher value of which indicates the stabilization in the conditions of the soil acidification.

Knowing the relationship between forest soil properties and their stand conditions is relevant for the sustainable exploitation and management of forest soils. This study examines the influence of stand environmental factors on soil properties within forest environments. We further assessed the spatial variability of these soil properties and their controlling factors. A harmonised soil database on the entire forest areas of the Czech Republic was considered; however, only 851 sampling points with complete data on soil properties was used out of the more than 8 thousand sampling points in the database. The topsoil mineral layer of 0–30 cm was analysed. Principal component analysis was used to determine the relationships between the forest soil properties and their stand controlling factors. The nugget ratios for the semivariograms and cross-variograms were used to evaluate the spatial dependence of soil properties, and their relevant controlling factors. Forest types influence soil reaction and the availability of cations within the topsoils. Phosphorus is influenced by aluminium and cation exchange capacity. There are higher concentrations of total phosphorus and aluminium under broadleaved forest.

Forest logging activities negatively affect various soil properties. In this study, we focus on the logging effects on soil water retention and associated pore size distribution. We measured the soil-water characteristic curves (SWCCs) on 21 undisturbed samples from three research plots: a reference area, a clear-cut area and a forest track. A total of 12 SWCC points between saturation and wilting point were determined for each sample with a sand box and pressure plate apparatus. The trimodal behaviour is highlighted by the dependence between soil moisture and suction. Therefore, we proposed a revised model by combining two exponential expressions with the van Genuchten model. The exponential terms describe the influence of macro-and-structural porosities, and the latter is used to calculate textural porosity. This new model with eight independent parameters was suitable to fit trimodal SWCCs in all samples. Results revealed that logging had the most destructive effect on large pores, and the soil on the forest track was the most affected. Both soil-air and available water capacity were reduced and the permanent wilting point increased as a result of damage to the soil structure and pore system. Observed increased organic carbon content in compacted soils can be attributed to slowed decomposition due to reduced air capacity and increased waterlogging susceptibility of damaged soils.

Ground heat flux (G) is often an overlooked component of the surface energy balance, and its accurate determination remains challenging. In the present study, the accuracy of various G estimation methods is examined using long-term measurements from the Central European mountain meadow. The impact of different G approximation on calculated evapotranspiration by the Penman-Monteith method (ET) is analysed. Soil heat flux measurements and surface temperature data were used to determine G, while net radiation was used to approximate G. Neglecting G led to an overestimation of ET in the daily timestep. On the contrary, the FAO-recommended hourly approximation overestimated G, underestimating ET. Site-specific calibrations of G prediction models improved their accuracy. For daily average G, as well as for hourly average G, simple constant parameter models (i.e., models including a single parameter specifying the fraction of net radiation directly) provide satisfactory accuracy of ET evaluation. However, in an hourly timestep, net radiation fails as a predictor of G shortly after sunrise and before sunset. The findings emphasise the importance of considering G in ET calculations and the need for site-specific calibrations of G estimation models.

Alpine meadows, one of the most widespread and important vegetation types on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, are facing severe degradation. This study examines how degradation affects soil medium and trace elements in the eastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, along with their relationships with plant traits and soil properties. Results indicate that alpine meadow degradation significantly reduces vegetation coverage, height, biomass, soil water content (SWC), and the levels of soil organic carbon (SOC), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P), while increasing soil bulk density (BD), pH, and potassium (K) content. Soil Ca, Zn, and Mo decrease with degradation, whereas Mg, Fe, Mn, Cu, Ni, and Co increase, with Ca, Fe, and Mn showing the strongest changes. Correlation and redundancy analyses indicate that aboveground biomass, SWC, SOC, N, and P positively correlate with Ca, Mo, and Zn, while pH, BD, and K associate with Mn, Fe, Ni, Co, Mg, and Cu. Therefore, alpine meadow degradation significantly influences the distribution of certain soil physicochemical properties and medium and trace elements in the eastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Meanwhile, these medium and trace elements are also affected by specific soil physicochemical properties. Future grassland restoration should consider not only macronutrients and basic soil properties but also key elements like Ca, Fe, and Mn. This study provides foundational data for the ecological restoration of degraded alpine meadows.

Wildfires can greatly impact the hydraulic properties of soil. This study aims to utilise laboratory experiments to simulate burned soil conditions under a range of slope angles and rainfall intensities to address the research question: How does the presence of ash after the first rainfall event impact the hydraulic properties of burned soil in complex terrain? Sandy loam soils for this study were sourced from a mixed conifer forested area in the San Juan Mountains of southern Colorado, USA. Measurements of soil hydraulic properties in experimental microplots were taken (1) before burning, (2) after burning, and (3) 24 hours after a rainfall simulation. A total of 15 experimental microplots with ash applied were run through rainfall simulations at slope angles ranging from 10° to 30°. Results found ash eroded had no significant relation to slope angle, but there was a significant reduction in field saturated hydraulic conductivity of samples with ash after rainfall simulations. To build on the findings presented here, future research should conduct field-based studies across various ecosystems and soil types to observe post-fire soil changes over time.

The determination of the saturated hydraulic conductivity Ks on a field scale presents a challenge in which several variables have to be considered. As there is no benchmark or reference method for the Ks determination, the suitability of each available method has to be evaluated. This study is aimed at the functional evaluation of three publicly available types of pedotransfer functions (PTFs) with different levels of utilised predictors. In total, ten PTF models were applied to the 56 data sets including the measured Ks value and the required predictors (% sand, silt and clay particles, dry bulk density, and organic matter/organic carbon content). A single agricultural field with a relatively homogenous particle size distribution was selected for the study to evaluate the ability of the PTF to reflect the variability of Ks. The correlation coefficient, coefficient of determination, mean error, and root mean square error were determined to evaluate the Ks prediction quality. The results showed a high variability in Ks within the field; the measured Ks values ranged between 10 and 1261 cm/day. Although the tested PTF models are based on a robust background of soil databases, they could not provide estimates with satisfactory accuracy unless local soil data were incorporated into the PTF development.

Water erosion poses a significant threat to more than 50% of agricultural land in the Czech Republic. Maize (Zea mays L.) is particularly susceptible to soil erosion, with the bare soil space between maize rows exposed to erosive agents. Intercropping has emerged as a potential solution to mitigate soil erosion risks in maize cultivation. A series of soil erosion field experiments were conducted from 2022 to 2023 using natural rainfall to investigate the influence of selected intercrop mixtures during the growing season on sediment yields and surface runoff volume. The results revealed a gradual decrease in surface runoff volume and sediment yields over the growing season. Significantly reduced surface runoff volume and soil loss were observed in two tested intercropped plots S2 – rye (Secale cereale) and incarnate clover (Trifolium incarnatum); S3 – ryegrass only (Lolium)), compared to a control plot managed conventionally with maize (S1). Surface runoff volume and soil loss from S2 and S3 reached 2.57–43.5% and 1.26–11.65% of the control plot, respectively. These findings highlight the soil conservation effect of intercrop technologies (S2 and S3) in mitigating soil erosion in maize cultivation. The importance of vegetation cover in reducing soil erosion intensified over time. Intercropping holds promise as a sustainable agricultural management strategy for sloping maize fields.

The study aimed to evaluate the concentration of potentially toxic elements in the soil samples of landfill sites in An Giang province. Eighty-eight soil samples were collected from five landfills. The potentially toxic elements including Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd, and As were analysed and compared with the National technical regulations on the allowable limits of heavy metals in the soils. A cluster analysis was applied to identify the sampling sites with similar soil toxic elements properties. The ecological potential risk index was used to determine the risk of the landfills to the ecosystem. The results showed that four out of five potentially toxic elements were detected in the soil, and their concentration decreased in the order of Zn > Cu > Pb > As. Most of the potentially toxic element concentrations were within the allowable limits, except for Cu and As in some positions. The ecological potential risk index in unsanitary landfills was higher than that in a sanitary landfill; however, the level of risk was low. The occurrence of toxic elements in the soil around the landfills affects the ecosystems as well as human health. Therefore, it is necessary to prevent the effect of heavy metals in the surrounding environments.

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 slopes is low to medium. SQI of snake fruit land on the middle, lower and foot slopes is medium to high. SQI of grassland on the lower slopes is medium to high, and SQI of paddy fields on the foot slopes is medium to high. Weighted soil quality index (SQIw) has a higher correlation (R² = 0.90) and can predict soil quality better than the adding soil quality index (SQIa) model (R² = 0.76). Indicators that most influence soil quality are the percentage of sand, total N, C-POM, C-Min, pH, and aggregate stability, that indicators are entirely influenced by organic matter, site-specific management to maintain SQI by maintaining organic matter. The selected indicators in this study can be used to determine the SQI in similar areas.

Contour tillage is an agricultural practice that significantly contributes to enhancing water retention, reducing the risk of flooding, and mitigating soil erosion. Information about the tillage direction is used for modelling water and tillage erosion. In our study, we used Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) visualizations, originally developed for archaeological research, to visualise tillage traces and map tillage direction in the Nitra district (SW Slovakia). The tillage traces were visible in all agricultural parcels, on various agricultural fields, under various agricultural crops. The LiDAR visualisations also revealed pre-collectivization field patterns and even prehistorical field patterns in certain areas. Among the 5 961 investigated points, we recorded the application of contour tillage in 30.63% of the cases. The preference for contour tillage varied among farmers, with the highest reported percentage reaching 49.74%. Our analysis did not reveal a significant correlation between the preference for contour tillage and the slope steepness.