Effects of short‐rotation Eucalyptus plantations on soil quality attributes in highly acidic soils of the central highlands of Ethiopia

In recent decades, conversion of agricultural land to short‐rotation (5–10 years) Eucalyptus plantations has become a common practice in the highlands of Ethiopia. Yet, we have a poor understanding of the effect of these land conversions on soil quality attributes under acidic soil conditions. Previous studies along the same line but based merely on physico‐chemical properties of soils were inconsistent and contradictory. We compared soil physical, chemical and biological properties under 5‐ and 10‐year‐old Eucalyptus plantations with adjacent grassland soils. Results revealed that soil bulk density of adjacent grassland was significantly smaller than in the two Eucalyptus plantations. Although land‐use change from grassland to short‐rotation Eucalyptus did not affect soil texture significantly, values of soil pH, organic carbon, total nitrogen, calcium and cation exchange capacity (CEC) values in adjacent grassland were greater at both 0–10 cm and 10–20 cm depths compared with 5‐ and 10‐year‐old Eucalyptus plantations. Available phosphorus, exchangeable potassium and magnesium were not significantly affected under the three land‐use systems. Generally, no differences were observed in available phosphorus, potassium, calcium and magnesium concentrations or in CEC between the two sampling depths (0–10 cm and 10–20 cm). The microbial biomass carbon and microbial biomass nitrogen recorded in 5‐ and 10‐year‐old Eucalyptus plantations were comparable but significantly smaller than in adjacent grasslands. Kinetics parameters calculated using a first‐order equation (C_t = C_o (1?e^?kt)) showed potentially mineralizable carbon (C_o) was significantly larger (P < 0.001) under grassland compared with 5‐ and 10‐year‐old Eucalyptus plantations. Conversion of grassland to 5‐year‐old and 10‐year‐old Eucalyptus reduced the values of C_o by 21 and 43%, respectively. However, soil physical and chemical properties were not adversely affected by age of Eucalyptus over a 5‐year period. It is concluded that Eucalyptus plantations degrade soil ecosystem functioning and environmental sustainability compared with grassland.     

Biophysical and socio‐economic causes for increasing fallow land in Tamil Nadu

The question of increasing fallow land assumes significance at national and international levels due to the decline in net cultivated area and increasing population. Biophysical characteristics of farmland and socio‐economic conditions of farmers are responsible for the increasing fallow. This study was carried out to assess the extent of permanent fallow and identify causes for its increase. High‐resolution remote sensing data were used to identify fallow land in two identified blocks of south India, viz. Nanguneri and Kangeyam. The land resources were characterized, and the specific biophysical and socio‐economic factors responsible for the increasing fallow land were assessed. Multiple regression analysis was carried out to identify the factors responsible for increasing fallows. Soil parameters such as erosion, soil texture, soil depth and available nitrogen contributed significantly (P > 0.05) to the increase in fallow land. The size of farm holding, number of farm fragments, distance from the road in Nanguneri and farm size and the distance to the nearest town in Kangeyam were socio‐economic factors that had a strong effect (P > 0.01) on increasing the fallow land. Variable importance rankings in random forest analysis indicated that soil erosion and soil pH had the largest impact on the decision to fallow land in Nanguneri and Kangeyam blocks, respectively. Based on biophysical and socio‐economic constraints, the land resources of fallow land were evaluated for other alternate land use options and policy measures were suggested.     

Natural 13C abundance and soil carbon dynamics under long‐term residue retention in a no‐till maize system

Residue retention and reduced tillage are both conservation agricultural practices that may enhance soil organic carbon (SOC) stabilization in soil. We evaluated the long‐term effects of no‐till (NT) and stover retention from maize on SOC dynamics in a Rayne silt loam Typic Hapludults in Ohio. The six treatments consisted of retaining 0, 25, 50, 75, 100 and 200% of maize residues on each 3 × 3 m plot from the crop of previous year. Soil samples were obtained after 9 yrs of establishing the experiment. The whole soil (0–10 and 10–20 cm of soil depths) samples under different treatments were analysed for total C, total N, recalcitrant C (NaOCl treated sample) and ¹³C isotopic abundance (0–10 cm soil depth). Complete removal of stover for a period of 9 yrs significantly (P < 0.01) decreased soil C content (15.5 g/kg), whereas 200% of stover retention had the maximum soil C concentration (23.1 g/kg). Relative distribution of C for all the treatments in different fractions comprised of 55–58% as labile and 42–45% as recalcitrant. Retention of residue did not significantly affect total C and N concentration in 10–20 cm depth. ¹³C isotopic signature data indicated that C₄‐C (maize‐derived C) was the dominant fraction of C in the top 0–10 cm of soil layer under NT with maize‐derived C accounting for as high as 80% of the total SOC concentration. Contribution of C₄‐C or maize‐derived C was 71–84% in recalcitrant fraction in different residue retained plots. Residue management is imperative to increase SOC concentrations and long‐term agro‐ecosystem necessitates residue retention for stabilizing C in light‐textured soils.     

巨尾桉工业原料林坡面产流产沙动态特征

[目的]分析对比3种不同土地利用类型3a坡面产流产沙动态变化,为巨尾桉工业原料的可持续经营管理服务。[方法]对云南省普洱市巨尾桉工业原料林、灌木林、撂荒地3种土地利用类型径流小区进行连续3年定位观测。[结果]2010—2012年研究区降雨集中在6—10月,3a降雨量逐年减少。径流小区年径流总量变化依次为:2012年2010年2011年,2012年径流总量比2011及2010年分别减少了52.28%和40.92%。2010—2012年6—10月坡面产流顺序依次为:巨尾桉工业原料林灌木林撂荒地,巨尾桉工业原料林比灌木林和撂荒地分别减少产流25.01%和30.86%。2010—2012年土壤侵蚀总量变化依次为:2012年2010年2011年,2012年土壤侵蚀总量比2011及2010年分别减少了41.83%和18.49%。3a间土壤侵蚀总量与年际径流总量变化趋势一致。巨尾桉工业原料林比灌木林及撂荒地分别减少土壤侵蚀量47.56%和50.69%,3个径流小区土壤侵蚀量大小顺序与产流量一致。[结论]巨尾桉工业原料林水土保持效益最为显著,防止水土流失的效益最佳。     

The application of biochar on soil acidity and other physico‐chemical properties of soils in southern Ethiopia

The aim of this research was to investigate the effect of biochar amendment on soil acidity and other physico‐chemical properties of soil in Southern Ethiopia using a field experiment of three treatments: (1) biochar made of corn cobs, (2) biochar made of chopped Lantana camara stem, and (3) biochar made of Eucalyptus globulus feedstock and a control, in which neither of the biochar was used. Each treatment had three levels of 6, 12 and 18 t ha⁻¹. The experiment was setup with RCBD in a factorial arrangement with three replications. In this regard, a total of 36 plots (each 2 × 2 m size) were applied with three replications to the depth of 0–15cm. From these 36 plots, composite soil samples were collected to the depth of 0–30 cm and analyzed for bulk density, total porosity, pH, soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, available phosphorus, potassium, and exchangeable acidity using standard procedures before and after biochar application. Two‐way ANOVA was also used to analyze the impact of the biochars on soil acidity and other properties. For the treatments that had significant effects, a mean separation was made using Least Significance Difference (LSD) test. The results showed the application of biochar significantly reduced, soil bulk density and exchangeable acidity when compared with a control (p < 0.05). Moreover, the total soil porosity, soil pH, total nitrogen, soil organic carbon, available phosphorus, and potassium were significantly increased in the soil. From among applied biochar treatments, Lantana camara applied at the level of 18 t ha⁻¹ had a higher impact in changing soil physico‐chemical properties. In general, the study suggests that the soil acidity can be reduced by applying biochar as it can amend other soil physico‐chemical properties.     

Effects of vegetative mulches on growth of indigenous crops in the Kingdom of Tonga

As in many areas of the developing world, intensification of agriculture in Tonga, and other Pacific Islands, has put increased pressure on the soil resource. Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of mulch on the growth and yield of two important food and fibre crops. The first was conducted on sloping land to evaluate the effect of guinea grass (Megathyrsus maximus ) mulch and hedgerows on taro [Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott] yield, and in controlling soil erosion. The second compared the response of paper mulberry [Broussonetia papyrifera (L) Ventenot] to different management regimes of a grass fallow. Thick vegetative mulch increased taro corm yield by 81% and reduced soil loss by 50% compared to local farmer practice, and the soil loss from taro with mulch was comparable to the perennial cash hedgerow treatment. Mulch increased paper mulberry bark yield by 30% compared to the non‐mulch control. Comparative economic analysis showed that increased net profit in the mulched treatments compared to the non‐mulched control was T$2660/ha for taro and T$12 108/ha for paper mulberry. Considering that mulch is readily available to many farmers throughout the Pacific Islands and elsewhere in the tropics, it is recommended as a sustainable practice for crop production.     

Annual Burning Enhances Biomass Production and Nutrient Cycling in Degraded Imperata Grasslands

The invasive species Imperata cylindrica is a dominant grass covering a large part of degraded lands of India. Imperata is managed through traditional annual burning, a practice that is prevalent throughout tropical grasslands. A field experiment was conducted to quantify the effects of burning on aboveground and belowground biomass production and soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), available phosphorus (Ave P), potassium (K⁺), calcium (Ca⁺), and magnesium (Mg⁺) concentrations in 0‐ to 15‐cm soil depth under Imperata grassland. The burnt site had 44% and 14% higher aboveground and belowground biomass over the un‐burnt control plots after 300 days of the fire event. The concentrations of SOC, TN, and Ave P increased soon after the fire but decreased regressively with time after the fire in both micro and macro soil aggregate size fractions. In contrast, concentrations of K⁺, Ca⁺, and Mg⁺ increased up to 30 days after the fire in both soil aggregate fractions. Burning did not significantly alter the stoichiometric ratios (C : N, C : P, and N : P) in macro aggregates. However, burning significantly reduced the C : N, C : P, and N : P ratios in micro aggregates during the first 0–30 days. Fire increased nutrient stocks (kg ha⁻¹) by 20–35% in the burnt site in comparison to an un‐burnt control site. It is concluded that the conventional practice of annual burning increases soil nutrients in surface soils and supports higher biomass production in Imperata‐covered degraded lands. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Land use effects on microbial biomass C, β-glucosidase and β-glucosaminidase activities,and availability,storage, and age of organic C in soil

Microbial biomass, β-glucosidase and β-glucosaminidase activities, and availability, storage, and age of soil organic C were investigated after 26 years of conversion from sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) to forest (Eucaliptus robusta or Leucaena leucocephala), pasture (mixture of tropical grasses), and to vegetable cropping (agriculture) in a vertisol in Puerto Rico. Soil organic C (SOC) at 0–100 cm was similar under Leucaena (22.8 kg C/m²), Eucalyptus (18.6 kg C/m²), and pasture (17.2 kg C/m²), which were higher than under agriculture (13.0 kg C/m²). Soil organic N (SON) at 0–100 cm was similar under the land uses evaluated which ranged from 1.70 (under agriculture) to 2.28 kg N/m² (under Leucaena forest). Microbial biomass C (MBC) and N (MBN) of the 0–15-cm soil layer could be ranked as: pasture > Leucaena = Eucalyptus > agriculture. The percentages of SOC and SON present as MBC and MBN, respectively, were nearly 1% in pasture and less than 0.50% in forest under Leucaena or Eucalyptus and agricultural soil. The activity of β-glucosidase of the 0–15-cm soil layer could be ranked as: Leucaena = Eucalyptus > pasture > agriculture; while β-glucosaminidase activity was ranked as: Eucalyptus > Leucaena = pasture > agriculture. The soil δ ¹³C changed from 1996 to 2006 in forest under Eucalyptus (18.7‰ to 21.2‰), but not under Leucaena (20.7‰ to 20.8‰). The soil under Leucaena preserved a greater proportion of old C compared to the forest under Eucalyptus; the former had an increased soil mineralizable C from the current vegetation inputs. The soil under agriculture had the lowest enzyme activities associated with C cycling, lowest percentage of SOC as MBC, highest percentage of SOC present as mineralizable C, and highest percentage of MBC present as mineralizable C compared to the other land uses.     

Impacts of land‐use intensity on soil organic carbon content,soil structure and water‐holding capacity

The impact of land‐use intensity is evaluated through changes in the soil properties in different areas of the traditional central Spanish landscape. Soil organic carbon (SOC) content, bulk density, aggregate stability and water‐holding capacity (WHC) in the topsoil of active and abandoned vineyards, livestock routes (LR) and young Quercus afforested areas were analysed. These different types of land use can be interpreted as having a gradient of progressively less impact on soil functions or conservation. As soil use intensity declines, there is an increase in SOC content (from 0.2 to 0.6%), WHC (from 0.2 to 0.3 g H₂O per g soil) and aggregate stability (from 4 to 33 drop impacts). Soils beneath vines have lost their upper horizon (15 cm depth) because of centuries‐old tillage management of vineyards. Except for an increase in bulk density (from 1.2 to 1.4 g/cm³), there were no differences in soil characteristics 4 yr after the abandonment of vine management. LR can be considered sustainable uses of land, which preserve or improve soil characteristics, as there were no significant differences between topsoil from LR and that from a 40‐yr‐old Quercus afforested area. SOC content, one of the main indicators for soil conservation, is considered very low in every case analysed, even in the more conservative uses of land. These data can be useful in understanding the slow rate of recovery of soils, even after long‐term cessation of agricultural land use.     

Forms of Al in soil and soil solution in a long‐term fertilizer application experiment

Under the conditions of a long‐term fertilizer experiment, this study aimed to determine the contents of total and exchangeable aluminium in soil as well as the Al concentration in the soil solution. Additionally, Al speciation was evaluated with the use of the MINTEQA2 software. The results obtained indicated that under the conditions of long‐term application of different mineral fertilizers or farmyard manure, the soil reaction changed to a great extent (pH 3.58–6.78). At the same time, the content of total Al in soil fluctuated from 18.85 to 22.13 g/kg and that of exchangeable Al ranged from 1.42 to 102.66 mg/kg. The concentration of Al in the soil solution was highly differentiated (5.19–124.07 μmol/L) as well as that of free aluminium ions (Al³⁺) (0–16.9 μmol/L). In acidic soils, aluminium complexes with organic matter are the predominant forms of Al in the soil solution. In soils with neutral soil reaction, there were no free aluminium ions. Soil liming and addition of organic amendment were the treatments that restricted the presence of toxic aluminium forms in soil.     

Effects of grass vegetation strips on soil conservation and crop yield under rainfed conditions in the Indian sub‐Himalayas

Vegetation strips (VS) along with conservation tillage, application of organic amendments and weed mulching improve crop yields by reducing run‐off and topsoil erosion. To investigate these issues, an experiment was conducted under rainfed conditions using grass VS for four and a half years (June 2007 to October 2011) at Dehradun, Uttarakhand, in the Indian Himalayan region. VS were incorporated in the experimental plots (Entisols) in a randomized complete block design in permanent 100 × 20 m (2000 m²) plots with a 2% slope to evaluate the effects of vegetation strips on run‐off, soil loss and crop yield. Three treatments were evaluated: (i) without VS with recommended NPK under conventional tillage, (ii) panicum as VS with recommended NPK under conventional tillage and (iii) palmarosa+ that consists of palmarosa as VS along with organic amendments (farmyard manure, vermicompost and poultry manure) and weed mulch under minimum tillage. The results show that soil loss and run‐off were significantly lower (P < 0.05) in plots under palmarosa+ than without VS treatment. Mean soil loss of 3.4, 5.2 and 7.1 t/ha was recorded from palmarosa+, panicum and without VS treated plots, respectively. Mean run‐off was 234, 356 and 428 mm from plots under palmarosa+, panicum and without VS, respectively. Maize yield was lower on the plots under palmarosa+ compared with panicum, but significantly higher (P < 0.05) than without a strip. The succeeding rainfed wheat yield was significantly greater in plots under palmarosa+ than in the initial years. The wheat yield equivalent was significantly higher in plots under palmarosa+ followed by panicum and without VS. Thus, vegetation strips are recommended for wider adoption to reduce run‐off and soil loss and to increase crop yield. The long‐term goal is to achieve a palmarosa+ system (palmarosa as a vegetation strip along with organic amendments, farmyard manure, vermicompost and poultry manure) and weed mulch under minimum tillage.     

Soil organic carbon and nutrients in smallholding land uses in southern Ethiopia

This study assessed the soil organic C (SOC) and soil nutrients in smallholding home garden, woodlot, grazing land, and cropland at two soil depths and two sites in Wolaita Zone, southern Ethiopia. The results showed that soil properties were significantly influenced by land use. The home garden had significantly higher (p < 0.05) SOC and soil nutrients when compared to the cropland. When the home garden was compared to the woodlot and grazing land uses, it had significantly higher (p < 0.05) values except in SOC, total N (TN), cation exchange capacity (CEC), and exchangeable Ca. Cropland, in comparison with grazing land and woodlot, had a non‐significant difference except TN. The SOC stock (0–40 cm) in the home garden, woodlot, grazing land and cropland was 79.5, 68.0, 65.0, and 58.1 Mg ha^?1, respectively. Home garden significantly differed (p ≤ 0.05) in SOC only from cropland, and this was attributed not only to the relatively higher organic input in the home garden but also to the little organic matter input and frequently tillage of the cropland. The similar SOC among the home garden, woodlot and grazing lands may imply that the balance between inputs and outputs could be nearly similar for the land uses. Soil TN and CEC had a nearly similar pattern of difference as in SOC among the land uses because of their close relationship with SOC. In general, the land use influence on soil nutrients can be in the order: home garden > wood land ≈ grazing land ≈ cropland, with home garden showing the least difference from the woodlot and the greatest from the cropland. In the agroecosystem, in general, the influence of smallholding home garden on SOC and soil nutrient was marginally different from Eucalyptus woodlot and grazing lands but evidently different from cropland.     

Influence of land use and tillage depth on dynamics of soil microbial properties,soil carbon fractions and crop yield after conversion of short‐rotation coppices

The effect of conversion of short‐rotation coppices (SRCs) to agricultural land on soil organic carbon (SOC), soil microbial properties and crop yield is largely unknown. The objective of this study was to assess the effects of subsequent land use and tillage depth after conversion of SRCs on (i) total SOC (ii) soil C fractions with differentiation of total harvest residues and woody harvest residues from SRC and maize by ¹³C analysis and (iii) dry matter and N yield of grassland and maize. For this purpose, field trials were established after conversion of SRCs at three sites in Germany and cultivated with maize and grassland with shallow (5 cm), medium (15 cm) and deep tillage depth (30 cm). Crops were sampled for 5 yrs, and soil samples were collected at a depth of 0–5, 5–15 and 15–30 cm. Amount of total carbon and soil carbon fractions immediately and 4 yrs after conversion of SRC were compared. Tillage depth had no effect on dry matter yield of maize and grassland. The amount of woody harvest residues decreased over time following conversion at all sites irrespective of land use or tillage depth, but SOC decreased only at one site. Microbial biomass was particularly sensitive to land use, but microorganisms reacted differently to tillage depth depending on the soil conditions. Our results reveal that decomposition of woody harvest residues is rapid and that effects of tillage and land use on different soil C‐pools are site specific.     

Enhancement of area‐specific land‐use objectives for land development

Maps of land‐use classes and soil series were analysed to identify areas having specific priorities with respect to agricultural land‐use analysis. Remote sensing data supported by field investigations was used to generate land‐use and soil maps. Present relationships between soils and associated land cover/use are analysed and patterns in these relationships are identified using GIS techniques. Relationships observed on the basis of a priori knowledge of the area and the available statistics are compared and these relationships in the field and through interviews with farmers are correlated. This allows three land‐use analysis objectives to be formulated: crop management improvement; crop selection; and conservation. The results can be used to focus the efforts of planning and extension services in the area. The method was tested using a participatory rural appraisal in eighteen villages in which the areas for the three land‐use analysis objectives were identified. The findings are that the areas identified for crop management improvement require knowledge about management practices for a specific crop to optimize yield and water use. Most areas identified for crop selection are occupied by smallholder subsistence farmers with insufficient water for irrigation, and a lack of contact with the extension service. In these areas, identifying suitable crops to minimize risk and allow subsistence for the resource‐poor farmers may be the priority. In areas identified for conservation the question to be addressed is whether to grow a crop at all, or to encourage alternative activities. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Variations of Soil Organic Carbon Following Land Use Change on Deep‐Loess Hillsopes in China

Land use change is a key factor driving changes in soil organic carbon (SOC) around the world. However, the changes in SOC following land use changes have not been fully elucidated, especially for deep soils (>100 cm). Thus, we investigated the variations of SOC under different land uses (cropland, jujube orchard, 7‐year‐old grassland and 30‐year‐old grassland) on hillslopes in the Yuanzegou watershed of the Loess Plateau in China based on soil datasets related to soils within the 0–100 cm. Furthermore, we quantified the contribution of deep‐layer SOC (200–1,800 cm) to that of whole soil profiles based on soil datasets within the 0–1,800 cm. The results showed that in shallow profiles (0–100 cm), land uses significantly (p  < 0·05) influenced the distribution of SOC contents and stocks in surface layer (0–20 cm) but not subsurface layers (20–100 cm). Pearson correlation analysis indicated that soil texture fractions and total N were significantly (p  < 0·05 or 0·01) correlated with SOC content, which may have masked effects of land use change on SOC. In deep profiles (0–1,800 cm), SOC stock generally decreased with soil depth. But deep soils showed high SOC sequestration capacity. The SOC accumulated in the 100–1,800 m equalled 90·6%, 91·6%, 87·5% and 88·6% of amounts in the top 100 cm under cropland, 7‐year‐old grassland, 30‐year‐old grassland and jujube orchard, respectively. The results provide insights into SOC dynamics following land use changes and stressed the importance of deep‐layer SOC in estimating SOC inventory in deep loess soils. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

No‐tillage with half‐amount residue retention enhances microbial functional diversity,enzyme activity and glomalin‐related soil protein content within soil aggregates

A 3‐year field tillage and residue management experiment established in North China was used to analyse topsoil (0–15 cm) aggregation, and microbial functional diversity, enzyme activity and glomalin‐related soil protein (GRSP) content within aggregates. Compared with conventional tillage (CT), no‐tillage (NT) alone significantly (P < 0.05) increased organic C contents in 50–250 and <2 μm aggregates and decreased the proportion of C accumulated by 2–50 μm aggregates and microbial functional diversity indices in <2 μm aggregates. Regardless of tillage practice, both half‐amount (C50) and full (C100) residue retention tended to increase organic C and GRSP contents, or dehydrogenase and invertase activities, in certain aggregates. Under CT, a poorer performance of C50 than C100 was observed in maintaining Shannon index (H′) and Simpson index (D) in >250 and <2 μm aggregates, and also McIntosh index (U) in <2 μm aggregates, owing to insufficient residue and possible decreases in the distribution of decomposer micro‐organisms. Under NT, however, C50 was more effective than C100 in maintaining/elevating H′, D and U in all soil aggregates except for 50–250 μm, suggesting that surplus residue may induce worse soil conditions, decreasing heterotrophic microbial activities. Thus, NT with half‐amount residue retention improved soil physical–chemical–biological properties and could be a useful management practice in North China.     

Effect of crop residue biochar on soil acidity amelioration in strongly acidic tea garden soils

Strongly acidic soil (e.g. pH < 5.0) is detrimental to tea productivity and quality. Wheat, rice and peanut biochar produced at low temperature (max 300 °C) and differing in alkalinity content were incorporated into Xuan‐cheng (Ultisol; initial pH_{soil/water = 1/2.5} 4.12) and Ying‐tan soil (Ultisol; initial pH _{soil/water = 1/2.5} 4.75) at 10 and 20 g/kg (w/w) to quantify their liming effect and evaluate their effectiveness for acidity amelioration of tea garden soils. After a 65‐day incubation at 25 °C, biochar application significantly (P < 0.05) increased soil pH and exchangeable cations and reduced Al saturation of both tea soils. Association of H⁺ ions with biochar and decarboxylation processes was likely to be the main factor neutralizing soil acidity. Further, biochar application reduced acidity production from the N cycle. Significant (P < 0.05) increases in exchangeable cations and reductions in exchangeable acidity and Al saturation were observed as the rate of biochar increased, but there were no further effects on soil pH. The lack of change in soil pH at the higher biochar rate may be due to the displacement of exchangeable acidity and the high buffering capacity of biochar, thereby retarding a further liming effect. Hence, a significant linear correlation between reduced exchangeable acidity and alkalinity balance was found in biochar‐amended soils (P < 0.05). Low‐temperature biochar of crop residues is suggested as a potential amendment to ameliorate acidic tea garden soils.     

Long‐term changes in the floristic composition and soil characteristics of reclaimed sodic land during eco‐restoration

The study was conducted under the “Uttar Pradesh Sodic Lands Reclamation Project” to examine changes that occurred in the reclaimed sodic land in two districts of Uttar Pradesh, India. The study focuses on long‐term seasonal changes in the floral diversity and soil characteristics of the reclaimed sodic land over a period of 10 y. The changes in the floristic composition, plant density, and soil characteristics (microbial biomass carbon [MBC], pH, exchangeable‐sodium percentage (ESP), and electrical conductivity) were compared among the different study plots after different years of sodic‐land reclamation. The study plots comprised reclaimed land with rice–wheat cultivation; semireclaimed land under rice cultivation only and nonreclaimed barren sodic land. There was a significant variation in the floristic composition of the three study plots. Dominance in the floristic composition was shifted from monocotyledonous weeds in the nonreclaimed sodic land to dicotyledonous weeds in the reclaimed land after 10 y of reclamation. Among the soil characteristics, the most remarkable changes were observed in soil MBC and ESP during the course of sodic‐land reclamation. Soil MBC increased up to 480% and ESP values decreased up to 79% in the reclaimed plots with reference to the nonreclaimed plots. The soil amelioration was more pronounced in the upper layer (0–30 cm) as compared to the lower layer (below 30 cm depth). A positive significant correlation was revealed between soil MBC and floristic composition of the reclaimed plots. These changes in floristic composition and soil characteristics could be used as good indicators of the eco‐restoration of the sodic lands. The present study provides useful insights in understanding the temporal progress of eco‐restoration in the reclaimed sodic lands.     

Soil chemical and biological characteristics influence mineralization processes in different stands of a tropical wetland

In the Caribbean, Pterocarpus officinalis swamp forest, a coastal freshwater wetland, has been locally transformed by human activities into Colocasia esculenta monoculture (under the swamp forest) or pasture (where deforestation has occurred). The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of three land uses of this tropical wetland (swamp forest, C. esculenta monoculture and pasture) on soil abiotic and biological features. We hypothesized that increasing the level of ecosystem alteration by agricultural intensification would negatively impact soil chemical characteristics, soil fauna diversity and carbon mineralization. As expected, land use significantly affected soil characteristics and changes followed the increasing intensity of land use. The ‘undisturbed system’, that is swamp forest, was characterized by a large soil organic matter content, a high level of soil moisture, a small phosphorus content and a slightly lower pH. These characteristics were correlated with a small faunal abundance and diversity and slow carbon (C) mineralization. The ‘low disturbance system’, that is C. esculenta monoculture, was the closest to swamp forest characteristics and changes between the both systems principally concerned a very slight decrease in organic matter content and very small increase in C mineralization and Coleoptera diversity. By contrast, all parameters (soil chemical characteristics, C mineralization and faunal abundance and diversity) were impacted in the most intensive land‐use, pasture. Our study confirmed that agricultural practices have an influence on soil fauna and C mineralization processes in wetlands. Moreover, our study suggested that a C. esculenta traditional agroecosystem under swamp forest cover could be considered as an ‘eco‐friendly’ agricultural practice.     

Characterization of organic matter fractions in the top layer of soils under different land uses in Central‐Eastern Europe

The objective of this study was to investigate differences in organic matter fractions, such as dissolved organic carbon and humic substances, in soils under different land uses. Soil samples were collected from the upper layer of arable lands and grasslands. Humic substances (HS) were chemically fractionated into fulvic acids (FA), humic acids (HA) and humins (HUM), and based on the separated fractions, the humification index (HI) and the degree of HS transformation (DT) were calculated. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) was determined by cold (CWE) and hot water (HWE) extractions. Regardless of land use, the results indicated significant differences in soil organic carbon (SOC) and HS composition, with HA and HUM as the dominant fractions. Total SOC was higher in grassland (median = 17.51 g kg^?1) than arable soils (median = 9.98 g kg^?1); the HI and DT indices did not differ significantly between land uses (HI = 0.3–10.3 and DT = 0.2–6.2 for grasslands, p > 0.05; HI = 0.3–3.9 and DT = 0.2–20.1 for arable lands, p > 0.05). This indicates the relatively high stability of organic carbon and efficient humification processes in both land uses. Additionally, in arable soils lower CWE‐C (0.75 g kg^?1) and higher HWE‐C (2.59 g kg^?1) than in grasslands (CWE‐C = 1.13 g kg^?1, HWE‐C = 1.60 g kg^?1) can be related to farming practice and application of soil amendments. The results showed that both labile and humified organic matter are better protected in grassland soils and are consequently less vulnerable to mineralization.