Review of Trends in Soil Fertility Research (2007–2016) using Scopus Database

A critical analysis of publications on soil fertility was carried out using data from Scopus database for the period of 2007–2016. A total of 16,612 articles were found relating to soil fertility. An exponential increase was evident from the review of published literature and scientists involved in the soil fertility research also increased over period of time. The journals Soil Science and Plant Nutrition and Acta Ecologica Sinica were major publishers of the soil fertility research. Giller K. E. from Wageningen University, The Netherlands was a major contributor followed by Salvati L. of Centro Per Lo Studio Delle Relazioni Piñata-Suolo, Italy. China was the most productive country with 3323 articles. Cluster analysis of author-supplied keywords showed five clusters, namely, desertification, soil organic carbon, plant nutrition, nitrogen, and geostatic. This work will be useful to researchers to know the trends in soil fertility research.     

Publication Trends in Food-Borne Disease Research (1991–2015): A Web of Science Core Collection Based Analysis

This article analyzes publication trends in food-borne disease research for the period 1991–2015, using data collected from the Web of Science Core Collection. A total of 11,725 research articles were used in the analysis. Results showed that the number of publications rose exponentially during the period of study. The average number of authors per article also increased. “Food Science & Technology” was the leading subject category under which the majority of articles placed. The Journal of Food Protection was the most productive journal with 794 articles. “Kang, DH” was the most productive author and the United States was the most productive country, followed by China.     

The sediment concentration–turbidity relation: its value in monitoring at Ranger Uranium Mine,Northern Territory,Australia

Some earlier studies of erosion of the schist-dominated waste rock dump of Ranger Uranium Mine, Northern Territory, Australia, used turbidity as a surrogate for sediment concentration. Subsequent detailed studies of the turbidity–sediment concentration relation for a number of sites on the waste rock dump, reported in this paper, demonstrate that turbidity cannot be used to accurately predict sediment concentration. The results of this experiment suggest that environmental monitoring of erosion at mines in the Kakadu region of Northern Australia should use direct methods of measurement of the sediment concentration in runoff, and that turbidity measurements will not provide sufficient accuracy to satisfy audits of environmental compliance to regulatory guidelines.     

Mirza (Hacızade) Gökgöl (1897–1981): the great explorer of wheat genetic resources in Turkey

Mirza (Hac?zade) Gökgöl (1897–1981) was a leading agro-ecological plant scientist, agronomist and breeder in Turkey. Gökgöl carried out extensive breeding programmes extensively selecting from local plant genetic resources from across Turkey from 1925 till the 1950s. He collected and evaluated cultivars, landraces and wild relatives, predominantly of wheat, but also of barley, lentil and other crops in Turkey during 1929–1955. He published books on wheat and other cereals, potatoes, castor bean, sweet clover, poppy, and other crops. He was a hardworking pioneer utilizing wheat genetic resources for crop improvement. Since his ample work has hardly been accessible by the English-speaking scientific community today, we are providing an overview of his major work, mainly on wheat. The books he published can still be found in libraries, although with difficulties. However, his articles, leaflets etc., are hardly accessible. Some of them are: Turkish Wheats, vols. 1 and 2, Plant Breeding through Scientific Methods (1928, translation of a book by E. Baur), The Basics of Wheat Breeding (1954), and Agriculture and Breeding of Cool Season Cereals–Wheat, Rye, Barley, and Oats (1969). In addition to the summary of his books, we reviewed his views and discussions about the centres of origin and diversity, and compared with those of Vavilov.     

Metal fluxes at the sediment–water interface in rivers in the Turvo/Grande drainage basin, S?o Paulo State, Brazil

Purpose

The Turvo/Grande drainage basin (TGDB), located in the northwestern region of S?o Paulo state, covers an area of 15,983?km². The region is typically regarded as agricultural by the S?o Paulo State Environmental Agency, but the industrial area is expanding, and some studies have shown that metal concentrations in water can be higher than the values regulated by Brazilian law. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the role of sediments as a source or a sink of metals for drainage basin management.

Materials and methods

Interstitial water from different sediment depths (0?C42?cm) and the sediment?Cwater interface and sediment core samples were collected in February and July 2010 from the Preto, Turvo, and Grande rivers. Quantification of Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, and Pb in these samples was performed by graphite furnace or flame atomic absorption spectrometry. Metal diffusive flux estimation from sediment into the overlying water was calculated by Fick??s First Law of Diffusion.

Results and discussion

The fluxes of all metals for the three rivers were positive, indicating diffusion into the overlying water. Ni and Pb showed the lowest diffusive fluxes, which ranged from 2.4 to 3,978???g?m^?2?day^?1 for Ni and from ?0.1 to 1,597???g?m^?2?day^?1 for Pb. In turn, Cu and Cr were subject to the largest transfer to water, especially in the dry season (Cr, 4.5?C7,673???g?m^?2?day^?1; Cu, 1.3?C14,145???g?m^?2?day^?1). The Preto River (urban area) showed smaller fluxes than the Grande River (agricultural area), and the values of the latter were higher than those found in other impacted areas of the world.

Conclusions

The diffusive fluxes indicate that sediments from the TGDB act as a source of metals for the water column, with increased export of metals, particularly Cr and Ni, from the sediment into the overlying water during the dry season.     

Effects of afforestation with four unmixed plant species on the soil–water interactions in a semiarid Mediterranean region (Sicily, Italy)

Purpose

An assessment of the effect of plant cover on the properties of four afforested soils in central Sicily was performed with the aim of discriminating among them after 60?years of afforestation.

Materials and methods

Chemical and biochemical soil analyses were coupled to fast field cycling (FFC) NMR relaxation investigations in order to monitor surface interactions of water in water-saturated soils.

Results and discussion

The traditional soil analyses revealed that the most stable soil properties such as soil texture and pH are not affected by 60?years of afforestation. Soils developed under eucalyptus trees showed larger amounts of hydrophilic organic matter as compared to the soils under pines and cypresses. FFC-NMR relaxometry data revealed that water, partitioned in clay-, loam-, and sand-type pores, showed longitudinal relaxation time values affected by the interactions with the soluble carbon content.

Conclusions

The results of the present study evidenced the potential of FFC-NMR relaxometry in differentiating the effect of diverse plant cover on chemical and hydrological properties of soils developed on the same parent material. In fact, in contrast with the traditional physicochemical and biochemical soil characterizations, which were unable to reveal differences among soils afforested with different plant species, FFC-NMR was capable of monitoring differences in water dynamics as affected by the presence of the most soluble soil organic material.     

Changes in the organic carbon pool of abandoned soils in Russia (1990–2004)

The assessment of the changes in the organic carbon pool in the soils of the Russian Federation that occurred in 1990–2004 was carried out using approximation, soil-geoinformation, and simulation approaches. As a result of the changes in the system of land use, after 1990, the organic carbon storages in the 0- to 20-cm-thick soil layer could be 196–319 Mt depending on the methodology of the calculation applied and taking into account the abandoned area of 14.8 million ha. As compared to the beginning of the 1990s, the organic matter stock in the former plow layer increased by 1.6–5.8%. The great scatter of the data is mainly related to the incertainty of the estimates of the area of arable soils not used any more in agriculture.     

The Ogallala Aquifer in Nebraska: Gray Literature (1891–2010)

The Ogallala Aquifer is a key water resource for several U. S. states. TransCanada, a Canadian company, proposes to construct the Keystone XL pipeline to transport tar sands crude oil from Alberta to refineries in Texas; one proposed route would bury the pipeline in the Aquifer, raising water quality and environmental concerns. A rich inventory of information about the Aquifer predates the current controversy. This article presents a key subset of an extensive, ongoing bibliography: 128 citations to gray literature about the Ogallala Aquifer in Nebraska, which are inaccessible online and/or held in only a few libraries. The authors present several examples to illustrate the relevance of this gray literature to current events, comment on difficulties encountered during the bibliographic harvest and the identification of this subset, and reiterate the need for planned preservation through digitization of historical (print) gray literature.     

The use of comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography and structure–activity modeling for screening and preliminary risk assessment of organic contaminants in soil, sediment, and surface water

Purpose

This article aims to investigate the use and benefits of using comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GC?×?GC) and structure?Cactivity relationship modeling for screening and prioritization of organic contaminants in complex matrices. The benefit of applying comprehensive screening techniques to samples with high organic contaminant content is primarily that compounds with diverse physicochemical properties can be analyzed simultaneously. Here, a heavily contaminated industrial area was surveyed for organic pollutants by analyzing soil, sediment, and surface water samples. The hazard of the pollutants were ranked using SARs.

Material and methods

The water samples were liquid?Cliquid extracted using dichloromethane and directly analyzed by GC?× GC?Ctime-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC?×?GC?CTofMS). Soil and sediment samples were extracted with dichloromethane in an ultrasonic bath and subjected to gel permeation chromatography to eliminate lipids and humic matter. The low molecular weight fraction was then analyzed with GC?×?GC?CTofMS.

Results and discussion

More than 10,000 components were found in each sample, of which ca. 300 individual compounds were unambiguously identified using the National Institute of Standards and Technology mass spectra library and authentic reference standards. Alkanes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and phthalates were generally the most abundant and were found in all matrices. In contrast, chlorinated compounds such as chlorophenols, biphenyls, and chlorinated pesticides were only detected in samples from a few hotspot regions. The toxicities of the most frequently detected compounds and of the compounds detected at the highest concentrations in samples from hotspot regions were estimated by ecological structure?Cactivity relationships. The ratio of the measured concentration to the predicted toxicity level was then calculated for each compound and used for an initial risk assessment in order to prioritize compounds for further transport and fate modeling, complementary measurements, and more advanced risk assessments.

Conclusions

The advantage of using of GC?×?GC?CTofMS for preliminary screenings of contaminated areas was evaluated at a polluted area in northern Sweden. The area was found to carry organic pollutants such as polyaromatic hydrocarbons, aliphatic hydrocarbons, polychlorinated biphenyls, phthalic compounds, and many chlorinated pesticides. Preliminary risk assessments indicate which compounds to use for subsequent remediation experiments based on their availability on the site or toxicity.     

Do earthworms (D. veneta) influence plant-available water in technogenic soil-like substrate from bricks and compost?

Purpose

Topsoil and peat are often taken from intact rural ecosystems to supply the urban demand for fertile soils and soil-like substrates. One way of reducing this exploitation is to recycle suitable urban wastes to produce Technosols and technogenic soil-like substrates. In this study, we investigate the role earthworms can play in impacting the hydraulic properties of such a soil-like substrate.

Materials and methods

In a 4-month microcosm experiment, the influence of the earthworm species D. veneta on the hydraulic properties of brick-compost mixture was examined. Of the ten boxes filled with ca. 11 dm³ of ground bricks (0.7 cm³ cm^?3) and green waste compost (0.3 cm³ cm^?3), five contained earthworms (W-boxes) and the remaining five were used as controls (C-boxes). The substrate was periodically irrigated and the weight of the boxes and of the drained water was monitored. At the same time, images were taken from the front of the boxes to quantify the activity of the earthworms by image analysis and soil aggregation was studied with micrographs. Before and after the experiment, water retention curves were determined from disturbed samples of the substrate using the simplified evaporation method.

Results and discussion

After 6 weeks, differences between the C- and the W-boxes were evident. Micrographs showed brick-compost aggregates only for the substrates processed by earthworms. The earthworm activity leads to reduced evaporation and an increased water content in the respective microcosms. The effect persists even after disturbing the substrate. The proportion of plant-available soil water is about 0.02 cm³ cm^?3 higher for the substrate processed by earthworms (0.250 ± 0.009 cm³ cm^?3) compared with the control (0.230 ± 0.008 cm³ cm^?3).

Conclusions

This study shows that earthworms are capable of ingesting and processing crushed bricks together with compost. The earthworms produced aggregates which persisted after disturbance and had a positive influence on the water retention capacity of such a soil-like substrate constructed from waste.

     

Public concern about bats (Chiroptera) in Britain: An analysis of enquiries in 1982–1983

The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 protected all species of bat and required that, in certain circumstances, advice be sought about them. Analysis of these enquiries produced data about their geographic distribution, the types of problem that arose, the acceptability of the advice provided, the species of bat involved and the organisations receiving the enquiries. The great majority of enquiries related to dwelling-houses and, of these, most resulted from the discovery of bats roosting in the roof.The conservation organisations, mainly the Nature Conservancy Council, proved very successful in persuading householders to leave bats undisturbed; almost all colonies were permitted to remain temporarily and many were permitted to return in succeeding years. Repairs or remedial timber treatment to roofs used by bats were also important sources of enquiries and detailed advice was provided. Most enquiries came from southern England, with a sustained decline towards the north. Pipistrelles were the most common species, followed by long-eared bats. The other 13 species appeared to be involved in relatively few cases.     

Isotopic Record of Lead Contamination in Alluvial Soils and Tree Rings on Recent Floodplains (Southern Québec, Canada)

Current and past industrial pollution leaves many traces in the environment, in particular along rivers in industrial and urban areas. The isotopic analysis of the lead found in soils and tree rings offers a kind of environmental archive for presenting a portrait of the pollutant distribution in the environment in both spatial and temporal terms. This study is an attempt to identify and compare the source of contamination found in soils and tree rings located along two rivers affected by pollution over several years. Specifically, the focus is on the pattern of lead concentrations and lead isotopic signatures (206Pb/207Pb, 208Pb/206Pb, and 206Pb/204Pb) detected in soils and tree rings located on polluted floodplains. The concentration of Pb in overbank sediments does not rise with the increasing distance downstream from the point source (mining area), suggesting that significant fluvial transport of the pollutant particles over 80 km is involved. For the soil profiles, Pb concentration levels range between 12.32 and 149.13 mg/kg, with the highest concentrations found at the base of the profiles (>1 m). For the lead isotope ratios in the soil profiles, the values obtained range from 0.851 to 0.872 (206Pb/207Pb), 2.081 to 2.111 (208Pb/206Pb), and 0.547 to 0.562 (206Pb/204Pb). The tree ring analysis of red ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica Marsh.) shows average lead concentrations of 0.63 μg/g, and the lead values of all the tree specimens range between 0.03 and 11.38 μg/g. Pb concentrations varied greatly between the specimens in selected sites and lead isotope ratios in the tree rings showed a strong variability in the time series, particularly from 1945 to 1970. The greater number of variations in the lead concentration rates and isotopic ratios suggest that many more events associated with pollution and contamination have in fact occurred in this area. The study demonstrates the utility of combining stable isotope analyses (soils and tree rings) to examine the source and dispersion of contaminant Pb in fluvial systems by providing reliable and robust indicators for the detection of environmental changes on a local and regional scale.     

Aliphatic hydrocarbons in surface sediments of the Gulf of Trieste (northern Adriatic)—sources and spatial and temporal distributions

Purpose

A medium-term study of sedimentary aliphatic hydrocarbons in the Gulf of Trieste was performed. The content of the aliphatic hydrocarbons, including their spatial and temporal distributions and origins, was determined. The collected data on the content of these compounds for the period of 2004–2013 were then processed using different evaluation indices and statistical analyses.

Materials and methods

Sediment samples were collected using a gravity core sampler. Hydrocarbons were extracted with hexane and dichloromethane (1:1), and their concentrations were determined by gas chromatography (using an FID detector). Principal component analysis (PCA) was performed to establish the differences between the different sampling sites.

Results and discussion

The study’s results reveal spatial and temporal variabilities in the aliphatic hydrocarbons within the investigated area. The mean concentrations of total aliphatic hydrocarbons were in the range of 17.9–84.6 μg g^?1 d.w., while the concentrations of n-alkanes from C12 to C34 were 934–5232 ng g^?1 d.w. The results of the analyses show higher concentrations of hydrocarbons in the coastal areas, with a decrease toward the central part of the Gulf of Trieste. The interannual differences in hydrocarbon concentrations were generally larger close to river estuaries and pollution sources, where degradation processes are more intensive. Different evaluation indices revealed the hydrocarbons to have different origins. The temporal distribution of aliphatic hydrocarbons shows a decrease in concentrations over the past few years at certain sites. Important changes in the concentration and composition of the aliphatic fraction were observed in and after 2010, characterised by intensive fluvial input and long-lasting decreased salinity.

Conclusions

The content and distribution of aliphatic hydrocarbons are largely dependent on coastal sources of these compounds. Although the investigated area could be considered only slightly to moderately contaminated by hydrocarbons, the recently applied measures for pollution reduction should be continued and intensified.

     

Nollywood’s Coverage and Framing of Agriculture in the Transformation Agenda Period (2013–2014) in Nigeria

The study analyzed 108 films released during the transformation agenda period. The proportion, frequency, centrality and framing of agricultural content in the movies were reviewed. Data obtained were described using frequency counts and percentages. One out of three movies screened had agricultural content, which was either one or two scenes in the movie (80.0%). Such content was mostly peripheral (89.0%) to the themes of the films and negatively framed (60.0%). Potentials of the industry for agricultural purposes were poorly utilized by government. Government should partner with Nollywood to portray agriculture in a positive light for improved citizens’ attitude toward agriculture.     

Evaluation of seed yield and seed yield components in red–yellow (Pisum fulvum) and Ethiopian (Pisum abyssinicum) peas

Red–yellow (Pisum fulvum Sibth. et Sm.) and Ethiopian (Pisum abyssinicum A. Br.) peas have become of increasing interest to breeders in the last decade, as they have been found to be partially or completely tolerant to various biotic stresses, such as to attack by pea weevil, mildew blight or rust. A trial was carried out at the Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops at Rimski ?an?evi from 2005 to 2007, with 13 accessions each of red–yellow and Ethiopian peas sown at 100 viable seeds m^?2, in plots of 0.5 m². Seed yield per plant in red–yellow pea was significantly and positively correlated with seed number per plant (r = 0.881**), pod number per plant (r = 0.839**) and number of fertile nodes (r = 0.820**). The highest positive correlation among the agronomic characteristics in Ethiopian pea was between number of fertile nodes and number of pods (r = 0.937**). Seed yield in Ethiopian pea was highly significantly correlated with number of seeds (r = 0.807**), pods (r = 0.692*), and fertile nodes (r = 0.638*). The results suggest that plant morphology of the progenies between red–yellow or Ethiopian peas and grain-type common pea could not differ significantly from that of individual parents. That means that it could be possible to develop hybrid lines that could keep the desirable morphological traits of grain-type common pea, such as lodging-tolerance and high seed yields, and to make an introgression of a specific resistance from wild pea taxa, especially by back-crosses with the former. However, one must always be aware of unpredicted outcomes as a result of rather different genetic basis of individual seed yield components.     

The “shenandoah national park: Fish in sensitive habitats” (SNP: FISH) project. An integrated assessment of fish community responses to stream acidification

The Shenandoah National Park: Fish in Sensitive Habitats (SNP:FISH) project is a response to declining pH and acid neutralizing capacity in Shenandoah National Park (SNP) streams. SNP receives more atmospheric sulfate than any other USA national park, and pH had decreased to the point where early negative effects on fish were expected. SNP provides the opportunity to study the early stages of acidification effects on fish. Three different classes of geological formations yield streams with low-ANC (0 Eq/L), intermediate-ANC (60–100 Eq/L) or high-ANC (150–200 Eq/L) waters in SNP. This allows a comparison of responses across a water quality gradient in a small geographic area receiving similar deposition. Both chronic and episodic acidification occur in SNP streams. Biological effects are apparent in fish species richness, population density, condition factor, age, size, and bioassay survival. A primary project objective was to provide the necessary data for development and testing models for forecasting changes in fish communities resulting from changes in stream chemistry. Monitored variables include several which are predictive of acidification effects on SNP fish communities.     

Geochemical transformation of soil cover in copper–molybdenum mining areas (Erdenet,Mongolia)

Purpose

The aim of the present study is to evaluate geochemical transformation of soil cover in the territory of Erdenet (Mongolia) and to assess the environmental risk associated with soil cover contamination. The objectives of the present study included: (1) the determination of heavy metals (HMs) and metalloids contents in surface horizons of background and urban soils and the assessment of geochemical transformation of the city’s soil cover; (2) the identification of elements’ associations and patterns of their spatial distribution in the soil cover of the city; (3) the assessment of environmental hazard, related to contamination of soils with complexes of HMs and metalloids.

Materials and methods

Soil–geochemical survey was conducted by the authors in the summer periods of 2010 and 2011. In total, 225 samples, including 32 backgrounds, were collected. Bulk contents of HMs and metalloids in soil samples were analyzed by mass-spectral method with inductively coupled plasma at All-Russian Research Institute of Mineral Raw Materials (Moscow) using Elan-6100 and Optima-4300 devices (Perkin Elmer, USA).

Results and discussion

Mo, Cu, and Se appeared to be the priority pollutants nearly in all land-use zones. The maximum accumulation of Mo, Cu, Se, As, Sb, and W is restricted to the industrial area where total pollution index of soils (Zc) equals 74.8. Three technogenic associations of elements, derived mainly from petrochemical features of Erdenet ore field and characterized by similar spatial distribution within the city, are identified. Environmental assessment of surface soil horizon geochemistry in Erdenet showed that 1/5 of its area has dangerous and extremely dangerous levels of soil pollution.

Conclusions

Experience of the environmental–geochemical assessment of soil cover in the impact zone of mining enterprises could be useful for other fields of the non-ferrous metals with high lithological–geochemical heterogeneity of the territory. It suggests the need of accounting for the geological diversity and specific features of metallogeny of an area. Geochemical indices local enrichment factor/local depletion factor should be calculated against the individual background values for each soil-forming rock. Such approach allows more accurate assessment of the degree of technogenic geochemical transformation of soils and the environmental hazard of pollution.

     

Robust Ionic Liquid–Based Dispersive Liquid–Liquid Microextraction Method for Determination of Chromium(VI) in Saline Solutions

Robust ionic liquid–based dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (IL-DLLME) is a fast and simple method for extraction and preconcentration of metal ions from samples with high salt content. This method can solve the problems associated with the limited application of the conventional IL-DLLME in these samples. In this procedure, the hydrophobic chelate of chromium with ammonium pyrrolidinedithiocarbamate (APDC) was extracted into the fine droplets of 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([Hmim][PF₆]), which was dispersed into the aqueous sample solution. Several factors that influence the microextraction efficiency were investigated. In optimum conditions a linear calibration graph in the range of 0.5–70 μg L^?1 of Cr in the initial solution with r = 0.9998 was obtained. Detection limit was 0.16 μg L^?1 and relative standard deviation (RSD) for 20 μg L^?1 of Cr was 2.68% (n = 10), respectively. The proposed method was successfully applied for the determination of Cr(VI) in water samples and food additives.