Uniformity,standardization and terminology: Our problems and progress

Abstract

There is increasing interest, particularly among fertilizer company soil testing laboratories, to standardize soil testing laboratory procedures and methods of reporting and interpreting soil test results. A Task Force Committee on Soil Testing was formed in 1969 by the Fertilizer Institute to formulate standard methods of testing soils. In 1971, a new organization called “Council on Soil Testing and Plant Analysis”; will begin soliciting a membership. The Council's primary objective is “to promote uniform soil test and plant analysis methods, use, interpretation and terminology”; with both organizations working toward a common goal. Considerable progress should be made toward standardizing the soil testing and plant analysis techniques.     

A soil science renaissance

The renaissance was an intellectually-rich period following a period of stasis in the medieval period. Something analogous appears to be currently taking place in soil science where novel approaches to thought are combined with a revival of ideas from the past. Renewed interest in agriculture (food, feed, fuel) and numerous publications have brought soils back onto the global research agenda. The need for up-to-date and fine resolution soil information and the revival of soil research has been highlighted and prioritised in several recent studies by the UN and other international organizations. Soil erosion, nutrient depletion and pollution are key issues that have been brought up in many recent reports - in most cases in relation to environmental degradation, climate change and world-food production. There is also an increased interest in soils in the popular press and media, and soils have entered the policy arena in many countries and several continents. We guestimate that about €3.2 billion is annually spent on soil research in Europe, North America, and some of the main countries in Asia and Oceania. For the global soil science community, there are challenges ahead to address the questions raised in these reports. There is a whole set of new techniques and methodologies in the wings waiting to take centre stage. There is a direct need to educate a new generation of soil scientists and to increase the influx of soil science students in many universities. The soil science community should benefit from the current upsurge in soil science, but the community has to deliver the goods and information that is wanted and much needed.     

Legal aspects of soil conservation and land cadaster works

The analysis of modern Russian legislation in the sphere of environmental protection, management of natural resources, soil conservation, and land cadaster works has been performed. It is shown that a common federal approach to environmental impact assessments and soil quality assessments is virtually absent. Ecological indices are not taken into account in the federal land cadaster. Most of the recently adopted legislative regulations in this sphere have a technocratic character. The recent governmental regulations on land and environmental monitoring have still not been put into practice. To ensure soil conservation policy and protect soils as a component of the environment, a distinction should be made between the notions of soil and land in the legal documents. The basic principles of the proposed law “On Soil Conservation” are outlined. It is argued that a system of soil-ecological criteria should be elaborated for the proper assessment of soil quality. As a soil conservation service is absent in Russia, it is suggested that the Dokuchaev Soil Science Society should organize an association for the protection and rehabilitation of Russian soils.     

SPAC系统中质能传输力学问题的新课题

综述了国内外对SPAC(土壤—植物—大气统一体)系统质能传输过程从事的理论研究进展;介绍了一些新的研究课题,以及国内近年来在SPAC系统研究中理论和实验研究方面所取得的一些重要成果,即调控亏水度灌溉技术,“脉冲”灌溉技术的研究及应用、用土壤水的定量管理改良盐碱地的措施等;提出了一些在SPAC系统研究中需要解决的研究难题,包括建立适当的模型、确定合理的边界条件、参数等问题。     

德国土壤科学的研究进展

本文通过访问德国前土壤学会主席以及有关文献的查对、研究,介绍了德国土壤科学的主要研究进展,包括德国土壤科学的起源、国家与国际合作、土壤发生学研究、土壤制图与分类、土壤化学与矿物学、土壤物理和生态系统研究等方面的代表性人物与主要研究进展,希望能对我国同行有些启发和借鉴作用。     

Characteristics and classification of anthropogenic soils in the Osnabrück area,Germany

Soils in the area around Osnabrück/Northwest Germany have been strongly influenced by man. The classification of these soils based on the German and international classification systems is problematical. Eight representative soils, two Anthrosols (plaggic and hortic), four soils affected by the coal and steel industry and consisting of distinct monosubstrata (coal and ore mining heaps, slag heap, sludge area) as well as two deposits of heterogeneous waste components (reclaimed wet land, filled quarry) were investigated. The sites are assessed in relation to their contamination by heavy metals and PAH as well as suitability for plant growth. An attempt was made to classify the soils using the current classification of World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB), German Soil Science Society Classification, FAO and the USA. These systems enables a satisfactory classification of two Anthrosols compared with the other soils. In the US taxonomy, the pedogenesis of technological substrata was not considered. In the FAO taxonomy, it is not acceptable to term all soils as Urbic Anthrosols without any further differentiation. This differentiation was enabled in both the WRB and the German taxonomy. In the WRB taxonomy, however, only anthropic subunits of the Regosols are included. An improvement could be achieved by the introduction of comparable subunits of the Arenosols, Durisols, Gleysols, and Leptosols. In the German taxonomy (normally soil and substrata are classified separately), the induction of toxic subunits in the presence of high soil contamination influencing the edaphon would be helpful. Furthermore, soils hardened by silica should be classified as respective varieties.     

Soil science horizons: Progress and prospects

The main tendencies in the development of Russian soil science after the previous congress (Novosibirsk, 2004) are analyzed. The major achievements of Russian pedologists in the field of the geography and cartography of soils are outlined, including the development of new small-scale maps of Russia and particular regions and the study of soils of northern territories. The latest data on the emission of greenhouse gases from soils of Russia are analyzed. It is shown that expectations of a sharp increase in the emission of greenhouse gases from the soils of northern territories in relation to the predicted climate warming are groundless. At the same time, the widespread development of soil degradation processes and the conversion of former agricultural lands into other land categories are the matters of deep concern of Russian soil scientists. The need in activation of the work of the Dokuchaev Soil Science Society in the field of the development of legislative regulations of soil management and rational use of land resources is stressed. The organization of the Soil Conservation Service in Russia, the adoption a federal law on soil conservation, the development of the national soil-geographic database, and the practical implementation of soil certification and soil-ecological monitoring are considered to be major challenges facing Russian soil scientists in the nearest future.     

Some aspects of the history of German soil science

During the 19^th century, soil science in Germany developed from a combination of agriculture and both geology and forestry. Further research developments described in this review include pedology, soil classification and mapping, soil chemistry and mineralogy, soil physics, and ecosystem research. Beside this, the German Society of Soil Science and their relations to the International Society (Union) of Soil Science are shortly introduced.     

Comparison of Copper,Manganese, and Zinc Extraction with Mehlich 1, Mehlich 3, and DTPA Solutions for Soils of the Brazilian Coastal Tablelands

Deficiency of micronutrients is increasing in crop plants in recent years in Oxisols and Ultisols in the tropics. The predominant soils in the coastal tablelands of Brazil are Ultisols and Oxisols, with low cation exchange capacity and kaolinitic clay mineralogy. Soil copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), and zinc (Zn) extracted by the Mehlich 1 solution, currently used in the regional soil-testing laboratories, were compared with those extracted by the Mehlich 3 and diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) solutions in a greenhouse experiment with 10 soil samples (0–20 cm deep) collected from representative Ultisols and Oxisols from various locations in the region. Corn was grown as a test crop, and its dry matter and micronutrient uptake was measured at 30 days of growth. Soil Cu, Mn, and Zn extracted with the three solutions were significantly correlated (0.65–0.95 range for r values), with the Mehlich 3 solution extracting greater quantities than the Mehlich 1 and DTPA solutions. Zinc and Cu taken up by corn plants were significantly related to their soil-extractable levels measured at harvest with all three of the solutions, except for Zn DTPA. However, similar relations between plant uptake and soil extractable Mn were poor, except for DTPA extracting solution.     

土壤判读竞赛的重要性及其举办构想

本文介绍了美国大学生土壤竞赛和首届国际土壤判读竞赛的举办情况。结合中国土壤系统分类研究的新进展,在土壤判读竞赛的知识准备、人员组织以及竞赛的主办与认证等方面提出了一些建议。土壤判读竞赛的开展将促进相关本科课程的实践教学改革,长期来看,还能提高我国土壤分类研究的国际地位。     

Potassium Fixation and Release in Some Calcareous Soils under Orange Cultivation

Eurasian Soil Science - Arid and semiarid soils of southern Iran may fix a large content of applied potassium (K), but the fixed K may be gradually supplied to plants. Sixteen representative soils...     

Microbial diversity in soil: ecological theories, the contribution of molecular techniques and the impact of transgenic plants and transgenic microorganisms

This review mainly discusses three related topics: the application of ecological theories to soil, the measurement of microbial diversity by molecular techniques and the impact of transgenic plants and microorganisms on genetic diversity of soil. These topics were debated at the Meeting on Soil Emergency held in Erice (Trapani, Italy) in 2001 for the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Italian Society of Soil Science. Ecological theories have been developed by studying aboveground ecosystems but have neglected the belowground systems, despite the importance of the latter to the global nutrient cycling and to the presence of life on the Earth. Microbial diversity within the soil is crucial to many functions but it has been difficult in the past to determine the major components. Traditional methods of analysis are useful but with the use of molecular methods it is now possible to detect both culturable and unculturable microbial species. Despite these advances, the link between microbial diversity and soil functions is still a major challenge. Generally studies on genetically modified bacteria have not addressed directly the issue of microbial diversity, being mainly focused on their persistence in the environment, colonization ability in the rhizosphere, and survival. Concerns have been raised that transgenic plants might affect microbial communities in addition to environmental factors related to agricultural practice, season, field site and year. Transgenic plant DNA originating from senescent or degraded plant material or pollen has been shown to persist in soil. Horizontal transfer of transgenic plant DNA to bacteria has been shown by the restoration of deleted antibiotic resistance genes under laboratory in filter transformations, in sterile soil or in planta. However, the transformation frequencies under field conditions are supposed to be very low. It is important to underline that the public debate about antibiotic resistant genes in transgenic plants should not divert the attention from the real causes of bacterial resistance to antibiotics, such as the continued abuse and overuse of antibiotics prescribed by physicians and in animal husbandry.     

Nitrogen Isotopes in Soils and Plants of Tundra Ecosystems in the Khibiny Mountains

Eurasian Soil Science - The isotopic composition of nitrogen in soils and plants may be an indicator of transformation of its compounds and sources of N nutrition of plants. Natural 15N abundance...     

The Effect of Ericoid Mycorrhizal and Ectomycorrhizal Plants on Soil Properties of Grass Meadow in Tundra of the Khibiny Mountains

Eurasian Soil Science - The study of the effect of plants with different type of mycorrhizal symbiosis on carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus transformation in soils is important in view of the...     

Lithium in Soils and Plants of Western Transbaikalia

Eurasian Soil Science - The content of lithium in soil-forming rocks, soils, and plants of forest-steppe, steppe, and dry-steppe landscapes of Transbaikalia has been studied. The mean Li content is...     

土壤环境质量指导值与标准研究 Ⅲ.污染土壤的生态风险评估

土壤中有毒有害化学物质的蓄积会影响陆地生态系统中植物、动物和微生物的生长、繁殖和生存等，甚至可能会影响到远离污染源的生态系统。生态风险评估方法因此被用来预测土壤污染物引起的生态效应，并定量评估风险产生的大小及其概率。与污染土壤的健康风险评估一样，生态风险评估在我国也处于刚刚兴起的阶段。本文介绍了欧美等发达国家当前使用的一些评估方法，评述了其研究进展，并提出了存在的问题和未来的发展趋势，旨在推动我国污染土壤的生态风险评估研究，以及基于风险评估的土壤环境质量指导值与标准的建立。     

近年来土壤重金属研究知识图谱分析及关键主题述评

土壤重金属污染问题一直都是环境科学的热点与前沿。为深刻了解国内外这一领域的关键主题及最新动态,本文以Web of Science和CNKI期刊数据库检索的文献数据为样本,以CiteSpace为分析平台,从国家、机构、作者、研究热点等诸多方面,对土壤重金属研究的现状及关键主题进行了可视化分析。结果表明,国际上土壤重金属研究呈现多样化趋势,并且中国占居核心地位;关键主题集中于污染物来源与分布、污染评价及污染修复三大领域;当前研究偏重于环境科学、农学、工程技术、化学、地质学、毒理学以及植物学的相关研究。预计未来土壤重金属研究将呈现国际化、多学科综合化、多技术协同化发展的趋势。     

Copper Accumulations in Soils,Coffee, Banana,and Bean Plants Following Copper-Based Fungicides in Coffee Farms in Arusha and Kilimanjaro Regions,Tanzania

This study was carried out to investigate the levels of copper (Cu) contamination in coffee fields in Kilimanjaro and Arusha regions, Tanzania, to increase the database on the contamination of soils by Cu-based fungicides in coffee fields. Surface (0–20 cm deep) soil samples were collected from different farms in Kilimanjaro and Arusha regions. Coffee, banana, and bean plant samples were collected from the locations of soil sampling. Soil and plant samples were analyzed at the Department of Soil Science, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania. It was found that the calcium chloride (CaCl₂)–extractable Cu was less than the detection limit of flame atomic absorption spectrometry. Diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA)–extractable (24 to 366 mg Cu kg^?1 soil) and aqua regia–extractable (80 to 806 mg Cu kg^?1 soil) Cu levels were high enough to raise environmental alarm (based on European Union guidelines) in the Cu fungicide–treated soils as compared with natural Cu levels in untreated soils (1 to 12 mg Cu kg^?1 soil for DTPA and 22 to 32 mg Cu kg^?1 soil for aqua regia–extractable Cu). Coffee, banana, and bean plants grown on soils contaminated by Cu fungicides had varied concentrations of Cu that were greater than the concentrations of Cu in the plants collected from the uncontaminated soils. Stepwise regression analysis carried out to investigate the relationships between the soil properties and the concentrations of Cu in plants revealed a significant (P = 0.01) positive relationship (R² = 0.4) between organic carbon and the concentration of Cu in banana leaves. Aqua regia–extractable Cu was positively correlated (P = 0.03, R² = 0.4) with the concentrations of Cu in banana leaves. For bean leaves, electrical conductivity (EC) had a positive significant (P = 0.01) relationship (R² = 0.56) with the concentrations of Cu in the plants. It is recommended that further research be carried out to investigate the dynamics and bioavailability of Cu for the different crops interplanted in the coffee fields.     

The Role of Mycorrhiza in Transformation of Nitrogen Compounds in Soil and Nitrogen Nutrition of Plants: A Review

Eurasian Soil Science - The role of mycorrhizal symbiosis as a control of the biogeochemical cycle of nitrogen in soils and in the nitrogen nutrition of plants is considered. The contribution of...