Evidence of non-site-specific agricultural management effects on the score of visual soil quality indicators

This study investigates 11 agricultural management practices (AMPs) and their effects on seven visual soil quality indicators and soil aggregate stability. The survey carried out across eight pedoclimatic zones in Europe and China was based on visual soil assessments (New Zealand VSA method) performed on soils subject to different soil management practices and nearby similar soils, under similar farming features, without the distinctive soil management practice (control). Fisher's exact test was used to test if the management treatment was independent of the score of each visual soil quality indicator and to test if the management treatment produced a higher frequency of the score ‘good’. The results showed a statistically significant (α < .05) higher frequency of the score ‘good’ for ‘soil structure and consistency’ and/or ‘soil porosity’ for six AMPs. For no-till AMP, the null hypothesis can also be rejected for ‘susceptibility to erosion’ and ‘soil stability’ and for ‘mulching + permanent soil cover’ AMP, for the ‘presence of tillage pan’ and ‘soil colour’. The hypothesis that the management treatment was independent of the score of each indicator was rejected for ‘soil structure and consistency’ of three AMPs, for ‘soil porosity’ of three AMPs, for ‘soil colour’ of one AMP and for the ‘presence of tillage pan’ of one AMP. This study demonstrates that farming systems sharing a common influential soil management practice at different locations and with different soil types significantly affect the score of some visual soil quality indicators.     

Biochemical characterisation of navicular hyaline cartilage,navicular fibrocartilage and the deep digital flexor tendon in horses with navicular disease

The study hypothesis was that navicular disease is a process analogous to degenerative joint disease, which leads to changes in navicular fibrocartilage and in deep digital flexor tendon (DDFT) matrix composition and that the process extends to the adjacent distal interphalangeal joint. The objectives were to compare the biochemical composition of the navicular articular and palmar cartilages from 18 horses with navicular disease with 49 horses with no history of front limb lameness, and to compare navicular fibrocartilage with medial meniscus of the stifle and collateral cartilage of the hoof. Cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP), deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), total glycosaminoglycan (GAG), metalloproteinases MMP-2 and MMP-9 and water content in tissues were measured. Hyaline cartilage had the highest content of COMP and COMP content in hyaline cartilage and tendon was higher in lame horses than in sound horses (p<0.05). The concentration of MMP-2 amount in hyaline cartilage was higher in lame horses than in sound horses. The MMP-2 amounts were significantly higher in tendons compared to other tissue types. Overall, 79% of the lame horses with lesions had MMP-9 in their tendons and the amount was higher than in sound horses (p<0.05). In horses with navicular disease there were matrix changes in navicular hyaline and fibrocartilage as well as the DDFT with potential implications for the pathogenesis and management of the condition.     

An integrative method to quantify contaminant fluxes in the groundwater of urban areas

Background, Aims, and Scope  Groundwater in urban areas is often contaminated and emission sources can be located close to groundwater wells. The delineation of contaminant plumes is difficult because of the various potential emission sources. Thus, detection, quantification and remediation of contaminated sites in a city need more integrative approaches. Methods  A method has been developed which allows quantification of mass fluxes of contaminants in groundwater between control planes. Budget zones along the flow path are defined to calculate a contaminant balance and to quantitatively reveal input areas. Concentrations and water budgets are used to calculate mass balances for each contaminant. The city of Darmstadt (Germany) was chosen to evaluate the method. Results  The groundwater monitoring wells (GMWs) upstream of the city showed anthropogenically superposed background values for all naturally occurring inorganic species. The contaminant concentrations increased in the city (probably influenced by road traffic, gas stations, leaking sewers, etc.). Downstream from the city, concentrations usually decreased. Organic compounds typical for urban environments, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), locally exceeded drinking water regulations. In GMWs with high concentrations of organic contaminants in the city or downstream from industrial areas, a significant increase in Fe²⁺ and Mn²⁺ could be observed, in some cases coinciding with a decrease in NO₃, SO₄ and an increase in NH₄. Discussion  For typical urban contaminants, a positive budget was calculated in several zones, which shows that emissions from urban sources are reaching the groundwater. Negative budgets can be mainly explained with diving plumes and degradation. The input calculated from the individual budget zones is usually higher than the input estimated from urban emissions. Differences between the calculated and the estimated input can be explained with additional sources or (bio)degradation processes. Conclusions  It was confirmed that high concentrations of contaminants do not necessarily correlate with high fluxes. Integrative approaches can reveal areas of high contaminant mass input. The results obtained with the new method are plausible compared to the land use and the estimated urban input. The concentration pattern of Fe²⁺, Mn²⁺, SO₄ and NO₃ is partly due to natural processes, triggered by the degradation of organic matter and organic contaminants. Recommendations  Since this method includes mass balances and flux calculations, avoiding an overestimation of single point contaminant concentration, it is recommended to use this approach to quantify groundwater contamination in cities. Further research is focusing on the role of urban soils as natural reservoirs for the input of contaminants.     

植穴控制体对盐渍土水分运移的影响

该研究旨在探讨以植穴控制体作为调控水分运移的基本单元,以提高盐渍土造林成效及土地使用价值。结合土柱微宇宙试验控制技术,选取植穴控制体（PHCB）的结构因子（木本植物、植穴袋材料、覆膜材料配比、填充材料配比及填料厚度）和环境因子（地下水矿化度、土壤质地、补水量）为影响因素,设计U12(12×43×34)的混合均匀试验。经回归分析筛选出PHCB最佳结构设计参数,建立植穴控制体结构因子和环境因子与含水率间关系的预测方程。分析结果显示：当每次补水量达到5.06 mm,土壤质地为轻黏土的环境条件下,木本植物选择紫叶李、植穴袋材料为麻布、PVA（polyvinyl alcohol）/VAE（vinyl acetate-ethylene copolymer emulsion）/蒙脱石的体积比按100︰20︰10配制成覆膜材料,秸秆、枯枝落叶和木屑以质量比1︰1︰2混合制成填料,可使植穴袋内的土壤含水率提高48.83%。而环境因子的地下水矿化度及结构因子填料厚度对植穴内水分运移的影响均不显著。PHCB可以有效调控盐渍土水分运移过程,是一种盐渍土生态修复方法。     

宁夏限制开发生态区生态敏感性综合评价与保护对策

以乡镇为基本研究单元,针对宁夏限制开发生态区存在的主要生态环境问题,选取土壤侵蚀、土地沙漠化作为评价因子,运用GIS技术在单因子评价的基础上,采用多因子综合评价的方法,对宁夏限制开发生态区生态敏感性进行综合评价。结果表明:（1）研究区内各乡镇均存在生态敏感性问题,生态敏感程度分为轻度敏感、中度敏感、高度敏感、极敏感4个等级,且94.34%的面积属于中度以上敏感性。（2）生态敏感性的空间分布特征为:位于中部干旱半干旱风沙区的各乡镇,主要的生态问题是土地沙漠化;位于南部黄土丘陵沟壑区的各乡镇,主要的生态环境问题是土壤侵蚀。（3）以市（县）为基本空间单元所得的评价结果,没有考虑县内各区域之间的差异性,研究结果可操作性较差,以乡镇为基本空间单元所得的评价结果因均质性较好,研究结果具有较强的针对性和可操作性。     

Micro-hotspot determination and buffer zone value for Odonata in a globally significant biosphere reserve

Reserves are frequently constrained in design and size by various financial, social or political factors. Maintenance of existing reserves must therefore rely on strategic management practices, and prioritization of conservation activities within them. Identification of global and regional hotspots have been effective for prioritizing conservation activities. Yet, identification of micro-hotspots, or overlapping areas of endemic and rare species that are under threat at the landscape scale, have largely been ignored. From a reserve management point of view, knowledge of critical micro-hotspots within a reserve, are focal points for directing cost effective, conservation initiatives, especially removal of invasive alien plants which are a major threat to biodiversity.Using diversity patterns of dragonfly assemblages, many endemic and threatened, within a biosphere reserve located in the core of a global biodiversity hotspot, we investigated the concept of micro-hotspots. As biosphere reserves contain zones with varying degrees of anthropogenic impact, we also investigated the value of buffer and transition zones for complementing the dragonfly fauna of the reserve core. We found a distinct micro-hotspot within the protected core zone which shows concordance for both endemism and species richness. We conclude that focused conservation actions to remove invasive alien plants within this micro-hotspot would help insure its continued integrity. Furthermore, while there is greater habitat degradation within the buffer and transition zones, they support many additional species, but not those necessarily endemic or threatened. The complementary value of buffer and transition zones therefore lies in increasing habitat heterogeneity and species richness of the whole reserve.     

Soil acidification used as a management strategy to reduce nitrate losses from agricultural land

pH is known to be a primary regulator of nutrient cycling in soil. Increasing soil acidity in agricultural systems has the potential to slow down N cycling and reduce N losses from leaching thereby enhancing sustainability and reducing pollution. We conducted a field experiment to investigate the impact of acidity on N leaching in arable and grassland agricultural systems. The results showed that nitrate (NO₃⁻) concentrations in soil water were greater under arable than under grassland. Soil acidification significantly lowered NO₃⁻ concentrations in soil water over winter and spring under grassland, whilst in cereal plots a similar effect was only observed in spring. Our results suggest that soil acidification decreased nitrification causing an accumulation of NH₄⁺ which was not subject to leaching. Dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) concentrations in soil water were significantly greater under arable than grassland. Soil acidification lowered concentrations of DON in soil water, usually to a greater extent in grassland than in arable plots. It was concluded that it may be possible to use careful soil pH management as a tool to control NO₃⁻ leaching without compromising the quality of drainage water, and that this may be more effective on grassland than on arable crops.     

Biological and physical effects of non-native earthworms on nitrogen cycling in riparian soils

Global nitrogen cycling is being altered by anthropogenic disturbances including invasion by non-native species. European and Asian earthworms have invaded northern temperate forests in North America with dramatic consequences for litter thickness, forest floor plant diversity, and soil nitrogen cycling. Invasive earthworms present at the boundary of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems (i.e., riparian zones) may alter the flux of nitrogen into adjacent aquatic ecosystems. We examined how nitrogen cycling in riparian soil responds to amendments of invasive earthworms or artificial earthworm burrows. In earthworm-free riparian plots (0.25 m²), we established treatments of invasive earthworms (60 g fresh mass·m⁻²), artificial burrows (120 m⁻²), or control plots and sampled the plots after 30 days. Before and after treatment application we measured major soil characteristics (water-filled pore space, organic matter, and pH), nitrogen pools (exchangeable NH₄⁺ and NO₃⁻), and nitrogen transformation rates (net N-mineralization, net nitrification, and denitrification). Exchangeable NH₄⁺ and NO₃⁻ changed through time but did not differ among treatments. Net N-mineralization and net nitrification rates did not change through time and were similar across all treatments. However, denitrification rates in plots with added earthworms were 4 times greater than rates in control and burrow-only plots, which represents a large rapid increase in gaseous nitrogen flux out of these riparian soils. For all response variables, artificial burrows responded similarly to control plots, suggesting that earthworm biological activity (i.e., feeding, excretion, and mucus production) rather than physical effects (i.e., burrowing and soil aeration) drove the changes in nitrogen cycling. Examination of soil nitrogen pool and flux measurements suggest that this increase in denitrification was coupled with NH₄⁺ consumption by nitrifying bacteria, but future studies are needed to confirm this hypothesis. We conclude that the activity of invasive earthworms in riparian zones can increase the flux of N out of riparian zones, but the hydrologic context of the riparian zone (e.g., pore-water residence time) ultimately controls whether denitrification or nitrate leaching is the dominant flux of N.     

基于辐射模型及潜力模型划分城乡地域功能的土地整治模式

"乡村振兴"战略背景下,土地整治应与城乡地域功能紧密结合,因地制宜,从耕地增加单目标工程转型为"三生"空间重塑和人口结构优化的系统工具。该研究以扬州市41个镇(街道)619个行政村(社区)为例,通过辐射模型和潜力模型进行城乡地域功能划分,在此基础上构建不同转型目标的土地整治分区,由此将土地整治空间从乡村地域拓展为城乡全域、整治过程从空间重构拓展为人地关系重构。结果表明:1)扬州市区可划分为城镇核心功能区、城镇功能拓展区、中心村功能区、生态农业区4类地域功能区,分别占研究区总面积的7.76%、27.62%、6.55%、58.07%;2)根据功能区设定,将扬州市区土地整治区划分为都市拓展区、镇区拓展区、中心村、生态农业区,分别分布于沿江平原、交通轴线沿线、生态农业区中心地带、宁镇扬丘陵区与里下河平原区;3)都市拓展区空间目标在于重塑"工业生产+生活+公共服务"空间,人口转型目标在于实现兼业生产者向城市型生产者转型;镇区拓展区空间目标与都市拓展区类似,人口转型目标在于实现农业生产者向兼业生产者转型;中心村土地整治区空间目标在于重塑"生活+公共服务"空间,人口转型目标在于实现兼业生产者要素整合能力的提升;生态农业区空间目标在于重塑"生态+农业生产"空间,人口转型目标在于实现兼业生产者向高素质农业生产者的转型。     

长江三角洲地区土壤重金属生物有效性的研究——以江苏昆山市为例

土壤重金属的生物有效性是指土壤重金属在生物体内吸收、积累或毒性程度。以昆山市为典型区,对长江三角洲地区土壤重金属的生物有效性进行研究。结果表明,有效态Cd含量较高,生物有效性达63.8%。不同功能区重金属的生物有效性差异较大,Cd、Cu、Ni、Pb、Co以冶金电镀区最高,Cr以化工区最高,Zn以菜地区最高。不同土壤类型中Cd、Cr、Cu、Pb、Zn的生物有效性均表现为乌栅土>青泥土>黄泥土。不同母质发育的土壤上重金属生物有效性则表现为江海沉积物最高,湖相沉积物最低,且成土母质对土壤重金属的生物有效性的影响程度要大于土壤类型。随着剖面层次的下降,重金属有效态含量和生物有效性逐渐减小。植物中的重金属含量与土壤中相应的重金属的生物有效态含量显著正相关。Zn和Cd的富集系数最高,潜在风险最大。综合分析各重金属元素在土壤中的总量、生物有效性及植物中的含量,发现重金属Cd的污染最大,它将严重威胁农产品安全和地下水质量。