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8] - All Databases. 8] - All Databases. 8] - All Databases. Soil and Tillage Research - Soil quality indicator response to tillage and residue management on semi-arid Mediterranean cropland. Abstract No-tillage (NT) practices for rainfed cereal production in semi-arid Mediterranean soils can conserve water and increase crop productivity, but producers are reluctant to adopt NT because of potential increases in penetration resistance and bulk density. We hypothesized that understanding soil quality could encourage NT adoption, but methods for selecting and assessing soil quality indicators needed to be developed for this region.

Our objectives were to (1) identify the most sensitive indicators for evaluating long-term tillage and residue management within this region using factor analysis, and (2) compare soil quality assessment using those indicators with traditional evaluations using changes in water retention, earthworm activity and organic matter stratification ratio. Keywords Soil quality; Mediterranean soils; Conservation tillage; Minimum data set. Soil and Tillage Research - The role of soil organic matter in maintaining soil quality in continuous cropping systems. Volume 43, Issues 1–2, 1 November 1997, Pages 131–167 XIVth ISTRO Conference on Agroecological and Economical Aspects of Soil Tillage Abstract Maintenance and improvement of soil quality in continuous cropping systems is critical to sustaining agricultural productivity and environmental quality for future generations. This review focuses on lessons learned from long-term continuous cropping experiments.

Soil organic carbon (SOC) is the most often reported attribute from long-term studies and is chosen as the most important indicator of soil quality and agronomic sustainability because of its impact on other physical, chemical and biological indicators of soil quality. Long-term studies have consistently shown the benefit of manures, adequate fertilization, and crop rotation on maintaining agronomic productivity by increasing C inputs into the soil. Keywords. Soil and Tillage Research - Determining soil quality indicators by factor analysis. Abstract Soil quality indicators (SQIs) can be used to evaluate sustainability of land use and soil management practices in agroecosystems.

The objective of this study was to identify appropriate SQI from factor analysis (FA) of five treatments: no-till corn (Zee mays) without manure (NT), no-till corn with manure (NTM), no-till corn–soybean (Glycine max) rotation (NTR), conventional tillage corn (CT), and meadow (M) in Coshocton, Ohio. Soil properties were grouped into five factors (eigenvalues > 1) for the 0–10 cm depth as: (Factor 1) water transmission, (Factor 2) soil aeration, (Factor 3) soil pore connection 1, (Factor 4) soil texture and (Factor 5) moisture status. Factor 2 was the most dominant, with soil organic carbon (SOC) the most dominant measured soil attribute contributing to this factor.

For the 10–20 cm depth, factors identified were: (Factor 6) soil aggregation, (Factor 7) soil pore connection 2, (Factor 8) soil macropore, and (Factor 9) plant production. Keywords. Soil Biology and Biochemistry - Different approaches to evaluating soil quality using biochemical properties. Abstract Soil biochemical properties are indicators of soil quality, but there is still no consensus as to how they should be used. We review the trends in their use over the last decade. Generally, biochemical properties related to the biocycles of the elements (C, N, P and S) are used to diagnose soil quality.

These properties include both general biochemical parameters (i.e. microbial biomass C, dehydrogenase activity and N mineralization potential) and specific biochemical parameters (i.e. the activity of hydrolytic enzymes, such as phosphatase, urease and β-glucosidase). Keywords Biochemical soil properties; Soil quality indicators; Soil enzymes; Sustainability indices Copyright © 2004 Elsevier Ltd. Soil Biology and Biochemistry - Microbe-mediated processes as indicators to establish the normal operating range of soil functioning. Abstract Soils are major contributors to global nutrient cycling processes, which are indispensable for the healthy functioning of our ecosystems.

In this study, we raise the question whether soil functioning can be captured in a concept denominated normal operating range (NOR), or the normal fluctuations in soil functioning under field conditions. We further examine how this concept could be effectively used to evaluate the impact of disturbances on agricultural ecosystems. We propose the establishment of a NOR on the basis of multiple parameters in the soil. These should include so-called sensitive processes, that is, those processes that are poorly redundant and easily deviate following a stress situation. The model that we built allowed to visualize the interplay of multiple soil parameters, under which the sensitive ones, which would be most indicative of a disturbance.

Highlights Keywords NOR; Soil quality; Indicators; Nitrification; Disturbances Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. Environment International - Soil quality assessment under emerging regulatory requirements. Abstract New and emerging policies that aim to set standards for protection and sustainable use of soil are likely to require identification of geographical risk/priority areas. Soil degradation can be seen as the change or disturbance in soil quality and it is therefore crucial that soil and soil quality are well understood to protect soils and to meet legislative requirements. To increase this understanding a review of the soil quality definition evaluated its development, with a formal scientific approach to assessment beginning in the 1970s, followed by a period of discussion and refinement. A number of reservations about soil quality assessment expressed in the literature are summarised. Taking concerns into account, a definition of soil quality incorporating soil's ability to meet multifunctional requirements, to provide ecosystem services, and the potential for soils to affect other environmental media is described.

Keywords. Geoderma - Past, present and future of soil quality indices: A biological perspective. Abstract The concept of soil quality gives rise to more controversy than that of water or air quality. However, despite the difficulty in providing a definition, the maintenance of soil quality is critical for ensuring the sustainability of the environment and the biosphere. Literature exhibit a great number of soil quality indices for both agro-ecosystems and natural or contaminated soils. The objective of this work was to make a review of some of the soil quality indices established up to date as well as of the parameters that make up them, and to offer a reflection on the lack of consensus concerning the use of these indices.

We will focus in those indices including biological parameters. The most straightforward index used in the literature is the metabolic quotient (qCO2) (respiration to microbial biomass ratio), widely used to evaluate ecosystem development, disturbance or system maturity. Keywords Copyright © 2008 Elsevier B.V. Les formes d'humus, révélatrices du fonctionnement de l'écosystème: Un exemple des pâturages boisés du Jura Suisse (Article de périodique) | Elena Havlicek, Jean-Michel Gobat - 1998 (Ecologie) Geoderma - Storage of organic carbon in aggregate and density fractions of silty soils under different types of land use. Volume 128, Issues 1–2, September 2005, Pages 63–79 Mechanisms and regulation of organic matter stabilisation in soils Edited By I. Kögel-Knabner, M. von Lützow, G. Guggenberger, H. Abstract The type of land use and soil cultivation are important factors controlling organic carbon storage in soils and they may also change the relative importance of different mechanisms of soil organic matter stabilization.

The major part (86–91%) of the SOC was associated with the heavy mineral fraction at the grassland, maize and wheat site. The mean age of organic carbon in the water-stable aggregates in the Ap horizon of the maize site increased with decreasing aggregate size from 35 yr (>1000 μm) to 86 yr (<53 μm). Keywords Aggregation; Land use; Nitrogen storage; Organic carbon turnover; Organic matter fractions; Organic matter storage; 13C natural abundance Copyright © 2004 Elsevier B.V. Applied Soil Ecology - Effect of organic, sustainable, and conventional management strategies in grower fields on soil physical, chemical, and biological factors and the incidence of Southern blight.

Abstract The objectives of our research were to evaluate the impact of organic, sustainable, and conventional management strategies in grower fields on soil physical, chemical, and biological factors including soil microbial species and functional diversity and their effect on the Basidiomycete plant pathogen Sclerotium rolfsii, causal agent of Southern blight. Soils from 10 field locations including conventional, organic and sustainable farms were sampled and assayed for disease suppressiveness in greenhouse assays, and soil quality indicators. Soils from organic and sustainable farms were more suppressive to Southern blight than soils from conventional farms.

Soils from organic farms had improved soil chemical factors and higher levels of extractable C and N, higher microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen, and net mineralizable N. Keywords Copyright © 2007 Elsevier B.V. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment - Historical evolution of soil organic matter concepts and their relationships with the fertility and sustainability of cropping systems. Review a Institute of Forestry, Agricultural and Environmental Engineering (ENGREF), BP 7353, 34086 Montpellier Cedex 4, Franceb Institute for Research and Development (IRD, ex-ORSTOM), UR179 SeqBio, BP 64501, 34394 Montpellier Cedex 5, Francec Institute for Research and Development (IRD, ex-ORSTOM), UR179 SeqBio, BP 434, 101 Antananarivo, Madagascard Tropical Soil Biology and Fertility Institute of CIAT (TSBF-CIAT), P.O.

Box 30677, Nairobi, Kenya Received 31 August 2004 Revised 7 July 2006 Accepted 25 July 2006 Available online 27 September 2006 Choose an option to locate/access this article: Check if you have access through your login credentials or your institution Check access Abstract Soil organic matter (SOM) is understood today as the non-living product of the decomposition of plant and animal substances. Keywords Agro-ecology; History; Humus; Soil fertility; Soil organic matter; Sustainability Figures and tables from this article: Copyright © 2006 Elsevier B.V. Soil and Tillage Research - Is there a critical level of organic matter in the agricultural soils of temperate regions: a review.

Abstract Soil organic matter (SOM) is a complex mixture, which influences a number of soil properties and nutrient cycling, and is itself influenced in kind and amount by land-use, soil type, climate and vegetation. There is considerable concern that, if SOM concentrations in soils are allowed to decrease too much, then the productive capacity of agriculture will be compromised by deterioration in soil physical properties and by impairment of soil nutrient cycling mechanisms. This has clear implications for the sustainable use of soil. We have focussed our discussion from the standpoint of the sustainability of UK agriculture, because we know that best, but similar concerns are equally valid elsewhere in the world.

This review summarises what is known about critical thresholds of SOC or SOM, mainly in soils of temperate regions. Keywords Soil organic carbon; Soil organic matter; Critical levels; Soil quality; Temperate soils; England and Wales Copyright © 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment - Soil organic matter and biological soil quality indicators after 21 years of organic and conventional farming. Abstract Organic farming systems often comprise crops and livestock, recycle farmyard manure for fertilization, and preventive or biocontrol measures are used for plant protection. We determined indicators for soil quality changes in the DOK long-term comparison trial that was initiated in 1978. This replicated field trial comprises organic and integrated (conventional) farming systems that are typical for Swiss agriculture.

Livestock based bio-organic (BIOORG), bio-dynamic (BIODYN) and integrated farming systems (CONFYM) were compared at reduced and normal fertilization intensity (0.7 and 1.4 livestock units, LU) in a 7 year crop rotation. A stockless integrated system is fertilized with mineral fertilizers exclusively (CONMIN) and one control treatment remained unfertilized (NOFERT). The CONFYM system is amended with stacked manure, supplemental mineral fertilizers, as well as chemical pesticides. Keywords Copyright © 2006 Elsevier B.V. Forest Ecology and Management - Is soil carbon a useful indicator of sustainable forest soil management?—a case study from native eucalypt forests of south-eastern Australia.

Volume 171, Issues 1–2, 1 November 2002, Pages 59–74 Forest soil sustainability. Selected papers from an Internation Symposium on " Sustainability of Forest Soils " held at Vila Real , Portugal , September 18-22, 2000. Abstract The area and percent of forest land with significantly diminished soil organic matter (SOM) and/or changes in other soil chemical properties has been proposed as a regional sustainability indicator for Australia’s forests. This study examined for native eucalypt forest in south-eastern Australia how representative soil organic carbon (SOC) is of important ecosystem properties and processes. In addition, it was investigated how sensitive the proposed indicator is to management-induced disturbance of these forests.

Three sites in Victoria with a known disturbance history and a mapped distribution of soil disturbance (different intensities of fire, snig tracks, and soil perturbation) were included. Keywords Copyright © 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. Ecological Indicators - Towards the application of soil organic matter as an indicator of forest ecosystem productivity: Deriving thresholds, developing monitoring systems, and evaluating practices.

Abstract Soil organic matter (SOM), typically measured as soil organic carbon (SOC), has been widely recognized as a critical linkage between forest management and long-term site productivity. However, its use as an indicator of sustainable forest management practices has been limited both by difficulties in detecting changes in soil carbon due to inherent high variability and by challenges associated with determining appropriate thresholds for loss. In this study we evaluate a methodology for using field measures of total SOC (forest floor to 60 cm depth in mineral soil) in conjunction with a mechanistic forest growth model to derive threshold values for total SOC with respect to the maintenance of ecosystem productivity for a lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) forest in the central interior region of British Columbia.