Articles | Volume 9, issue 1
https://doi.org/10.5194/se-9-75-2018
© Author(s) 2018. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/se-9-75-2018
© Author(s) 2018. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Research article
| 
08 Feb 2018
Research article |
| 08 Feb 2018
Assessment and monitoring of land degradation using geospatial technology in Bathinda district, Punjab, India
Naseer Ahmad
Centre for Environmental Sciences and Technology, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, Punjab-151001, India
Centre for Environmental Sciences and Technology, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, Punjab-151001, India
Related subject area
Soil science
Soil erodibility and its influencing factors on the Loess Plateau of China: a case study in the Ansai watershed
Stability of soil organic matter in Cryosols of the maritime Antarctic: insights from 13C NMR and electron spin resonance spectroscopy
Influence of slope aspect on the microbial properties of rhizospheric and non-rhizospheric soils on the Loess Plateau, China
Assessment of soil erosion vulnerability in the heavily populated and ecologically fragile communities in Motozintla de Mendoza, Chiapas, Mexico
Simulating carbon sequestration using cellular automata and land use assessment for Karaj, Iran
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon in urban soils of an Eastern European megalopolis: distribution, source identification and cancer risk evaluation
On soil textural classifications and soil-texture-based estimations
The hidden ecological resource of andic soils in mountain ecosystems: evidence from Italy
Revegetation in abandoned quarries with landfill stabilized waste and gravels: water dynamics and plant growth – a case study
Land-use changes influence soil bacterial communities in a meadow grassland in Northeast China
Physical soil quality indicators for monitoring British soils
Mineral-leaching chemical transport with runoff and sediment from severely eroded rare-earth tailings in southern China
Development of a composite soil degradation assessment index for cocoa agroecosystems in southwestern Nigeria
Land use change affects biogenic silica pool distribution in a subtropical soil toposequence
Soil erosion evolution and spatial correlation analysis in a typical karst geomorphology using RUSLE with GIS
Assessing and analysing the impact of land take pressures on arable land
Evaluating of the spatial heterogeneity of soil loss tolerance and its effects on erosion risk in the carbonate areas of southern China
Identification of regional soil quality factors and indicators: a case study on an alluvial plain (central Turkey)
Micromorphological characteristics of sandy forest soils recently impacted by wildfires in Russia
Application of a new model using productivity coupled with hydrothermal factors (PCH) for evaluating net primary productivity of grassland in southern China
Soil Atterberg limits of different weathering profiles of the collapsing gullies in the hilly granitic region of southern China
The response of Opalinus Clay when exposed to cyclic relative humidity variations
Effects of wheat stubble on runoff, infiltration, and erosion of farmland on the Loess Plateau, China, subjected to simulated rainfall
Reversing land degradation through grasses: a systematic meta-analysis in the Indian tropics
Cooperative effects of field traffic and organic matter treatments on some compaction-related soil properties
Determination of critical pH and Al concentration of acidic Ultisols for wheat and canola crops
Community-weighted mean traits but not functional diversity determine the changes in soil properties during wetland drying on the Tibetan Plateau
Leguminous species sequester more carbon than gramineous species in cultivated grasslands of a semi-arid area
Estimating soil erosion risk and evaluating erosion control measures for soil conservation planning at Koga watershed in the highlands of Ethiopia
Factors of soil diversity in the Batumi delta (Georgia)
Application of a modified distributed-dynamic erosion and sediment yield model in a typical watershed of a hilly and gully region, Chinese Loess Plateau
Nitrogen addition alters elemental stoichiometry within soil aggregates in a temperate steppe
Effects of topsoil treatments on afforestation in a dry Mediterranean climate (southern Spain)
Geochemical mass-balance, weathering and evolution of soils formed on a Quaternaryage basaltic toposequences
Soil wind erosion in ecological olive trees in the Tabernas desert (southeastern Spain): a wind tunnel experiment
Wenwu Zhao, Hui Wei, Lizhi Jia, Stefani Daryanto, Xiao Zhang, and Yanxu Liu
Solid Earth, 9, 1507–1516, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-9-1507-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-9-1507-2018, 2018
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Soil erodibility (K) is one of the key factors of soil erosion. Selecting the optimal estimation method of soil erodibility is critical to estimate the amount of soil erosion, and provide the base for sustainable land management. This research took the Loess Plateau of China as a case study, estimated soil erodibility factor with different methods, selected the best texture-based method to estimate K, and aimed to understand the indirect environmental factors of soil erodibility.
Evgeny Abakumov and Ivan Alekseev
Solid Earth, 9, 1329–1339, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-9-1329-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-9-1329-2018, 2018
Ze Min Ai, Jiao Yang Zhang, Hong Fei Liu, Sha Xue, and Guo Bin Liu
Solid Earth, 9, 1157–1168, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-9-1157-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-9-1157-2018, 2018
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Slope aspect significantly but differently affected the soil microbial biomass carbon and phospholipid fatty acid contents.
Soil carbon and nitrogen have the largest effect on the soil microbial properties.
The rhizospheric effect caused significant difference between rhizospheric and non-rhizospheric soil microbial properties.
Slope aspect affected the mechanisms driving the structure of microbial communities in a micro-ecosystem environment.
Selene B. González-Morales, Alex Mayer, and Neptalí Ramírez-Marcial
Solid Earth, 9, 745–757, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-9-745-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-9-745-2018, 2018
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Physical aspects and knowledge of soil erosion in six rural communities in Chiapas, Mexico, were assessed. Average erosion rates estimated using the RUSLE model ranged from 200 to 1200 ha−1 yr−1. Most erosion rates were relatively high due to steep slopes, sandy soils, and bare land cover. The results of a knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) survey showed that some communities with high erosion rates also had less knowledge of and more negative attitudes towards soil erosion management.
Ali Khatibi, Sharareh Pourebrahim, and Mazlin Bin Mokhtar
Solid Earth, 9, 735–744, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-9-735-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-9-735-2018, 2018
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The speed of land use changes is much higher than in the past, which led to many changes in the environment and ecological processes. These changes cause some changes in the climate, the amount of pollution and biodiversity. Monitoring and modeling historical situation of the region can be used to anticipate the negative effects of these changes in order to protect resources. Agriculture class will be faced with a huge reduction of carbon sequestration because of expansion of residential areas.
George Shamilishvily, Evgeny Abakumov, and Dmitriy Gabov
Solid Earth, 9, 669–682, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-9-669-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-9-669-2018, 2018
Miguel Ángel Martín, Yakov A. Pachepsky, Carlos García-Gutiérrez, and Miguel Reyes
Solid Earth, 9, 159–165, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-9-159-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-9-159-2018, 2018
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The soil texture representation with the standard textural fraction triplet sand–silt–clay is commonly used to estimate soil properties. The objective of this work was to test the hypothesis that other fraction sizes in the triplets may provide a better representation of soil texture for the reconstruction of the particle size distribution and for estimating some soil properties with soil texture as a predictor. The results supported the hypothesis.
Fabio Terribile, Michela Iamarino, Giuliano Langella, Piero Manna, Florindo Antonio Mileti, Simona Vingiani, and Angelo Basile
Solid Earth, 9, 63–74, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-9-63-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-9-63-2018, 2018
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Andic soils have unique morphological, physical and chemical properties that induce both considerable soil fertility and great vulnerability to land degradation. Here we attempt to show that soils rich in poorly crystalline clay minerals have an utmost ecological importance.
Our results are hoped to be a starting point for better understanding the ecological importance of andic soils and also possibly to better consider pedological information in carbon balance calculations.
Cheng-liang Zhang, Jing-jing Feng, Li-ming Rong, and Ting-ning Zhao
Solid Earth, 8, 1131–1139, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-8-1131-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-8-1131-2017, 2017
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A mixture of landfill stabilized waste and rock fragments (LGM) can be used as topsoil substitute during ecological restoration in abandoned quarries. Target species grew best when the volume fraction of landfill stabilized waste was 50 %. Moderate compaction enhanced plant growth in LGM when the volume fraction of landfill stabilized waste was lower than 20 %.
Chengyou Cao, Ying Zhang, Wei Qian, Caiping Liang, Congmin Wang, and Shuang Tao
Solid Earth, 8, 1119–1129, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-8-1119-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-8-1119-2017, 2017
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The influences of land-use conversion on soil properties and bacterial communities were assessed. Diversity was detected in four distinct land-use systems through high-throughput sequencing. Land-use changes affected soil properties and bacterial community structures. The microbial dominant taxa were unchanged, but their relative abundances were significantly different, indicating that the effects of land-use conversion on bacterial communities were more quantitative than qualitative.
Ron Corstanje, Theresa G. Mercer, Jane R. Rickson, Lynda K. Deeks, Paul Newell-Price, Ian Holman, Cedric Kechavarsi, and Toby W. Waine
Solid Earth, 8, 1003–1016, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-8-1003-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-8-1003-2017, 2017
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This research assessed whether physical soil properties can be used to indicate the quality of British soils in terms of their delivery of ecosystem goods and services. A prioritised list of physical
soil quality indicators(SQIs) were tested for robustness, spatial and temporal variability, and expected rate of change. Seven SQIs were selected: soil packing density, water retention characteristics, aggregate stability, rate of soil erosion, soil depth, soil structure and soil sealing.
Huizhong Lu, Longxi Cao, Yin Liang, Jiuqin Yuan, Yayun Zhu, Yi Wang, Yalan Gu, and Qiguo Zhao
Solid Earth, 8, 845–855, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-8-845-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-8-845-2017, 2017
Sunday Adenrele Adeniyi, Willem Petrus de Clercq, and Adriaan van Niekerk
Solid Earth, 8, 827–843, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-8-827-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-8-827-2017, 2017
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Cocoa agroecosystems are a major land use type in West Africa, reportedly associated with the problem of soil degradation. This study developed a composite soil degradation assessment index (CSDI) for determining the degradation status of cocoa soils under smallholder farming systems in southwestern Nigeria. The newly developed index can show early warning signs of soil degradation, which can help farmers and extension officers to implement rehabilitation practices on degraded cocoa soils.
Dácil Unzué-Belmonte, Yolanda Ameijeiras-Mariño, Sophie Opfergelt, Jean-Thomas Cornelis, Lúcia Barão, Jean Minella, Patrick Meire, and Eric Struyf
Solid Earth, 8, 737–750, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-8-737-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-8-737-2017, 2017
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We studied the effect of land conversion and erosion intensity on the biogenic silica (BSi) pools in a subtropical soil in the south of Brazil. Our study shows that deforestation will rapidly (< 50 years) deplete (10–53 %) the biogenic alkaline extractable Si (AlkExSi) pool in soils. Higher erosion in steeply sloped sites implies increased deposition of biogenic Si in deposition zones near the bottom of the slope, where rapid burial can cause removal of BSi from biologically active zones.
Cheng Zeng, Shijie Wang, Xiaoyong Bai, Yangbing Li, Yichao Tian, Yue Li, Luhua Wu, and Guangjie Luo
Solid Earth, 8, 721–736, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-8-721-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-8-721-2017, 2017
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This paper describes methodological experience and provides data references for international counterparts to study soil erosion in karst landform areas. The lithological and desertification factors introduced in the soil erosion model accurately reflect and predict soil erosion conditions and spatial distribution characteristics in karst areas. Future studies on soil erosion in karst areas should include underground loss in the calculation scope.
Ece Aksoy, Mirko Gregor, Christoph Schröder, Manuel Löhnertz, and Geertrui Louwagie
Solid Earth, 8, 683–695, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-8-683-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-8-683-2017, 2017
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The aim of this study is to relate the potential of land for a particular use in a given region with the actual land use. To this aim, the impact of several land cover flows related to urban development on soils with good, average, and poor production potentials were assessed and mapped. Thus, the amount and quality (potential for agricultural production) of agricultural land lost between the years 2000 and 2006 and the regions with major impact (hot spots) in Europe were identified.
Yue Li, Xiao Yong Bai, Shi Jie Wang, Luo Yi Qin, Yi Chao Tian, and Guang Jie Luo
Solid Earth, 8, 661–669, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-8-661-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-8-661-2017, 2017
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First, we report the following discovery: T values are spatially heterogeneous, and a minimum of three criteria should be considered instead of only a single criterion in karst areas. In fact, our findings disprove the old “one region, one T value” concept.
Second, we proposed a new viewpoint: in karst regions, a large soil erosion modulus does not correspond to severe soil erosion. Although T value can reflect soil sensitivity, this value cannot indicate soil erosion risk.
Cevdet Şeker, Hasan Hüseyin Özaytekin, Hamza Negiş, İlknur Gümüş, Mert Dedeoğlu, Emel Atmaca, and Ümmühan Karaca
Solid Earth, 8, 583–595, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-8-583-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-8-583-2017, 2017
Ekaterina Maksimova and Evgeny Abakumov
Solid Earth, 8, 553–560, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-8-553-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-8-553-2017, 2017
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Two fire-affected soils have been studied using micromorphological methods. The objective of the paper is to assess and compare fire effects on the micropedological organisation of soils in a forest-steppe zone of central Russia. The burnt soils differ from the control on a macromorphological level only in the upper part of the profile where the litter is transformed to ash identified as a dim grey organomineral mixture. Processes of soil erosion are clearly manifested 1 year after the fire.
Zheng-Guo Sun, Jie Liu, and Hai-Yang Tang
Solid Earth, 8, 545–552, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-8-545-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-8-545-2017, 2017
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To simulate grassland NPP in Southern China, a new model was built and validated based on data recorded from 2003 to 2014. There was a highly significant correlation between simulated and measured NPP. The NPP values had a decreasing trend from east to west and south to north. Mean NPP was 471.62 g C m−2 from 2003 to 2014. Additionally, the mean annual NPP presented a rising trend, increasing 3.49 g C m−2 yr−1.
Yusong Deng, Chongfa Cai, Dong Xia, Shuwen Ding, Jiazhou Chen, and Tianwei Wang
Solid Earth, 8, 499–513, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-8-499-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-8-499-2017, 2017
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Soil is a sphere of the earth system with a special structure and function. From the point of view of the earth system, soil science should not only study the soil material but also change towards the relationship between the soil and the
earth system, which has a profound impact on the human living environment and global change research. The results show the relationship between soil Atterberg limits and the occurrence mechanism of collapsing gullies, which can be used as a reference.
Katrin M. Wild, Patric Walter, and Florian Amann
Solid Earth, 8, 351–360, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-8-351-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-8-351-2017, 2017
Linhua Wang, Bo Ma, and Faqi Wu
Solid Earth, 8, 281–290, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-8-281-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-8-281-2017, 2017
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Soil and water losses in agriculture are a major environmental problem on the Loess Plateau, China. This study investigated the effects of wheat stubble on soil erosion in laboratory plots under simulated rainfall. These results show that the traditional plow may induce more serious soil and water losses compared to wheat stubble cover. Wheat stubble cover delayed runoff generation time, decreased the runoff and sediment loss, and increased rainwater infiltration into the soil.
Debashis Mandal, Pankaj Srivastava, Nishita Giri, Rajesh Kaushal, Artemi Cerda, and Nurnabi Meherul Alam
Solid Earth, 8, 217–233, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-8-217-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-8-217-2017, 2017
Metin Mujdeci, Ahmet Ali Isildar, Veli Uygur, Pelin Alaboz, Husnu Unlu, and Huseyin Senol
Solid Earth, 8, 189–198, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-8-189-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-8-189-2017, 2017
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Organic matter addition is an efficient way of reducing the effects of field traffic. The depth-dependent (0–10 and 10–20 cm) changes in some physical soil traits such as penetration resistance, bulk density, and porosity as a function of tractor passes and organic matter addition to clay soil.
The enhancing effects of treatments on the investigated parameters were C>GM>FYM. The increase in tillage lines made the soil properties worse and corresponded with the type of organic matter.
M. Abdulaha-Al Baquy, Jiu-Yu Li, Chen-Yang Xu, Khalid Mehmood, and Ren-Kou Xu
Solid Earth, 8, 149–159, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-8-149-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-8-149-2017, 2017
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Al toxicity to plants and soil infertility in acidic soils are the main limiting factors for crop growth. To establish which acid soils need to be ameliorated for plant growth, the parameters of critical soil pH and soil Al concentration must be determined. The critical soil pH and exchangeable aluminium of two Ultisols for wheat and canola production were determined in this study. The results obtained will provide useful references for the utilization and management of acid soils.
Wei Li, Howard E. Epstein, Zhongming Wen, Jie Zhao, Jingwei Jin, Guanghua Jing, Jimin Cheng, and Guozhen Du
Solid Earth, 8, 137–147, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-8-137-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-8-137-2017, 2017
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This is an interesting piece of work and makes a nice contribution to the knowledge on how aboveground vegetation can control belowground soil properties through functional traits and functional diversity. Functional traits are the center of recent attempts to unify key ecological theories on species coexistence and assembly in communities. The results presented are valuable for understanding the relationship between species traits, functional diversity, and soil properties.
Yu Liu, Fuping Tian, Pengyan Jia, Jingge Zhang, Fujiang Hou, and Gaolin Wu
Solid Earth, 8, 83–91, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-8-83-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-8-83-2017, 2017
Tegegne Molla and Biniam Sisheber
Solid Earth, 8, 13–25, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-8-13-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-8-13-2017, 2017
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This study was conducted to estimate the rate of soil erosion and to evaluate the existing SWC strategies in the Koga watershed. A mixed approach of field investigation and an integrated RUSLE model modified for Ethiopian highlands is being adopted for soil erosion assessment. Most of the existing SWC structures fail to meet the standard due to deficient construction and management of SWC structures. The soil erosion rate is by far higher than the tolerable soil loss rate.
Bülent Turgut and Merve Ateş
Solid Earth, 8, 1–12, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-8-1-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-8-1-2017, 2017
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The soil properties of Batumi delta, an important area for agricultural production and biodiversity in the southwest of Georgia, have not been studied yet. In order to provide scientific data, soil samples were taken from different points of delta and their basic characteristics were determined. At the end of the study, the results indicated that the soil properties were affected by the formation time and land use, and the relations between the soil properties varied depending on these factors.
Lei Wu, Xia Liu, and Xiaoyi Ma
Solid Earth, 7, 1577–1590, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-7-1577-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-7-1577-2016, 2016
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1. A distributed and dynamic sediment yield model for loess hilly area was modified. 2. Spatiotemporal evolution of sediment in an easily eroded watershed was estimated. 3. Effects of returning farmland on erosion and sediment yield were evaluated.
Jinfei Yin, Ruzhen Wang, Heyong Liu, Xue Feng, Zhuwen Xu, and Yong Jiang
Solid Earth, 7, 1565–1575, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-7-1565-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-7-1565-2016, 2016
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In this paper we report on changes in elemental stoichiometry as affected by the nitrogen addition effect within three soil aggregate fractions of large macroaggregates (> 2000 μm), small macroaggregates (250–2000 μm), and microaggregates (< 250 μm) in a temperate steppe.
Paloma Hueso-González, Juan Francisco Martínez-Murillo, and Jose Damian Ruiz-Sinoga
Solid Earth, 7, 1479–1489, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-7-1479-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-7-1479-2016, 2016
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The development of alternative low-cost and low-environmental-impact revegetation methods is necessary for the effective management of Mediterranean forest environments. This research assessed the effects of five types of soil amendment on the success of afforestation processes. In terms of land management, the study shows that the addition of mulch or hydroabsorbent polymer can reduce transplanting stress and improve the success of afforestation programs.
Hüseyin Şenol, Tülay Tunçay, and Orhan Dengiz
Solid Earth Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/se-2016-105, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-2016-105, 2016
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In this study the features of pedogenic evolution of four soil profiles formed in topographically different positions of the southwestern–northeastern direction were investigated. The results of the study showed a strong relationship between the topography and some of the soil’s morphological, mineralogical, physical and chemical characteristics. Soil depth and physical soil features such as texture, structure and bulk density were found to improve downwards within the toposequence.
Carlos Asensio, Francisco Javier Lozano, Pedro Gallardo, and Antonio Giménez
Solid Earth, 7, 1233–1242, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-7-1233-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-7-1233-2016, 2016
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Climate and soil surface conditions influence the erosive capacity of the wind, causing loss of soil productivity. Wind erosion leads soil drying and its loss of nutrients, and this in turn is conditioned by soil surface compaction. The impact of management on most of soil properties and on its wind erodibility determines agricultural productivity and sustainability. We used a new wind tunnel to evaluate all these acts.
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Short summary
The severity of land degradation was assessed by analysing the physico-chemical parameters and correlating with satellite data in the Bathinda district, Punjab. Most of the soil samples were slightly or moderately saline, while a few were calcareous and alkaline. Comparing the satellite datasets of 2000 and 2014 revealed an increase in settlements and a decrease in barren area. The study can be useful for soil and environmental scientists and planning agencies for restoration of degraded lands.
The severity of land degradation was assessed by analysing the physico-chemical parameters and...
