Quantitative assessment of soil quality indices for urban croplands in a calcareous semi-arid ecosystem

Geoderma ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 382 ◽  
pp. 114781
Author(s):  
N. Mamehpour ◽  
Salar Rezapour ◽  
N. Ghaemian
Keyword(s):  
Soil Quality ◽  
Quantitative Assessment ◽  
Arid Ecosystem ◽  
Quality Indices ◽  
Semi Arid

Soil quality indices for evaluation of long-term land use and soil management practices in semi-arid sub-tropical India

2008 ◽  
Vol 19 (5) ◽  
pp. 516-529 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. E. Masto ◽  
P. K. Chhonkar ◽  
T. J. Purakayastha ◽  
A. K. Patra ◽  
D. Singh
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Soil Quality ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Soil Management ◽  
Quality Indices ◽  
Semi Arid

Development of vegetation based soil quality indices for mineralized terrane in arid and semi-arid regions

2012 ◽  
Vol 20 ◽  
pp. 65-74 ◽  
Author(s):  
S.W. Blecker ◽  
L.L. Stillings ◽  
M.C. Amacher ◽  
J.A. Ippolito ◽  
N.M. DeCrappeo
Keyword(s):  
Soil Quality ◽  
Arid Regions ◽  
Quality Indices ◽  
Semi Arid

Evaluation of long-term soil management practices using key indicators and soil quality indices in a semi-arid tropical Alfisol

Soil Research ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 46 (4) ◽  
pp. 368 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. L. Sharma ◽  
J. Kusuma Grace ◽  
Uttam Kumar Mandal ◽  
Pravin N. Gajbhiye ◽  
K. Srinivas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Quality ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Nutrient Management ◽  
Central Research ◽  
Quality Indices ◽  
Available N ◽  
Nutrient Use ◽  
Key Indicators ◽  
Semi Arid

Alfisol soils of rainfed semi-arid tropics (SAT) are degrading due to several physical, chemical, and biological constraints. Appropriate soil-nutrient management practices may help to check further soil degradation. A long-term experiment comprising tillage and conjunctive nutrient use treatments under a sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench)–mung bean (Vigna radiata (L.) Wilkzec) system was conducted during 1998–05 on SAT Alfisols (Typic Haplustalf) at the Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture, Hyderabad. The study evaluated soil and nutrient management treatments for their long-term influence on soil quality using key indicators and soil quality indices (SQI). Of the 21 soil quality parameters considered for study, easily oxidisable N (KMnO4 oxidisable-N), DTPA extractable Zn and Cu, microbial biomass carbon (MBC), mean weight diameter (MWD) of soil aggregates, and hydraulic conductivity (HC) played a major role in influencing the soil quality and were designated as the key indicators of ‘soil quality’ for this system. The SQI obtained by the integration of key indicators varied from 0.66 (unamended control) to 0.83 (4 Mg compost + 20 kg N as urea) under conventional tillage (CT), and from 0.66 (control) to 0.89 (4 Mg compost + 2 Mg gliricidia loppings) under reduced tillage (RT). Tillage did not influence the SQI, whereas the conjunctive nutrient-use treatments had a significant effect. On an average, under both CT and RT, the sole organic treatment improved the soil quality by 31.8% over the control. The conjunctive nutrient-use treatments improved soil quality by 24.2–27.2%, and the sole inorganic treatment by 18.2% over the control. Statistically, the treatments improved soil quality in the following order: 4 Mg compost + 2 Mg gliricidia loppings > 2 Mg Gliricidia loppings + 20 kg N as urea = 4 Mg compost + 20 kg N as urea > 40 kg N as urea. The percentage contribution of the key indicators towards the SQI was: MBC (28.5%), available N (28.6%), DTPA-Zn (25.3%), DTPA-Cu (8.6%), HC (6.1%), and MWD (2.9%). The functions predicting the changes in yield and sustainability yield index with a given change in SQI were also determined.

scholarly journals Soil Quality and Evaluation of Spatial Variability in a Semi-Arid Ecosystem in a Region of the Southeastern Iberian Peninsula (Spain)

Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 5
Author(s):  
Fernando Santos-Francés ◽  
Antonio Martínez-Graña ◽  
Carmelo Ávila-Zarza ◽  
Marco Criado ◽  
Yolanda Sánchez-Sánchez
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Properties ◽  
Soil Quality ◽  
Water Retention ◽  
Mediterranean Ecosystem ◽  
Arid Ecosystem ◽  
Scoring Functions ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Preliminary Estimation ◽  
Semi Arid

In the last two decades, as the importance of soil has been recognized as a key component of any ecosystem, there has been an increased global demand to establish criteria for determining soil quality and to develop quantitative indices that can be used to classify and compare that quality in different places. The preliminary estimation of the attributes involved in soil quality was made taking into account the opinion of the experts and our own experience in a semi-arid ecosystem. In this study, 16 soil properties have been selected as potential indicators of soil quality, in a region between Campo de Montiel and Sierra de Alcaraz (Spain): sand and clay percentage, pH, electrical conductivity (EC), soil organic carbon (OC), extractables bases of change (Na, K, Ca and Mg), cationic exchange capacity (CEC), carbonate calcium equivalent (CCE), bulk density (BD), water retention at 33 kPa field capacity and 1500 kPa permanent wither point (GWC33 kPa and GWC1500 kPa), coefficient of linear extensibility (COLE) and factor of soil erodibility (K). The main objective has been to develop an adequate index to characterize the quality of the soils in a semi-arid Mediterranean ecosystem. The preliminary estimation of the attributes involved in soil quality was made considering the opinion of the experts and our own experience in semi-arid ecosystems. Two indicator selection approaches have been used to develop the Soil Quality Index (SQI) (total data set -TDS- and minimum data set -MDS-), scoring functions (linear -L- and nonlinear -NL-) and methods (additive -A-, additive weighted -W- and Nemoro -N-. The quality indices have been calculated, considering the properties of the soil control section (between 0 and 100 cm depth), using 185 samples, belonging to horizons A, B and C of 51 soil profiles. The results have shown that the election of the soil properties, both of the topsoil and subsoil, is an important help in establishing a good relationship between quality, soil functions and agricultural management. The Kriging method has been used to determinate the spatial distribution of the soil quality grades. The indices that best reflect the state of soil quality are the TDS-L-W and TDS-L-A should go as sub-indices, as they are the most accurate indices and provide the most consistent results. These indices are especially indicated when carrying out detailed or semi-detailed studies. However, the MDS-L-W and MDS-L-A should go as sub-indices, which use only a limited number of indicators, are best for large-scale studies. The indicators with the greatest influence on soil quality for different land uses and those developed on different rocks, using linear scoring functions, are the following: (Clay), (GWC1500 kPa) and (Ca). These results can also be expressed as follows: the best soils in this region are deep soils, with a clay texture, with high water retention and a neutral or slightly basic pH. However, the indicators with the greatest influence on soil quality, using nonlinear scoring functions, are: (OC Stock), (Ca) and (CaCO3). In other words, the most important indicator is the organic carbon content, which is not logical in the case of a region in which the soils have an excessively low SOC content (0.86%).

Effect of Soil and Nutrient-Management Treatments on Soil Quality Indices under Cotton-Based Production System in Rainfed Semi-arid Tropical Vertisol

2011 ◽  
Vol 42 (11) ◽  
pp. 1298-1315 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. L. Sharma ◽  
J. Kusuma Grace ◽  
P. K. Mishra ◽  
B. Venkateswarlu ◽  
M. B. Nagdeve ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Quality ◽  
Production System ◽  
Nutrient Management ◽  
Quality Indices ◽  
Semi Arid
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