scholarly journals The use of multivariate statistical analysis and soil quality indices as tools to be included in regional management plans. A case study from the Mashhad Plain, Iran

2019 ◽  
Vol 45 (2) ◽  
pp. 687 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Rodrigo-Comino ◽  
A. Keshavarzi ◽  
A. Bagherzadeh ◽  
E.C. Brevik
Keyword(s):  
Particle Size ◽  
Calcium Carbonate ◽  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Properties ◽  
Bulk Density ◽  
Soil Quality ◽  
Quality Indicators ◽  
Quality Index ◽  
Soil Quality Indicators ◽  
Soil Quality Index

Several methods have been used to model reality and explain soil pedogenesis and evolution. However, there is a lack of information about which soil properties truly condition soil quality indicators and indices particularly at the pedon scale and at different soil depths to be used in land management planning. Thus, the main goals of this research were: i) to assess differences in soil properties (particle size, saturation point, bulk density, soil organic carbon, pH and electrical conductivity) at different soil depths (0-30 and 30-60 cm); ii) to check their statistical correlation with soil quality indicators (CEC, total N, Olsen-P, available K, exchangeable Na, calcium carbonate equivalent, Fe, Mn, Zn, and Cu); and, iii) to elaborate a soil quality index and maps for each soil layer. To achieve this, forty-eight soil samples were analysed in the laboratory and subjected to statistical analyses by ANOVA, Spearman Rank coefficients and Principal Component Analyses. Finally, a soil quality index was developed based on indicators of sensitivity. The study was conducted in a semiarid catchment in northeast Iran with irrigated farming and well-documented land degradation issues. We found that: i) organic carbon and bulk density were not similar in the topsoil and subsoil; ii) calcium carbonate and sand content conditioned organic carbon content and bulk density; iii) organic carbon showed the highest correlations with soil quality indicators; iv) particle size conditioned cation-exchange capacity; and, v) heavy metals such as Mn and Cu were highly correlated with organic carbon due to non-suitable agricultural practices. Based on the communality analysis to map of soil quality, CEC, Mn, Zn, and Cu had the highest weights (≥0.11) at both depths, coinciding with the same level of relevance in the multivariate analysis. Exchangeable Na, CaCO3, and Fe had the lowest weights (≤0.1) and N, P, and K had intermediate weights (0.1- 0.11). In general, the map of the soil quality index shows a lower soil quality in the subsoil increment than in the topsoil.

scholarly journals Spatial Variability of Physical Soil Quality Index of an Agricultural Field

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sheikh M. Fazle Rabbi ◽  
Bina R. Roy ◽  
M. Masum Miah ◽  
M. Sadiqul Amin ◽  
Tania Khandakar
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Variability ◽  
Bulk Density ◽  
Soil Quality ◽  
Quality Indicators ◽  
Quality Index ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Field Investigation ◽  
Agricultural Field ◽  
Soil Quality Indicators ◽  
Soil Quality Index

A field investigation was carried out to evaluate the spatial variability of physical indicators of soil quality of an agricultural field and to construct a physical soil quality index (SQIP) map. Surface soil samples were collected using10  m×10 m grid from an Inceptisol on Ganges Tidal Floodplain of Bangladesh. Five physical soil quality indicators, soil texture, bulk density, porosity, saturated hydraulic conductivity (KS), and aggregate stability (measured as mean weight diameter, MWD) were determined. The spatial structures of sand, clay, andKSwere moderate but the structure was strong for silt, bulk density, porosity, and MWD. Each of the physical soil quality indicators was transformed into 0 and 1 using threshold criteria which are required for crop production. The transformed indicators were the combined into SQIP. The kriged SQIPmap showed that the agricultural field studied could be divided into two parts having “good physical quality” and “poor physical soil quality.”

Soil quality indices and their application in the hilly loess plateau region of China

Soil Research ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 44 (3) ◽  
pp. 245 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mingxiang Xu ◽  
Yunge Zhao ◽  
Guobin Liu ◽  
Robert M. Argent
Keyword(s):  
Soil Quality ◽  
Quality Indicators ◽  
Loess Plateau ◽  
Quality Index ◽  
Shaanxi Province ◽  
Soil Quality Indicators ◽  
Soil Quality Index ◽  
Plateau Region ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Hilly Loess Plateau

Soil quality in the hilly Loess Plateau region of China is seriously degraded due to hillside cultivation and severe soil erosion. No established methods are available for evaluating the regional soil quality nor has integrated soil quality assessment been conducted in the region. Our objectives were to (i) develop soil quality models and assessment methods, (ii) verify the representativeness of selected soil quality indicators, and (iii) evaluate landuse effects on regional soil quality. The research was conducted on 707 km2 of typical hilly Loess Plateau in Shaanxi province, China. Soil samples (total 208) were taken from 5 catchments under 10 different landuse types. Two integrated evaluation methods (weighted summation and weighted product) and 2 indicator sets (a whole and a minimum set) were tested, each producing a soil quality index. Quantitative evaluation of soil quality in different landuse types was also performed. The results showed that the weighted product method provided better differentiation of soil quality between landuses. The minimum indicator set of 8 soil quality indicators, selected by factor analysis from a complete set of 29 soil attributes, reflected all or most of the information of the whole set in assessing regional soil quality. Soil quality index (SQI) values under different landuse types ranged from 0.842 for natural woodland to 0.150 for orchard. Index values for orchard, cropland, revegetated grassland, and planted grassland were significantly less than those for 6 other landuse types, whereas planted shrubland, planted woodland, and natural grassland indices were significantly less than those for greenhouse, natural shrubland, and natural woodland. No significant difference in SQI was found between orchard, cropland, revegetated grassland, and planted grassland, or between planted shrubland and planted woodland. Overall, it was found that soil quality was generally poor across the region, except for natural woodland, shrubland and greenhouse areas.

scholarly journals ANALISIS KUALITAS TANAH PADA LAHAN TEGALAN BERPASIR DI DAS MIKRO SUPITURUNG, KABUPATEN KEDIRI, JAWA TIMUR

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 527-537
Author(s):  
Mochamad Fikri Kurniawan ◽  
Mochtar Lutfi Rayes ◽  
Christanti Agustina
Keyword(s):  
Soil Quality ◽  
Quality Indicators ◽  
Soil Texture ◽  
Quality Index ◽  
Survey Method ◽  
Soil Quality Indicators ◽  
Soil Quality Index ◽  
N Content ◽  
Total N ◽  
Organic C

Soil quality is the ability of soil that plays a role in maintaining plant productivity, preserving and maintaining water availability and supporting human activities. Soil quality assessment is measured based on indicators that describe important soil processes based on the physical, chemical and biological properties of the soil. The level of soil quality in a plot of land is assessed based on the soil quality index. This research was conducted from August to December 2020 in the Supiturung Micro Watershed, Kediri Regency, East Java using a graphical survey method based on the Land Map Unit. Soil samples were taken at a depth of 0-20 cm at each observation point (20 points) for analysis in the laboratory. Soil quality indicators are determined based on key soil properties with the Minimum Data Set (MDS) method, with soil quality indicators from soil physical properties including texture, bulk density, porosity and soil chemical properties including pH, available-P, exchangeable-K, total-N, organic-C. Soil quality index was calculated by weighting soil quality indicators with criteria which divided into 5 classes, i.e. (i) very low class (0.00-0.19), (ii) low (0.20-0.39), (iii) moderate (0.40-0.59), (iv) good (0.60-0.79) and (v) very good (0.80-1.00). The results showed that the soil in land unit 2 had different limiting factor values on the percentage of sand and dust from the soil texture, the total-N content of the soil and the organic-C content of the soil which caused differences in soil quality. There are two indicators of soil quality, namely the percentage of dust from the soil texture and the total N content of the soil which has the most influence on the soil quality index.

scholarly journals Evaluation of Soil Quality in Arid Western Fringes of the Nile Delta for Sustainable Agriculture

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
Ahmed M. Saleh ◽  
Mohamed M. Elsharkawy ◽  
Mohamed A. E. AbdelRahman ◽  
Sayed M. Arafat
Keyword(s):  
Soil Quality ◽  
Quality Indicators ◽  
Quality Index ◽  
Nile Delta ◽  
Western Desert ◽  
Scoring Functions ◽  
Soil Quality Indicators ◽  
Soil Quality Index ◽  
Quality Grade ◽  
Minimum Dataset

Egypt is currently witnessing an extensive desert greening plan with a target of adding one and a half million feddans to the agricultural area. The present study evaluates the soil quality in the western desert fringes of the Nile Delta using three indicator datasets, which involve the total dataset (TDS), the minimum dataset (MDS), and the expert dataset (EDS). Three quality index models are included: the Additive Soil Quality Index (SQI-A), the Weighted Additive Soil Quality Index (SQI-W), and the Nemoro Soil Quality Index (SQI-N). Linear and nonlinear scoring functions are evaluated for scoring soil and terrain indicators. Thirteen soil quality indicators and three terrain indicators were measured in 397 sampling sites for soil quality evaluation. Factor analyses determined five soil and terrain indicators for the minimum dataset and their associated weights. The linear scoring functions reflected the soil system functions more than nonlinear scoring functions. Soil quality estimation by the minimum dataset (MDS) and Weighted Additive Soil Quality Index (SQI-W) is more sensitive than that by SQI-A and SQI-N quality models to explain soil quality indicators. The moderate soil quality grade is the largest quality grade in the studied area. The minimum dataset of soil quality indicators could assist in reducing time and cost of evaluating soil quality and monitoring the temporal changes in soil quality of the region due to the increased agricultural development.

scholarly journals Physical soil quality indicators for monitoring British soils

Solid Earth ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 1003-1016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ron Corstanje ◽  
Theresa G. Mercer ◽  
Jane R. Rickson ◽  
Lynda K. Deeks ◽  
Paul Newell-Price ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Properties ◽  
Soil Quality ◽  
Quality Indicators ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Aggregate Stability ◽  
Rate Of Change ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Variability ◽  
Soil Quality Indicators ◽  
Soil Monitoring ◽  
Soil Water Retention

Abstract. Soil condition or quality determines its ability to deliver a range of functions that support ecosystem services, human health and wellbeing. The increasing policy imperative to implement successful soil monitoring programmes has resulted in the demand for reliable soil quality indicators (SQIs) for physical, biological and chemical soil properties. The selection of these indicators needs to ensure that they are sensitive and responsive to pressure and change, e.g. they change across space and time in relation to natural perturbations and land management practices. Using a logical sieve approach based on key policy-related soil functions, this research assessed whether physical soil properties can be used to indicate the quality of British soils in terms of their capacity to deliver ecosystem goods and services. The resultant prioritised list of physical SQIs was tested for robustness, spatial and temporal variability, and expected rate of change using statistical analysis and modelling. Seven SQIs were prioritised: soil packing density, soil water retention characteristics, aggregate stability, rate of soil erosion, depth of soil, soil structure (assessed by visual soil evaluation) and soil sealing. These all have direct relevance to current and likely future soil and environmental policy and are appropriate for implementation in soil monitoring programmes.

scholarly journals Response of Potential Indicators of Soil Quality to Land-Use and Land-Cover Change under a Mediterranean Climate in the Region of Al-Jabal Al-Akhdar, Libya

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 162
Author(s):  
Jamal Suliman Alawamy ◽  
Siva K. Balasundram ◽  
Ahmad Husni Mohd. Hanif ◽  
Christopher Teh Boon Sung
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Land Cover ◽  
Soil Properties ◽  
Soil Quality ◽  
Quality Indicators ◽  
Land Management ◽  
Rainfed Agriculture ◽  
Soil Quality Indicators ◽  
Al Jabal Al Akhdar ◽  
Effects Of Land Use

Conversion of native lands into agricultural use, coupled with poor land management practices, generally leads to changes in soil properties. Understanding the undesirable effects of land-use and land-cover (LULC) changes on soil properties is essential when planning for sustainable land management. This study was conducted in Al Jabal Al Akhdar region, Libya, to assess the effects of land-use and land-cover changes on soil quality inferred by analyzing the relative changes in 17 chemical, physical, and biological soil properties in the upper layer (0–20 cm) of disturbed and undisturbed soil systems. Soil samples were collected from 180 sampling sites with 60 from each of the three types of LULC prevalent in the study area: natural Mediterranean forests (NMF), rainfed agriculture (RA), and irrigated crops (IC). The soil properties of the two agricultural land uses were compared with soil properties under an adjacent natural forest, which served as a control to assess changes in soil quality resulting from the cultivation of deforested land. The results indicate significant reductions in most soil quality indicators under rainfed agriculture as compared to native forest land. Under irrigated agriculture, there were significant changes (p ≤ 0.05) in most of the soil quality indicators, generally, indicating a significant reduction in soil quality, except for improvement of nitrogen and phosphorus levels due to frequent fertilizer application. Our data support the notion that changes in land use and land cover, in the absence of sustainable management measures, induce deterioration of soil properties and ultimately may lead to land degradation and productivity decline.

Assessment of soil quality for different land uses in the Chure region of Central Nepal

2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 32-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pramod Ghimire ◽  
Balram Bhatta ◽  
Basudev Pokhrel ◽  
Ishu Shrestha
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Properties ◽  
Soil Quality ◽  
Total Nitrogen ◽  
Quality Index ◽  
Land Use Management ◽  
Land Uses ◽  
Soil Quality Index ◽  
Central Nepal

Soil quality is the capacity of soil to sustain biological productivity and environmental quality. Assessment of soil quality in different land use systems is essential as inappropriate land use management can degrade and deteriorate its function and stability. In this regard this study was carried out to evaluate soil quality of different land use types in Chure region of central Nepal. Soil quality index (SQI) was determined on the basis of the soil physiochemical parameters. Soil properties like soil pH, organic matter (OM), total nitrogen (TN), available potassium (AK), and available phosphorous (AP) were significantly affected by land uses types. Forest soil had the highest soil quality index (0.82) followed by bari (0.66), khet (0.64), and degraded land (0.40). Of the soil properties studied, total nitrogen and soil organic matter had the determining role in making significant impacts in the SQI among the different land uses. Hence, the results of this study can be important tool for planner, policy makers, and scientific community to frame appropriate land use management strategy.

scholarly journals Physical soil quality indicators for monitoring British soils

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ron Corstanje ◽  
Theresa Mercer ◽  
Jane R. Rickson ◽  
Lynda K. Deeks ◽  
Paul Newell-Price ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Properties ◽  
Soil Quality ◽  
Quality Indicators ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Rate Of Change ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Variability ◽  
Soil Quality Indicators ◽  
Soil Monitoring ◽  
Soil Water Retention

Abstract. The condition or quality of soils determines its ability to deliver a range of functions that support ecosystem services, human health and wellbeing. The increasing policy imperative to implement successful soil monitoring programmes has resulted in the demand for reliable soil quality indicators (SQIs) for physical, biological and chemical soil properties. The selection of these indicators needs to ensure that they are sensitive and responsive to pressure and change e.g. they change across space and time in relation to natural perturbations and land management practices. Using a logical sieve approach based on key policy-related soil functions, this research assessed whether physical soil properties can be used to indicate the quality of British soils in terms of its capacity to deliver ecosystem goods and services. The resultant prioritised list of physical SQIs were tested for robustness, spatial and temporal variability and expected rate of change using statistical analysis and modelling. Six SQIs were prioritised; packing density, soil water retention characteristics, aggregate stability, rate of erosion, depth of soil and soil sealing. These all have direct relevance to current and likely future soil and environmental policy and are appropriate for implementation in soil monitoring programs.

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