Plagioclase feldspar, clinopyroxene, and ilmenite in a polished thin section of a type A crystalline rock were analyzed. The clinopyroxene grains are compositionally variable, and both high Ca and low Ca phases are present. The plagioclase is compositionally homogeneous. The ilmenite is chemically homogeneous except for occasional, small areas of high local chromium concentration. Accessory min...

The objective of this study was to quantify the relationships between heavy metal concentrations in soil, leaf litter, and ground beetles at four sampling sites of a forest ecosystem in Medvednica Nature Park, Croatia. Ground beetles were sampled by pitfall trapping. Specimens were dry-ashed and soil and beetle samples digested with nitric acid. Lead, cadmium, copper, zinc, manganese, and iron ...

Asymmetric flow-field flow fractionation-inductively-coupled plasma-mass spectrometry was used to determine whether colloidal arsenic (As) exists in soil pore water and soil extract samples at two arsenic-contaminated abandoned gold mines (Montague and Goldenville, Nova Scotia). Colloidal arsenic was found in 12 out of the 80 collected samples (=15%), and was primarily associated with iron (Fe)...

The tremendous reservoir of soil organic carbon (SOC) in wetlands is being threatened by water-table decline (WTD) globally. However, the SOC response to WTD remains highly uncertain. Here we examine the under-investigated role of iron (Fe) in mediating soil enzyme activity and lignin stabilization in a mesocosm WTD experiment in an alpine wetland. In contrast to the classic 'enzyme latch' theo...

Grafting is a technique that may affect plant tolerance to iron chlorosis in plants cultivated for their fruit. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the tolerance of non-grafted quince seedlings and pear grafted onto quince plants cultivated in pots with alkaline soil. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse at the University of Cordoba, Spain, in pots (3 L) filled with a...

In acid soils, soluble inorganic phosphorus is fixed by aluminium and iron. To overcome this problem, acid soils are limed to fix aluminium and iron but this practice is not economical. The practice is also not environmentally friendly. This study was conducted to improve phosphorus availability using organic amendments (biochar and compost produced from chicken litter and pineapple leaves, res...

* Corresponding author Abstract – Land degradation processes in the subtropical Thicket Biome in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa, are observed and monitored. As a result, a significant loss of soil quality on such sites has been recorded. This study focuses on the determination of fundamental soil parameters like organic carbon, iron, and clay in order to assess ecosystem degradation. T...

In recent years it has become apparent that the performance of detection sensors for land mines and UXO may be seriously hampered by the magnetic behavior of soils. In tropical soils it is common to find large concentrations of iron oxide minerals, which are the predominant cause for soil magnetism. However, a wide range of factors such as parent material, environmental conditions, soil age, an...

19 Phosphorus (P) losses from agricultural soils constitute a main driver for eutrophication of the 20 Baltic Sea. There is limited knowledge about sorption and release processes of P in these soils, 21 especially concerning the effects of fertilization. In this study, P speciation of the clay fractions 22 from six different soils in long-term fertility experiments in Sweden was investigated by...