Pollution of inhabited geographic landscapes is often a public health concern. Ascertaining the degree and scope of such pollution is a difficult task and frequently involves analysis of soil samples. This article describes ways to statistically analyze the geographic distribution of soil samples to better understand polluted landscapes, in part to determine whether more samples are needed; spe...

All the regulations that define a maximum concentration of metals in the receiving soil are based on total soil metal concentration. However, the potential toxicity of a heavy metal in the soil depends on its speciation and availability. We studied the effects of heavy metal speciation and availability on soil microorganism activities along a Cu/Zn contamination gradient. Microbial biomass and ...

The effect of nitrogen (N) fertilizer on switchgrass biomass production has been evaluated in a number of locations on a small-plot scale; however, field-scale information regarding switchgrass response to N and N use efficiency (NUE) in different regions of the USA is limited. Switchgrass was planted in South Dakota (SD), New York (NY), Oklahoma (OK), and Virginia (VA) in 2008 and in Iowa (IA)...

Concentrations of Pb in individual stem xylem rings of 5-year-old Norway spruce trees (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) were determined after one growing season in soil containing a low, medium or high concentration of Pb. In trees in the control and low-Pb soil treatments, Pb concentrations increased from the outer annual rings toward the stem center, whereas in trees grown in the soil treatment conta...

in order to study the effect of trifluralin herbicide soil residues on growth and nodulation of chickpea genotypes, a greenhouse experiment was conducted at ferdowsi university of mashhad. a factorial experimental was conducted based on completely randomized design with three replications. treatments included of four genotyps of chickpea (hashem, ilc, kaka and kermanshahi) and seven concentrati...

OBJECTIVES In this study, we investigated the influence of ionic strength and natural organic matter (NOM) on aggregation and soil adsorption of citrate-coated silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). METHODS Time-resolved dynamic light scattering measurements and batch adsorption experiments were used to study their aggregation and soil adsorption behaviors, respectively. RESULTS The aggregation rate...

Prairie grasslands are very species rich but have declined in their extent considerably due to landuse change and exploitation. Many remaining prairie fragments are situated within an agricultural matrix and can be subjected to high levels of atmospheric ammonia deposition from animal units. Three prairie fragments in Minnesota that were located in close proximity to feedlots were selected, and...

Urban grasslands not only provide a recreational venue for urban residents, but also sequester organic carbon in vegetation and soils through photosynthesis, and release carbon dioxide through respiration, which largely contribute to carbon storage and fluxes at regional and global scales. We investigated organic carbon and nitrogen pools in subtropical turfs and found that dissolved organic ca...

Soil organic carbon (SOC) is an important and manageable property of soils that impacts on multiple ecosystem services through its effect on soil processes such as nitrogen (N) cycling and soil physical properties. There is considerable interest in increasing SOC concentration in agro-ecosystems worldwide. In some agro-ecosystems, increased SOC has been found to enhance the provision of ecosyst...

The risk of Pb contaminated soil after treatment with different remediation techniques was assessed. Soil vitrification (microwaves) reduced Pb orally available from the stomach and intestinal phase measured by a physiologically based extraction test. Solidification of Pb (Slovakite) did not reduce the concentration of orally available Pb and increased the Pb uptake by Thlaspi goesingens for 2-...