The distribution coefficient of oil residuals between water and the soil under equilibrium conditions is, in the case of Patagonian soils, strongly dependent on the clay contents and humidity of the soil. Other variables such as, the soil salinity and the environmental exposure conditions, also affect the interactions between the phases. The oil residuals are generally accompanied by water spil...

Plant protection represents one of the strategies to fill the yield gap and to achieve food security, a key topic for India development. Analysis of climate risks for crops indicates that South Asia is one of the regions most exposed to the adverse impact on many plants that are relevant to inhabitants exposed to food safety risks. Furthermore, accumulation of pesticide residues in the aquatic ...

Morphological and physiological characteristics of biological soil crusts (BSCs) enhance soil stability and fertility, and influence soil chemistry. However, the effect of BSCs on soil physico-chemical properties may vary depending on taxa (cyanobacteria, lichen, bryophytes) and species, and be susceptible to soil surface disturbance. We examined a wide variety of soil physico-chemical properti...

The Wet Chemistry Laboratory on the Phoenix Mars Lander performed aqueous chemical analyses of martian soil from the polygon-patterned northern plains of the Vastitas Borealis. The solutions contained approximately 10 mM of dissolved salts with 0.4 to 0.6% perchlorate (ClO4) by mass leached from each sample. The remaining anions included small concentrations of chloride, bicarbonate, and possib...

The activation of soil-fixed phosphorus is a long-term concern in soil science. In order to enhance the activation effect to soil-fixed phosphorus in red soil, different modified zeolite, through physical, chemical method and the associated both physics and chemistry, was used in this paper. The results showed as following: 1) the activated ability to soil-fixed phosphorus in red soil for modif...

Extensive tree mortality from insect epidemics has raised concern over possible effects on soil biogeochemical processes. Yet despite the importance of microbes in nutrient cycling, how soil bacterial communities respond to insect-induced tree mortality is largely unknown. We examined soil bacterial community structure (via 16S rRNA gene pyrosequencing) and community assembly processes (via nul...

Substantial amounts of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can be released during decomposition and these compounds can affect atmospheric chemistry, belowground processes, and the structure of microbial communities in litter and soil. However, we have a limited understanding of the types, quantities and ecological impacts of VOCs emitted from litter. Here we used a closed flow-through system and...

There is increasing evidence that forests and forest soil contribute to the signature of chlorine composition in water bodies. However, little is known about the potential effects of land management activities on chlorine biogeochemistry. This study examines the effects of previous nitrogen addition on chlorine chemistry in a Pinus sylvestris (L.) forest located in south-central Sweden (60°00 ...

Nests of the harvester ant Pogonomyrmex barbatus typically contain higher concentrations of organic matter, nitrogen and phosphorus than surrounding soils. The difference between nest soils and surrounding soils is due, at least in part, to ant foraging behavior. Ants retrieve seeds from the environment and concentrate seed nutrients in the vicinity of the nest. But elevated nutrient concentrat...