Sterilized soils are commonly used for the study of xenobiotic sorption and as an abiotic control in biodegradation experiments. They are also used for the chemical study of nitrogen and carbon cycle processes and the elimination of the biological factors. In this research the effects of different soil sterilization methods such as autoclaving, fumigating and exposure to ultraviolet and microwa...

In the semi-arid tropics (SAT), 33% areas are occupied by Alfisols and related soils. In SAT these soils have low structural stability and thereby tend to form seal and crusts at the surface. Due to this a large proportion of the rain that falls on Alfisols during the early part of the rainy season, is normally lost as runoff thus causing high soil loss as well as moisture stress to crops. Two ...

Radon is a noble gas formed from the natural radioactive decay of uranium (U) and thorium (Th), natural components of the earth’s crust, which decay to radium (Ra) and then to radon (Rn). Decay chains include Ra and Rn for U; Ra and Rn for U; and Ra and Rn for Th. As radium decays, radon is formed and released into pores in the soil. Fissures and pores in the substrate allow the radon to migrat...

The alpha proton x-ray spectrometer (APXS) on board the rover of the Mars Pathfinder mission measured the chemical composition of six soils and five rocks at the Ares Vallis landing site. The soil analyses show similarity to those determined by the Viking missions. The analyzed rocks were partially covered by dust but otherwise compositionally similar to each other. They are unexpectedly high i...

12.2 Biological Crusts of Arid Regions ............................. 346 12.2.1 Characteristic Species ................................................... 346 12.2.2 Taxonomic Problems in Describing Crust Cyanobacteria ...................................................... 347 12.2.3 Environmental Factors .................................................. 348 12.2.3.1 Light .......................

Description of the subject. Soil organisms and their activities are essential for soil ecosystem functioning and they can thus be used as pertinent indicators of soil quality. Recent efforts have been undertaken to include biological indicators of soil quality into regional/national monitoring networks. Objectives. The aim of this study was to provide a first dataset of six biological indicator...

Description of the subject. Soil organisms and their activities are essential for soil ecosystem functioning and they can thus be used as pertinent indicators of soil quality. Recent efforts have been undertaken to include biological indicators of soil quality into regional/national monitoring networks. Objectives. The aim of this study was to provide a first dataset of six biological indicator...