Knowledge of spatial variability in soil fertility is important for site specific nutrient management. In this study, spatial variability in properties that influence soil fertility such as soil organic carbon (OC), available N, available P O and available K O in surface soils of 154 farmers' fields of Karlawad village in 2 5 2 Navalgund taluk of Dharwad district of Karnataka (India) were quant...

Chinese hickory (Carya cathayensis), a popular nut food tree species, is mainly distributed in southeastern China. A field study was carried out to investigate the effect of long-term intensive management on fertility of soils under a C. cathayensis forest. Results showed that after 26 years' intensive management, the soil organic carbon (SOC) content of the A and B horizons reduced by 19% and ...

There is currently much interest in the interactions between exotic plants and soil organisms. Exotic invasive species can have profound effects on the microbial community of the soil and positive feedback of soil biota to invasive plants may facilitate their successful invasion. To better understand the impacts of Ambrosia artemisiifolia L. invasion on microbial carbon source utilization and r...

The objective of this study was to explore the spatial variation of soil fertility quality and the influence factors of human land use and soil management practices on soil fertility quality in North China cities' urban fringe of Beijing using data for 2007 and grey relational analysis (GRA) and geographic information systems (GIS). Soil total nitrogen, available phosphorus, available potassium...

Improved understanding of soil fertility factors limiting crop productivity is important to develop appropriate soil and nutrient management recommendations in sub-Saharan Africa. Diagnostic trials were implemented in Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Nigeria and Tanzania, as part of the African Soils Information Service (AfSIS) project, to identify soil fertility constraints to crop production across vario...

To document trends in land use and herbaceous production, 71 field sites sampled among cropped fields, fallow fields and rangelands in the Fakara region (Niger) were monitored from 1994 to 2006. The overall trend in land use confirmed the historical increase of the cropped areas since mid 20th century, at an annual rate of 2% from 1994 to 2006. This trend is the result of changes in the relativ...

The differences in rhizosphere nitrification activities between high- and low- fertility soils appear to be related to differences in dissolved oxygen concentrations in the soil, implying a relationship to differences in the radial oxygen loss (ROL) of rice roots in these soils. A miniaturised Clark-type oxygen microelectrode system was used to determine rice root ROL and the rhizosphere oxygen...

1. Desertification negatively impacts a large proportion of the global human population and > 30% of the terrestrial land surface. Better methods are needed to detect areas that are at risk of desertification and to ameliorate desertified areas. Biological soil crusts are an important soil lichen-moss-microbial community that can be used toward these goals, as (i) bioindicators of desertificati...