The toxicity of cadmium for the Collembola Folsomia candida was studied by determining the effects of increasing Cd concentrations on growth, survival and reproduction in three cultivated and forested soils with different pH (4.5-8.2) and organic matter content (1.6-16.5%). The Cd concentration in soil CaCl(2) exchangeable fraction, in soil solution and in Collembola body was determined. At sim...

Factors affecting the occurrence and distribution of entomopathogenic fungi in 244 soil samples collected from natural and cultivated areas in Spain were studied using an integrated approach based on univariate and multivariate analyses. Entomopathogenic fungi were isolated from 175 of the 244 (71.7%) soil samples, with only two species found, Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae. Of t...

An overview of the main soil characteristics and threats in the Mediterranean Basin are analysed. Low organic matter content is one of the common features of Mediterranean soils. The re-use of organic wastes through soil system for different land purposes seem to be the best way to maintain or improve organic matter contents in those soils. An extensive characterisation of different sources of ...

During spring storms massive uprooting of Littorella uniflora occurred in a shallow Dutch softwater lake. The aim of this study was to test whether changes in plant morphology and sediment characteristics could explain the observed phenomenon. Uprooting was expected to occur in plants having a high shoot biomass and low root to shoot ratio (R:S), growing on sediments with a high organic matter ...

We performed an in situ experiment raising the concentration of organic matter in sediment relative to the natural concentration, and quantified biomass development of the invasive alga, Caulerpa taxifolia, and native C. prolifera. Our objective was to determine whether vegetative development of C. taxifolia is favored in sediments with a high content of organic matter. The number of stolon api...

Mollisols of Santa Fe have different tilth and load support capacity. Despite the importance of these attributes to achieve a sustainable crop production, few information is available. The objectives of this study are i) to assess soil physical indicators related to plant growth and to soil mechanical behavior; and ii) to establish relationships to estimate the impact of soil loading on the soi...

We investigated the effect of organic matter and weathering on the lability and solid phase speciation of heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn) in two contrasting subalpine regions in the Italian Alps. Cr, Ni and Cu could be linked to weathering. This was not the case for Pb. Since organic matter (OM) influences the solid phase speciation of heavy metals, the total organic C and N content, the ...

A study off Concepción, central Chile, during the 1997/1998 El Niño (EN) revealed that the concentration of dissolved oxygen and the organic content and quality of the sediment control the vertical distribution of macrofauna in the sediment and bioturbation potential. The study area, characterized by organic-rich, silty sediments, lies within the most intense upwelling center off the coast of C...

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of initial moisture content on the in-vessel composting under air pressure of organic fraction of municipal solid waste in Morocco in terms of internal temperature, produced gases quantity, organic matter conversion rate, and the quality of the final composts.For this purpose, in-vessel bioreactor was designed and used to evaluate both appropriate initial...