Microbial functional diversity in four soils sampled in the vicinity of Wanda Glacier, Antarctic Peninsula, was determined using Biolog EcoPlates at 5°C and 25°C. Comparisons of the patterns of substrate utilization and the diversity index showed differences in community composition, reflecting the heterogeneous distribution of microorganisms in this environment. Differences in microbial divers...

This study evaluates the spatial heterogeneity of the soil chemical properties of surface soils across a 1 ha old-growth subtropical karst forest in southwest China.

Factors governing the turnover of organic matter (OM) added to soils, including substrate quality, climate, environment and biology, are well known, but their relative importance has been difficult to ascertain due to the interconnected nature of the soil system. This has made their inclusion in mechanistic models of OM turnover or nutrient cycling difficult despite the potential power of these...

In many crop producing areas of the world there are reports of yield decline and loss of productive potential in soils. Little is known about the long term effects of sugarcane monocropping on changes in physical, chemical and biological properties of soils. The aim of this study was to quantify the physical and chemical condition of soils under sugarcane production in northern Kwazulu-Natal, a...

1. A considerable advance has been made in the study of the fulvic extract of soil organic matter. A new method has been introduced whereby the fulvic extract is separated by a selective adsorption technique into four distinct fractions. 2. These fractions have been obtained from the fulvic extracts from four widely diverse types of soil. 3. A preliminary examination of the chemical properties ...

Large amounts of fertilizers and pesticides applied annually to agricultural soils improve the physical and chemical properties of soil but, when they are applied without control they can cause serious environmental problems. The farms of Tizayuca in Hidalgo State produce about 30000 tons of manure per day, which are applied indiscriminately in the same region for agricultural use. The aim of t...

introduction: reuse of wastewater for agricultural irrigation is increasing due to an increased demand for water resources in different parts of the world. almost 70% of deviated water from rivers and pumped groundwater is used for agriculture. if wastewater is used for irrigation in agriculture, then the amount of discharged water from natural sources will be decreased and the flow of wastewat...