Quantification of Biodiversity Related to the Active Protection of Grassland Habitats in the Eastern Lublin Region of Poland Based on the Activity of Soil Enzymes

This study focused on the impact of extensive sheep grazing on soil enzymatic activity in the grassland habitats of the Eastern Lublin region of Poland, situated within the ecological Natura 2000 network of: Kąty (PLH060010), Stawska Góra (PLH060018), and Zachodniowołyńska Dolina Bugu (PLH060035). This study involved soils under sheep grazing and soils in uncultivated areas (wasteland). Two-year study was conducted in 2 periods of each year: spring (before the start of sheep grazing) and autumn (after grazing). Beneficial effects were found for extensive grazing by sheep on soil enzymatic activity within each tested habitat. It is worth underlining that a clear stimulation of enzyme activity was detected already in the first year of observation. In the second year, the enzyme activity in the soils of habitats under sheep grazing was approximately 1.5 times higher than in the soils without grazing. The observed higher activity of the tested enzymes in soils under sheep grazing indicated the usefulness of studies on the enzymatic activity of soils as a sensitive indicator of soil response, such as observed here with the applied active system of biodiversity protection in the valuable natural grassland habitats of Natura 2000

Sheep and Horse Grazing in a Large-Scale Protection Area and its Positive Impact on Chemical and Biological Soil Properties

This paper looks into the impact of free grazing by sheep and horses on the chemical and biological properties of soils in the partial protection zone of the Roztocze National Park. The study sampled three different types of pastureland in the area: pastures for sheep, horses and for combined grazing by sheep and horses. Compared to an ungrazed reference pasture, free grazing significantly stimulated the activity of enzymes which catalyze the transformation of organic matter (dehydrogenases, phosphatases and ureases) and it also positively influenced other chemical properties of the soils. Among the soils under free-grazing management, the pasture grazed to horses underwent the most advantageous changes in terms of the eco-chemical status of the soil

Enzymatic Activity and Content of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Soils under Low-Stack Emission in Lublin

Soils from the Lublin area exposed to low-stack emission from home heating and transport were investigated. Changes in soil enzymatic activity and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) content were analysed. Soil samples were collected in July and November 2016 and January 2017. Results of the study show that enzymatic activity and PAHs content depended on types of buildings, study period (intensification of pollutant emission from household heating), traffic volume and atmospheric air movement. Low enzymatic activities and high PAHs contents in the soils were observed in the autumn-winter period in the areas with dense single-family housing and located in the vicinity of streets with intense road traffic

Biochemical and chemical indices of soil transformations on goose farms in years 1996–2011 / Biochemiczne i chemiczne wskaźniki przeobrażeń gleb na terenie ferm gęsi w latach 1998–2011

W pracy przedstawiono charakterystykę ekochemicznego stanu i potencjału zagrożenia gleb na terenie ferm gęsi, na podstawie monitoringu obejmującego dotychczasowy, 15-letni cykl pomiarowy. Wykazano, że postępująca z upływem lat badań inaktywacja enzymatyczna gleb na fermach wiązała się istotnie z bardzo wysoką zawartością azotu mineralnego i przyswajalnych form fosforu. Obserwowana z upływem czasu wyraźna tendencja do wzrostu zawartości metali ciężkich w glebach na fermach i w ich bezpośrednim sąsiedztwie stanowi poważne zagrożenie dla środowisk

Influence of Storage Conditions on a Quality of Pelletized Waste-Derived Fertilizer

Mixture of digestates from biogas plant and bottom ashes from biomass combustion can be a valuable source of nutrients and organic substances and an improver of adsorption capacity and water-air properties of the soil. Pelletization of such a mixture makes its composition more stable and the handling easier. However, the properties of pelletized fertilizer are affected by the external factors. The paper presents the results of the research on the impact of air accessibility during the storage of fertilizer pellets produced on the basis of digestate from biogas plants, bottom ashes derived from the biomass combustion and mineral additives (quicklime, zeolite and bentonite) on their fertilizing properties, enzymatic activity and technical parameters such as resistance to mechanical loads. The research showed that the fertilizers stored in under the roof, exposed for 1 year to the atmospheric air, contained by 5.5% more water compared to the samples shielded from the air. These more humid fertilizers were also characterized by a slightly higher nitrogen content and 1.7-fold lower enzymatic activity of dehydrogenases and 1.6-fold higher of phosphatases, but their resistance to mechanical loads, both static and dynamic was lower. On the other hand, the effects of storage conditions on the urease activity and the content of potassium, phosphorus and heavy metals were not observed. Generally, the storage of fertilizers in airtight containers is more advantageous, because under such conditions the changes in the fertilizing properties are insignificant, while their resistance to mechanical loads is much highe

The Use of Macroelements from Municipal Sewage Sludge by the Multiflora Rose and the Virginia fanpetals

Municipal sewage sludge contains many valuable nutrients which can be used in the cultivation of energy crops. Application of large doses of sewage sludge can be a cause of environmental pollution, especially with nutrients. The multiflora rose and the Virginia fanpetals are plants with high nutritional requirements. The use of municipal sewage sludge in the cultivation of energy crops will allow recycling the nutrients from this organic waste. The aim of the study was to evaluate the use of macroelements from municipal sewage sludge by the multiflora rose var. “Jatar” (Rosa multiflora Thunb. ex Murray) and the Virginia fanpetals (Sida hermaphrodita Rusby). Four levels of sewage sludge fertilization were applied in the 6-year field experiment: 0, 10, 20, 40, 60 Mg DM sludge ∙ ha-1. Sewage sludge was applied once before planting energy crops. Due to the low potassium content in sewage sludge, a single supplementary fertilization with 100 kg K ∙ ha-1 in the form of 40% potassium salt (KCl) was applied on each plot. The study involved the evaluation of the yield, uptake and use by energy plants of N, P, K, Ca, Mg, and Na from sewage sludge. It was found that the increasing doses of sewage sludge significantly raised the multiflora rose and the Virginia fanpetals biomass yields. The yield of the Virginia fanpetals was one and a half times higher than that of the multiflora rose. The increasing doses of sewage sludge significantly raised the contents and uptake of N, P, K, Ca, Mg, and Na by these plants. The highest uptake of macronutrients by the multiflora rose and the Virginia fanpetals crops was determined for 60 Mg DM ∙ ha-1 fertilization dose. The results show that the Virginia fanpetals used N, P, K, Ca, Mg, and Na from the sewage sludge to a greater extent than the multiflora rose. The analyses indicate that due to the greater yields, bioaccumulation and uptake of macronutrients, Virginia fanpetals is more effective in the ‘purification’ of the substrate from excess nutrients that may pose a threat to the environment

Soil Pollution with Copper, Lead and Zinc in the Surroundings of Large Copper Ore Tailings Impoundment

Analysis of the top-soil total content of heavy metals was carried out inthe vicinity of large copper ore tailings pound in the south-western Poland with regard to soil properties, direction and distance from the tailings pound. None of the soils under study ex-ceeded the limits admitted in the official standards for soil quality, but the assessment made in accordance with IUNG-guidelines to soil contamination determination showed that more than half of the monitoring sites have elevated metal content, Cu, in par-ticular. The results confirmed high effectiveness of dust control preventing its eolian spread from the tailings pound

Enzymatic activity of light soil into cultivation of potato under different nitrogen fertilization

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of differential nitrogen fertilization on the enzymatic activity of light soil under potato cultivation. The experiment was conducted - 2004-2006 on the soil formed from sandy loam. Determined: the content in soil dehydrogenase, phosphatase, urease and protease as well as organic carbon, total nitrogen and mineral nitrogen. A significant influence of nitrogen fertilization on enzyme activity in the was found. In most objects with nitrogen-fertilized soils, activity of studied enzymes was nificantly higher than that in the controlVytauto Didžiojo universitetasŽemės ūkio akademij

Extracellular matrix molecules associated with lymphatic vessels in health and disease

Lymphatic vessels (LyVs), responsible for fluid, solute, and immune cell homeostasis in the body, are closely associated with the adjacent extracellular matrix (ECM) molecules whose structural and functional impact on LyVs is currently more appreciated, albeit not entirely elucidated. These molecules, serving as a platform for various connective tissue cell activities and affecting LyV biology should be considered also as an integral part of the lymphatic system. Any alterations and changes in ECM molecules over the course of disease impair the function and structure of the LyV network. Remodeling of LyV cells, which are components of lymphatic vessel walls, also triggers alterations in ECM molecules and interstitial tissue composition. Therefore, in this review we aimed to present the current knowledge on ECM in tissues and particularly on molecules surrounding lymphatics in normal conditions and in diseas

Effect of Differentiated Nitrogen Fertilization on the Enzymatic Activity of the Soil for Sweet Potato (Ipomoea batatas L. [Lam.]) Cultivation

The experiment was conducted between 2015–2017 in the Research Station for Cultivar Testing in Uhnin (51°34′ N, 23°02′ E), in Luvisols developed from sandy loam soils. Soil samples for the tests of enzymatic activity were collected after the crop was harvested. The measurements included: the content of dehydrogenases, phosphatases, urease and protease, as well as total organic carbon, total nitrogen and mineral nitrogen in soil, based on standard methods. The research results point to changes in the enzymatic activity of light soil under the influence of varied nitrogen fertilization. In objects fertilized with this ingredient, the activity of the analysed enzymes was significantly higher than in the control soil, except for combinations fertilised with 150 kg ha−1 N characterised by the highest accumulation of N-NO3− in soil. The activity of dehydrogenases, phosphatases and urease changed as the nitrogen dose increased. The polynomial regression analysis enabled a better understanding of those dependences. In the case of dehydrogenases, phosphatases and urease, a third-degree curvilinear relation of enzymatic activity to nitrogen fertilisation was observed (a fourth-degree relation was found, with a coefficient R2 in those equations amounting to =0.958, 0.977, 0.979, respectively) and in the case of protease activity, a fourth-degree relation, with coefficient R2 = 0.989. However, soil acidity did not have a significant influence on either the enzymatic activity or physico-chemical characteristics of soil under the cultivation of sweet potatoes. The C:N ratio turned out to be significantly negatively related to the content of the enzymes dehydrogenase (Adh), phosphatase (AF), urease (AU) and protease (AP) as well as the content of total nitrogen, especially its ammonium form (N-NH4). The obtained results indicate the usefulness of research on enzymatic activity as an indicator of soil reaction to nitrogen fertilization and will enable maintenance of the optimal biological balance of cultivated soils