The Response of Soil Physicochemical Properties in the Hyrcanian Forests of Iran to Forest Fire Events

When forest fires occur, highly complex effects on soil properties and hydrological processes are activated. However, in countries such as Iran, these consequences are not widely studied and there is a lack of studies. Therefore, the main aim of this study was to investigate the effects of wildfire on soil quality characteristics in a representative forest area located in the Hyrcanian forests, specifically, in the Zarrinabad watershed of Sari. For this purpose, four different sites, including unburnt natural (UNF), burned natural (BNF), unburnt plantation (UPF), and burned plantation forests (BPF) were selected. Soil sampling was performed at each site using the random, systematic method at a depth from 0 to 30 cm. To investigate the effects of fire on physical and chemical properties indicators, 10 plots with dimensions of 0.5 x 0.5 m were placed at a distance of 1.5 m from each other at each site. Soil samples were transported to the laboratory and their physical and chemical properties were determined. The results showed that the percentage of sand, silt, aggregate stability, soil hydrophobicity, organic carbon, organic matter, soil total nitrogen, absorbable potassium and phosphorus, electrical conductivity, and pH, increased significantly when the soil surface is burned (p = 0.05). These findings demonstrate that forest fire effects in Iran must be considered as a key topic for land managers because soil properties and hydrological processes are drastically modified, and land degradation could be irreparably activated.Sari Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources Universit

Impact of soil erosion and runoff on mountain slopes of Mediterranean agroecosystems

La degradación de suelos en los agroecosistemas mediterráneos implica una pérdida de utilidad actual y una reducción de sus funciones potenciales, tanto por procesos naturales, como aquellos especialmente inducidos e intensificados por las acciones humanas. Se evalúa el impacto de la erosión y escorrentía en diferentes tipos de uso del suelo (TUS): agrícola (olivar, almendro y cereal), bosque (Pinus halepensis y Pinus sylvestris), matorral, pastizal y tierras de cultivo abandonadas, en Sierra Nevada (SE España). Las parcelas cerradas de erosión-escorrentía con dos repeticiones fueron instaladas en las laderas en cada TUS, registrándose tasas de erosión y escorrentía durante 22 eventos lluviosos. De acuerdo con los resultados obtenidos en el marco del presente estudio, los TUS consistentes en P. halepensis y P. sylvestris minimizaron de forma significativa la erosión y escorrentía, en contraste con los suelos agrícolas abandonados. En relación a los TUS con actividad agrícola se determinó una mayor incidencia de la erosión en el olivar respecto al almendro y cereal. El matorral registró tasas de erosión y escorrentía intermedia entre los Pinus spp. y agrícolapastizal. En consecuencia, la alteración de la cubierta vegetal es crucial para interpretar la degradación de la productividad de los suelos, así como para planificar estrategias sostenibles con el objeto de mitigar los procesos de degradación del suelo en agroecosistemas mediterráneos.Land degradation in Mediterranean agroecosystems implies the loss of current utility and reduction of its potential functions, by both natural processes and those specifically induced and intensified by human actions. The impact of erosion and runoff on different land-use types (LUT): farmland (olive, almond and cereal), forest (Pinus halepensis and Pinus sylvestris), shrubland, grassland and abandoned farmland in Sierra Nevada (SE Spain) have been assessed. The erosion plots twice replicated were located on the slopes for each land-use type, monitoring the erosion and runoff rates for 22 rainfall events. According to the results of the present study the LUT consisting in P. halepensis and P. sylvestris significantly minimized soil erosion and runoff, in contrast to the abandoned farmland. In relation to farmland activity important impact of erosion has been found in olive plots than in almond and cereal. The shrubland generated intermediate erosion and runoff rates between Pinus trees and agriculture-grassland plots. Consequently, plant cover change is crucial in interpreting the productivity degradation of soils, as well as in planning sustainable strategies to mitigate soil degradation processes in Mediterranean agroecosystems.Este trabajo fue realizado en el marco de los proyectos de investigación “Procesos hidrológicos y erosivos y valoración de la biomasa y secuestro de carbono orgánico bajo diferentes usos del suelo en la cuenca agraria “El Salado”, Lanjarón (SE España) (RTA2007-00008-00-00)” y “Técnicas de agricultura de conservación en cultivos leñosos de secano y clima mediterráneo: implicaciones en la productividad sostenible, control de la erosión, mantenimiento de la biodiversidad edáfica y la calidad de los suelos (RTA2011-00007-00-00)”, ambos otorgados por el INIA y cofinanciado con fondos FEDER de la UE

Irrigation alternatives for avocado (Persea Americana Mill.) in the Mediterranean Subtropical region in the context of climate change: a review

Due to congenital features, avocado (Persea Americana Mill.) trees are substantial water users relative to other fruit trees. The current growing deficiency of water resources, especially in arid and semi-arid avocado-producing areas, has led to the demand for more sustainable water-saving measures. The objective of this review was to analyze the role of deficit irrigation as a strategy to face climate change and water scarcity through achieving efficiency, saving water, and maximizing the benefits that could be achieved at the level of the irrigated agricultural system. Particular attention is devoted to studies performed in the subtropical Mediterranean climate, in which irrigated avocado orchards are common. These studies analyzed irrigation demand, deficit irrigation, and determination of water status through physiological parameters, leading to possible sustainable irrigation programs for avocado in the context of water shortage scenarios. Through these insights, we conclude that under the current climatic circumstances with respect to available water resources, avocado farming requires sustainable resilience strategies to reduce irrigation water consumption without affecting the yield and quality of the fruits. Water stress inevitably affects the physiological processes that determine yield. Therefore, an admissible yield loss is required with smaller fruits and water savings made through deficit irrigation strategies. In addition, modern consumers tend to prefer foods based on sustainability, i.e., there is a high demand for socially responsible and environmentally friendly products

Conservation Agriculture as a Sustainable System for Soil Health: A Review

Soil health is a term used to describe the general state or quality of soil, and in an agroecosystem, soil health can be defined as the ability of the soil to respond to agricultural practices in a way that sustainably supports both agricultural production and the provision of other ecosystem services. Conventional agricultural practices cause deterioration in soil quality, increasing its compaction, water erosion, and salinization and decreasing soil organic matter, nutrient content, and soil biodiversity, which negatively influences the productivity and long-term sustainability of the soil. Currently, there are many evidences throughout the world that demonstrate the capability of conservation agriculture (CA) as a sustainable system to overcome these adverse effects on soil health, to avoid soil degradation and to ensure food security. CA has multiple beneficial effects on the physical, chemical, and biological properties of soil. In addition, CA can reduce the negative impacts of conventional agricultural practices on soil health while conserving the production and provision of soil ecosystem services. Today, agricultural development is facing unprecedented challenges, and CA plays a significant role in the sustainability of intensive agriculture. This review will discuss the impact of conservation agricultural practices on soil health and their role in agricultural sustainability

Can Sustained Deficit Irrigation Save Water and Meet the Quality Characteristics of Mango?

Mango is one of the most cultivated tropical fruits worldwide and one of few drought-tolerant plants. Thus, in this study the effect of a sustained deficit irrigation (SDI) strategy on mango yield and quality was assessed with the aim of reducing irrigation water in mango crop. A randomized block design with four treatments was developed: (i) full irrigation (FI), assuring the crop’s water needs, and three levels of SDI receiving 75%, 50%, and 33% of irrigation water (SDI75, SDI50, and SDI33). Yield, morphology, color, titratable acidity (TA), total soluble solids (TSS), organic acids (OA), sugars, minerals, fiber, antioxidant activity (AA), and total phenolic content (TPC) were analyzed. The yield was reduced in SDI conditions (8%, 11%, and 20% for SDI75, SDI50, and SDI33, respectively), but the irrigation water productivity was higher in all SDI regimes. SDI significantly reduced the mango size, with SDI33 generating the smallest mangoes. Peel color significantly changed after 13 days of ripening, with SDI75 being the least ripe. The TA, AA, and citric acid were higher in SDI75, while the TPC and fiber increased in all SDI levels. Consequently, SDI reduced the mango size but increased the functionality of samples, without a severe detrimental effect on the yield

EUSEDcollab: a network of data from European catchments to monitor net soil erosion by water

As a network of researchers we release an open-access database (EUSEDcollab) of water discharge and suspended sediment yield time series records collected in small to medium sized catchments in Europe. EUSEDcollab is compiled to overcome the scarcity of open-access data at relevant spatial scales for studies on runoff, soil loss by water erosion and sediment delivery. Multi-source measurement data from numerous researchers and institutions were harmonised into a common time series and metadata structure. Data reuse is facilitated through accompanying metadata descriptors providing background technical information for each monitoring station setup. Across ten European countries, EUSEDcollab covers over 1600 catchment years of data from 245 catchments at event (11 catchments), daily (22 catchments) and monthly (212 catchments) temporal resolution, and is unique in its focus on small to medium catchment drainage areas (median=43km2, min=0.04km2, max=817km2) with applicability for soil erosion research. We release this database with the aim of uniting people, knowledge and data through the European Union Soil Observatory (EUSO)

Plant Water Use Efficiency for a Sustainable Agricultural Development

The rising shortage of water resources worldwide in crop-producing regions and the need for irrigation optimisation call for sustainable water savings. That is, the allocation of irrigation water will be an ever-increasing source of pressure because of vast agricultural demands under changing climatic conditions. Consequently, irrigation has to be closely linked with water-use efficiency with the aim of boosting productivity and improving food quality, singularly in those regions where problems of water shortages or collection and delivery are widespread. The present Special Issue (SI) contains 19 original contributions addressing water-use efficiency under challenging topic of sustainable irrigation management to meet water scarcity conditions. These papers cover a wide range of subjects, including (i) interaction mineral nutrition and irrigation in horticultural crops, (ii) sustainable irrigation in woody fruit crops, (iii) medicinal plants, (iv) industrial crops, and (v) others devoted to remote sensing techniques and crop water requirements, genotypes for drought tolerance, and agricultural management platform. The studies have been carried out in both field and laboratory surveys, as well as modelling studies, and a wide range of geographic regions are also covered. The collection of these manuscripts presented in this SI updates and provides a relevant knowledge contribution for efficient saving water resources

Soil-erosion and runoff prevention by plant covers. A review

Soil erosion is a critical environmental problem throughout the world's terrestrial ecosystems. Erosion inflicts multiple, serious damages in managed ecosystems such as crops, pastures, or forests as well as in natural ecosystems. In particular, erosion reduces the water-holding capacity because of rapid water runoff, and reduces soil organic matter. As a result, nutrients and valuable soil biota are transported. At the same time, species diversity of plants, animals, and microbes is significantly reduced. One of the most effective measures for erosion control and regeneration the degraded former soil is the establishment of plant covers. Indeed, achieving future of safe environment depends on conserving soil, water, energy, and biological resources. Soil erosion can be controlled through a process of assessment at regional scales for the development and restoration of the plant cover, and the introduction of conservation measures in the areas at greatest risk. Thus, conservation of these vital resources needs to receive high priority to ensure the effective protection of managed and natural ecosystems. This review article highlights three majors topics: (1) the impact of erosion of soil productivity with particular focus on climate and soil erosion; soil seal and crust development; and C losses from soils; (2) land use and soil erosion with particular focus on soil loss in agricutural lands; shrub and forest lands; and the impact of erosion in the Mediterranean terraced lands; and (3) the impact of plant covers on soil erosion with particular focus on Mediterranean factors affecting vegetation; plant roots and erosion control; and plant cover and biodiversity

Salt torelance of mango rootstocks (Magnifera indica L. cv. Osteen)

Con objeto de determinar lso criterios más idóneos para estudiar la tolerancia relativa de portainjertos de mango (Mangifera indica L.) a altas concentraciones de C1- y Na+ presentes en las aguas de riego, se sometieron a estudios dos portainjertos, Gomera-1 y Gomera-3, injertados con el cv. Osteen. Las plantas fueron expuestas a riego con aguas salinas medidas por medio de su conductividad eléctrica (1,02; 1,50; 2,00 y 2,50 dS m-1). Los resultados indicaron diferencias en la retención de elementos tóxicos entre los tejidos de los diferentes órganos (raíces, tallo y hojas) de los portainjertos. El portainjerto Gomera-3 absorbió mayor cantidad de C1- y Na+ que el Gomera-1, siendo por tanto más sensible. En cambio, Gomera-1 fue más tolerante, lo cual estaría asociado con su capacidad de restringir la absorción y transporte de C1- y Na+ desde el sistema radicular hacia la parte aérea. El C1- fue mucho más tóxico en las hojas tanto del portainjerto como del cultivar, mientras que el Na+ lo fue en als raíces. El presente estudio revela una mayor adaptabilidad de Gomera-1 a condiciones salinas, y hace factible su empleo como portainjerto en zonas con aguas de baja calidad