Priorities for research in soil ecology

The ecological interactions that occur in and with soil are of consequence in many ecosystems on the planet. These interactions provide numerous essential ecosystem services, and the sustainable management of soils has attracted increasing scientific and public attention. Although soil ecology emerged as an independent field of research many decades ago, and we have gained important insights into the functioning of soils, there still are fundamental aspects that need to be better understood to ensure that the ecosystem services that soils provide are not lost and that soils can be used in a sustainable way. In this perspectives paper, we highlight some of the major knowledge gaps that should be prioritized in soil ecological research. These research priorities were compiled based on an online survey of 32 editors of Pedobiologia – Journal of Soil Ecology. These editors work at universities and research centers in Europe, North America, Asia, and Australia. The questions were categorized into four themes: (1) soil biodiversity and biogeography, (2) interactions and the functioning of ecosystems, (3) global change and soil management, and (4) new directions. The respondents identified priorities that may be achievable in the near future, as well as several that are currently achievable but remain open. While some of the identified barriers to progress were technological in nature, many respondents cited a need for substantial leadership and goodwill among members of the soil ecology research community, including the need for multi-institutional partnerships, and had substantial concerns regarding the loss of taxonomic expertise

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Effects of earthworms on soil processes in coniferous forest soil

The effects of four earthworm species on decomposition, nutrient cycling and plant growth in coniferous forest soil were studied with microcosm experiments. The species were the epigeics Dendrobaena octaedra (Savigny) and Lumbricus rubellus (Hoffmeister), the endogeic Aporrectodea caliginosa tuberculata (Eisen), and an introduced anecic species A. velox (Bouché). Simulated forest soil was constructed into the microcosms, which were incubated in climate chambers for several months, including both summer and winter conditions. In two experiments, birch seedlings were also planted in the microcosms. In the experiments with Ac. tuberculata and A. velox the pH of the soil was manipulated by liming. In order to study the possibilities to introduce new deep burrowing species to northern latitudes, A. velox was also introduced to two different kinds of habitats in the field. In each experiment, the soil processes in the control microcosms (without earthworms) were compared to processes in identically prepared microcosms with earthworms. Evolution of C0₂ was monitored throughout the experiments, and concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus were analysed from the leached water. At destructive samplings, numbers of animals, mass loss, pH, and KCl-extractable nutrients, as well as growth of the seedlings were determined. Generally, the earthworms increased the microbial activity in the soil, and they also enhanced the rate of nitrogen mineralization. Nitrification was also increased when nitrifying activity was present in the soil (in the presence of mineral soil layer, or after liming). The influence of earthworms on phosphorus mineralization was inconsistent being significant in some cases only. Earthworms clearly raised the soil pH when only the humus layer was included in the microcosms. The influence was opposite when mineral soil was under the organic horizon. The effect of earthworms on pH seemed to be related to the increased amounts of mineral nitrogen and changes in the ratio of ammonium to nitrate. In the presence of living plants, when concentrations of mineral nitrogen were very low, there were no differences in the pH between soils with or without earthworms. Both L. rubellus and A.c. tuberculata increased the growth of birch seedlings significantly. The nitrogen concentration of leaves was doubled and the shoot to root ratio increased in the presence of L. rubellus. Neither nitrogen fertilization, mechanical mixing with "artificial worms" nor the preworked soil by earthworms increased the growth of the seedlings. The capacity of earthworms for improving the structure and fertility of soils, which has previously been shown in temperate and tropical habitats by several authors, became herein confirmed for nortl1en1 coniferous forest soil. The results clearly showed that plants can derive benefit from enchanced decomposition and nutrient release from dead organic matter due to the activities of earthworms. Plants produced more biomass, and this biomass contained a higher concentration of nitrogen in the presence of earthworms. The results also encourage to study the possibilities to manipulate the earthworms in the field in order to increase the productivity of coniferous forests

Soil processes are constituents of planetary well-being

Soils play multiple roles in vital ecosystem processes, even though they form only a thin layer between Earth’s atmosphere and lithosphere. Soils are reservoirs of carbon, most nutrients and fresh water while acting as a substrate for plants, a site for decomposition processes, and a sink for harmful substances. The decomposition of dead organic matter and the associated recycling of nutrients are a prerequisite for photosynthesis by green plants and, therefore, for all life forms on Earth. Without healthy soils, the integrity of the Earth system cannot be maintained in the future. Soils are highly diverse habitats, inhabited by both structurally and functionally diversified organisms. However, human activity is currently threatening both soil health and biodiversity. Intensive farming, mining, deforestation, pollution, and urbanization are significantly reducing the area of undisturbed land and simplifying the soil structure. This also represents a threat to nature’s contributions to people. On the road to planetary well-being, humanity should therefore pay particular attention to soils. This chapter discusses how soil processes contribute to the well-being of our planet and how the impacts of human activities on soil affect planetary well-being.peerReviewe

Aineenopettajankoulutus LUMA-aineissa Jyväskylän yliopistossa

Jyväskylän yliopistosta valmistuu aineenopettajia LUMA-aineissa kaikilta matemaattis-luonnontieteellisen tiedekunnan ainelaitoksilta, lisäksi tietotekniikan opettajia informaatioteknologian tiedekunnasta. Matemaattis-luonnontieteellisestä tiedekunnasta valmistuu vuosittain reilut 40 aineenopettajaa, kaikkiaan valmistuneista maistereista noin joka neljännellä on opettajan pätevyys. Tietotekniikan laitokselta valmistuu vuosittain noin 10 aineenopettajaa. Tulevan aineenopettajan opintopolku muodostuu opinnoista ainelaitoksilla, opettajankoulutuslaitoksella ja Normaalikoulussa. Opettajia kouluttavien yhteistyö on tärkeää opintojen kokonaisvaltaisessa suunnittelussa. Ainelaitosten, opettajankoulutuslaitoksen ja Normaalikoulun kolmikantayhteistyö on kehittämistyössä avaintekijä.nonPeerReviewe

Superelastic NiTi coatings with good corrosive wear resistance

In the present study corrosive wear resistance of NiTi coatings produced by hot isostatic pressing (HIPping) were tested using a slurry pot type of equipment. The samples were rotated in a slurry that contained 100g/l of quartz sand in liquid. Two types of liquids were used. In the corrosive test the liquid was INH$_2$SO$_4$-water solution and in the neutral reference tests the liquid was deionized water. The radial velocity was 4.7 m/s, temperature $25 \pm 5$ °C, and duration 5 hours. Furthermore, additional corrosion tests were performed with the same apparatus and the sour liquid but without the quartz sand. The results were compared with AISI 316 steel, bulk NiTi, and some other materials. The results showed that HIPped NiTi coatings have a very good corrosive wear resistance

Urbanization related changes in lepidopteran community

Urbanization displaces natural habitats with impervious surfaces and managed ornamental green infrastructure. This study compared the structure of lepidopteran community in an office campus cleared from forest to that in the remaining forest. For the comparison, we trapped 2,233 lepidopteran specimens of 56 species from an office campus and adjacent forest. The species richness of lepidopteran assemblage in the office campus was half of that in the forest and consisted primarily of the same species found in the forest. The abundance and biomass of Lepidoptera in the office campus was a quarter of that in the forest. The biomass and abundance of Lepidoptera decreased along with the impervious area within 100-meter radius around the traps and approached zero when impervious surfaces covered the area entirely. The specimens in the trapped lepidopteran assembly from the office campus were on average larger, indicating elevated mobility, than those caught from the forest. Our results support earlier studies concluding that fragmented urban landscape selects for large mobile species, which can feed on ornamental plants or can disperse between high-quality habitats within urban landscape. Green infrastructure with native plants, high-quality native habitats and their connectivity can maintain species-rich lepidopteran communities in urban landscapes.peerReviewe