The state of soils in Europe

This report delves into the intricate interplay between drivers, pressures and impacts on soil in the 32 Member States of the European Environment Agency (EEA), along with six cooperating countries from the West Balkans, Ukraine and UK, shedding light on the multifaceted challenges facing soil conservation efforts. Our analysis shows the complex interactions among various factors, both anthropogenic and natural, shaping soil degradation processes and their subsequent consequences. We highlight key findings, including the significant impacts of soil degradation on agriculture, ecosystem resilience, water quality, biodiversity, and human health, underscoring the urgent need for comprehensive soil management strategies. Moreover, our examination of citizen science initiatives underlines the importance of engaging the public in soil monitoring and conservation efforts. This work emphasises the policy relevance of promoting sustainable soil governance frameworks, supported by research, innovation, and robust soil monitoring schemes, to safeguard soil health and ensure the long-term resilience of ecosystems.JRC.D.3 - Land Resources and Supply Chain Assessment

Assessment of erosion rates and patterns from spatial variability of cesium-137

Soil erosion predictions and mapping of erosion patterns are important for developing the corresponding management strategies to deal with soil erosion. This research was conducted; (i) to determine cesium sorption and desorption characteristics in soils, (ii) to develop a depth dependent model for predicting soil erosion from \sp{137}{\rm Cs} activity, and (iii) to define erosion patterns from measurements of the spatial distribution of \sp{137}{\rm Cs} within the field. Cesium sorption was more in soils with high clay or low sand content and neutral pH than soils with low clay or high sand content and having relatively acidic soil reaction. A significant relationship was also found between the sorption of Cs and soil organic-C content. Results indicate that Cs is strongly retained against exchange with Ca and Na in soils, but this degree of retention against exchange with K depends on the type of dominant clay mineral. A depth dependent model, polynomial method, was developed and used to predict soil erosion from the research field. The model accounts for initially higher rates of \sp{137}{\rm Cs} loss due to heterogeneity in mixing of \sp{137}{\rm Cs} in tillage layer for the first several years of cultivation. Furthermore, erosion rates estimated by the polynomial method do not depend on the depth of tillage, thus intermittent changes in cultivation practices and tillage depth do not influence erosion predictions. Annual estimated erosion rate using the polynomial method was 47.5% lower than the proportional method, but equivalent to the USLE. Mapping of soil erosion patterns from the spatial variability of \sp{137}{\rm Cs} indicated that greater than 97% of this field had eroded at a rate 2.5 times the soil loss tolerance for at least 27 years. Resulting erosion patterns can provide useful information that can contribute to our understanding of soil erosion processes. Subsequently this data can be used to help refine erosion control guidelines which influence the selection of a vast array of management practices by an agricultural producer including; tillage, fertilizer application, crop rotation, plant population, and structures

Effect of Some Polymers on Soil-water Losses and Sediment Size depending on Initial Aggregate Size under Sequential Simulated Rainfall

AbstractEarth is quickly changing in physical meaning. Especially as a result of climate change, increasing number of swelling-shrinking cycles that managed by wetting-drying and freezing-dissolving events in the soil, closely affects the aggregate stability. Main purpose of this study is to research the effects of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and polyacrylamide (PAM) which are applied to different size of aggregates of a Typic Xerorthent on the runoff and soil losses under the sequential simulated rainfalls in the laboratory. Other purposes of this study are to research efficiency duration of polymers as part of the fragmentation dynamics and to determine particle size distribution in transported material. At the aim of the project diverse aggregate sizes of the soil were put in soil pans. PVA and PAM were applied on these aggregates. Simulated rainstorms with 360mm h-1 intensity were applied by using “Eijkelkamp rainfall simulator” for a duration of 12minutes. After 48hours first rain application, sequential simulates rainfalls were applied on same pans. Particle size distribution was partially determined in sediments. In the end of the study, while minimum and maximum runoff quantities (RQ) were measured as 11.9mm (in > 6.4mm aggregates + PVA) and 40.6mm under first rainfall, respectively, these values were measured in the same application pans as 22.6mm and 49.1mm under sequential rainfall. In the first rain event, soil quantities transported by runoff (SQTR) were ranged from 89.1 to 3923.1g m-2 above application pans. In the second rain event, SQTRs were ranged from 91.8 to 4739.4g m-2 same pans. According to particle size analysis results polymers were found successful to keep particles together under first rain event.AcknowledgementsThis study was supported financially by The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK). We thank the said institute. Project Code: TOVAG/113-O-555

Deficit irrigation with wastewater in direct sowed silage maize reduces CO2 emissions from soil by providing carbon savings

Abstract Direct sowing and deficit irrigation practices can reduce the effect of wastewater on CO2 emissions from soil by providing carbon savings. Therefore, the effect of domestic recycled wastewater uses at different levels in irrigation under conventional tillage and direct sowing practices on the CO2 emission from soil at the end of the vegetation period of silage maize was investigated by comparing it with full irrigation of fresh water. Both organic carbon and CO2 emissions in the second year in fully irrigated treatments were higher than those in the first year. The CO2 emission in the full irrigation with wastewater (0.263 g m−2 h−1), compared to full irrigation with fresh water and 33 and 67% deficit irrigations with wastewater, was higher at 23.4, 25.0, and 59.3%, respectively. Direct sowing practice also (0.193 g m−2 h−1) resulted in 17.0% less CO2 emissions compared to conventional tillage. The positive linear relationships of H2O emission and the soil moisture content at different depths (5, 10, and 20 cm) with CO2 emission were significant, and the negative relationships with the soil temperatures were also found. It has been concluded that deficit irrigation and direct sowing applications can be practical for reducing CO2 emissions from soil in wastewater irrigation conditions.</jats:p

The effects of marble wastes on soil properties and hazelnut yield

WOS: 000341348600015Wastes generated in the dimension stone industry have become an environmental concern in Turkey which is one of the leading dimension stone (mostly marble and travertine) producers in the world. Use of such wastes rich in CaCO3 for the remediation of acidic and calcium deficient soils might be an environmentally sound way to reduce the amount of wastes to be disposed. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of marble quarry and cutting wastes on the soil properties and Tombul hazelnut cultivar under the field conditions. Field tests were conducted for one year in Giresun, Turkey. The results showed that marble wastes had a significant effect on the neutralization of the soil as well as on the hazelnut yield. The soil pH was increased from 4.71 to 5.88 upon marble waste application at rates equal to agricultural lime requirement. Hazelnut yield increased from 1120.3 kg ha(-1) on the field with no marble waste treatment to 1605.5 kg ha(-1) with marble wastes. This study indicates that marble quarry and cutting wastes could be used in the hazelnut fields for the neutralization of acidic soil to increase the yield. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.Ataturk University BAP projectAtaturk University [2012/187]The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support by Ataturk University BAP project (2012/187) through grant number 2012/187

Honey-Water Content Analysis by Mixing Models Using a Self-Calibrating Microwave Method

Microwave techniques, as an indirect approach, can be applied for analyzing water content in honey by way of permittivity measurements. However, these techniques require proper calibration to accurately perform such indirect evaluation. Improper calibration standards used in this calibration process could naturally result in a reduction in the accuracy and thus the performance of dielectric characterization using microwaves. Self-calibrating microwave techniques can reduce the effects of imprecise standards and thus improve the performance of microwave measurements by bypassing the requirement of calibration standards. In this study, we develop a self-calibrating microwave measurement technique to determine the relative permittivity of honey samples and implement binary mixing models to predict adulteration levels of water-adulterated honey. From this implementation, it is observed that the parallel-capacitance mixing model could efficiently be applied to determine the concentration of water adulteration by examining the differences between absolute values of the real parts of the measured and predicted complex permittivities of adulterated honey