Soil resilience assessment using soil profile descriptions and Analytic Hierarchy Process in Mediterranean mountains considering diverse fire occurrences

Wildfires are complex natural phenomena that exert significant impacts on landscapes,societies,and economies.Understanding the concept of resilience is crucial in mitigating its possible negative impacts,as it involves preparing for,responding to,and recovering from wildfires.This research aims to demonstrate the utility of in situ soil profile description in assessing land use resilience using an Analytic Hierarchy Process(AHP)through an expert panel survey.The study examines a catchment located in the Balearic Islands,considering two fire occurrences(once and twice),comparing abandoned agricultural terraces and natural hillslopes.The results demonstrated that the priority ranking of variables to assess soil profile resilience against wildfires,determined by a panel of 10 experts,identified horizon depth(25.1%),slope inclination(21.5%),and hydrological connectivity(16.6%)as the most crucial factors.Other variables,such as number and size of roots,structure of pedal soil material,size class structure,and rock fragments,also contributed to resilience but to a lesser extent,with scores ranging from 5.7%to 9.6%.Analyzing the priorities established by the experts using AHP,the results showed that the least resilient soil horizon was H1 of the control hillslope,especially under high and low connectivity processes,which aligned with the loss of superficial soil horizons after one and two wildfires.Hillslopes showed greater changes in resilience after occurring wildfires compared to terraces,with the most significant alterations occurring after the second wildfire event.This study addresses a significant knowledge gap in the field by highlighting the interconnectedness of wildfires,resilience,and land use,providing insights into land management strategies for wildfire-prone regions.

Fractal features of soil profiles under different land use patterns on the Loess Plateau, China

Fractal theory is becoming an increasingly useful tool to describe soil structure dynamics for a better understanding of the performance of soil systems. Changes in land use patterns significantly affect soil physical, chemical and biological properties. However, limited information is available on the fractal characteristics of deep soil layers under different land use patterns. In this study, the fractal dimensions of particle size distribution（PSD） and micro-aggregates in the 0–500 cm soil profile and soil anti-erodibility in the 0–10 cm soil profile for 10 typical land use patterns were investigated in the Zhifanggou Watershed on the Loess Plateau, China. The 10 typical land use patterns were： slope cropland, two terraced croplands, check-dam cropland, woodland, two shrublands, orchard, artificial and natural grasslands. The results showed that the fractal dimensions of PSD and micro-aggregates were all significantly influenced by soil depths, land use patterns and their interaction. The plantations of shrubland, woodland and natural grassland increased the amount of larger micro-aggregates, and decreased the fractal dimensions of micro-aggregates in the 0–40 cm soil profile. And they also improved the aggregate state and aggregate degree and decreased dispersion rate in the 0–10 cm soil profile. The results indicated that fractal theory can be used to characterize soil structure under different land use patterns and fractal dimensions of micro-aggregates were more effective in this regard. The natural grassland may be the best choice for improving soil structure in the study area.

Effects of plastic film mulching on soil greenhouse gases(CO2,CH4 and N2O) concentration within soil profiles in maize fields on the Loess Plateau,China

To better understand the effects of plastic film mulching on soil greenhouse gases（GHGs） emissions,we compared seasonal and vertical variations of GHG concentrations at seven soil depths in maize（Zea mays L.） fields at Changwu station in Shaanxi,a semi-humid region,between 2012 and 2013.Gas samples were taken simultaneously every one week from non-mulched（BP） and plastic film-mulched（FM） field plots.The results showed that the concentration of GHGs varied distinctly at the soil-atmosphere interface and in the soil profile during the maize growing season（MS）.Both carbon dioxide（CO_2） and nitrous oxide（N_2O） concentrations increased with increasement of soil depth,while the methane（CH_4）concentrations decreased with increasement of soil depth.A strong seasonal variation pattern was found for CO_2 and N_2O concentrations,as compared to an inconspicuous seasonal variation of CH_4 concentrations.The mean CO_2 and N_2O concentrations were higher,but the mean CH_4 concentration in the soil profiles was lower in the FM plots than in the BP plots.The results of this study suggested that plastic film mulching significantly increased the potential emissions of CO_2and N_2O from the soil,and promoted CH_4 absorption by the soil,particularly during the MS.

Dynamics of organic carbon and nitrogen in deep soil profile and crop yields under long-term fertilization in wheat-maize cropping system

Soil organic carbon(SOC)and nitrogen(N)are two of the most important indicators for agricultural productivity.The primary objective of this study was to investigate the changes in SOC and N in the deep soil profile(up to 100 cm)and their relationships with crop productivity under the influence of long-term(since 1990)fertilization in the wheat-maize cropping system.Treatments included CK(control),NP(inorganic N and phosphorus(P)fertilizers),NPK(inorganic N,P and potassium fertilizers),NPKM(NPK plus manure),and M(manure).Crop yield and the properties of topsoil were measured yearly from 2001 to 2009.C and N contents were measured at five different depths in 2001 and 2009.The results showed that wheat and maize yields decreased between 2001 and 2009 under the inorganic fertilizer(NP and NPK)treatments.The average yield between 2001 and 2009 under the NP,NPK,NPKM,and M treatments(compared with the CK treatment)increased by 38,115,383,and 381%,respectively,for wheat and 348,891,2738,and 1845%,respectively,for maize.Different long-term fertilization treatments significantly changed coarse free particulate(cf POC),fine free particulate(ff POC),intramicroaggregate particulate(i POC),and mineral-associated(m SOC)organic carbon fractions.In the experimental years of 2001 and 2009,soil fractions occurred in the following order for all treatments:m SOC>cf POC>i POC>ff POC.All fractions were higher under the manure application treatments than under the inorganic fertilization treatments.Compared to the inorganic fertilization treatments,manure input enhanced the stocks of SOC and total N in the surface layer(0–20 cm)but decreased SOC and N in the deep soil layer(80–100 cm).This reveals the efficiency of manure in increasing yield productivity and decreasing risk of vertical loss of nutrients,especially N,compared to inorganic fertilization treatments.The findings provide opportunities for understanding deep soil C and N dynamics,which could help mitigate climate change impact on agricultural production and maintain soil health.

Salt-Water Dynamics in Soils: V. Salt Balance in Soil Profiles

Salt balance in simulated soil columns was calculated on the basis of a large amount of long termobservation data. The results showed that under the climate conditions of senii-arid region of the Hnaiig-Huai-Hai Plain, the soils in the columns were under salt accumulation conditions when the groundwater depthwas controlled at less than 2.0 m, and under desalinization conditions when at larger than 2.5 m. In the soilcolnmns with clay soil and silty loam soil intercalated with a clay layer, the aniount of salt accumulated wasfar less than that in the soil column with silty loain soil throughout the whole profile. Under no irrigationconditions crop planting niay increase groundwater evaporation and hence salt accumulation in soil, mforingthe soil colnmns under desalinization be under salt accumulation conditions.

Solid-solution partitioning of arsenic(As) in the paddy soil profiles in Chengdu Plain,Southwest China

To predict the long-term behavior of arsenic （As） in soil profiles, the solid-solution partitioning of As was studied in four paddy soil profiles obtained from agricultural areas in Chengdu Plain, Southwest China. Paddy soil profile samples were collected and soil solution samples were extracted. Total As contents in soil solution and soil solid were analyzed, along with the soil solid phase properties. The As in soil solu- tion was significantly higher in the upper layer （0--20 cm） and had a definite tendency to decrease towards 40 cm regardless of the sampling locations. When the concentration of arsenic in soil solution decreased, its content in solid phase increased. Field-based partition coefficient （Kd） for As was determined by calculating the ratio of the amount of As in the soil solid phase to the As concentration in the soil solution. Kj values varied widely in vertical samples and correlated well with soil pH, total organic carbon （TOC） and total As. The results of this study would be useful for evaluating the accumulation trends of hrsenic in soil profiles and in improving the management of the agricultural soils.

The effects of soil sand contents on characteristics of humic acids along soil profiles

It is generally accepted that the compositions and properties of soil organic matter （SOM） are influenced by many factors. In order to reveal the effects of soil texture on characteristics and dynamics of SOM and its sub-fraction, humic acid （HA）, along two soil profiles, a yellow soil profile and a purplish soil profile, under the same climate and vegetation conditions were determined. Results indi- cate that the decomposition and humification degrees of SOM and HA of the purplish soils are higher than those of the corresponding yellow soils indicated by A/O-A ratios of HAs, TOCs and HA yields of bulk soil samples, neverthe- less, the development degree of the purplish soil is lower than that of the yellow soil. The variations of E4/E6 ratios of HAs along the soil profiles indicate the overall molecular sizes of HAs decreased downward along the soil profiles. A/O-A ratios of HAs decreased downward along both the soil profiles indicate that humification processes decrease downward along both the soil profiles. Leaching of SOM shows significant effects on the distribution and character- istics of HAs in the yellow soil profile but the purplish soil profile, which is consistent with the higher hydrophobicity of HAs in purplish soils, shows that the distribution char- acteristics of SOM along the soil profiles are a complex result of the combination of soil texture and characteristics of SOM itself. The remarkably different sand contents are concluded tentatively as one of reasons to the differentdistributions and dynamics of HAs along the soil profiles, however, to profoundly understand the evolution and transport of SOM along soil profiles needs more researches.

Effects of soil profile and characteristic of exciting force on propagation of ground vibrations

Ground-borne vibrations caused by vibration sources such as road traffic and construction exhibit complicated properties during propagation from the vibration source to the inside of a building. In the present paper, a numerical analysis technique for the system of vibration source and propagation path of ground vibration is developed in order to systematically determine the propagation properties of the vibration as part of developing a predictive technique for exposure evaluations by vibrations in three directions at receiving points of vibration in the human body. First, the exciting forces in three directions for input into the numerical computation are inversely-estimated by using the measured acceleration rec- ords of the measurement points, which are near the vibration source. The thin-layered element method is used for numerical computation of the ground vibration. Then, the calculation results for the ground vibration obtained by using the estimated exciting force are compared with the measured results, and the influence of the stratified structure of the ground on the exciting force and the propagation properties of the ground vibration are studied. From these results, in a prediction of the ground vibration in three directions, it is emphasized that it is necessary to consider the influence of horizontal exciting force, although attention has been paid to only the vertical exciting force for simulating ground vibration.

Estimation of Deep Soil Profiles in Lima Peru

Deep shear-wave velocity profiles at eight places in Lima Peru were estimated based on the inversion of dispersion curves. The dispersion curves were calculated from small and large microtremor arrays using two methods： the F-k proposed by Capon （1969） and the CCA proposed by Cho et al. （2004）. For the purpose of large array measurement we introduced a new type of sensor. Important results are the relative shallow depths to the basement rock in the area classified as alluvial gravel that covers most of the area of Lima city; and the relative large depth to the bedrock in places identified as VSV and CMA. It is recommended that this study be complemented with PS loggings in order to verify the estimated profiles.

The characterization of soil profile distribution for nitrate leached in the paddy soil

Experiment was conducted for five successiveyears under large undisturbed monolith lysime-ters(2m×2m in square,l m in depth).Thesoil was silty clay loam texture and had a con-tent of total N 1.55 g/kg.The soil was flood-ed with penetration rate controlled at approxi-mate 3 mm per day in duration of double-riceseason and laid fallow and natural in winterand spring.Results showed that nitrate was the mainform of nitrogen in percolates.The change of

Electrochemical and spectroscopic characteristics of dissolved organic matter in a forest soil profile

Dissolved organic matter （DOM） represents one of the most mobile and reactive organic compounds in ecosystem and plays an important role in the fate and transport of soil organic pollutants, nutrient cycling and more importantly global climate change. Electrochemical methods were first employed to evaluate DOM redox properties, and spectroscopic approaches were utilized to obtain information concerning its composition and structure. DOM was extracted from a forest soil profile with five horizons. Differential pulse voltammetry indicated that there were more redox-active moieties in the DOM from upper horizons than in that from lower horizons. Cyclic voltammetry further showed that these moieties were reversible in electron transfer. Chronoamperometry was employed to quantify the electron transfer capacity of DOM, including electron acceptor capacity and electron donor capacity, both of which decreased sharply with increasing depth. FT-IR, UV-Vis and fluorescence spectra results suggested that DOM from the upper horizons was enriched with aromatic and humic structures while that from the lower horizons was rich in aliphatic carbon, which supported the findings obtained by electrochemical approaches. Electrochemical approaches combined with spectroscopic methods were applied to evaluate the characteristics of DOM extracted along a forest soil profile. The electrochemical properties of DOM, which can be rapidly and simply obtained, provide insight into the migration and transformation of DOM along a soil profile and will aid in better understanding of the biogeochemical role of DOM in natural environments.

Microbial community diversity in the profile of an agricultural soil in northern China

The soil microorganisms at different depths play an important role in soil formation,ecosystem biogeochemistry,recycling of nutrients,and degradation of waste products.The aims of this study were to observe the microbial diversity in the profile of an agricultural soil in northern China,and to research the correlation between soil microbes and geochemistry.First,the soil geochemistry of the profile was investigated through 25 chemical elements.Secondly,the various physiological groups of microorganisms were...

Lignin characteristics in soil profiles in different plant communities in a subtropical mixed forest

Aims Lignin is generally considered as an important indicator of soil organic carbon(SOC)storage and dynamics.to evaluate the effects of plant communities and soil depth on soil lignin is critical to better understand forest carbon cycling.Methods We compared lignin content and chemical signature in three soil depths of four major plant communities in a subtropical forest,which located in the north part of Wuling Mountains,China.Lignin was measured using CuO oxidation method.Important Findings Both lignin content and its biochemical signature in plant litter varied among communities.However,these differences were mostly no longer exist in the upper soil layers.Lignin chemistry in soils inherited some of the biochemical signature of lignin in litter,but in a diminished magnitude.these results suggest that different plant communities had similar decomposition process with vary-ing rates,caused diminished differences in lignin content and its biochemical signature.Lignin content decreased with soil depth,but the biochemical signature of lignin was not significantly dif-ferent among soil layers for all communities,which suggests that vertical movement of lignin within the soil profile is very likely a key process causing this similar biochemical signature.these results emphasized the important roles of lignin inputs and soil eluviation in shaping lignin characteristics and distribution in forest soils,which pinpoint the urgent need to consider hydrological processes in studying forest soil carbon cycling.

Effects of elevated atmospheric CO_2 concentration and temperature on the soil profile methane distribution and diffusion in rice–wheat rotation system

The aim of this experiment was to determine the impacts of climate change on soil profile concentrations and diffusion effluxes of methane in a rice-wheat annual rotation ecosystem in Southeastern China. We initiated a field experiment with four treatments：ambient conditions（CKs）, CO2 concentration elevated to - 500 μmol/mol（FACE）,temperature elevated by ca. 2°C（T） and combined elevation of CO2 concentration and temperature（FACE ＋ T）. A multilevel sampling probe was designed to collect the soil gas at four different depths, namely, 7 cm, 15 cm, 30 cm and 50 cm. Methane concentrations were higher during the rice season and decreased with depth, while lower during the wheat season and increased with depth. Compared to CK, mean methane concentration was increased by 42%, 57% and 71% under the FACE, FACE ＋ T and T treatments, respectively, at the 7 cm depth during the rice season（p 〈 0.05）. Mean methane diffusion effluxes to the 7 cm depth were positive in the rice season and negative in the wheat season, resulting in the paddy field being a source and weak sink, respectively. Moreover, mean methane diffusion effluxes in the rice season were 0.94, 1.19 and 1.42 mg C/（m^2·hr） in the FACE,FACE ＋ T and T treatments, respectively, being clearly higher than that in the CK. The results indicated that elevated atmospheric CO2 concentration and temperature could significantly increase soil profile methane concentrations and their effluxes from a rice-wheat field annual rotation ecosystem（p 〈 0.05）.

Magnetic properties of two soil profiles from Yan'an,Shaanxi Province and their implications for paleorainfall reconstruction

The physical and chemical properties of soils are closely controlled by the climate factors and thus are significant for paleoclimate reconstruction. In this study, two adjacent soil profiles （LP and LPM） with different slopes from Yah＇an, Shaanxi Province, were investigated using magnetic methods to determine the impact of topography on magnetic properties of soil. Our results show that although LP and LPM have similar magnetic minerals and grain size distribution, both the average and max- imum magnetic susceptibility （Z） of LP are almost doubled compared to those of LPM. In addition, the ratios of susceptibility enhancement to the background （Ez） for LP and LPM are 2.27 and 2.04, respectively; the ratios of saturation isothermal rem- nant magnetization （SIRM） enhancement （EsIRM） for these two profiles are 1.80 and 1.86, respectively. The slopes of the linear regression trends between frequency-dependent susceptibility （ZFD） and ＂hard＂ isothermal remnant magnetization （HIRM） （ZFD/HIRM）, Anhysteretic remnant magnetization （ARM） and HIRM （ARM/HIRM）, are almost free from the effect of parent material. XFD/HIRMs for LP and LPM are 28.7×10 5 and 28.9×10 5 A m^-1, respectively; ARM/HIRMs are 0.35 and 0.33 for LP and LPM, respectively. These results demonstrate that parameters, ZFD/HIRM, ARM/HIRM, Ez and ESIRM, are affected less by parent material and topography, which are better than the Z for bulk samples to indicate the paleoclimatic conditions （e.g., the paleorainfall） in a large-scale region.

Accumulation and relationship of metals in different soil aggregate fractions along soil profiles

Different aggregates vary in their ability to retain or adsorb metals in soil.Five soil profiles were sampled from different soil horizons and grouped,and the concentrations of Al,Mg,Ca,Fe,Mn,Cd,Cu and Pb were determined in six sizes of aggregates(>2,2-1,1-0.6,0.6-0.25,0.25-0.053,<0.053 mm).Significantly high(p<0.05)structural stability indexes(SSI)and ag-gregate stability indexes(ASI)were recorded in the topsoil horizon,which may be attributed to the high soil organic matter(SOM)content in aggregates from topsoil.In addition,ASI and SSI were positively correlated(r=0.569,p<0.05)with each other,which indicated that the stability of soil aggregates could contribute to the structural stability of bulk soil.Moreover,accumulation factors(AF),principal component analysis(PCA)and Pearson's correlation co-efficients were used for metal element assessment.The results indicated that SOM was not a key factor affecting the accumulation of Ca,Mg,Al,Fe,Mn,Pb,Cd and Cu in soil aggre-gates.In general,AF values for metal elements in microaggregates(<0.25 mm)were high,which showed that metals preferred to accumulate in fine soil aggregates.The PCA and Pearson's correlation coefficients indicated that soil parent materials primarily controlled the distribution of Al,Ca,Fe,Mg and Mn,while materials derived from technogenic sources have important impacts on the distribution of Cd,Cu and Pb in soil aggregates along the soil profile.

Dynamics of Soil CO_2 Profiles of Pinus sylvestris var. sylvestriformis Seedlings Under CO_2 Concentration Doubled

The gas_well system permanently installed in the soil was adopted for studying the dynamic relationship between CO 2 profiles and seedling root growth of Pinus sylvestris var. sylvestriformis (Takenouchi) Cheng et C. D. Chu. The study was conducted in the Open Research Station of Changbai Mountain Forest Ecological System, The Chinese Academy of Sciences from 1999 to 2001. Four treatments were arranged in the rectangular open_top chambers (OTCs): ambient CO 2+no_seedling, 700 μmol/mol CO 2+no_seedling, ambient CO 2 +seedlings, 700 μmol/mol CO 2+seedlings. By collecting and analyzing soil gas synchronously, it was found that the dynamics of CO 2 profiles were related to the biological activity of seedlings. There were more roots distributed in the top soil and the boundary layer across soil and sand, which made more contributions to the CO 2 profiles due to respiration root. Compared with the ambient CO 2, elevated CO 2 led to the peak of CO 2 concentration distribution shifted from soil surface layer to the boundary layer as seasonally growing of seedling roots. It is suggested the gas_well system is an inexpensive, non_destructive and relatively sensitive method for study of soil CO 2 concentration profiles.

Nitrogen distribution in apple orchard soil profile under fertilization with different water and fertilizer coupling techniques

Optimization of water and fertilizer coupling management approaches could not only increase apple yield and quality,but also reduce the potential negative impacts of such management activities on the environment.The aim of the present study was to determine the optimal water-nitrogen(WN)coupling management strategy in an apple orchard in the Weibei Dryland,Shaanxi Province,China,under limited irrigation.A randomized complete block design was adopted to test the effects of three drip irrigation levels(W1,300 m^(3)/hm^(2);W2,600 m^(3)/hm^(2);W3,900 m^(3)/hm^(2))and four N application levels(N0,0 kg/hm^(2);N1,200 kg/hm^(2);N2,400 kg/hm^(2);and N3,600 kg/hm^(2))on N distribution in the 0-100 cm soil profile.Apple yield and economic benefits under different treatments were also evaluated over a three-year period(2012-2014).Compared with the N0W1 treatment,soil N contents were higher and exhibited distinct trends in the soil profile under other treatments.Overall,total N contents exhibited a downward trend from the surface to the subsurface layers(0.11-2.34 g/kg);however,the total N contents of the lower soil layer increased with an increase in irrigation amount.NO_(3)-N contents were the lowest in the 40-60 cm soil layer and then increased with an increase in soil depth.The highest NO_(3)-N contents of different soil layers were observed under the N3W3 treatment,ranging from 124.7 mg/kg(0-20 cm)to 90.9 mg/kg(80-100 cm).NH_(4)^(+)-N contents were low(<10 mg/kg),mainly accumulating in the surface layer and decreasing toward the deeper layers>20 cm.Different water-N coupling treatments also increased apple yield by 7.30%-41.62%when compared with the N0W1 treatment.The highest apple yield(three-year mean:41.01 t/hm^(2))was observed under the N2W2 treatment,with an output value of 237900 RMB yuan/hm^(2) and a net income of 232000 RMB yuan/hm^(2).Considering fruit yield,partial productivity of N fertilizer,and economic and environmental benefits,the N2W2 treatment is the optimal water-N fertilizer coupling drip irrigation scheme for apple production in the study area and other similar dryland areas.

Aggregate sizes regulate the microbial community patterns in sandy soil profile

Soil microorganisms play a key role in the function of soil ecosystem,yet our knowledge about how microbial communities respond to the typically sandy soil environmental properties along the soil profile is still insufficient.We investigated the soil microbial community patterns from top(0–20 cm)to clay-layer(>80 cm)of the typical sandy soils in three regions in China with different levels of precipitation,including Lishu County in Jilin Province(LS),Langfang City in Hebei Province(LF)and Zhengzhou City in Henan Province(ZZ).Our findings showed that small-size aggregates(<0.5 mm)rather than large ones(³0.5 mm)dominated the soil profile.The relative abundances of Actinobacteria,Crenarchaeota and Firmicutes were highly related to aggregate proportions of the deep clay-layer soil.The network analysis revealed the distinct community patterns among modules,evidencing niche differentiation along the soil profile.The keystone species OTU_11292 was observed having migrated clearly into the other module of the clay-layer soil.Different roles of the OTU_30(belonging to Gemmatimonadetes)in soil processes might partly explain the different microbial distribution between top-and clay-layer soils.These findings provided new insights into the candidate mechanisms of microbial diversity maintenance and community patterning of sandy soils,which were necessary for better understanding of ecological rules guiding long-term agricultural practice.

Soil Organic Carbon Density in Hebei Province, China: Estimates and Uncertainty

In order to improve the precision of soil organic carbon (SOC) estimates, the sources of uncertainty in soil organic carbon density (SOCD) estimates and SOC stocks were examined using 363 soil profiles in Hebei Province, China, with three methods: the soil profile statistics (SPS), GIS-based soil type (GST), and kriging interpolation (KI). The GST method, utilizing both pedological professional knowledge and GIS technology, was considered the most accurate method of the three estimations, with SOCD estimates for SPS 10% lower and KI 10% higher. The SOCD range for GST was 84% wider than KI as KI smoothing effect narrowed the SOCD range. Nevertheless, the coefficient of variation for SOCD with KI (41.7%) was less than GST and SPS. Comparing SOCD’s lower estimates for SPS versus GST, the major sources of uncertainty were the conflicting area of proportional relations. Meanwhile, the fewer number of soil profiles and the necessity of using the smoothing effect with KI were its sources of uncertainty. Moreover, for local detailed variations of SOCD, GST was more advantageous in reflecting the distribution pattern than KI.