ecopedological researches on soil resources from natural and ...

Lucrări Ştiinţifice – vol. 51, seria Agronomie
ECOPEDOLOGICAL RESEARCHES ON SOIL
RESOURCES FROM NATURAL AND
ANTHROPOGENIC ECOSYSTEMS FROM
MOLDAVIAN PLAIN
L. BIREESCU 1 , Geanina BIREESCU 1
Iulia ANTON 2 , Daniela DANA 2
E. TEODORESCU-SOARE 3
1
Biological Research Institute, Iaşi
e-mail: lazarbireescu@yahoo.com
2 National Research and Development Institute for
Soil Science, Agrochemistry and Environment,
Bucharest
e-mail: danadaney@yahoo.com
3 University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine,
Iaşi
e-mail: eug_teod@univagro-iasi.ro
As part of ecosystem, between biotope and biocenosis they achieve
reversible and permanent changes of substances, energy and informations,
depending on the local and regional specific. In this paper we present the
results of the <strong>ecopedological</strong> <strong>researches</strong> accomplished in the natural and
anthropogenic pasture ecosystems located in the Moldavian Plain, Deleni,
county Iasi. Consequently, we analysed a „constellation” of 20 main
ecological factors and determinants, climatic and pedological, through 8
classes of ecological size from a quantitative point of view and 6 classes of
ecological favourability from a qualitative point of view. On the basis of the
ecolgical specificity files we pointed out the main lacks and excesses, climatic
and pedological of the soil resources (the summer season extremely drought,
the hard soil consistency in the summer season, the fine texture, the low level
of soil aeration), in the ecological context. In addition to this overgrazing
with negative effects on the soil resources.
Key words: pasture ecosystems, ecological specific, ecological specificity
files, soil quality
As part of ecosystem, between biotope and biocenosis they achieve
reversible and permanent changes of substances, energy and informations,
depending on the local and regional ecological specific. The main climatic and
pedologic constituents play the role of ecological factors and determinants, which
influence, directly and indirectly, the structure and functionality of the biocenosis,
according to the fundamental laws of the ecology: combine action of the factors
law, tolerance law, minimum and partial compensation law [1, 2].
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Soil quality is defined in various ways. Implicitly, in many definitions of soil
quality there is the ideea that the most important attributes of a healthy soil vary,
depending upon a human values judgement about the primary function of a
particular soil in a specific location. After Kleinhenz and Bierman (2001) the soil
quality is defined as the capacity of a specific kind of soil to function, within
natural or managed ecosystem boundaries, to sustain plant and animal productivity,
maintain the water and the air quality and support the human health and habitation.
The soil quality is a composite picture of the condition of a specific soil to function
for a specific use. Simply put, the soil quality is the capacity of the soil to function
[11, 7] and, also, it is an integration of the kind of soil, it is natural ability to
function and it is use and management [9]. Soil quality evaluation is a tool to assess
management-induced changes in the soil and to link existing resource concerns to
environmentally sound land management practices [6].
The indicators of soil quality were initialy developed to provide information
on the suitability and relative value of land for different types of agricultural
production. More recently, the indicators have been developed to provide
information on the impacts of agricultural practices on land and environmental
degradation [3]. Soil quality assessment tipically included the quantification of
indicators that are often derived from reductionist studies or general qualitative
observations of the soil. Overall, soil quality indicators condense the enormous
complexity of the soil [12, 13].
The main objectives of our <strong>researches</strong> are:
- Complex interdisciplinary ecological study upon the present state of the
soil resources in view of the protection of the soils quality and for the sustainable
utilization of the natural resources;
- Monitoring of the actual state of quality and evolutive dynamic of the soil
resources;
- Elaborating of the thematic proposals and strategies with the object of the
soil resources quality protection, conserving, amelioration, ecological remedy of
deteriorated fields and sustainable utilisation.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Our <strong>researches</strong> was accomplished in the natural and anthropogenic influenced
pasture ecosystems, located in North Eastern of Romania, in the Moldavian Plain,
Deleni, county Iasi. The soils are Vertic Chernozem in the natural pasture and Haplic
Chernozem in the anthropogenic influenced pasture. The soil samples were taken from
the soil profiles of different genetic horizons and they have been analysed in the field
and laboratory, according to the specific methods proposed by National Research and
Development Institute for Soil Science, Agrochemistry and Environment, Bucharest,
Romania (1987). On the basis of the physical and chemical properties of the soils and
ecological context, we elaborated the ecological specificity files, accordingly with Chirita
(1974) and improved by Bireescu et al. (2005, 2007). Consequently, we analysed a
„constellation” of 20 main ecological factors and determinants, climatic and pedological:
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Lucrări Ştiinţifice – vol. 51, seria Agronomie
- 5 zone and local climatic factors: annual average temperature (T 0 C), annual
average precipitations (Pmm), winds (W), summer precipitations (Pe) and summer
relative humidity (Uer);
- 15 pedo-ecological factors and determinants: 3 growing factors (total nitrogen
content-Nt, available phosphorus content-P and exchangeable potassium content-K); 2
<strong>ecopedological</strong> factors of space and time (edaphic volume-Ve and bioactive length
period-BLP); 2 negative <strong>ecopedological</strong> factors (alkality/acidity-Alk-Ac and the summer
consistency of the soil-Con); 5 <strong>ecopedological</strong> determinants (Soil Organic Matter
content-SOM, soil texture-Tx, air porosity of the soil-AP, soil reaction-pH H2O and base
saturation-BS), 1 pedo-biological indicator (biological activity-Bio) and 2 pedological
synthetic indicators of trophycity (Potential Trophycity-PT and Effective Trophycity-ET).
These main <strong>ecopedological</strong> factors and determinants have been characterized
from a quantitative (in 8 ecological size classes: 0 ... m-lack ... minimum, I, II, III, IV, V,
E 1 -excessive with restricting effects on plants and E 2 -excessive with toxic effects on
plants) and qualitative (in 6 ecological favourability classes: 0 ... m-lack ... minimum,
VL-Very Low, L-Low, M-Medium, H-High and VH-Very High) point of view, according to
the specific ecological criteria.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
a) The study of soil profiles on genetic horizons
The analysis of the main physical, chemical and biological features of soil
resources (Vertic Chernozem and Haplic Chernozem) (tab. 1) from pasture
ecosystems (natural and anthropogenic influenced) allows:
- soil texture is medium-fine (33.2% clay in Am horizon from Vertic
Chernozem and 34.8% clay in Am horizon from Haplic Chernozem);
- values of air porosity (AP) are low and very low (10.3-11.5% and 6.1-9.4%
in the first 40 cm from Vertic Chernozem and Haplic Chernozem);
- soil reaction (pH H2O ) is low alkaline (7.1-8.3 pH units) in the Vertic
Chernozem and neutral (6.8-7.2) in the Haplic Chernozem;
- Soil Organic Matter (SOM) content has a little higher values in the Vertic
Chernozem (3.912% in the first 20 cm) and a little lower values (3.384% in the
first 20 cm) in the Haplic Chernozem;
- total nitrogen content (Nt) has a little higher values in the Vertic
Chernozem (0.178-0.153%) and a little lower values (0.141-0.101%) in the Haplic
Chernozem;
- available phosphorus content (P AL ) has high values in the both of soils (86-
64 ppm in the Vertic Chernozem and 51-35 ppm in the Haplic Chernozem);
- exchangeable potassium content (K AL ) has moderate values in the both of
soils (182-165 ppm in the Vertic Chernozem and 177-158 ppm in the Haplic
Chernozem);
- sum of exchangeable bases (SEB) has moderate values in the both of soils
(22.4-20.4 me in the Vertic Chernozem and 19.3-17.3 me in the Haplic
Chernozem);
- cation exchange capacity (T) has moderate values in the both of soils (23.8-
20.4 me in the Vertic Chernozem and 21.5-17.3 me in the Haplic Chernozem);
- base saturation percentage (BS) has high values in the both of soils;
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Universitatea de Ştiinţe Agricole şi Medicină Veterinară Iaşi
Table 1
The main physical, chemical and biological features of soil resources from
pasture ecosystems
Features
The first profile: Vertic
Chernozem – natural pasture
The second profile: Haplic
Chernozem – anthropogenic
influenced pasture
Am
(0-20)
A/Cy
(20-40)
Ccay
(40-90)
Am
(0-20)
A/C
(20-40)
Cca
(40-90)
Clay (%) 33.2 30.5 26.4 34.8 31.1 28.3
Air porosity 10.3 11.5 15.8 6.1 9.4 13.7
pH H2O 7.1 7.7 8.3 6.8 7.0 7.2
SOM (%) 3.912 2.971 0.917 3.384 2.106 0.701
Nt (%) 0.178 0.153 0.082 0.141 0.101 0.045
P AL (ppm) 86 77 64 51 42 35
K AL (ppm) 182 177 165 177 161 158
SEB (me) 22.4 24.1 20.4 19.3 20.4 17.3
T (me) 23.8 24.1 20.4 21.5 21.6 17.3
BS (%) 99 100 100 93 95 100
PT (points) 70 54 24 70 45 20
- potential trophycity (PT) has high values in the Vertic Chernozem (148
points) and medium values in the Haplic Chernozem (115 points); in spite of these
values, the trophy content cannot turned to good account, especially in the summer
season, excessive droughty.
b. The ecological specificity files of the ecopedotopes
The knowledge of the physical, chemical and biological features of the soil
is an essential criterion for the elaboration of the ecological specificity file, as an
indicator of soil quality. In this way, many studies showed that soil quality
describes the combination of physical, chemical and biological characteristics that
enables to perform a wide range of functions [5, 14]. Also, proposed methods for
measuring soil quality use soil properties or indicators that reflect the capacity of
soil to function [9, 11]. The analysis of the ecological specificity files (tab. 2, 3)
pointed out that the majority of ecological factors and determinants (Nt, P, K
contents, SOM content, annual average temperature, annual average precipitations,
soil texture, soil reaction, biological activity, potential trophycity and effective
trophycity) are classified into the medium classes of ecological size (III and IV).
The content of qualities of the Vertic Chernozem (natural pasture) and Haplic
Chernozem (anthropogenic influenced pasture) is high, but, in the zone and
regional context, cannot turned to good account, especially in the summer season
excessive droughty. They distinguish the following limitative ecological factors
and determinants:
- low level (in the Vertic Chernozem) and very low level (in the Haplic
Chernozem) of air porosity, because of overgrazing which leads to treading of the
soil in the natural pasture;
- the very low level of summer precipitations and summer relative humidity;
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Table 2
Ecological size classes of the <strong>ecopedological</strong> factors and determinants-pasture
ecosystems-Deleni- Iasi
Eco-pedological
Size classes
factors and determinants 0…m I II III IV V E 1 E 2
Total N content (Nt) ▲ ☼
Available P (P) ▲ ☼
Exchangeable K (K)
☼▲
Annual average temp. (T 0 C)
☼▲
Annual average precipit. (Pmm)
☼▲
Winds (W)
☼▲
Summer precipitations (Pe)
☼▲
Summer relative humidity (Uer)
☼▲
Edaphic volume (Ve) ▲ ☼
Bioactive length period (BLP)
☼▲
Alkality/Acidity (Alk)
☼▲
Summer consistency (Con)
☼▲
Soil Organic Matter (SOM) ▲ ☼
Soil texture (Tx) ▲ ☼
Air porosity of soil (PA) ▲ ☼
Soil reaction (pH) ▲ ☼
Base saturation (BS) ▲ ☼
The biological activity (Bio) ▲ ☼
Potential trophicity (PT) ▲ ☼
Effective trophicity (ET) ▲ ☼
Legend:
☼ Natural pasture (Vertic Chernozem)
▲ Anthropogenic influenced pasture (Haplic Chernozem)
Also, they distinguish the high values of base saturation percentage, edaphic
volume and bioactive length period. The high level of the summer consistency of
the dry soil are classified into the E 1 class of ecological size (excessive with
restricting effects on plants).
Reffering to the ecological favourability, the majority of ecological factors
and determinants (the same as classes of ecological size) are classified into the
medium and high classes of ecological favourability. The summer season excessive
droughty, the high level of the summer consistency of dry soil and the low level of
air porosity are classified into the very low class of ecological favourability. The
high content of available phosphorus content, annual average temperature, the high
level of pedological factors and bioactive length period, soil reaction, base
saturation, potential trophycity are classified into the very high class of ecological
favourability. Potential trophycity is very high in the natural pasture and high in the
anthropogenic influenced pasture. Effective trophycity is diminished in the summer
season because of excessive drought and it is classified into the high class of
ecological favourability in case of natural pasture and into the medium class of
ecological favourability in case of anthropogenic influenced pasture.
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Universitatea de Ştiinţe Agricole şi Medicină Veterinară Iaşi
Table 3
Ecological favourability classes of the eco-pedological factors and
determinants-pasture ecosystems-Deleni- Iasi
Eco-pedological
Favourability classes
factors and feterminants N...m VL L M H VH
Total N content (Nt) ▲ ☼
Available P content (P) ▲ ☼
Exchangeable K (K) ▲ ☼
Annual average temp. (T 0 C)
☼▲
Annual average precipit. (Pmm)
☼▲
Winds (W)
☼▲
Summer precipitations (Pe)
☼▲
Summer relative humidity (Uer)
☼▲
Edaphic volume (Ve) ▲ ☼
Bioactive length period (BLP)
☼▲
Alkality/Acidity (Alk)
☼▲
Summer consistensy (Con) ▲ ☼
Soil Organic Matter (SOM) ▲ ☼
Soil texture (Tx)
☼▲
Air porosity of soil (PA) ▲ ☼
Soil reaction (pH) ▲ ☼
Base saturation (BS) ▲ ☼
Biological activity (Bio) ▲ ☼
Potential trophicity (PT) ▲ ☼
Effective trophicity (ET) ▲ ☼
Legend
☼ Natural pasture (Vertic Chernozem)
▲ Anthropogenic influenced pasture (Haplic Chernozem)
Roughly, it has been found that the soil quality indicators from natural
pasture (Vertic Chernozem) are superior to the anthropogenic influenced pasture
(Haplic Chernozem). The reasons are overgrazing, the lack of the managing
pasture and the treading of the soil. The complex analysis of the soil resources in
the ecological context pointed out the negative anthropogenic impact on the Haplic
Chernozem (anthropogenic influenced pasture). Thus, to distinguish numerous
negative ecological effects (treading of the soil, the ruderalization of the pasture,
the decrease of biodiversity, the destruction of soil structure, the decrease of
biological activity of the soil) which lead to the degradation of soil and vegetation
quality. The negative ecological effects, alongside of climatical factor (summer
season excessive droughty) and pedological factors (summer consistency of the dry
soil, low level of air porosity) of negative impact must monitoring so that, on the
basis of quality indicators to estabilish the measures and the strategies of
improvement, conservation and rehabilitation of the soil resources. Also, it is
indispensable taking into account the protecting measures of environment and
biodiversity for sustainable utilization of soil and vegetation resources.
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CONCLUSIONS
1.) Ecopedological study of the biotope has the role to develop, from a
quantitative and qualitative point of view, the whole complex of pedological
factors, in order to defining the qualities, lacks or excess content, which the soil
offer them to biocenosis, correlated with the elements of ecological specific.
2.) Ecological specificity file of the natural and anthropogenic influenced
pasture ecopedotopes pointed out, from a quantitative and qualitative point of view,
the ecological limitative factors, through lack or excess, against to intervene with a
sustainable management. The low levels of summer precipitations, summer relative
humidity and air porosity of the soil are classified into the first (I) and the second
(II) classes of ecological size. The majority of ecological factors and determinants
are classified into the medium classes of ecological size (III and IV) and medium to
high favourability classes for the pasture ecosystems. The high level of the summer
consistency of the dry soil is classified into the E 1 class of ecological size
(excessive with restricting effects on plants).
3.) The valuation, from qualitative point of view of the favourability of
pedoclimatical conditions pointed out, on the one hand, a very low favourability
because of summer season excessive droughty, hard summer consistency of the soil
and low level of air porosity and, on the other hand, a medium favourability of the
biological activity and medium-fine texture of the soil.
4.) In the natural pasture, the main indicators of negative impact are the
overgrazing and the lack of the managing pasture. The main ecological negative
effects are treading of the soil, the decrease of biodiversity, the destruction of soil
structure, the ruderalization of the pasture and the decrease of biological activity of
the soil. The monitoring of the soil quality indicators development will allow the
establishing of the strategy and prognose framework for the biodiversity and
environmental protection and the sustainability of soil resources.
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