Effects of grazing on soil properties in mediterranean forests (Central-Eastern Spain).

Traditional management practices, such as grazing, can have adverse impact on soils. Despite an extensive body of literature exploring the effects of grazing on soil and plants worldwide, there is a notable lack of research on its impacts in Mediterranean forests within the Iberian Peninsula Furthermore, there is a knowledge gap on the enzymatic activities and basal respiration of soil in forest after grazing. To address these gaps, this study aimed to investigate the impact of grazing on various important physicochemical and biological soil properties along with vegetation richness in a Mediterranean forest located in Castilla-La Mancha (Central Eastern Spain).

Short-term evaluation of soil physical, chemical and biochemical properties in an abandoned cropland treated with different soil organic amendments under semiarid conditions.

This study evaluate the effects of four organic soil amendments on soil. Physical, chemical and biochemical properties were compared to untreated and natural (not cultivated) soils in a semiarid region (Andalusia, Spain). A large set of physical, chemical biochemical properties and, the composition of bacterial communities; and overall soil quality index (SQI) were evaluated on soils treated with organic soil amendments of animal origin (compost from sheep and cow manure [CS] or chicken manure, [CK], vegetal origin (greenhouse crop residues [CC]), and vermicompost (CV).

Organic amendments from recycled waste promote short-term carbon sequestration of restored soils in drylands.

Soils are considered as a major reservoir for terrestrial carbon and it can act as a source or sink depending upon the land management activities. In semi-arid areas, the natural recovery of soils degraded by mining activities is complicated. A possible solution to recover soil quality and functionality, plant cover and carbon sequestration capacity could be the application of organic amendments.

Short-term effects of post-fire soil mulching with wheat straw and wood chips on the enzymatic activities in a Mediterranean pine forest.

Soils of Mediterranean forests can be severely degraded due to wildfire. However, post-fire management techniques, such as soil mulching with vegetal residues, can limit degradation and increase functionality of burned soils. The effects of post-fire mulching on soil functionality have been little studied in Mediterranean forests, and it is still unclear whether the application of straw or wood residues is beneficial.

Limited contribution of post-fire eco-engineering techniques to support post-fire plant diversity.

Eco-engineering techniques are generally effective at reducing soil erosion and restore vegetal cover after wildfire. However, less evidence exists on the effects of the post-fire eco-engineering techniques to restore plant diversity. To fill this knowledge gap, a standardized regional-scale analysis of the influence of post-fire eco-engineering techniques (log erosion barriers, contour felled log debris, mulching, chipping and felling, in some cases with burning) on species richness and diversity is proposed, adopting the Iberian Peninsula as case study.

Effects of technosols based on organic amendments addition for the recovery of the functionality of degraded quarry soils under semiarid Mediterranean climate: A field study.

This study aims to evaluate the effects of technosols made with different organic amendments to restore degraded soils in a semiarid limestone quarry. The effects on soil quality, functionality and organic matter dynamics of the technosols amended with waste of gardening, greenhouse horticultural, stabilized sewage sludge and two mixtures of sludge with both vegetable composts were assessed. Several physical and chemical properties, humus fractions, soil respiration and molecular composition was performed after 6 and 18 months.

Environmental and ecological factors influencing soil functionality of biologically crusted soils by different lichen species in drylands.

Biocrusts are an essential soil surface cover at drylands where ecosystems are especially fragile to soil degradation processes due to climatic peculiarities. In the present work, (micro)biological and physicochemical properties indicative of soil functionality were studied in two different biocrust types dominated by Dipolschistes diacapsis and Lepraria isidiata and in underlying soil at two different depths (SL1, soil layer right below the biocrusts, and SL2, soil layer underlying SL1) at the Tabernas desert (southeast Spain). The influence of climatic factors (rainfall and temperature) and general soil properties on the (micro)biological properties were also analyzed in different environmental (climatic) conditions over a period of two years.