Pore morphology reveals interaction of biological and physical processes for structure formation in soils of the semiarid Argentinean Pampa

In order to obtain baseline values for the evaluation of soil degradation, the biological and physical quality of petrocalcic Paleustolls, of the calcrete plains of the Semiarid Region Pampa of Argentina, soils under agricultural (Ag) and native vegetation (NV) were selected, with the same clay cont...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Fernandez, Romina, Frasier, Ileana, Quiroga, Alberto Raul, Noellemeyer, Elke
Formato: info:ar-repo/semantics/artículo
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: Elsevier 2019
Materias:
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/6322
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167198719301552
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.still.2019.04.011
_version_ 1855035654523584512
author Fernandez, Romina
Frasier, Ileana
Quiroga, Alberto Raul
Noellemeyer, Elke
author_browse Fernandez, Romina
Frasier, Ileana
Noellemeyer, Elke
Quiroga, Alberto Raul
author_facet Fernandez, Romina
Frasier, Ileana
Quiroga, Alberto Raul
Noellemeyer, Elke
author_sort Fernandez, Romina
collection INTA Digital
description In order to obtain baseline values for the evaluation of soil degradation, the biological and physical quality of petrocalcic Paleustolls, of the calcrete plains of the Semiarid Region Pampa of Argentina, soils under agricultural (Ag) and native vegetation (NV) were selected, with the same clay content, in which three depth layers (upper, middle and lower) were sampled. Total organic carbon and its fractions, total nitrogen, soil texture, aggregate size distribution, mean weight diameter, aggregate volumetric weight, maximum bulk density, susceptibility to compaction, critical moisture content, hydraulic conductivity, infiltration, penetration resistance were determined. In addition, the size, distribution and shape of the macropores were measured through image analysis of thin sections. As biological indicators, respiration, microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen were determined. Soils under Ag use had lower carbon and nitrogen content, they also had lower total porosity and macroporosity compared to the NV soils, and the predominant shape of macropores was round. This change in the distribution and shape of the pores led to lower rates of infiltration and lower hydraulic conductivity, higher bulk density and greater resistance to penetration. The round macropores were found to be negatively correlated with organic carbon, total porosity and macroporosity and positively with indicators associated with compaction (maximum bulk density, susceptibility to compaction and bulk density). Compacted soils with lower total porosity and higher proportion of round macropores presented higher volumetric weight of the aggregates. The Ag soils with lower carbon and nitrogen content also had lower microbial biomass carbon and respiration, compared to the soils under natural vegetation, and the variables associated with compaction were negatively related to biological properties. The suggested minimum set of indicators included organic carbon, total porosity, mean weight diameter, macropores, penetration resistance, aggregates volumetric weight of 2–3-mm, elongated macropores, respiration and microbial biomass carbon. All of them were strongly related to indicators that reflect the physical, chemical and biological functionality of the soil that sustain soil-based ecosystem services. Degradation and rehabilitation processes might be governed by the feedback between pore formation and microbial activity, underpinning the importance of perennial crops and cover crops for providing substrate supply to the soil biota for sustainable agricultural systems.
format info:ar-repo/semantics/artículo
id INTA6322
institution Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA -Argentina)
language Inglés
publishDate 2019
publishDateRange 2019
publishDateSort 2019
publisher Elsevier
publisherStr Elsevier
record_format dspace
spelling INTA63222019-11-19T12:59:09Z Pore morphology reveals interaction of biological and physical processes for structure formation in soils of the semiarid Argentinean Pampa Fernandez, Romina Frasier, Ileana Quiroga, Alberto Raul Noellemeyer, Elke Suelo Degradación del Suelo Macroporos del suelo Soil Soil Degradation Soil Macropores Uso del Suelo Región Pampeana Semiárida In order to obtain baseline values for the evaluation of soil degradation, the biological and physical quality of petrocalcic Paleustolls, of the calcrete plains of the Semiarid Region Pampa of Argentina, soils under agricultural (Ag) and native vegetation (NV) were selected, with the same clay content, in which three depth layers (upper, middle and lower) were sampled. Total organic carbon and its fractions, total nitrogen, soil texture, aggregate size distribution, mean weight diameter, aggregate volumetric weight, maximum bulk density, susceptibility to compaction, critical moisture content, hydraulic conductivity, infiltration, penetration resistance were determined. In addition, the size, distribution and shape of the macropores were measured through image analysis of thin sections. As biological indicators, respiration, microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen were determined. Soils under Ag use had lower carbon and nitrogen content, they also had lower total porosity and macroporosity compared to the NV soils, and the predominant shape of macropores was round. This change in the distribution and shape of the pores led to lower rates of infiltration and lower hydraulic conductivity, higher bulk density and greater resistance to penetration. The round macropores were found to be negatively correlated with organic carbon, total porosity and macroporosity and positively with indicators associated with compaction (maximum bulk density, susceptibility to compaction and bulk density). Compacted soils with lower total porosity and higher proportion of round macropores presented higher volumetric weight of the aggregates. The Ag soils with lower carbon and nitrogen content also had lower microbial biomass carbon and respiration, compared to the soils under natural vegetation, and the variables associated with compaction were negatively related to biological properties. The suggested minimum set of indicators included organic carbon, total porosity, mean weight diameter, macropores, penetration resistance, aggregates volumetric weight of 2–3-mm, elongated macropores, respiration and microbial biomass carbon. All of them were strongly related to indicators that reflect the physical, chemical and biological functionality of the soil that sustain soil-based ecosystem services. Degradation and rehabilitation processes might be governed by the feedback between pore formation and microbial activity, underpinning the importance of perennial crops and cover crops for providing substrate supply to the soil biota for sustainable agricultural systems. Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Anguil Fil: Fernandez, Romina. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Anguil; Argentina Fil: Frasier, Ileana. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Anguil; Argentina Fil: Quiroga, Alberto. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Anguil; Argentina Fil: Noellemeyer, Elke. Universidad Nacional de La Pampa. Facultad de Agronomía; Argentina 2019-11-19T12:08:44Z 2019-11-19T12:08:44Z 2019-08-01 info:ar-repo/semantics/artículo info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/6322 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167198719301552 0167-1987 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.still.2019.04.011 eng info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess application/pdf Elsevier Soil & Tillage Research 191 : 256-265 (August 2019)
spellingShingle Suelo
Degradación del Suelo
Macroporos del suelo
Soil
Soil Degradation
Soil Macropores
Uso del Suelo
Región Pampeana Semiárida
Fernandez, Romina
Frasier, Ileana
Quiroga, Alberto Raul
Noellemeyer, Elke
Pore morphology reveals interaction of biological and physical processes for structure formation in soils of the semiarid Argentinean Pampa
title Pore morphology reveals interaction of biological and physical processes for structure formation in soils of the semiarid Argentinean Pampa
title_full Pore morphology reveals interaction of biological and physical processes for structure formation in soils of the semiarid Argentinean Pampa
title_fullStr Pore morphology reveals interaction of biological and physical processes for structure formation in soils of the semiarid Argentinean Pampa
title_full_unstemmed Pore morphology reveals interaction of biological and physical processes for structure formation in soils of the semiarid Argentinean Pampa
title_short Pore morphology reveals interaction of biological and physical processes for structure formation in soils of the semiarid Argentinean Pampa
title_sort pore morphology reveals interaction of biological and physical processes for structure formation in soils of the semiarid argentinean pampa
topic Suelo
Degradación del Suelo
Macroporos del suelo
Soil
Soil Degradation
Soil Macropores
Uso del Suelo
Región Pampeana Semiárida
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/6322
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167198719301552
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.still.2019.04.011
work_keys_str_mv AT fernandezromina poremorphologyrevealsinteractionofbiologicalandphysicalprocessesforstructureformationinsoilsofthesemiaridargentineanpampa
AT frasierileana poremorphologyrevealsinteractionofbiologicalandphysicalprocessesforstructureformationinsoilsofthesemiaridargentineanpampa
AT quirogaalbertoraul poremorphologyrevealsinteractionofbiologicalandphysicalprocessesforstructureformationinsoilsofthesemiaridargentineanpampa
AT noellemeyerelke poremorphologyrevealsinteractionofbiologicalandphysicalprocessesforstructureformationinsoilsofthesemiaridargentineanpampa