Anthropogenic influences on Zuni agricultural soils

Farmers in the Zuni area of the semiarid American Southwest have successfully cultivated maize and other crops for over three millennia without using artificial fertilizers. Zuni agricultural fields are among the oldest, more or less continuously cultivated areas in the United States. Traditional Zuni agriculture is based on runoff farming, a system whereby runoff and organic‐rich sediment generated in small watersheds are captured and directed onto fields for crop use. We conducted a study to compare soil properties associated with paired and unpaired cultivated, abandoned, and uncultivated fields to evaluate the long‐term effects of cultivation on soil quality. Sampling and analytical methods of this research are especially applicable to geoarchaeological studies of anthropogenic effects on soil fertility and agricultural sustainability in ancient and traditional historical farming systems. Results of the Zuni soil study indicate that cultivation has altered some soil properties, including bulk density, organic carbon, total nitrogen, and C:N ratios in paired fields, but there is no indication that agricultural soils are degraded. This assessment supports the perception of Zuni farmers that long‐term cultivation has not caused a decline in agricultural productivity. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Eolian Deposition and Soil Fertility in a Prehistoric Agricultural Complex in Central Arizona,USA

Prehistoric farmers in arid and semiarid ecosystems commonly used rock alignments to concentrate water and sediments on their fields. Previous research has emphasized the importance of runoff from organic matter‐rich uplands as a mechanism for soil nutrient replenishment. However, eolian inputs to these dryland ecosystems might also contribute substantially to mineral‐derived nutrient pools. We explored the relative importance of eolian deposition, prehistoric agriculture, and the presence of rock alignments on soil properties in a semiarid grassland in Arizona. Subsurface soils behind natural rock alignments are finer in texture than soils unbound by rock alignments, while subsurface soils behind agricultural rock alignments coarsen relative to unbound soils. Neither rock alignments nor estimated crop yields had detectable effects on mineral‐derived nutrient pools. In contrast, eolian deposition is an important source of soil mass and nutrients to modern soils. While dust deposition likely reduced soil heterogeneity across this landscape, it could have also contributed to the sustainability of prehistoric agriculture.     

Biogeochemical studies of a Native American runoff agroecosystem

Research on soil fertility is presented in the context of runoff agriculture, a venerable farming system that has been used for millennia in arid to semiarid regions, where water is a major limiting resource for crop production. The agroecology of runoff farming was studied with the Zuni to evaluate nutrient and hydrologic processes, management, maize productivity, and soil quality in some of the oldest recognized fields in the United States. This ancient Southwest agriculture has functioned without conventional irrigation or fertilization by tapping into biogeochemical processes in natural watersheds connected to fields. Carefully placed fields are managed on alluvial fans and other valley margin landforms to intercept runoff and associated sediment and organic debris transported from adjoining forested uplands. We report on research to evaluate and link nitrogen and phosphorus, two key nutrients for crop production, in watershed, soil, and crop components of this agroecosystem. Nutrient data have been collected by observational and experimental methods for each component and the transport of nutrients from watershed to field to maize. The condition of Zuni agricultural soils suggests that their knowledge and management of soils contributed to effective conservation. This study and others indicate the need for further long‐term monitoring and experimental research on watersheds, runoff processes, field soils, and crops across a range of arid to semiarid ecosystems. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Land use changes in Central Kenya from the 1950s — A possibility to generalise?

Land use changes in Kenya's central Highlands were examined with the purpose of comparing findings from Murang'a District with a new study carried out in a similar environment, Nyeri District. In addition, a generalisation of the findings was examined and methods were analysed to investigate its use in other areas. Aerial photographs were used to analyse land use and soil and water conservation in form of terraces. Furthermore, farmers were interviewed in order to obtain information about how they perceive environmental changes and how these changes have affected their livelihoods. Interpretation of aerial photographs together with field verification and interviews give information about environmental changes and their effects. Population censuses were investigated and findings were compared. Results from this study show that the two study areas have similar physical conditions with decreasing soil fertility. The main difference is the cultivated cash crops, tea and coffee in Nyeri, but only coffee in Murang'a. Also, more land is terraced in Nyeri than in Murang'a. The reason why there are adequate terraces in Nyeri is because of the multitude of cash crops that require terraces for their establishment. Compared with Murang'a, farmers in Nyeri are more satisfied with their situation, mainly due to regular payment from tea and a lower population pressure. This study shows that generalisation of the findings can be made but in order to extrapolate it further to the whole central Highlands more studies and knowledge about the whole area are required. The study also shows that methods used to examine environmental changes can be used elsewhere. Although the recommendations are to generalise with caution so that the final results are reliable and true.     

Effect of terracing on rainwater harvesting and growth of Juniperus procera Hochst. ex Endlicher

The present study was conducted in two forests in Abha (Capital of Asir Region) and two forests in Al Namas (130 km north of Abha), south western Saudi Arabia (Asir region) to investigate the effect of terraces on rainwater harvesting and growth of Juniperus procera Hochst. ex Endlicher. Farmers grow their crops within Juniper forests and woodlots by constructing terraces from soil and stones to harvest rainwater. Juniper forests and woodlots present important watersheds and sources for water. Study plots were established in four forests, two of which contained maintained terraces and the other two have been covered by abandoned and damaged terraces. The results showed that maintained terraces served as important means for rainwater harvesting, whereas abandoning of terraces resulted in increased soil loss, surface runoff, bulk density and reduced infiltration rates. Significant correlations and regression between soil loss, total runoff, soil bulk density and infiltration rate were provided. Diameter at breast height, total height, basal area, volume, number of trees, crown coverage and regeneration/ha of J. procera were significantly (P < 0.0001) higher in forests with maintained terraces compared with abandoned terraces. Finally, maintained terraces improved rainwater harvesting and growth performance of J. procera.     

Deforestation effects on soil properties,runoff and erosion in northern Iran

Improper cultivation practices are seriously degrading native forest ecosystems in northern Iran. Hence, the objectives of this study are to compare selected soil properties, runoff amount, erosion and also introducing equations to predict the runoff and soil erosion in three types of land use (forest, garden and cultivated). A simple portable rainfall simulator has been set in 90 random points to create experimental rainfall. Result showed that changes in natural forest led to a significant clay, organic carbon of soil, total N and antecedent soil moisture decrease and sand, pH and bulk density increasing. The rainfall runoff experiments indicate that runoff content of the natural forest soils was 35 % and respectively 38.45 % higher than the garden and cultivated land soils .This result could be related to the higher antecedent soil moisture in natural forest compared with the other land uses. According to the obtained results, garden soil erosion and cultivated land was 1.351 and respectively 1.587 times higher than the forest. The correlation matrix revealed that runoff content was positively correlated with antecedent soil moisture, bulk density and silt, and negatively with soil organic carbon, total N and sand. Also, soil organic carbon, total N, clay and sand showed negative correlation with soil erosion, while there is a positive correlation between erosion and silt, bulk density, pH and antecedent soil moisture. The results of multiple linear regression showed that runoff in forest, garden and cultivated land can be predicted with correlation coefficient of 0.637, 0.547 and 0.624, respectively. The correlation coefficients of 0.798, 0.628 and 0.560 in equations indicate their moderate potential in simulating soil erosion.     

陆面过程模式对不同土壤物理性质的敏感性研究

使用NCAR陆面过程模式（LSM）和荷兰Cabauw1987的大气观测资料，考察了在11种不同的土壤条件下陆面过程模式所模拟的地表能量及水分循环的差异。结果表明，粘土含量较高的土壤具有较好的持水能力，蒸发量和径流量都比较大，而在含砂量高的土壤中，水分大量的下渗，蒸发量和径流量小，从而到地表热通量的分配，在不考虑大气反馈的情况下，各种土壤造成的差异主要出现在春季的4、5月份。     

Effects of differential tectonic uplift on Late Quaternary coral reef diagenesis,Huon Peninsula,Papua New Guinea

Mineralogical, petrological and geochemical analyses of corals and associated skeletal limestones taken from three transects across the Late Quaternary raised coral reefs of the Huon Peninsula, Papua New Guinea, show that tectonic uplift can be related to the degree of subaerial diagenesis of the reefs. Where the uplift rate is high, Pleistocene corals frequently retain their aragonite mineralogy, even though the annual rainfall is relatively high. In contrast, similar age corals from low‐uplift areas are consistently altered neomorphically to calcite. The transformation of reef skeletal limestones shows a similar, but less pronounced, trend to the corals. Chemical analysis shows that the neomorphic calcite crystals of coral skeletons from the low‐uplift areas have relatively higher Sr and Mg concentrations, compared with those in high‐uplift areas. This may indicate that neomorphism of corals in the low‐uplift terraces takes place at a relatively higher rate and an earlier stage than that in the high‐uplift areas. The pattern of diagenesis of the Huon reefs can be explained by the effects of tectonic uplift on the regional hydrological regime. First, lower uplift rates allow a raised reef or any part of it to remain in the meteoric phreatic zone for a relatively long time. Second, river gorge slopes from low‐uplift regions have lower gradients and reef terraces in these areas have more extensive raised lagoon depressions than in high‐uplift areas. Thus, there is less runoff and consequently more extensive vadose percolation in the former areas. Third, the resulting low‐relief topography in low‐uplift areas prompts formation of soils on the terraces, and further increases the ability of interaction between coral reefs and formation water.     

Soil management in pre‐Hispanic raised field systems: Micromorphological evidence from Hacienda Zuleta,Ecuador

Soils‐based evidence derived from thin section micromorphology is used to explore contrasts in pre‐Hispanic and Hispanic arable land management practices associated with raised fields in an inter‐Andean valley of Ecuador. Differences in textural pedofeature characteristics suggest that, where they are found in the same locality, camellón systems were more intensively manured and cultivated than wachu systems. Both, however, were more intensively managed than traditional Hispanic arable fields. The importance of the camellón in pre‐Hispanic agriculture is emphasized by soils‐based evidence that highlights the efforts made to clear these fields of volcanic ash after the Quilotoa eruption of ca. A.D. 1280. This research suggests that, in an andosol context, pre‐Hispanic and Hispanic arable land management practices leave relict and fossil soil micromorphology features that can be used to interpret land use intensities. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

A critical political ecology of cotton and soil fertility in Mali

The aim of this article is to analyse the influence of commodified cotton production on soil fertility in southern Mali. From the late 1950s and until recently, production of both cash-crop cotton and food crops have increased rapidly in this region, giving it a reputation of being an African ‘success story’. The flip side of this economic success is, however, said to be environmental degradation especially in terms of loss of soil fertility. We collected 273 soil samples in 19 villages located in various zones of land use intensity. In each village, the samples were collected on up to six different land use types varying with intensification. The analysis of the soil samples showed that soil fertility was highest in the sacred groves that have been protected and never cultivated. However, comparing soils under continuous cultivation and soils under fallow no clear trends in soil fertility were found. Cotton yields have declined since the early 1990s, while the total use of fertilisers has increased. This is often interpreted as proof of soil exhaustion, but there is no clear indication in this study that cotton-cereal rotation as practiced by smallholders in southern Mali reduces soil fertility. We argue that the decline in yields has been caused by an extensification process. Cotton fields expanded rapidly, due to attractive cotton prices in the 1990s, leading to falling investments per ha and cultivation of more marginal lands. These findings also have implications for a political ecology of commodity production and lead us to argue for an open-ended and empirically based ‘critical political ecology’.     

贵州省仁怀市耕地土壤养分地球化学特征及其影响因素研究

【研究目的】为仁怀市农业生产中土壤养分的合理利用、农业结构调整及土地利用价值的提升等提供科学依据。【研究方法】本文利用电感耦合等离子体发射光谱法、容量法及电位法获取了5486件表层土壤样品氮磷钾（全量和有效态）及有机质的含量，系统研究了其地球化学特征及含量影响因素。【研究结果】仁怀市耕地土壤氮、磷、钾、有机质、碱解氮、速效磷及速效钾的平均值分别为1.74 g/kg、0.75 g/kg、19.90 g/kg、30.90 g/kg、100.28 mg/kg、10.40 mg/kg和101.03 mg/kg。其中，氮、碱解氮、磷、钾及有机质的含量及分布与地层关系密切；速效磷及速效钾的含量及分布与地层关系较差。仁怀市耕地土壤肥力较好，以较丰富等级为主，较丰富及丰富等级占比为57.6%。其中，氮、磷及钾皆处于丰富水平；碱解氮及有机质处于中等水平；速效磷及速效钾处于缺乏水平。【结论】仁怀市耕地土壤养分的含量及分布不仅受地质背景、土壤类型、海拔高度、酸碱度及土壤深度等自然因素影响，还与土地利用方式等人为活动有关。创新点：系统统计了仁怀市耕地土壤氮磷钾（全量和有效态）及有机质的含量，对其地球化学等级开展了评价，并系统分析了它们的含量影响因素。耕地土壤养分的含量及分布不仅受地质背景、土壤类型等自然因素影响，还与土地利用方式等人为活动有关。     

Late prehistoric soil fertility,irrigation management,and agricultural production in northwest coastal Peru

The Pampa de Chaparrí (Pampa) in hyperarid northwest coastal Peru is an ideal area to study late prehispanic agricultural technology and production because irrigation canals and furrowed fields have been preserved since abandonment approximately 500 years ago. We collected 55 samples for soil characterization, fertility, and micromorphic analyses and compared these results to a noncultivated control soil previously sampled in an adjacent valley. Natural soil fertility levels for maize, cotton, and bean production were generally high during late prehispanic cultivation in the Pampa. Maintaining adequate nitrogren levels for production, however, would have required external inputs from livestock manure, guano, or leguminous plants. The management of low soil salinity levels was possible because of rapidly permeable soils and irrigation waters low in salt. Based on available water capacity and climate conditions, the Blaney‐Criddle Equation yields evapotranspiration rates indicating that irrigation frequency was necessary in a range of every 10–16 days during the growing season. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Application of Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) to recently reclaimed badlands along the Adula and Mahalungi Rivers,Pravara Basin,Maharashtra

The rapid erosion of soil by wind and water has been a problem since man began cultivating the land. Moreover soil erosion, as a hazard, has always been associated mainly with agriculture in the tropical and semi-arid areas. Soil loss through rill, gully and sheet erosion is a major environmental problem in India. Among all the predictive equations developed to estimate soil loss, the most accepted, used, convenient and suitable technique, for smaller areas like hillslopes and fields, is the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE). This method has been applied to the cultivated fields on either side of the gullied banks of the Adula and Mahalungi rivers, to estimate soil loss from fields under different crops. Rainfall data from the IMD has been used for the purpose. Field slope measurements, textural analysis of soil and determination of soil organic matter have also been carried out. Finally the soil loss has been computed from the generated data. The results have been used to ascertain whether the soil loss in the area is within or beyond the tolerance limit. It has been found that the soil loss in these areas have exceeded the tolerance limit and hence require due attention.     

The lacustrine microbial carbonate factory of the successive Lake Bonneville and Great Salt Lake,Utah, USA

The Bonneville Basin is a continental lacustrine system accommodating extensive microbial carbonate deposits corresponding to two distinct phases: the deep Lake Bonneville (30 000 to 11 500 ¹⁴C bp ) and the shallow Great Salt Lake (since 11 500 ¹⁴C bp ). A characterization of these microbial deposits and their associated sediments provides insights into their spatio‐temporal distribution patterns. The Bonneville phase preferentially displays vertical distribution of the microbial deposits resulting from high‐amplitude lake level variations. Due to the basin physiography, the microbial deposits were restricted to a narrow shoreline belt following Bonneville lake level variations. Carbonate production was more efficient during intervals of relative lake level stability as recorded by the formation of successive terraces. In contrast, the Great Salt Lake microbial deposits showed a great lateral distribution, linked to the modern flat bottom configuration. A low vertical distribution of the microbial deposits was the result of the shallow water depth combined with a low amplitude of lake level fluctuations. These younger microbial deposits display a higher diversity of fabrics and sizes. They are distributed along an extensive ‘shore to lake’ transect on a flat platform in relation to local and progressive accommodation space changes. Microbial deposits are temporally discontinuous throughout the lake history showing longer hiatuses during the Bonneville phase. The main parameters controlling the rate of carbonate production are related to the interaction between physical (kinetics of the mineral precipitation, lake water temperature and runoff), chemical (Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺ and HCO₃^? concentrations, Mg/Ca ratio, dilution and depletion) and/or biological (trophic) factors. The contrast in evolution of Lake Bonneville and Great Salt Lake microbial deposits during their lacustrine history leads to discussions on major chemical and climatic changes during this interval as well as the role of physiography. Furthermore, it provides novel insights into the composition, structure and formation of microbialite‐rich carbonate deposits under freshwater and hypersaline conditions.     

重庆丰都岩溶区植烟土壤肥力特征及综合评价研究

以重庆市丰都县植烟区石灰岩土壤为研究对象,通过野外调查采样和室内分析方法,并采用主成分分析法和模糊数学隶属度函数模型估算出土壤适宜性指数（SFI）,进而对土壤养分状况进行综合评价。结果表明:（1）该岩溶区植烟土壤pH多呈弱酸性至中性,有23.08 %的土壤样品pH低于5.00,这些土壤酸化问题较为突出;（2）有机质和氮含量丰富,78.85 %的土样有机质含量处在植烟所需的最适宜范围（15～30 g/kg）内,全部土样的碱解氮含量均在植烟所需的适宜范围（65～100 mg/kg）内,且变异系数仅为0.92 %;（3）土壤全磷表现出中至高含量水平（＞0.6 g/kg）,但土壤有效磷供应不足,20.93 %土样有效磷含量处在缺乏水平（＜10 mg/kg）以下;（4）土壤钾元素供应充足,全钾含量全部处于丰富或极丰富水平（＞25 g/kg）,超过81.84 %土样其速效钾含量处于植烟所需的适宜范围(＞150 mg/kg)内;（5）该岩溶区土壤肥力整体水平不高,仅15.38 %土样的综合肥力为较高水平（0.70＞SFI≥0.60),57.69 %为中低等水平（0.60＞SFI≥0.40),26.93 %为低水平(SFI≤0.40),这与岩溶地区土壤贫瘠且侵蚀退化严重、施肥不合理等因素有关。为此,建议科学耕作,抑制土壤侵蚀退化,同时通过撒施生石灰等调节土壤pH,并适当提高复合肥中磷素比例。      

Ecosystem Responses of a Tidal Freshwater Marsh Experiencing Saltwater Intrusion and Altered Hydrology

Tidal freshwater marshes exist in a dynamic environment where plant productivity, subsurface biogeochemical processes, and soil elevation respond to hydrological fluctuations over tidal to multi-decadal time scales. The objective of this study was to determine ecosystem responses to elevated salinity and increased water inputs, which are likely as sea level rise accelerates and saltwater intrudes into freshwater habitats. Since June 2008, in situ manipulations in a Zizaniopsis miliacea (giant cutgrass)-dominated tidal freshwater marsh in South Carolina have raised porewater salinities from freshwater to oligohaline levels and/or subtly increased the amount of water flowing through the system. Ecosystem-level fluxes of CO₂ and CH₄ have been measured to quantify rates of production and respiration. During the first 20 months of the experiment, the major impact of elevated salinity was a depression of plant productivity, whereas increasing freshwater inputs had a greater effect on rates of ecosystem CO₂ emissions, primarily due to changes in soil processes. Net ecosystem production, the balance between gross ecosystem production and ecosystem respiration, decreased by 55% due to elevated salinity, increased by 75% when freshwater inputs were increased, and did not change when salinity and hydrology were both manipulated. These changes in net ecosystem production may impact the ability of marshes to keep up with rising sea levels since the accumulation of organic matter is critical in allowing tidal freshwater marshes to build soil volume. Thus, it is necessary to have regional-scale predictions of saltwater intrusion and water level changes relative to the marsh surface in order to accurately forecast the long-term sustainability of tidal freshwater marshes to future environmental change.     

贵州耕地主要元素地球化学背景值统计与分析

利用贵州省耕地质量地球化学调查评价项目数据资料,统计了全省454431件表层耕地土壤样品中21种化学元素和有机质含量的地球化学背景值及其置信范围值。总体来看,贵州省耕地土壤有机质、N、P等养分的背景值较高,K的背景值略低;Se、Ge特色元素的背景值较高,表明我省具有发展富硒、富锗特色农业的巨大潜力;As、Cr、Hg、Pb等环境元素的背景值较低,但Cd的背景值略高,在耕地开发利用时应关注其安全性。贵州省耕地土壤化学元素背景值的统计对全面认识全省耕地土壤养分质量、环境质量现状具有重要的现实意义,也对制定耕地土壤质量保护法规及地方标准的提供了重要依据。     

基于GIS和改进灰色关联模型的岩溶区土壤肥力评价——以重庆市丰都县岩溶区为例

文章在GIS技术支持下,以重庆市丰都县岩溶区为研究对象,根据该县的地形特征、土地利用现状及土壤类型等共采集316个土壤样品,在此基础上,通过主成分分析法、隶属度函数等方法改进的灰色关联模型,对丰都县土壤肥力进行综合评价,并利用地统计学方法揭示其空间变异特征。结果表明:土壤肥力综合指数处于0.352~0.881之间,均值为0.579;其空间变异具有一阶趋势,去除趋势后所剩残差表现出较弱的空间相关性;研究区总体土壤肥力质量中等偏上,其中Ⅱ、Ⅲ、Ⅳ等级的土壤肥力分布面积分别占总区域面积的10.61%、31.09%、35.94%;土壤常规养分和微量元素养分的综合肥力贡献率分别为76.77%和23.23%。这表明将土壤微量元素养分同时纳入土壤肥力评价指标体系是合理可行的,利用改进的灰色关联模型能较好地定量化评价土壤综合肥力,地统计学方法能更好地揭示土壤肥力的空间变异。      

An evaluation of the contribution of soil micromorphology to the study of ancient arable agriculture

This article provides an overview of the development of soil micromorphological studies of ancient agriculture and the current position of research in this field. The stance adopted by the authors is deliberately combative, and it is hoped that the article will stimulate discussion of the current limitations and potentialities of the technique. The findings of this review may be summarized in three proposals: (1) Soil micromorphology cannot be used at present to identify cultivation in ancient soils. Ambiguous or multiple interpretations of soil micromorphological features are unlikely to be resolved, so that the detection of large scale agricultural features in the field (cultivation marks, lynchets) will remain the most secure and direct guides to the presence of a former cultivated soil. Indirect evidence on inferred land use can be provided from pollen and land snail evidence. (2) Micromorphology should retain a key role in the determination of the impact of agriculture on soils, encompassing issues such as erosion, soil structure, fertility, and biological activity. These can be related to agricultural practice: methods of tillage, manuring, soil conservation, and fallowing. (3) Three areas of micromorphological research can be proposed that address the impact of agriculture on soil: (a) the study of well-sealed, buried agricultural soils which have a clearly understood archaeological context; (b) the study of recent soils with known agricultural histories; (c) the establishment of controlled experiments with ancient agricultural techniques. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Impact of land-use change on soil properties in a typical karst agricultural region of Southwest China: a case study of Xiaojiang watershed, Yunnan

Xiaojiang watershed is a typical karst agricultural region of Yunan Province, China. A case study of land-use changes documents changes of soil properties from 1982 to 2003. The results are as follows: (1) The total land use transformed covers 610.12 km², of which land use changed from unused land into cultivated land and forestland, and forestland into cultivated land during the past 20 years in Xiaojiang watershed. (2) The rapid growth of population and economic development were the main driving forces of cultivated land increase. (3) Soil properties showed modification owing to different land-use changes. The contents of the soil organic matter, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus in 2003 were significantly lower than that in 1982 after the forestland and unused land were transformed into the cultivated land, but the soil pH increased significantly in 2003. Organic matter, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus for shorter-time reforestation land declined, but the pH increased. Soil properties have improved significantly after cropland was transformed into orchard land. The organic matter, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, available nitrogen, and available phosphorus declined significantly, but pH increased significantly after rock desertification.