Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Madalina Iordache Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Sustainable Development and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Life Sciences "King Michael I", Timișoara, Romania Title: Chemical composition of earthworm casts as a tool in understanding the earthworm contribution to ecosystem sustainability - a review Abstract: Earthworms dominate the soil biota, and different structural and functional features of their biology and ecology have been studied and exploited to evaluate their contributions as ecosystem services. Due to their feeding ecology, burrowing and casting activity, earthworms are involved in the nutrient cycles, and therefore it is opportune to be considered when the biogeochemical cycles of the terrestrial ecosystems are analysed. All structural, microbiological and biogeochemical impacts of earthworms in soil start with their feeding and digestive functions, which end in casting. The casting activity consisting of the excretion of the ingested soil and organic matter after digestion processes depends on earthworm feeding behaviours and ecology, even described in the current literature as a new ecological feature: the casting ecology. The complexity of the chemical relationships occurring inside earthworm casts between main nutrients (organic carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium) highlights the complexity of the biogeochemical cycles and the great earthworms' contribution to these cycles in the ecosystems towards a better understanding of the soil sustainability through the soil biodiversity contribution. Due to this great contribution, the earthworms' casts should be included as indicators in the integrative conservation management of the ecosystems, as a re-thinking of the concept of ecosystem sustainability. Keywords: soil biota, bioturbation, Oligochaeta: Lumbricidae, bioindicator, soil services Journal: Plant, Soil and Environment Pages: 247-268 Volume: 69 Issue: 6 Year: 2023 DOI: 10.17221/461/2022-PSE File-URL: http://pse.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/461/2022-PSE.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/pse-202306-0001.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlpse:v:69:y:2023:i:6:id:461-2022-PSE Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Yilong Zhang Author-Workplace-Name: College of Grassland Science, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi, P.R. China Author-Name: Yuxuan Bao Author-Workplace-Name: College of Grassland Science, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi, P.R. China Author-Name: Peiying Li Author-Workplace-Name: College of Grassland Science, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi, P.R. China Author-Workplace-Name: Key Laboratory of Grassland Resources and Ecology of Xinjiang, Urumqi, P.R. China Author-Workplace-Name: Key Laboratory of Grassland Resources and Ecology of Western Arid Region, Urumqi, P.R. China Author-Name: Qikun Yu Author-Workplace-Name: College of Grassland Science, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi, P.R. China Author-Name: Wen Li Author-Workplace-Name: College of Grassland Science, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi, P.R. China Author-Name: Lisi Tang Author-Workplace-Name: College of Grassland Science, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi, P.R. China Author-Name: Xiaofan Sun Author-Workplace-Name: College of Grassland Science, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi, P.R. China Author-Name: Zongjiu Sun Author-Workplace-Name: College of Grassland Science, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi, P.R. China Author-Workplace-Name: Key Laboratory of Grassland Resources and Ecology of Xinjiang, Urumqi, P.R. China Author-Workplace-Name: Key Laboratory of Grassland Resources and Ecology of Western Arid Region, Urumqi, P.R. China Author-Name: Shuo Li Author-Workplace-Name: College of Grassland Science, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi, P.R. China Title: Effects of drought stress on carbon metabolism of bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon L.) Abstract: The effect of drought stress on carbon metabolism in the leaves and roots of bermudagrass was investigated. Plants established in PVC tubes suffered from three water treatments for 10 days. C138 and Tifway (drought-tolerant) were found to have lower relative electrical conductivity and higher water use efficiency than C32 (drought-sensitive) under moderate drought by increasing carotenoid and soluble sugar content and rapidly decreasing leaf starch content. The sucrose synthase activity of leaves and roots, acid invertase and neutral invertase activity of C32 roots substantially decreased under severe drought, resulting in a slow sucrose decomposition rate and significantly lower fructose and glucose contents than C138 and Tifway. The activities of four carbon metabolism enzymes and sucrose content in the leaves were greater than those in the roots, while the fructose and glucose contents were on the contrary, indicating that bermudagrass transported fructose and glucose obtained from sucrose decomposition from leaves to roots under drought to reduce roots damage. The path analysis indicated that leaves neutral invertase activity, and roots soluble sugar content might be the key parameter of carbon metabolism in bermudagrass under drought. Keywords: abiotic stress, differences in drought resistance, sucrose metabolism, nonstructural carbohydrate content, irrigation Journal: Plant, Soil and Environment Pages: 269-281 Volume: 69 Issue: 6 Year: 2023 DOI: 10.17221/426/2022-PSE File-URL: http://pse.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/426/2022-PSE.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/pse-202306-0002.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlpse:v:69:y:2023:i:6:id:426-2022-PSE Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Markéta Mayerová Author-Workplace-Name: Crop Research Institute, Department of Crop Management Systems, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: Tomáš Šimon Author-Workplace-Name: Crop Research Institute, Department of Crop Management Systems, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: Martin Stehlík Author-Workplace-Name: Crop Research Institute, Department of Crop Management Systems, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: Mikuláš Madaras Author-Workplace-Name: Crop Research Institute, Department of Crop Management Systems, Prague, Czech Republic Title: Improving the stability of soil aggregates using soil additives and revegetation by grassland Abstract: Soil aggregate stability (SAS) is an important factor for soil quality and fertility. There are limited possibilities to influence this soil property, but one investigated method is the application of additives which have the potential to improve SAS. We established a four-year field experiment on a clay-loam Luvisol with poor soil structure to monitor SAS following the application of additives and grassland revegetation. Treatments included: (1) the untreated control; (2) compost; (3) biochar; (4) liming; (5) cattle manure; (6) woodchips; (7) woodchips + fungi inoculation; (8) pellets; (9) pellets + fungi; (10) hydrogel and (11) the change of arable land to grassland. The lowest 23.39% average SAS value was recorded for the untreated control, and then 23.92% for lime treatment, and the highest 27.69% average value was for hydrogel treatment, followed by woodchips with 27.22% and woodchips + fungi with 27.02%. A significant SAS increase of more than 200% was evident on the grassland two years after the trial's establishment, and this was also associated with other improved physical and chemical soil properties. Finally, while most of our applied soil additives were relatively ineffective in agricultural practice, grassland revegetation is highly recommended for its rapid increase in soil aggregate stability. Keywords: climate condition, soil porosity, glomalin, fertilisers, soil amendments Journal: Plant, Soil and Environment Pages: 282-290 Volume: 69 Issue: 6 Year: 2023 DOI: 10.17221/123/2023-PSE File-URL: http://pse.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/123/2023-PSE.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/pse-202306-0003.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlpse:v:69:y:2023:i:6:id:123-2023-PSE Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Fenky Marsandi Author-Workplace-Name: Research Center of Ecology and Ethnobiology, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Cibinong, Indonesia Author-Name: Hermansah Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Andalas University, Padang, Indonesia Author-Name: Hidayatul Fajri Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Biology, Faculty of Biology and Agriculture, Universitas Nasional, Jakarta, Indonesia Author-Name: Wawan Sujarwo Author-Workplace-Name: Research Center of Ecology and Ethnobiology, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Cibinong, Indonesia Title: Distribution of soil macroarthropods in differently using land parts of tropical rainforest Padang, Indonesia Abstract: Soil macroarthropods, as a component of the soil community, directly feel the impact of land use changes. Not only the density but understanding the soil macroarthropods distribution pattern will help in providing an insight into the quality of soil health. The sampling process was carried out using the pitfall trap methods on the forest, logged forest areas, mixed gardens, and monoculture gardens in the tropical rainforest of Bukit Pinang-Pinang Padang, Indonesia. The results showed that the forest as a natural habitat supported the density of soil macroarthropods among other land use types. The density in the forest, logged forest area, mixed garden, and monoculture garden sequentially is about 20.29, 13.18, 15.2 and 12.21 indv/m2. The presence frequency high value of soil macroarthropods was found in the forest, and for some soil macroarthropods, such as Hymenoptera, Diptera, and Araneits, the importance value increases when their habitat is disturbed. The fertile soil in intensive monoculture gardens does not support the individuals' total number, types, and density of soil macroarthropods. On the other side, the dominant soil macroarthropods prefer disturbed soil conditions and will decrease their presence frequency if chemical compounds are introduced into the soil. Land use change in the Bukit Pinang-Pinang tropical rainforest area causes changes in the distribution pattern of soil macroarthropods. The changing tendency of distribution patterns in fragmented habitats is due to nutrient availability, limited resources and land treatment. Habitat fragmentation affects not only the abundance and density of individuals and types of soil macroarthropods but also the distribution pattern, which not only threatens their existence and the environment but also has the potential to regenerate. Keywords: agroecosystem, landscape, diversity, fauna, microenvironment Journal: Plant, Soil and Environment Pages: 291-301 Volume: 69 Issue: 6 Year: 2023 DOI: 10.17221/389/2022-PSE File-URL: http://pse.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/389/2022-PSE.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/pse-202306-0004.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlpse:v:69:y:2023:i:6:id:389-2022-PSE