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Land
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Ecosystem Disturbances and Soil Properties (Second Edition)
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Ecosystem Disturbances and Soil Properties (Second Edition)

A special issue of Land (ISSN 2073-445X).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2025 | Viewed by 3221

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Víctor Fernández-García

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institut of geography and sustainability (IGD), Faculty of Geosciences and Environment (FGSE), University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
Interests: remote sensing; soil science; vegetation science; wildfires; grazing
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues, 

Ecological disturbances, such as landscape fires, grazing, logging or deforestation, play a major role in the structure, composition, functioning and dynamics of the ecosystem. Disturbances significantly influence the soil properties crucial to global biogeochemical cycles and ecosystem functioning, which promote biodiversity and evolutionary adaptation. Fires, for instance, usually prevent the dominance of a few species and release the nutrients locked in vegetation, stimulating nutrient cycling and enhancing soil fertility over the short term. Grazing by herbivores also modifies soil properties directly or indirectly due to the effects of related changes in vegetation cover. The significant effects on ecosystem functioning are those related to the following domains; soil structure, which can influence water infiltration; soil nutrients, which determine soil fertility; soil carbon, as this is one of the major carbon sinks and thus a critical element in climate regulation; and soil microorganisms, microbiota and mesofauna, as these are key drivers of some of the aforementioned properties. Changing disturbance regimes due to factors such as climate change and land use alterations can profoundly affect the properties of soil. A deeper understanding of these interactions can guide sustainable land management practices and inform conservation strategies, ensuring the continued provisioning of vital ecosystem services. 

The aim of this Special Issue is to collect papers (original research articles and review papers) that provide insights regarding the impact of ecological disturbances (landscape fires and grazing) on soils, including their physical, chemical and biological properties. 

This Special Issue will welcome manuscripts that link the following themes:

  • Influence of landscape fires or grazing on soil structure.
  • Influence of landscape fires or grazing on soil chemical properties.
  • Influence of landscape fires or grazing on soil chemical biological properties. 

We look forward to receiving your original research articles and reviews.

Dr. Víctor Fernández-García
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Land is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • wildfires
  • herbivory
  • soil structure
  • soil nutrients
  • soil carbon
  • soil biota

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

25 pages, 2943 KiB  
Article
Influence of Different Land-Use Types on Soil Arthropod Communities in an Urban Area: A Case Study from Rome (Italy)
by Pietro Gardini, Simone Fattorini, Paolo Audisio and Simone Sabatelli
Land 2025, 14(4), 714; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14040714 - 27 Mar 2025
Viewed by 508
Abstract
Soil represents a fundamental yet delicate ecosystem susceptible to threats and alterations that can significantly impact its biota, especially in urban areas. Soil microarthropods may serve as bioindicators of soil quality. The aim of this study was to provide a comprehensive investigation of [...] Read more.
Soil represents a fundamental yet delicate ecosystem susceptible to threats and alterations that can significantly impact its biota, especially in urban areas. Soil microarthropods may serve as bioindicators of soil quality. The aim of this study was to provide a comprehensive investigation of the response of soil microarthropod communities to anthropogenic pressures and to assess the biological quality of the soil in urban Rome (Italy). Microarthropods were extracted from soil samples collected at 16 sites, representing four distinct land-use types (disturbed unmanaged green spaces, disturbed managed green spaces, urban forests, and natural forests as reference) along a disturbance gradient. The basic soil properties and landscape characteristics were measured at each sampling site. Values of community diversity (calculated as Hill’s numbers based on biological forms reflecting specialization to the edaphic life), total microarthropod density, and soil biological quality indices based on microarthropod biological forms (QBS-ar and its variation QBS-ab, which also considers group abundances), were calculated for each sampling site and compared among land-use types. Land-use types varied in soil chemo-physical characteristics, with soils of managed and unmanaged green spaces being more alkaline, sodic, and compacted, and with lower organic matter, carbon, and nitrogen levels compared to urban and natural forests. Microarthropod diversity decreased from semi-natural or natural forests to highly disturbed urban sites. QBS-ar and QBS-ab values significantly differed among almost all land-use types, with managed urban green spaces exhibiting lower values than the unmanaged ones. No significant differences were observed between urban and natural forests. Soil pH, soil compaction, cation exchange capacity, C/N ratio, and vegetation cover appeared to be the most significant factors influencing the diversity and composition of microarthropod biological forms, as well as the QBS-ar and QBS-ab indices. Although with the limit of using biological forms instead of species, our investigation reaffirmed the valuable role of large, forested patches within cities for soil conservation and the preservation of their microarthropod communities. The potential of green spaces as suitable habitats for soil microarthropods should be carefully considered in urban management plans. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecosystem Disturbances and Soil Properties (Second Edition))
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17 pages, 7077 KiB  
Article
Spatial Variability in Soil Hydraulic Properties Under Different Vegetation Conditions in a Coastal Wetland
by Yu Zhang, Tiejun Wang, Qiong Han, Yutao Zuo, Qinling Bai and Xun Li
Land 2025, 14(2), 428; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14020428 - 18 Feb 2025
Viewed by 556
Abstract
Understanding the spatial variability in soil hydraulic properties (SHPs) and their influencing variables is critical for ecohydrological and biogeochemical studies in coastal wetlands, where complex landscapes make it challenging to accurately delineate the spatial patterns of SHPs. In this study, soil samples were [...] Read more.
Understanding the spatial variability in soil hydraulic properties (SHPs) and their influencing variables is critical for ecohydrological and biogeochemical studies in coastal wetlands, where complex landscapes make it challenging to accurately delineate the spatial patterns of SHPs. In this study, soil samples were collected from two transects covered by Suaeda salsa (S. salsa) and Phragmites australis (P. australis) from the Beidagang Wetland Nature Reserve in northern China, and a comprehensive dataset on soil physical properties and SHPs was obtained by laboratory experiments. The results showed that soil physical properties (e.g., soil particle size, bulk density (BD), and soil organic matter (SOM)) displayed significant spatial variability, which was related to the physiological characteristics of S. salsa and P. australis and to soil depth. As a result, SHPs, including saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks) and parameters of the van Genuchten model (θs-saturated soil water content, including α, the reciprocal of the air-entry value, and n, the pore size distribution index) varied considerably along the two transects. Specifically, Ks, θs, and α were negatively correlated with BD and pH, while positively correlated with SOM, which promoted soil aggregation to enlarge soil pores. Soil depth was shown to significantly affect SHPs, whereas the differences in SHPs between the two transects were not statistically significant, suggesting vegetation type did not directly impact SHPs. Soil water retention capacities were noticeably higher in surface soils, especially when soil suctions were less than 1000 cm, whereas their differences between depths largely diminished with further increasing soil suctions. This study highlights the complex interplay of SHPs with surrounding environments, providing critical insight for characterizing the spatial patterns of SHPs in coastal wetlands. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecosystem Disturbances and Soil Properties (Second Edition))
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26 pages, 5276 KiB  
Article
Mapping Soil Organic Carbon in Degraded Ecosystems Through Upscaled Multispectral Unmanned Aerial Vehicle–Satellite Imagery
by Lorena Salgado, Lidia Moriano González, José Luis R. Gallego, Carlos A. López-Sánchez, Arturo Colina and Rubén Forján
Land 2025, 14(2), 377; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14020377 - 11 Feb 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 994
Abstract
Soil organic carbon (SOC) is essential for maintaining ecosystem health, and its depletion is widely recognized as a key indicator of soil degradation. Activities such as mining and wildfire disturbances significantly intensify soil degradation, leading to quantitative and qualitative declines in SOC. Accurate [...] Read more.
Soil organic carbon (SOC) is essential for maintaining ecosystem health, and its depletion is widely recognized as a key indicator of soil degradation. Activities such as mining and wildfire disturbances significantly intensify soil degradation, leading to quantitative and qualitative declines in SOC. Accurate SOC monitoring is critical, yet traditional methods are often costly and time-intensive. Advances in technologies like Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and satellite remote sensing (SRS) now offer efficient and scalable alternatives. Combining UAV and satellite data through machine learning (ML) techniques can improve the accuracy and spatial resolution of SOC monitoring, facilitating better soil management strategies. In this context, this study proposes a methodology that integrates geochemical data (SOC) with UAV-derived information, upscaling the UAV data to satellite platforms (GEOSAT-2 and SENTINEL-2) using ML techniques, specifically random forest (RF) algorithms. The research was conducted in two distinct environments: a reclaimed open-pit coal mine, representing a severely degraded ecosystem, and a high-altitude region prone to recurrent wildfires, both characterized by extreme environmental conditions and diverse soil properties. These scenarios provide valuable opportunities to evaluate the effects of soil degradation on SOC quality and to assess the effectiveness of advanced monitoring approaches. The RF algorithm, optimized with cross-validation (CV) techniques, consistently outperformed other models. The highest performance was achieved during the UAV-to-SENTINEL-2 upscaling, with an R2 of 0.761 and an rRMSE of 8.6%. Cross-validation mitigated overfitting and enhanced the robustness and generalizability of the models. UAV data offered high-resolution insights for localized SOC assessments, while SENTINEL-2 imagery enabled broader-scale evaluations, albeit with a smoothing effect. These findings underscore the potential of integrating UAV and satellite data with ML approaches, providing a cost-effective and scalable framework for SOC monitoring, soil management, and climate change mitigation efforts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecosystem Disturbances and Soil Properties (Second Edition))
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22 pages, 2514 KiB  
Article
Phytotoxicity and Metals Mobility Assessment in Mining Wastes Amended with Various Biochars
by Yassine Chafik, Marta Sena-Velez, Hugo Henaut, Mohammed Oujdi, Alex Ceriani, Sabine Carpin, Domenico Morabito and Sylvain Bourgerie
Land 2025, 14(2), 372; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14020372 - 11 Feb 2025
Viewed by 630
Abstract
Mining activities often contaminate soils with heavy metals, generating environmental and health risks. This study investigates the ecotoxicity of muddy (Mw) and sandy (Sw) mining wastes on Phaseolus vulgaris and assesses the impact of five locally sourced biochar amendments on plant growth and [...] Read more.
Mining activities often contaminate soils with heavy metals, generating environmental and health risks. This study investigates the ecotoxicity of muddy (Mw) and sandy (Sw) mining wastes on Phaseolus vulgaris and assesses the impact of five locally sourced biochar amendments on plant growth and soil pore water (SPW) properties. Most biochars improved water retention, except for argan nut shells (An) biochar, highlighting the importance of feedstock type. Sw supported better plant growth than Mw regardless of biochar addition, due to textural differences. Palm fronds (Pf) biochar significantly enhanced surface leaf area in Sw. SPW analysis revealed that biochar affected pH and electrical conductivity (EC) differently across soil types. Mw consistently increased pH, while Sw’s pH was biochar-dependent. A significant 5.1-fold EC increase was recorded in Sw amended with Pf. All biochars reduced Pb availability in Mw at planting, while Cu availability decreased in Sw at harvest. In Mw, Pb, Zn, and Cu, uptake and accumulation were unaffected by biochar, while a slight reduction was observed in Sw roots. A germination test with Lepidium sativum confirmed these findings, particularly the inhibition observed with An. This dual approach highlights the toxicity of mining soils and biochars’ potential as amendments for soil remediation programs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecosystem Disturbances and Soil Properties (Second Edition))
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