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Pollution, Heavy Metal, and Emerging Threats in Forest Soil

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A special issue of Forests (ISSN 1999-4907). This special issue belongs to the section "Forest Soil".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 April 2023) | Viewed by 35037

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Valery P. Kalinichenko

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Guest Editor

Institute of Fertility of Soils of South Russia, 346493 Persianovka, Russia
Interests: soil; irrigation; environment; soil fertility; environmental impact assessment; soil and water conservation; agriculture; water quality; sustainable agriculture; sustainability

Prof. Dr. Alexey P. Glinushkin

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Guest Editor

Russian Research Institute of Phytopathology, 5 Institute St., 143050 Big Vyazyomy, Russia
Interests: protection of agricultural crops; increasing soil fertility; phytopathogens of cereals; agrocenosis; biotechnology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Saglara S. Mandzhieva

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Guest Editor

Academy of Biology and Biotechnology, Southern Federal University, 105 Bolshaya Sadovaya St., 344006 Rostov-on-Don, Russia
Interests: soil contamination; wild and cultural plants; trace elements; potential toxic elements; remediation; phytoremediation; sorbents; sequential extraction; fractionation; heavy metal speciation; heavy metal toxicity; bioaccumulation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

As Guest Editors of the Forests Special Issue on “Pollution, Heavy Metal, and Emerging Threats in Forest Soil”, we hope to attract and publish high-quality articles from different regions of the world and cordially invite you to present full papers on the topics below.

In-depth examinations of soil and plant contamination on different scales and approaches to evaluate contamination levels regarding natural geochemical backgrounds are pivotal for the improvement and remediation of affected areas of forest and other soils.

The chemical composition of soils all over the world reflects a constantly increasing anthropogenic activity accompanied by emissions of chemical elements and compounds exceeding natural backgrounds. This leads to the contamination of soil, plant, and food. The sources of pollution are diverse, and there is a need to account for different climatic, physiographic, and geochemical conditions assessing and developing differentiated strategies for environmental hazard prevention. The problem of soil monitoring, rehabilitation, and improvement for forest abundance and higher ecosphere quality is becoming increasingly topical due to population expansion. It is important to evaluate the spatial distribution of natural and human-made associations of macro- and microelements to understand the dynamics and sustainability of natural and anthropogenic substances and their spatial structures formed in soils to provide remediation and prevent the future pollution of land both in forests and in terrains for artificial silviculture. New afforestation technologies are on the agenda to improve soil, forest, and human health.

Prof. Dr. Valery P. Kalinichenko
Prof. Dr. Alexey P. Glinushkin
Dr. Saglara S. Mandzhieva
Guest Editors

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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. Forests 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

methods of forest soil study
emerging threats in soil
heavy metal toxicity and bioaccumulation
soil organic matter
soil geophysical properties
soil cover spatial differentiation
dynamics and sustainability of natural and anthropogenic substances in the soil
long-term change of soil
forest and dry terrain soil remediation and reclamation
soil pests
pathogens and forest pathology
new soil improvement methodology

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Published Papers (12 papers)

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Research

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19 pages, 4015 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Using Microorganismal Consortium and Bioactive Substances to Treat Seeds of Two Scots Pine Ecotypes as a Technique to Increase Re-Afforestation Efficiency on Chalk Outcrops

by Vladimir M. Kosolapov, Vladmir I. Cherniavskih, Elena V. Dumacheva, Luiza D. Sajfutdinova, Alexander A. Zhuchenko, Jr., Alexey P. Glinushkin, Helena V. Grishina, Valery P. Kalinitchenko, Svetlana V. Akimova, Natalia A. Semenova, Leonid V. Perelomov and Svetlana V. Kozmenko

Forests 2023, 14(6), 1093; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14061093 - 25 May 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1778

Abstract

The present research is focused on various pine ecotypes’ seed reproduction in the chalky substrate, challenging environmental conditions on the carbonate soils on chalk outcrops in the south of the Central Russian Upland in relation to pine woods re-afforestation. The winter and spring sowing methods were studied, along with a pre-seeding treatment, by biopreparations based on a consortium of Glomales fungi, bacteria of the genus Bacillus, and bioactive substances. The seeds of two pine ecotypes, Pinus sylvestris L.; Pinus sylvestris var. cretacea Kalenicz exKom, underwent treatment. The study revealed that biopreparations and bioactive substances promote higher pine seed germination rates and ensure the stability and survivability of seedlings in an environment that is unfavorable for plant and tree ontogenesis. Applying biopreparations proved effective during spring sowing, whereas, in the case of winter sowing, their positive impact was not statistically significant. The net effect size of the three organized factors studied in the experiment (pine ecotype, biopreparation, sowing term) (h²_x) on the “survivability of P. sylvestris seedlings” effective feature significantly increased from 90.8 to 93.8%. The effect size of the “pine ecotype” factor on seedling survivability in P. sylvestris was at its highest (14.4%) during the seedlings’ first-year growth period. The effect size of the “sowing term” factor was at its highest (79.4%) at the stage of seed germination. The effect size of the “biopreparation” factor was at its highest (44.0%) during the seedlings’ second-year growth stage. Our results indicate that it is preferable to create forest plantations on chalk outcrops using Pinus sylvestris var. cretacea ecotypes and with pre-sowing seed treatment via biopreparations based on a microorganismal consortium and Biogor KM. The Spearman correlation between the nitrification capacity of soil substrate and seedling survivability during the first three growth periods (from planting till the next year’s springtime) was of a moderate size (r_s = 0.617–0.673, p < 0.05). To improve the growth and productivity of young and mature Scots pine stands, a Biogeosystem Technique (BGT*) methodology was developed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pollution, Heavy Metal, and Emerging Threats in Forest Soil)

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12 pages, 2354 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Phytotoxic Effects of Kerosene on Plants of Forest and Bog Phytocenoses of Southern Taiga

by Sergey A. Lednev, Ivan N. Semenkov and Tatiana V. Koroleva

Forests 2023, 14(5), 873; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14050873 - 24 Apr 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2415

Abstract

One of the most important problems of environmental sciences is to determine limits for the sustainable functioning of affected ecosystems. The effects of volatile hydrocarbons (such as gasoline and kerosene) on plants in natural ecosystems have been poorly studied to date. The present work outlines the data of a field experiment on the effects of kerosene on the plants of forest and bog communities in Central Russia. In this paper, we model the influence of kerosene spillage on plants growing in a coniferous broad-leaved (aspen–spruce) forest and a raised bog with a subshrub–sphagnum pine forest. We used TS-1 kerosene, which is the most commonly used fuel for commercial aviation in Russia. The applied pollutant (loads of 1 to 100 g/kg) had a significant impact on herbaceous plants, leading to the death of individuals even at minimal doses. The shrubs of the bog community as well as the mosses of both communities were more resistant to kerosene. The recovery processes of plant communities were clearly pronounced as early as 2 years after the application of the pollutant. The level of kerosene threshold exposure, which significantly affects the dominant plants of the herb–shrub layer, can be defined as 1–5 g/kg for the forest community and 5–10 g/kg for the bog community. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pollution, Heavy Metal, and Emerging Threats in Forest Soil)

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17 pages, 3081 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Preliminary Study: Micropropagation Using Five Types of Chelated Iron and the Subsequent Acclimation of Blue Honeysuckle (Lonicera caerulea var. kamtschatica Sevast.)

by Alexey Glinushkin, Svetlana Akimova, Elena Nikulina, Nina Tsirulnikova, Vadim Kirkach, Valery Kalinitchenko, Agamagomed Radzhabov, Elena Radkevich, Liudmila Marchenko, Alexandr Solovyov, Alexandr Zubkov, Maria Panova, Anastasia Konstantinovich and Vladimir Indolov

Forests 2023, 14(4), 821; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14040821 - 17 Apr 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1642

Abstract

Blue honeysuckle (Lonicera caerulea var. kamtschatica Sevast.) is a valuable berry crop with a unique biochemical composition. It is rich in vitamins, minerals, and biologically active substances. Different species and cultivars of honeysuckle require different cultivation conditions in the field of accelerated reproduction in vitro. Taking into account the high clonal replication potential of the plant, we conducted research on the chelated-iron form’s influence on the micropropagation productivity of the blue honeysuckle “Lulia” cultivar at the multiplication, rooting, and subsequent acclimatization stages of microplants. In a preliminary study, five types of iron chelates were tested with carboxyl- and phosphorus-containing ligands: Fe(III)-EDTA, Fe(III)-DTPA, Fe(III)-EDDHA, Fe(III)-HEDP, and Fe(II)-HEDP. Each type of iron chelate was applied at four concentrations: standard, decreased by 2 times, and increased by 1.5 times and 2 times in the basic Murashige and Skoog (MS) nutrient medium. It was found that the blue honeysuckle “Lulia” had a selectivity to the type of iron chelate that was used. The nutrient-medium modifications with iron chelates, which caused the plant response, contributed to a significant improvement in the plant’s physiological status and increased its survival rate during the microplant’s acclimation to the nonsterile conditions stage. At the rooting stage, an increase in the rooting rate of up to 100% (Fe (III)-EDDHA), an increase in the number of shoots by 1.5–2 times, and an increase in the number of roots by 1.4–1.9 times were observed. The positive effect of the iron’s chelated forms was also observed at the acclimation stage. According to the results of the research, the most suitable iron forms for clonal micropropagation of blue honeysuckle were carboxyl-containing Fe(III)-EDDHA and phosphonate-containing Fe(II)-HEDP. Moreover, the effectiveness of both complexonates was confirmed in a wide concentration range: Fe(III)-EDDHA from (×1.0) to (×2.0), and Fe(II)-HEDP from (×0.5) up to (×1.5). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pollution, Heavy Metal, and Emerging Threats in Forest Soil)

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17 pages, 1318 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Assessment of the Impact of Industry-Related Air Emission of Arsenic in the Soils of Forest Ecosystems

by Mikhail V. Shabanov, Maksim S. Marichev, Tatiana M. Minkina, Saglara S. Mandzhieva and Dina G. Nevidomskaya

Forests 2023, 14(3), 632; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14030632 - 20 Mar 2023

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 1643

Abstract

The soils of forest ecosystems are often affected by the industrial activity of mining and metallurgical enterprises, and insufficiently investigated for the content of pollutants due to enterprise emissions. Some pollutants, such as arsenic, are transported over long distances by these emissions. To analyze this connection, the present study was conducted on the eastern slope of Mount Yurma, the Southern Urals, Russia, to determine the content of arsenic in the soils of mountain forest areas in the impact zone of the copper smelter (Karabash). The physical and chemical parameters, total content of arsenic, mineralogical composition of silt, and concentration of arsenic in the silty fraction in soils located at different altitudes were determined using atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. The soils under study are physico-chemically and chemically acidic in the upper horizons with a pH of 3.26 to 4.05. The carbon of organic matter decreases with depth from 7.98 to 0.06%. Exchangeable Ca and Mg cations in the range of 2.6–8.6 mg-eq per 100 g of soil were determined. The mineralogical composition of the silty fraction consists mainly of quartz and aluminosilicates. Following an analysis of the arsenic content in the above-ground leaf litter, the bioconcentration factor (BCF) was calculated. Arsenic exceeding Clarke concentrations was recorded. In all upper soil horizons, concentrations of total arsenic exceeded background values by 3.7–5.2 times, with maximum values in the horizons A—25.3 mg/kg, in the horizons O—64.4 mg/kg. The obtained BCF > 1 data points to the biological arsenic accumulation by plants and, as a result, its input into the soil via industrial emissions from the smelter. It was found that the silty fraction plays a special role in the accumulation of arsenic in the studied soils. Accumulation of arsenic occurred mainly due to the secondary minerals of Ca and Mg. Differences in the accumulation of arsenic in the forest litter depending on the plant association were noted. The obtained results could serve as a guideline for monitoring the areas around the enterprise and enhancing the understanding of pollutants’ distribution in the soils of remote areas and mountain landscapes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pollution, Heavy Metal, and Emerging Threats in Forest Soil)

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14 pages, 2399 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Effect of Platinum Nanoparticles (PtNPs) Pollution on the Biological Properties of Haplic Cambisols Eutric of the Caucasus Forests

by Sergey Kolesnikov, Alena Timoshenko, Victoria Kabakova, Tatiana Minnikova, Natalia Tsepina, Kamil Kazeev, Tatiana M. Minkina, Sudhir S. Shende, Saglara S. Mandzhieva, Victoria Tsitsuashvili and Svetlana N. Sushkova

Forests 2023, 14(1), 54; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14010054 - 28 Dec 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2379

Abstract

Pollution by platinum (Pt) is an emerging threat to forest soil health. The widespread use of Pt nanoparticles (NPs) in gas neutralizers for automobile exhaust has sharply increased the amount of PtNP pollution in the environment, including forest ecosystems. Recently, territories with Pt concentrations greater than 0.3 mg/kg in soil have been discovered. This concentration is 750 times greater than the background content in the earth’s crust. Cambisols, the most prevalent forest soil type in boreal forests that determines the functioning of the entire forest ecosystem, occupy a significant share of the Earth’s soil cover, which is about 1.5 billion hectares worldwide, or 12% of the entire continental land area. This shows the importance of studying the effect of pollution on this type of soil. In this study, laboratory simulations of PtNP contamination of the Haplic Cambisols Eutric at concentrations of 0.01, 0.1, 1, 10, and 100 mg/kg were carried out. The effect of PtNPs on soil properties was assessed using the most sensitive and informative biological indicators. The total number of bacteria was studied by the methods of luminescent microscopy, catalase activity (gasometrically), dehydrogenases activity (spectrophotometrically), germination, and length of roots by the method of seedlings. It was found that at the concentrations of 0.01, 0.1, and 1 mg/kg of PtNPs, there was either no effect or a slight, statistically insignificant decrease in the biological state of Haplic Cambisols Eutric. Concentrations of 10 and 100 mg/kg of PtNPs had a toxic effect on all the studied parameters. No statistically significant stimulating effect (hormesis) of PtNPs on the biological properties of Haplic Cambisols Eutric was observed, which indicates the high toxicity of PtNPs and the importance of studying the consequences of soil and ecosystem contamination with PtNPs. However, when the content of Pt in the soil was 1 mg/kg, there was a tendency to stimulate germination, the length of radish roots, and the total number of bacteria. The toxicity of PtNPs measured by biochemical indicators (activity of catalase and dehydrogenases) starts at a concentration of 100 mg/kg for phytotoxic effects (germination and root length of radish) and 10 mg/kg for microbiological effects (total number of bacteria). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pollution, Heavy Metal, and Emerging Threats in Forest Soil)

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15 pages, 9278 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Contamination Status and Health Risk Assessment of Soil Heavy Metals in the Northern Slope of Eastern Tianshan Mountains Industrial Belt in Xinjiang, Northwest China

by Abdugheni Abliz, Qingdong Shi and Abudukeyimu Abulizi

Forests 2022, 13(11), 1914; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13111914 - 14 Nov 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1654

Abstract

In recent years, soil heavy metal pollution has become an important issue of general concern because it is an important factor that threatens the soil environment. To assess the risk of the human health of the people living in the economic belt on the northern slope of the eastern Tianshan Mountains, and provide guidance for pollution control and risk prevention, the northern slope of the eastern Tianshan Mountains was selected as the study area, and six heavy metals (i.e., Zn, Cu, Cr, Pb, and Hg) were measured. The results revealed that the Cu, Pb, Hg, and As contents of the soil exceeded the soil background value of Xinjiang by 1.02, 4.10, 1.76, and 7.98 times, respectively. The Zn and Cr contents were lower than the limits of regional soil standards. Based on the pollution assessment using the pollution index (PI), values indicate that the levels of Zn and Cr pollution were low, those of Cu and Hg pollution were moderate, and those of Pb and As pollution were high. The health risk assessment results revealed that there are non-carcinogenic risks to children. The carcinogenic health risks posed by the heavy metals in this region are higher than the threshold (10⁻⁴), indicating that they pose a hazard to human health. The results of this research provide a theoretical basis and reference for soil heavy metal pollution control and human health risk management in this area. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pollution, Heavy Metal, and Emerging Threats in Forest Soil)

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14 pages, 2173 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Biodiagnostics of Resistance to the Copper (Cu) Pollution of Forest Soils at the Dry and Humid Subtropics in the Greater Caucasus Region

by Sergey Kolesnikov, Anna Kuzina, Tatiana Minnikova, Tigran Ter-Misyakyants, Elena Nevedomaya, Yulia Akimenko, Dmitry Trufanov, Kamil Kazeev, Marina Burachevskaya, Tatiana Minkina, Sudhir S. Shende and Anatoly Barakhov

Forests 2022, 13(10), 1720; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13101720 - 18 Oct 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1592

Abstract

Forest ecosystems perform important forestry and ecological functions. However, mining and processing companies cause significant soil contamination by heavy metals, in particular, copper (Cu). The resistance of nine types and subtypes of forest soils of the dry and humid subtropics in the Greater Caucasus region to Cu contamination at concentrations of 100, 1000, and 10,000 mg/kg was evaluated for the first time following the most sensitive and informative biological (microbiological, biochemical, and phytotoxic) indicators via a laboratory simulation study. Contamination was simulated under laboratory conditions. The series of forest soils was established following their resistance to Cu pollution: brown leached soils (Haplic Cambisols Eutric) = brown typical soils (Haplic Cambisols Eutric) > brown carbonate soils (Haplic Cambisols Eutric) = sod-carbonate typical soils (Rendzic Leptosols Eutric) ≥ yellow soils (Albic Luvisols Abruptic) ≥ leached sod-carbonate soils (Rendzic Leptosols Eutric) > brown forest slightly unsaturated soils (Haplic Cambisols Eutric) > acid brown forest soils (Haplic Cambisols Eutric) > acid brown forest podzolized soils (Haplic Cambisols Eutric). Regional environmentally safe standards for the Cu content in forest soils of the dry and humid subtropics of the Greater Caucasus were proposed: for brown typical soils, brown leached soils, brown carbonate soils, brown forest slightly unsaturated soils, sod-carbonate typical soils, leached sod-carbonate soils, and yellow soils, the rMPC was 100 mg/kg; for acid brown forest soils and acid brown forest podzolized soils, the rMPC was 70 mg/kg. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pollution, Heavy Metal, and Emerging Threats in Forest Soil)

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19 pages, 2374 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Improvement of Ex Vitro Growing Completion of Highbush Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) in Containers

by Svetlana Akimova, Agamagomed Radzhabov, Aleksandr Esaulko, Egor Samoshenkov, Ivan Nechiporenko, Pavel Kazakov, Yurii Voskoboinikov, Anna Matsneva, Aleksandr Zubkov and Timur Aisanov

Forests 2022, 13(10), 1550; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13101550 - 22 Sep 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 4370

Abstract

Highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.), originally a forest plant, is currently in need of improvement of clonal micropropagation technologies. It is known that the large percentage of propagated plants can be lost or damaged, not only at the stage of acclimatization to non-sterile conditions, but also during the growing completion stage. In fact, successful ex vitro regeneration of such plants is determined by their ability to produce new shoots that can adapt to new cultivation conditions. The lighting and ratio of nutrients under ex vitro conditions play an important role in the development of the plants’ photosynthetic capacity. The research revealed that LED grow lighting has a positive effect on the development of ex vitro plants of highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) cv. Brigitta Blue, only at the initial stages of growing in 0.5-L containers. The results obtained have improved our understanding of lighting and mineral fertilizer’s impact on the development of ex vitro plants of the highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) cv. Brigitta Blue in greenhouse conditions. This can be useful for providing blueberry planting stock and commercial use for large scale production. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pollution, Heavy Metal, and Emerging Threats in Forest Soil)

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17 pages, 3048 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Comparative Assessment of the Resistance to Lead (Pb) Pollution of Forest, Forest-Steppe, Steppe, and Mountain-Meadow Soils of the Central Ciscaucasia and the Caucasus Regions

by D. I. Moshchenko, Sergey I. Kolesnikov, A. A. Kuzina, Kamil S. Kazeev, Tatiana M. Minkina, A. A. Mezhenkov, Y. A. Litvinov, Sudhir S. Shende, Saglara S. Mandzhieva, Svetlana N. Sushkova and Valery P. Kalinitchenko

Forests 2022, 13(10), 1528; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13101528 - 20 Sep 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1556

Abstract

Lead (Pb) is one of the most hazardous heavy-metal pollutants in the environment. However, the resistance of different soils and ecosystems to Pb pollution varies greatly. In the present study, the comparative assessment of the resistance to Pb contamination in the forest, forest-steppe, steppe, and mountain-meadow soils of the Central Ciscaucasia and the Caucasus regions was conducted. There were 10 types and subtypes of objects from the forest, forest-steppe, steppe, and mountain-meadow soils which were selected for this study. The laboratory modeling of the effect of chemical soil contamination with lead (II) oxide (PbO) at different concentrations, 100, 1000, and 10,000 mg/kg, were introduced into the soil to check the microbiological, biochemical, and phytotoxic properties of the soil after 30 days of incubation. Soil resistance to Pb stress was assessed by the degree of the decrease in the most sensitive and informative biological indicators of the soil condition. It has been found that the forest-steppe and steppe soils showed a greater resistance than that of the forest and mountain-meadow soils. The regional maximum permissible concentration (rMPC) of Pb was developed for the first time, according to the degree of violation of the ecosystem functions of the soils. The forecast maps were developed for the deterioration of the soil condition during the Pb contamination at variable concentrations in the Central Ciscaucasia and the Caucasus regions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pollution, Heavy Metal, and Emerging Threats in Forest Soil)

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16 pages, 3572 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Different Native Plants on Soil Remediation and Microbial Diversity in Jiulong Iron Tailings Area, Jiangxi

by Qian Wang, Qiwu Sun, Wenzheng Wang, Xiangrong Liu, Liguo Song and Lingyu Hou

Forests 2022, 13(7), 1106; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13071106 - 14 Jul 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2407

Abstract

Phytoremediation is an important solution to heavy metal pollution in soil. However, the impact of plants on microbial communities in contaminated soil also requires attention. Community-level physiological profiling (CLPP) based on the Biolog™ EcoPlate and high-throughput sequencing were used to study the soil microbial community in this article. The rhizosphere and bulk soil samples of six native species were collected from the iron mine tailings on Jiulong Mountain, Jiangxi Province. According to the average well color development (AWCD), all plants improved the activity and diversity of the contaminated soil microbial community to varying degrees. Cunninghamia lanceolate is considered to have good effects and led to the appearance of Cunninghamia lanceolata > Zelkova schneideriana > Toona ciliata > Alnus cremastogyne > Cyclobalanopsis myrsinifolia > Pinus elliottii. The Shannon–Wiener diversity index and principal component analysis (PCA) show that the evenness and dominance of soil microbial communities of several plants are structurally similar to those of uncontaminated soil (UNS). The results of high-throughput sequencing indicated that the bacterial community diversity of C. lanceolata, A. cremastogyne, and P. elliottii is similar to UNS, while fungal community diversity is different from UNS. C. lanceolata has a better effect on soil nutrients, C. myrsinifolia and P. elliottii may have a better effect on decreasing the Cu content. The objective of this study was to assess the influence of native plants on microbial communities in soils and the soil remediation capacity. Mortierellomycota was the key species for native plants to regulate Cu and microbial community functions. Native plants have decisive influence on microbial community diversity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pollution, Heavy Metal, and Emerging Threats in Forest Soil)

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Review

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23 pages, 3095 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceReview

Carbon Sequestration Potential of Commercial Agroforestry Systems in Indo-Gangetic Plains of India: Poplar and Eucalyptus-Based Agroforestry Systems

by Sangram Bhanudas Chavan, Ravinder Singh Dhillon, Chhavi Sirohi, Appanderanda Ramani Uthappa, Dinesh Jinger, Hanuman Singh Jatav, Akash Ravindra Chichaghare, Vijaysinha Kakade, Venkatesh Paramesh, Sushil Kumari, Dinesh Kumar Yadav, Tatiana Minkina and Vishnu D. Rajput

Forests 2023, 14(3), 559; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14030559 - 12 Mar 2023

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 10011

Abstract

Climate change, land degradation, and desertification lead to the loss of carbon present in the soil and plants. The carbon dioxide (CO₂) concentration in the atmosphere has reached 412 ppm. This is a rise of 47% since the start of the industrial period, when the concentration was close to 280 ppm. Therefore, the sequestration of carbon from the atmosphere to earth is the need of the hour. Many scientists have suggested agroforestry as a potent instrument for climate change mitigation as well as to fetch lucrative benefits. The Indian government is also promulgating tree-based systems for increasing tree cover up to 33% of the total geographical area to mitigate climate change. Therefore, the expansion of the commercial agroforestry system of fast-growing tree species producing higher biomass could be a sustainable and ecologically benign technique to sequester carbon, increase green cover, and improve the financial status of farmers. This review highlights the commercial agroforestry systems, biomass and carbon sequestration potential, and case studies of poplar and eucalyptus. The species such as poplar (Populus deltoides), nilgiri (Eucalyptus spp.), subabul (Leucaena leucocephala), tree of heaven (Ailanthus excelsa), willow (Salix spp.), malabar neem (Melia dubia), cadamba (Neolamarckia cadamba), and white teak (Gmelina arborea) are the suitable tree species for carbon sequestration under agroforestry. Among these species, poplar and eucalyptus are major agroforestry tree species that have been adopted by millions of farmers in India since the 1990s. Indo-Gangetic plains are considered the birthplace of commercial or industrial agroforestry, as poplar and eucalyptus are widely planted. This review reports that poplar and eucalyptus have the potential to sequester carbon stock of 212.7 Mg C ha⁻¹ and 237.2 Mg C ha⁻¹, respectively. Further, the net carbon sequestration rate in poplar and eucalyptus was 10.3 and 12.7 Mg C ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹, respectively. In conclusion, the commercial agroforestry system was very successful in the Indo-Gangetic regions of the country but needs further expansion with suitable compatible crops in different parts of the country. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pollution, Heavy Metal, and Emerging Threats in Forest Soil)

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15 pages, 4168 KiB

Open AccessCase Report

Labile and Stable Fractions of Organic Carbon in a Soil Catena (the Central Forest Nature Reserve, Russia)

by Polina Enchilik, Elena Aseyeva and Ivan Semenkov

Forests 2023, 14(7), 1367; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14071367 - 3 Jul 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2071

Abstract

The composition of soil organic carbon (SOC) is an important soil quality indicator. We investigated the effect of site-specific soil-forming factors on plant debris and SOC properties along a soil catena with Retisols and Stagnosols in a mixed coniferous–deciduous forest. We examined sites at the summit and middle slope positions with relatively well-aerated soils and sites at footslope positions with waterlogged soils. The concentrations of labile and stable pools of SOC were determined using the method of three-stage chemodestruction. The degree of litter decomposition was calculated, and ash content was determined in the folic and histic soil horizons. The results of our study showed that SOC mostly accumulated in the forest litter and histic horizons of Stagnosols at the footslope positions. The forest litter, folic, and histic horizons were dominated by labile carbon. Equal concentrations of labile and stable carbon were typical of the mineral horizons. The location of the soil in the catena affects the partition and characteristics of SOC in umbric and albic soil horizons. SOC was found to be more stable in the soils at the footslope positions compared to the soils in other locations, because of the lower decomposition of plant remains. Larger stocks of organic carbon, including labile carbon, were restricted to the footslope catena positions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pollution, Heavy Metal, and Emerging Threats in Forest Soil)

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