Comparison of Portuguese soils from different geographical regions using physicochemical, biological and biochemical parameters

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2008

Authors

Ruth Pereira (Author) Other; Sergio M Marques (Author) Other; Sara Cristina Antunes (Author) Other; Catarina Marques (Author) Other; Nelson Abrantes (Author) Other; Joao Teixeira T Pestana (Author) Other; Fernando Goncalves (Author) Other

Journal

Title: Journal of Soils and Sediments

Vol. 8

Pages: 106-115

ISSN: 1439-0108

Publisher: Springer Nature

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 5 Citations

Scopus - 5 Citations

Scientific classification

FOS: Agrarian Sciences > Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-004-0MA

DOI: 10.1065/jss2008.03.282

Abstract (EN): Background, Aim and Scope. As a way of getting a comprehensive assessment of soil quality it is necessary to gather information on several appropriate soil parameters as well as also to perceive their spatial variation between geographic regions. The present work aimed to characterize and compare soil samples from different geographical regions and vegetation covers in the Portuguese territory through the use of physicochemical, biological and biochemical parameters. The study also intended to ascertain if those parameters are sensitive tools that consistently respond to geographical variations. Methodology. Physical and chemical (soil organic matter contents, moisture, pH and conductivity), biological (macroarthropod es and diversity) and biochemical (potential nitrification, dehydrogenase and acid phosphatase activities) soil parameters were determined for three different regions of Portugal. Several sub-areas were chosen within each region, in order to include main vegetation patches. At each sampling sub-area, 5 traps were randomly set up for the collection of macroarthropods. For each sampling location, diversity descriptors of soil macro-fauna were calculated: species richness, P diversity, the Shannon diversity (H') and Pielou evenness (J') indices. A principal component analysis (PCA) was used to plot the different sampling locations based on physical and chemical parameters; a canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) was performed to analyse the relationships between soil fauna and environmental variables (physicochemical parameters and enzyme activities) and a partial canonical correspondence analysis (pCCA), with vegetation patches as covariables, was carried out to perceive their contribution to the variation in macroarthropod distribution. Results. Physical and chemical parameters discriminated soils from the different geographic regions in the PCA. Nevertheless, a CCA of environmental variables (physical and chemical properties, dehydrogenase activity, acid phosphatase activity and potential nitrification) and soil macroarthropod catches only discriminated continental soils (Arouca and S. Domingos Mine) from insular ones (Porto Santo Island). The former were correlated with high dehydrogenase activity (DHA) and potential nitrification values, while soils from the Porto Santo Island were particularly correlated with high pH values and low moisture percentages. However, in spite of the extreme conditions, Porto Santo sampling sub-areas presented a great diversity of macroarthropods, especially when compared to the S. Domingos Mine. The pCCA showed that the different vegetation patches only explained 15% of the variation in edaphic species distribution. Discussion. Even though physical and chemical parameters were sufficient to discriminate the different geographical regions included in this study, biochemical and biological parameters grouped continental regions, discriminating them from the insular one. According to the CCA triplot, it was evident that the sampling sub-areas from the island were negatively correlated with soil moisture, suggesting that this was probably the main factor for the suppression of the microbial parameters in the island. On the other hand, the location of the S. Domingos mine area, in a metallogenetic province - the Iberian Pyrite Belt may have contributed to the dominance of taxa more adapted to higher background levels of heavy metals. Conclusions. In order to perceive geographical variation among different regions, more information is needed regarding different vegetation covers and the chemical composition of their corresponding litter, as well as about other soil chemical parameters. Recommendations and Perspectives. The data gathered in this study will help to distinguish variation in soil biological and biochemical parameters induced by abiotic conditions from the one promoted by anthropogenic disturbances.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 10