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Sustainable Development And Green Landscaping
Published in Eric A. Woodroof, Green Facilities Handbook, 2020
So why is topsoil so important? “In 150 years since plows first broke the plains, Iowa has lost one-half of its topsoil, and the rate shows no sign of slackening.”1. In most places, topsoil is only 9” deep. Topsoil is the nutrient-rich layer of earth where 90% of the soil life resides. Yes, soil is alive. A single teaspoon of soil contains four billion life-forms—a perfect balance of nutrients needed to properly feed plants. Soil microbes perform specific functions to create a healthy growing environment. Over millennia, these same microbes made the fertile soil we have today. Understanding soil biology is the key to sustainable landscapes and healthy soil; and healthy soil means a reduced need for chemicals. And once soil disappears into the wind or washes into waterways, it takes millennia to replace the topsoil that has been lost.
Spatial Distribution and Potential Ecological Risk Assessment of Trace Metals in Reclaimed Mine Soils in Abuakwa South Municipal, Ghana
Published in Soil and Sediment Contamination: An International Journal, 2023
Douglas Siaw Baah, Gordon Foli, Emmanuel Gikunoo, Solomon S. R. Gidigasu
Trace metals play a significant role in the modification of soil structure (Mileusnić et al. 2014; Miretzky et al. 2011). This is because soils act as sinks for these trace metals and serve as an interface to other environmental compartments such as vegetation (He et al. 2015; Van der Perk 2013). Extreme pollution of the soil by some trace metals is a key factor in the environmental setting that can lead to the contamination of food crops, water, sediment, and soil (Arain et al. 2009; Bender and Van der Heijden 2015). According to Ren et al. (2019) trace metals mostly have high residence time and persistent bioavailability in soils that lead to a reduction in crop yield, decrease in soil biology, and degeneration in soil fertility. Moreover, they enter the food chain through plant uptake which eventually poses a high risk such as kidney and liver disease to human and animal health (Ashraf et al. 2017; Singh and Kalamdhad 2011).
Global perspectives for biochar application in the remediation of heavy metal-contaminated soil: a bibliometric analysis over the past three decades
Published in International Journal of Phytoremediation, 2023
Kehui Liu, Jiayi Liang, Ningning Zhang, Guangluan Li, Jieyi Xue, Keyi Zhao, Yi Li, Fangming Yu
In this period, the most cited reference was by Lehmann et al. (2011), entitled “Biochar effects on soil biota: A review” (CF = 1,078) and published in the journal Soil Biology & Biochemistry. This paper comprehensively expounds on the relationship between biochar and soil property improvement, the response of soil microorganisms to biochar supplementation, and the management and risks of soil biochar. This study provides highlights and theoretical support for biochar amendment of HM-contaminated soil. The second most cited reference was by Ahmad et al. (2014), entitled “Biochar as a sorbent for contaminant management in soil and water: A review” (CF = 692) and published in the journal Chemosphere. This paper reviews the effects of pyrolysis conditions (including residence time, raw material type, temperature, and heat transfer rate) on biochar generation and biochar supplementation on remediation efficiency, and the possible mechanisms are discussed. It also provided a reference for parameter selection in subsequent biochar preparation, as well as an efficiency assessment of biochar use in HM-contaminated soil remediation. The third most cited reference was the same as the second most cited reference in the SGP (Table 2). But the CF value of this paper increased from 198 in the SGP to 596 in the RGP, indicating that this paper played a vital role in both of these periods.
Processes and events in the centre: a dynamic data model for representing spatial change
Published in International Journal of Digital Earth, 2022
Yufeng He, Yehua Sheng, Barbara Hofer, Yi Huang, Jiarui Qin
The geographic scene is composed of six elements (people, things, events, and phenomena, and processes) that are influenced by one another (Figure 1). Because of the same characteristics, people and things are treated as scene objects for the sake of expression. Geographic scenes with emphasis on people in the scenes reflect the influence of people on nature and society. Geographic things usually refer to the spatial features within the range of the earth’s atmosphere, and include objects connected with geology, soil, biology, hydrology, architecture, and atmosphere. Things represent discrete distribution of geographic objects equivalent to features in traditional GIS. Events record sudden changes in the scene which are significant, impactful, identifiable, and discrete. Geographic phenomena describe a continuously and variably distributed field, or a complex of multiple people or things that are interrelated, or a simple geo-scene.