Soil erosion is characterized by the wearing away or loss of the uppermost layer of soil, driven by water, wind, and human activities. This process constitutes a significant environmental issue, with adverse effects on water quality, soil health, and the overall stability of ecosystems across the globe. This study focuses on the Anuppur district of Madhya Pradesh, India, employing the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) integrated with Geographic Information System (GIS) tools to estimate and spatially analyze soil erosion and fertility risk. The various factors of the model, like rainfall erosivity (R), soil erodibility (K), slope length and steepness (LS), conservation practices (P), and cover management factor (C), have been computed to measure annual soil loss in the district. Each factor was derived using geospatial datasets, including rainfall records, soil characteristics, a Digital Elevation Model (DEM), land use/land cover (LULC) data, and information on conservation practices. GIS methods are used to map the geographical variation of soil erosion, providing important information on the area’s most susceptible to erosion. The outcome of the study reveals that 3371.23 km², which constitutes 91% of the district’s total area, is identified as having mild soil erosion; in contrast, 154 km², or 4%, is classified as moderate soil erosion, while 92 km², representing 2.5%, falls under the high soil erosion category. Ad

Water scarcity, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions, is a critical issue affecting forest management. This study investigates the effects of drought stress on the water requirement and morphological characteristics of two important tree species Turkish pine and Chinaberry. Using a factorial design, the study examines the impact of three age stages (one-year-old, three-year-old, and five-year-old plants) and three levels of drought stress on these species. Microlysimeters of varying sizes were employed to simulate different drought conditions. Soil moisture was monitored to show the effect of the various irrigation schedules. The study also calculated reference crop evapotranspiration (ET₀) using the PMF-56 method and developed plant coefficients (Kc) for the species. Results showed that evapotranspiration increased with soil moisture, peaking during summer and decreasing in winter. Turkish pine exhibited higher plant ET than Chinaberry, particularly among one-year-old seedlings. Drought stress significantly reduced evapotranspiration and water uses for both species, highlighting the importance of efficient water management in afforestation projects. The findings underscore the necessity of selecting drought-resistant species and optimizing irrigation practices to enhance the sustainability of green spaces in arid regions. These insights are crucial for improving urban forestry management and mitigating the impacts of water scarcity in Iran and similar climates globally.

A Detailed geophysical investigation was conducted on Knossos territory of Crete Island. Main scope was the detection of underground archaeological settlements. Geophysical prospecting applied by an experienced geophysical team. According to area dimensions in relation to geological and structural conditions, the team designed specific geophysical techniques, by adopted non-catastrophic methods. Three different types of geophysical techniques performed gradually. Geophysical investigation consisted of the application of geoelectric mapping and geomagnetic prospecting. Electric mapping focusses on recording soil resistance distribution. Geomagnetic survey was performed by using two different types of magnetometers. Firstly, recorded distribution of geomagnetic intensity and secondly alteration of vertical gradient. Measured stations laid along the south-north axis with intervals equal to one meter. Both magnetometers were adjusted on a quiet magnetic station. Values were stored in files readable by geophysical interpretation software in XYZ format. Oasis Montaj was adopted for interpretation of measured physical properties distribution. Interpretation results were illustrated as color scale maps. Further processing applied on magnetic measurements. Results are confirmed by overlaying results from three different techniques. Geoelectric mapping contributed to detection of a few archaeological targets. Most of them were recorded by geomagnetic technique. Total intensity aimed to report the existence of magnetized bodies. Vertical gradient detected subsurface targets with clearly geometrical characteristics.

In order to strengthen the study of soil-landscape relationships in mountain areas, a digital soil mapping approach based on fuzzy set theory was applied. Initially, soil properties were estimated with the regression kriging (RK) method, combining soil data and auxiliary information derived from a digital elevation model (DEM) and satellite images. Subsequently, the grouping of soil properties in raster format was performed with the fuzzy c-means (FCM) algorithm, whose final product resulted in a fuzzy soil class variation model at a semi-detailed scale. The validation of the model showed an overall reliability of 88% and a Kappa index of 84%, which shows the usefulness of fuzzy clustering in the evaluation of soil-landscape relationships and in the correlation with soil taxonomic categories.

Knowledge of the presence of heavy metals in soils of agricultural areas is important to prevent their accumulation in cultivated plants. The objective of the present investigation was to evaluate the total concentrations and fractions of heavy metals Cd, Pb, Zn, Fe, Mn, Ni, Cu, Cr and Co in the tobacco-growing area of Pinar del Río, Cuba and their relationship with the physicochemical properties of soil. For the study, 59 samples of three types of soils were collected at 20 cm depth. The pseudo-total concentrations of metals in the soils are low and lower than the prevention values registered for Cuban soils. In general, the heavy metals studied present a high affinity for the most stable fractions of the soil, which means a low risk of transfer to the tobacco crop or accumulation in groundwater. The pseudo-total concentrations of heavy metals were low, below the alert values established for soils in the region. The heavy metals studied were mainly associated with the residual fraction, the second fraction with the highest association with metals was that linked to manganese and iron oxides. The principal component analysis showed that their main source is pedogenetic and that these elements are closely related to cation exchange capacity and calcium content.

Afforestation is a main tool for preventing desertification and soil erosion in arid and semiarid regions of Iran. Large-scale afforestation, however, has poorly understood consequences for the future ecosystems in the term of ecosystems protection. The objective of the present study is to identify changes in soil properties following different intervals of planting of Ailanthus altissima (tree of heaven) in semiarid afforestation of Iran (Chitgar Forest Park, Tehran). For this purpose, sand, silt and clay ratios, bulk density, soil moisture, pH, electrical conductivity, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, calcium, sodium, total soil N, and total carbon was measured. Our study highlighted the potential of the invasive trees by A. altissima, to alter soil properties along chronosequence. Almost all soil quality attributes showed a declining trend with stand age. A continuous decline in soil quality indicated that the present land management may not be sustainable. Therefore, an improved management practice is imperative to sustain soil quality and maintain long-term productivity of plantation forests. Thinning activity will be required to reduce the number of trees competing for the same nutrients especially in a older stand to protect forest soils.