Halina Smal

This paper shows the changes in soil properties in the fourth year after the application of two kinds of environmentally burdensome wastes. One of the wastes was mineral—carboniferous rock from a coal mine, and the other one was organic—post-fermentation sludge from an agricultural biogas plant. The wastes were applied once to a soil of poor quality—a Podzol. The hypothesis to be verified was that one-time application of waste carboniferous rock and/or post-fermentation sludge to a soil has a beneficial effect on the physical status of the soil, and the changes in the soil properties have a permanent character. Also, based on the experiment results, we suggested how these types of waste should be applied to soil. For that purpose, an assessment was performed of the durability, range, and character of changes in soil properties, inter alia: soil texture (PSD), total organic carbon content (TOC), particle density (PD), bulk density (BD), total porosity (TP), air capacity (FAC), air permeability (FAP), sampling moisture (SM), field water capacity (FC), available water (AWC), unavailable water (UWC), and hydraulic conductivity (Ks). Some soil properties have been improved by the use of post-fermentation sludge and the combined application of the two wastes. These were the following soil properties: PSD, TOC, BD, TP, and SM. However, changes to the soil air-water properties (FAC, FAP, FC, AWC, UWC, and Ks) were unfavorable. The effect of the waste’s application was permanent, as differences in soil properties were still visible in the fourth year after their addition. The observations made in the course of the experiment indicate that natural utilization of wastes requires a lot of consideration and should be focused on keeping the balance in the relations between the environmental functions of the soil.

Despite various water protection measures, good water quality and reduction of nutrient loads seem very distant goals, largely due to limited knowledge of processes occurring in river valleys. Our study aimed at establishing the role of small floodplain reservoirs in the eutrophication processes, in the face of recent climate changes. The content of phosphorus and nitrogen compounds was determined in sediments and water of small floodplain reservoirs, (the Vistula River Valley, Poland) using spectrophotometric and Kjeldahl’s method. Nutrient loads in sediments were linked to the texture and total organic carbon content. Seasonal changes in water quality were strictly connected to changing weather conditions, flood and drought. The concentrations of PO₄³⁻ and NO₃⁻ were found to rise after summer flooding. Increases in NH₄⁺, total phosphorus (TP) and total nitrogen (TN) were correlated with the surface water area reduction in the reservoirs, which during the year of the study was on average 62%. Therefore, small floodplain reservoirs could be considered simultaneously as sinks and sources of nutrients. On the one hand, they accumulate P and N compounds carried by the river during the flood. On the other hand, climate change cause that small floodplain reservoirs may be responsible for enhanced biomass production.

The study set out to determine changes in the soil air-water properties, the water-stable aggregate share and organic carbon content as effects of a five-year application of effective microorganisms (EM-A). The hypothesis that long-term applied EM-A biopreparations have a positive effect on the soil physical condition has not been confirmed. Haplic Luvisols originating from silt were studied in a field experiment after EM-A biopreparation treatment. The soil samples with the natural structure preserved intact were collected three times each year. The properties of the soil determined in the study were: particle density, total organic carbon content, bulk density, total porosity, air capacity, air permeability, soil moisture at sampling, field water capacity, available water content, unavailable water content, and water-stable aggregate content. The ratio of field water capacity and total porosity (FC/TP) was calculated. It was found that EM-A application primarily leads to a decrease in the content of organic carbon and water-stable aggregates. This was an adverse effect. Total organic carbon (TOC) and water-stable aggregates proved to be very sensitive indicators for assessing the soil physical condition. However, changes in soil compaction and air–water properties did not show significant deterioration. Our research addresses the data gaps about EM application to soil.

The importance of birds to pedogenesis and their impact on soil characteristics is a long‐standing topic of research. For this reason, the ornithogenic soils (avian soils) are distinguished as a separate category in some soil classifications. The continuous progress of knowledge on and changes in the management of the Earth's resources demand constant updating of definitions and classification criteria in various fields of environmental sciences. A search of the literature revealed few studies that examine the properties of bird soils in the temperate climate zone. This paper focuses on ornithogenic material: grit and bones deposited in the topsoil. Although areas covered by such soils are limited to 1–100 ha, they are found in high abundance in Europe and Asia. The surface horizon of the soil examined in the current study in Poznań, Poland, contained ample ornithogenic material; however, the soil's phosphorus content was remarkably low. Therefore, the analysed soil may not be considered as an ornithogenic soil, nor can it be attributed to the ornithic supplementary qualifier provided by the World Reference Base (WRB). The case study presented here exemplifies that soils containing ornithogenic material but lacking phosphorous compounds may occur in the temperate climate zone. Therefore, we conclude that ornithogenic material is the only permanent indicator of the existence of large groups of birds in non‐polar climate zones.

IAPAN - Instytut Agrofizyki Polskiej Akademii Nauk

The purpose of the present study was to analyse the contents of calcium, magnesium, potassium, and sodium in bottom sediments of two water reservoirs. The chemical composition of the bottom sediments and the ratios between the studied macronutrients were assessed, taking into account the nutritional requirements of plants, to determine whether the sediments were suitable for use in natural/agricultural settings.The study was conducted at two water reservoirs: the Brody Iłżeckie reservoir built on the Kamienna River in the Świętokrzyskie Province, and Zalew Zemborzycki, lake on the Bystrzyca River in the Lublin Province. Both bodies of water serve as flood water diversion and leisure facilities, and are also used, to a small extent, by the industry. They have a similar age and surface area. Bottom sediments were collected from the reservoirs a single time: 14 samples from Zalew Zemborzycki and 17 from Brody Iłżeckie. Samples were tested for total contents of Ca, Mg, K, and Na. The bottom sediments from Zalew Zemborzycki contained higher amounts of calcium, magnesium, and potassium than the material from Brody Iłżeckie. The values of ratios between K:Mg and K:(Ca + Mg) were similar for both reservoirs, and Ca:Mg and Ca:K were slightly more favourable for the sediments taken from Brody Iłżeckie.