Feature Papers for Soil-Sediment-Water Systems Section

A special issue of Land (ISSN 2073-445X). This special issue belongs to the section "Soil-Sediment-Water Systems".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2022) | Viewed by 21716

Special Issue Editor

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue, Feature Paper for Soil-Sediment-Water Systems Section, of Land is inviting papers and opinions on the topics related to the management of the soil-sediment-water systems, in natural as well as agricultural systems. Specifically, we are looking for manuscripts on the following topics:

  • Sustainable land and water management
  • Land restoration
  • Nutrient cycling in land management

Manuscripts can be theoretical, applied, ‘state of the science’ reviews, and opinion papers. Interdisciplinary manuscripts are particularly welcome, as the soil-sediment-water system lies at the basis of all societal challenges of our time.

Dr. Saskia Keesstra
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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. Land 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.

Published Papers (8 papers)

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Research

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20 pages, 6090 KiB  
Article
Estimation of Runoff and Sediment Yield in Response to Temporal Land Cover Change in Kentucky, USA
by Smriti Kandel, Buddhi Gyawali, Sandesh Shrestha, Demetrio Zourarakis, George Antonious, Maheteme Gebremedhin and Bijay Pokhrel
Land 2023, 12(1), 147; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12010147 - 01 Jan 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2362
Abstract
Land cover change is prevalent in the eastern Kentucky Appalachian region, mainly due to increased surface mining activities. This study explored the potential change in land cover and its relationship with stream discharge and sediment yield in a watershed of the Cumberland River [...] Read more.
Land cover change is prevalent in the eastern Kentucky Appalachian region, mainly due to increased surface mining activities. This study explored the potential change in land cover and its relationship with stream discharge and sediment yield in a watershed of the Cumberland River near Harlan, Kentucky, between 2001 and 2016, using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT). Two land cover scenarios for the years 2001 and 2016 were used separately to simulate the surface runoff and sediment yield at the outlet of the Cumberland River near Harlan. Land cover datasets from the National Land Cover Database (NLCD) were used to reclassify the land cover type into the following classes: water, developed, forest, barren, shrubland, and pasture/grassland. Evaluation of the relationship between the land cover change on discharge and sediment was performed by comparing the average annual basin values of streamflow and sediment from each of the land cover scenarios. The SWAT model output was evaluated based on several statistical parameters, including the Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency coefficient (NSE), RMSE-observations standard deviation ratio (RSR), percent bias (PBIAS), and the coefficient of determination (R²). Moreover, P-factor and R-factor indices were used to measure prediction uncertainty. The model showed an acceptable range of agreement for both calibration and validation between observed and simulated values. The temporal land cover change showed a decrease in forest area by 2.42% and an increase in developed, barren, shrubland, and grassland by 0.11%, 0.34%, 0.53%, and 1.44%, respectively. The discharge increased from 92.34 mm/year to 104.7 mm/year, and sediment increased from 0.83 t/ha to 1.63 t/ha from 2001 to 2016, respectively. Based on results from the model, this study concluded that the conversion of forest land into other land types could contribute to increased surface runoff and sediment transport detached from the soil along with runoff water. The research provides a robust approach to evaluating the effect of temporal land cover change on Appalachian streams and rivers. Such information can be useful for designing land management practices to conserve water and control soil erosion in the Appalachian region of eastern Kentucky. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers for Soil-Sediment-Water Systems Section)
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16 pages, 4060 KiB  
Article
Characteristics of Bottom Sediments in the Coastal Areas of the Crimean Peninsula
by Yulia S. Gurova, Konstantin I. Gurov and Natalia A. Orekhova
Land 2022, 11(11), 1884; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11111884 - 24 Oct 2022
Viewed by 1014
Abstract
The aim of this work was to assess the influence of physical, chemical, and hydrochemical factors on the characteristics of bottom sediments in various areas of the shelf of the Crimean Peninsula. The data obtained during the cruises of the RV “Professor Vodianitsky” [...] Read more.
The aim of this work was to assess the influence of physical, chemical, and hydrochemical factors on the characteristics of bottom sediments in various areas of the shelf of the Crimean Peninsula. The data obtained during the cruises of the RV “Professor Vodianitsky” in the fall of 2018 and summer of 2019 were analyzed. Hydrochemical analyses of the bottom waters were carried out using standard hydrochemical methods. Profiles of dissolved oxygen, hydrogen sulfide, and oxidized and reduced forms of iron in pore waters were obtained, and the geochemical characteristics of bottom sediments were determined. The features of their spatial and vertical distributions were considered. Pelite-aleuritic sediments with inclusions of sandy material and shell detritus prevailed in the coastal zone of the Crimean shelf. The organic carbon content varied from 0.5–0.6% in the gravel–sand sediments of the Kerch pre-strait area to 2.5–2.7% in the northwestern part. The prevalence of suboxic conditions was noted, and the main processes in the sediment upper layer were controlled mainly by reactions involving iron. In some areas of the southern coast of Crimea and the Kerch pre-strait area from the Sea of Azov, the development of anoxic conditions in the surface layer of bottom sediments was recorded. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers for Soil-Sediment-Water Systems Section)
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13 pages, 2100 KiB  
Article
Changes in Mangrove Cover and Exposure to Coastal Hazards in Kenya
by Amina Juma Hamza, Luciana S. Esteves and Marin Cvitanović
Land 2022, 11(10), 1714; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11101714 - 02 Oct 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2819
Abstract
Mangroves are effective carbon sinks, support coastal fisheries and provide wood and non-wood resources to coastal communities. They are threatened by natural and human-induced stresses including over-exploitation, conversion pressures, pollution and climate change. Understanding changes in this important ecosystem is essential to inform [...] Read more.
Mangroves are effective carbon sinks, support coastal fisheries and provide wood and non-wood resources to coastal communities. They are threatened by natural and human-induced stresses including over-exploitation, conversion pressures, pollution and climate change. Understanding changes in this important ecosystem is essential to inform the sustainable management of mangroves and assess the implications related to the loss of ecosystem services. This study used global remote sensing mangrove forest data to quantify changes in mangrove cover in Kenya between 2010 and 2016 and applied the InVEST coastal vulnerability model to assess the implications concerning the provision of natural coastal protection services in Kenya. The results indicate that the annual rates of mangrove cover loss in Kenya were 0.15% between 2010 and 2016. Currently, 16% of the Kenyan coastline is at higher levels of exposure to coastal hazards but this could increase to 41% if coastal ecosystems (mangroves, corals and seagrasses) are lost. The study further identified that higher rates of mangrove loss are observed in areas at higher risk of exposure in the southern and northern counties of Kwale and Lamu, where monitoring and management efforts should be prioritized. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers for Soil-Sediment-Water Systems Section)
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16 pages, 2201 KiB  
Article
Sustainability by Function (SbF): A Case Study in a Rainfed Vineyard to Reduce the Loss of Soil Nutrients
by Manuel López-Vicente, Sara Álvarez, Elena Calvo-Seas and Artemi Cerdà
Land 2022, 11(7), 1033; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11071033 - 07 Jul 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1418
Abstract
The effectiveness of a seeded cover crop to minimize soil nutrient losses was evaluated in a rainfed vineyard. Two sediment tanks were installed (ST2: drainage area with high ground cover (GC: 82%) and ST3: very high GC (89%)) and samples from 26 time-integrated [...] Read more.
The effectiveness of a seeded cover crop to minimize soil nutrient losses was evaluated in a rainfed vineyard. Two sediment tanks were installed (ST2: drainage area with high ground cover (GC: 82%) and ST3: very high GC (89%)) and samples from 26 time-integrated periods (TIP) were collected over 15 months. The average soil nutrient content was previously estimated in the drainage areas of ST2 (Ntotal: 0.967 mg/g; Pava: 0.411 mg/g; Kava: 1.762 mg/g) and ST3 (Ntotal: 0.711 mg/g; Pava: 0.437 mg/g; Kava: 1.856 mg/g). The sediment nutrient concentrations and the sediment/soil enrichment ratios were comparable between ST2 and ST3, but the total loss of nutrients clearly differed among areas. The loss of nutrients in the area with lower GC (379.7 g N-P-K/ha/yr) was 8.3 times higher than in the area with higher GC (45.8 g N-P-K/ha/yr), and this pattern remained during the months with low, medium and high GC: 91.9, 2.1 and 2.1 g N-P-K/ha/month in ST2 and 6.9, 3.0 and 3.5 g N-P-K/ha/month in ST3. The benefits of greater GC promote the environmental and agronomic sustainability by the functions of the cover crop, favoring healthy soils and a reduction in the investment of the farmers in fertilizers. This is very relevant in a postpandemic world under the threat of the war in Ukraine, the lack of fertilizers and the need for a local production of food. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers for Soil-Sediment-Water Systems Section)
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10 pages, 17500 KiB  
Article
Effect of Standard Disk Plough on Soil Translocation in Sloping Sicilian Vineyards
by Agata Novara, Amelia Novara, Antonio Comparetti, Antonino Santoro, Artemi Cerdà, Jesús Rodrigo-Comino and Luciano Gristina
Land 2022, 11(2), 148; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11020148 - 18 Jan 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3410
Abstract
Tillage is the main force of soil redistribution in agricultural land use and has been seen as more critical than water erosion. This study aims to evaluate the effect of tillage with standard disk in vineyards. A representative study area with grapevines was [...] Read more.
Tillage is the main force of soil redistribution in agricultural land use and has been seen as more critical than water erosion. This study aims to evaluate the effect of tillage with standard disk in vineyards. A representative study area with grapevines was selected, and 39 inter-rows were selected to test the effect of slope and forward speed. In each inter-row, a strip of soil was collected, and mixed with 2 kg of coloured sand used as a tracer, then replaced in the strip, and shallow soil tillage was performed by means of a standard disk plough. Three soil subsamples were collected along the slope every 0.30 m from the coloured strip and the sand tracer was separated from the soil and weighed. The results show that the mean soil translocation distance ranged from 0.73 to 1.14 m along the upslope direction, and from 0.32 to 0.84 m along the downslope direction. The net translocation was −0.33 ± 0.12 m which indicate an upslope soil movement. Mean translocation distance was not significantly affected by the considered forward speeds. These results demonstrate that tillage can reallocate soil upslope and open new insights into the use of disk plough as sustainable management in vineyards. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers for Soil-Sediment-Water Systems Section)
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14 pages, 1124 KiB  
Article
Application of the Adaptive Cycle and Panarchy in La Marjaleria Social-Ecological System: Reflections for Operability
by Marc Escamilla Nacher, Carla Sofia Santos Ferreira, Michael Jones and Zahra Kalantari
Land 2021, 10(9), 980; https://doi.org/10.3390/land10090980 - 17 Sep 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3029
Abstract
The adaptive cycle and panarchy are recognised tools for resilience assessment prior to establishing new management approaches aligned with Anthropocene needs. This study used the adaptive cycle and panarchy to assess the dynamics of the social-ecological system (SES) of La Marjaleria, Spain, which [...] Read more.
The adaptive cycle and panarchy are recognised tools for resilience assessment prior to establishing new management approaches aligned with Anthropocene needs. This study used the adaptive cycle and panarchy to assess the dynamics of the social-ecological system (SES) of La Marjaleria, Spain, which experienced increasing human pressure and environmental degradation in recent decades, and developed the ‘adaptive curve’ as a novel graphical representation of system change in the presentation of the results. Based on a literature review of historical changes in La Marjaleria, a SES analysis was performed using the adaptive cycle and panarchy, following the Resilience Alliance’s Practitioners Guide. The assessment offered new insights into the social and ecological dynamics of La Marjaleria through identification of causes and consequences from a complex systems perspective. Previous land-use management in the area has generated tensions between different stakeholders and reduced environmental resilience. The systems thinking approach highlighted the complexity of change processes, offering the possibility of new routes for dialogue and understanding. The ‘adaptive curve’ developed as a method of illustrating interactions across scales in this study could be useful for synthesising the results of a panarchy analysis and supporting their interpretation, offering relevant departure points for future planning and decision-making. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers for Soil-Sediment-Water Systems Section)
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23 pages, 9268 KiB  
Article
A Comparison of Approaches to Regional Land-Use Capability Analysis for Agricultural Land-Planning
by Tara A. Ippolito, Jeffrey E. Herrick, Ekwe L. Dossa, Maman Garba, Mamadou Ouattara, Upendra Singh, Zachary P. Stewart, P. V. Vara Prasad, Idrissa A. Oumarou and Jason C. Neff
Land 2021, 10(5), 458; https://doi.org/10.3390/land10050458 - 24 Apr 2021
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 3851
Abstract
Smallholder agriculture is a major source of income and food for developing nations. With more frequent drought and increasing scarcity of arable land, more accurate land-use planning tools are needed to allocate land resources to support regional agricultural activity. To address this need, [...] Read more.
Smallholder agriculture is a major source of income and food for developing nations. With more frequent drought and increasing scarcity of arable land, more accurate land-use planning tools are needed to allocate land resources to support regional agricultural activity. To address this need, we created Land Capability Classification (LCC) system maps using data from two digital soil maps, which were compared with measurements from 1305 field sites in the Dosso region of Niger. Based on these, we developed 250 m gridded maps of LCC values across the region. Across the region, land is severely limited for agricultural use because of low available water-holding capacity (AWC) that limits dry season agricultural potential, especially without irrigation, and requires more frequent irrigation where supplemental water is available. If the AWC limitation is removed in the LCC algorithm (i.e., simulating the use of sufficient irrigation or a much higher and more evenly distributed rainfall), the dominant limitations become less severe and more spatially varied. Finally, we used additional soil fertility data from the field samples to illustrate the value of collecting contemporary data for dynamic soil properties that are critical for crop production, including soil organic carbon, phosphorus and nitrogen. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers for Soil-Sediment-Water Systems Section)
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17 pages, 792 KiB  
Opinion
Earth Scientists and Sustainable Development: Geocomputing, New Technologies, and the Humanities
by Sebastiano Trevisani and Pietro Daniel Omodeo
Land 2021, 10(3), 294; https://doi.org/10.3390/land10030294 - 12 Mar 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2456
Abstract
This opinion paper discusses some of the challenges and opportunities that earth scientists face today in connection with environmental problems. It focuses on aspects that are related to the role of geocomputational approaches and new technologies for geoenvironmental analysis in the context of [...] Read more.
This opinion paper discusses some of the challenges and opportunities that earth scientists face today in connection with environmental problems. It focuses on aspects that are related to the role of geocomputational approaches and new technologies for geoenvironmental analysis in the context of sustainable development. The paper also points out a “data imbalance” effect, a key issue in the analysis of environmental evolution and of geosphere-anthroposphere interactions in the long-term. In connection with this, it stresses the importance of geoenvironmental information which can be derived from environmental humanities and related disciplines, such as history and archeology. In this context, the complexities and potentialities of a dialogue between earth sciences and the humanities are outlined. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers for Soil-Sediment-Water Systems Section)
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