VPS15 | SSS virtual posters I
SSS virtual posters I
Co-organized by SSS
Conveners: Daniel EvansECSECS, Heike Knicker
Posters virtual
| Thu, 07 May, 14:00–15:45 (CEST)
 
vPoster spot 1a, Thu, 07 May, 16:15–18:00 (CEST)
 
vPoster Discussion
Thu, 14:00

Posters virtual: Thu, 7 May, 14:00–18:00 | vPoster spot 1a

The posters scheduled for virtual presentation are given in a hybrid format for on-site presentation, followed by virtual discussions on Zoom. Attendees are asked to meet the authors during the scheduled presentation & discussion time for live video chats; onsite attendees are invited to visit the virtual poster sessions at the vPoster spots (equal to PICO spots). If authors uploaded their presentation files, these files are also linked from the abstracts below. The button to access the Zoom meeting appears just before the time block starts.
Discussion time: Thu, 7 May, 16:15–18:00
Display time: Thu, 7 May, 14:00–18:00
14:00–14:03
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EGU26-13573
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Origin: SSS8.4
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ECS
C. Joel Fariña, Derlis Enciso Santacruz, Esther Hernández- Montes, Ana B. Muñiz González, Ignacio Mariscal-Sancho, Chiquinquirá Hontoria, and Fernando Peregrina

In Mediterranean viticulture, climate change is reshaping management practices by increasing water scarcity and temperatures, challenging productivity and wine quality. The establishment of new vineyards is particularly vulnerable at early stages. In this context, legume cover crops (CCs) may enhance soil resilience and vineyard establishment through increased biological activity and biological N fixation.

This study evaluated the potential of two legume CCs to improve soil N availability and early grapevine development under a simulated warming scenario (+2 °C) and contrasting precipitation regimes. A microcosm experiment (12 kg soil per pot) was conducted under semi-controlled greenhouse conditions (Madrid, Spain) using a multifactorial design including three soil management treatments (bare soil, cover crop of Medicago truncatula Gaertn., and cover crop of Trifolium subterraneum L.), two precipitation levels (current and 15 % reduced), and two grapevine cultivars (white cv. Airén and red cv. Tempranillo). Cover crops were mowed 75 days after sowing, and their residues were left on soil surface as mulch. After one growing cycle, soil total N and extractable NO₃⁻ were measured, and grapevine foliar biomass, as well as foliar N content, were determined.

Under warming conditions, legume CCs did not increase soil total N or extractable NO₃⁻ compared with bare soil. In contrast, reduced precipitation increased both parameters. Moreover, reduced precipitation decreased total foliar N amount by a 14 %. This suggests that reduced precipitation limited N uptake by the grapevine and in consequence increased the soil NO3-. These results may be explained by decreased water availability, given that N assimilation is an active, energy-dependent process regulated by the water status of grapevine and CCs.

Foliar biomass showed significant interaction between soil management and precipitation level. Under bare soil conditions, reduced precipitation decreased leaf biomass by 22 % relative to current precipitation. In contrast, under current precipitation, CCs reduced leaf biomass by 20 % compared with bare soil.  However, under reduced precipitation CCs did not decrease foliar biomass respect to bare soil. This interaction indicates that cover crop competition is significant under current precipitation but not under reduced precipitation. A reduction in foliar biomass under CCs, when not accompanied by reduced precipitation, would indicate that factors other than water competition are involved. One such factor could be N uptake by the cover crops, which reduces N uptake by the grapevine and consequently limits its foliar development.

In conclusion, legume CCs did not increase soil N availability grapevine N status, or foliar growth in grapevines during their first growing cycle. However, they were not detrimental to grapevine foliar biomass under water-restricted conditions compare to the bare soil. Overall, the results highlight water availability as a key factor modulating of the soil–plant N balance. These results support the use of legume CCs as sustainable soil management for climate-resilient viticulture at the first year of grapevine establishment. Further research is needed to optimize legume CCs management to enhance soil N availability and grapevine performance under future climate change scenarios.

Acknowledgements: proyecto CUBIC. PID2023-147576OB-C21 y PID2023-147576OB-C22, financiadas por MICIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033.

How to cite: Fariña, C. J., Enciso Santacruz, D., Hernández- Montes, E., Muñiz González, A. B., Mariscal-Sancho, I., Hontoria, C., and Peregrina, F.: Effects of Legume Cover Crops on Soil Nitrogen Availability, Biomass and Foliar N of Young Grapevines under Simulated Warming and Reduced Precipitation, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-13573, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-13573, 2026.

14:03–14:06
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EGU26-12374
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Origin: SSS8.4
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ECS
Derlis Enciso-Santacruz, Chinquiquirá Hontoria, Fernando Peregrina, Esther Hernández-Montes, Sara Sánchez-Elez Martin, and Ignacio Mariscal-Sancho

Global warming is increasingly threatening vineyards soil health, particularly in Mediterranean regions, mainly compromising their biological parameters, which are highly sensitive to rising temperatures. Sustainable management practices, such as the use of legume cover crops (CCS) have been emerging as an effective strategy to mitigate these impacts. The objective of this study was to evaluate the implementation of legume CCs in new vineyard plantations, as a sustainable soil management practice to enhance resistance and resilience to warming conditions. The experiment was conducted in Central Spain) under dry climate (Bsk, cold steppe), with an average annual temperature of 14.1 °C, and annual precipitation of 421.8 mm, 57% of which occurs between September and February and the soil presented a sandy loam texture. A completely randomised design was applied with three factors: (i) temperature: normal (current climatic conditions) vs increased (~ +1 °C) using open-top chambers (OTC); (ii) soil management with three levels: bare soil with tillage (T), and two CCs, CC Trifolium subterraneum L. (TCC), and Medicago truncatula Gaern. (MCC); and (iii) grapevine cultivar: cv.  Airén versus cv. Tempranillo. The combination generated 12 treatments with four replicates (48 experimental units). Four months after grapevine planting and CC sowing, and one month after CC mowing soil samples were collected at two depths (0–10 and 10–30 cm) to determine key soil health indicators: enzymatic activities (β-glucosidase, phosphatase, urease, N-acetyl-glucosaminidase), basal and induced respiration, pH and electrical conductivity. The infiltration rate was also determined. Results show that both MCC and TCC significantly increased β-glucosidase and urease activities in the 0–10 cm layer compared with tilled bare soil, while OTC warming reduced phosphatase and N-acetyl-glucosaminidase activities, potentially compromising nutrient recycling. The grapevine cultivar × CC interaction revealed that soils with cv. Airén responded better with Medicago truncatula Gaern, showing a significant increase in urease activity in the 10–30 cm layer, whereas in cv. Tempranillo no significant differences were observed. This suggests that the effect of CC on soil biological activity depends on the grapevine cultivar, underscoring the need to further investigate these interactions. Basal and induced respiration increased with CCs relative to bare soil but decreased under OTC warming. In addition, MCC increased electrical conductivity in the 0–10 cm layer compared to TCC and bare soil. No significant differences were observed in the infiltration rate. These findings indicate that leguminous cover crops enhance soil biological activity in the short term, while physical properties such as infiltration and chemical properties such as pH require longer periods to show significant changes. Overall, the use of leguminous CCs represents a promising strategy to sustain soil health in young vineyards under global warming, with cultivar-specific responses that warrant deeper investigation.

Acknowledgements: This study was carried out in the framework of the CUBIC project. Grants PID2023-147576OB-C21 and PID2023-147576OB-C22 funded by MICIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033

How to cite: Enciso-Santacruz, D., Hontoria, C., Peregrina, F., Hernández-Montes, E., Sánchez-Elez Martin, S., and Mariscal-Sancho, I.: Short-term effect of leguminous cover crops on soil health in young vineyards with simulated global warming., EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-12374, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-12374, 2026.

14:06–14:09
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EGU26-13521
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Origin: SSS10.3
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ECS
Aditya Kapoor, Sahila Beegum, David Fleisher, Dennis Timlin, Chittaranjan Ray, and Vangimalla Reddy

Process-based crop models are often coupled with soil models to compute the soil water and nutrient status in the root zone. The integration of a geochemical module with existing soil models can enhance their accuracy and capability to simulate additional key bio-geochemical processes. 2DSOIL is a legacy soil model integrated with several prominent process based crop models such as those for maize (MAIZSIM), cotton (GOSSYM), soybean (GLYCIM) and potato (SPUDSIM). However, this soil model lacks a dedicated geochemical component. This study addresses this limitation by integrating the prominent geochemical model, PhreeqcRM, with 2DSOIL using the operator splitting approach, resulting in an improved reactive transport model named ‘2DSOIL-PhreeqcRM’. This new model was validated with two exercises: (i) benchmarking simulated reactive transport against the standard analytical solutions; and (ii) inter-model comparison between cation-exchange simulations from 2DSOIL-PhreeqcRM versus PHREEQC’s built-in transport module. 2DSOIL-PhreeqcRM performed well in both exercises, with a mean absolute percentage error less than 4.75 % and RMSE less than 0.015 mol/l. This research establishes the accuracy and robustness of the 2DSOIL-PhreeqcRM, paving the way for its future use in simulating complex agro-bio-geochemical processes such as the nutrient transformations, precipitation and dissolution of minerals, effect of the addition of lime, ammonia and urea etc.

How to cite: Kapoor, A., Beegum, S., Fleisher, D., Timlin, D., Ray, C., and Reddy, V.: Adding reactive transport capabilities to the 2DSOIL model with the integration of PhreeqcRM , EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-13521, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-13521, 2026.

14:09–14:12
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EGU26-17269
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Origin: SSS10.5
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ECS
Xuejiao Chen, Lihua Ma, Qiaozhi Mao, and Ningbo Cui

Global warming and rice cultivation are both significant drivers of greenhouse gas emissions, with methane (CH₄) representing a potent short lived climate forcer. Understand the interactive effects of rising temperatures and soil management practices in regulating carbon fixation and emissions is essential for developing climate-smart rice agroecosystems. Biochar amendment has been proposed to improve soil fertility and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, yet its interactive effects with warming remain insufficiently understood. A synergistic assessment of warming and biochar application is therefore necessary to evaluate their integrated potential for climate mitigation and sustainable rice production.

A controlled pot experiment using a water bath warming system was established to investigate the interactive effects of warming and biochar amendment. Four treatments were implemented: (1) conventional fertilization (NPK, control), (2) warming (NPK + H), (3) biochar addition (NPK + BC), and (4) combined warming and biochar (NPK + BC + H). Throughout the growing season, key environmental variables, including soil temperature, moisture, and electrical conductivity were continuously monitored. In parallel, rice growth traits and photosynthetic parameters were measured periodically. Greenhouse gas fluxes (CO₂, CH₄, and N₂O) were regularly quantified to assess treatment effects on emissions dynamics.

The experiment revealed critical interactions between warming and biochar. Their effects were often divergent when applied singly but convergent in combination. Specifically, while biochar alone stimulated CO₂ and CH₄ fluxes, and warming independently raised soil temperature, their combined application did not yield additive outcomes. Instead, it suppressed the biochar-induced increase in CO₂ and CH₄, demonstrating a clear interactive mitigation effect. Furthermore, this combination synergistically promoted rice photosynthesis and growth, and all amendment treatments reduced N₂O emissions relative to the NPK control.

Our findings demonstrate that warming and biochar amendment interactively regulate soil-plant processes and greenhouse gas fluxes in rice paddies, primarily through an antagonistic interaction that reverses the sole effect of biochar on CH₄ and CO₂ emissions. This shift indicates a fundamental change in microbial activity and carbon metabolism under combined treatment. Moreover, the synergy between warming and biochar enhanced photosynthetic carbon fixation, illustrating a dual mechanism that simultaneously optimizes carbon gain and attenuates carbon loss. These results provide mechanistic insight into how integrated management can reconcile productivity with climate mitigation, supporting the development of climate-smart strategies for rice agroecosystems under future warming scenarios.

How to cite: Chen, X., Ma, L., Mao, Q., and Cui, N.: Interactive effects of warming and biochar addition on photosynthesis and greenhouse gas emissions in a paddy system, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-17269, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-17269, 2026.

14:12–14:15
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EGU26-2885
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Origin: SSS4.1
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ECS
Xiaomin Zhang, Yakov Kuzyakov, Dayong Zhao, and Jin Zeng

Floodplain wetlands are important carbon sinks, yet drought-induced water level declines threaten this function by triggering mudflat-to-meadow transitions that alter soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks and stability. Microtopography shapes wetland hydrology and vegetation productivity; however, its interactive effects with vegetation on microbial necromass carbon (MNC)—the main component of stable SOC derived from microbial death—remain unknown. Combining amino sugar biomarkers, amplicon and metagenomic sequencing, we investigated MNC distribution and drivers across vegetation covers (meadow and mudflat) and microtopographic units (dish-shaped depressions, delta slopes, and riparian slopes) up to 30 cm depth in Poyang Lake floodplains. In the top 10 cm, MNC pool shifted from bacterial (BNC) to fungal necromass carbon (FNC) dominance from mudflats to meadows, with FNC/BNC ratio increasing from 0.5 to 1.7. This shift was driven by drainage that stimulated plant growth and C input belowground as well as oxygenation, thereby enriching fungal saprotrophic and symbiotrophic guilds, cellulose-hydrolyzing enzymes, and genes responsible for aerobic lignin-degradation. Conversely, lower meadow pH suppressed bacterial richness and functions critical for carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur cycling. Microtopography further mediated MNC/SOC ratio following vegetation effects. In the top 10 cm, delta meadow soil had higher FNC/SOC than dish-shaped and riparian meadows, driven by recalcitrant dissolved organic matter that enriched saprotrophic fungi. Aerated riparian mudflat had higher BNC/SOC than other mudflats due to efficient nitrogen turnover and reduced CO2 emissions. Below 10 cm, BNC exceeded FNC owing to oxygen limitation for fungi. Delta meadow and riparian mudflat also maintained higher BNC/SOC than other microtopography units, primarily driven by clay-silt mineral protection. Overall, drought-induced meadow expansion restructured topsoil microbial communities, shifting microbial carbon sequestration pathway from bacterial toward fungal dominance. Slope wetlands mitigate climate change more effectively than depressions through greater SOC stability, mediated by depth-dependent drivers of microbial necromass—substrate availability in the top 10 cm and mineral protection below. These findings reveal that the impact of microbial life-and-death processes on long-term carbon sequestration and stability is regulated by the hotspot-specific conditions created by vegetation, microtopography, and soil depth, highlighting the need for hotspot-differentiated wetland management strategies.

How to cite: Zhang, X., Kuzyakov, Y., Zhao, D., and Zeng, J.: Vegetation and microtopography drive microbial necromass carbon sequestration in wetland soils, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-2885, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-2885, 2026.

14:15–14:18
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EGU26-22253
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Origin: SSS4.2
Nicolas Martin, Laurent Caner, Oddur Vilhelmsson, and Claudio Zucca

Soil threats, such as pollution, salinity, soil organic carbon (SOC) loss and compaction, are often difficult to quantify or costly to analyze and bioindicator research represents an important approach for their efficient evaluation. Microbial bioindicators can reflect early biological responses to soil degradation processes, offering a sensitive and cost-efficient complement to conventional soil analyses. The identification of microbial clade–specific indicators can be achieved in detail through metabarcoding technologies, although these methods typically require extensive data processing and advanced bioinformatics expertise.

In contrast, ester-linked fatty acid (ELFA) analysis provides an inexpensive biological method capable of quantifying major microbial groups in soil, including bacteria, fungi, Gram-positive, Gram-negative and Actinobacteria. We hypothesize that ELFA analysis can serve as a complementary and alternative technique for soil threat bioindication.

Using LUCAS 2018 soil survey data, we assessed relationships between soil threat proxies (estimated metal and metalloid concentrations, electrical conductivity, SOCmeasured/SOCexpected ratio and bulk density) and ELFA-derived parameters (both raw and ratio-transformed) through random forest modeling and ANOVA. Significant bioindicators (α < 0.05 and β > 0.8) were confirmed using generalized additive model (GAM) regressions across European biogeoclimatic regions (Alpin, Continental, Pannonian, Mediterranean, Boreal and Atlantic).

Our results demonstrate that Actinobacteria/Gram− ratio, fungi-to-bacteria (F/B) ratio, Gram+ and Gram− groups can serve as potential bioindicators for soils enriched in metals (Zn and Cd) and for SOC loss (SOC_observed/SOC_expected) as significantly highlighted by Random Forest, ANOVA and GAM analyses. Some responses were found to be specific to continental, boreal and Mediterranean biogeoclimates.

These findings support the inclusion of ELFA-based microbial metrics in European soil monitoring schemes such as LUCAS or the Soil Monitoring Law. Future research should integrate ELFA data with molecular bioindicators to refine multi-parameter soil threat assessments.

How to cite: Martin, N., Caner, L., Vilhelmsson, O., and Zucca, C.: Data Mining of ELFA Bioindicators to Assess Soil Threats Across European Biogeoclimatic Regions Using the LUCAS Dataset, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-22253, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-22253, 2026.

14:18–14:21
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EGU26-9411
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Origin: SSS4.4
Volodymyr Illienko, Anna Salnikova, Valeriіa Bondar, Mykola Lazarev, and Alla Klepko

Military operations in Ukraine are causing significant changes to the environment, with soil being one of the most vulnerable components. Explosions, the utilisation of heavy machinery, and the pollution emanating from military facilities are collectively responsible for the deterioration of the soil physical properties. This results in a reduction of soil fertility and an alteration in the soil microbiome composition. Microorganisms play a pivotal role in biogeochemical processes that affect soil quality, its regenerative capacity, and the stability of agroecosystems. The rehabilitation and restoration of ecosystems, including soils, in the aftermath of armed conflict is crucial to ensure food security and strongly depends on the soil conditions. Therefore, comprehensive study to investigate the consequences of military interventions on the microorganisms, as well as physico-chemical characteristics of soils, and their consequent influence on the ecological conditions are necessary.

We collected soil samples from a militarily disturbed area in the vicinity of the village Moshchun in the Kyiv region in May 2025. The site presents a crater left by an aerial bomb explosion in the spring of 2022. The agrochemical parameters were determined according to the standard protocols. For microbiological analysis, soil suspension was plated onto selective nutrient media. The directional coefficients microbiological processes in soil (i.e., mineralisation-immobilisation coefficients, oligotrophy, pedotrophy) were calculated according to SSU 3750-98, and microbial transformation of soil organic matter – according to Mukha V.D.

The agrochemical parameters of the soil sampled in the crater and in the area directly adjacent to it indicates degradation of the soil organic matter and a decrease in nitrogen availability. These changes indicate the areas of significant thermal and mechanical destruction. An increase in mineral nitrogen in the centre of the approximately 6 m deep crater may reflect the exposure of inorganic nitrogen from deeper parent material layers. We also observed a decrease in the contents of mobile phosphorus and potassium, as well as soil organic matter (or humus) content. These findings confirm the negative impact of the explosion on soil fertility indicators.

Samples collected from the crater and adjacent undisturbed areas exhibited pronounced shifts in the abundance of different microbial groups. In the immediate vicinity of the explosion epicentre, the abundance of oligotrophs and pedotrophs increased, whereas populations of ammonifiers, phosphate mobilisers and cellulose decomposers decreased. Directionality coefficients of microbiological processes indicate a general shift toward predominance, of mineralisation processes withn the explosion-affected zones, resulting in the loss of organic carbon and a negative humus balance. The elevated proportion of oligotrophic and pedotrophic microorganisms in the crater centre suggest depletion of readily available nutrients for the microbiota, accompanied by active uptake of mobile nutrients from deeper soil or parent materials.

We acknowledge the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine for the financial support of this research (Projects 0124U001049 and 0124U000960).

How to cite: Illienko, V., Salnikova, A., Bondar, V., Lazarev, M., and Klepko, A.: Soil microbiome state in militarily impacted soils of Ukraine, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-9411, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-9411, 2026.

14:21–14:24
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EGU26-1236
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Origin: SSS4.4
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ECS
Silvia Quintana, Clara Martí, David Badía, and Pilar Santolaria

Subalpine pastures in the Pyrenees are part of a long-standing cultural landscape shaped by centuries of extensive free-range grazing and transhumance. Like other European mountain regions, these grasslands are biodiversity-rich socio-ecological systems whose persistence depends on continuous management. Their ecological and cultural value is increasingly threatened by land abandonment, shrub encroachment, and climate warming, which reduce forage quality, alter soil processes, and compromise ecosystem resilience. Understanding how grazing influences soil functioning is therefore essential for sustainable pastoral management. We tested the hypothesis that, within low-stocking extensive systems, areas with moderately higher grazing exhibit enhanced soil quality relative to lightly used areas through effects on vegetation, nutrient inputs, and biogeochemical functioning, while remaining within low-intensity stocking levels.

We assessed soil quality under two relative grazing uses, Higher grazing use (HG) and Lower grazing use (LG), in extensive free-range systems with very low absolute stocking densities. At the Spanish site, the grazing unit comprises ~8,000 ha used by a free-ranging herd of 30 cattle (~0.04 LU·ha⁻¹). GPS tracking of five collared cows revealed strong contrasts in site use: 3,496 minutes in HG areas versus 298 minutes in LG areas during July–September. Parcels were classified based on vegetation structure and field indicators of bovine activity. At each site (Spain, Andorra, France), two areas (HG, LG) were sampled, each with four replicated subplots. Soil cores were collected at 0–6 cm (bulk density, mesofauna) and 0–20 cm (physical, chemical, biological properties), and aboveground biomass was harvested in 40×40 cm quadrats.

Soil Quality Index (SQI) values were calculated using the Minimum Data Set approach (Andrews et al., 2002), normalized on a 0.1–1 scale. Mesofauna was incorporated through the Ecological–Morphological Index (Menta et al., 2018).

The highest-weighted SQI indicators were electrical conductivity (0.560), total glomalin (0.197), pH (0.197), cation exchange capacity (0.197), water saturation content (0.170), coarse fragments (0.170), Olsen-P (0.073), porosity (0.073), bulk density (0.073), and clay (0.073). SQI showed consistent regional patterns, with higher values in HG areas: Spain 0.780 ± 0.005 vs. 0.727 ± 0.017; France 0.624 ± 0.027 vs. 0.606 ± 0.008; Andorra 0.714 ± 0.034 vs. 0.692 ± 0.024.

Several high-weight indicators showed grazing-related changes. Aggregate stability increased under higher grazing in Andorra but decreased in France and Spain. Total glomalin was identical between HG and LG in Andorra and France, but lower under LG in Spain. Cation exchange capacity and pH were consistently higher in HG. Electrical conductivity remained slightly higher in HG, especially in Spain. Coarse fragments varied by site, but their contribution was moderate relative to conductivity and cation exchange capacity.

Overall, moderately higher grazing helps maintain soil structural stability, supports fungal contributions to soil carbon, preserves cation-exchange capacity and pH, and sustains electrical conductivity within functional ranges. Together, these processes enhance soil quality in extensive free-range systems. Our findings highlight intermediate grazing as a key driver of soil functioning and ecosystem resilience in subalpine Pyrenean pastures, emphasizing the integration of soil indicators, biological communities, and grazing patterns for sustainable management of high-mountain rangelands.

How to cite: Quintana, S., Martí, C., Badía, D., and Santolaria, P.: Soil quality responses to extensive grazing use in subalpine pastures across the Pyrenees., EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-1236, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-1236, 2026.

14:24–14:27
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EGU26-21989
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Origin: SSS4.4
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ECS
Vitalii Pravylov

Introduction

Soybean has a strong impact on soil biological processes by interacting with microorganisms. Using arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and bacterial inoculants improves nutrient uptake and soil biological activity. However, the combined effects of these treatments with chemical seed treatment on soil health indicators in chernozem soils under intensive farming have not been studied enough.

 

Materials and Methods

The research was carried out on typical chernozem after maize for silage and soybeans. All variants of the experiment were created under uniform mineral fertilization (N₆₀P₆₀K₆₀).

The experimental design included the following treatments:

  • Control – mineral fertilization only, without seed treatment, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, or inoculation;
  • Chemical seed treatment – mineral fertilization with seed treatment (Maxim XL, 1.0 l/t);
  • Mycorrhizal treatment – MycoApply (4.0 g/ha) combined with seed treatment (Maxim XL, 1.0 l/t) under mineral fertilization;
  • Combined biological treatment – MycoApply (4.0 g/ha) + HiStick inoculant (400 g/ha) with seed treatment (Maxim XL, 1.0 l/t) under mineral fertilization

The number of microorganisms capable of ammonification, amylolysis, oligotrophy, pedotrophy, phosphate mobilization, and actinomycetes was assessed. The functional indices of soil health were evaluated using the coefficients of mineralization-immobilization, organic matter transformation, oligotrophy, and pedotrophy.

 

Results and Discussion

The control samples showed fairly high soil biological activity, which suggested a substantial presence of ammonifying microorganisms. The presence of numerous oligotrophic and pedotrophic microorganisms suggests the stable organic matter pools were frequently used. The limited quantity of actinomycetes present suggests a reduced rate of humification and carbon stabilization.

The application of Maxim XL led to a broader decrease in microbial populations, especially affecting oligotrophic and pedotrophic microorganisms. Lower values for the coefficient of organic matter changes suggest a dampening of microbial actions involved in breaking down organic residues.

Integrating MycoApply with a chemical seed treatment helped recover some microbial populations and improved functional measures when contrasted with seeds that only received the chemical treatment. More phosphate-mobilizing microorganisms showed up, meaning there was more phosphorus available.

The biological treatment, which included MycoApply with HiStick and Maxim XL, showed the best microbial response, as compared to other treatments. The presence of mycorrhizal fungi and bacterial inoculant lessened some of the negative aspects associated with chemical seed treatment. We found that microbial numbers and activity were greater than with just the chemical treatment by itself. Even though the microbial levels did not quite get back to where they started, this treatment did make the microbial community more resilient and stable when a lot of fertilizer was used.

 

Conclusions

In a common chernozem soil, various seed treatments for soybean farming caused noticeably different reactions in the biological markers for soil health. The application of chemical seed treatments independently led to a reduction in both microbial activity and the processes involved in organic matter transformation. In contrast, applying arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, especially when paired with bacterial inoculation, somewhat lessened these problems and contributed to more even soil microbial activity. The findings indicate that biological methods can sustain soil health and ecosystem functions in soybean-based agroecosystems under conditions of global change.

How to cite: Pravylov, V.: Biological indicators of soil health under soybean cultivation as affected by mycorrhizal application and seed treatment in typical chernozem, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-21989, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-21989, 2026.

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