Aridity and geochemical drivers of soil micronutrient and contaminant availability in European drylands
Publisher DOI
Abstract
Dryland soils provide different societal and environmental services, such as food supply and biodiversity support. In Europe, most of the dryland areas are devoted to agriculture. In the next decades, both European and worldwide drylands are expected to suffer with increased intensity due to the expected climate change-derived rise in aridity. Many studies have focussed on aridity-induced changes in major nutrients in drylands, but little is known of the impact of environmental and biogeochemical factors on micronutrients with critical roles in life, and as inorganic contaminants with ecotoxicological implications. We analysed and explored drivers of total and available concentrations of micronutrients (Co, Cu, Fe, Mo, Mn, Ni and Zn) and contaminants (As, Cd and Pb) in 148 soil samples collected from European drylands covering a wide range of aridity and of other geochemical parameters. The availability of micronutrients increased with their total content, decreased with pH and was enhanced by organic C content. Aridity decreased the availability of Fe, a key element in human diet. Our findings also highlight the scarcity of this micronutrient in European drylands, as well as of some other important micronutrients like Zn and Mo in agricultural soils. Total content was the main driver of the availability of Cd and Pb, and organic matter exerted synergistic effects on contaminant release. Our data show the need for precise management practices to be incentivised by agricultural and environmental policies in order to ensure micronutrient supply and avoid contamination, thus maintaining adequate levels of agricultural productivity and simultaneously preserving dryland ecosystems.
Date Issued
2022
Publication Type
Article
Subject(s)
Subjects
agriculture
•
clay
•
deficiency
•
metals
•
soil organic carbon
•
soil pH
Language(s)
en
Author(s)
Moreno‐Jiménez, Eduardo | |
Orgiazzi, Alberto | |
Jones, Arwyn | |
Aceña‐Heras, Sara | |
Plaza, César |
Additional Credits
Journal
European journal of soil science
Publisher
Wiley
ISSN
1351-0754
Access(Rights)
open.access