Carbon dioxide flush as a soil health indicator in contrasting edaphoclimatic conditions

Developing a reliable soil health indicator (SHI) is essential for accurately assessing soil condition in the context of sustainable agriculture. However, current SHIs are often labor-intensive or insufficiently sensitive to management practices. We evaluated a 3-day aerobic incubation at 40 °C of r...

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Main Authors: Lucila Bassi, Cecilia Crespo, Gisela Vanesa García, Walter Daniel Carciochi, Nahuel Ignacio Reussi Calvo, Pablo Barbieri, Hernán René Sainz Rozas, Nicolás Wyngaard
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-07-01
Series:Ecological Indicators
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X25006624
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author Lucila Bassi
Cecilia Crespo
Gisela Vanesa García
Walter Daniel Carciochi
Nahuel Ignacio Reussi Calvo
Pablo Barbieri
Hernán René Sainz Rozas
Nicolás Wyngaard
author_facet Lucila Bassi
Cecilia Crespo
Gisela Vanesa García
Walter Daniel Carciochi
Nahuel Ignacio Reussi Calvo
Pablo Barbieri
Hernán René Sainz Rozas
Nicolás Wyngaard
author_sort Lucila Bassi
collection DOAJ
description Developing a reliable soil health indicator (SHI) is essential for accurately assessing soil condition in the context of sustainable agriculture. However, current SHIs are often labor-intensive or insufficiently sensitive to management practices. We evaluated a 3-day aerobic incubation at 40 °C of re-wetted soil samples [i.e., carbon dioxide flush (FCO2)] and its stratification ratio (SRFCO2) as potential SHIs. Under a wide range of edaphoclimatic conditions, we assessed: (i) their capacity to discriminate contrasting cropping systems (soybean monoculture, soybean–cover crop, and a complex rotation), and (ii) their association with edaphic variables. All differences and correlations were considered statistically significant at a p-value below 0.05. The FCO2 effectively differentiated soybean monoculture from more diverse cropping systems, particularly in the 0–5  cm soil layer. A stronger association of FCO2 with cropping intensity was observed (R2 = 0.60 at 0–5  cm; R2 = 0.42 at 0–20  cm) than for SRFCO2 (R2 = 0.18). Unlike SRFCO2, FCO2 correlated strongly with most of the evaluated biochemical (r = 0.43–0.80) and biological (r = 0.28–0.57) properties across all sampled layers; with some physical properties such as aggregate stability (r = 0.67–0.78), clay content (r = 0.19 at 0–5  cm), and bulk density (r = –0.37 to –0.33); and with selected chemical properties, including inorganic phosphorus (r = –0.40) and extractable phosphorus (r = –0.46). Overall, FCO2 at 0–5  cm is a sensitive, low-cost indicator that responds to management intensity and is linked to key soil functions. We recommend its use as a robust SHI for monitoring soil degradation and guiding sustainable agricultural practices across contrasting edaphoclimatic conditions.
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spelling doaj-art-b00dd372187744c2ab555db272a68bb42025-08-20T02:07:31ZengElsevierEcological Indicators1470-160X2025-07-0117611373210.1016/j.ecolind.2025.113732Carbon dioxide flush as a soil health indicator in contrasting edaphoclimatic conditionsLucila Bassi0Cecilia Crespo1Gisela Vanesa García2Walter Daniel Carciochi3Nahuel Ignacio Reussi Calvo4Pablo Barbieri5Hernán René Sainz Rozas6Nicolás Wyngaard7Scientific Research Commission of the Province of Buenos Aires, 525 Street 1900, La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina; College of Agricultural Sciences, National University of Mar del Plata, Route 226 km 73.5, Balcarce, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Corresponding authors at: Scientific Research Commission of the Province of Buenos Aires, 525 Street 1900, La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina (L. Bassi).College of Agricultural Sciences, National University of Mar del Plata, Route 226 km 73.5, Balcarce, Buenos Aires, Argentina; National Council of Scientific and Technical Research (CONICET), Godoy Cruz 2290, Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, ArgentinaCollege of Agricultural Sciences, National University of Mar del Plata, Route 226 km 73.5, Balcarce, Buenos Aires, Argentina; National Council of Scientific and Technical Research (CONICET), Godoy Cruz 2290, Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, ArgentinaCollege of Agricultural Sciences, National University of Mar del Plata, Route 226 km 73.5, Balcarce, Buenos Aires, Argentina; National Council of Scientific and Technical Research (CONICET), Godoy Cruz 2290, Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, ArgentinaCollege of Agricultural Sciences, National University of Mar del Plata, Route 226 km 73.5, Balcarce, Buenos Aires, Argentina; National Council of Scientific and Technical Research (CONICET), Godoy Cruz 2290, Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, ArgentinaNational Council of Scientific and Technical Research (CONICET), Godoy Cruz 2290, Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina; National Institute of Agricultural Technology, Route 226 km 73.5, Balcarce, Buenos Aires, ArgentinaCollege of Agricultural Sciences, National University of Mar del Plata, Route 226 km 73.5, Balcarce, Buenos Aires, Argentina; National Council of Scientific and Technical Research (CONICET), Godoy Cruz 2290, Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina; National Institute of Agricultural Technology, Route 226 km 73.5, Balcarce, Buenos Aires, ArgentinaCollege of Agricultural Sciences, National University of Mar del Plata, Route 226 km 73.5, Balcarce, Buenos Aires, Argentina; National Council of Scientific and Technical Research (CONICET), Godoy Cruz 2290, Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Corresponding authors at: Scientific Research Commission of the Province of Buenos Aires, 525 Street 1900, La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina (L. Bassi).Developing a reliable soil health indicator (SHI) is essential for accurately assessing soil condition in the context of sustainable agriculture. However, current SHIs are often labor-intensive or insufficiently sensitive to management practices. We evaluated a 3-day aerobic incubation at 40 °C of re-wetted soil samples [i.e., carbon dioxide flush (FCO2)] and its stratification ratio (SRFCO2) as potential SHIs. Under a wide range of edaphoclimatic conditions, we assessed: (i) their capacity to discriminate contrasting cropping systems (soybean monoculture, soybean–cover crop, and a complex rotation), and (ii) their association with edaphic variables. All differences and correlations were considered statistically significant at a p-value below 0.05. The FCO2 effectively differentiated soybean monoculture from more diverse cropping systems, particularly in the 0–5  cm soil layer. A stronger association of FCO2 with cropping intensity was observed (R2 = 0.60 at 0–5  cm; R2 = 0.42 at 0–20  cm) than for SRFCO2 (R2 = 0.18). Unlike SRFCO2, FCO2 correlated strongly with most of the evaluated biochemical (r = 0.43–0.80) and biological (r = 0.28–0.57) properties across all sampled layers; with some physical properties such as aggregate stability (r = 0.67–0.78), clay content (r = 0.19 at 0–5  cm), and bulk density (r = –0.37 to –0.33); and with selected chemical properties, including inorganic phosphorus (r = –0.40) and extractable phosphorus (r = –0.46). Overall, FCO2 at 0–5  cm is a sensitive, low-cost indicator that responds to management intensity and is linked to key soil functions. We recommend its use as a robust SHI for monitoring soil degradation and guiding sustainable agricultural practices across contrasting edaphoclimatic conditions.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X25006624Soil respirationSoil healthCropping intensity indexStratification
spellingShingle Lucila Bassi
Cecilia Crespo
Gisela Vanesa García
Walter Daniel Carciochi
Nahuel Ignacio Reussi Calvo
Pablo Barbieri
Hernán René Sainz Rozas
Nicolás Wyngaard
Carbon dioxide flush as a soil health indicator in contrasting edaphoclimatic conditions
Ecological Indicators
Soil respiration
Soil health
Cropping intensity index
Stratification
title Carbon dioxide flush as a soil health indicator in contrasting edaphoclimatic conditions
title_full Carbon dioxide flush as a soil health indicator in contrasting edaphoclimatic conditions
title_fullStr Carbon dioxide flush as a soil health indicator in contrasting edaphoclimatic conditions
title_full_unstemmed Carbon dioxide flush as a soil health indicator in contrasting edaphoclimatic conditions
title_short Carbon dioxide flush as a soil health indicator in contrasting edaphoclimatic conditions
title_sort carbon dioxide flush as a soil health indicator in contrasting edaphoclimatic conditions
topic Soil respiration
Soil health
Cropping intensity index
Stratification
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X25006624
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