Abstract
Soil functions are closely related to soil ecosystem services, defined as the complex of actions sustained by soils to guarantee life on the earth. Briefly, they can be summarized as: biodiversity and habitat, nutrient cycling, water regulation, filtering and buffering, physical stability and support.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Arnoldus-Huyzendveld A (2003) I suoli di Roma. Carta dei suoli del Comune di Roma in scala 1:50.000 con Note Illustrative. Comune di Roma, Dipartimento X U.O. Sviluppo Sostenibile (ed) Roma
Bazzoffi P (ed) (2011) Environmental effectiveness of GAEC cross-compliance standards implemented in Italy. Italian J Agron Special Issue 6(s1), http://www.agronomyjournal.it/index.php/agro
Benedetti (1983) Soil biological fertility and slow-release fertilizers. Ann Ist Sper Nutr Piante vol XII, Rome
Benedetti A, Dell’Abate MT, Mocali S, Pompili L (2006) Indicatori microbiologici e biochimici della qualità del suolo, capitolo quinto. In: Sequi P, Benedetti A, Dell’Abate MT ATLAS, atlante di indicatori della qualità del suolo. Ministero delle Politiche Agricole, alimentari e Forestali/Osservatorio Nazionale Podologico. Delta Grafica di Città di Castello
Benedetti A, Mocali S, ISPRA N. 47 (2008) Indicatori di Biodiversità per la sostenibilità in agricoltura: Linee guida, strumenti e metodi per la valutazione della qualità degli agroecosistemi pp 159–208
Blasi C, Michetti L (2005) Biodiversity and climate. In: Blasi C,Boitani L, La Posta S, Manes F, Marchetti M (eds) Biodiversity in Italy. Contribution to the National Biodiversity Strategy. Palombi Editori, Rome, pp 57–66
Bloem J, Hopkins D, Benedetti A (eds) (2006) Microbial methods assessing soil quality. CABI Publishing, Wallingford
Borrelli L, Colecchia S, Troccoli A, Caradonna S, Papini R, Ventrella D, Dell’Abate MT, Galeffi C, Tomasoni C, Farina R (2011) Effectiveness of the GAEC standard of cross compliance crop rotations in maintaining organic matter levels in soils. Italian J Agron 6(s1):e8/doi: 10.4081/ija.2011.6.s1.e8, http://www.agronomyjournal.it/index.php/agro
Bruinsma M, Kowalchuk GA, van Veen JA (2003) Effect of genetically modified plants on microbial communities and processes in soil. Biol Fertil Soils 37:329–337
Chiti T, Gardin L, Perugini L, Quaratino R, Vaccari FP, Miglietta F, Valentini R (2011) Soil organic carbon stock assessment for the different cropland land uses in Italy. Biol Fertil Soils 48(1):9–17. doi:10.1007/s00374-011-0599-4
Costantini EAC, Lulli L, Napoli R, Sulli L, Wolf U, Chiuchiarelli I, Santucci S, D’Antonio A, Michelutti G, Rasio R, Filippi N, Tarocco P, Vinci A, Cassi F (1999) Database Georeferenziato dei Suoli Europei: Manuale delle Procedure Versione 1.1. Edito dal Comitato Scientifico dell’European Soil Bureau. Versione Italiana a cura dell’Istituto Sperimentale per lo Studio e la Difesa del Suolo, EUR18092IT, p 207
Costantini EAC et al. Pedodiversity, Major soil types, soil classification and soil maps, Chap 6 (this volume)
Dazzi C (1996) Tassonomia del “Forest floor” e caratteristiche di fertilità di suoli forestali sotto Pino d’Aleppo (Pinus halepensis Miller) e Cedro dell’Atlante (Cedrus Atlantica (Endl) Carriére). Bollettino della Società Italiana di Scienza del Suolo 8: 51–61
Dell’Abate MT, Pinzari F, Benedetti A, Petronio BM, Dazzi C (2002a) Soil humic acids formation and characteristics in a xeric Mollisol reforested with two tree species. Dev Soil Sci 28B:393–404
Dell’Abate MT, Pompili L, Benedetti A, Dazzi C (2002b) Microbial activity in a toposequence under Mediterranean climate. Options Méditerranées. Ser A Mediterranean Semin N 50:183–195
Dell’Abate MT, Trinchera A, Benedetti A, Dazzi C (2002c) Humic substances along the profile of two typic haploxerert. Geoderma 107:281–296
Dell’Abate MT, Lo Papa G, Pompili L, Dazzi C, Benedetti A (2004) Attività microbica e qualità del suolo in una sequenza di suoli di pianura dell’ambiente xerico siciliano. Bollettino della Società Italiana di Scienza del Suolo 53:188–193
Dell’Abate MT, Baroccio F, Benedetti A (2006a) Scheda 1, Indicatori chimici—Indicatori biologici. In: ATLAS, Atlante di Indicatori della Qualità del Suolo, (Sequi, Benedetti, Dell’Abate eds) Mipaaf, Osservatorio Nazionale Pedologico
Dell’Abate MT, Bazzoffi P, Ciancaglini A, Francaviglia R, Galeffi C, Napoli C, Neri U, Pennelli B (2011) Effectiveness of the GAEC cross-compliance standard ploughing in good soil moisture conditions in soil structure protection. Italian J Agron 6(s1):e10/doi: 10.4081/ija.2011.s1.e10 , http://www.agronomyjournal.it/index.php/agro
Denef K, Six J (2005) Clay mineralogy determines the importance of biological versus abiotic processes for macroaggregate formation and stabilization. Eur J Soil Sci 56:469–479
European Parliament and Council (2007) Directive 2007/2/EC “Establishing an Infrastructure for Spatial Information in the European Community (INSPIRE)”. http://inspire.jrc.ec.europa.eu
Fantappiè M, L’Abate G, Costantini EAC (2011) The influence of climate change on the soil organic carbon content in Italy from 1961 to 2008. Geomorphology 135:343–352
Fierotti G, Dazzi C, Raimondi S, Bellanca A, Monteleone S, Neri R, Pipitone G (1995) I suoli del complesso boscato di Mustigarufi (CL) e la loro adattabilità all’Eucaliptus camaldulensis. Azienda Foreste Demaniali della Regione Sicilia, Palermo, p 153
IUSS Working Group WRB (2007) World Reference Base for Soil Resources 2006, first update 2007. World Soil Resources Reports No. 103. FAO, Rome
Jeffery S, Gardi C, Jones A, Montanarella L, Marmo L, Miko L, Ritz K, Peres G, Rombke J, van der Putten W (2010) European Atlas of Soil Biodiversity. EUR 24375 EN
Jones CG, Lawton JH, Shachak M (1997) Positive and negative effects of organisms as physical ecosystem engineers. Ecology 78:1946–1957
Lal R (2004) Soil carbon sequestration impacts on global climate change and food security. Science 304:1623–1627
Magdoff F, Weil RR (2004) Soil organic matter in sustainable agriculture (advances in agroecology). CRC Press LCC, Boca Raton, ISBN 0-8493-1294-9, p 524
Marinari S, Dell’Abate MT, Brunetti G, Dazzi C (2010) Differences of stabilized organic carbon fractions and microbiological activity along Mediterranean Vertisols and Alfisols profiles. Geoderma 156:379–388
MATTM—Ministero dell’Ambiente e della Tutela del Territorio e del Mare (2010) http://www.minambiente.it/export/sites/default/archivio/allegati/biodiversita/Strategia_Nazionale_per_la_Biodiversita.pdf
Mocali S, Benedetti A (2010) Exploring research frontiers in microbiology: the challenge of metagenomics in soil microbiology. Res Microbiol 9:497–505
Mocali S, Paffetti D, Emiliani G, Benedetti A, Fani R (2008) Diversity and dynamics of microbial communities isolated from soils treated with fumigant agents. Biol Fertility Soil 44:557–569
Nannipieri P, Ascher J, Ceccherini MT, Landi L, Pietramellara G, Renella G (2003) Microbial diversity and soil functions. Eur J Soil Sci 54:655–670
OCSE (1999) Environmental Indicators for agriculture. Issues and Design, The York Workshop, vol 2 OECD, Paris
Pagliai M, Pellegrini S, Vignozzi N, Rousseva S, Grasselli O (2006) Scheda 1, Indicatori fisici. In: ATLAS, Atlante di Indicatori della Qualità del Suolo, (Sequi, Benedetti, Dell’Abate eds) Mipaaf, Osservatorio Nazionale Pedologico
Pinzari F, Dell’Abate MT, Benedetti A, Dazzi C (2001) Effects of Cedrus Atlantica and Pinus halepensis on the chemistry and fertility of a Mediterranean soil after 40 years. Can J Soil Sci 81:553–560
Rovira P, Vallejo VR (1997) Organic carbon and nitrogen mineralization under Mediterranean climate: the effects of incubation depth. Soil Biol Biochem 29:1509–1520
Schaumann GE, Thiele-Bruhn S (2011) Molecular modeling of soil organic matter: squaring the circle? Geoderma 166:1–14
Schils R, Kuikman P, Liski J, Van Oijen M, Smith P, Webb J, Alm J, Somogyi Z, Van Den Akker J, Billett M, Emmett B, Evans C, Lindner M, Palosuo T, Bellamy P, Alm J, Jandl R, Hiederer R (eds) (2008) Service Contract. Review of Existing Information on the Interrelations between Soil and Climate Change. Alterra, Wageningen, the Netherlands
Six J, Bossuyt H, Degryze S, Denef K (2004) A history of research on the link between (micro)aggregates, soil biota, and soil organic matter dynamics. Soil Tillage Res 79:7–31
Smith OH, Petersen GW, Needdelman BA (2000) Environmental indicators of agroecosystems. Adv Agron 69:75–97
Soika RE, Upchurch DR (1999) Reservation regarding the soil quality concept. Soil Sci Soc Am J 63:1039–1054
Van Elsas JD, Jansson JK, Trevors JT (2006) Modern soil microbiology, 2nd edn. CRC Press, Boca Raton
Ventrella D, Fiore A, Monella AV, Fornaro F (2011) Effectiveness of the GAEC cross-compliance standard management of stubble and crop residues in the maintenance of adequate contents of soil organic carbon. Italian J Agron 6(s1):e7/doi:10.4081/ija.2011.6.s1.e7
Vignozzi N, Pagliai M (2006) Indicatori fisici per la qualità del suolo. In: ATLAS, Atlante di Indicatori della Qualità del Suolo, (Sequi, Benedetti, Dell’Abate eds), Mipaaf, Osservatorio Nazionale Pedologico, pp 23–37
Wardle DA, Giller KE (1996) The quest for a contemporary ecological dimension to soil biology. Soil Biol Biochem 28:1549–1554
Zichichi A (1993) Scienza ed Emergenze Planetarie. Rizzoli, Rome
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2013 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Benedetti, A., Dell’Abate, M.T., Napoli, R. (2013). Soil Functions and Ecological Services. In: Costantini, E., Dazzi, C. (eds) The Soils of Italy. World Soils Book Series. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-5642-7_7
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-5642-7_7
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-007-5641-0
Online ISBN: 978-94-007-5642-7
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceEarth and Environmental Science (R0)