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Topsoil organic matter properties in contrasted hedgerow vegetation types

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Abstract

Background and aims

Hedges, semi-natural landscape components, have the ability to integrate both agronomic and environmental functions and to provide several ecosystem services. The aim of this study was to test whether hedgerow vegetation is a determinant of soil organic matter properties in ancient agricultural lands.

Methods

We complemented cluster analysis and ordination to determine the extent to which two types of hedges that were distinct in character-plant species also differed between each other in concentration and composition of two major constituents of soil organic matter, namely humic substances and dissolved organic matter.

Results

The two types of hedges were associated with significant differences in humic carbon content, hormone-like activity and molecular size of humic substances, which, in general, were more similar to those typical of forest than of agricultural soils. Moreover, we detected between-group differences in several phenolic acids.

Conclusions

Variation of the topsoil biochemical properties of hedges may be explained by variation in their vegetation characteristics, similar to other ecosystems. Spontaneous vegetation in hedges perform an important role in controlling the variability of surface soil properties that influence the evolution of soil organic matter and nutrient availability in agricultural lands.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Giovanni Trentanovi and Andrea Rizzi for assisting with field surveys and we acknowledge the helpful comments of Stéphane Follain and one anonymous referee on earlier drafts of this paper.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department Land, Environment, Agriculture and Forestry, Università degli Studi di Padova, Viale dell’Università 16, 35020, Legnaro, PD, Italy

    Tommaso Sitzia, Matteo Dainese, Paolo Semenzato & Dina Cattaneo

  2. Department Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals and the Environment, Università degli Studi di Padova, Viale dell’Università 16, 35020, Legnaro, PD, Italy

    Diego Pizzeghello, Andrea Ertani, Paolo Carletti & Serenella Nardi

Authors
  1. Tommaso Sitzia
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  2. Diego Pizzeghello
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  3. Matteo Dainese
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  4. Andrea Ertani
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  5. Paolo Carletti
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  6. Paolo Semenzato
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  8. Dina Cattaneo
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Correspondence to Diego Pizzeghello.

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Sitzia, T., Pizzeghello, D., Dainese, M. et al. Topsoil organic matter properties in contrasted hedgerow vegetation types. Plant Soil 383, 337–348 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-014-2177-7

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