Odhad prostorového rozložení obsahu potenciálně rizikových prvků v půdě s využitím přístupů digitálního mapování půd

Samuel Kudjo Ahado

Doctoral thesis

Spatial prediction of potentially toxic element contents in soil using digital soil mapping approaches

Abstract:

Soils are indispensable in the sustainance of the earth’s ecosystems. In spite of the crucial roles of the soils on ecosystem balance, productivity and environmental sustainability, the soil has been exposed to many threats from both natural and anthropogenic origins. Soil is an important component of ecosystem that directly or indirectly links and maintains the Earth’s four spheres (namely the lithosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere). However, this essential potential of soil has, in recent times, been threatened by potentially toxic elements (PTEs). Potentially toxic elements in their excessive concentration have been known to pose some health risks to humans as well as the ecosystem due to their hazards, multiple sources of origin, and non-biodegradable nature (Dai et al., 2018). According to Alloway (2013) PTEs can typically be small in nature with an elevated concentration level that is often recurrent and has a sustained bioavailable duration. These PTEs, due to their bioavailability in nature and long residence period, are found to be injurious to human health and the ecosystem at large. According to Burges et al. (2015), PTEs are pervasive and may be detrimental to the environment and human health due to their degree of noxiousness and tenacity in nature. These PTEs in their enriched concentration levels have several negative effects on plant growth and reproduction as well as on microorganism activity, they disrupt essential biological processes such as nitrogen fixation, adenosine triphosphate development, soil enzyme activity, and eventually deter microbial biomass production (Buss et al., 2016). Furthermore, high PTE concentration levels have been shown to affect litter decomposition due to impaired biological functions (Cotrufo et al., 1995), and metal distribution is influenced by litter turnover, owing to the binding affinity between PTEs and humified substances. PTE accumulation in soils has become a worldwide problem (Yang et al., 2013). This thesis aims at examining the trends, relationships, and concentrations of PTEs in forest and agricultural soils by using various DSM methods, including geostatistical and machine learning algorithms.

Abstract:

Soils are indispensable in the sustainance of the earth’s ecosystems. In spite of the crucial roles of the soils on ecosystem balance, productivity and environmental sustainability, the soil has been exposed to many threats from both natural and anthropogenic origins. Soil is an important component of ecosystem that directly or indirectly links and maintains the Earth’s four spheres (namely the lithosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere). However, this essential potential of soil has, in recent times, been threatened by potentially toxic elements (PTEs). Potentially toxic elements in their excessive concentration have been known to pose some health risks to humans as well as the ecosystem due to their hazards, multiple sources of origin, and non-biodegradable nature (Dai et al., 2018). According to Alloway (2013) PTEs can typically be small in nature with an elevated concentration level that is often recurrent and has a sustained bioavailable duration. These PTEs, due to their bioavailability in nature and long residence period, are found to be injurious to human health and the ecosystem at large. According to Burges et al. (2015), PTEs are pervasive and may be detrimental to the environment and human health due to their degree of noxiousness and tenacity in nature. These PTEs in their enriched concentration levels have several negative effects on plant growth and reproduction as well as on microorganism activity, they disrupt essential biological processes such as nitrogen fixation, adenosine triphosphate development, soil enzyme activity, and eventually deter microbial biomass production (Buss et al., 2016). Furthermore, high PTE concentration levels have been shown to affect litter decomposition due to impaired biological functions (Cotrufo et al., 1995), and metal distribution is influenced by litter turnover, owing to the binding affinity between PTEs and humified substances. PTE accumulation in soils has become a worldwide problem (Yang et al., 2013). This thesis aims at examining the trends, relationships, and concentrations of PTEs in forest and agricultural soils by using various DSM methods, including geostatistical and machine learning algorithms.

Keywords

Potentially toxic elements, Geostatistics, Machine learning algorithms, Spatial predictions

Keywords

Potentially toxic elements, Geostatistics, Machine learning algorithms, Spatial predictions

Language used: Czech

Date on which the thesis was submitted / produced: 31. 3. 2024

Thesis defence

• Supervisor: prof. Dr. Ing. Luboš Borůvka
• Reader: Radim Vácha, externi, Luboš Matějíček, externi, Jan Skála, externi

Czech University of Life Sciences Prague

Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources

Doctoral programme / field:
Agricultural Specialization / Exploitation and Protection of Natural Resources