TITLE:
Regulating Ecosystem Service (Filtering/ Immobilization of Inorganic Pollutants) Supplied by Soil in Model Regions of Slovakia
AUTHORS:
Jarmila Makovníková, Boris Pálka, Miloš Širáň, Stanislav Kološta
KEYWORDS:
Filtering Ecosystem Service, Inorganic Contaminants, Soil Sorbents
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection,
Vol.9 No.11,
November
19,
2021
ABSTRACT: The immobilization of soil contaminants (as one of
the regulating ecosystem services) plays very important role in environment. This regulatory
service prevents groundwater contamination and the entry of contaminants into
the food chain. The evaluation as well as the spatial distribution of this
regulatory service is important for optimal land management in a specific
region. Mapping system combining input layers—slope topography, soil texture, climate region and
land use (arable land, grassland)—were created for the analysis and the evaluation of
potential of agroecosystem services. Filtering potential was calculated as
accumulative function of soil sorption potential and potential of total content
of inorganic pollutants evaluated according to The Slovak Soil Law. Calculated
potential was categorised into five categories: very low, low,
medium, high and very high. Four model areas were selected for the analysis of
pollutant filtration, as one of the regulatory agroecosystem services, which are located in different climatic areas and
different soil-ecological conditions of Slovakia. The greatest
differences among model regions can be found in relation to climatic
conditions, land use and diversity of soil types. The warm, dry, and lowland
region has a higher potential for pollutant filtration than the moderately warm
or cold region. These results are consistent with the location of the soil, its
properties, processes and functions within the concept of agro-ecosystem
services. Based on the results, we can
state that the high risk of inorganic contaminants is inherent in soils with
low content and quality of organic substances, low pH value and high
concentration of contaminants.