• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.283-285
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• 2000

Two field tests were conducted in 1995 to examine the effects of composts and soil amendments on physicochemical properties of soil in relation to Phytophthora root and crown rot of bell pepper. Chitosan, crab shell waste, humate, sewage sludge-yard trimmings, and wood chips were applied to test plots, some of which affected the levels of P, K, Mg, pH, and H. Physicochemical properties were not related with disease incidence, but percent organic matter, estimated nitrogen release, K, and Mg were correlated with total microbial activity. The elements K and Mg were especially responsible for the increased soil microbial activity that could affect development of root and crown rot of pepper.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.11 no.5
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• pp.60-71
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• 2008

Through analyzing the specific physicochemical alterations in depth-based soil at reclaimed dredging area, the baseline data were provided for developing the reclaimed dredging area as natural landscape planting sites and ecological-landscape sites based on the soil improvement technology. There was no physical disturbance for 15 to 20 years in Gwangyang Bay reclaimed dredging area after reclamation. Physicochemical examinations of the soil were performed based on the vertical depth. Results of physicochemical analysis such as pH, electric conductivity, total salt contents, silt, clay contents, available phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, sodium, chlorine, and sodium-adsorption ratio showed increasing patterns with the depth while total organic contents, total nitrogen, and sand showed decreasing patterns. Potassium as an exchangeable cation, showed similar distribution patterns between the shallow and deep soil. This result strongly implied that long-term exposure to natural rainfall in reclaimed dredging area altered soil characteristics related to salinity. This research demonstrated that there were no remarkable differences in physicochemical characteristics at soil depth and groundwater table height, suggesting a baseline data for developing reclaimed dredging area. Additional investigation is required for different reclaimed dredging areas. Also, additional monitoring and examination are need on plant communities and time variable alteration in the soil to test the feasibility of reclaimed dredging areas as natural landscape planting sites and ecological-landscape sites.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.36-43
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• 2012

Various methods are used to remediate soil contaminated with heavy metals or petroleum. In recent years, harsh physical and chemical remediation methods are being used to increase remediation efficiency, however, such processes could affect soil properties and degrade the ecological functions of the soil. Effects of soil washing, thermal desorption, and land farming, which are the most frequently used remediation methods, on the physicochemical properties of remediated soil were investigated in this study. For soils smaller than 2 mm, the soil texture were changed from sandy clay loam to sandy loam because of the decrease in the clay content after soil washing, and from loamy sand to sandy loam because of the decrease in the sand content and increase in silt content during thermal desorption, however, the soil texture remained unchanged after land farming process. The water-holding capacity, organic matter content, and total nitrogen concentration of the tested soil decreased after soil washing. A change in soil color and an increase in the available phosphate concentration were observed after thermal desorption. Exchangeable cations, total nitrogen, and available phosphate concentration were found to decrease after land farming; these components were probably used by microorganisms during as well as after the land farming process because microbial processes remain active even after land farming. A study of these changes can provide information useful for the reuse of remediated soil. However, it is insufficient to assess only soil physicochemical properties from the viewpoint of the reuse of remediated soil. Potential risks and ecological functions of remediated soil should also be considered to realize sustainable soil use.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.749-758
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• 2004

Nitrous oxide ($N_2$O) has been known as an important trace gas due to the greenhouse gas and the major source of stratospheric oxide of nitrogen (NO). Soil is the major source of $N_2$O in nature. The physicochemical characteristics of soils affect the emission of $N_2$O from soil. These physicochemical parameters are soil moisture, soil temperature, and soil N content. Since these parameters are correlated to the flux of $N_2$O from soil individually and compositely, there still remain many unknowns in the mechanism to produce $N_2$O in soil and the roles of such physicochemical parameters which affect the soil $N_2$O emission. Soil $N_2$O fluxes were measured at different levels in water filled pore space (WFPS), soil temperature and soil N contents from the same amounts of soils which were sampled from agriculturally managed upland field in a depth of ～30 cm at Kunsan. The soil $N_2$O flux measurements were conducted in a laboratory with a closed flux chamber system. The optimum soil moisture and soil temperature were observed at 60% of WFPS and ～13$^{\circ}C$. The soil $N_2$O flux increased as soil N contents increases during the whole experimental hours (up to 48 hours). However, average $N_2$O flux decreased after ～30 hours when organic carbon was mixed with nitrogen in the sample soils. It is suggested that organic carbon could be important for the emission of $N_2$O, and that the ratio of N to C needs to be identified in the process of $N_2$O soil emission.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.564-574
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• 2022

Microbial diversity in the soil is responsive to changes in soil composition. However, the impact of soil amendments on the diversity and structure of rare and abundant sub-communities in agricultural systems is poorly understood. We investigated the effects of different Chinese herb residue (CHR) soil amendments and cropping systems on bacterial rare and abundant sub-communities. Our results showed that the bacterial diversity and structure of these sub-communities in soil had a specific distribution under the application of different soil amendments. The CHR soil amendments with high nitrogen and organic matter additives significantly increased the relative abundance and stability of rare taxa, which increased the structural and functional redundancy of soil bacterial communities. Rare and abundant sub-communities also showed different preferences in terms of bacterial community composition, as the former was enriched with Bacteroidetes while the latter had more Alphaproteobacteria and Betaproteobacteria. All applications of soil amendments significantly improved soil quality of newly created farmlands in whole maize cropping system. Rare sub-communitiy genera Niastella and Ohtaekwangia were enriched during the maize cropping process, and Nitrososphaera was enriched under the application of simple amendment group soil. Thus, Chinese medicine residue soil amendments with appropriate additives could affect soil rare and abundant sub-communities and enhance physicochemical properties. These findings suggest that applying soil composite amendments based on CHR in the field could improve soil microbial diversity, microbial redundancy, and soil fertility for sustainable agriculture on the Loess Plateau.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.51-61
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• 2011

Germination tests were conducted to determine the practical concentration levels at which plants can reproduce naturally during the phytoremediation of soils contaminated with a high concentration of petroleum hydrocarbons and heavy metals. The effects of humic acids on plant growth and soil physicochemical properties were also investigated. The results show that phytoremediation can be applied in soils contaminated by multiple contaminants at the former soil contamination potential level of Korean soil quality standards considering successful natural reproduction. It was observed that germination rates of Helianthus annuus and Festuca arundinacea were high after all treatments, and transplantation was more appropriate for Phragmites communis in phytoremediation. Humic acids had a positive effect on the growth of both aboveground and belowground biomass of herbaceous plants. Growth inhibition by multiple contaminants is more severe in the case of aboveground biomass. Germination and growth tests suggest that Helianthus annuus is a suitable phytoremediation plant for soils contaminated with a high concentration of petroleum hydrocarbons and heavy metals. The addition of humic acids also caused changes in the physicochemical properties of contaminated soils. An increase in the carbon and nitrogen content due to the addition of humic acids and a correlation between cation exchange capacity(CEC) and the organic matter content were observed.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.27-32
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• 2017

Cesium (Cs) generated by nuclear accidents is one of the most hazardous radionuclides because of its gamma radiation and long half-life. Especially, when Cs is exposed on the soil environments, Cs is mainly adsorbed on the topsoil and is strongly combined with tiny soil particle including clay minerals. The adsorption of Cs onto soil can vary depending on various physicochemical properties of soil. In this study, the adsorption characteristics between soil and Cs were investigated according to various physicochemical properties of soil including organic matter contents, cation exchange capacity (CEC), soil particle size, and the types of clay minerals. Soil organic matter inhibited the adsorption of Cs onto the soil because organic matter was blocking the soil surface. In addition, it was estimated that the CEC of the soil influenced the adsorption of Cs onto the soil. Moreover, more Cs was adsorbed as the soil particles size decreased. It was estimated that Cs was mostly adsorbed onto the topsoil, this is related to the clay mineral. Therefore, soil organic matter, CEC, soil particle size, and clay minerals are considered the key factors that can influence the adsorption characteristics between soil and Cs.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.54 no.2
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• pp.259-269
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• 2021

The effects of the physicochemical properties of soil such as soil pH, cation exchange capacity, and organic matter content on single extraction of Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn using CaCl2, HOAc, HNO3, and DTPA were statistically investigated for 69 agricultural soils in Korea. Correlation analysis and multiple regression analysis were applied for soil samples which were grouped on the basis of average values of the physicochemical properties of the soil. Diluted HNO3 extracted higher concentrations of Cr, Cu, Ni, and Pb when compared with the other extractants, however, similar amounts of Cd and Zn were extracted by HOAc with HNO3. The results of correlation analysis indicated that DTPA extraction showed a high correlation with other single and pseudo-total extraction methods, and the physicochemical properties of soil influenced the concentrations of heavy metals leached by the single extraction methods. In the case of Zn, high correlations between pseudo-total and the studied single extraction methods were observed. As a result of regression analysis, it was found that the physicochemical properties of the soil could explain up to 74% of variances of the single extraction results. These results indicate that the physicochemical properties of the soil can have a direct influence on the concentrations of heavy metals extracted by the single extraction methods.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.46 no.6
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• pp.645-655
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• 2018

The use of wood waste as substrate for plant growth exemplifies a strategy for turning waste into resources. The overall objective of this research was to evaluate the effects of wood-based growing media on plant cover in a slope area. Moreover, we tried to find out what physicochemical properties affect plant cover on a slope. For treatments, we tested natural soil, soil mixed with wood-based growing medium (1:1, w/w), and wood-based growing medium by itself. Physical and chemical characteristics were evaluated after four months from the date of treatment application to the experimental slope site. Soil coverage with seedlings of Lespedeza cyrtobotrya was measured for plant growth evaluation. Physicochemical properties were altered by mixing the natural soil with wood-based growing medium. Particularly, soil moisture and organic matter contents were significantly changed in soils treated with wood-based growing medium compared to soil alone. We confirmed that plant coverage rate was high when wood-based growing medium was mixed with the natural soil. There was a significant linear relationship between moisture content and CEC (Cation Exchange Capacity) of all growth media tested and plant coverage. This result was expected, as moisture content tends to increase with organic matter content, such as in wood-based growing medium. In conclusion, the high moisture content of the wood-based growing medium was considered effective for plant growth in the experimental slope site, and this wood-based growing medium provides a means to improve the harmony between the slope and the surrounding environment.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.101-107
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• 2022

BACKGROUND: Soil amendment was necessary applied for the sand that had been used to root zone of green ground in golf course because of its low water retention power and cation exchangeable capacity. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of the mixed ratio of peat moss and coconut coir as soil amendment materials on the soil physicochemical properties applied to rootzone based on sand. METHODS AND RESULTS: The soil amendments were blended at 0, 3, 5, 7 and 10% by soil volume. The pH in the peat moss treatment was lower than that of control (0% soil amendment), and pH and electrical conductivity (EC) in the coconut coir were higher. The blending ratio of peat moss was negatively correlated with pH of rootzone soil (p<0.01), and that of coconut coir positively with EC (p<0.01). As compared with control, capillary porosity, the physical factors such as air-filled porosity, total porosity, and hydraulic conductivity of rootzone soil were increased by applying peat moss and coconut coir. For correlation coefficients between percentage of soil amendments and soil physical factors, peat moss and coconut coir were positively correlated with porosity and hydraulic conductivity (p<0.01). CONCLUSION(S): These results indicated that the application of peat moss and coconut coir affected on the change of physicochemical properties of rootzone soil, and improved soil porosity and hydraulic conductivity.