Published in Scientific Papers. Series "Management, Economic Engineering in Agriculture and rural development", Vol. 19 ISSUE 4
Written by Agatha POPESCU, Elena STOIAN, Valentin ȘERBAN

Two important intelligent tools were used in the present paper: low temperature ashing (LTA) and SEM-EDAX to investigate qualitatively and quantitatively the redox features generated by the soil biodiversity activity as an important provider of ecosystem services. The LTA was applied on uncovered soil thin sections to „ashing‟, in situ, organic components, in order to qualitatively identify the organic components from the mineral ones, as well as their spatial distribution into the dark amorphous redox features. The SEM-EDAX was used to quantitatively identify (in situ in soil thin sections) the constituents of the dark amorphous redoximorphic features, before and after LTA treatment. The soil is a drained Gleysol with mollic epipedon, formed in the alluvial stratified deposits. Oriented uncovered soil thin sections were analyzed and treated following the sequence: micromorphological study  LTA treatment  SEM-EDAX micro-analysis. The results of the micromorphological observation emphasize the presence of many types of redoximorphic features, which appear in plain polarized light as black amorphous redox concentrations. While in the oblique light, the Fe features clearly distinguish by their reddish colour, whereas the Mn and the organic matter showed black colours. During the LTA treatment, the black organic matter was oxidized (with the minimum disturbance of the thin section) revealing the presence of mineral compounds. In contrast to the micromorphological observation and despite of the very spread blackish features (which could suggest high quantities of Mn), the SEM-EDAX micro-analysis had been detected only few percent of Mn. In this respect the combined use of the intelligent tools (LTA and SEM-EDAX) proved to be a valuable technique for in-situ investigation (on thin sections) of the amorphous redox features generated under aquic conditions, by the biodiversity as an ecosystem services provider.

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