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Soil degradation is one of the most topical environmental threats. A number of processes causing soil degradation, specifically erosion, compaction, salinization, pollution, and loss of both organic matter and soil biodiversity, are also strictly connected to agricultural activity and its intensification. The development and adoption of sustainable agronomic practices able to preserve and enhance the physical, chemical, and biological properties of soils and improve agroecosystem functions is a challenge for both scientists and farmers. The Special Issue entitled “Sustainable Agriculture and Soil Conservation” collects 12 original contributions addressing the state of the art of sustainable agriculture and soil conservation. The papers cover a wide range of topics, including organic agriculture, soil amendment and soil organic carbon (SOC) management, the impact of SOC on soil water repellency, the effects of soil tillage on the quantity of SOC associated with several fractions of soil particles and depth, and SOC prediction, using visible and near-infrared spectra and multivariate modeling. Moreover, the effects of some soil contaminants (e.g., crude oil, tungsten, copper, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) are discussed or reviewed in light of the recent literature. The collection of the manuscripts presented in this Special Issue provides a relevant knowledge contribution for improving our understanding on sustainable agriculture and soil conservation, thus stimulating new views on this main topic.

Tungsten --- corn uptake --- soil characteristics --- Freundlich model --- Biolog® --- community-level physiological profiling (CLPP) --- functional diversity indices --- metabolic bacterial diversity --- olive --- soil fertility --- soil quality --- maize --- stomata --- soil --- phenanthrene --- remediation --- qualitative multi-attribute model --- total energy output --- agro-ecological service crops --- ex-post sustainability --- organic systems --- amendment --- biochar --- brewers’ spent grain --- hop --- image analysis --- plant growth --- Beerkan method --- infiltration --- forest restoration --- soil water repellency --- tillage --- fertilization --- soil depth --- organic carbon --- clay minerals --- diffuse reflectance --- infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy --- bioremediation --- composting --- PAHs --- organic co-substrates --- mulching --- flattening --- irrigation --- photosynthesis --- transpiration --- water stress integral --- fruit growth --- water use efficiency --- productivity --- soil organic matter --- near-infrared spectroscopy --- spatial heterogeneity --- multivariate adaptive regression splines --- partial least squares regression --- anaerobic digestion residues --- soil amendment --- soil fertilization --- soil organic C --- soil porosity --- soil microbial community --- copper --- rhizosphere --- smart agriculture --- microbes --- vineyard --- organic agriculture --- soil organic carbon --- soil management --- soil contamination --- soil remediation --- sustainable fruit growing --- water conservation practices --- multivariate statistical models for SOC prediction

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This Special Issue (SI) aims to investigate the relationships between hydrological and ecological processes and how these interactions can contribute to the optimization of water resources in arid and semi-arid areas. This SI collected 10 original contributions on sustainable land management and the optimization of water resources in fragile environments that are at elevated risk due to climate change. The topics mainly concern transpiration, evapotranspiration, groundwater recharge, deep percolation, and related issues. The collection of manuscripts presented in this SI represents a contribution of knowledge in ecohydrology.

Technology: general issues --- Environmental science, engineering & technology --- sap flow --- water-limited ecosystem --- transpiration --- hysteresis --- nocturnal sap flow --- soil hydraulic conductivity --- aggregate stability --- soil porosity --- soil penetration resistance --- arid sandy land --- infiltration --- precipitation --- deep soil recharge --- freeze–thaw --- gully erosion --- runoff potential --- rainwater harvesting --- ecological restoration --- allophane --- Andisol --- readily soluble silicon --- sequential silicon extraction --- sociology of water use --- well owners --- groundwater --- water supplies --- infrastructure --- water-saving appliances --- diurnal fluctuations --- Phreatophyte --- semiarid --- wetland --- vegetation restoration --- evapotranspiration --- spatial and temporal --- water use efficiency --- Gleam Product --- cover crops --- inter-row management --- evapotranspiration modeling and partition --- FAO56 dual-Kc approach --- soil water balance --- viticulture --- soil structure --- pore volume distribution function --- bulk density --- macroporosity --- air capacity --- plant available water capacity --- relative field capacity --- S-index --- deep infiltration --- runoff --- forest restoration --- compost --- silicon --- soil water retention

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This Special Issue (SI) aims to investigate the relationships between hydrological and ecological processes and how these interactions can contribute to the optimization of water resources in arid and semi-arid areas. This SI collected 10 original contributions on sustainable land management and the optimization of water resources in fragile environments that are at elevated risk due to climate change. The topics mainly concern transpiration, evapotranspiration, groundwater recharge, deep percolation, and related issues. The collection of manuscripts presented in this SI represents a contribution of knowledge in ecohydrology.

sap flow --- water-limited ecosystem --- transpiration --- hysteresis --- nocturnal sap flow --- soil hydraulic conductivity --- aggregate stability --- soil porosity --- soil penetration resistance --- arid sandy land --- infiltration --- precipitation --- deep soil recharge --- freeze–thaw --- gully erosion --- runoff potential --- rainwater harvesting --- ecological restoration --- allophane --- Andisol --- readily soluble silicon --- sequential silicon extraction --- sociology of water use --- well owners --- groundwater --- water supplies --- infrastructure --- water-saving appliances --- diurnal fluctuations --- Phreatophyte --- semiarid --- wetland --- vegetation restoration --- evapotranspiration --- spatial and temporal --- water use efficiency --- Gleam Product --- cover crops --- inter-row management --- evapotranspiration modeling and partition --- FAO56 dual-Kc approach --- soil water balance --- viticulture --- soil structure --- pore volume distribution function --- bulk density --- macroporosity --- air capacity --- plant available water capacity --- relative field capacity --- S-index --- deep infiltration --- runoff --- forest restoration --- compost --- silicon --- soil water retention

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Soil hydrology determines the water–soil–plant interactions in the Earth’s system because porous medium acts as an interface within the atmosphere and lithosphere; regulates main processes such as runoff discharge, aquifer recharge, movement of water, and solutes into the soil; and ultimately the amount of water retained and available for plants growth. Soil hydrology can be strongly affected by land management. Therefore, investigations aimed at assessing the impact of land management changes on soil hydrology are necessary, especially to optimize water resources. This Special Issue collects 12 original contributions addressing the state-of-the-art advances in soil hydrology for sustainable land management. These contributions cover a wide range of topics including (i) the effects of land use change, (ii) water use efficiency, (iii) erosion risk, (iv) solute transport, and (v) new methods and devices for improved characterization of soil physical and hydraulic properties. They include both field and laboratory experiments as well as modelling studies. Different spatial scales, i.e., from field to regional scales, and a wide range of geographic regions are also covered. The collection of these manuscripts presented in this Special Issue provides a relevant knowledge contribution for effective saving water resources and sustainable land management.

Research & information: general