This study is aimed at investigating the feasibility of using the radiometric technique as an alternative to traditional methods for determining soil physico-chemical parameters which are important for terroir characterization. In-situ and ex-situ radiometric analyses of soil from three vineyard blocks of Simonsig Wine Estate in the Stellenbosch district (Western Cape, South Africa) were studied. A mobile MEDUSA gamma-ray detection system comprising a CsI(Na) crystal (length 15 cm, diameter 7 cm) and associated electronics mounted on a portable trolley were used for partial terroir characterisation. Thereafter activity concentrations of 40K, 232Th series and 238U series in soil (top ~30 cm) from the measured MEDUSA spectra (0 – 3 MeV) were extracted by means of the full-spectrum analysis (FSA) method. A lead-shielded HPGe detector was used for analyzing collected soil samples while soil physico-chemical parameters were analysed using standard methods at research and commercial laboratories.

This study is aimed at investigating the feasibility of using the radiometric technique as an alternative to traditional methods for determining soil physico-chemical parameters which are important for terroir characterization. In-situ and ex-situ radiometric analyses of soil from three vineyard blocks of Simonsig Wine Estate in the Stellenbosch district (Western Cape, South Africa) were studied. A mobile MEDUSA gamma-ray detection system comprising a CsI(Na) crystal (length 15 cm, diameter 7 cm) and associated electronics mounted on a portable trolley were used for partial terroir characterisation. Thereafter activity concentrations of 40K, 232Th series and 238U series in soil (top ~30 cm) from the measured MEDUSA spectra (0 – 3 MeV) were extracted by means of the full-spectrum analysis (FSA) method. A lead-shielded HPGe detector was used for analyzing collected soil samples while soil physico-chemical parameters were analysed using standard methods at research and commercial laboratories.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / This study is aimed at investigating the feasibility of using the radiometric technique as an alternative to traditional methods for determining soil physico-chemical parameters which are important for terroir characterization. In-situ and ex-situ radiometric analyses of soil from three vineyard blocks of Simonsig Wine Estate in the Stellenbosch district (Western Cape, South Africa) were studied. A mobile MEDUSA gamma-ray detection system comprising a CsI(Na) crystal (length 15 cm, diameter 7 cm) and associated electronics mounted on a portable trolley were used for partial terroir characterisation. Thereafter activity concentrations of 40K, 232Th series and 238U series in soil (top ~30 cm) from the measured MEDUSA spectra (0 - 3 MeV) were extracted by means of the full-spectrum analysis (FSA) method. A lead-shielded HPGe detector was used for analyzing collected soil samples while soil physico-chemical parameters were analysed using standard methods at research and commercial laboratories. / South Africa

L’occupation du sol en zone forestière de Yangambi dans la Cuvette centrale congolaise (RDC) change rapidement et la fragmentation forestière liée à l’agriculture itinérante sur brûlis est devenue l’un des processus dominant la dynamique paysagère. La présente étude s’est fixée comme objectif de suivre une approche microclimatique en transects pour déterminer la zone de lisière entre les jachères herbeuses et les forêts denses, et ce, afin de mieux comprendre les réponses des propriétés physico-chimiques du sol aux changements d’occupation du sol et à la fragmentation forestière. Deux zones les plus appréciées par les paysans pour leurs exploitations agricoles ont été choisies en fonction des unités pédologiques existantes :la série Yangambi et la série Yakonde. Des échantillons non perturbés du sol de 0-10, 10-20 cm, 20-30 cm et perturbés de 0-20 cm ont été prélevés dans les différentes occupations de sols après la détermination de la zone de lisière. Notre démarche a consisté à comparer les propriétés de sols identiques au plan de leur pédogenèse, sous jachère herbeuse, sous lisière et sous couvert forestier, de façon à quantifier l’effet de lisière sur les propriétés des sols, pour mieux connaître les conséquences édaphiques de la fragmentation des forêts par l’agriculture itinérante sur brûlis. <p>Les résultats obtenus ont montré que la zone de lisière entre les jachères et les forêts denses a une largeur de 70 m pour la série Yangambi et 68 m pour la série Yakonde. Les variations microclimatiques de la lisière en terme de température de l’air, sont intermédiaires (moyenne, minima et maxima) entre celles des jachères herbeuses et des forêts denses. La fragmentation des forêts par l’agriculture itinérante sur brûlis modifie profondément les propriétés physico-chimiques de sols dans les couches superficielles. Un des effets de changements d’occupation du sol et de la fragmentation est la présence d’horizons superficiels à texture sableuse au niveau des jachères herbeuses et des lisières forestières. La densité apparente et la conductivité hydraulique ont subit une importante dégradation sous les jachères herbeuses. A l’inverse, la lisière forestière assure une bonne structure conservatrice du sol (faible densité apparente et bonne conductivité hydraulique). Le sol des forêts denses présente des bonnes propriétés physiques et de ce fait, est pris comme référence à partir duquel les effets de dégradation physique du sol peuvent être appréciés. <p>Le potentiel chimique du sol (pH, phosphore assimilable, le taux de saturation en bases et la CECE) est meilleur au niveau des jachères herbeuses et des lisières forestières par rapport aux forêts denses suite à la pratique du brûlis qui permet de restituer au sol une fraction de la minéralomasse forestière par les cendres. Les teneurs en carbone et azote totaux du sol ont été significativement plus élevées sous les lisières forestières que sous les jachères herbeuses et les forêts denses. Les résultats de l’indice de Kamprath ont montré que, les lisières, en plus de contribuer à l’accroissement de carbone organique du sol, tendent à diminuer la toxicité aluminique de sols étudiés. A l’inverse, l’étude a mis en évidence une toxicité aluminique plus élevée sous la jachère herbeuse de la série Yangambi que sous la lisière. En parallèle, nous avons observé une baisse des teneurs en fer sous toutes les jachères et les lisières forestières. <p>Les pratiques de jachères cultivées et d’agroforesterie s’avèrent incontournables pour enrichir ces sols en matière organique, limiter l’érosion liée au brûlis afin de freiner le lessivage des nutriments, éviter le compactage du sol et assurer le maintien à long terme d’une bonne structure conservatrice du sol.<p><p>In the forest zone of Yangambi, located in the Central Congo Basin (DRC), land use is changing rapidly and forest fragmentation due to slash and burn agriculture has become one of the dominant processes of landscape dynamics. This study's main goal is to apply a microclimatic approach in transects to determine the edge area between the fallow grasslands and dense forests, and, in order to better understand the responses of the soil physico-chemical properties to changes in land use and forest fragmentation. Two most popular areas used by farmers have been selected on the basis of the existing soil units: the Yangambi and Yakonde series. Undisturbed soil samples at depths of 0-10 cm, 10-20 cm, 20-30 cm and the disturbed at 0-20 cm were collected from different the land use types after detecting the edge area. Our approach was to compare the properties of identical soils based on their genesis, under grass fallow, edge and forest cover, so as to quantify the effect of edge on the soil properties, to better understand the edaphic consequences of the forest fragmentation by slash and burn shifting cultivation. <p>The results showed that the edge area between fallow and dense forests has a width of 70 m for the Yangambi series and 68 m for the Yakonde series. Microclimatic variations of the edge in terms of air temperature are intermediate (average, minimum and maximum) between grass fallows and dense forests. The fragmentation of forests by slash and burn shifting cultivation profoundly modifies the physico-chemical properties of soils in the surface layers. One of the effects of changes in land use and fragmentation was the presence of surface layers with more sandy texture in the fallow grassland and forest edges. Bulk density and hydraulic conductivity undergo an important degradation under grass fallows. In contrast, the forest edge ensures a maintenance of the soil structure (low bulk density and good hydraulic conductivity). Dense forest soil has thus good physical properties and therefore is taken as the reference from which the effects of soil physical degradation can be appreciated. <p>The chemical potential of the soil (based on pH, available phosphorus, base saturation and CECE) is better in the grass fallows and forest edges compared to dense forests due to the practice of slash and burn which allows restoration by adding nutrients to the soil through the ashes. The carbon and total nitrogen in the soil were significantly higher under forest edges than in fallow grasslands and dense forests. The results of the-Kamprath index shows the edges, in addition to contributing to an increase in soil organic carbon, tend to decrease the aluminium toxicity of studied soils. By contrast, the study revealed a higher aluminium toxicity under fallow grassland on the Yangambi series that under the edge and the forest. In parallel, we observed a decrease in iron contents in all fallow lands and forest edges. <p>The practices of cultivated fallows and agroforestry are proving unavoidable for enriching these soils in organic material, to reduce erosion related to slash and burn in order to curb the leaching of nutrients, to avoid soil compaction and to maintain a long-term well developed soil structure.<p><p> / Doctorat en Sciences agronomiques et ingénierie biologique / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished