Spanish Journal of Soil Science

Until now, the contribution of soils in urban spaces has been underestimated and, as a result, the services they provide have been severely undervalued in urban planning. This article aims to address this issue through a study of Chapultepec Park in Mexico City. We provide two methodological proposals for the analysis of soil ecosystem services characterized by the interaction of natural and anthropic processes: the morpho-pedological landscapes (MpL), in which we quantify soil carbon sequestration (SOC Mg ha −1 ) and the comparison of two methods for the analysis of hydraulic conductivity: Pedotransfer functions (PTF) and direct measurement with a double ring infiltrometer. Among the 12 MpL, we found the highest SOC content in slopes with mixed tree vegetation and Phaeozem soils. However, SOC retention decreased by 40%–50% due to sealing surfaces. For infiltration measures, despite the diversity of soils and vegetation, direct measurements values are highly homogeneous, while values calculated using PTFs better reflect the morphopedological landscape heterogeneity. In all the MpLs, the hydraulic conductivity was higher than the maximum rainfall intensity report, indicating that the soils in Chapultepec Park, despite the differences in soils and intensity of use, provide the ecosystem service of infiltration. These results would allow the establishment of a baseline for monitoring these services and provide information to decision makers and urban planners seeking to reduce the construction of gray infrastructure that seals soils and reduces their capacity to provide these ecosystem services.

Helena Cotler

Silke Cram

Blanca Prado

Victor Peña

Lilian Lucio

Soil Ecosystem Services in Urban Parks as a Basis for Better Urban Planning: The Case of Mexico City

城市公园土壤生态系统服务作为更好城市规划的基础：以墨西哥城为例

Forming values to contribute to the complete formation of the human being as responsible citizens is an educational task that is indispensable to the construction of sustainability. Consequently, this document states that achieving a construction of values that leads to true development is not possible without a teaching and learning of science that, starting from an intersystemic and therefore complex vision of the world, allows us to build them. Answering the question How can interdisciplinary science teaching contribute to generating in today’s children a genuine interest in the study and knowledge of science in general, and in the conservation of natural resources in particular? Was the objective of the methodological proposal for interdisciplinary science teaching that was previously described in the article “Teaching soil science: a strategy and warranty towards the future” ( Reyes-Sánchez, 2012 ). This second document addresses why, how and for what purpose the formation of values and principles accompanied this methodological proposal for interdisciplinary science teaching as a qualitative pedagogical approach that was applied within two schools with children in 5th and 6th grade of basic education −10 and 11 years of age-: by amalgamating the construction of knowledge with that of values to support the appropriation of both in a playful way, seeking and encouraging in children the congruence between knowledge, thought and action. The differences in children’s opinions regarding life problems that affect the social, political and economic order before and after the pedagogical intervention are presented in a comparative manner.

Laura Bertha Reyes-Sánchez

Values Are Not Taught, Values Are Built

价值观不是教出来的，价值观是塑造出来的

When irrigation is introduced in a region, it adds salts and mobilizes those already present in the soil, changing the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum. These changes may lead to higher salt loads in the drainage water which, in turn, can have an impact on waters further downstream. Knowing the dynamics of these loads at the sub-basin scale is key to accounting for the possible impact that irrigation may have and to determining what improvements could be applied. This study aimed to characterise the different salt types present and to investigate drainage salt loads and their dependence upon irrigation input and their implications in irrigation management in a new, and well-managed, 8000 ha irrigation district located in the Ebro basin, NE Spain. In addition, it is relevant to highlight that the Ebro basin suffered a period of significant drought in 2023. As a result, irrigation restrictions were applied in many irrigation districts. We sought to investigate how these reductions influenced irrigation return flows and salt discharges within a selected irrigation district. The present study was undertaken during the irrigation periods of 2021, 2022, and 2023. We monitored water inputs and outputs in two representative sub-basins belonging to the Algerri-Balaguer irrigation district (Ebro basin, NE Spain). We also analysed water inputs and outputs in order to characterise and establish the salt balances in both of the sub-basins that we studied. Our results showed that during 2023, a reduction in irrigation delivery of 31% led to a reduction in drainage volume of 73%, resulting in a decrease in salt exports through drainage of 70%. These data revealed that the application of irrigation restrictions not only led to an increased availability of downstream water resources, but also to a decrease in drainage volume and salt load, resulting in an improvement in irrigation management by farmers. However, it should also be underlined that this drastic reduction in irrigation was, in turn, responsible for a reduction in yield. Re-utilising drainage waters and/or improving irrigation management at the field scale may help to find this point of balance in areas with high water demands.

Víctor Altés

Miquel Pascual

Josep Maria Villar

Impact of Irrigation Management on Salinity and Volume of Drainage Water in an 8000 ha Irrigation District in the Ebro Basin (NE Spain)

灌溉管理对埃布罗盆地（西班牙东北部）8000公顷灌区排水水盐度和体积的影响

This article provides personal and professional assessments from disciples, colleagues and friends of Jaume Porta Casanellas (Barcelona, 1944; Lleida, 2023), a prominent soil scientist. He began his agricultural engineering studies at the Polytechnic University of Madrid (UPM) where he met Marta López-Acevedo, his wife and outstanding collaborator. At UPM, he started his early work in soil science under the guidance of Professor Carlos Roquero who became his mentor and friend. Jaume Porta was a dedicated, passionate soil scientist who engaged extensively in teaching and research in Soil Science, while also excelling as a manager. He emerged as a leader due to his initiatives in promoting Soil Science in Catalonia and Spain, and for his forward-thinking vision, evident in his decisions as Rector of the University of Lleida, which have significantly contributed to the city’s development. From the beginning, he advocated for detailed (1:25,000) soil mapping of Catalonia to enhance territorial planning and agricultural progress. His primary research focus was on salt-affected soils and soils with gypsum, alongside soil erosion and conservation. Porta devoted a lot of effort to improve soil field descriptions with his Agenda de campo . He played a key role in standardizing soil analytical methods, establishing large series laboratories in Spain, notably the LAF in Sidamon (Lleida), and aligning Spanish soil labs with the international GLOSOLAN network. As president of the SECS, he energized activities and encouraged member participation. His educational publications, mainly his comprehensive textbook Edafología , are considered fundamental in Soil Science across Spanish-speaking countries, as is the Multilingual Dictionary of Soil Science, representing the pinnacle of his efforts to rigorously disseminate soil science concepts and terms in Spanish, Catalan, Galician, and Portuguese. He contributed significantly to international Soil Science courses in Mexico and played a key role in establishing the JADE postgraduate training program. He facilitated the creation and international visibility of the Spanish Journal of Soil Science. Additionally, he advocated for the establishment of the Soil Sciences Documentation Centre (Ce.SECS) to preserve historical publications and the legacy of soil scientists. Jaume Porta’s enduring impact, both professionally and personally, will be felt for years to come.

Abbreviation	Span. J. Soil Sci.
Journal Impact	2.03
Quartiles(Global)	SOIL SCIENCE(Q3)

ISSN	2253-6574
h-index	13

Publication Information	Publisher: Frontiers Media SA，Publishing cycle: ，Journal Type: journal，Open Access Journals: Yes
Basic data	Year of publication: 2011，Proportion of original research papers: 100.00%，Self Citation Rate:10.00%， Gold OA Rate: 83.78%
Journal Fees	$Details
Average review cycle	15 weeks

Spanish Journal of Soil Science

Journal Citation Format

A journal article with 1 author

A journal article with 2 authors

A journal article with 3 authors

A journal article with 5 or more authors

Books Citation Format

Thesis Citation Format

Web sites Citation Format

Patent Citation Format

Staying up late manually editing references? ivySCI automatically matches journals and helps you generate references with a single click.

Share Submission Experience

Soil Ecosystem Services in Urban Parks as a Basis for Better Urban Planning: The Case of Mexico City

Values Are Not Taught, Values Are Built

Impact of Irrigation Management on Salinity and Volume of Drainage Water in an 8000 ha Irrigation District in the Ebro Basin (NE Spain)

A Tribute to Jaume Porta Casanellas and His Influence on Soil Science

Editorial: Fire and Soils in a Changing World

Soil Ecosystem Services in Urban Parks as a Basis for Better Urban Planning: The Case of Mexico City

Impact of Irrigation Management on Salinity and Volume of Drainage Water in an 8000 ha Irrigation District in the Ebro Basin (NE Spain)

Values Are Not Taught, Values Are Built

Editorial: Fire and Soils in a Changing World

A Tribute to Jaume Porta Casanellas and His Influence on Soil Science