Soil bulk density is one of the main direct indicators of soil health, and is an important aspect of models for determining agroecosystem services potential. By way of applying multi-regression methods, we have created a distributed prediction of soil bulk density used subsequently for topsoil carbon stock estimation. The soil data used for this study were from the Slovakian partial monitoring system-soil database. In our work, two models of soil bulk density in an equilibrium state, with different combinations of input parameters (soil particle size distribution and soil organic carbon content in %), have been created, and subsequently validated using a data set from 15 principal sampling sites of Slovakian partial monitoring system-soil, that were different from those used to generate the bulk density equations. We have made a comparison of measured bulk density data and data calculated by the pedotransfer equations against soil bulk density calculated according to equations recommended by Joint Research Centre Sustainable Resources for Europe. The differences between measured soil bulk density and the model values vary from −0.144 to 0.135 g cm−3 in the verification data set. Furthermore, all models based on pedotransfer functions give moderately lower values. The soil bulk density model was then applied to generate a first approximation of soil bulk density map for Slovakia using texture information from 17 523 sampling sites, and was subsequently utilised for topsoil organic carbon estimation.

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<p><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPS-ItalicMT; font-size: 9pt; color: #231f20; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal;"><em></em><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; font-size: 9pt; color: #231f20; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal;">Two different approaches to assess and map the potential of regulating agroecosystem<span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; font-size: 9pt; color: #231f20; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal;"> services have been used, the assessment of the potential of regulating agroecosystem services based<span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; font-size: 9pt; color: #231f20; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal;"> on a composite index and the assessment of the potential of individual regulating agroecosystem<span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; font-size: 9pt; color: #231f20; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal;"> services were used in the Krupina study area. The overall composite index indicates a general overview of the performance of an agrosystem in terms of providing ecocosystem services. Result from<span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; font-size: 9pt; color: #231f20; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal;"> our study showed that the composite index accumulates information on soil condition and its ability to perform regulating agroecosystem services, mainly the potential of water regime regulation<span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; font-size: 9pt; color: #231f20; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal;"> and cleaning potential of ecosystem. The modeling and evaluation of individual regulating services<span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; font-size: 9pt; color: #231f20; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal;"> allows more detailed assessment of regulating agroecosystem services and defiing the sources of<span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; font-size: 9pt; color: #231f20; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal;"> variability and spatial differences. Moreover, the methodology developed in this paper is replicable<span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; font-size: 9pt; color: #231f20; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal;"> and can be applied by planners if they are profiient in geographic information systems (GIS).</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;" /><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></span></span></p>

At present time when climate change has negative effect on soil moisture and can decrease significantly the productivity, good agricultural practises have a high importance via their direct influence on soil properties, regimes and biodiversity. Objectives of this study have been focused on the assessment of good agricultural practises in different soil cultivation types: conventional, minimum till, mulch, no-till and organic farming. Method used was based on two case study areas where organic and/or minimal farming systems have been applied. As a control, we chose soil with traditional cultivation. In organic farm, we evaluated earthworms; their amount and status and in farm with different types of cultivation we evaluated the microbial activity to assess the biodiversity conditions. Basic soil properties and soil structure have been set to be able to assess the influence of good agricultural practises on soil environment. Our study shows positive effect of these practises on soil moisture content, biodiversity and soil structure stability. These findings can be used for further studies determining the ways of soil cultivation in harmony with nature-in sustainable way.