Vineyard Management and Its Impacts on Soil Biodiversity, Functions, and Ecosystem Services

Abstract

Healthy soils form the basis of sustainable viticulture, where soil characteristics have a direct impact on wine quantity and quality. Soil not only provides water and nutrients to vines, but is also a living medium containing micro- and macroorganisms that perform many ecological functions and provide ecosystem services. These organisms are involved in many processes, from decomposing organic matter to providing minerals to vine roots. They also control diseases, pests, and weeds, in addition to improving the soil structure in terms of its capacity to retain water and nutrients. Related to decomposition processes, the carbon content of vineyard soils influences fertility, erosion and biogeochemical cycles, with significant implications for the global climate. However, common agricultural practices represent strong threats to biodiversity and associated ecosystem services provided by vineyard soils. As consumers increasingly consider environmental aspects in their purchase decisions, winegrowers have to adapt their vineyard management strategies, raising the demand for sustainable pest- and weed-control methods. This article presents a comprehensive review of the impacts of vineyard practices on the soil ecosystem, biodiversity, and biodiversity-based ecosystem services, and provides future prospects for sustainable viticulture.

Soil properties of vineyards on arkoses as a basis to understand their suitability and optimum performance

“…affect vine growth and nutrient absorption (De Andres De Prado et al, 2007). The literature contains articles which have made attempts to outline the best soil conditions for vine growth (e.g., Cass et al, 2002;Giffard et al, 2022;Gladstones, 1992;Lanyon et al, 2004;Northcote, 1988;White, 2003;White, 2010). Many studies show an interrelation between wine quality and soil physical properties and structure, such as drainage and soil texture.…”

The role of soil temperature in mediterranean vineyards in a climate change context

“…The biological component of the soil is a vital part of agricultural ecosystems, including vineyards, and is composed of a diverse set of macro- and micro-organisms like insects, myriapods, worms, nematodes, bacteria, archaea, fungi, actinomycetes, protozoa, algae ( Pritchard, 2011 ; Sassenrath et al., 2018 ). They compose the soil food web and can be divided into four groups according to their body size and functional roles: micro-organisms and macro-, meso- and micro-fauna ( Giffard et al., 2022 ). Those organisms have important ecological functions and lead crucial processes in the soil that determine soil and plant health, such as OM decomposition, nutrient cycling, soil structure improvement, including soil aeration and increased water and nutrient retention, as well as pest, disease and weed control ( Giffard et al., 2022 ).…”

Composting Waste From the White Wine Industry

“…Mass reduction (g kg -1 ) = (1 − 𝑥 1 /𝑥 2 ) × 1000 [2] Where 𝑥 1 and 𝑥 2 are the initial and final ash content (g kg -1 ), respectively. The first order kinetic model (equation 3) was fitted to OM mineralization determined by the OM lost [38].…”

“…Mediterranean vineyards are threatened by serious risks of soil deterioration due to loss of organic matter, loss of biodiversity, erosion, fertilizer contamination and compaction [1][2][3]. In addition, water availability will decrease due to the impact of climate change that imposes more severe warm and drought conditions on the vineyards [4][5][6].…”

“…Badalikova et al [12], for example, reported that bulk density decreased (2-10%), and consequently porosity and soil moisture content increased, 2 years after the incorporation of 30 t ha -1 compost into the vines in furrows 25-30 cm deep. In addition to enhance the structure of soils and thereby improving water availability, compost application reduces soil-born pathogen and increases nutrient use efficiency [2,15].…”