title: Physico-chemical characteristics of topsoil for contrasted forest, agricultural, urban and industrial land uses in France.
abstract: Soil quality is related to soil characteristics such as fertility and contamination. The aim of this study is to assess the effect of land use on these soil characteristics and to confirm the following anthropisation gradient: (i) forest, (ii) grassland, (iii) cultivated, (iv) orchard and vineyard, (v) urban vegetable garden, and (vi) SUITMA (urban, industrial, traffic, mining and military areas). A database comprising the characteristics of 2451 soils has been constituted. In order to compare the topsoils from six contrasting land uses, a principal components analysis (PCA) was performed on nine geochemical variables (C, N, pH, POlsen, total Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn). The first axis of the PCA is interpreted as a global increase of topsoil metallic elements along the anthropisation gradient. Axis 2 reflects the variability of fertility levels. Human activity increases the pressure on soils along the proposed gradient according to six different distribution patterns. This better knowledge of topsoil quality and its dependence on current land use should therefore help to manage and preserve the soil mantle.
authors.affiliation: Université de Lorraine, Laboratoire Sols et Environnement, UMR 1120, TSA 40602, F-54518 Vandœuvre-lès-Nancy, France; INRA, Laboratoire Sols et Environnement, UMR 1120, TSA 40602, F-54518 Vandœuvre-lès-Nancy, France.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Joimel
authors.affiliation: UMR CEFE 5175, Université de Montpellier, EPHE, Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier, F-34199 Montpellier Cedex, France.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cortet
authors.affiliation: INRA, US 1106 Infosol, F-45075 Orléans Cedex 2, France.
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Jolivet
authors.affiliation: INRA, US 1106 Infosol, F-45075 Orléans Cedex 2, France.
authors.forename: N P A
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Saby
authors.affiliation: Université de Lorraine, Laboratoire Sols et Environnement, UMR 1120, TSA 40602, F-54518 Vandœuvre-lès-Nancy, France; INRA, Laboratoire Sols et Environnement, UMR 1120, TSA 40602, F-54518 Vandœuvre-lès-Nancy, France.
authors.forename: E D
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Chenot
authors.affiliation: Cerema Unité Qualité des Eaux et des Sols, Direction territoriale Ile de France, F-78190 Trappes, France.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Branchu
authors.affiliation: Université Aix-Marseille, UMR 7303, TELEMME, CNRS, Aix-en-Provence, France.
authors.forename: J N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Consalès
authors.affiliation: Université de Lorraine, Laboratoire Sols et Environnement, UMR 1120, TSA 40602, F-54518 Vandœuvre-lès-Nancy, France; INRA, Laboratoire Sols et Environnement, UMR 1120, TSA 40602, F-54518 Vandœuvre-lès-Nancy, France.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lefort
authors.affiliation: Université de Lorraine, Laboratoire Sols et Environnement, UMR 1120, TSA 40602, F-54518 Vandœuvre-lès-Nancy, France; INRA, Laboratoire Sols et Environnement, UMR 1120, TSA 40602, F-54518 Vandœuvre-lès-Nancy, France.
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Morel
authors.affiliation: Université de Lorraine, Laboratoire Sols et Environnement, UMR 1120, TSA 40602, F-54518 Vandœuvre-lès-Nancy, France; INRA, Laboratoire Sols et Environnement, UMR 1120, TSA 40602, F-54518 Vandœuvre-lès-Nancy, France. Electronic address: christophe.schwartz@univ-lorraine.fr.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schwartz
keywords: Contamination; Cultivated soils; Fertility; Garden soils; Grassland soils; Multivariate analysis