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    <title>Science for Environment Policy: Soil</title>
    <link>http://ec.europa.eu/environment/integration/research/newsalert/index_en.htm</link>
    <description>Science for Environment Policy Soil news feed</description>
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      <title>Science for Environment Policy: Soil</title>
      <link>http://ec.europa.eu/environment/integration/research/newsalert/index_en.htm</link>
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      <title>Soil properties are key factor in flood prevention</title>
      <pubDate>Wed, 9 May 2012 12:29:35 +0100</pubDate>
      <link>http://ec.europa.eu/environment/integration/research/newsalert/pdf/32si3.pdf</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Soil conditions play a crucial role in determining water runoff and retention in forested sites, according to new research. Soil characteristics, such as compaction, play a greater role than forest type in determining water dynamics.  ]]></description>
    </item>
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      <title>Blocking drainage ditches aids peatland restoration</title>
      <pubDate>Wed, 9 May 2012 12:28:33 +0100</pubDate>
      <link>http://ec.europa.eu/environment/integration/research/newsalert/pdf/32si3.pdf</link>
      <description><![CDATA[A recent study suggests that blocking ditches originally dug in peatlands to drain water is an effective restoration method, but is influenced by local conditions. Restoration efforts should therefore be monitored over long periods of time at the landscape level to fully evaluate their impacts.]]></description>
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      <title>Arctic methane ‘leak’ could cause abrupt climate warming</title>
      <pubDate>Tue, 17 Apr 2012 15:10:32 +0100</pubDate>
      <link>http://ec.europa.eu/environment/integration/research/newsalert/pdf/31si.pdf</link>
      <description><![CDATA[For thousands of years, vast amounts of methane – a potent greenhouse gas – have been stored in frozen deposits on land and under the ocean in the Arctic. A new study has found that rapidly rising temperatures are accelerating the release of methane by thawing subsea ‘permafrost’, releasing nearly 8 million tonnes into the atmosphere each year and potentially increasing global warming.]]></description>
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      <title>How does drained peatland respond to wildfire?</title>
      <pubDate>Thu, 29 Mar 2012 12:11:19 +0100</pubDate>
      <link>http://ec.europa.eu/environment/integration/research/newsalert/pdf/279na6.pdf</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Wildfires could release up to nine times more stored carbon from drained peatland at high latitudes than from untouched peatland in the same region, according to a recent study. As climate change is expected to both dry out peatland and increase the frequency of wildfires, the results have serious implications for the role of northern peatlands as carbon sinks or sources.]]></description>
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      <title>Antibiotic contamination of soils mapped across Europe</title>
      <pubDate>Thu, 29 Mar 2012 12:10:22 +0100</pubDate>
      <link>http://ec.europa.eu/environment/integration/research/newsalert/pdf/279na4.pdf</link>
      <description><![CDATA[A new study provides an approach for estimating the risk of antibiotic contamination associated with different soils and different antimicrobial products. The researchers estimated and mapped soil contamination risk across Europe and suggest that their methods could be used to inform antibiotic resistance monitoring or policies designed to reduce contamination.]]></description>
    </item>
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      <title>The European Soil Data Centre: a one-stop-shop for soil science</title>
      <pubDate>Thu, 9 Feb 2012 12:40:31 +0100</pubDate>
      <link>http://ec.europa.eu/environment/integration/research/newsalert/pdf/272na5.pdf</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Since the arrival of the European Soil Data Centre in 2006, assessing the state of soils at European level has never been easier, more efficient or more reliable, according to a new report by its designers. The database, which contains state-of-the-art scientific information for a range of key environmental concerns, was accessed 26,000 times in the first 11 months of operation. ]]></description>
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      <title>Some forest soils still to recover from acidification by air pollutants</title>
      <pubDate>Thu, 2 Feb 2012 12:00:20 GMT</pubDate>
      <link>http://ec.europa.eu/environment/integration/research/newsalert/pdf/271na5.pdf</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Sulphur and nitrogen emissions have been significantly reduced across Europe in recent decades, but a recent study from Sweden finds that some forest soils are still struggling to recover from the acidifying effects of the pollutants. Some areas are also at risk of nitrogen leaching from soils into surface waters.]]></description>
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      <title>Soil POP concentrations in decline</title>
      <pubDate>Fri, 13 Jan 2012 13:41:28 GMT</pubDate>
      <link>http://ec.europa.eu/environment/integration/research/newsalert/pdf/268na3.pdf</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Overall concentrations of some persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in soil have declined, according to research conducted in Norway and the UK.  The researchers suggest that there has been a reduced influence of primary sources of some POPs on soils for these two countries in recent years. ]]></description>
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      <title>Thawing permafrost could lead to higher carbon emissions</title>
      <pubDate>Thu, 1 Dec 2011 15:27:51 GMT</pubDate>
      <link>http://ec.europa.eu/environment/integration/research/newsalert/pdf/264na4.pdf</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Permafrost and wetlands in high latitudes could switch from carbon sink to carbon source by the end of the century, according to a recent study. Using a model of terrestrial ecosystems that showed how carbon is stored and released in soils at high latitudes, researchers revealed that climate change could cause these soils to release much more carbon than previously predicted.
]]></description>
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      <title>Titanium dioxide and zinc oxide nanoparticles restrict wheat growth</title>
      <pubDate>Thu, 10 Nov 2011 16:37:19 GMT</pubDate>
      <link>http://ec.europa.eu/environment/integration/research/newsalert/pdf/261na7.pdf</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Nanoparticles (NPs) have unique physical and chemical properties, but their increasing use in technological innovations has raised concerns about possible risks to the environment and human health. A new Chinese study has assessed the effects of NPs on plants and ecosystems. The findings indicated that NPs restrict wheat growth and damage soil ecosystems, which may have implications for the environment, agricultural productivity and human health.]]></description>
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      <title>High atmospheric CO2 levels stimulate GHG emissions from soil</title>
      <pubDate>Thu, 10 Nov 2011 16:36:26 GMT</pubDate>
      <link>http://ec.europa.eu/environment/integration/research/newsalert/pdf/261na3.pdf</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Rising levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) is likely to cause some soils to release large quantities of two potent greenhouse gases (GHGs), nitrous oxide and methane, according to a recent analysis. The results suggest that the contribution of soils and terrestrial ecosystems to slow climate change has been overestimated.]]></description>
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      <title>More research needed into contaminated soil and water treatment</title>
      <pubDate>Thu, 23 Jun 2011 12:29:57 GMT</pubDate>
      <link>http://ec.europa.eu/environment/integration/research/newsalert/pdf/245na3.pdf</link>
      <description><![CDATA[A new review from Romanian researchers has summarised current and emerging methods for cleaning up contaminated land and water. It highlights the need for more consistent testing, reporting and evaluation of different remediation techniques.]]></description>
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      <title>Careful guidance needed for farmers using biochar with pesticides</title>
      <pubDate>Thu, 19 May 2011 12:21:26 +0100</pubDate>
      <link>http://ec.europa.eu/environment/integration/research/newsalert/pdf/240na4.pdf</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Biochar is increasingly mixed into farm soils to improve crop productivity and maintain carbon stocks. However, it can change the way that pesticides applied to the same soil behave, according to a new study. The researchers suggest that farmers may also need to follow new guidelines on pesticide application if they add biochar to their soil.]]></description>
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      <title>Soil quality and crop yield decline under plastic tunnels</title>
      <pubDate>Thu, 14 Apr 2011 12:51:38 +0100</pubDate>
      <link>http://ec.europa.eu/environment/integration/research/newsalert/pdf/237na3.pdf</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Recent research in Italy has suggested that soil quality deteriorates over time when intensively farmed under plastic tunnels. The tunnels are an obstacle to natural rainfall and artificial irrigation increases soil salinity and, as a consequence, agricultural yields can be significantly reduced.]]></description>
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      <title>Calculating carbon budgets for agricultural crops</title>
      <pubDate>Fri, 4 Mar 2011 10:34:11 +0100</pubDate>
      <link>http://ec.europa.eu/environment/integration/research/newsalert/pdf/231na5.pdf</link>
      <description><![CDATA[A new study has combined measurements of carbon dioxide (CO2) fluxes with estimates of other greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from farming operations for 15 European crop sites over several years. It estimated that the sites lost on average 138g of carbon per m2 per year. The total GHG balance (including non-CO2 emissions) was equivalent to an average carbon loss of 203g of carbon per m2 per year. ]]></description>
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      <title>Evidence for negative carbon budgets for European croplands</title>
      <pubDate>Thu, 3 Feb 2011 15:56:04 GMT</pubDate>
      <link>http://ec.europa.eu/environment/integration/research/newsalert/pdf/227na4.pdf</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Scientists have calculated carbon budgets for croplands in Europe, based on field measurements from nine sites across Europe. They found that significant soil carbon losses occurred from cropping even though some farmers used measures to enhance carbon-sequestration. These results may challenge findings from some other modelling studies if they turn out to be typical for all EU croplands.]]></description>
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    <item>
      <title>RSS Feed survey - please tell us your thoughts on our RSS feeds</title>
      <pubDate>Thu, 4 Nov 2010 13:47:55 GMT</pubDate>
      <link>http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/VMHTCLQ</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Do you find the Science for Environment Policy RSS feeds useful? Could they be improved? We would be grateful if you could spare a few moments to provide some feedback on the feeds with our short online survey for subscribers:<a href="http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/VMHTCLQ">http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/VMHTCLQ</a>. Thank you for your time.]]></description>
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      <title>Greater focus needed on carbon sequestration in the world’s soil</title>
      <pubDate>Thu, 7 Oct 2010 11:44:49 +0100</pubDate>
      <link>http://ec.europa.eu/environment/integration/research/newsalert/pdf/212na4.pdf</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The world’s soils have the potential to store about 3000 megatonnes of carbon per year by the end of the 21st century, according to a new study. It suggests that restoring carbon to cropland and peat soils through practices such as afforestation and no-till farming could help solve global problems of food insecurity and climate change.]]></description>
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      <title>Harvesting temperate forests reduces soil carbon</title>
      <pubDate>Wed, 29 Sep 2010 18:17:39 +0100</pubDate>
      <link>http://ec.europa.eu/environment/integration/research/newsalert/pdf/23si6.pdf</link>
      <description><![CDATA[A new analysis of temperate forests has estimated that, on average, tree-felling and the removal of tree biomass reduces carbon levels in the soil by 8 per cent. The reduction is greatest in the forest floor layer where about 30 per cent of carbon is lost.]]></description>
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      <title>Soil degradation: the impact of rainfall on soil condition</title>
      <pubDate>Thu, 9 Sep 2010 11:50:40 +0100</pubDate>
      <link>http://ec.europa.eu/environment/integration/research/newsalert/pdf/208na4.pdf</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The status of soil can be represented by many properties. However, how well they represent soil status depends on the level of rainfall in the area. Researchers in Spain found that in wet regions soil status is strongly linked to biological factors, such as vegetation cover and biodiversity. In drier regions, status has a stronger link to the physical properties of the soil.]]></description>
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      <title>Rhodococcus bacteria can help clean up fuel-contaminated sites</title>
      <pubDate>Thu, 11 Feb 2010 16:18:56 +0100</pubDate>
      <link>http://ec.europa.eu/environment/integration/research/newsalert/pdf/184na2.pdf</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Fuel spillages and leaks from petroleum storage facilities can lead to serious pollution of soils and underground water. In a recent study, two strains of Rhodococcus bacteria were found to be effective at degrading a number of petroleum hydrocarbons and thus helping clean up contaminated sites.]]></description>
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      <title>Crop residues provide valuable protection for soil</title>
      <pubDate>Thu, 14 Jan 2010 14:44:29 GMT</pubDate>
      <link>http://ec.europa.eu/environment/integration/research/newsalert/pdf/180na5.pdf</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Removing wheat and sorghum crop residue after harvest, such as stalks, stubble and leaves, may cause more harm than good according to new research. Results indicate that removing residue can increase nutrient and sediment levels in water runoff, and decrease organic carbon stored in the soil.]]></description>
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      <title>Multi-pollutant approach needed to halt soil degradation</title>
      <pubDate>Tue, 22 Dec 2009 15:16:59 GMT</pubDate>
      <link>http://ec.europa.eu/environment/integration/research/newsalert/pdf/179na6.pdf</link>
      <description><![CDATA[A new study highlights the need for new policies to stop the rise of nitrogen oxide emissions in China. The researchers suggest that the positive impact of policies to reduce sulphur dioxide emissions are not enough in themselves to avoid soil acidification, as they will be outweighed  over the next decade by the impact of nitrogen emissions.]]></description>
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      <title>Northern peat soils: potential as a carbon sink</title>
      <pubDate>Fri, 18 Dec 2009 10:19:11 GMT</pubDate>
      <link>http://ec.europa.eu/environment/integration/research/newsalert/pdf/178na6.pdf</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Upland peat soils provide a substantial carbon sink if managed properly, according to new research. A study of a peatland area in the UK indicated that it could potentially store approximately 160,000 tonnes of CO2 per year.]]></description>
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