Ondrej Drabek

Ondrej Drabek
Czech University of Life Sciences Prague | CULS · Department of Soil Science and Soil Protection

Associate Professor

About

145
Publications
47,743
Reads
How we measure 'reads'
A 'read' is counted each time someone views a publication summary (such as the title, abstract, and list of authors), clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the full-text. Learn more
2,961
Citations

Publications

Publications (145)
Article
Full-text available
Local diversity of soil units and properties in a semi-arid tropical climate is controlled by a number of interacting factors, whose contribution to the final form of individual soil characteristics is often difficult to discern. The present study focuses on a detailed assessment of five diverse soil profiles located in the flat foothills of the Ot...
Article
Full-text available
The composition of soil organic matter is considered to have a key influence on C sequestration and global climate change and can be associated with changes in vegetation cover in the terrestrial ecosystem. Our study aimed to evaluate the soil chemical structures and various organic components from available or reactive to more stable forms in fore...
Article
Full-text available
Temporal changes of soil characteristics on Lítov spoil heap, Czech Republic. Soil & Water Res. Abstract: This study aimed to examine the changes in selected soil properties at Lítov spoil heap (Sokolov, Czech Republic) and compare the current situation with the situation described twenty years ago. A total of 110 soil samples were taken at Lítov a...
Poster
Full-text available
The research presented here evaluated the effect of different tree species, and the effect of time on the initial soil formation processes on post-mining sites. Study locations included four reclaimed spoil heaps in the Sokolov brown coal mining basin in the Czech Republic. A comprehensive analysis of the physical and chemical properties of the soi...
Conference Paper
Full-text available
The research presented here evaluated the effect of different tree species, and the effect of time on the initial soil formation processes on post-mining sites. Study locations included four reclaimed spoil heaps in the Sokolov brown coal mining basin in the Czech Republic. A comprehensive analysis of the physical and chemical properties of the soi...
Article
Full-text available
Forestry reclamation practices have been very popular in the second half of the last century, and many spoil heaps have been converted into forests since. In our experiment, three forest reclamations of different ages (~90, ~50, and ~30 years) and three soil vegetation covers (I—maple and cherry, II—maple, and III—alder) from Sokolov, Czech Republi...
Article
Tree rings have been reliably used as an environmental proxy over the past decades for environmental reconstructions, simulations and forecasting. In our study, we investigated whether tree-ring chronologies are impacted by pollution. We chose sites in the Krušné hory and the Krkonoše Mountains in the Czech Republic which have a known history of po...
Poster
Full-text available
The methodology described here presents the procedures for determining physical soil properties of undisturbed soil samples. Besides describing the methods for determining bulk and particle density, moisture content and porosity of the soil in detail, it also offers a way of determining soil’s water holding properties when there is no pressure memb...
Article
Full-text available
Forest reclamations have been very commonly used on post-mining sites in central Europe and offer great opportunities for research of soil formation process. Antonín forest arboretum near Sokolov, Czech Republic, reclaimed and afforested between 1972 and 1974 was the opportunity to compare the influence of only the vegetation variable. In this rese...
Preprint
Full-text available
The growth of shrubs in the Arctic is a key factor affecting environmental and vegetation changes framed by the currently accelerated dynamics of global warming. One of the phenomena involved in the shrubification of the Arctic is root exudation, which plays a part in nutrient acquisition by plants and thus the growth of both individual plants and...
Article
Full-text available
Open-cast coal mining is one of the most often-debated industries in the world. Due to the significant environmental and health issues it causes, many of these sites have been reclaimed over the years, and many scientific publications and research has followed. In this paper, we have tried to assess the trends in recent research performed on reclai...
Article
Full-text available
The objective of this research was to evaluate the influence of the housing system (deep litter [DL] vs. deep litter with swimming pond [DLSP]) on productive performance, carcass traits, body temperature, blood profile, and the element composition of the femur and tibia in Muscovy ducks. At 5 weeks of age, sexed ducklings (264) were divided into 4...
Article
Full-text available
Rice production generates large quantities of residues, whose disposal can pose environmental and health risks when not managed properly. The residue after rice husk combustion for energy production, rice husk ash (RHA), is currently underutilized despite its great potential as a soil conditioner. We aim to test the impact of RHA application on whe...
Article
Full-text available
The accuracy of environmental risk assessment depends upon selecting appropriate matrices to extract the most risk-relevant portion of contaminant(s) from the soil. Here, we applied the chelatants EDTA and tartaric acid to extract a metal-contaminated soil. Pistia stratiotes was applied as an indicator plant to measure accumulation from the metal-l...
Article
Full-text available
Microbial communities were studied in redoximorphic microsites of highly heterogeneous Gleysol at a mm scale using 16S and 18S amplicon sequencing to demonstrate if the composition of soil microbes reflects the differences in ferric and ferrous micro‐sites. In both explored gley horizons with redoximorphic features (Bg2 and Cg), ferric mottles were...
Article
Full-text available
The study aimed to investigate the temporal changes of pH, sorption complex, and structure of soil organic matter through the forest soil profile under beech and spruce forests located in Jizera mountains (Czech Republic) and affected by natural and anthropogenic acidification. Soil samples were collected in four different years (2008, 2013, 2015,...
Article
Full-text available
Minerals, although required in relatively small amounts, play crucial roles in many vital processes of the human body, and their deficiency can cause several serious health issues. Seaweeds and seagrasses, traditionally consumed as vegetables in coastal areas worldwide, are generally known as a rich source of macro- and microminerals in concentrati...
Method
Full-text available
The methodology described here presents the procedures for determining physical soil properties of undisturbed soil samples. Besides describing the methods for determining bulk and particle density, moisture content and porosity of the soil in detail, it also offers a way of determining soil's water holding properties when there is no pressure memb...
Article
Colluvisols represent a significant part of the erosional catena in undulating landscapes, often changed by long-term agricultural management. The present study provides a detailed description of the stratigraphy, properties and development of colluvial profiles in two geologically, climatically and historically different areas of Czechia, situated...
Preprint
Full-text available
The accuracy of environmental risk assessment depends upon selecting appropriate matrices to extract the most risk-relevant portion of contaminant(s) from the soil. Here we applied the chelatants Na-EDTA and tartaric acid to extract a metal-contaminated soil. Pistia stratiotes was applied as an indicator plant to measure accumulation from the metal...
Article
The current study assesses and predicts cadmium (Cd) concentration in agricultural soil using two Cd datasets, namely legacy data (LD) and preferential sampling-legacy data (PS-LD), along with four streams of auxiliary datasets extracted from Sentinel-2 (S2) and Landsat-8 (L8) bands. The study was divided into two contexts: Cd prediction in agricul...
Preprint
Full-text available
Background and Aims The accuracy of environmental risk assessment depends upon the selection of appropriate matrices to extract the most risk-relevant portion of contaminant(s) from the soil. Here we applied the chelatants Na-EDTA and tartaric acid (along with a H2O control) to extract a metal-contaminated soil (Cd, Cu, Pb & Zn). Methods Pistia str...
Article
Full-text available
Although some underutilized tropical fruits and vegetables have been found to be rich in antioxidants and micronutrients, the phytochemical and nutritional properties of most of them are still not fully explored. The objective of the present study was to evaluate 22 neglected fruits/vegetables consumed in Cambodia for their antioxidant activity (DP...
Article
Full-text available
Mining and smelting activities can contaminate soils and affect farming due to high emissions and input of potentially toxic elements (PTE) into the environment. Soils (sampled from two depths) and market vegetables from vegetable gardens located within the vicinity of unconfined slag deposits from decades of mining and smelting activities in Kutná...
Article
Full-text available
Keymessage Populus nigra and Picea abies achieved the largest standing volume at 50 years of age in basalt mountainous sites in Central Europe, but they also present the highest risk in the case of rising temperature and drought extremes. The most climatically resistant tree species were Larix decidua and Alnus glutinosa, which had a lower producti...
Article
In this review, a compilation of the knowledge currently on stable thallium (Tl) isotopes (²⁰⁵Tl and ²⁰³Tl) in specific industrial processes, soils and plants is presented. An overview of the processes that may control Tl concentration and Tl isotope fractionation is complied, while also overviewing the ability of Tl to be used as a ‘fingerprint’ i...
Article
Full-text available
This study monitored the concentration and distribution of the oxides of Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn and As in soils overlained by different lithological materials in southeast Nigeria. A 30 × 30 m spatial resolution of digital elevation model guided the selected eight soil profile pits dug for the study. A total of n = 27 soil samples were collected from the e...
Article
Full-text available
The growing human population requires vast amounts of supplies that are satisfied by a large agricultural expansion leading to alarming deforestation of tropical forests. The agriculture as mostly revealed now is unsustainable as the tropical soils are relatively nutrient poor, the amount of organic matter decreases fast, and the soil invertebrates...
Article
Full-text available
The study aimed to assess laying performance, growth rate and bone quality properties of tibia and femur bones of various genotypes of laying hens, including determining essential element composition at the end of the laying cycle in smallholder conditions. The study included three genotypes of laying hens; Czech golden spotted (CGS), White Leghorn...
Preprint
Full-text available
Forests in lowlands are altered by a man for a long time. The most important disturbances that have been influencing hardwood floodplain forests are foresters and floods. We focused on the influence of the forest structure and soil chemistry on forest pedobiodiversity. The study was done in floodplain forests of Sava and Dunaj rivers in Serbia. Its...
Article
Full-text available
This study aims to compare the chromium (Cr) mobility in two soils with different Cr sources. The first one is an anthropogenically contaminated soil from an area of a piston ring production factory, and the second one is a serpentine soil with a naturally increased Cr level from the National Nature Reserve Mohelno serpentine steppe in the Czech Re...
Article
Full-text available
Forest soils play an important role in the global ecosystem, providing many beneficial services. Protection of forests and their soils from anthropogenic impacts is therefore of utter importance to conservation efforts. Lead (Pb) is one of the most widespread anthropogenic pollutants and has been introduced into forests of the Czech Republic since...
Article
Full-text available
Unhealthy soils in peri-urban and urban areas expose individuals to potentially toxic elements (PTEs), which have a significant influence on the health of children and adults. Hundred and fifteen (n = 115) soil samples were collected from the district of Frydek Mistek at a depth of 0-20 cm and measured for PTEs content using Inductively coupled pla...
Article
Full-text available
Background Human activities considerably contribute to polluting potentially toxic element (PTEs) levels in soils, especially agricultural soils. The consistent introduction of PTEs in the environment and the soil pose health-related risks to humans, flora and fauna. One hundred and fifteen samples were collected in the district of Frydek Mistek (C...
Article
Full-text available
In the time of ongoing climate change and the increasing area of post-mining landscape, the successful afforestation of reclamation sites by suitable adaptive tree species is gaining in importance. One of possible ways may be the use of introduced tree species, which is, however, a controversial topic in relation to risks for forest management and...
Article
Full-text available
Currently, the negative effects of unified and intensive agriculture are of growing concern. To mitigate them, the possibilities of using local but nowadays underused crop for food production should be more thoroughly investigated and promoted. The soybean is the major crop cultivated for vegetable oil production in Zambia, while the oil production...
Article
Full-text available
Vertical profiles of Tl, Pb and Zn concentrations and Tl and Pb isotopic ratios in a contaminated peatland/fen (Wolbrom, Poland) were studied to address questions regarding (i) potential long-term immobility of Tl in a peat profile, and (ii) a possible link in Tl isotopic signatures between a Tl source and a peat sample. Both prerequisites are requ...
Article
Full-text available
Open-cast coal mining presents a big global issue because of the large areas the mines occupy, which get entirely changed. Their ecosystems lose most of their functions, and a huge amount of fertile soil gets utterly destroyed. Reclamation is a process of returning the functions of the soil after the excavation is finished, most commonly achieved b...
Article
Full-text available
Soil contamination by potentially toxic elements (PTEs) is intensifying under increasing industrialization. Thus, the ability to efficiently delineate contaminated sites is crucial. Visible–near infrared (vis–NIR: 350–2500 nm) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF: 0.02–41.08 keV) spectroscopic techniques have attracted tremendous attention for the assessmen...
Article
The application of multivariate geostatistical and statistical methods remain valuable tools for environmental pollution assessment. In particular, stochastic simulation techniques like sequential Gaussian simulation (SGS) and the self-organizing map artificial neural networks (SeOM-ANNs) have facilitated the understanding of the spatial distributi...
Article
Organic matter sequestration is influenced by both biotic and abiotic factors, which determine the rate of decomposition and result into distinguish soil forming processes and different humus types. Previous observations indicated that podzol soils and mor humus form typically develop under spruce forest, while under beech forest the higher mineral...
Article
Rapid, inexpensive, and equally reliable estimates of potentially toxic elements are a necessity; portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) spectrometry is a handy tool to help achieve such. The current study sought to compare multiple linear regression with three regularized regression models [Ridge, Lasso, and ElasticNet (ENET)] for the estimation of to...
Article
Full-text available
The Arctic, one of the most sensitive components of the Earth's climate system, experienced pronounced climatic fluctuations during the Late Holocene. In order to obtain a detailed record of past environmental and climatic variability, sedimentary cores from two interconnected infilled depositional basins in the Kobbefjord area, southwestern Greenl...
Article
Full-text available
The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of clay as an amendment to decrease the mobility and plant availability of potentially toxic elements (PTEs). Kaolinite and vermiculite were added at a 9% application rate to a contaminated garden soil from Kutná Hora. Half of the original soil was acidified by the addition of HNO<sub>3</sub>, to obse...
Article
We studied the key geochemical and mineralogical factors that could affect the fractionation of stable thallium (Tl) isotopes in soil. A set of grassland soil samples enriched in geogenic Tl in combination with selected Tl-containing mineral materials from the Czech Republic (Kluky) were investigated for this purpose. The results demonstrate signif...
Article
Acidification due to acid atmospheric deposition affected strongly soils of many forested areas with long-term consequences. Liming is often used for amelioration, however, detailed assessment of soil and stand conditions is necessary to avoid possible undesirable effects. The aim of this paper is to apply and compare two spatial modelling methods...
Article
Research has shown that the performance of soil–landform models would improve if the effects of spatial autocorrelation were properly accounted for; however, it remains elusive whether the level of improvement would be predictable, based on the degree of spatial autocorrelation in the model variables. We evaluated this problem using 11 soil variabl...
Article
Composition of soil vegetation cover and land management directly influences the cycling of chemical elements and is a key factor for soil biogeochemistry and also Al behaviour. Moreover, Al is an important factor limiting the growth of cultural plants. Our results are based on long-term observations of soils translocated from selected small areas...
Article
Full-text available
To elucidate the dynamics of aluminium (Al), an element potentially toxic and strongly affected by acidification processes, in soils, we selected two regions that were similar in relief, soil types, and vegetation cover but differed markedly in their history of acid precipitation: the Jizerské Mountains (anthropogenically acidified) and the Novohra...
Article
Full-text available
This study examines aluminium as a potentially phytotoxic element in acidic forest soils. Concentrations of Al forms in soils are generally controlled by soil chemical conditions, such as pH, organic matter, base cation contents, etc. Moreover, soil conditions are influenced by the vegetation cover. This study analyzed the distribution of Al forms...
Article
Low molecular mass organic acids (LMMOA) are a part of the carbon cycle, and represent an important component of the active organic carbon in soil. The aim of this study was to determine the content, speciation and behavior of LMMOA in soils under Carpathian beech forest with different herb vegetation (herb poor, herb rich), and to assess the relat...
Article
Full-text available
Chromium (Cr) is a very important element examined for last decades on many expert fields. Its toxicity, mobility and bio-availability are strongly dependent on its oxidation state, Cr(III) and Cr(VI). Hexavalent form Cr(VI) is a known carcinogen with many harmful effects on living organisms, on the other hand trivalent Cr(III) form is an important...
Conference Paper
Full-text available
Thallium (Tl) concentration and isotope data have been recorded for contaminated soils and a set of industrial wastes that were produced within different stages of Zn ore mining and metallurgical processing of Zn-rich materials. Despite large differences in Tl levels of the waste materials (1-500 mg kg-1), generally small changes in e205Tl values h...
Article
Post-disturbance pedogenetic pathways were characterized in three landscapes representing different degrees of weathering and leaching. Tree uprooting has been the main form of disturbance in all three landscapes. We hypothesized that the pedogenetic effect of trees due to uprooting is mainly governed by the regional degree of pedogenesis, which in...
Conference Paper
Full-text available
We report the thallium (Tl) isotope record in moderately contaminated soils, which have been historically affected by emissions from coal-fired power plants. Our findings clearly demonstrate that Tl of anthropogenic (high-temperature) origin with light isotope composition was deposited onto the studied soils, where heavier Tl (ε205Tl ∼-1) naturally...
Article
Full-text available
The study was designed to evaluate the interactions in performance, eggshell quality and tibia traits of two laying hen genotypes, namely a commercial hybrid, Lohmann (LSL), and a traditional breed, the Czech Hen (CH), housed in conventional cages and on litter, and fed two levels of dietary calcium (Ca) (3.5% vs. 3.0%). A significant interaction b...
Article
Full-text available
The interactions of different organic acids such as citric, malic, oxalic, and fulvic with aluminium were studied using ion-exchange chromatography (IC) and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The experiments were carried out at low pH (1.5–3.1). The results of IC experiments on the interaction between Al and oxalate, citrate, and malate...