Relationships between soil respiration and soil moisture

The interaction of soil microbes with their physical environment affects their abilities to respire, grow and divide. One of these environmental factors is the amount of moisture in the soil. The work we published almost 25 years ago showed that microbial respiration was linearly related to soil-water content and log-linearly related to water potential. The paper arose out of collaboration between two young researchers from different areas of soil science, physics and microbiology. The project was driven by not only our curiosity but also the freedom to operate without the constraints common to the current system of science management. The citation history shows three peaks, 1989, 1999 and from 2002 to the present day. Interestingly, the annual citation rate is as high as it has ever been. The initial peak is due to the application of the work to studies on microbial processes. The second peak is associated with the rise of simulation modelling and the third with the relevance of the findings to climate change research. In this article, our paper is re-evaluated in the light of subsequent studies that allow the principle of separation of variables to be tested. This re-evaluation lends further credence to the linear relationship proposed between soil respiration and water content. A scaled relationship for respiration and water content is presented. Lastly, further research is suggested and more recent work on the physics of gas transport discussed briefly.     

Why soil erosion models over-predict small soil losses and under-predict large soil losses

Evaluation of various soil erosion models with large data sets have consistently shown that these models tend to over-predict soil erosion for small measured values, and under-predict soil erosion for larger measured values. This trend appears to be consistent regardless of whether the soil erosion value of interest is for individual storms, annual totals, or average annual soil losses, and regardless of whether the model is empirical or physically based. The hypothesis presented herein is that this phenomenon is not necessarily associated with bias in model predictions as a function of treatment, but rather with limitations in representing the random component of the measured data within treatments (i.e., between replicates) with a deterministic model. A simple example is presented, showing how even a `perfect' deterministic soil erosion model exhibits bias relative to small and large measured erosion rates. The concept is further tested and verified on a set of 3007 measured soil erosion data pairs from storms on natural rainfall and run-off plots using the best possible, unbiased, real-world model, i.e., the physical model represented by replicated plots. The results of this study indicate that the commonly observed bias, in erosion prediction models relative to over-prediction of small and under-prediction of large measured erosion rates on individual data points, is normal and expected if the model is accurately predicting erosion rates as a function of environmental conditions, i.e., treatments.     

土壤含水率与土壤碱度对土壤抗剪强度的影响

土壤含水率和土壤碱度是表征土壤物理化学性质的两个重要参数。通过室内三轴不固结不排水试验，研究了土壤含水率和土壤碱度对土壤抗剪强度的影响。试验处理采用5种土壤碱度(土壤可交换钠百分比ESP=0、5、10、20、40)和4种土壤质量含水率(0.05、0.10、0.20以及饱和含水率0.34)水平。试验结果显示，土壤黏聚力随着土壤含水率的增加基本上呈先增大后减小之趋势；当土壤含水率在0.10附近时黏聚力达到其最大值。土壤内摩擦角随着土壤含水率的增加而线性减小。土壤碱度对土壤黏聚力的影响机理较为复杂，其影响效果随土壤含水率的增加而减小；但土壤碱度对土壤内摩擦角的影响较小。土壤碱度对土壤抗剪强度的影响程度明显地小于土壤含水率对其的影响程度。     

自然侵蚀量和容许土壤流失量与水土流失治理标准

在总结分析国内有关自然侵蚀量、容许土壤流失量研究成果的基础上,探讨自然侵蚀量与容许土壤流失量的关系,讨论制订水土流失治理标准的思路。认为水土流失治理标准的确定有3个参考值：1）标准值,即一定条件下的容许土壤流失量,是水土流失治理至少要达到的目标,且随着对不同土地利用类型的功能需求与可实施的最佳水土保持措施、以及所在水土流失类型区的侵蚀危害与治理约束条件的不同而不同;2）理想值,即正常自然侵蚀状态下的土壤流失量;3）极端值,即土壤流失量为0,不发生水土流失。水土流失治理应是先控制到现时生态环境与社会经济条件下的容许土壤流失量范围内,逐步达到自然正常侵蚀量或制止水土流失的发生;还应引入环境伦理、环境美学及景观设计等理念,最终实现土地的可持续利用、区域生态系统的健康稳定及人与自然的和谐友好发展。     

Relationship between soil respiration and soil moisture

Microbial activity is affected by changes in the availability of soil moisture. We examined the relationship between microbial activity and water potential in a silt loam soil during four successive drying and rewetting cycles. Microbial activity was inferred from the rate of CO₂ accumulating in a sealed flask containing the soil sample and the CO₂ respired was measured using gas chromatography. Thermocouple hygrometry was used to monitor the water potential by burying a thermocouple in the soil sample in the flask. Initial treatment by drying on pressure plates brought samples of the test soil to six different water potentials in the range -0.005 to -1.5MPa. Water potential and soil respiration were simultaneously measured while these six soil samples slowly dried by evaporation and were remoistened four times. The results were consistent with a log-linear relationship between water potential and microbial activity as long as activity was not limited by substrate availability. This relationship appeared to hold for the range of water potentials from ?0.01 to ?8.5 MPa. Even at ?0.01 MPa (wet soil) a decrease in water potential from ?0.01 to ?0.02 MPa caused a 10% decrease in microbial activity. Rewetting the soil caused a large and rapid increase in the respiration rate. There was up to a 40-fold increase in microbial activity for a short period when the change in water potential following rewetting was greater than 5 MPa. Differences in microbial activity between the wetter and drier soil treatments following rewetting to the original water potentials are discussed in terms of the availability of energy substrate.     

节水灌溉对盐渍土盐分调控与土壤微生物区系的影响

河套灌区是我国大型自流灌区之一,盐渍化是该区土壤主要障碍因素之一。目前,河套灌区葵花田生育期灌溉量约为1 100～1 200 m3hm-2,灌溉用水量偏大和地下水位偏高已成为制约当地灌溉农业可持续发展的主要障碍:一方面,水资源浪费严重;另一方     

Tillage effects on soil degradation, soil resilience, soil quality, and sustainability

Soil degradation, decrease in soil's actual and potential productivity owing to land misuse, is a major threat to agricultural sustainability and environmental quality. The problem is particularly severe in the tropics and sub-tropics as a result of high demographic pressure, shortage of prime agricultural land, harsh environments, and resource poor farmers who presumably cannot afford science based recommended inputs. Tillage methods and soil surface management affect sustainable use of soil resources through their influence on soil stability, soil resilience, and soil quality. Soil stability refers to the susceptibility of soil to change under natural or anthropogenic perturbations. In comparison, soil resilience refers to soil's ability to restore its life support processes after being stressed. The term soil quality refers to the soil's capacity to perform its three principal functions e.g. economic productivity, environment regulation, and aesthetic and cultural values. There is a need to develop precise objective and quantitative indices of assessing these attributes of the soil. These indices can only be developed from the data obtained from well designed and properly implemented long-term soil management experiments conducted on major soils in principal ecoregions.     

Ecological standardization of soil and soil quality control

Theoretical bases are offered for the ecological soil standardization presuming the scientific substantiating of the allowable ecological state (quality) of the soil and the allowable anthropogenic impact on it. The modern experience of these bases’ application in regulatory-methodological, nature-control, and managerial practices is presented. The criteria are found for determining the levels of the allowable ecological quality of soil and the anthropogenic impact on it. The sources of the anthropogenic impact on the soil are characterized. A unified system of indices of soil quality and anthropogenic impacts and a mechanism for determining the range of the allowable values of these parameters have been developed taking into account the natural conditions and types of land use. Scientific-methodological approaches are proposed that support a certain balance between the allowable ecological status of the soil and the effects on it in connection with the mechanisms of the soil quality control in particular land plots.     

黑土区土壤侵蚀厚度对土地生产力的影响及其评价

为了研究黑土区土壤侵蚀厚度对土地生产力的影响,采用盆栽试验,人为剥离黑土表层0、5、10、15、20、25和30 cm土壤以模拟侵蚀厚度不同的耕层土壤,分析土壤侵蚀厚度对土壤理化性质、大豆生物性状和水分利用效率等指标的影响。并对TOPSIS(technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution)模型进行改进,用于评价侵蚀厚度不同的土壤的土地生产力。结果表明:土壤全N、碱解N、全P、速效P、有机质含量和土壤田间持水率均随侵蚀厚度的增加而递减,土壤容重随侵蚀厚度的增加而递增。土壤侵蚀厚度对大豆生长有显著影响,随着侵蚀厚度的增加,大豆减产率呈"S型"曲线递增,产量、耗水量呈"Z型"曲线递减,水分利用效率呈指数曲线关系递减。改进的TOPSIS模型对不同侵蚀厚度下土地生产力的评价结果较为理想,计算的土地生产力指数随土壤侵蚀厚度的变化呈"Z型"曲线,与大豆产量的变化趋势相同,且二者呈指数函数关系,决定系数达0.996,均方根误差为0.65。研究结果可为黑土区土壤侵蚀防治提供理论依据。     

洁霉素在黏土和有机质土中的吸附特性研究

抗生素一般是指由细菌、霉菌或其他微生物在繁殖过程中产生的,能够杀灭或抑制其他微生物的一类物质及其衍生物。目前,抗生素被广泛应用于人们的日常生活与水产及畜牧等产业。美国每年应用于水产养殖的抗生素达9.25×104～19.6×104 kg[1],应用于动物养殖中的抗生素每年约8.5×106～11.2×106 kg[2]。     

Modelling soil anaerobiosis from water retention characteristics and soil respiration

Oxygen is a prerequisite for some and an inhibitor to other microbial functions in soils, hence the temporal and spatial distribution of oxygen within the soil matrix is crucial in soil biogeochemistry and soil biology. Various attempts have been made to model the anaerobic fraction of the soil volume as a function of structure, moisture content and oxygen consumption. Aggregate models are attractive but difficult to parameterize and not applicable to non-aggregated soils. Pore models are preferable for pragmatic reasons, but the existing versions appear to overestimate the anaerobic volume at intermediate soil moisture contents. A modified pore model is proposed, in which anaerobiosis is calculated from a range of air filled pore size classes, based on the soil water retention curve and the soil moisture content. In comparison with previous pore models which are based on the estimation of an average size of the air filled pores, the pore class model presented here appears to give more adequate estimates of anaerobic volumes, especially at intermediate moisture contents. The pore model is attractive for process modelling of anaerobic functions such as denitrification, since it can easily be parameterized by the water retention characteristics of a soil.     

熏蒸处理对土壤微生物及硝化作用的影响

在田间条件下用溴甲烷(68.1g/m2)、威百亩(7.5mL/m2)进行土壤熏蒸,调查两种药剂对土壤微生物及硝化作用的影响。结果表明:两种熏蒸剂对土壤放线菌无抑制作用,对细菌总量影响较小,但亚硝酸细菌受到强烈抑制,土壤的硝化作用受到明显影响;同时,土壤中真菌的数量及种类变化显著。熏蒸后9周,处理区土壤中的微生物基本恢复正常。     

Sorption of primisulfuron on soil, and inorganic and organic soil colloids

Inorganic and organic soil colloids are responsible for the sorption of many pesticides. We studied the sorption of the herbicide primisulfuron [methyl 2 N‐[[[[[4,6‐bis(difluoromethoxy)‐2‐pyrimidinyl]amino]carbonyl]amino]sulfonyl]benzoate] on Fe³⁺‐, Al³⁺‐, Ca²⁺‐ and Na⁺‐exchanged montmorillonite, soil organic matter (H⁺‐ and Ca²⁺‐saturated), amorphous iron oxide, and three soils in aqueous media. The sorption on soils was negatively correlated with pH. Ca²⁺‐ and Na⁺‐exchanged montmorillonites are ineffective in the sorption of primisulfuron. The sorption on Fe³⁺‐ and Al³⁺‐exchanged montmorillonite is rapid and follows the Freundlich equation. Fourier transform infrared (FT‐IR) and X‐ray powder diffraction studies of the Fe³⁺‐ and Al³⁺‐montmorillonite samples after the interaction with primisulfuron in chloroform solution suggest that primisulfuron is adsorbed and degraded in the interlayer. Humic acid is more effective in the sorption than is Ca humate, suggesting that the pH of the suspension (3.5 for humic acid and 6.0 for Ca humate) has a strong influence on the sorption of primisulfuron. Experiments on amorphous iron oxide indicate similar pH dependence. Infrared spectra indicate that the protonation of the pyrimidine nitrogen moiety of herbicide and subsequent hydrogen bonding with the surface hydroxyls of Fe oxide is the mechanism acting in the primisulfuron sorption.     

Measuring soil disturbance effects and assessing soil restoration success by examining distributions of soil properties

Successful restoration of an ecosystem following disturbance is typically assessed according to similarity between the restored site and a relatively undisturbed reference area. While most comparisons use the average or mean parameter to represent measured properties, other aspects of the distribution, including the variance of the properties may assist in a more robust assessment of site recovery. Our purpose was to compare soil properties in different ages of reclaimed soils with those in reference areas by incorporating the potentially different distributions according to areas. On two sampling dates, in consecutive years, we examined soil properties on a chronosequence of reclaimed natural gas pipelines spanning recovery ages of <1–54 years, obtaining data on soil moisture, organic carbon, nitrogen, electrical conductivity, pH, and microbial abundance. To make the comparisons, we analyzed our data with a Bayesian hierarchical linear mixed model and obtained posterior predictive distributions for the soil properties. This allowed us to probabilistically quantify the extent to which a soil property from a reclaimed treatment was similar to that from an undisturbed reference. We found that the posterior predictive variance of most soil properties was particularly sensitive to disturbance and reclamation, especially, within the first few years of recovery. Response of this variance to disturbance, reclamation, and recovery was not necessarily accompanied by a shift in the posterior predictive mean value of the property. Patterns for all soil properties changed over time, with posterior predictive distributions of soil properties generally becoming more similar to those of the undisturbed reference sites as recovery time increased. We suspect these trends in altered variability coincide with the degree of spatial heterogeneity in soil properties that results following disturbance and reclamation, which is also coupled to patterns of vegetation recovery.     

Effect of tillage treatments upon soil tests for soil acidity,soil phosphorus and soil potassium at three soil depths

Abstract

Soil samples were obtained at 0–3, 3–6, 6–9 and 0–9 inch depths from experimental plots receiving five tillage treatments. Each of two samplers composited approximately six one‐inch cores from each plot. Soil samples were analyzed for acidity, P and K using routine analysis procedures in the University of Illinois Soil Testing Laboratory.

Few significant differences were attributed to sampler and it was concluded that samplers using similar sampling techniques were obtaining soil samples from the same population.

No significant differences in soil acidity at different depths were observed. The different tillage methods did significantly affect soil P at the 0–3 inch depth, but had no significant effect on soil P at deeper depths. Different tillage methods also significantly affected soil K values at different depths.     

Early soil knowledge and the birth and development of soil science

Soils knowledge dates to the earliest known practice of agriculture about 11,000 BP. Civilizations all around the world showed various levels of soil knowledge by the 4th century AD, including irrigation, the use of terraces to control erosion, various ways of improving soil fertility, and ways to create productive artificial soils. Early soils knowledge was largely based on observations of nature; experiments to test theories were not conducted. Many famous scientists, for example, Francis Bacon, Robert Boyle, Charles Darwin, and Leonardo da Vinci worked on soils issues. Soil science did not become a true science, however, until the 19th century with the development of genetic soil science, led by Vasilii V. Dokuchaev. In the 20th century, soil science moved beyond its agricultural roots and soil information is now used in residential development, the planning of highways, building foundations, septic systems, wildlife management, environmental management, and many other applications in addition to agriculture.     

The phosphorus composition of soil solutions and soil leachates: Influence of soil:solution ratio

Compositional differences between soil solutions obtained by different methods have frequently been reported; variations in the soi1: solution ratio may explain these results. In this study we compared the amount and composition of phosphorus (P) in soil leachates and soil solutions from a temperate grassland soil in northeast Scotland and determined the influence of soi1:solution ratio on P fractions in soil water extracts. Leachates were collected from intact soil cores over 6 months, the cores were then destructively sampled, and soil solutions obtained by centrifuging. Molybdate reactive P (MRP) represented 71% of the total dissolved P (TDP) in soil leachates but only 54% in soil solutions. The MRP component in soil water extracts increased from 71% to 92% as the soi1:solution ratio increased from 1:15 to 1:15·4, while the dissolved organic P (DOP) component decreased from 26% to 6%. As the soil:solution ratio increased the amount of MRP extracted increased; by contrast the amount of DOP and dissolved condensed P (DCP) extracted remained constant. While the MRP component is regulated by soil sorption processes, the supply and amount of DOP and DCP is probably related to biological activity. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) extracted at wide soi1:solution ratios contained a smaller proportion of P than that extracted at narrower ratios. The results indicate differences in the behaviour of P fractions in the soil at various soi1:solution ratios and that these are reflected in the P composition of soil solution and leachate.     

红壤调理剂的改土培肥及作物增产研究

在南方红壤地区,土壤酸化加剧、养分贫瘠化严重,研发红壤改良的技术和物化产品,对作物均衡增产和红壤可持续利用有重要意义。红壤旱地连续3年定位种植油菜-花生,花生品种为赣花5号,油菜品种为丰油730。调理剂为自行研制的专利产品,已经实现了产业化。研究了红壤调理剂对土壤微结构、物理性状、养分和pH值的影响,并对花生、油菜的产量进行了分析。结果表明:1)施用调理剂后,从微观结构来看,红壤的致密性降低、孔隙度增加,土壤颗粒直径4μm;2)施用调理剂的土壤容重显著降低,孔隙度增加到59%以上,大颗粒水稳性团聚体(0.25 mm)含量增加幅度为1.6%~14.0%,分形维数显著降低,并且与0.25mm粒径的团粒结构含量间呈极显著线性相关;3)施用调理剂的土壤电导率、有机碳、矿质态氮、有效磷、速效钾含量均提高,提高幅度在4.3%~143.7%之间;4)施用调理剂还降低了红壤的酸性,pH值从对照处理的5.28提高到5.82,差异显著;5)施用调理剂,花生和油菜增产幅度分别在13.1%~24.8%、10.3%~21.6%之间;6)应用笔者研制的红壤调理剂,可有效改善红壤旱地的理化性质,提高油菜和花生产量,其用量在2 250~3 000 kg/hm~2时较佳。     

Predicting soil solution chemical attributes from more easily measured soil and soil solution parameters

Abstract

An understanding of how soil solution ionic strength (I_s) and major cation activities influence crop growth is often limited by the extensive measurements required to characterize ionic composition and subsequent speciation exercises. Easily measured solution and soil attributes need to be identified that can predict these important solution parameters. Soil and soil solution chemical properties of four Ultisols in the Coastal Plain and Piedmont of North Carolina were used to develop models to predict ionic strength and solution cation attributes. GEOCHEM‐PC‐predicted I_s was linearly related to electrical conductivity (EC) across soils (r²=0.92), confirming that I_s for soil solutions with complex composition can be estimated from their electrical conductivity. Models of the form lnM_s=a+blnEC+clnM_E, or modifications thereof, were developed for predicting solution aluminum (Al), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and postassium (K) levels (M_s) from a knowledge of EC and either soil exchangeable cation #OPM_E) or cation saturation (MSAT_E) attributes. For each cation, total and free solution concentration and activity in absolute and saturation terms were investigated. The best models explained, at most, 68% of the variability associated with total solution Al concentration (Al_s‐T) or 74% when Al_s ‐T was expressed as a percent of major solution cations. Greater than 85% of the variability associated with solution Ca and Mg could also be accounted for, but only 67% of the variability associated with solution K could be explained. Including soil pH and interaction terms (M_ExEC, M_ExpH, and ECxpH) in models improved the relationship for total Al concentration (R²=0.87) and solution Ca parameters (R² ≥0.93), but not for solution Mg and K indices. None of the models could account for >30% of the variability associated with free concentration and activity of Al³⁺, suggesting that the prediction of these parameters for a particular Al species could not be made from a knowledge of soil pH, solution EC, and M_E or MSAT_E data.