Long-term submergence of non-methanogenic oxic upland field soils helps to develop the methanogenic archaeal community as revealed by pot and field experiments

The community structure of methanogenic archaea is relatively stable,i.e.,it is sustained at a high abundance with minimal changes in composition,in paddy field soils irrespective of submergence and drainage.In contrast,the abundance in non-methanogenic oxic soils is much lower than that in paddy field soils.This study aimed to describe methanogenic archaeal community development following the long-term submergence of non-methanogenic oxic upland field soils in pot and field experiments.In the pot experiment,a soil sample obtained from an upland field was incubated under submerged conditions for 275 d.Soil samples periodically collected were subjected to culture-dependent most probable number(MPN)enumeration,polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis(PCR-DGGE)analysis of archaeal 16 S r RNA gene,and quantitative PCR analysis of the methyl-coenzyme M reductase alpha subunit gene(mcr A)of methanogenic archaea.The abundance of methanogenic archaea increased from 102 to 103 cells g-1 dry soil and 104 to 107 copies of mcr A gene g-1 dry soil after submergence.Although no methanogenic archaeon was detected prior to incubation by the DGGE analysis,members from Methanocellales,Methanosarcinaceae,and Methanosaetaceae proliferated in the soils,and the community structure was relatively stable once established.In the field experiment,the number of viable methanogenic archaea in a rice paddy field converted from meadow(reclaimed paddy field)was monitored by MPN enumeration over five annual cycles of field operations.Viability was also determined simultaneously in a paddy field where the plow layer soil from a farmer’s paddy field was dressed onto the meadow(dressed paddy field)and an upland crop field converted from the meadow(reclaimed upland field).The number of viable methanogenic archaea in the reclaimed paddy field was below the detection limit before the first cultivation of rice and in the reclaimed upland field.Then,the number gradually increased over five years and finally reached 103–104 cells g-1 dry soil,which was comparable to that in the dressed paddy field.These findings showed that the low abundance of autochthonous methanogenic archaea in the non-methanogenic oxic upland field soils steadily proliferated,and the community structure was developed following repeated and long-term submergence.These results suggest that habitats suitable for methanogenic archaea were established in soil following repeated and long-term submergence.     

Chronic effects of different fertilization regimes on nirS-type denitrifier communities across the black soil region of Northeast China

Denitrification is one of the major processes causing nitrogen loss from arable soils.This study aimed to investigate the responses of nir S-type denitrifier communities to different chronic fertilization regimes across the black soil region of Northeast China.Soil samples were collected from sites located in the north(NB),middle(MB),and south(SB)of the black soil region of Northeast China,each with four chronic fertilization regimes:no fertilizer(No F),chemical fertilizer(CF),manure(M),and chemical fertilizer plus manure(CFM).Methods of quantitative polymerase chain reaction(q PCR)and Illumina Mi Seq sequencing were applied to assess the abundance and composition of denitrifier communities by targeting the nir S gene.The results showed that the M and CFM regimes significantly increased the abundances of nir S-type denitrifiers compared with No F at the three locations.The majority of nir S sequences were grouped as unclassified denitrifiers,and the different fertilizers induced little variation in the relative abundance of known nir S-type denitrifier taxa.Over 90%of the sequences were shared among the four fertilization regimes at each location,but none of the abundant operational taxonomic units(OTUs)were shared among the three locations.Principal coordinate analysis(PCo A)revealed that the communities of nir S-type denitrifier were separated into three groups that corresponded with their locations.Although similar fertilization regimes did not induce consistent changes in the nir S-type denitrifier communities,soil p H and NO-3-N content simultaneously and significantly influenced the structure of nir S-type denitrifier communities at the three locations.Our results highlight that geographical separation rather than chronic fertilization was the dominant factor determining the nir S-type denitrifier community structures,and similar chronic fertilization regimes did not induce consistent shifts of nir S-type denitrifier communities in the black soils.     

Investigating drivers of microbial activity and respiration in a forested bog

Northern peatlands store nearly one-third of terrestrial carbon(C)stocks while covering only 3%of the global landmass;nevertheless,the drivers of C cycling in these often-waterlogged ecosystems are different from those that control C dynamics in upland forested soils.To explore how multiple abiotic and biotic characteristics of bogs interact to shape microbial activity in a northern,forested bog,we added a labile C tracer(13C-labeled starch)to in situ peat mesocosms and correlated heterotrophic respiration with natural variation in several microbial predictor variables,such as enzyme activity and microbial biomass,as well as with a suite of abiotic variables and proximity to vascular plants aboveground.We found that peat moisture content was positively correlated with respiration and microbial activity,even when moisture levels exceeded total saturation,suggesting that access to organic matter substrates in drier environments may be limiting for microbial activity.Proximity to black spruce trees decreased total and labile heterotrophic respiration.This negative relationship may reflect the influence of tree evapotranspiration and peat shading effects;i.e.,microbial activity may decline as peat dries and cools near trees.Here,we isolated the response of heterotrophic respiration to explore the variation in,and interactions among,multiple abiotic and biotic drivers that influence microbial activity.This approach allowed us to reveal the relative influence of individual drivers on C respiration in these globally important C sinks.     

Enhanced anaerobic degradation of hexachlorobenzene in a Hydragric Acrisol using

Humic substances acting as an electron shuttle and nitrogen transformation process influence remarkably the electron transfer in anaerobic reaction systems and thus may affect the reductive dechlorination of hexachlorobenzene(HCB). In order to develop an efficient agricultural strategy for the remediation of organochlorine-contaminated soils, a batch incubation experiment was conducted to study the effects of humic acid, urea, and their interaction on the reductive dechlorination of HCB in a Hydragric Acrisol with high iron oxide content. After 44 d of anaerobic incubation, the five treatments, sterile control,control, humic acid, urea, and humic acid + urea decreased HCB residues by 28.8%, 47.8%, 64.7%, 57.8%, and 71.3%, respectively. The amendment of humic acid or urea significantly decreased soil Eh values and accelerated Fe(Ⅲ) reduction to Fe(Ⅱ), thus promoting markedly reductive dechlorination of HCB. Humic acid had a larger dechlorination effect than urea. Since there was a synergistic interaction between humic acid and urea that accelerated HCB dechlorination, the treatment having both amendments together was the most efficient for HCB dechlorination. The results showed that the combination of NH4⁺_-N supplied by a fertilizer and humic substance is a feasible strategy for the remediation of organochlorine-contaminated soils with abundant iron oxide.     

Evidence for niche differentiation of nitrifying communities in grassland soils after 44 years of different field fertilization scenarios

Long-term nitrogen(N)fertilization imposes strong selection on nitrifying communities in agricultural soil,but how a progressively changing niche affects potentially active nitrifiers in the field remains poorly understood.Using a 44-year grassland fertilization experiment,we investigated community shifts of active nitrifiers by DNA-based stable isotope probing(SIP)of field soils that received no fertilization(CK),high levels of organic cattle manure(HC),and chemical N fertilization(CF).Incubation of DNA-SIP microcosms showed significant nitrification activities in CF and HC soils,whereas no activity occurred in CK soils.The 44 years of inorganic N fertilization selected only 13C-ammonia-oxidizing bacteria(AOB),whereas cattle slurry applications created a niche in which both ammonia-oxidizing archaea(AOA)and AOB could be actively13C-labeled.Phylogenetic analysis indicated that Nitrosospira sp.62-like AOB dominated inorganically fertilized CF soils,while Nitrosospira sp.41-like AOB were abundant in organically fertilized HC soils.The 13C-AOA in HC soils were affiliated with the 29i4 lineage.The 13C-nitrite-oxidizing bacteria(NOB)were dominated by both Nitrospira-and Nitrobacter-like communities in CF soils,and the latter was overwhelmingly abundant in HC soils.The 13C-labeled nitrifying communities in SIP microcosms of CF and HC soils were largely similar to those predominant under field conditions.These results provide direct evidence for a strong selection of distinctly active nitrifiers after 44 years of different fertilization regimes in the field.Our findings imply that niche differentiation of nitrifying communities could be assessed as a net result of microbial adaption over 44 years to inorganic and organic N fertilization in the field,where distinct nitrifiers have been shaped by intensified anthropogenic N input.     

A new perspective on functional redundancy and phylogenetic niche conservatism in soil microbial communities

Functional redundancy in soil microbial communities seems to contradict the notion that individual species have distinct metabolic niches in multi-species communities.All soil microbiota have the metabolic capacity for"basic"functions(e.g.,respiration and nitrogen and phosphorus cycling),but only a few soil microbiota participate in"rare"functions(e.g.,methanogenesis and mineralization of recalcitrant organic pollutants).The objective of this perspective paper is to use the phylogenetic niche conservatism theory as an explanation for the functional redundancy of soil microbiota.Phylogenetic niche conservatism is defined as the tendency for lineages to retain ancestral functional characteristics through evolutionary time-scales.The present-day soil microbiota is the result of a community assembly process that started when prokaryotes first appeared on Earth.For billions of years,microbiota have retained a highly conserved set of core genes that control the essential redox and biogeochemical reactions for life on Earth.These genes are passed from microbe to microbe,which contributes to functional redundancy in soil microbiota at the planetary scale.The assembly of microbial communities during soil formation is consistent with phylogenetic niche conservatism.Within a specific soil,the heterogeneous matrix provides an infinite number of sets of diverse environmental conditions,i.e.,niches that lead to the divergence of microbial species.The phylogenetic niche conservatism theory predicts that two or more microbial species diverging from the same clade will have an overlap in their niches,implying that they are functionally redundant in some of their metabolic processes.The endogenous genetic factors that constrain the adaptation of individuals and,thus,populations to changing environmental conditions constitute the core process of phylogenetic niche conservatism.Furthermore,the degree of functional redundancy in a particular soil is proportional to the complexity of the considered function.We conclude with a conceptual model that identifies six patterns of functional redundancy in soil microbial communities,consistent with the phylogenetic niche conservatism theory.     

Complementary effect of zoo compost with mineral nitrogen fertilisation increases wheat yield and nutrition in a low-nutrient soil

Excess nitrogen(N) fertiliser use in agriculture is associated with water pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.While practices and programs to reduce N fertiliser application continue to be developed,inefficient fertiliser use persists.Practices that reduce mineral N fertiliser application are needed in a sustainable agricultural ecosystem to control leaching and gaseous losses for environmental management.This study evaluated whether fully or partially replacing mineral N fertiliser with zoo compost(Perth Zoo) could be a good mitigation strategy to reduce mineral N fertiliser application without affecting wheat yield and nutrition.To achieve this,a glasshouse experiment was conducted to assess the complementary effect of zoo compost and mineral N fertiliser on wheat yield and nutrition in a sandy soil of southwestern Australia.Additionally,a chlorophyll meter was used to determine whether there was a correlation between chlorophyll content and soil mineral N content,grain N uptake,and grain protein content at the tillering(42 d after sowing(DAS)) and heading(63 DAS) growth stages.The standard practice for N application for this soil type in this area,100 kg ha^-1,was used with a soil bulk density of 1.3 g cm^-3 to calculate the amount of mineral N(urea,46% N) and Perth Zoo compost(ZC)(0.69% N) for each treatment.Treatments comprised a control(no nutrients added,T1),mineral N only(100 kg N ha^-1,T2),ZC only(100 kg N ha^-1,T7),and combinations of mineral N and ZC at different rates(mineral N at 100 kg N ha^-1+ ZC at 25 kg N ha^-1(T3),mineral N at 75 kg N ha^-1+ ZC at 25 kg N ha^-1(T4),mineral N at 75 kg N ha^-1+ ZC at 50 kg N ha^-1(T5),and mineral N at 50 kg N ha^-1+ ZC at 50 kg N ha^-1(T6)).The T6 treatment significantly increased grain yield(by 26%) relative to the T2 treatment.However,the T7 treatment did not affect grain yield when compared to the T2 treatment.All treatments with mineral N and ZC in combination significantly improved the 1 000-grain weight compared to the T2 treatment.Chlorophyll content was better correlated with soil mineral N content(r = 0.61),grain N uptake(r = 0.62),and grain protein content(r = 0.80) at heading(63 DAS) than at tillering(42 DAS).While ZC alone could not serve as an alternative to mineral N fertiliser,its complementary use could reduce the mineral N fertiliser requirement by up to 50% for wheat without compromising grain yield,which needs to be verified in the field.Chlorophyll content could be used to predict soil mineral N at the heading stage,and further studies are warranted to verify its accuracy in the field.Overall,the application of ZC as part of integrated nutrient management improved crop yield with reduced N fertiliser application.     

Responses of soil phosphorus pools accompanied with carbon composition and microorganism changes to phosphorus-input reduction in paddy soils

In rice-wheat rotation systems, changes in soil phosphorus(P) pools and microorganisms in rice-growing seasons have been studied;however, further investigations are required to test whether these indexes exhibit different responses in wheat-growing seasons. Additionally, such studies need to include potential variations in soil carbon(C) structure and microbial community composition. In this study, a long-term rice-wheat rotation P-input reduction experiment was conducted to observe the variations in soil P pools and C composition in the 7th wheat season and to investigate the responses of soil enzyme activity and microbial communities. Four P fertilization treatments were included in the experiment, i.e., P application for rice season only(PR), for wheat season only(PW), and for both rice and wheat seasons(PR+W) and no P application in either season(Pzero). Compared with PR+W treatment, Pzero treatment significantly decreased(P < 0.05) labile and stable P pools. Different P fertilization regimes altered soil microbial community composition and enzyme activity, whereas C composition did not vary. However, PW treatment resulted in relatively more O-alkyl-C than PR treatment and the highest number of microorganisms. Besides, the higher ratios of fungi/bacteria and Gram-positive bactetia/Gram-negative bactetia were related to labile C pools, particularly O-alkyl-C, as opposed to recalcitrant C. Our results clarified the status of soil P pools, C chemistry, and the response of microorganisms under dry-farming conditions in the P input-reduced rice-wheat rotation system.     

Beyond microbial diversity for predicting soil functions: A mini review

Since the advent of sequencing technologies,the determination of microbial diversity to predict microbial functions,which are the major determinants of soil functions,has become a major topic of interest,as evidenced by the 900 publications dealing with soil metagenome published up to 2017.However,the detection of a gene in soil does not mean that the relative function is expressed,and the presence of a particular taxon does not mean that the relative functions determined in pure culture also occur in the studied soil.Another critical step is to link microbial community composition or function to the product analyzed to determine flux rates.Indeed,flux rates might not only be highly dynamic,but several metabolites can depend on different reactions,which makes the link to one process of interest difficult or even impossible.This review also discusses biases caused by sampling,storage of samples,DNA extraction and purification,sequencing(amplicon-vs.metagenome sequencing),and bioinformatic data analysis.Insights and the limits of predicting microbial interactions by network inference methods are critically discussed,and finally,future directions for a better understanding of soil functions by using measurements of microbial diversity are presented.     

Influence of kaolinite and montmorillonite on benzo[a]pyrene biodegradation by Paracoccus aminovorans HPD-2 and the underlying interface interaction mechanisms

Clay minerals play an important role in biogeochemical cycling.Here,kaolinite and montmorillonite,the two most abundant and widespread clay minerals with typical layered structures,were selected to investigate and compare their effects on the biodegradation of benzo[a]pyrene(BaP)by Paracoccus aminovorans HPD-2 and to investigate the underlying interface mechanisms.Overall,the BaP degradation efficiency was significantly higher 7 d after montmorillonite addition,reaching 68.9%(P<0.05),when compared with that of the control without addition of clay minerals(CK,61.4%);however,the addition of kaolinite significantly reduced the BaP degradation efficiency to 45.8%.This suggests that kaolinite inhibits BaP degradation by inhibiting the growth of strain HPD-2,or its strong hydrophobicity and readily agglomerates in the degradation system,resulting in a decrease in the bio-accessibility of BaP to strain HPD-2.Montmorillonite may buffer some unfavorable factors,and cells may be fixed on the surface of montmorillonite colloidal particles across energy barriers.Furthermore,the adsorption of BaP on montmorillonite may be weakened after swelling,reducing the effect on the bio-accessibility of BaP,thus promoting the biodegradation of BaP by strain HPD-2.The experimental results indicate that differential bacterial growth,BaP bio-accessibility,interface interaction,and the buffering effect may explain the differential effects of the different minerals on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon biodegradation.These observations improve our understanding of the mechanisms by which clay minerals,organic pollutants,and degrading bacteria interact during the biodegradation process and provide a theoretical basis for increasing the biodegradation of soil pollutants by native microorganisms under field conditions.     

基于地表昼夜温差的平原区土壤质地模糊聚类与预测制图

The use of landscape covariates to estimate soil properties is not suitable for the areas of low relief due to the high variability of soil properties in similar topographic and vegetation conditions.A new method was implemented to map regional soil texture (in terms of sand,silt and clay contents) by hypothesizing that the change in the land surface diurnal temperature difference (DTD) is related to soil texture in case of a relatively homogeneous rainfall input.To examine this hypothesis,the DTDs from moderate resolution imagine spectroradiometer (MODIS) during a selected time period,i.e.,after a heavy rainfall between autumn harvest and autumn sowing,were classified using fuzzy-c-means (FCM) clustering.Six classes were generated,and for each class,the sand (> 0.05 mm),silt (0.002-0.05 mm) and clay (< 0.002 mm) contents at the location of maximum membership value were considered as the typical values of that class.A weighted average model was then used to digitally map soil texture.The results showed that the predicted map quite accurately reflected the regional soil variation.A validation dataset produced estimates of error for the predicted maps of sand,silt and clay contents at root mean of squared error values of 8.4%,7.8% and 2.3%,respectively,which is satisfactory in a practical context.This study thus provided a methodology that can help improve the accuracy and efficiency of soil texture mapping in plain areas using easily available data sources.     

沂蒙山区桃园棕壤斥水性对理化性质的空间响应

以沂蒙山区典型土地利用桃园棕壤为例,在分析降雨前后桃园棕壤斥水性与理化性质空间变异的基础上,探讨了棕壤斥水性对土壤含水量、有机质含量和土壤质地的空间响应特征。按照1 m×1 m网格等间距测定降雨前后土壤实际斥水性与含水量,同时采集表层0~3 cm土壤样品,分析其有机质含量与砂粒、粉粒、黏粒含量,并借助经典统计学、地统计学与空间自相关理论对土壤斥水性及理化性质进行空间格局与空间相关性分析。结果表明:沂蒙山区桃园棕壤的斥水程度强烈,雨后斥水性显著降低;降雨前后棕壤斥水性均具有中等变异水平和较强的空间自相关性,且呈指数模型分布,各向异性显著。受结构变异和随机变异作用,斥水性空间格局沿耕作方向呈条带状分布,在其垂直方向上最小变程为1.4 m。土壤质地是影响棕壤斥水性空间变异的主要因素,斥水性与粉粒含量呈空间正相关,与砂粒和黏粒含量呈空间负相关,相关程度粉粒砂粒黏粒;棕壤斥水性与含水量呈空间负相关,相关度雨前较弱,雨后显著。     

典型黑土区耕作土壤质地遥感时间窗口及影响因素分析

了解黑土区耕作土壤质地的空间分布对于黑土区农业精准管理以及耕地保护至关重要。遥感技术是快速获取土壤质地空间分布的有效方法。该研究以黑龙江省友谊农场耕地为研究对象,评估研究区土壤质地遥感反演的最佳时间窗口并分析其影响因素。筛选覆盖研究区的2019-2021年25幅Sentinel-2影像,将每幅影像的波段和构建的光谱指数输入随机森林模型,建立土壤质地遥感反演模型,比较不同时期影像反演土壤质地的模型精度,确定土壤质地遥感反演的最适宜影像,并分析造成反演土壤质地精度变化的原因,获取友谊农场土壤质地空间分布。结果表明：1）友谊农场反演土壤质地的最佳时间窗口为4月下旬至5月中旬;2）在25幅Sentinel-2影像中,2020年5月7日反演粉粒和砂粒的模型精度最高（粉粒的R2为0.785,均方根误差为6.697%;砂粒的R2为0.776,均方根误差为8.296%）;2019年5月3日反演黏粒的模型精度最高（R2为0.776,均方根误差为1.6%）;3）不同时期的Sentinel-2影像对土壤质地反演的准确性有很大的影响,而土壤含水量和秸秆覆盖是造成不同时期土壤质地预测精度差异的重要原因。研究为确定土壤质地遥感反演的最佳时间窗口、实现区域尺度土壤质地制图提供关键技术。     

不同取样方式下土壤质地空间插值的精度分析

为研究土壤质地的合理取样方式,进而研究其空间变异情况,为田间施肥及灌溉提供依据,本试验利用地统计学方法和GIS技术,在重庆市彭水县重庆烟草试验站,利用289个表层土样,研究了16 m间距的栅格取样法(对照,253个土样,扣除36个验证样点)、34 m间距的栅格取样法(115个土样)和随机取样法(115个土样)3种取样方式下土壤质地的空间插值精度。3种土壤颗粒指标中粉粒占68.43%,砂粒含量最少,占12.68%,黏粒含量略高于砂粒。砂粒和黏粒具有中等强度的变异性,粉粒具弱变异性,且数据符合正态分布。地统计分析显示,在分析该区域土壤质地时,采用栅格取样方法应适当增大取样间距,而采用随机取样方法可适当缩小取样间距。交叉检验显示,土壤质地成分在3种取样方式下的插值精度均以对照最大,栅格取样次之,随机取样最小。综合考虑插值误差、样品采集和分析成本及时效性等因素,本研究建议在该区域进行土壤质地空间变异规律分析为生产服务时应采用随机取样。     

平原区土壤质地的反射光谱预测与地统计制图

基于地统计方法的土壤属性制图通常需要大量的采样与实验室测定。本研究提出利用可见光近红外(visible-nearinfrared spectroscopy,VNIR)光谱技术测定替代实验室测定,并与地统计方法相结合预测土壤质地的空间变异。通过建立砂粒(0.02 mm),粉粒(0.002~0.02 mm),黏粒(0.002 mm)含量的VNIR光谱预测模型,将模型预测得到的质地数据和建模点实测质地数据一同用于地统计分析和Kriging插值制图。以江苏北部黄淮平原地区为案例的研究结果表明,砂粒、粉粒、黏粒含量的预测值和实测值的均方根误差(RMSE)分别为8.67%、6.90%3、.51%,平均绝对误差(MAE)分别为6.46%、5.60%、3.05%,显示了较高的预测精度。研究为快速获取平原区土壤质地空间分布提供了新的可能的途径。     

Intelligent estimation of spatially distributed soil physical properties

Spatial analysis of soil samples is often times not possible when measurements are limited in number or clustered. To obviate potential problems, we propose a new approach based on the self-organizing map (SOM) technique. This approach exploits underlying nonlinear relation of the steady-state geomorphic concave–convex nature of hillslopes (from hilltop to bottom of the valley) to spatially limited soil textural data. The topographic features are extracted from Shuttle Radar Topographic Mission elevation data; whereas soil textural (clay, silt, and sand) and hydraulic data were collected in 29 spatially random locations (50 to 75 cm depth). In contrast to traditional principal component analysis, the SOM identifies relations among relief features, such as, slope, horizontal curvature and vertical curvature. Stochastic cross-validation indicates that the SOM is unbiased and provides a way to measure the magnitude of prediction uncertainty for all variables. The SOM cross-component plots of the soil texture reveals higher clay proportions at concave areas with convergent hydrological flux and lower proportions for convex areas with divergent flux. The sand ratio has an opposite pattern with higher values near the ridge and lower values near the valley. Silt has a trend similar to sand, although less pronounced. The relation between soil texture and concave–convex hillslope features reveals that subsurface weathering and transport is an important process that changed from loss-to-gain at the rectilinear hillslope point. These results illustrate that the SOM can be used to capture and predict nonlinear hillslope relations among relief, soil texture, and hydraulic conductivity data.     

土壤持水特性参数与土壤质地尺度关系的联合多重分形分析

Soil water-retention characteristics at measurement scales are generally different from those at application scales, and there is scale disparity between them and soil physical properties. The relationships between two water-retention parameters, the scaling parameter related to the inverse of the air-entry pressure (αvG, cm-1) and the curve shape factor related to soil pore-size distribution (n) of the van Genuchten water-retention equation, and soil texture (sand, silt, and clay contents) were examined at multiple scales. One hundred twenty-eight undisturbed soil samples were collected from a 640-m transect located in Fuxin, China. Soil water-retention curves were measured and the van Genuchten parameters were obtained by curve fitting. The relationships between the two parameters and soil texture at the observed scale and at multiple scales were evaluated using Pearson correlation and joint multifractal analyses, respectively. The results of Pearson correlation analysis showed that the parameter αvG was significantly correlated with sand, silt, and clay contents at the observed scale. Joint multifractal analyses, however, indicated that the parameter αvG was not correlated with silt and sand contents at multiple scales. The parameter n was positively correlated with clay content at multiple scales. Sand content was significantly correlated with the parameter n at the observed scale but not at multiple scales. Clay contents were strongly correlated to both water-retention parameters because clay content was relatively low in the soil studied, indicating that water retention was dominated by clay content in the field of this study at all scales. These suggested that multiple-scale analyses were necessary to fully grasp the spatial variability of soil water-retention characteristics.     

Estimation of soil texture from permanent wilting point measured with a chilled‐mirror dewpoint technique

Soil texture is an important factor governing a range of physical properties and processes in soil. The clay and fine fractions of soil are particularly important in controlling soil water retention, hydraulic properties, water flow and transport. Modern soil texture analysis techniques (x‐ray attenuation, laser diffraction and particle counting) are very laborious with expensive instrumentation. Chilled‐mirror dewpoint potentiameters allows for the rapid measurement of the permanent wilting point (PWP) of soil. As the PWP is strongly dictated by soil texture, we tested the applicability of PWP measured by a dewpoint potentiameter in predicting the clay, silt and sand content of humid tropical soils. The clay, silt, and sand content, organic matter and PWP were determined for 21 soils. Three regression models were developed to estimate the fine fractions and validated using independent soil data. While the first model showed reasonable accuracy (RMSE 16.4%; MAE 13.5%) in estimating the clay, incorporating the organic matter into the equation improved the predictions of the second model (RMSE 17.3%; MAE 10.9%). When used on all soil data, the accuracy of the third model in predicting the fine fraction was poor (RMSE 31.9%; MAE 24.5%). However, for soils with silt content greater than 30%, the model prediction was quite accurate (RMSE 7–12%; MAE 7–9%). The models were used to estimate the sand content and soil textures of soils, which proved relatively accurate. The dewpoint potentiometer can serve a dual purpose of rapidly estimating the PWP and the clay, fine fraction, and soil texture of soils in a cost efficient way.     

激光法与湿筛－吸管法测定土壤颗粒组成的转换及质地确定

湿筛-吸管法是测定土壤颗粒组成(PSD)的传统方法,而激光法则是新兴的土壤颗粒测定方法,为了明确二者测定数据间的转换关系,应用两种方法分别测定了中国6个主要土纲的265个土壤样品。结果表明,激光法测定的土壤黏粒含量明显地小于湿筛-吸管法测定的数据,激光法测定的土壤粉粒含量明显地大于湿筛-吸管法测定的数据,而对于土壤砂粒含量的测定结果二者互有高低。两种方法测定的黏粒、粉粒和砂粒间均分别具有很好的相关性,甚至按照美国的7级分类标准,每个粒度级别在两种方法间均具有很好的相关性。按照激光法和吸管法测定数据间的转换关系式得出了用激光法测定数据的砂土、壤土和黏土质地划分界限,从而能够应用激光法测定的数据直接进行质地划分,这对于推动激光法在土壤学中的进一步应用和推动土壤科学的发展均具有重要意义。     

Uncertainty in the spatial prediction of soil texture: Comparison of regression tree and Random Forest models

Within the southern Ecuadorian Andes, landslides have an impact on landscape development. Landslide risk estimation as well as hydrological modelling requires physical soil data. Statistical models were adapted to predict the spatial distribution of soil texture from terrain parameters. For this purpose, 56 soil profiles were analysed horizon-wise by pipette and laser method. Results by pipette compared to laser method showed the expected shift to higher silt and lower clay contents. Linear regression equations were adapted. The performance of regression tree (RT) and Random Forest (RF) models was compared by hundredfold model runs on random Jackknife partitions. Digital soil maps of sand, silt and clay percentage mean and standard deviation indicate model variability and prediction uncertainty.RF models performed better than RT models. All terrain factors considered in the analysis influenced soil texture of the surface horizon, but altitude a.s.l. was assigned the highest variable importance during model construction. Shallow subsurface flow is considered responsible for increasing sand/clay ratios with increasing altitude, on steep slopes and with overland flow distance to the channel network by removing clay particles downslope. Deeper soil layers are not influenced by this process and therefore, did not show the same texture properties. However, the influence of parent material and landslides on the spatial distribution of soil texture cannot be neglected. Model performance, most probably, could be improved by a bigger dataset.