Tillage – impact on infiltration of the Loess Plateau of China

In arid and semiarid regions, water infiltration is often affected by the soil surface conditions, such as the soil crusts and soil roughness. The objective of this laboratory study was to assess the effects of soil crusts and tillage treatments on soil infiltration in the Loess Plateau of China. A simulated rainfall storm at 80 mm h^?1 rate was applied to soil boxes set to slopes of 5°, 10°, 15° and 20° with two soil surface conditions (crusted and uncrusted) and three tillage treatments (contour tillage [CT], artificial digging [AD] and straight slope [SS]) to investigate the infiltration rates. The results show that the infiltration rate was always lower under the SS treatment than under the CT and AD treatments. The time interval to the steady state was shorter under the SS (10 min) than under the CT and AD treatments (15–20 min). The final infiltration rate was nearly the same under the CT treatment and AD treatment; whereas, the SS treatment resulted in the lowest final infiltration rate. The infiltration rates were always greater in soils without crusts than in soils with crusts. The slopes, soil crusts and tillage treatments had significant (p < 0.001) effects on the cumulative infiltration rates. The combined effects of the slopes and tillage treatments on the cumulative infiltration rates were much more significant (p < 0.01) than the other combined effects (p < 0.05).     

Profile carbon and nutrient levels and management effect on soil quality indicators in the Mardi watershed of Nepal

Abstract

Soil organic carbon (SOC) and nutrient stocks in the soil profile (0–80 cm) in four dominant land uses [forest, upland maize and millet (Bari), irrigated rice (Khet), and grazed systems)] and 0–15 cm depth along elevation gradient 1000 to 3000 m, and aspects in the Mardi watershed were measured. Soil properties at 0–15 cm depth were also measured in undisturbed forest, forest with free grazed system, managed forest, and grassland to compare the soil quality index (SQI) of topsoils. The SOC and nutrient concentration decreased with increasing profile depth. The SOC and N contents in the 0–15 cm depth of forest soils were significantly greater than the corresponding depth in upland maize and millet, irrigated rice, and grazed systems. On the other hand, available P and K concentrations at the same depth were significantly greater in upland maize and millet compared to irrigated rice, grazed system, and forest land uses. The SOC and N stocks (0–15 cm) increased from agricultural land at the valley bottom at about 1000 m above mean sea level (a.s.l.) (24 and 3 Mg ha^?1) compared to undisturbed forest (74 and 5.9 Mg ha^?1) at 2600 m a.s.l, demonstrating the effects of cover and elevation. Both SOC and N stocks decreased sharply in grassland (54 and 4.5 Mg ha^?1) at elevations of 2600 to 2800 m a.s.l. compared with undisturbed forest. Above 2800 m a.s.l. the cover type changed from grass to coniferous forest, and the SOC and N stocks steadily increased at the summit level (3200 m a.s.l.) to 65 and 6.9 Mg ha^?1, respectively. Slope and aspect significantly affected SOC with the northwest aspect having significantly higher concentrations (46 g kg^?1) than other aspects. Similarly, SOC concentration at the lowest slope position (39 g kg^?1) was significantly higher than the middle or upper positions (25 and 13 g kg^?1). Integrated soil quality index (SQI) values varied from 0.17 to 0.69 for different land uses, being highest for undisturbed forest and lowest for irrigated rice. The SQI demonstrated the degradation status of land uses in the following ascending order: irrigated rice?>?grazed system?>?forest with free grazing?>?upland maize and millet?>?managed forest?>?grass land?>?undisturbed forest. The irrigated rice, grazed system, upland maize and millet, and freely grazed forestlands need immediate attention to minimize further deterioration of soil quality in these land uses.     

Responses of three switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) cultivars to seed priming and differential aging conditions

Abstract

In switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) cultivation, rapid and uniform germination is essential because it is one of the most promising candidates for biofuel production. Priming, a seed enhancement technique with solid carriers, can be a useful tool for improving germination characteristics of switchgrass seeds. The objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness of priming on three non-aged and aged switchgrass cultivars of ‘Cave in rock’ ‘Dacotah’, and ‘Kanlow’. Seeds were primed with a synthetic calcium silicate (MicroCel E) and water at 30°C for five days. Seed, carrier and water proportions were 1 g, 0.5 g, and 1.5 mL, respectively. There was a 5% point (pp, Cave in rock), 8 pp (Dacotah), and 19 pp (Kanlow) increase in primed seeds compared with non-treated control seeds. Furthermore, priming decreased mean germination time by 26–36% in all seeds compared with the non-treated control. Accelerated aging was induced by storing seeds for 0, 10, and 21 days at 42°C and 95% relative humidity (RH). Germination percentage decreased and mean germination time increased with the aging. These results suggest that priming is an effective technique to improve the performance of switchgrass cultivars.     

农村面源污染治理的“4R”理论与工程实践——水环境生态修复技术

当前,我国农村水体普遍污染严重,作为农村面源污染治理技术体系中的最后一环,农村水环境生态修复技术的实施具有十分重要的现实意义。本文在自己已有工作的基础上,总结和梳理了国内外适合我国农村的水环境生态修复技术,并分别按技术原理进行了阐述。研究表明,其中的生态浮床技术具有投资少、见效快、管理方便等优点,是一种行之有效的水体原位生态修复技术,尤其是采用水稻等能产生经济效益的植物作为浮床植物,不仅可以改善水质,其收益也能补偿部分投资成本;水生植物恢复技术是提高水体自净能力、恢复水生态系统结构和功能的必然选择,按照目标要求进行水生植物恢复,可以有效降低水体污染物浓度,促进水生态系统良性发展;以土壤生物工程为主的生态护坡技术适合我国农村河道的边坡修复,河岸植被群落能够得到良好恢复,坡岸土壤侵蚀和农业面源污染均能得到有效控制。生态修复技术的应用需与生态拦截技术和养分利用技术相协调,要以不同功能和目标需求为导向,注重采用组合技术工艺进行修复,以提高水环境生态修复的效果。     

降雨对黄土裸坡坡面形态影响的室内模型试验

黄土高原坡面的侵蚀主要发生在降雨集中的6-9月,坡面会遭到严重破坏,更甚者造成滑坡.建立了黄土裸坡的室内模型并模拟人工降雨,通过综合监测来观察降雨过程中坡面形态的变化并分析降水人渗对黄土滑坡的影响.试验结果表明:(1)降水入渗速率由快到慢;径流量/入渗量的值随时间先增长,再减小,最后稳定;坡顶的降水入渗速率始终大于坡面;(2)坡顶首先产生贯通的拉裂缝,然后坡体内部产生局部微小竖向裂缝,位移方向为坡顶下方竖直向下,坡面下方略大于45°;(3)坡面侵蚀经历了“片蚀-沟蚀一沟间坡面面蚀向深切和侧蚀发展”的过程,最终沟岸发生崩塌,坡面因受侵蚀呈整体下降趋势;(4)坡面崩滑从坡趾处自下而上发展.     

岩石边坡植被恢复初期土壤养分特征及其影响因素

以北京—承德(简称京承)高速公路(3期)边坡3 a恢复期植被为研究对象,对土壤养分状况进行了调研,并分析了影响养分变化的主要因素.结果表明,pH值绝大部分在6.5左右,86.73％边坡的有机质含量和88.78％边坡的全氮含量都处于中上水平,90.82％边坡的速效磷含量处于较丰富水平,73.74％边坡的速效钾含量处于中下水平,表明在目前施工技术及养护条件下,速效钾成为植物生长的关键养分因子.影响因素中,坡质、坡向和施工工艺对基质养分含量影响较大.     

阜新煤矿区次生裸坡土壤抗冲性动态变化

为探讨煤矿区次生裸坡的稳定性,采用径流含沙量和土壤抗冲系数分析方法,对阜新孙家湾煤矸石山的6个典型坡面的表层土壤进行了抗冲性试验。结果表明,矿区次生裸坡不同坡向、不同坡位的径流含沙量和土壤抗冲系数存在较大差异,且均存在一定的动态变化规律。在土壤冲刷过程中,初始径流含沙量均较大,之后呈规律性骤减,并逐渐趋于稳定。与对照样地相比,矿区次生裸坡的总径流含沙量虽少,但衰减速度较快,至冲刷第2min后基本趋于稳定。不同样地径流含沙量与时间之间显著服从于幂函数关系土壤抗冲系数的变化是随着冲刷时间的延长呈现出先缓慢后快速增大趋势,且前10min的抗冲系数表现为:矿区次生裸坡>对照样地。不同样地的土壤抗冲系数与时间之间显著服从于指数函数关系。     

南方红壤坡地几种典型治理措施的径流调控效应

应用小区观测资料,对南方红壤坡地几种典型治理措施的径流调控效应进行了分析研究。结果表明,与裸地比较,水土保持植物措施的径流调控效益达到21.1%~94.2%,顺坡与横坡耕作措施的径流调控效益分别达到59.7%和72.3%在其它措施相同的条件下,南方普遍采用的梯田、水平竹节沟、鱼鳞坑这3种水土保持坡面工程措施,径流调控效益均在68.3%以上与单一措施比较,工程措施与植物措施、耕作措施优化组合的综合性水土保持措施,径流调控效益高达91.6%,这些优化组合的水土保持措施可在南方红壤区因地制宜地广泛推广。     

三种护坡植物根-土复合体抗剪强度比较

以紫穗槐、胡枝子及狗牙根根系及其与土壤构成的根-土复合体为研究对象,通过对根-土复合体的室内直剪试验,比较分析了不同物种根系和不同含根量对根-土复合体的抗剪强度的影响。结果表明,根系的存在提高了土体的抗剪强度,根-土复合体的抗剪强度随着含根量的增加而增大,但当含根量达到一定值时根-土复合体的强度增加并不明显,即存在最佳含根量范围;与无根扰动土相比,根-土复合体内摩擦角无显著变化,但显著提高了黏聚力,其中紫穗槐、胡枝子、狗牙根黏聚力平均增幅分别为47.5%,39.2%和38.9%;紫穗槐、胡枝子和狗牙根根-土复合体对土壤的抗剪强度影响不同。在水土流失区种植乔灌木物种能有效增加坡体稳定性,降低土壤侵蚀。     

半干旱区微集水系统土壤水分调控效果研究

分析了定西市安定区以隔坡水平阶为主体的径流调控工程和梯田(对照)的土壤水分与植被生长状况及11a累积土壤水分水量平衡特征。结果表明,隔坡水平阶工程保存完好,产流区(25m²)年均产流0.3m³,产沙3.96kg,被蓄水区全部拦蓄,有效控制了水土流失,增加了水资源量,缓解了林草植被水分供应不足状况。2m土层含水量与植被生长成反比。梯田土壤含水率最高,但农作物受旱减产最大;隔坡水平阶产流区土壤含水率较低,紫花苜蓿减产较大,蓄水区土壤含水率最低,但侧柏林生长旺盛。隔坡水平阶(林草带状混交)年均蒸散量为428.6mm,较梯田高2.2mm。