Water-table management in lowland UK peat soils and its potential impact on CO2 emission

The rate of oxidation of peat soils is highly seasonal and varies with temperature and soil moisture content. Large variations in soil moisture content result in wet–dry cycles that can enhance peat degradation. Water‐table management plays a crucial role in controlling and damping the effect of these environmental factors. However, maintaining high ditch water levels in fields bounded by ditches does not guarantee a high field groundwater level. The effect of installing subsurface irrigation at different spacings on water table elevation was studied in a low‐lying peat grassland. The water table elevation data were compared against values predicted with a water balance model. In addition, greenhouse experiments were carried out on undisturbed soil core samples collected from the peat grassland as well as a low‐lying peatland under intensive arable faming to measure CO₂ evolution under different water regimes. The field data from the peat grassland suggest that sub‐irrigation spacing as low as 10 m is necessary during summer periods to maintain groundwater levels similar to those in the ditches. Over the same period of observation, the difference in water level between the ditches and the non‐irrigated fields is as high as 0.7 m. Modelled outputs are in good correlation with the field observations, and demonstrate that simple water balance models can provide an effective tool to study the effect of water management practices and potential changes in subsurface conditions, climate and land use on water‐table levels. The measurement of CO₂ emission from undisturbed peat soil columns shows that the rate of oxidation of soil organic matter from peat soils is highly seasonal and that drainage exacerbates the rate of peat mineralization.     

The estimation of losses of potassium and magnesium from chalky soils in southern England: laboratory studies

Abstract. Ten chalk topsoils (0-25 cm) were repacked into columns in the laboratory. After leaching similar to one year's throughflow in the field, loss of K was equivalent to between 9 and 74kg K/ha. This represented between 3 and 30% of the initial exchangeable K with which loss was poorly correlated. Loss was dependant on the soil solution concentration and was inversely proportional to potassium buffer power.
The loss of magnesium in the same columns was between 10 and 22 kg Mg/ha (6-21% of the initial exchangeable Mg). Magnesium loss was poorly correlated with exchangeable Mg.
When KCl fertilizer was incorporated into the soils, the increase in leaching of potassium was 1–35% of the K addition. Application to the top of the column resulted in less leaching than when the K was incorporated. Leaching of magnesium was increased by up to 5 kg Mg/ha.
Potassium leaching may be delayed by the underlying A/C horizon but pure chalk, with an extremely low buffer power for K, has little ability to retain K. Extremely calcareous topsoils were the most leaky although in practice it is the organic chalk soils on which it is most difficult to attain adequate K levels. On all chalk soils, maintenance of a high K level with K fertilizer is likely to cause unnecessary long-term leaching losses. Annual, rather than biennial, fertilizer applications are to be preferred.     

利用最小水分限制范围评价东北黑土区免耕和垄作的土壤水分稳定性

为明确耕作方式对黑土土壤水分稳定性的作用,提高黑土区雨养农业对气候变化的适应性,该研究基于黑土区长期免耕定位试验,利用最小水分限制范围(Least Limiting Water Range, LLWR)评价免耕(NT)和垄作(CT)管理下土壤含水率有效性及其变异特征。结果表明:1)在0～5、5～10、10～20和20～40 cm 4个土层中,NT处理显著降低了5～10 cm的LLWR,其他3个土层LLWR差异均不显著;2)在平水年(2014)、枯水年(2015)和丰水年(2016),NT管理下作物生育期内0～40 cm平均土壤含水率正常率分别为48%、72%和85%,年间变异系数为0.23;CT的土壤含水率正常率分别为56%、20%和51%,年间变异系数为0.38;3)在丰水年,NT与CT的平均有效储水量差值最小,NT比CT高8.95mm;在枯水年相差最大,NT的平均有效储水量比CT高13.99mm。因此,NT管理下土壤水分更稳定地分布在LLWR内,在极端降雨年份(枯水年和丰水年)优势尤其明显。     

云南岩溶地区石漠化生态恢复的思路

云南岩溶面积达11.09万km2,占全省国土面积的28.14%,是西南地区岩溶集中分布区,岩溶石漠化面积已达2.15万km2.分析云南岩溶的分布,以及岩溶地区生态脆弱给当地人民带来生产、生活的生态危机,并结合云南石漠化治理的成功经验,提出岩溶地区生态恢复的思路.     

The dehesa: an agrosilvopastoral system of the Mediterranean region with special reference to the Sierra Morena area of Spain

A multidisciplinary team undertook a six-year investigation on the agro-ecological and socio-economic aspects of the dehesa system in the Sierra Norte area, a part of the Sierra Morena of the Sevilla Province, Western Andalusia, Spain. This paper summarizes its findings on the various agro-ecological features of the system and evaluates the system's functional aspects vis-a-vis the trends and developments in land use in the region over the past few centuries. The synergistic effects of tree cover on understorey grassland vegetation is discussed in terms of soil fertility build-up and favourable micro-climatic and hydrological features, and the potential use of this information in future research and development programmes to improve the dehesa system in the Mediterranean region is outlined.     

Effect of soil air volume change on CH4 consumption in brown forest soil

The relationship between soil air volume and CH₄ consumption in brown forest soils was investigated. The CH₄ consumption was negatively affected when the soil air volume decreased in experiments carried out bothin situ and in the laboratory. A strong dependence of the CH₄ consumption on the soil air volume was found in the laboratory experiment. These results indicate the possibility that the soil air volume is the primary rate-limiting factor for the CH₄ consumption in forest soil. Thus our work suggests that the other factors by which CH₄ consumption might be affected should be examined under the same air volume condition in the soil. To obtain accurate data, we need to be careful not to change the air volume by trampling or disturbing during the measurement of the natural methane fluxin situ.     

Agroforestry in the management of sloping lands in Asia and the Pacific

Steeply sloping lands are widespread in the tropics. An estimated 500 million people practice subsistence agriculture in these marginal areas. Continued population growth has led to the intensified cultivation of large areas of the sloping lands, exacerbating the problem of soil erosion. Although research shows that alley cropping and other contour agroforestry systems can stabilize the sloping lands, these systems have not been widely adopted by farmers. The Framework for Evaluating Sustainable Land Management (FESLM) has been tested in sloping land areas in the Philippines. Sustainable land management must be productive, stable, viable, and acceptable to farmers, while protecting soil and water resources. Farms on which contour hedgerow intercropping has been adopted meet the multifaceted requirements of FESLM, whereas the farmers' current practice does not. Appropriate land management measures for particular locations depend on a complex suite of social, economic, and biophysical factors, and need to be developed in participation with farmers. The role of agroforestry in sustainable management of sloping lands is the subject of networks coordinated by the International Board for Soil Research and Management (IBSRAM) in seven countries in Asia (ASIALAND) and four countries in the Pacific (PACIFICLAND). We review selected outcomes from a wealth of network data. From these results the following conclusions about the sustainability of various agroforestry systems for sloping lands can be drawn: • In the Pacific, soil loss from sloping lands due to water erosion under farmers' current practices is episodic, unpredictable, and possibly not severe; • Agroforestry systems that utilize legume shrubs, fruit trees, coffee (Coffea spp.) or rubber (Hevea brasiliensis) provide useful economic returns, but are not an essential component in terms of soil protection because grass or pineapple (Ananas comosus) planted on the contour are equally effective in reducing erosion; • Agricultural intensification will lead to nutrient mining, reduction of aboveground biomass, declining yields, and less soil protection unless external sources of nutrients are used; • nitrogen can be effectively supplied using legumes; • Cash derived from hedgerow trees and/or shrubs may providean incentive for their adoption by farmers, as well as funds to purchase external inputs such as fertilizers; • Labor may be a major constraint to the adoption of complex agroforestry systems. We also discuss the information management systems required to effectively manage and utilize the extensive sets of experimental and indigenous data being accumulated. We believe such information systems can facilitate technology transfer across and between regions, and improve the efficiency of research into agroforestry and other land-management approaches. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

森林土壤有机氮的X光吸收近边结构光谱技术测定

本研究通过采用氮的K边X光吸收近边结构(XANES)技术来了解森林土壤有机氮,以此深入研究土壤中有机氮种类与其转化的定量关系。土壤样品采自台湾中部的云杉、铁杉林与草地。结果表明,氮的 XANES 可以揭示样品中不同的氮的种类。在土壤腐植质、可溶性氮及本体土壤中胺态及吡咯氮占了主要的比率。然而不同处理及植被下的土壤样品氮的种类分布是不同的。云杉与铁杉土壤可溶性有机氮在402.3 eV 能量处有显著的差异。在A层土壤中,吡啶类氮含量要显著高于O层土壤,说明氮在不同土层中的转化率存在极大的差异,这种变化对于氮在森林土壤中的循环将起重要作用。图3表1参8。     

桂林岩溶石山阴香种群的空间分布格局

通过野外调查,选取6块有代表性的样地,采用点格局分析方法研究了阴香种群的空间分布格局。结果表明,6块样地中,Q1和Q5样地阴香种群多数尺度上表现为集群分布,Q2和Q3以随机分布为主,Q4和Q6样地少数尺度上为集群分布,多数尺度上呈随机分布。阴香种群的空间分布格局与物种本身的繁殖特性、生境条件以及种内种间竞争等密切相关,由岩石的覆盖而形成的小环境对种群的分布格局类型有影响。点格局分析法较好地体现了不同尺度下阴香种群的分布格局特征。     

Forage potential of eight woody species: intake and growth rates of local young goats in the highland region of Rwanda

Eight woody fodder species adapted to the highlands of Rwanda were evaluated in terms of dry matter intake in one experiment. Animals were offered a daily diet comprising 4.0 of fresh matter of Setaria splendida grass supplemented with or without one of the eight fodder species tested. In all cases, total daily feed intake was increased by the addition of woody fodder. Daily intake of the woody fodder was high for Acacia koaia, Mimosa scabrella and Acacia koa at 43.7, 42.6 and 41.9 g/kg BW^0.75, respectively. The dry matter intake of the other five species (Alnus acuminata, Chamaecytisus palmensis, Hagenia abyssinica, Acacia mearnsii and Acacia melanoxylon) ranged from 18.9 to 30.1 g/kg BW^0.75 per day. In another experiment, a basic daily diet of 4.0 kg of fodder (in fresh weight) was given to each animal. This ratio comprised S. splendida supplemented with M. scabrella and incorporated at 0 (control), 45% and 66% (fresh weight basis) of the total daily diet. Improved weight gain was obtained when setaria was supplemented with M. scabrella with daily weight gain of 31, 47 and 51 g/animal for 0, 45 and 66% M. scabrella, respectively.