Modeling soil water dynamics in a drip-irrigated intercropping field under plastic mulch

Intercropping, drip irrigation, and the use of plastic mulch are important management practices, which can, when utilized simultaneously, increase crop production and save irrigation water. Investigating soil water dynamics in the root zone of the intercropping field under such conditions is essential in order to understand the combined effects of these practices and to promote their wider use. However, not much work has been done to investigate soil water dynamics in the root zone of drip-irrigated, strip intercropping fields under plastic mulch. Three field experiments with different irrigation treatments (high T1, moderate T2, and low T3) were conducted to evaluate soil water contents (SWC) at different locations, for different irrigation treatments, and with respect to dripper lines and plants (corn and tomatoes). Experimental data were then used to calibrate the HYDRUS (2D/3D) model. Comparison between experimental data and model simulations showed that HYDRUS (2D/3D) described different irrigation events and SWC in the root zone well, with average relative errors of 10.8, 9.5, and 11.6 % for irrigation treatments T1, T2, and T3, respectively, and with corresponding root mean square errors of 0.043, 0.035, and 0.040 cm³ cm^?3, respectively. The results showed that the SWC in the shallow root zone (0–40 cm) was lower under non-mulched locations than under mulched locations, irrespective of the irrigation treatment, while no significant differences in the SWC were observed in the deeper root zone (40–100 cm). The SWC in the shallow root zone was significantly higher for the high irrigation treatment (T1) than for the low irrigation treatment, while, again, no differences were observed in the deeper root zone. Simulations of two-dimensional SWC distributions revealed that the low irrigation treatment (T3) produced serious severe water stress (with SWCs near the wilting point) in the 30–40 cm part of the root zone, and that using separate drip emitter lines for each crop is well suited for producing the optimal soil water distribution pattern in the root zone of the intercropping field. The results of this study can be very useful in designing an optimal irrigation plan for intercropped fields.     

Soil variability through spatial scales in a permanently disturbed natural spruce-fir-beech forest

Soil variability was assessed in a 74.2-ha area within the Žofínsky prales natural forest. Parameters evaluated for 1765 soil profiles inside 353 graticule plots were as follows: (1) thickness of organic horizons, (2) thickness and form of mineral horizons, (3) humus form (HF), (4) soil taxonomic unit (STU) and (5) anomalies. In addition, soil reaction (pH_KCl) and oxidizable carbon content (C_ox) were measured in the laboratory for 734 samples from the upper mineral (A) and lower mineral (B) horizons. The most frequently occurring humus form was mor followed by moder, hydromor and peaty T-horizon. Entic Podzols, Dystric Cambisols, Haplic Cambisols, Albic Podzols, Histic (or Haplic) Gleysols, Endogleyic Stagnosols, Fibric or Hemic or Sapric Histosols and Stagnic Gleysols were all present at the site despite its homogeneous geological bedrock. Overall coefficient of variance (CV) was lower in terrestrial soils compared with (semi-)hydromorphic soils. Overall variance decreased in both soil groups with increasing depth, as did CV differences between the fine (up to 10 m) and the locality scales. The lowest CV values occurred for C_ox and pH_KCl. The CV values differed between STUs as well. Compared to lower horizons, variograms of upper horizons showed greater autocorrelation at the intermediate spatial scale (10–320 m)—ranging from 50 to 150 m. Semivariance values, however, reached 70–80% of sill already at a distance of 10 m. The most significant factor of variability at all studied spatial scales is presumably the soil disturbance regime, followed by terrain micro-topography and the effect of tree species.     

Influence of land use in small karst watersheds on the chemical status of peloid sediments on the eastern Adriatic coast

Background, Aim and Scope  

Most of the cathment areas supplying water and mineral matter to the Adriatic bays with healing mud/peloids are affected by various degrees of human impact, i.e. activity that is introducing various types of contaminants to environment. The bays represent shallow marine depositional environments where organic-rich sediments accumulate. Investigations for balneological characterization of several localities along the Croatian coast have shown that these organic-rich sediments may be classified as healing mud, i.e. peloids. Healing mud due to its balneologic features is in treatment of various diseases and in improvement of the overall health conditions and general well-being. Various components of mud, particularly trace elements, could be absorbed through dermal contact. Therefore, the study of the abundance of such potentially toxic elements as As, Pb, Hg, Cd, Se, Sb, Cu, Zn in marine sediments used as healing mud is necessary in order to know their mobility and to avoid possible intoxications.     

Comparative Analysis of Native <Emphasis Type="Italic">Crocus</Emphasis> Taxa as a Great Source of Flavonoids with High Antioxidant Activity

Native Crocus taxa are abundant in regions with moderate and dry climate; however, their potential in the food industry has thus far been neglected. The objective of this study was to compare the quantitative and qualitative flavonoid content and antioxidant and cytotoxic activity in organs of several populations of Croatian native taxa and assess their potential for application in the food industry. The dominant flavonoids in the native Crocus taxa were kaempferol and quercetin. Tepals contained similar or higher concentrations of flavonoid-glycosides than other organs. Tepals from Cvv1 and Cvv2 populations contained more flavonoid-glycosides than the commonly used spice saffron (C. sativus stigmas). The FRAP antioxidant activity of Cvv1 and Cvv5 tepals was similar to that of standard Trolox. DPPH inhibition of Cvv1 and Cvv3 tepals was within the range of that recorded for saffron. Cvv1 tepals significantly reduced reactive oxygen species in the broadest concentration range (50–1000 μg/ml), and showed considerable antioxidant activity in the ABTS assay, equal to 82% of standard Trolox antioxidant activity. A significantly higher concentration of kaempferol-rutinoside was recorded in this than in other taxa. The flavonoid showed a very strong or strong correlation with antioxidant assays results, and a negative correlation with cellular reactive oxygen species concentration. We therefore presumed that kaempferol-rutinoside is one of the main antioxidant phenolics in Crocus tepals. None of the tested extracts showed cytotoxicity toward Caco-2 cells. The results revealed that Cvv tepals have potential as a food supplement and are a promising material for further food safety tests.     

The impact of dry and wet cleaning on fabric electromagnetic field shield effect

The aim of this research is to investigate shield effect properties of the fabrics with inox yarns included in the construction, which are used for special professional garments and should protect from electromagnetic microwave irradiation. The investigation was done prior to and after the professional care procedures of dry and wet cleaning in ten cleaning cycles. Shield effect measurements were done on the face and on the back of the fabric, weftwise and warpwise, prior to and after the first, third, fifth, seventh and tenth cycles of dry and wet cleaning, at the frequencies from 0.9 to 2.4 GHz. The results obtained indicated that shield effect of the fabric tested was reduced after professional care procedures, especially so after 5 cycles. The investigations also revealed that shield effect could be considerably enhanced if the inox yarns were incorporated into the fabric in the direction of the warp.     

Chronic toxicity of contaminated sediments on reproduction and histopathology of the crustacean <Emphasis Type="Italic">Gammarus fossarum</Emphasis> and relationship with the chemical contamination and in vitro effects

Purpose  

The aim of the present study was to investigate possible relationships between the sediment contaminants and the occurrence of intersex in situ. Two of the studied sediments were from polluted sites with increased occurrence of intersex crustaceans (Lake Pilnok, black coal mining area in the Czech Republic, inhabited by the crayfish Pontastacus leptodactylus population with 18% of intersex; creek Lockwitzbach in Germany with Gammarus fossarum population with about 7% of intersex).     

Changes in the phosphorus and nitrogen status and supply in the young spruce stands in the Lužické, the Jizerské and the Orlické Mts. in the Czech Republic during the 2004–2014 period

The contribution shows changes in the phosphorus and nitrogen status in long-term investigated spruce stands in the Lu?ické, the Jizerské and the Orlické Mts. on the border between the Czech Republic and Germany and Poland. During the 11 evaluated years, low phosphorus concentrations were measured, often below the deficiency limit 1.2 mg P/g, and an N/P ratio exceeding the optimal range (6–12), primarily in the second needle-year class. Values of an N/P ratio of between 12 and 18 in the Jizerské Mts. and of between 12 and 27 in the Lu?ické Mts. were discovered. A low phosphorus concentration below the 10 mg·kg^?1 was also detected in the mineral soil horizon. Temporal changes of N/P ratio (increase) and of P concentration (decrease) in the needles are significant for the spruce stands that are in the Orlické Mts. In the Jizerské Mts. and the Lu?ické Mts., there is fluctuation during evaluated period without any clear trend.     

Species proportions by area in mixtures of Scots pine (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Pinus sylvestris</Emphasis> L.) and European beech (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Fagus sylvatica</Emphasis> L.)

Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) dominate many of the European forest stands. Also, mixtures of European beech and Scots pine more or less occur over all European countries, but have been scarcely investigated. The area occupied by each species is of high relevance, especially for growth evaluation and comparison of different species in mixed and monospecific stands. Thus, we studied different methods to describe species proportions and their definition as proportion by area. 25 triplets consisting of mixed and monospecific stands were established across Europe ranging from Lithuania to Spain in northern to southern direction and from Bulgaria to Belgium in eastern to western direction. On stand level, the conclusive method for estimating the species proportion as a fraction of the stand area relates the observed density (tree number or basal area) to its potential. This stand-level estimation makes use of the potential from comparable neighboring monospecific stands or from maximum density lines derived from other data, e.g. forest inventories or permanent observations plots. At tree level, the fraction of the stand area occupied by a species can be derived from the proportions of their crown projection area or of their leaf area. The estimates of the potentials obtained from neighboring monospecific stands, especially in older stands, were poorer than those from the maximum density line depending on the Martonne aridity index. Therefore, the stand-level method in combination with the Martonne aridity index for potential densities can be highly recommended. The species’ proportions estimated with this method are best approximated by the proportions of the species’ leaf areas. In forest practice, the most commonly applied method is an ocular estimation of the proportions by crown projection area. Even though the proportions of pine were calculated here by measuring crown projection areas in the field, we found this method to underestimate the proportion by 25% compared to the stand-level approach.     

Bioindication and modelling of atmospheric deposition in forests enable exposure and effect monitoring at high spatial density across scales

Key message

Moss surveys provide spatially dense data on environmental concentrations of heavy metals and nitrogen which, together with other biomonitoring and modelling data, can be used for indicating deposition to terrestrial ecosystems and related effects across time and areas of different spatial extension.

Context

For enhancing the spatial resolution of measuring and mapping atmospheric deposition by technical devices and by modelling, moss is used complementarily as bio-monitor.

Aims

This paper investigated whether nitrogen and heavy metal concentrations derived by biomonitoring of atmospheric deposition are statistically meaningful in terms of compliance with minimum sample size across several spatial levels (objective 1), whether this is also true in terms of geostatistical criteria such as spatial auto-correlation and, by this, estimated values for unsampled locations (objective 2) and whether moss indicates atmospheric deposition in a similar way as modelled deposition, tree foliage and natural surface soil at the European and country level, and whether they indicate site-specific variance due to canopy drip (objective 3).

Methods

Data from modelling and biomonitoring atmospheric deposition were statistically analysed by means of minimum sample size calculation, by geostatistics as well as by bivariate correlation analyses and by multivariate correlation analyses using the Classification and Regression Tree approach and the Random Forests method.

Results

It was found that the compliance of measurements with the minimum sample size varies by spatial scale and element measured. For unsampled locations, estimation could be derived. Statistically significant correlations between concentrations of heavy metals and nitrogen in moss and modelled atmospheric deposition, and concentrations in leaves, needles and soil were found. Significant influence of canopy drip on nitrogen concentration in moss was proven.

Conclusion

Moss surveys should complement modelled atmospheric deposition data as well as other biomonitoring approaches and offer a great potential for various terrestrial monitoring programmes dealing with exposure and effects.

     

Radioactivity of Selected Agricultural Soils in Croatia: Effects of Soil Properties,Soil Management,and Geological Parameters

We present a study on the radioactivity of selected Croatian agricultural soils that vary considerably with respect to geological background; physical, chemical, and biological characteristics; soil type; land use; and soil management. Our investigation is focused on the main naturally occurring radionuclides (⁴⁰K, ²³⁸U, ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th, ²³⁵U) and ¹³⁷Cs as the most threatening long-lived anthropogenic radionuclide. We find that the radioactivity level is not influenced by the application of different soil amendments, at least in moderate quantities, and that no effect of soil management can be detected as well. In contrast, geological and location-specific properties influence radionuclide content in soil, especially regarding the naturally occurring ones. Moreover, physical and chemical soil properties such as texture and soil adsorption complex, respectively, seem to be the main factors regarding fixation of ¹³⁷Cs in soil. Calculated dose rates for external exposure to the gamma radiation originating from soil have been found to be generally low, except for two locations where they are higher but not at a level that would lead to health problems for workers on the field.