Influence of soil compaction on carbon and nitrogen mineralization of soil organic matter and crop residues

 We studied the influence of soil compaction in a loamy sand soil on C and N mineralization and nitrification of soil organic matter and added crop residues. Samples of unamended soil, and soil amended with leek residues, at six bulk densities ranging from 1.2 to 1.6 Mg m^–3 and 75% field capacity, were incubated. In the unamended soil, bulk density within the range studied did not influence any measure of microbial activity significantly. A small (but insignificant) decrease in nitrification rate at the highest bulk density was the only evidence for possible effects of compaction on microbial activity. In the amended soil the amounts of mineralized N at the end of the incubation were equal at all bulk densities, but first-order N mineralization rates tended to increase with increasing compaction, although the increase was not significant. Nitrification in the amended soils was more affected by compaction, and NO₃ ^–-N contents after 3 weeks of incubation at bulk densities of 1.5 and 1.6 Mg m^–3 were significantly lower (by about 8% and 16% of total added N, respectively), than those of the less compacted treatments. The C mineralization rate was strongly depressed at a bulk density of 1.6 Mg m^–3, compared with the other treatments. The depression of C mineralization in compacted soils can lead to higher organic matter accumulation. Since N mineralization was not affected by compaction (within the range used here) the accumulated organic matter would have had higher C : N ratios than in the uncompacted soils, and hence would have been of a lower quality. In general, increasing soil compaction in this soil, starting at a bulk density of 1.5 Mg m^–3, will affect some microbially driven processes. Received: 10 June 1999     

Influence of organic matter content, moisture status and time after reworking on soil shear strength

Recovery of soil shear strength was measured in disturbed samples of a calcareous clay loam soils, with four different organic matter contents. Repacked soil cores were put on tension tables at 25 or 50 cm water tension. Shear strength and water content were measured at one of eight time intervals, from 48 h to 7 weeks after the tension was applied. Soil strength increased with increasing organic matter content or increasing the applied tension. The major factor affecting strength, however, was the length of time that tension was applied. Because water contents showed little or no change with time on the tension table these results demonstrate thixotropic recovery of shear strength. This property is discussed with relevance to the soil's potential for mole drainage.     

Invertebrate control of soil organic matter stability

 The control of soil organic matter (SOM) stability by soil invertebrates is evaluated in terms of their impact on the inherent recalcitrance, accessibility to microorganisms, and interaction with stabilizing substances of organic compounds. Present knowledge on internal (ingestion and associated transformations) and external (defecation, constructions) control mechanisms of soil invertebrates is also reviewed. Soil animals contribute to the stabilization and destabilization of SOM by simultaneously affecting chemical, physical, and microbial processes over several orders of magnitude. A very important aspect of this is that invertebrates at higher trophic levels create feedback mechanisms that modify the spatio-temporal framework in which the micro-food web affects SOM stability. Quantification of non-trophic and indirect effects is thus essential in order to understand the long-term effects of soil biota on SOM turnover. It is hypothesized that the activities of invertebrates which lead to an increase in SOM stability partly evolved as an adaptation to the need for increasing the suitability of their soil habitat. Several gaps in knowledge are identified: food selection and associated changes in C pools, differential effects on SOM turnover, specific associations with microorganisms, effects on dissolution and desorption reactions, humus-forming and humus-degrading processes in gut and faeces, and the modification of invertebrate effects by environmental variables. Future studies must not be confined merely to a mechanistic analysis of invertebrate control of SOM stability, but also pay considerable attention to the functional and evolutionary aspects of animal diversity in soil. This alone will allow an integration of biological expertise in order to develop new strategies of soil management which can be applied under a variety of environmental conditions. Received: 6 April 1999     

Effects of organic matter and calcium on soil structural stability

The cationic bridging effect of the calcium ion (Ca²⁺) and the flocculating ability of clay and organic matter are crucial in the formation and stability of soil aggregates. They are therefore likely to influence the soil's saturated hydraulic conductivity ( K _s). We tested the individual effects of these factors on aggregate stability and related hydraulic properties, and studied the influence of clay mineralogy also. Samples from the surface (0–10 cm) of three contrasting soils in Trinidad were used. The soils were treated with three levels of Ca²⁺ and three levels of organic matter in a 3 × 3 × 3 factorial design and incubated for 14 days. Both aggregate stability and saturated hydraulic conductivity were influenced by all factor combinations. Interactions between soil type and Ca²⁺ revealed the importance of polyvalent cations in aggregate stability of soils with low activity minerals. The influence of organic matter varied with quantity; the more there was, the more stable the soil became, particularly in the soil containing little clay. Clay dispersion and slaking of expanding minerals occurred even with large additions of Ca²⁺ and organic matter, emphasizing the overall influence of mineralogy in determining the response of soils to stability treatments.     

耕作对土壤有机物和土壤团聚体稳定性的影响

Agricultural sustainability relates directly to maintaining or enhancing soil quality. Soil quality studies in Canada during the 1980‘s showed that loss of soil organic matter (SOM) and soil aggregate stability was standard features of non-sustainable land management in agroecosystems. In this study total soil organic carbon (SOC), particulate organic matter (POM), POM-C as a percentage of total SOC, and aggregate stability were determined for three cultivated fields and three adjacent grassland fields to assess the impact of conventional agricultural management on soil quality. POM was investigated using solid-state ^13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) to determine any qualitative differences that may be attributed to cultivation. Results show a highly significant loss in total SOC, POM and aggregate stability in the cultivated fields as compared to the grassland fields and a significant loss of POM-C as a percentage of total SOC.Integrated results of the NMR spectra of the POM show a loss in carbohydrate-C and an increase in aromatic-C in the cultivated fields, which translates to a loss of biological lability in the organic matter. Conventional cultivation decreased the quantity and quality of SOM and caused a loss in aggregate stability resulting in an overall decline in soil quality.     

Recovering decomposing plant residues from the particulate soil organic matter fraction: size versus density separation

 A detailed size separation of particulate organic matter (POM) from soils amended with straw from Hordeum vulgare or Vicia sativa revealed that the loss of C during the first 56 days of incubation mainly occurred from particles >2,000 μm, without a concomitant reduction in the size of these large particles. Preliminary studies of POM from non-amended soil had shown that the stable heavy (>1.4 g cm^–3) POM fraction was mainly (>80%) composed of particles <400 μm, whereas the light fraction was dominated by larger particles (>80%). Therefore we decided to compare the POM <1.4 g cm³ with POM >400 μm. There was a very close relationship between POM>400 μm and POM <1.4 g cm^–3 with regard to amounts of C and N, as well as the appearance of these fractions under the microscope. Similarly there was a close relationship between changes in the C content of the POM fractions and the CO₂ respired, and this was also the case when comparing changes in POM-N with net N mineralization. This indicated that the biological activity during decomposition was actually localized in the POM. Due to the lighter workload and lower expenditure for reagents in connection with size separation of POM, we recommend the size separation procedure in connection with studies of residue decomposition in arable systems. Received: 23 May 2000     

Mulching effect of plant residues of chemically contrasting compositions on soil organic matter content and cation exchange capacity

Abstract

Effects of five types of plant residues [Acioa, presently Dactyladenia barteri, Gliricidia sepium, and Leucaena lecocephala prunings, maize (Zea mays) stover and rice (Oryza sativa) straw] applied as mulch on soil organic matter (SOM) content and effective cation exchange capacity (ECEC) were studied on an Alfisol in the humid tropics. Plant residue mulch resulted in a decline in SOM and ECEC during two years of cropping following six years of grass fallow. Rice straw mulch resulted in less and maize stover mulch in a greater decrease of SOM and ECEC than the other mulches. Decrease in SOM and ECEC is attributed to the mulching effect on the soil micro‐climate which enhanced the decomposition of SOM accumulated during the grass fallow prior to the initiation of the experiment. In order to maintain SOM for a tropical soil, plant residues with high lignin, polyphenols, and silica will have to be among residue species when applied in continuous cropping systems.     

含水率对土壤有机质含量高光谱估算的影响

土壤含水率对有机质(soil organic matter,SOM)含量高光谱估算精度有很大的影响。为了探讨SOM高光谱估算中土壤含水率的影响,该文对烘干土、风干土和质量含水率为5%~40%(按5%递增)的土壤样本进行了室内高光谱测量,对光谱数据进行了反射率、反射率一阶导数和反射率倒数对数3种光谱数据变换,运用偏最小二乘回归法(partial least squares regression,PLSR)建立了相应的SOM估算模型。结果表明,风干土的SOM高光谱估算精度较好;当含水率水平小于25%时,SOM估算模型精度受含水率的影响较大,光谱数据进行反射率倒数对数变换后的模型精度最高;当含水率水平大于等于25%时,水分对土壤光谱反射率的影响要大于SOM,不适宜利用土壤光谱数据进行SOM含量高光谱估算。该研究可为大田环境不同含水率情况下光谱估算SOM提供参考。     

Influence of metals on solubility of soil organic matter

Treatment of the alkali-soluble organic matter of soil with a cation-exchange resin resin (Amberlite IR 120, H⁺ form) strongly modified the solubility characteristics of the organic matter, even though only part of the metals was removed. Two or more types of sorption sites were involved in the binding of metals by soil organic matter. The Amberlite removable metals interfered with the separation of humic from fulvic acid.     

土壤含水量对反射光谱法预测红壤土壤有机质的影响研究

研究土壤含水量对有机质预测的影响,可为野外红壤有机质快速测定提供理论依据。本文在实验室条件下测量了不同含水量红壤的可见光-近红外光谱反射率,运用偏最小二乘回归(PLSR)建立不同含水量的土壤有机质预测模型。结果显示,随土壤含水量的增加,有机质与一阶微分光谱的相关性先增加后下降,含水量为100～150 g/kg时相关系数最大。分380～2 400、380～1 300、1 300～2 400 nm三个波段建立不同含水量的有机质预测模型,模型预测精度均随土壤含水量增加而呈现先增加后下降的趋势。利用1 300～2 400 nm建立有机质预测模型可以有效避开氧化铁影响,建立的模型预测精度最高。本研究认为,当土壤含水量小于200 g/kg时,可以利用在室内控制条件下测定的土壤反射率,建立1 300～2 400 nm波段的PLSR模型,进行红壤土壤有机质含量预测。     

基于热分析技术的土壤有机质含量和稳定性分析

土壤有机质(soil organic matter,SOM)含量及其稳定性是评价土壤质量的重要指标。传统的化学氧化技术测定SOM时可能氧化不完全,费时费力,容易污染实验室环境;干烧法(例如,元素分析法)分析成本高,而且化学氧化法和干烧法都难以提供SOM稳定性的信息。该文探讨应用热分析技术测定SOM含量及热稳定性的可行性。土壤样品采自位于湖南省宁乡县的稻田施肥长期定位试验,采用湿筛法将耕层土壤样品分为2、0.25~2、0.05~0.25以及≤0.05 mm 4个粒级团聚体,利用热重分析(thermogravimetry,TG)和差示扫描量热分析(differential scanning calorimetry,DSC)技术测定土体及团聚体中SOM含量和稳定性。结果表明:1)土壤中存在2类热稳定性不同的SOM:一类为热易分解型,分解温度为200~350℃;另一类为热稳定性型,分解温度为350~550℃;2)热分析技术测定的土体和团聚体中SOM质量分数范围为4%~8%,而元素分析仪得到的SOM质量分数范围约为3%~6%,热分析法结果比元素分析法的结果平均高估2.10百分点,但二者存在显著线性相关(r=0.88,P=0)。因此,可以利用该系数(2.10%)将热分析技术测定的SOM含量校正为元素分析法测定的结果;3)SOM的热稳定性可以用热易分解SOM占总SOM的比例(Exo1/Exot)和SOM分解一半时的温度(TG-T50)来表征,Exo1/Exot和TGT50呈良好的负相关(r=-0.95,P=0),但Exo1/Exot对SOM的热稳定性更加敏感,因此用Exo1/Exot表征SOM的热稳定性可能更为合理;4)Exo1/Exot与碳水化合物、烷烃类、芳香族的傅立叶转换红外线光谱吸光度以及土壤基础呼吸和微生物代谢熵q CO2呈显著正相关,说明SOM的热稳定性与化学稳定性、生物稳定性存在良好的一致性;5)长期有机肥和化肥配施显著提高了土体及各粒级团聚体的SOM含量,秸秆还田也具有较好的效果,但单施化肥无明显效果;0.25~2 mm粒级的团聚体是贮藏SOM的优势粒级,其次为2和≤0.05 mm的团聚体;6)对于同一粒级团聚体或土体,与单施化肥和不施肥相比,有机肥配施化肥和秸秆还田下的SOM热稳定性有降低趋势;尽管SOM热稳定性在各粒级团聚体和土体中存在一定差异,但是各施肥处理中没有一致规律。利用热分析技术测定SOM含量和热稳定性具有可行性,可以应用于研究农田管理措施对SOM含量和稳定性的影响和综合评价土壤质量。     

A 13C-NMR study on the formation of soil organic matter from grass residues

The development of C-distribution on functional groups in soil organic matter (SOM) was investigated in whole soil samples and organomineral particle-size fractions from the 34-year-old pot experiment Hu3-Loamy marl at Rostock. CPMAS-¹³C-NMR spectra of grass roots and whole soil samples indicated the enrichment of carboxyl-C, aliphatic C and aromatic C in SOM, Only minor changes were observed in the SOM-C distribution on functional groups between 13th and 34th experimental year. The investigation of organomineral clay and silt-size fractions showed a specific retention of aliphatics in clay. The most obvious changes in organic matter composition in size-fractions were the increase of carbohydrate-C and decrease of aromatic C.     

Quantifying soil water effects on nitrogen mineralization from soil organic matter and from fresh crop residues

A loamy sand was incubated with and without addition of carrot leaves at six different water contents ranging from 6% to 20% (g 100 g^-1 dry soil) and N mineralization was monitored during 98 days. We calculated zero- and first-order rates for mineralization in the unamended soil and first-order rates for N mineralization in the residue-amended soil. Although N mineralization was strongly affected by soil moisture, rates were still important at 6% water content (corresponding to permanent wilting point), particularly in the residue-amended soil. Soil water content was recalculated as soil water tension and as percent water-filled pore space (%WFPS) and a parabolic, a logistic and a Gaussian-type function were fitted to the relation between N mineralization rates and water content, %WFPS or pF. Water potential was a less suitable parameter than either %WFPS or water content to describe the soil water influence on N mineralization, because N mineralization rates were extremely sensitive to changes in the water potential in the range of pF values between 1.5 and 2.5. In the residue-amended soil the Gaussian model yielded an optimum %WFPS of 56% for N mineralization, which is slightly lower than optimum values cited in literature. N mineralization in the unamended soil was more influenced by soil water than N mineralization from fresh crop residues. This could be explained by less water limitation of the microbial population decomposing the residues, due to the water content of the residues. The effect of the water contained in the residues was most pronounced in the lowest water content treatments. The water retention curves of both undisturbed and repacked soil were determined and suggested that extrapolation of results obtained during laboratory incubations, using disturbed soil, to field conditions will be difficult unless soil bulk density effects are accounted for, as is the case with the use of %WFPS.     

有机肥质量分数对土壤导水率稳定性的影响

饱和导水率是水循环和土壤侵蚀模型中的重要参数,也是土壤结构改善的重要指标.通过室内土柱模拟实验研究有机肥添加量对风沙土和壤土导水率的影响.土壤添加有机肥的比例设置为0％、5％、10％、15％、20％、25％、30％7个水平,土壤密度设3个水平,各处理5个重复.结果表明：1）土壤饱和导水率随有机肥质量分数的增加呈降低趋势,风沙土的饱和导水率随有机肥质量分数的增加呈直线下降趋势,而壤土饱和导水率的降低趋势随有机肥质量分数的增加减缓;2）有机肥质量分数的增加对土壤密度的降低作用可以抵消有机肥增加导致的饱和导水率的降低;3）低土壤密度下土壤导水率随时间变化不稳定,土壤密度增大后随时间变化稳定.随着有机肥质量分数的增加,土壤导水率的测定过程趋于稳定,但是测定时间延长.     

Effects of iron and organic matter on the porosity and structural stability of soil aggregates

Knowledge of the soil components controlling aggregate formation and stability is fundamental to the conservation of soil structure. In this work, the effects of Fe and organic matter (OM) on the porosity and structural stability of aggregates <4 mm of two cropped soils from Galicia (NW Spain) were determined. Porosity was estimated directly, by mercury intrusion porosimetry, and indirectly, from moisture characteristic and shrinkage curves. The three porosities obtained were similar and indicated that Soil 1, with the highest Fe and OM contents, had lower total porosity and a wider pore-size distribution than Soil 2. As regards structural stability, Hénin and Monnier's test, simulated rainfall and dispersion experiments, and determination of textural tensile strength all indicated Soil 1 to be the more stable soil. Oxidation of OM and selective extraction of Fe, which were most concentrated in the clay and silt fractions, indicated both these components to be important soil aggregants. It is suggested that the higher content of Soil 1 in Fe and OM is responsible for its greater stability.     

Influence of inorganic fertilizers and organic amendments on soil organic matter and soil microbial properties under tropical conditions

 Soil organic matter level, mineralizable C and N, microbial biomass C and dehydrogenase, urease and alkaline phosphatase activities were studied in soils from a field experiment under a pearl millet-wheat cropping sequence receiving inorganic fertilizers and a combination of inorganic fertilizers and organic amendments for the last 11 years. The amounts of soil organic matter and mineralizable C and N increased with the application of inorganic fertilizers. However, there were greater increases of these parameters when farmyard manure, wheat straw or Sesbania bispinosa green manure was applied along with inorganic fertilizers. Microbial biomass C increased from 147 mg kg^–1 soil in unfertilized soil to 423 mg kg^–1 soil in soil amended with wheat straw and inorganic fertilizers. The urease and alkaline phosphatase activities of soils increased significantly with a combination of inorganic fertilizers and organic amendments. The results indicate that soil organic matter level and soil microbial activities, vital for the nutrient turnover and long-term productivity of the soil, are enhanced by use of organic amendments along with inorganic fertilizers. Received: 6 May 1998     

Influence of blood meal organic fertilizer on soil organic matter: A laboratory study

Blood meal is an organic nitrogen (N) fertilizer containing about 10–13% organic N. The fertilizer is mainly composed of hemoglobin which is characterized by the presence of a prosthetic group containing iron (Fe). Knowledge about the influence of blood meal on soil organic matter and soil fertility is now limited. In this work, blood meal was incubated in the soil for one year and the evolution of the organic matter was followed at time intervals by use of isoelectric focusing (IEF) and humification parameters. The mineralization of the total N and the availability of some mineral nutrients (Fe in particular) were also followed. The results show that only a part (about 75%) of the organic carbon (C) and of the organic N mineralized and that the remaining C was transformed into humified compounds. The availability of the Fe increased during the incubation, probably due to the progressive degradation of the prosthetic group and the successive chelation of the Fe from the humic substances.     

去除水分影响提高土壤有机质含量高光谱估测精度

土壤水分的影响是当前采用光谱分析法预测土壤养分含量的关键问题,该文旨在探索去除土壤水分影响、提高有机质高光谱定量估测精度的方法。首先采用地物光谱仪进行湿土和过筛干土的高光谱测试,并进行一阶导数变换;然后,采用奇异值分解(singular value decomposition,SVD)结合相关分析筛选土壤水分特征光谱,构建去除水分因素的修正系数,形成湿土光谱的校正光谱;最后基于校正前后湿土光谱,应用偏最小二乘(partial least squares,PLS)回归构建土壤有机质含量的估测模型,并对模型进行验证和比较,分析评价校正前后光谱的预测精度。结果显示:按土壤水分含量梯度划分的2组和全部棕壤及褐土土样共4组样本校正后建模决定系数和均方根误差分别为0.85、0.82、0.74、0.76和0.19%、0.20%、0.23%、0.19%,决定系数提高了0.02~0.09,均方根误差降低了0.01~0.03百分点,验证决定系数、均方根误差和相对分析误差分别为0.78、0.77、0.72、0.76,0.21%、0.15%、0.21%、0.15%和2.03、2.02、1.86、1.98,决定系数提高了0.06~0.15,均方根误差除褐土土样提高0.02百分点外,其他样本组降低了0.01~0.08百分点,相对分析误差提高了0.17~0.43,模型决定系数和相对分析误差得到显著提升;尤其对于土壤水分含量变异系数较小的3组土样,模型从待改进级别提高到性能良好级别,对土壤有机质含量具有较好的预测准确性。说明该方法用于去除土壤水分因素影响和提高有机质含量高光谱估测精度的有效性。