Spatial distribution of sediments and transfer properties in soils in a stormwater infiltration basin

Purpose  

The aim of our study was to characterise the heterogeneity of sediment distribution in a stormwater retention/infiltration basin (Pont de Cheviré, Nantes, France) and to determine the impact of this distribution on water transfer properties in the soil.     

Long-term accumulation and material balance of organic matter in the soil of an effluent infiltration basin

The fate of organic matter (OM) in large-scale infiltration basins used for wastewater treatment by the soil aquifer treatment (SAT) system was investigated. Measured changes in the organic matter concentrations in the soil profiles of the infiltration basins and detailed long-term records of OM concentrations in the recharged effluent and in the observation wells and recovery wells water, were used to calculate OM material balances in the SHAFDAN wastewater treatment plant, serving the City of Tel-Aviv, Israel, since 1977. The average annual total organic matter (TOM) load delivered by the effluents to the soil was ~ 5 kg m^− 2 y^− 1. Soil OM concentrations increased from 0.11% in the pristine soil to ~ 0.8% and ~ 0.6%, in the 0-0.15 m and 0.15-0.30 m soil layers, respectively, after ~ 20 y of effluent recharge, but did not change significantly in the 1.80-2.10 m deep layer. The OM accumulation rates in the top two soil layers were fast initially, then declined slowly and the OM concentrations approached a steady state following 10-15 y of effluent recharge. This suggests that stabilization of the ‘active biofilm’ layer in the infiltration basins' soils is a relatively slow process. Material-balance calculations showed, that accumulated OM in the top 0-2.1 m soil layer amounted to only ~ 4% of the TOM added by the effluents during ~ 20 y of recharge. Along the flow pathway of the effluent through the vertical 50-100 m thick soil-sediment column, DOC concentrations decreased by 70-90% (from ~ 18.9 mg L^− 1 to ~ 3.7 mg L^− 1). Continued flow in the aquifer from the observation wells to the recovery wells further decreased DOC concentrations by about 50% (from ~ 3.7 to ~ 1.5 mg L^− 1).     

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     

Specific features of organic matter in urban soils of Rostov-on-Don

Data on the fractional and group composition of humus in urban soils of Rostov-on-Don are discussed. We have compared the humus profiles of chernozems under tree plantations and those buried under anthropogenic deposits (including sealed chernozems under asphalt). It is shown that the type of humus in these soils remains stable despite a decrease in its total content after the long-term burial under asphalt. Under the impact of the trees, the organic matter of the chernozems acquired some features typical of gray forest soils, i.e., the humate-fulvate type of humus in the humus horizon and the sharp drop in the humus content down the soil profile.     

土壤有机质含量对土壤入渗能力及参数影响的试验研究

基于土壤质地为壤土的大田水分入渗试验,分析了有机质含量对大田土壤水分入渗能力和考斯加科夫入渗模型参数的影响。研究表明：土壤有机质对大田土壤入渗能力和入渗模型参数的影响都比较明显,土壤累积入渗量随着土壤有机质含量的增加而增大;入渗模型参数k和α值随土壤有机质含量的增加而减小。研究结果对于土壤入渗能力预测模型的建立和地面灌水技术参数的优化具有一定价值。     

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.     

The nature and stability of organic phosphates in leaf litter and soil organic matter in Nigeria

The organic phosphorus components of leaf litter from a secondary forest in Nigeria were characterized as phospholipids, acid soluble esters, LiOH-extractable esters and residual phosphate. During incubation of the litter at 30°C for 8 months all four organic fractions were synthesized and the content of inorganic phosphate decreased.During cultivation of the same field site over a period of 22 months, the IP_{5 + 6}, content of the soil did not change significantly, but there were significant decreases of phospholipids and of high molecular weight components. The high molecular weight components, which were not identified, represented the most important source of organic phosphorus that became available to plants, but phospholipids may also have been a source.The results indicate that the inositol phosphates in leaf litter were in too low concentration to have provided the amounts found in the soil.     

The influence of organic matter on aggregate stability in some British soils

The stability of aggregates from 26 soils selected from agricultural areas was measured by wet-sieving and the results correlated with sand, silt, clay, nitrogen, organic matter and iron contents and with cation exchange capacity. Highly significant correlations were obtained for the relationships between aggregate stability and organic matter and some properties associated with it. No other soil constituent investigated had a significant relationship with aggregate stability, indicating that organic matter is mainly responsible for the stabilization of aggregates in these soils. The relationships between aggregate stability, and organic matter content plus some of its component fractions were examined in more detail using 120 soils. Total organic matter, total carbohydrate and humic material extracted by various reagents each gave highly or very highly significant correlations with aggregate stability. However, whilst it was not possible to distinguish whether any one organic component was more important than another, the results indicate that soil organic matter levels can be used diagnostically to identify soils which may show problems of structural instability.     

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。     

Compositional characterization of soil organic matter and hot-water-extractable organic matter in organic horizons using a molecular mixing model

Purpose

Microbial decomposition of soil organic matter (SOM) is generally believed to be heterogeneous, resulting in the preferential loss of labile compounds such as carbohydrates and proteins and the accumulation of recalcitrant compounds such as lipids and lignin. However, these fractions are difficult to measure directly in soils. We examined patterns in the biomolecular composition of SOM and hot-water-extractable organic matter (HWEOM) by using a molecular mixing model (MMM) to estimate the content of carbohydrates, protein, lipids, and lignin.

Materials and methods

Organic-horizon soils from Spodosols at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest in NH, USA were analyzed for this study. The MMM uses data from elemental analysis (C, H, and N) and ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy with cross-polarization and magic-angle spinning to estimate the percentage of total C in the various classes of biomolecules.

Results and discussion

Carbohydrate content decreased from about 50 % of the C in recent litter to approximately 35 % in the bottom of the humus layer. Lipids accounted for about 18 % of C in recent litter and increased to 40 % in the lower humus layers. The HWEOM fraction of SOM was dominated by carbohydrates (40–70 % of C). Carbohydrates and lipids in HWEOM exhibited depth patterns that were the opposite of the SOM. The results from the MMM confirmed the selective decomposition of carbohydrates and the relative accumulation of lipids during humus formation. The depth patterns in HWEOM suggest that the solubility of carbohydrates increases during decomposition, while the solubility of the lipid fraction decreases. The MMM was able to reproduce the spectral properties of SOM and HWEOM very accurately, although there were some discrepancies between the predicted and measured H/C and O/C ratios.

Conclusions

The MMM approach is an accurate and cost-effective alternative to wet-chemical methods. Together, carbohydrates and proteins account for up to 85 % of the C in HWEOM, indicating that the HWEOM fraction represents a labile source of C for microbes. Humification resulted in a decrease in carbohydrate content and an increase in lipids in SOM, consistent with investigations carried out in diverse soil environments.     

塔里木盆地北缘荒漠土壤有机质含量的高光谱估测

土壤有机质含量的多少是衡量土壤肥力的重要指标,了解土壤有机质的状况及动态变化,为指导干旱区绿洲农业生产及生态环境保护提供科学依据.基于在塔里木盆地北缘绿洲-荒漠过渡带采集的80个土壤样品,测定有机质含量和光谱反射率.在原始反射率R的基础上,进行光谱反射率的一阶微分R′、倒数对数lg(1/R)、倒数对数的一阶微分[lg(...     

Thermal stability and composition of mineral-bound organic matter in density fractions of soil

Heavy density fractions of soil contain organic matter tightly bound to the surface of soil minerals. The chemical composition and ecological meaning of non-metabolic decomposition products and microbial metabolites in organic–mineral bonds is poorly understood. Therefore, we investigated the heavy fraction (density > 2 g cm^–3) from the topsoil of a Gleysol (Bainsville, Ottawa, Canada). It accounted for 952 g kg^–1 of soil and contained 19 g kg^–1 of organic C. Pyrolysis-field ionization mass spectra showed intensive signals of carbohydrates, and phenols and lignin monomers, alkylaromatics (mostly aromatic) N-containing compounds, and peptides. These classes of compound have been proposed as structural building blocks of soil organic matter. In comparison, the light fraction (density > 2 g cm^–3) was richer in lignin dimers, lipids, sterols, suberin and fatty acids which clearly indicate residues of plants and biota. To confirm the composition and stability of mineral-bound organic matter, we also investigated the heavy fraction (density > 2.2 g cm^–3) from clay-, silt- and sand-sized separates of the topsoil of a Chernozem (Bad Lauchstädt, Germany). These heavy size separates differed in their mass spectra but were generally characterized by volatilization maxima of alkylaromatics, lipids and sterols at about 500°C. We think that the observed high-temperature volatilization of these structural building blocks of soil organic matter is indicative of the organic–mineral bonds. Some unexpected low-temperature volatilization of carbohydrates, N-containing compounds, peptides, and phenols and lignin monomers was assigned to hot-water-extractable organic matter which accounted for 7–27% of the carbon and nitrogen in the heavy fractions. As this material is known to be mineralizable, our study indicates that these constituents of the heavy density fractions are degradable by micro-organisms and involved in the turnover of soil organic matter.     

Water infiltration and soil structure related to organic matter and its stratification with depth

Soil organic matter is a key attribute of soil quality that impacts soil aggregation and water infiltration. Two soils (Typic Kanhapludults), one under long-term management of conventional tillage (CT) and one under long-term management of no tillage (NT), were sampled to a depth of 12 cm. Soil cores (15 cm diameter) were either left intact or sieved and repacked to differentiate between short-term (sieving) and long-term (tillage management) effects of soil disturbance on water infiltration, penetration resistance, soil bulk density, macroaggregate stability, and soil organic carbon (SOC). Mean weekly water infiltration was not different between sieved and intact cores from long-term CT (22 cm h⁻¹), but was significantly greater in intact (72 cm h⁻¹) than in sieved (28 cm h⁻¹) soil from long-term NT. The stratification ratio of SOC (i.e., of 0–3 cm depth divided by that of 6–12 cm depth) was predictive of water infiltration rate, irrespective of short- or long-term history of disturbance. Although tillage is used to increase soil porosity, it is a short-term solution that has negative consequences on surface soil structural stability, surface residue accumulation, and surface-SOC, which are critical features that control water infiltration and subsequent water transmission and storage in soil. The stratification ratio of SOC could be used as a simple diagnostic tool to identify land management strategies that improve soil water properties (e.g., infiltration, water-holding capacity, and plant-available water).     

Regionalization for rice yield estimation by remote sensing in Zhengjiang province

The role of organic matter in the formaiton and stability of soil aggregates in mulberry plantation in the Hang-Jia-Hu Plain,northern Zhejiang Province,was evaluated in this study,A positive correlation was found between water-stable aggregate contents and organic matter contents in the ulberry plantation soils,which supported the hypothesis that organic matter was the main eenting agent in formation of aggregates.A close correlation was also foud between statility ofaggregate ad organic matter contents.Regression analysis showed that total nitrogen content was also an idicator of water-stable aggregate content and stability.The aggregate size distribution indicated that the water-stable aggregats 1-0.25mm in diaeter with the decreast of aggregate sizes,and the aggregates 1-0.25mm in diameter had the maximum organic matter content.     

Abiotic solubilization of soil organic matter,a less-seen aspect of dissolved organic matter production

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) is a small but reactive pool of the soil organic matter (SOM) that contributes to soil dynamics including the intermediary pool spanning labile to resistant SOM fractions. The solubilization of SOM (DOM production) is commonly attributed to both microbially driven and physico-chemically mediated processes, yet the extent to which these processes control DOM production is highly debated. We conducted a series of experiments using ¹³C-ryegrass residue or its extract (¹³C-ryegrass-DOM) separately under sterile and non-sterile conditions to demonstrate the importance of DOM production from microbial and physico-chemical processes. Soils with similar properties but differing in parent material were used to test the influence of mineralogy on DOM production. To test the role of the source of C for DOM production, one set of soils was leached frequently with ¹³C-ryegrass-DOM and in the other set of soils ¹³C-ryegrass residue was incorporated at the beginning of the experiment into the soil and soils were leached frequently with 0.01 mol L⁻¹ CaCl₂ solution. Leaching events for both treatments occurred at 12-d intervals over a 90-day period. The amount of dissolved organic C and N (DOC and DON) leached from residue-amended soils were consistently more than 3 times higher in sterile than non-sterile soils, decreasing with the time. Despite changes in the concentration of DOC and DON and the production of CO₂, the proportion of DOC derived from the ¹³C-ryegrass residue was largely constant during the experiment (regardless of microbial activity), with the majority (about 70%) of the DOM originating from native SOM. In ¹³C-residue-DOM treatments, after successive leaching events and regardless of the sterility conditions i) the native SOM consistently supplied at least 10% of the total leached DOM, and ii) the contribution of native SOM to DOM was 2–2.9 times greater in ¹³C-residue-DOM amended soils than control soils, suggesting the role of desorption and exchange reactions in DOM production in presence of fresh DOM input. The contribution of the native SOM to DOM resulted in higher aromaticity and humification index. Our results suggest that physico-chemical processes (e.g. exchange or dissolution reactions) can primarily control DOM production. However, microbial activity affects SOM solubilization indirectly through DOM turnover.     

Microaggregation and stability of organic matter in the forest-steppe chernozems of the Volga region

Based on the regularities of changes in the accumulation, composition, and properties of the microstructural components separated from virgin chernozems by granulodensimetric fractionation, an hypothesis relating the mechanisms of the microaggregate formation and stability with the spatial and temporal distribution of the soil organic matter was confirmed. Schemes were composed for describing the relationships of the soil microstructure with the stability of the organic matter and the dynamics of its renewal in chernozems. Parameters were proposed for characterizing the equilibrium status of soil organic matter.     

铵、钾同时存在时, 土壤对铵的优先吸附

The water stability of aggregates in various size classes separated from 18 samples of red soils under different managements, and the mechanisms responsible for the formation of water-stable soil aggregates were studied. The results showed that the water stability of soil aggregates declined with increasing size, especially for the low organic matter soils. Organic matter plays a key role in the formation of water-stable soil aggregates. The larger the soil aggregate size, the greater the impact of organic matter on the water stability of soil aggregates. Removal of organic matter markedly disintegrated the large water-stable aggregates (> 2.0 mm) and increased the small ones (< 0.25-0.5mm) to some extent, whereas removal of free iron(aluminium) oxides considerably destroyed aggregates of all sizes, especially the < 0.25-0.5 mm classes. The contents of organic matter in water-stable aggregates increased with aggregate sizes. It is concluded from this study that small water-stable aggregates (< 0.25-0.5 mm) were chiefly cemented by Fe and Al oxides whilst the large ones (> 2.0 mm) were mainly glued up by organic matter. Both free oxides and organic matter contribute to the formation and water stability of aggregates in red soils.     

半干旱土添加有机改良剂后有机质的化学结构变化

A 9-month incubation experiment using composted and non-composted amendments derived from vine pruning waste and sewage sludge was carried out to study the effects of the nature and stability of organic amendments on the structural composition of organic matter (OM) in a semi-arid soil.The changes of soil OM,both in the whole soil and in the extractable carbon with pyrophosphate,were evaluated by pyrolysis-gas chromatography and chemical analyses.By the end of the experiment,the soils amended with pruning waste exhibited less organic carbon loss than those receiving sewage sludge.The non-composted residues increased the aliphatic-pyrolytic products of the OM,both in the whole soil and also in the pyrophosphate extract,with the products derived from peptides and proteins being significantly higher.After 9 months,in the soils amended with pruning waste the relative abundance of phenolic-pyrolytic products derived from phenolic compounds,lignin and proteins in the whole soil tended to increase more than those in the soils amended with sewage sludge.However,the extractable OM with pyrophosphate in the soils amended with composted residues tended to have higher contents of these phenolic-pyrolytic products than that in non-composted ones.Thus,despite the stability of pruning waste,the composting of this material promoted the incorporation of phenolic compounds to the soil OM.The pyrolytic indices (furfural/pyrrole and aliphatic/aromatic ratios) showed the diminution of aliphatic compounds and the increase of aromatic compounds,indicating the stabilization of the OM in the amended soils after 9 months.In conclusion,the changes of soil OM depend on the nature and stability of the organic amendments,with composted vine pruning waste favouring humification.