Changes in soil and stream hydrochemistry during periods of spring snowmelt at a pristine site in mid-Norway

A detailed study of hydrochemical changes during spring snowmelt was undertaken at a pristine site in mid-Norway. The composition of catchment outflow water reflects hydrological pathways through different soil horizons and the contribution of pre-event or long-residence time water. There was evidence of secondary snowpack elution and ionic enrichment of water collected below the organic horizons. The observed time lag in commencement of BC soil horizon flow indicated that during the initial stages of the melt, water did not penetrate the deeper mineral horizons, or that initially the soil was not at field capacity. Increased soil and surface thawing is proposed as an important mechanism affecting the routing and subsequent chemical alteration of soil water leachate. The relative importance of elution, pathways, and dilution processes within the study catchment is discussed and a scenario for the effects of winter anthropogenic inputs at this pristine site is presented.     

Variation in soil bulk density and hydraulic conductivity within a quasi-circular vegetation patch and bare soil area

Journal of Soils and Sediments - Soil bulk density and hydraulic conductivity are two of many key factors for vegetation establishment and the other way around. Variations in them may cause patchy...     

Dual water flow pattern in the unsaturated zone under a gypsum-amended soil

Sediment samples were obtained from boreholes down to c. 20 m in a gypsum-treated, saline-water irrigated soil and from nearby uncultivated fields at two locations (Nir Oz and Nahal Oz). Measurements of tritium concentrations in the soil solution enabled the determination of water flow rates in the unsaturated zone. Two types of flow, fast and slow, were identified in the profiles. The slow component, the ‘piston-flow type’ in the sandy loess section in Nir Oz and in the clayey loess section of Nahal Oz, had a vertical velocity of 0.16 and 0.23 m a^?1, respectively. The faster component typically transported the solution through fractures and other preferred paths. The percentage of the slow component in the sandy and in the clayey loess was 40% and 60% respectively. A previous prediction of delayed transport of salts was verified and is related to the interaction between chemical composition of irrigation water and the agro technical practices of gypsum application.     

红壤侵蚀区马尾松林下植被特征与土壤侵蚀的关系

针对南方花岗岩发育的红壤侵蚀区,在赣县大田乡选择5个低丘马尾松林,利用植物样方调查方法对样地的地形、土壤、植被、侵蚀沟进行调查和测量,基于获取的数据,利用统计学方法分析植被特征与土壤侵蚀的关系.结果表明：1）马尾松人工林郁闭度低,林木生长状况差,林地阳坡半阳坡植被总盖度仅为36.9％;2）林下灌草生物量低,物种丰富度、多样性、均匀度差,物种较为单一;3）林下植被以草本为主,草本以芒萁为主,其生物量占草本总生物量的75％以上;4）马尾松林下细沟、浅沟发育,土壤侵蚀严重,仅细沟、浅沟流失的土壤厚度达71.2 mm;5）不同坡位的侵蚀沟发育相关性显著,侵蚀沟与坡面的微环境差异明显,尤其是土壤密度和土壤水分差异显著;6）马尾松林下土壤侵蚀量对植被恢复具有抑制作用,但沟壑密度的发育能够提高灌草物种丰富度、多样性,以及促进灌草均匀性分布.     

Determination of soil microbial biomass phosphorus in acid red soils from southern China

A CHCl₃ fumigation and 0.03 M NH₄F-0.025 M HCl extraction procedure was used to measure microbial biomass P (P_mic) in 11 acid red soils (pH <6.0) from southern China and the results compared to those obtained by the commonly-used CHCl₃ fumigation and 0.5 M NaHCO₃ extraction method. Extraction with NH₄F-HCl was found to be more effective and accurate than NaHCO₃ extraction for detecting the increase of P from microbial biomass P following chloroform fumigation due to its higher efficiency in extracting both native labile phosphate and added phosphate (³²P) in the soils. This was confirmed by the recovery of ³²P from in situ ³²P-labeled soil microbial biomass following fumigation and extraction by the NH₄F-HCl solution. Soil microbial biomass P, measured by the NH₄F-HCl extraction method, was more comparable with soil microbial biomass C (with a more narrow C:P ratio range of 4.3 to 22.3 and a mean of 15.6 in the microbial biomass), than that obtained by NaHCO₃ solution (with a mean C:P ratio of 30.7 and a wide range of 14.9 to 48.9). K_p, the fraction of soil microbial biomass P extracted after CHCl₃ fumigation, by the NH₄F-HCl solution was 0.34. The amount of microbial biomass P determined (using K_p =0.34) was 3–400% (mean 131%) higher than that obtained by the NaHCO₃ extraction (using K_p =0.40) for the 11 red soils studied. The results suggest that the CHCl₃ fumigation and NH₄F-HCl extraction method is more reliable for measuring microbial biomass P than the NaHCO₃ extraction method in acid red soils.     

泥石流频发区土壤有机质空间变异特征

利用GPS定位技术在泥石流频发区——云南东川蒋家沟流域采集土样99个,研究土壤有机质空间变异特征.结果表明：1）流域土壤有机质的平均质量分数（2.21 g/kg）较低;2）土壤有机质在空间分布上有明显的各向异性,空间变异特征主要反映在东北-西南方位,空间展布呈条带状;3）土壤有机质的空间变异存在中等程度的空间相关性,是由结构性因素和随机性因素共同作用引起的,受土壤质地、坡度、高程、土地利用方式和人类生产活动等因素的影响;4）同一因素不同级别下,土壤有机质质量分数差异极显著.研究结果可以为泥石流流域碳储量的估算提供依据,为土壤侵蚀退化地的生态恢复与重建提供参考.     

Detection of soil moisture and vegetation water abstraction in a Mediterranean natural area using electrical resistivity tomography

Vegetation growth in semiarid, Mediterranean ecosystems is greatly dependent on moisture availability in the soil, as little precipitation is available during the growing season. Predicting the effects of climate change on vegetation development requires understanding of the exact relation between climate, moisture availability, and plant growth. Accurate moisture measurements in naturally vegetated areas are difficult because of high spatial variability and because of the coarse, shallow soils. In this study, we evaluated the possibilities of using Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) to measure soil moisture availability and plant water use in a Mediterranean natural area. We found that ERT is a useful tool for measuring soil conditions, providing information on the spatial patterns within the soil and reaching depths otherwise inaccessible. In heterogeneous soils, we differentiated between lithological and moisture effects in the measurements using multitemporal data. Absolute calibration to moisture content was sometimes possible, but strongly location dependent. Based on the ERT measurements, we found that although the soils in the study area are shallow and rocky, plant roots penetrate deeply into the fractured and weathered bedrock, and vegetation subtracts water from depths down to 6 m and below. This information is important for understanding the plant–soil relations and modeling vegetation development. We conclude that ERT provides crucial information on soil moisture processes unavailable using any other currently available measurement method.     

南亚热带丘陵土壤水分循环及其有效性研究

根据对丘陵缓坡地和低丘梯地的系统观测资料 ,阐明了赤红壤贮水库容、有效贮水库容较小 ,而通透库容较大 ;降雨集中 ,地表径流明显 ;赤红壤贮水量季节性变化明显 ,有效贮水量低等特征 ;同时对SPAC连续体系中的水分势能和水流阻力的分布规律进行了分析 .     

The Nashwaak Experimental Watershed Project: Analysing effects of clearcutting on soil temperature,soil moisture,snowpack, snowmelt and stream flow

A forest disturbance such as clearcutting affects local climate conditions by affecting surface reflectance, amount of snow catch, amount and timing of snowmelt and stream water discharge, soil moisture, soil temperature and soil frost. In this paper, snowpack water equivalents, soil moisture and soil temperature are simulated for pre- and post-harvest conditions at the Nashwaak Experimental Watershed Project. This Project involved a paired watershed experiment, with one of the forest-covered basins cut by way of a conventional harvesting operation, and the other basin left as a control. The computer simulations involved the application of a forest hydrology model (ForHyM) and a soil temperature model (ForSTeM). Both models used monthly amounts of rain and snow and mean monthly air temperatures records as input. Forest-atmosphere energy balances were calculated for year-round conditions. In this report, special attention was given to the energy balance when the ground is covered with snow. Doing so generated a process-oriented approach for calculating snowmelt throughout the winter and at the beginning of spring. Year-round model simulations for stream discharge were compared with pre- and post-harvest discharge observations. Also compared were simulated and observed snowpack water equivalents. Simulated results were in good agreement with field observations, thereby supporting the general calculations made for pre- and post-harvest soil moisture, temperature and frost conditions. Altogether, it was found that clearcutting produced positive as well as negative contributions to the water budget of the harvested basin. Positive contributions were likely due to reduced evapotranspiration. Negative contributions were likely due to reduced snow and fog water catch. Increased ground-level insolation advanced the snowmelt season for the cut basin by about two weeks.     

Chemical changes and phosphorus release during decomposition of pea residues in soil

To study C chemistry and nutrient dynamics in decomposing residues and P dynamics at the residue-soil interface, young pea (Pea-Y) and mature pea (Pea-M) residues were incubated in a sandy soil with low P availability. The study was conducted in microcosms in which the residues were separated from the soil by a nylon mesh. Controls consisted of microcosms without residues. Residues and the soil in the immediate vicinity of the nylon mesh were sampled after 5, 15, 28, 42 and 61 days. Residue chemistry was studied by ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and determination of C, N and P concentrations. Compared to Pea-M, Pea-Y was characterised by higher N and P concentrations, higher percentage of proteins, esters, fatty acids and sugars, and was more easily decomposable in the first 15 days. Pea-M residues had a greater percentage of cellulose and other polysaccharides than Pea-Y and showed a more gradual loss in dry weight. Differences in C chemistry and N and P concentration between the residues decreased with time. The decomposition of Pea-Y and Pea-M residues resulted in an increase in microbial P in the residue-soil interface compared to the control, but available P was increased only in the vicinity of Pea-Y residues.     

Impact of vegetation restoration on soil organic carbon stocks and aggregates in a karst rocky desertification area in Southwest China

Journal of Soils and Sediments - The objectives of the study were as follows: (a) to determine the response of soil organic carbon (SOC) fractions to vegetation restoration; (b) to examine the...     

Composition and structure of aggregates from compacted soil horizons in the southern steppe zone of European Russia

The composition and structure of aggregates from different agrogenic soils in the southern steppe zone of European Russia have been studied. It is shown that the multi-level study (from the macro- to microlevel) of these horizons makes it possible to identify soil compaction caused by different elementary soil processes: solonetz-forming, vertisol-forming, and mechanical (wheel) compaction in the rainfed and irrigated soils. The understanding of the genesis of the compaction of soil horizons (natural or anthropogenic) is important for the economic evaluation of soil degradation. It should enable us to make more exact predictions of the rates of degradation processes and undertake adequate mitigation measures. The combined tomographic and micromorphological studies of aggregates of 1–2 and 3–5 mm in diameter from compacted horizons of different soils have been performed for the first time. Additional diagnostic features of negative solonetz- forming processes (low open porosity of aggregates seen on tomograms and filling of a considerable part of the intraped pores with mobile substance) and the vertisol-forming processes (large amount of fine intraaggregate pores seen on tomograms and a virtual absence of humus–clay plasma in the intraped zone)—have been identified. It is shown that the combination of microtomographic and micromorphological methods is helpful for studying the pore space of compacted horizons in cultivated soils.     

Changes in soil pH and phosphorus availability during decomposition of cover crop residues

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of winter cover crop (CC) residues on soil pH and phosphorus (P) availability. Three incubation assays were performed in pots using two CC: vetch (V) (Vicia villosa Roth.) and oats (Oa) (Avena sativa L.). Soil samples were taken from 10 sites at 0–20-cm depth. The rate of residues were 0 (D0), 10 (D1), 20 (D2), 30 (D3), and 40 (D4) g dry matter kg^?1 soil and the soil sampling was after 10, 20, 30, 60, 90, and 120 days of incubation. Soil pH, extractable P (Pe), and soil organic matter (SOM) and its fractions were determined. The pH increase was correlated with the rate applied (D1 < D2 < D3 < D4). No differences were found for pH comparing V and Oa residues with low residue rates. Soil pH changes were dependent from initial pH and SOM fractions in different soils across the incubation period. The multiple regression models showed that the pH changes were dependent on initial pH level and SOM fractions with a high R² (0.81). CC residues and its quantities produced different changes on pH – especially at the beginning of the incubation – which influenced the P availability.     

Measuring phosphorus fluxes through the root zone of a layered sandy soil: comparisons between lysimeter and suction cell solution

Chemical and physical processes govern the extent to which phosphorus dissolved from the plough layer is retained by or leached from the subsoil. The adsorption capacity of deeper layers, the velocity of solution flux and the amount of soil volume in contact with the leaching soil solution are important determining factors. Soil solution from 90-cm depth of a layered sandy soil, sampled over a 3-year period with teflon suction cells, was systematically lower in P content than soil solution sampled with free drainage lysimeters from the same depth. On average 4.6 times as much inorganic P and twice as much organic P was found in lysimeter solutions. Determination of apparent equilibrium solution concentrations of phosphate was performed by means of a series of batch experiments with soil and soil solution of varying initial P content. The results indicated that the suction-cell solution was close to equilibrium with soil from the 90-cm layer. Rhodamine dye was applied, and flow paths of soil solution observed. Preferential flow was initiated from layers of finer texture overlying layers of coarser texture. On the basis of these observations it is concluded that suction cells give the best representation of stagnant soil solution, whereas lysimeters give a better representation of mobile soil solution.     

Mercury concentrations in northern pike,Esox lucius L., in small lakes of Evo area,southern Finland

We measured Hg concentrations in northern pike (Esox lucius) from 17 small lakes in Evo forest area, Lammi, southern Finland. The mean Hg concentration in muscle tissue of a 1 kg pike ranged from 0.15 to 1.36 μg g⁻¹ (ww) in the lakes. There was a trend towards higher concentrations in acidic and humic lakes than in circumneutral and clear-water lakes. The Hg content of pike from successive lakes of a lake chain was similar, whereas there were clear differences in the Hg concentrations among seepage lakes and the uppermost lakes of other lake chains. The latter was probably due to special characteristics of the lakes: in one lake pike was the only fish species, two of the lakes were regulated by beaver, and one lake was a groundwater or spring lake. Our observations indicate that Hg concentrations in pike can vary considerably from lake to lake in a small geographical area and that the variation among lakes in the accumulation of Hg in fish largely depends on lake characteristics and on the diet of pike.     

Characteristics of nutrient load in a stream flowing through a livestock farm during spring snowmelt

We investigated the stream water quality during the snowmelt period in a livestock farm, located in Shizunai, southern Hokkaido, Japan. The water quality was very different between the early stage of the snowmelt period (March 15–21) and the later stage (March 22–April 5) in 2001. The load of nutrients (NH₄ ⁺-N, T-P, K⁺) was large along with the increase of the flow rate and nutrient concentrations during the early stage of the snowmelt period. The molar ratios of Si / T-N and Si / T-P of the stream water, as an index of eutrophication, were also under the threshold values (2.7, 64.3, respectively) during the early stage of the snowmelt period. In addition, the relationship between the Si and nutrient concentrations (NH₄ ⁺-N, T-P, K⁺) showed a significantly negative correlation (R ² = 0.65), which indicated that the amount of nutrient load might be derived from surface runoff. Consequently both the quantity and quality of the stream water during snowmelt may exert an adverse effect on coastal waters, leading to eutrophication. Furthermore, since the main effluent source appeared to be surface runoff at the early stage of the snowmelt period, attention should be paid to land management before and during the snow covering period.     

Fate of a phenylpyrazole in vegetation and soil under tropical field conditions

The fate of fipronil, a phenylpyrazole insecticide, and its metabolites under tropical conditions was studied in soil and in vegetation after treatment for locust control. Two different plots were treated with a formulation of fipronil at doses of 5 and 10 g of active ingredient ha(-)(1), respectively. Vegetation and soil at depths of 0-5 and 5-20 cm were sampled for up to 2 months after treatment. After extraction and purification on fipronil immunoaffinity cartridges, residues were analyzed by gas chromatography using electron capture and mass detectors. In soil, a rapid initial decrease of fipronil was observed with a rapid formation of the sulfone and the photodegradate; the amide and the sulfide were not detected. In vegetation, a rapid initial decrease of fipronil was also observed with a rapid formation of mostly the sulfone; the photodegradate and the sulfide were also detected but at much lower concentrations. The metabolites resulting from the degradation of fipronil were similar in both soil and vegetation, but their relative concentrations were different.     

Use of a microtitre plate reader in soil phosphorus analysis

Abstract

A technique is described for using microtitre plates and plate reader in soil phosphorus analysis. The molybdate‐vanadate method of phosphorus analysis was modified to use a reduced volume of reagents and each sample was read at 405 nm instead of 420 nm. Using standard microtitre plates instead of test tubes, the volume of reagent was reduced 20 X and as many as 96 samples could be read in a total of two minutes.     

黄河中下游河岸缓冲带土壤粒径分形特征

在人类活动与自然因素的共同作用下,黄河中下游河岸缓冲带土壤结构和植被等受到不同程度的破坏.本研究选择黄河中下游郑州一开封段河岸缓冲带作为研究区,探讨河岸人工林表层0～20 em土壤颗粒组成和分形维数在不同植被类型和河岸缓冲距离的分布特征及其与群落特征的关系.结果表明:1)研究区土壤颗粒质量分数呈非均匀分布,土壤质地空间分布表现为同质性,不同植被类型和河岸缓冲距离对土壤颗粒组成与土壤颗粒分形维数D值的影响差异不显著,D为2.75左右,土壤结构良好;2)D值与黏粒质量分数均与土壤全碳(TC)、总有机碳(TOC)和全氮(TN)的质量分数显著正相关(P＜0.01),砂粒质量分数则与TC、TOC和TN质量分数呈显著的负相关(P＜0.01),粉粒质量分数只与TN质量分数在0.05水平显著正相关;3)草本高度、乔木胸径、高度和郁闭度与D值、粉粒和黏粒质量分数呈正相关,与砂粒质量分数呈负相关.说明河岸人工林覆盖和生物量越大,土壤结构越好.