体积置换法直接测量土壤质量含水率及土壤容重

土壤含水率直接测量是相关研究和应用的基础,在土壤力学、作物栽培、农田灌溉、生态环境等研究和实践中十分重要。该文提出了一种与传统烘干称质量法相当的体积置换法直接测量土壤质量含水率及土壤容重。该方法在假设一定土壤颗粒密度的前提下,用一定体积的标准取样环刀取得土样后,通过向待测量土体补充水分使土壤达到饱和,用一定体积的水置换土壤中的充气空隙,直到土样达到饱和状态;再通过测量得到的初始/原始土样质量、饱和后土壤的质量以及已知土壤颗粒密度和水密度,计算得到被置换的充气空隙的体积,进而由此计算得到土壤质量含水率和土壤容重。采用3种不同土壤,即陕西杨凌黏黄土、北京粉壤土和江西黏红土,分别预配制成7种不同初始土壤体积含水率,含水率约为:风干土(含水率2%～3%)、5%、10%、15%、25%、30%和饱和含水率,以及3种不同土壤容重:1.25、1.35和1.45g/cm3进行室内试验。用类似的土样,采用传统方法烘干土样8、12、24、48h后,测量确定土壤的质量含水率,通过延长烘干时间测得数据表明,传统方法烘干8h所测得的质量含水率仍有1%～3.2%的含水率误差。最终试验结果表明体积置换方法测得的土壤含水率比传统烘干土样8h所测得的结果大2%～3%,比烘干土样48h所测得的结果大1%左右。体积置换方法测量操作过程简单,耗时较少,节约能源,测量结果具有较高精度。     

Reference bulk density and critical degree-of-compactness for no-till crop production in subtropical highly weathered soils

The concept of degree of compactness (DC), referred to as field bulk density (BD) as a percentage of a reference bulk density (BD_ref), was developed to characterize compactness of soil frequently disturbed, but for undisturbed soil such as under no-tillage critical degree of compactness values have not been tested. The objective of this study was to compare methods to determine BD_ref and limits of DC and BD for plant growth under no-tillage in subtropical soils. Data from the literature and other databases were used to establish relationships between BD and clay or clay plus silt content, and between DC and macroporosity and yield of crops under no-tillage in subtropical Brazil. Data of BD_ref reached by the soil Proctor test on disturbed soil samples, by uniaxial compression with loads of 200 kPa on disturbed and undisturbed soil samples, and 400, 800 and 1600 kPa on undisturbed soil samples, were used. Also, comparisons were made with critical bulk density based on the least limiting water range (BDc LLWR) and on observed root and/or yield restriction in the field (BDc Rest). Using vertical uniaxial compression with a load of 200 kPa on disturbed or undisturbed samples generates low BD_ref and high DC-values. The standard Proctor test generates higher BD_ref-values, which are similar to those in a uniaxial test with a load of 1600 kPa for soils with low clay content but lower for soils with high clay content. The BDc LLWR does not necessarily restrict root growth or crop yield under no-tillage, since field investigations led to higher BDc Rest-values. A uniaxial load greater than 800 kPa is promising to determine BD_ref for no-tillage soils. The BD_ref is highly correlated to the clay content and thus pedotransfer functions may be established to estimate the former based on the latter. Soil ecological properties are affected before compaction restricts plant growth and yield. The DC is an efficient parameter to identify soil compaction affecting crops. The effect of compaction on ecological properties must also be further considered.     

Variation in organic‐carbon concentration and bulk density in Flemish grassland soils

The different management regimes on grassland soils were examined to determine the possibilities for improved and/or changed land management of grasslands in Flanders (Belgium), with respect to article 3.4 of the Kyoto Protocol. Grassland soils were sampled for soil organic carbon (SOC) and for bulk density. For all grasslands under agricultural use, grazing and mowing + grazing led to higher SOC stocks compared with mowing, and grazing had higher SOC stocks compared with mowing + grazing. Overall, 15.1 ± 4.9 kg OC m^–2 for the clayey texture, 9.8 ± 3.0 kg OC m^–2 for the silty texture, and 11.8 ± 3.8 kg OC m^–2 for the sandy texture were found for grassland under agricultural use to a depth of 60 cm. For seminatural grasslands, different results were found. For both the clayey and silty texture, mowing and mowing + grazing led to higher SOC stocks compared with grazing. The clayey texture had a mean stock of 15.1 ± 6.6, the silty texture of 10.9 ± 3.0, and the sandy texture of 12.1 ± 3.9 kg OC m^–2 (0–60 cm). Lower bulk densities were found under grazed agricultural grassland compared with mown grassland but for seminatural grassland, no clear trends for the bulk density were found. The best management option for maintaining or enhancing SOC stocks in agricultural grassland soils may be permanent grazed grassland. For seminatural grassland, no clear conclusions could be made. The water status of the sampled mown fields was influencing the results for the clayey texture. Overall, the mean SOC stock was decreasing in the order clay > sand > silt. The higher mean SOC concentrations found for the sandy texture, compared to the finer silty texture, may be explained by the historical land use of these soils.     

Bulk density by Proctor test as a function of texture for agricultural soils in Maputo province of Mozambique

Soil degradation processes may be of various kinds, including soil compaction. The present study was carried out with the objective of assessing the sensitivity of agricultural or recently abandoned soils in Maputo province of Mozambique to compaction. The assessment is based on the maximum of bulk density attained using the Proctor test (MBD).

In this study the soil texture is expressed by silt plus clay (S + C) or clay (C). The relations between the soil texture and MBD, and between soil texture and critical water content (CWC—soil water at which MBD is attained) were determined. Selected soils range from 10 to 74% of S + C and 9 to 60% of C.

The results suggest there is a relationship between the considered parameters, being that between S + C and MBD or CWC, the best. For MBD the relationship is represented by two quadratic equations with the boundary in between these being a S + C value of 25% and C value of 20%.

Based on the obtained results, one can conclude that the selected parameters may be a useful basis for estimation of the sensitivity to compaction of the Maputo province's soils. It is recommended that similar studies be carried out for soils under forest land and for soil of other provinces to establish the national physical degradation hazard as a function of soil parameters determined routinely and at low cost. The suggested parameters are texture and soil organic matter (SOM).     

Measuring near‐saturated hydraulic conductivity of soils by quasi unit‐gradient percolation—1. Theory and numerical analysis

The saturated and near‐saturated hydraulic conductivity of soils, k_u, is a sensitive indicator of soil structure and a key parameter for solute transport and soil aeration. In this contribution, we present and numerically investigate a double‐disk method to determine k_u in the laboratory by steady‐state percolation at different suction steps. Tension infiltration of water takes place at the top of a soil column through a porous disk with a smaller diameter than the soil sample. This leaves part of the soil surface open and ensures a proper soil ventilation. Drainage takes place at the base through a porous disk with the full diameter of the soil column at exactly the same tension as applied to the top boundary. Since the infiltration area is less than the percolation area, the water flow diverges and the equality of steady flow rate and hydraulic conductivity, which characterizes the standard unit‐gradient experiment, is no longer valid. To develop a general relationship between observed steady flow rate and unsaturated hydraulic conductivity, the experiment was simulated with the Richards‐equation solver HYDRUS 2D/3D, for twelve different soil classes. We found for tensions in the range 1 cm < 10 cm, an infiltration disk diameter of 4.5 cm diameter and a sample diameter of 8 cm diameter that the flux rate at any given tension was about 0.7 times the respective hydraulic conductivity, with an error of less than 10%.     

Stabilization of organic matter by soil minerals — investigations of density and particle‐size fractions from two acid forest soils

We tested the hypothesis whether organic matter in subsoils is a large contributor to organic carbon (OC) in terrestrial ecosystems and if survival of organic matter in subsoils is the result of an association with the soil mineral matrix. We approached this by analyzing two forest soil profiles, a Haplic Podzol and a Dystric Cambisol, for the depth distribution of OC, its distribution among density and particle‐size fractions, and the extractability of OC after destruction of the mineral phase by treatment with hydrofluoric acid (HF). The results were related to indicators of the soil mineralogy and the specific surface area. Finally, scanning electron microscopy combined with energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (SEM‐EDX) was used to visualize the location of OC at mineral surfaces and associations with elements of mineral phases. The subsoils (B and C horizons) contained 40—50% of the soil OC including the organic forest floor layers. With increasing depth of soil profiles (1) the radiocarbon ages increased, and (2) increasing portions of OC were either HF‐soluble, or located in the density fraction d >1.6 g cm^—3, or in the clay fraction. The proportions of OC in the density fraction d >1.6 g cm^—3 were closely correlated to the contents of oxalate and dithionite‐citrate‐bicarbonate‐extractable Fe (r² = 0.93 and 0.88, P <0.001). SEM‐EDX analyses suggested associations of OC with aluminum whereas silicon‐enriched regions were poor in OC. The specific surface area and the microporosity of the soil mineral matrix after destruction of organic matter were less closely correlated to OC than the extractable iron fractions. This is possibly due to variable surface loadings, depending on different OC inputs with depth. Our results imply that subsoils are important for the storage of OC in terrestrial ecosystems because of intimate association of organic matter with secondary hydrous aluminum and iron phases leading to stabilization against biological degradation.     

Image analysis for non‐destructive and non‐invasive quantification of root growth and soil water content in rhizotrons

Studies aiming at quantification of roots growing in soil are often constrained by the lack of suitable methods for continuous, non‐destructive measurements. A system is presented in which maize (Zea mays L.) seedlings were grown in acrylic containers — rhizotrons — in a soil layer 6‐mm thick. These thin‐layer soil rhizotrons facilitate homogeneous soil preparation and non‐destructive observation of root growth. Rhizotrons with plants were placed in a growth chamber on a rack slanted to a 45° angle to promote growth of roots along the transparent acrylic sheet. At 2‐ to 3‐day intervals, rhizotrons were placed on a flatbed scanner to collect digital images from which root length and root diameters were measured using RMS software. Images taken during the course of the experiment were also analyzed with QUACOS software that measures average pixel color values. Color readings obtained were converted to soil water content using images of reference soils of known soil water contents. To verify that roots observed at the surface of the rhizotrons were representative of the total root system in the rhizotrons, they were compared with destructive samples of roots that were carefully washed from soil and analyzed for total root length and root diameter. A significant positive relation was found between visible and washed out roots. However, the influence of soil water content and soil bulk density was reflected on seminal roots rather than first order laterals that are responsible for more than 80 % of the total root length. Changes in soil water content during plant growth could be quantitifed in the range of 0.04 to 0.26 cm³ cm^—3 if image areas of 500 x 500 pixel were analyzed and averaged. With spatial resolution of 12 x 12 pixel, however, soil water contents could only be discriminated below 0.09 cm³ cm^—3 due to the spatial variation of color readings. Results show that this thin‐layer soil rhizotron system allows researchers to observe and quantify simultaneously the time courses of seedling root development and soil water content without disturbance to the soil or roots.     

A simple,low‐cost technique for in situ measurement of leaf P concentration in field‐grown rice

Simple tools for diagnosing crop nutritional status are in great demand by agricultural extension staff, particularly in low‐fertility environments. We developed the first practical method for in situ diagnosis of phosphorus (P) nutrition in field‐grown cereal crops by using a handheld colorimeter. The concentration of P in extracts from fresh leaves of lowland rice grown under various P availabilities was closely correlated with that of oven‐dried leaves measured with the standard molybdenum‐blue method in the laboratory, over a range of values from 0.319 to 1.420 mg P g ^?1 DW (r = 0.885^**, n = 14). It takes only 3–5 min to estimate the P concentration of plant samples using the new technique. Although not as accurate as the laboratory method, the new method can easily detect P deficiency of rice in the field (and possibly other cereal crops) without requiring costly, off‐site equipment. Thus, extension staff and agronomists can easily adopt this technique.     

terraGIS – a web GIS for delivery of digital soil maps in cotton‐growing areas of Australia

Effective management of soil requires the spatial distribution of its various physical, chemical and hydrological properties. This is because properties, for example clay content, determine the ability of soil to hold cations and retain water. However, data acquisition is labour intensive and time‐consuming. To add value to the limited soil data, remote sensing (e.g. airborne gamma‐ray spectrometry) and proximal sensing, such as electromagnetic (EM) induction, are being used as ancillary data. Here, we provide examples of developing Digital Soil Maps (DSM) of soil physical, chemical and hydrological properties, for seven cotton‐growing areas of southeastern Australia, by coupling soil data with remote and proximal sensed ancillary data. A greater challenge is how to get these DSM to a stakeholder in a way that is useful for practical soil use and management. This study describes how we facilitate access to the DSMs, using a simple‐to‐use web GIS platform, called terraGIS. The platform is underpinned by Google Maps API, which is an open‐source development environment for building spatially enabled Internet applications. In conclusion, we consider that terraGIS and the supporting information, available on the sister web page ( http://www.terragis.bees.unsw.edu.au/ ), allow easy access to explanation of DSM of soil properties, which are relevant to cotton growers, farm managers, consultants, extension staff, researchers, state and federal government agency personnel and policy analysts. Future work should be aimed at developing error budget maps to identify where additional soil and/or ancillary data is required to improve the accuracy of the DSMs.     

Changes in microbial‐community structure with depth and time in a chronosequence of restored grassland soils on the Loess Plateau in northwest China

Microbial‐community structure is closely associated with plant‐community composition. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of depth and revegetation time on the microbial‐community structure of restored grassland soils of the Loess Plateau of China. Microbial‐community structure at 0–10 cm (depth 1) and 10–20 cm (depth 2) of eight sites of a grassland chronosequence with revegetation time ranging from 1 to 78 y was determined using phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis. Except for the youngest site microbial‐community structure at the two depths varied distinctly with actinomycetes and vesicular arbuscular mycorrhiza as the most important discriminators. Total PLFA content decreased with depth and increased with revegetation time. Protozoa were the only functional group whose proportion did not change with depth. Their relative abundance tended to decrease with increasing revegetation time. The microbial community at all sites was bacteria‐dominated with Gram‐negative bacteria representing the largest proportion. Principal‐component and cluster analysis revealed that microbial‐community structure in the surface soil (depth 1) of the older sites (23–78 y of revegetation) was rather similar which may be due to only small effects of the plant species present on the soil environment. Differences in microbial‐community composition at 0–20 cm depth of the eight sites were partly related to variations in the physico‐chemical characteristics. Relations to organic C, alkali‐extractable N, pH, and available P were found. Revegetation of former agricultural sites on the Loess Plateau improves the soil status and leads to shifts in microbial‐community structure more pronounced with depth than time.