Specific ion effects on soil aggregate stability and rainfall splash erosion

Soil interparticle forces can pose important effects on soil aggregate stability and rainfall splash erosion. Meanwhile, these interparticle forces are strongly influenced by specific ion effects. In this study, we applied three monovalent cations (Li⁺, Na⁺, and K⁺) with various concentrations to investigate the influence of specific ion effects on aggregate stability and splash erosion via pipette and rainfall simulation methods. The specific ion effects on soil interparticle forces were quantitatively evaluated by introducing cationic non-classical polarization. The results showed that aggregate stability and splash erosion had strong ion specificity. Aggregate breaking strength and splash erosion rate at the same salt concentration followed the sequence as Li⁺ > Na⁺ > K⁺. With decreasing salt concentration, the difference in aggregate breaking strength or splash erosion rate between different cation systems increased initially (1–10^–2 mol L^–1) and later was nearly invariable (10^–2–10^–4 mol L^–1). The experimental results were well quantitatively explained by soil interparticle forces considering cationic non-classical polarization. Furthermore, both aggregate breaking strength and splash erosion rate of three cations revealed a strong positive linear relation with net force subjected to cationic non-classical polarization (R² = 0.81, R² = 0.81). These results demonstrated that different non-classical polarization of cations resulted in different soil interparticle forces, and thus led to differences in aggregate stability and splash erosion. Our study provides valuable information to deeply understand the mechanisms of rainfall splash erosion.     

Remote estimation of gross primary production in wheat using chlorophyll-related vegetation indices

A number of recent studies have focused on estimating gross primary production (GPP) using vegetation indices (VIs). In this paper, GPP is retrieved as a product of incident light use efficiency (LUE), defined as GPP/PAR, and the photosynthetically active radiation (PAR). As a good correlation is found between canopy chlorophyll content and incident LUE for six types of wheat canopy (R² = 0.87, n = 24), indices aimed for chlorophyll assessment can be used as an indicator of incident LUE and the product of chlorophyll indices and PAR will be a proxy of GPP. In a field experiment, we investigated four canopy chlorophyll content related indices (Red edge Normalized Difference Vegetation Index [Red Edge NDVI], modified Chlorophyll Absorption Ratio Index [MCARI₇₁₀], Red Edge Chlorophyll Index [CI_{red edge}] and the MERIS Terrestrial Chlorophyll Index [MTCI]) for GPP estimation during the growth cycle of wheat. These indices are validated for leaf and canopy chlorophyll estimation with ground truth data of canopy chlorophyll content. With ground truth data, a strong correlation is observed for canopy chlorophyll estimation with correlation coefficients R² of 0.79, 0.84, 0.85 and 0.87 for Red Edge NDVI, MCARI₇₁₀, CI_{red edge} and MTCI, respectively (n = 24). As evidence of the existence of a relationship between canopy chlorophyll and GPP/PAR, these indices are shown to be a good proxy of GPP/PAR with R² ranging from 0.70 for Red Edge NDVI and 0.75 for MTCI (n = 240). Remote estimation of GPP from canopy chlorophyll content × PAR is proved to be relatively successful (R² of 0.47, 0.53, 0.65 and 0.66 for Red edge NDVI, MCARI₇₁₀, CI_{red edge} and MTCI respectively, n = 240). These results open up a new possibility to estimate GPP and should inspire new models for remote sensing of GPP.     

Applying a Lagrangian dispersion analysis to infer carbon dioxide and latent heat fluxes in a corn canopy

Warland and Thurtell (2000) proposed an analytical dispersion Lagrangian analysis (hereafter WT analysis) to relate the mean scalar concentration field to source profiles inside the canopy. The first objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of the WT analysis with existing turbulence statistics parameterizations in a corn canopy, by comparing its inferred net ecosystem CO₂ exchange (NEE) and latent heat flux (λE) with eddy covariance measurements. The second objective was to assess the performance of the WT analysis to infer the soil CO₂ flux. Four parameterizations of turbulence statistics were used to estimate Lagrangian time scale (T_L) and standard deviation of vertical wind velocity (σ_w) profiles. The estimated T_L and σ_w profiles were then corrected for atmospheric stability conditions. The field experiment was carried out in a corn field from August to October 2007 and 2008. Profiles of water vapour and CO₂ mixing ratios were measured using a multiport sampling system connected to an infrared gas analyzer. Wind velocity within and above the canopy and eddy covariance measurements over the canopy were taken. The soil respiration, estimated using the WT analysis, was compared to estimates obtained by an empirical model. WT analysis fluxes showed good correlation (R² = 0.77-0.88) with NEE and λE obtained by the eddy covariance technique, but overestimated net fluxes, especially when corrections for atmospheric stability were applied. The optimization of T_L and σ_w profiles using in-canopy turbulence measurements improved the agreement between measured and modeled NEE and λE. Inferred soil CO₂ fluxes were underestimated and were poorly correlated (R² = 0.02-0.01) with estimates obtained using an empirical model based on soil temperature. This poor performance in estimating the soil respiration is likely caused by the decoupling between inside and above canopy flows.     

Empirical predictions of plant material C and N mineralization patterns from near infrared spectroscopy, stepwise chemical digestion and C/N ratios

Prediction of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) mineralization patterns of plant litter is desirable for both agronomic and environmental reasons. Near infrared reflectance (NIR) spectroscopy has recently been introduced in decomposition studies to characterize biochemical composition. The purpose of the current study was to use empirical techniques to predict C and N mineralization patterns of a wide range of plant materials incubated under controlled temperature and moisture conditions. We hypothesized that the richness of information in the NIR spectra would considerably improve predictions compared to traditional stepwise chemical digestion (SCD) or C/N ratios. Initially, we fitted a number of empirical functions to the observed C and N mineralization patterns. The best functions fitted with R²=0.990 and 0.949 to C and N, respectively. The fractions of C and N mineralized at different points in time were then either predicted directly with regression functions or indirectly by prediction of the parameters of the empirical functions fitted to incubation data. In both cases, partial least squares (PLS) regressions were used and predictions were validated by cross-validations. We found that the NIR spectra (best R²=0.925) were able to predict C mineralization patterns marginally better than the SCD fractions (best R²=0.911), but considerably better than the C/N ratios (best R²=0.851). In contrast, N mineralization was better predicted by SCD fractions (best R²=0.533) than the C/N ratio (best R²=0.497), which was better than NIR predictions (best R²=0.446). Although the predictions with the NIR spectra were only slightly better for C and worse for N mineralization compared to SCD fractions, NIR spectroscopy still holds advantages, as it is a much less laborious and cheaper analytical method. Furthermore, exploration of the applications of NIR spectroscopy in decomposition studies has only just begun, and offers new ways to gain insights into the decomposition process.     

Relationships between single tree canopy and grass net radiations

It is reported a simple approach to transform daily values of grass net (all-wave) radiation (R_n, MJ m⁻² day⁻¹), as measured over standard grass surface at meteorological stations, into whole tree canopy net radiation (A, MJ tree⁻¹ day⁻¹). The revolving Whirligig device [McNaughton, K.G., Green, S.R., Black, T.A., Tynam, B.R., Edwards, W.R.N., 1992. Direct measurement of net radiation and photosynthetically active radiation absorbed by a single tree. Agric. For. Meteorol. 62, 87–107] describing a sphere about the tree measured A in five trees of different species (walnut, dwarf apple, normal apple, olives and citrus), with leaf area L_A varying from 8.65 to 40 m². For each tree, A and R_n were linearly related (A = bR_n), as previously reported elsewhere, but it was found that the slope of such regression was also a linear function of L_A or, b = 0.303 (±0.032) L_A. Consequently, the hypothesis that total daily tree canopy net radiation per unit leaf area is linearly related to grass net radiation could not be rejected after 86 days of measurements in five locations, and the empirical relationship is A = 0.303 (±0.032) R_nL_A (R² = 0.9306).     

Tracking the potato late blight pathogen in the atmosphere using unmanned aerial vehicles and Lagrangian modeling

A means for determining the aerial concentration, C (sporangia m⁻³), of plant pathogenic spores at various distances from a source of inoculum is needed to quantify the potential spread of a plant disease. Values of C for Phytophthora infestans sporangia released from an area source of diseased plants in a potato canopy was quantified in three ways: (1) by using Rotorods to sample the air just above the source, (2) by using unmanned aerial vehicles to sample the air at altitudes up to 90 m above the source and at downwind distances up to 500 m from the source, and (3) by using a Lagrangian stochastic simulation of sporangia flight trajectories to tie these two measurements together. Experiments were conducted using three potato crops over two years. Model predictions of time-average, crosswind-integrated concentrations were highly correlated (r = 0.9) with values of C measured using the unmanned aerial vehicles. The model describes the release and dispersal of sporangia from a potato canopy to a downwind distance of 500 m. Thus, it may have utility as a part of an area-wide decision support system by helping to predict risk of disease spread between neighboring or distant potato fields.     

种植大豆地表土壤溅蚀效应及其空间分布特征

为系统研究种植大豆条件下农地溅蚀速率变化特征并建立简单易用的模型,评价大豆种植对土壤溅蚀的影响,采用室内模拟降雨的方法,测定了不同降雨强度(40 mm h-1和80 mm h-1)、不同大豆生长阶段(始花期、盛花期、结荚期和始粒期)下的穿透雨强度和溅蚀速率,分析了大豆冠下溅蚀速率与叶面积指数和穿透雨强度的关系,探讨了冠下溅蚀速率的空间分布特征.结果表明:与裸地相比,在大豆全生育期,大豆冠下平均溅蚀速率在设计雨强40 mm h-1和80 mm h-1下,分别减少了62.85％和60.74％.冠下平均溅蚀速率随叶面积指数增加呈显著的增加趋势,且随降雨强度的增大而显著增加.冠下各点溅蚀速率受相应各点的穿透雨强度影响在80 mm h-1设计雨强下较为显著,随穿透雨强度的增加而增加.大豆冠下溅蚀速率的空间分布与穿透雨的分布具有一定的对应性,即冠下穿透雨较为集中的区域会在一定程度上增加溅蚀的发生,并导致冠下溅蚀速率分布不均,大豆冠下穿透雨是冠下溅蚀产生和分布的主要能量来源.该研究提出的大豆冠下溅蚀速率模型可为坡耕地土壤侵蚀防治和农田灌溉有效利用提供理论支持.     

Long-term (13 years) measurements of SO2 fluxes over a forest and their control by surface chemistry

Long-term fluxes of sulphur dioxide (SO₂) have been measured over a mixed suburban forest subjected to elevated SO₂ concentrations. The net exchange was shown to be highly dynamic with substantial periods of both upward and downward fluxes observed in excellent conditions for flux measurement. Upward fluxes constituted 30% of selected fluxes and appeared more frequently when the canopy was acidic. Upward fluxes were shown to be due to desorption from a drying surface or when ambient levels declined after periods of increased SO₂ exposure.The long term average SO₂ flux (F) was −59 ng SO₂ m⁻² s⁻¹ for the period 1997-2009 corresponding to an average SO₂ concentration of 12.3 μg SO₂ m⁻³ and a deposition velocity υ_d of 5 mm s⁻¹. The smallest deposition fluxes and υ_d were measured in dry conditions (−42 ng m⁻² s⁻¹ and 3.5 mm s⁻¹, resp.), which represented 57% of all cases. Wet canopies were more efficient sinks for SO₂ and a dew-wetted canopy had a smaller υ_d (6 mm s⁻¹) than a rain-wetted canopy (ca 10 mm s⁻¹). Seasonal variability reflected differences in chemical climate or canopy buffering properties. During the summer half-year when surface acidity was low due to higher NH₃/SO₂ ratios, a higher deposition efficiency (υ_d/υ_dmax) and lower non-stomatal resistance (R_w) were observed compared to winter conditions. Comparisons of R_c for different combinations of canopy wetness and surface acidity categories emphasized the importance of both factors in regulating the non-stomatal sinks of SO₂. Increased surface water acidity gradually led to a lower υ_d/υ_dmax and an increased R_c for all considered canopy wetness categories. The smallest υ_d/υ_dmax ratio and highest R_c were obtained for a dry canopy with high surface acidity. Conversely, a rain-wetted canopy was the most efficient sink for SO₂. The canopy sink strength was further enhanced by high friction velocities (u_*), optimizing the mechanical mixing into the canopy. Long-term trends were strongly coupled to changes in the NH₃/SO₂ ratio, which has clearly enhanced the deposition efficiency of SO₂ in recent years.     

Fire exclusion and nitrogen mineralization in low elevation forests of western Montana

Little is known regarding how fire exclusion influences nitrogen (N) cycling in low elevation forests of western Montana. Nor is it clear how the change in fire frequency that has resulted from forest management has influenced ecosystem function in terms of plant-soil-microbe interactions. A fire chronosequence approach was used to examine the influence of forest succession on soil biochemical properties and microbimal activity at 10 sites with varying time since fire (2-130 years). The rate of decomposition of buried tongue depressors and cotton strips, was found to decrease significantly (R²=0.410, P=0.087 and R²=0.761, P=0.003, respectively) with time since fire (TSF). Net N mineralization and nitrification, as estimated by resin sorbed and concentrations, both exhibited significant non-linear decreases (R²=0.870, P=0.000 and R²=0.620, P=0.007, respectively) with TSF. Nitrification potential measured using an aerated soil slurry method, also decreased significantly (R²=0.595, P=0.009) with TSF. These decreases in N availability along with an increase in the metabolic quotient and a decrease in labile C pools with TSF indicated a decline in substrate quality and microbial activity with secondary forest succession. The concentration of total phenols in mineral soil showed no significant trend with TSF, but was negatively correlated (R²=0.486, P=0.025) with resin sorbed concentration indicating either enhanced immobilization or perhaps chemical inhibition. These results imply that biochemical processes (decomposition and N transformations) may be limited by the lack of available substrate and potentially as a result of rapid immobilization, chemical inhibition or a combination of both at least partially induced by changes in vegetation with TSF. Our results suggest that N availability in ponderosa pine ecosystems of the inland Northwest are directly dependent upon fire history and secondary successional stage.     

Integrated diurnal soil respiration model during growing season of a typical temperate steppe: Effects of temperature, soil water content and biomass production

Soil respiration was measured with the enclosed chamber method in an ungrazed Leymus chinensis steppe during the growing seasons of 2001 and 2002. Soil respiration rate (R_S) was significantly influenced by air temperature (T) at the diurnal scale, and could be described by Van't Hoff's equation (R_S = R₁₀ exp(β(T − 10))). At the seasonal scale, the normalized soil respiration rate at 10 °C (R₁₀) was mainly controlled by soil water content (R² = 0.717, P < 0.001), while the sensitivity of soil respiration to temperature (Q₁₀) was partially affected by absolute growth rate (R² = 0.482, P = 0.004). Thus, soil respiration could be described as R_S = (20.015W − 84.085) (0.103AGR + 1.786)^(T−10)/10 during the growing seasons, integrating soil water content (W) and absolute growth rate (AGR) into the temperature-dependent soil respiration equation. It was validated by the observed soil respiration rates in this study (R² = 0.890, P < 0.001) and observations from near-field experiment (R² = 0.687, P = 0.011). It implied that accurately evaluating annual soil respiration should include the effects of plant biomass production and other abiotic factors besides air temperature.     

Land cover monitoring by fractal analysis of digital images

Quantitative information about the land cover is a fundamental issue for any soil management practice. The use of high-resolution remote sensing for this purpose is still questionable because of some poorly measurable or unknown parameters involved in the interaction between the electromagnetic waves and the soil surface. The recorded heterogeneous, highly variable and multi-temporal numerical databases require new analytical tools for signal's pattern recognition and space/time interpretation. In this research we use a novel and versatile low-cost technique (Fractal Image Informatics) for indirect measurement of the soil cover by in situ digital imagery and fractal interpretation. The roughness of gray level distribution across the images is measured in terms of Hurst exponent (H) computed at the global (“firmagram”) and local (“reference lines”) scales and correlated with some direct physical measurements of the residues' weight and the degree of surface covering. The comparative analysis of six contrasting tillage systems was carried out on Mollic Andosol of Michoacan State, Mexico. The results show that H extracted from the soil surface images reveals the differences in land cover in a statistically significant manner. The image roughness, and therefore its Hurst exponent, had a negative correlation with the total weight of plant residues (R² = 0.80) as well as with the degree of soil covering (R² = 0.92). Strong positive correlation (R² = 0.86) was observed between the local H (extracted from the reference lines of the image) and global H (determined from the firmagram), confirming the scale invariance of the studied Andosol and the fractal nature of its digital images. All results are in qualitative and quantitative agreement with the in situ visualized patterns of residue distribution across the experimental plots. We conclude that Fractal Image Informatics is a precise and low-cost technique suitable to monitor the land cover in real time/space by digital imaging.     

Nondestructive estimation of bok choy nitrogen status with an active canopy sensor in comparison to a chlorophyll meter

Precise estimation of vegetable nitrogen (N) status is critical in optimizing N fertilization management. However, nondestructive and accurate N diagnostic methods for vegetables are relatively scarce. In our two-year field experiment, we evaluated whether an active canopy sensor (GreenSeeker) could be used to nondestructively predict N status of bok choy (Brassica rapa subsp. chinensis) compared with a chlorophyll meter. Results showed that the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and ratio vegetation index (RVI) generated by the active canopy sensor were well correlated with the aboveground biomass (AGB) (r=0.698-0.967), plant N uptake (PNU) (r=0.642-0.951), and root to shoot ratio (RTS) (r=-0.426 to -0.845). Compared with the chlorophyll meter, the active canopy sensor displayed much higher accuracy (5.0%-177.4% higher) in predicting AGB and PNU and equal or slightly worse (0.54-1.82 times that of the chlorophyll meter) for RTS. The sensor-based NDVI model performed equally well in estimating AGB (R²=0.63) and PNU (R²=0.61), but the meter-based model predicted RTS better (R²=0.50). Inclusion of the days after transplanting (DAT) significantly improved the accuracy of sensor-based AGB (19.0%-56.7% higher) and PNU (24.6%-84.6% higher) estimation models. These findings suggest that the active canopy sensor has a great potential for nondestructively estimating N status of bok choy accurately and thus for better N recommendations, especially with inclusion of DAT, and could be applied to more vegetables with some verification.     

Dry deposition velocity estimates of SO2 from models and measurements over a deciduous forest in winter

Measurements were made of concentrations and vertical flux densities (using the eddy correlation technique) for SO₂ over a deciduous forest during March and April 1990. These were compared with estimates of dry deposition velocities, obtained from resistance analogue models that employ measured meteorological data as input. The models include: (1) the dry deposition module that forms part of a larger Eulerian air quality model, known as ADOM (Acid Deposition and Oxidant Model), (2) a modified version of ADOM and (3) a new parameterization for R _c . The observations yielded V _d values of about 0.5 cm s^?1 for the daytime and 0.1 cm s^?1 at night. ADOM's estimates were much larger, averaging about 3.0 cm s^?1 during the daytime and about 2.0 cm s^?1 at night. When the ADOM canopy resistance was increased by modifying its formulation, the modified dry deposition estimates were slightly larger during the day than at night, averaging about 0.5 cm s^?1. The new parameterization for R _c yielded smaller V _d estimates with no diurnal variation. An attempt is made to relate the observed diurnal cycle of the dry deposition velocity to meteorological parameters.     

An Application of Landsat-5TM Image Data for Water Quality Mapping in Lake Beysehir, Turkey

The main goal of this study was to investigate spatial patterns in water quality in Lake Beysehir, which is the largest freshwater reservoir in Turkey, by using Landsat-5TM (Thematic Mapper) data and ground surveys. Suspended sediment (SS), turbidity, Secchi disk depth (SDD), and chlorophyll-a (chl-a) data were collected from 40 sampling stations in August, 2006. Spatial patterns in these parameters were estimated using bivariate and multiple regression (MR) techniques based on Landsat-5TM multispectral data and water quality sampling data. Single TM bands, band ratios, and combinations of TM bands were estimated and correlated with the measured water quality parameters. The best regression models showed that the measured and estimated values of water quality parameters were in good agreement (0.60 < R ² < 0.71). TM3 provided a significant relationship (R ²?=?0.67, p?<?0.0001) with SS concentration. MR between chl-a and various combinations of TM bands showed that TM1, TM2, and TM4 are strongly correlated with measured chl-a concentrations (R ²?=?0.60, p?<?0.0001). MR of turbidity showed that TM1, TM2, and TM3 explain 60% (p?<?0.0001) of the variance in turbidity. MR of SDD showed a strong relationship with measured SDD, with R ²?=?0.71 (p?<?0.0001) for the ratio TM1/TM3 and TM1 band combinations. The spatial distribution maps present apparent spatial variations of selected parameters for the study area covering the largest freshwater lake and drinking water reservoir in Turkey. Interpretation of thematic water quality maps indicated similar spatial distributions for SS, turbidity, and SDD. A large area in the middle portion of the lake showed very low chl-a concentrations as it is far from point and nonpoint sources of incoming nutrients. The trophic state index values were calculated from chl-a and SDD measurements. Lake Beysehir was classified as a mesotrophic or eutrophic lake according to chl-a or SDD parameters, respectively.     

Does seed dispersal by sheep affect the population genetic structure of the calcareous grassland species Bromus erectus?

This study investigates the contribution of the traditional land-use system “sheep herding” (transhumance) to the gene flow among populations. Three sheep trails with altogether 12 calcareous grassland sites were chosen for the analysis of the tussock grass Bromus erectus, which is known to be the species with the highest rate of dispersal via sheep fleece. Each trail links two to four isolated populations. Allozymes were chosen as genetic markers. Six loci were used, five of which were polymorphic. While genetic variability within populations was found to be quite high (averaged h=0.352), only little between-population differentiation was measured (G_ST=5.5%). Despite this, the UPGMA-dendrogram of Nei's genetic distance shows genetic similarity relations largely congruent with the sheep herding trails. However, a (more) detailed comparison reveals several differences between genetic patterns and trail system. Hence, additional factors other than dispersal by sheep are regarded as being responsible for exchange of genes, and sheep herding is considered to have only minor importance for the genetic patterns of the investigated species. The comparison of Bromus erectus to species with the same life history traits (i.e. pollination by wind, a perennial life cycle, and autopolyploid constitution) shows similar values, thus providing further evidence for the relatively small contribution of dispersal via sheep fleece.     

Evaluation of the spatial pattern of surface soil water content of a karst hillslope in Southwest China using a state-space approach

This study aims to evaluate the effects of soil physicochemical properties and environmental factors on the spatial patterns of surface soil water content (SWC) based on the state-space approach and linear regression analysis. For this purpose, based on a grid sampling scheme (10 m × 10 m) applied to a 90 m × 120 m plot located on a karst hillslope of Southwest China, the SWC at 0–16 cm depth was measured 3 times across 130 sampling points, and soil texture, bulk density (BD), saturated hydraulic conductivity (K_s), organic carbon (SOC), and rock fragment content as well as site elevation (SE) were also measured at these locations. Results showed that the distribution pattern of SWC could be more successfully predicted by the first-order state-space models (R² = 67.5–99.9% and RMSE = 0.01–0.14) than the classic linear regression models (R² = 10.8–79.3% and RMSE = 0.11–0.24). The input combination containing silt content (Silt), K_s, and SOC produced the best state-space model, explaining 99.9% of the variation in SWC. And Silt was identified as the first-order controlling factor that explained 98.7% of the variation. In contrast, the best linear regression model using all of the variables only explained 79.3% of variation.     

Orchard floor management utilizing soil-applied coal dust for frost protection. Part I. Potential microclimate modification on radiation frost nights

Little is known of the microclimate differences in orchards posed by different floor management systems. Comparisons were made of microclimatic factors on eight radiation frost nights in the spring of 1986 between two adjacent 1.4 ha peach (Prunus persica (l.) Batsch) plots in the Shenandoah Valley of West Virginia. The two plots were under different floor management systems; one plot with a complete grass cover (grass plot) and the other plot consisted of alternating 3-m-wide soil, 3-m-wide grass strips with coal dust applied to the soil strip of the tree row (coal dust plot). The net radiative flux (R_n) on radiation frost nights from the coal dust plot was 10–15 W m⁻² lower (greater radiative loss) than from the grass plot. Only 50% of this R_n difference in the early morning hours at the beginning of this study was accounted for by the soil heat flux (G) difference. However, G accounted for an increased percentage of the R_n difference in the early morning hours as the study progressed, reaching 100% at approximately 30 days from the commencement of this study. Differences of 0.5 and 1°C were found in bud and air temperatures, respectively, between plots, with bud temperature differences predicted by the Landsberg et al. model agreeing well with measured differences. Because the differences in R_n and G were nearly equal during radiation frost nights, it is apparent that little of the energy liberated by the soil was intercepted by the canopy. Provided a means of trapping the energy from the soil in the canopy can be devised, a potential 2–3°C difference in canopy temperature may be realized between these floor management systems for the site studied. These differences in canopy temperature, however, would be site-specific due to the effect of aspect, slope, relative position on slope, and vegetation on solar energy partitioning. A greater potential in utilizing soil management for frost protection may exist in other regions where orchard floors are devoid of vegetation and the soil treated area can be expanded.     

利用纳米磁性材料表征地表溅蚀特征的初探

磁性示踪研究坡面土壤侵蚀已取得一定成果,但目前的磁性示踪方法不能满足次降雨后的溅蚀特征研究。因此,在无磁性的石英砂上施用不同浓度(1.5%、2.5%、3.5%)和不同粒径(20 nm、200 nm)的纳米磁性材料,而后进行人工模拟溅蚀试验,利用磁化率仪和3D手持微地形扫描仪研究地表磁性变化与溅蚀后地表特征变化之间的关系,研究利用纳米磁性材料表征溅蚀特征的可行性。结果表明:20 nm磁性材料提高石英砂磁性背景值的幅度远高于200 nm磁性材料且不同浓度的磁性差异极显著,两种纳米磁性材料均呈现出布设浓度越大,示踪时间越长的特点;溅蚀后表层磁化率随溅蚀时间的延长而逐渐衰减,二者呈现出相关性较高的χ_1=aln(t)+b对数函数关系;20 nm磁性材料在3.5%浓度下可有效定量表征出石英砂溅蚀量的变化(p0.01),二者之间的相关关系可用χ_2=a Mb幂函数表示;20 nm磁性材料在溅蚀3 min内的磁化率变化与微地形高差变化呈极显著相关关系(p0.01),说明20 nm磁性材料可以在短时间内有效表征出溅蚀地表的侵蚀程度,可表征出的侵蚀厚度在-5~10 mm内。该研究证明20 nm磁性材料表征溅蚀地表特征的方法在一定程度上是可行的,可为磁性示踪法的深入研究提供新的思路和方法。     

Splash distance and size distributions for various soils

Splash is an important process in interrill erosion because it produces movement of soil fragments. However, this process is technically difficult to measure and little is known about its size selectivity. In this study, a splash ring device was used to characterise the spatial variation of the quantity and the aggregate size distribution of splashed soil fragments. Soil aggregates were placed at the centre of an experimental device subjected to a 29 mm h⁻¹ simulated rainfall with a kinetic energy of 17 J mm⁻¹. Splashed soil fragments were collected in concentric rings and analysed for masses and fragment size distributions. Four different soils, with various textures, were tested.Soils fragments were splashed across the whole splash device up to 45 cm from the source, and the quantity of splashed fragments decreased exponentially with the distance. For the four tested soils, the splash parameters were significantly correlated to the results of aggregate stability measurements with r=−0.96 and r=0.95, respectively, for the total splashed mass and the mean weight diameter (MWD) of the whole splashed fragments. The measurement of the splashed fragment size distributions showed that fragments up to 2000 μm were transported by raindrop impacts. The mass percentage of the coarsest fractions of splashed soil fragments exponentially decreased with the distance from the source. The extent of this decrease depends on the soil type. The size distributions of splashed soil fragments were compared with those of soil fragments produced by breakdown. Comparison of splash data to aggregate breakdown data showed an enrichment of the 200–1000 μm size fraction in the splashed fragments.     

Ozone deposition onto bare soil: A new parameterisation

The variables controlling ozone deposition onto bare soil are still unknown and it is necessary to understand this pathway well, as it represents a significant sink for ozone. Eddy-covariance measurements of ozone (O₃) fluxes were performed over bare soils in agricultural land. Three datasets with contrasted meteorological conditions and soil nitric oxide (NO) emissions were used to study the factors controlling soil deposition. It is considered that ozone deposition can be represented with an aerodynamic resistance (R_a), a quasi-laminar boundary layer resistance (Rb O₃), and an additional resistance, named soil resistance (R_soil). Although it is assumed in previous studies that soil resistance is a function of soil water content (SWC) and could be considered constant as variation of SWC at monthly scale are generally weak, the results of this study indicate that SWC is not the main factor controlling R_soil which shows daily and hourly variations. The main factor controlling soil resistance is the surface relative humidity which is positively correlated with R_soil, contrary to non stomatal resistance onto canopies which show a negative correlation with relative humidity. The relationship between R_soil and the surface relative humidity is probably due to a decrease in the surface available for ozone deposition, due to an increasing adsorption of water molecules onto the ground with relative humidity. A new parameterisation of R_soil was established, where R_soil is a function of the surface relative humidity only (R_soil = R_{soil min} × e^(k×RH_surf), and R_{soil min} = 21 ± 1.01 s m⁻¹ and k = 0.024 ± 0.001, mean ± SD). The measured and parameterised ozone deposition velocities agree well when soil NO emissions are negligible. However, when there are large soil NO emissions, the parameterised ozone deposition strongly underestimates the measured deposition velocity even if the chemical destruction of ozone by reaction with NO in the air column was evaluated to be negligible. This suggests that soil NO emissions enhance soil ozone deposition by chemical reaction at or near the soil surface. The new parameterisation allows a better estimation of soil deposition, especially during daytime when R_soil is overestimated using previously published parameterisations. It is an important step towards a better parameterisation of the non-stomatal uptake of ozone.