Do elevated soil concentrations of metals affect the diversity and activity of soil invertebrates in the long‐term?

This study aimed to elucidate the response of diversity and activity of soil invertebrates to elevated soil metal concentrations that were a result of sewage sludge application. Field sampling of soil invertebrates was carried out from 2002 to 2004 at an experimental site established in 1982 to test the effects on crop production of metal contamination from sewage sludge applications with elevated concentrations of zinc (Zn), copper (Cu) and nickel (Ni) with certain treatments exceeding the current UK statutory limits for the safe use of sludge on land. At metal concentrations within the limits, none of the invertebrates sampled showed adverse effects on their abundance or overall community diversity (from Shannon–Weiner index). At concentrations above the limits, individual taxa showed sensitivity to different metals, but overall diversity was not affected. Earthworm abundance was significantly reduced at total Cu concentrations at and above 176 mg kg^?1, while nematode and enchytraeid abundances were sensitive to Cu and high Zn concentrations. Correspondingly, litter decomposition was lower in Zn and Cu treatments although there was no direct relationship between decomposition and soil invertebrate abundance or diversity. Such enduring changes in both soil biodiversity and biological activity around the current UK regulatory limits warrant further investigation to determine whether they indicate detrimental damage to soil functioning over the long‐term.     

磷在潮土肥际微域中的迁移和转化

采用室内土柱实验研究了磷在潮土肥际微域中的迁移和形态转化。结果表明,磷在潮土中的移动距离很短,经过7 d和28 d的迁移,磷的迁移距离仅为8～14 mm。施入的磷主要固定在紧靠施肥点2 mm土体范围内,随距施肥点距离的增加,土壤水溶性磷、酸溶性磷和有效磷的含量呈指数曲线迅速降低。磷在施肥后7 d内的迁移量较大,迁移进入土壤的磷绝大部分被吸附固定。施肥量对不同形态磷在肥际微域中的迁移量产生显著影响;但培养时间只明显影响了水溶性磷的迁移量。     

Effects of agricultural practices on the hydrodynamics of a deep tilled hardened volcanic ash–soil (Cangahua) in Ecuador

The rehabilitation of indurate pyroclastic formations of the Ecuadorian Sierra (cangahua) paves the way for the development of new agricultural areas. The material derived from the fragmentation of the hardened volcanic ashes is strongly prone to pluvial erosion, essentially because it has a fine silty–sandy texture, and because contains no organic matter and no clay minerals. Rainfall simulation was implemented before and after three cycles of cultivation to asses the evolution of soil structure and its susceptibility to erosion. The cultivated plots were < 1% slope and the rainfall simulation tests were conducted after the harvest on bare surfaces. Two soil preparations, (coarse and fine) and four different agricultural practices, (organic matter, green manure, mineral fertilization, and zero fertilization) were evaluated; as well reference/control plots (uncultivated bare plots).     

江苏省丘陵山区及平原沙土区水土流失综合治理及效益评估研究

通过近期重点工程规划实例分析江苏省水土流失综合治理措施及其效益,以期为今后的水保规划和综合治理提供借鉴。通过分析江苏省水土流失现状及特点,建立丘陵山区以小流域为单元的山、水、田、林、路综合治理措施体系,平原沙土区以小区域为单元的河、沟、堤、田、林、路综合治理措施体系,并规划各分区重点工程措施分布及工程量;在此基础上,进一步构建水土保持效益评价的指标体系及相应计算模型,进行规划措施的生态、经济、社会效益测算与分析。结果表明,全部措施生效当年可减蚀土壤1.38×106 t,拦蓄水1.27×108 m3;规划实施期末累计经济效益总额5 059.05万元,农民人均增收552.18元,效益显著。     

不同治理措施在红壤坡耕地的水土保持效益

在云南省抚仙湖流域澄江尖山河小流域坡耕地建立了野外标准径流小区,并布设了1.2m宽等高反坡阶和2.0m宽草带两种坡耕地水土保持措施,观测次降雨的地表径流量和土壤流失量,并与原状坡耕地进行对比,分析两种措施的水土保持效益。结果表明:(1)两种措施之间的地表径流量和土壤流失量差异性均显著。修筑等高反坡阶的地表径流深为113.64mm,比原状坡耕地减少了61.9%,土壤流失量为714.7t/km2,比原状坡耕地减少了77.4%;布设草带的地表径流深为82.76mm,比原状坡耕地减少了72.2%,土壤流失量为370.1t/km2,比原状坡耕地减少了88.3%。(2)两种措施之间的减流和减沙效益差异性均显著,等高反坡阶的减流和减沙效益指数平均分别达0.57和0.97,草带的减流和减沙效益指数平均分别达0.79和0.76。(3)两种措施均大幅削减了地表径流和泥沙的氮、磷养分输出总量,发挥了较好的保肥作用。与原状坡耕地相比,等高反坡阶对总氮削减率为81.9%,对总磷削减率为44.3%;草带对总氮削减率为74.7%,对总磷削减率为83.7%。     

The use of lysimeter data for the test of two soil–water balance models: A case study

Two soil–water balance models were tested by a comparison of simulated with measured daily rates of actual evapotranspiration, soil water storage, groundwater recharge, and capillary rise. These rates were obtained from twelve weighable lysimeters with three different soils and two different lower boundary conditions for the time period from January 1, 1996 to December 31, 1998. In that period, grass vegetation was grown on all lysimeters. These lysimeters are located in Berlin‐Dahlem, Germany. One model calculated the soil water balance using the Richards equation. The other one used a capacitance approach. Both models used the same modified Penman formula for the estimation of potential evapotranspiration and the same simple empirical vegetation model for the calculation of transpiration, interception, and evaporation. The comparisons of simulated with measured model outputs were analyzed using the modeling‐efficiency index IA and the root mean squared error RMSE. At some lysimeters, the uncalibrated application of both models led to an underestimation of cumulative and annual rates of groundwater recharge and capillary rise, despite a good simulation quality in terms of IA and RMSE. A calibration of soil‐hydraulic and vegetation parameters such as maximum rooting depth resulted in a better fit between simulated and observed cumulative and annual rates of groundwater recharge and capillary rise, but in some cases also decreased the simulation quality of both models in terms of IA and RMSE. The results of this calibration indicated that, in addition to a precise determination of the soil water‐retention functions, vegetation parameters such as rooting depth should also be observed. Without such information, the rooting depth is a calibration parameter. However, in some cases, the uncalibrated application of both models also led to an acceptable fit between measured and simulated model outputs.     

Soils are back on the global agenda

In the 1990s and early 2000s, there was widespread pessimism on the status of soil science in most parts of the world. This was mainly due to dwindling research budgets, reduced number of students and the overall perception that soil science and pedology were dead and buried. Renewed interest in agriculture for food, feed and fuel has brought soils back onto the global research agenda. Soil erosion, nutrient depletion and pollution are key issues brought up in many recent reports by UN and other international organizations. The need for up‐to‐date and fine resolution soil information and the revival of soil research is highlighted and prioritized in several studies. There is increased interest in soils in the popular press and media, and soils have entered the policy arena. For the global soil science community, there are challenges ahead and there is a direct need to educate a new generation of soil scientists.     

我国某些土壤中硫素的氧化

The status and activities of boron in soils were studied by the approach of electro-ultrafiltration(EUF).The samples of soils,including brown-red soil and calcareous alluvial soil,were collected from Hubei Province of China.The soil samples were incubated in saturated water and then their nutrients were ultrafiltrated with EUF equipment.Filtration and extraction were conducted in accordance with routine process,but fractions in anode and cathode were all collected.Analyses of B,K^ ,Mg^2 ,Ca^2 ,Cl^- and pH in fractions supposed that boron existed not only in a simple form of borate but also in ion -pair with cations partly in acidic soil,and borate was the primary form existing in the calcareous soil.In studying desorption kinetics with EUF,the boron content of Fractions 2-6 was accumulated.and the accumlative quantities were fit to time factors in three kinetic equations:the zero-order,first-order,and parabolic diffusion equations,Fit degree of the parabolic diffusion equation was the best,followed by the zero-order equation,and the first-order equation was the worst。     

Meeting the UK's climate change commitments: options for carbon mitigation on agricultural land

Abstract. Under the Kyoto Protocol, the European Union is committed to an 8% reduction in CO₂ emissions, compared to baseline (1990) levels, during the first commitment period (2008–2012). However, within the overall EU agreement, the UK is committed to a 12.5% reduction. In this paper, we estimate the carbon mitigation potential of various agricultural land-management strategies (Kyoto Article 3.4) and examine the consequences of UK and European policy options on the potential for carbon mitigation.
We show that integrated agricultural land management strategies have considerable potential for carbon mitigation. Our figures suggest the following potentials (Tg yr⁻¹) for each scenario: animal manure, 3.7; sewage sludge, 0.3; cereal straw incorporation, 1.9; no-till farming, 3.5; agricultural extensification, 3.3; natural woodland regeneration, 3.2 and bioenergy crop production, 4.1. A realistic land-use scenario combining a number of these individual management options has a mitigation potential of 10.4 Tg C yr⁻¹ (equivalent to about 6.6% of 1990 UK CO₂-carbon emissions). An important resource for carbon mitigation in agriculture is the surplus arable land, but in order to fully exploit it, policies governing the use of surplus arable land would need to be changed. Of all options examined, bioenergy crops show the greatest potential. Bioenergy crop production also shows an indefinite mitigation potential compared to other options where the potential is infinite.
The UK will not attempt to meet its climate change commitments solely through changes in agricultural land-use, but since all sources of carbon mitigation will be important in meeting these commitments, agricultural options should be taken very seriously.     

The rice soils of Cambodia. II. Statistical discrimination of soil properties by the Cambodian Agronomic Soil Classification system (CASC)

Abstract. A novel agronomic system of soil classification for managing rice soils in Cambodia (CASC) was developed recently. It integrates local knowledge about the soil with its conceptual and taxonomic understanding by soil scientists. Using quantitative soil survey data we evaluated the agronomic efficacy of the classification system. Although the CASC is based on simple field criteria it explained 25 to 44% of the variation in soil prop-erties relevant for agronomic decision making. It failed, however, to differentiate soil types based on pH (6% of variances explained). Despite its simplicity it performed as well or better than the most widely used soil map in Cambodia (Crocker, 1962), and unlike this small-scale soil map it allows classification on a field-specific basis. The average values of soil properties were often significantly different between groups. Organic carbon, clay content and plant available magnesium and calcium contributed most to the discrimination of CASC soil groups. The predictive accuracy when allocating new samples on the basis of quantitative survey data to soil groups of the CASC was 50% to 100%, except for soil groups Kein Svay (0%) and Kampong Siem (20%). The CASC is valuable for managing Cambodian rice soils and may also be used for up-scaling and mapping of soil information.