Compatible measurements of volumetric soil water content using a neutron probe and Diviner 2000 after field calibration

Field calibrations for a neutron probe and a capacitance sensor (Diviner 2000) for measuring the soil water content of a shrinking–swelling clay soil were substantially different from commonly used default values. Using our field calibrations, the two instruments estimated similar changes in the cumulative water content of a soil profile (0–1 m depth) over one growing season.     

Pedotransfer functions to assess adsorbed phosphate using iron oxide content and magnetic susceptibility in an Oxisol

Adsorbed phosphate in soils can be chemically extracted; however, this process is both time‐consuming and not cost‐effective if large numbers of samples have to be analysed. Indirect assessment of adsorbed phosphate by pedotransfer functions (PTFs) can help optimize fertilizer strategies. This study aimed to evaluate the spatial variability of adsorbed phosphate (P_ads), iron oxides and magnetic susceptibility (MS) in oxisols and to calibrate PTFs to predict P_ads. A total of 308 soil samples were collected from Hapludox and Eutrudox soils formed from sandstone in Brazil. The contents of clay (196–607 g/kg), iron oxides (40–165 g/kg), MS (1.2–29 × 10^?6 m³/kg) and P_ads (327–842 mg/kg) were in the range of typical values for these highly weathered soils. This study showed that the attributes studied were spatially dependent. Geomorphic surfaces enabled understanding of spatial variability and helped to develop a more efficient sampling scheme to calibrate PTFs. Moreover, the adsorbed phosphate in these oxisols could be predicted by a PTF using iron oxides and MS as predictors. The MS attribute enabled the most accurate prediction (concordance coefficient = 0.95, root‐mean‐square error = 46 mg/kg and relative improvement in root‐mean‐square error = ?4.12) of spatial variability through PTF compared to other predictors.     

Turbidity‐induced changes in emergent effects of multiple predators with different foraging strategies

Abstract – In natural systems, prey frequently interact with multiple predators and the outcome often cannot be predicted by summing the effects of individual predator species. Multiple predator interactions can create emergent effects for prey, but how those change across environmental gradients is poorly understood. Turbidity is an environmental factor in aquatic systems that may influence multiple predator effects on prey. Interactions between a cruising predator (largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides) and an ambush predator (muskellunge Esox masquinongy) and their combination foraging on a shared prey (bluegill Lepomis macrochirus) were examined across a turbidity gradient. Turbidity modified multiple predator effects on prey. In clear water, combined predators consumed in total more prey than expected from individual predator treatments, suggesting risk enhancement for prey. In moderately turbid water, the predators consumed fewer prey together than expected, suggesting a risk reduction for prey. At high turbidity, there were no apparent emergent effects; however, the cruising predator consumed more prey than the ambush predator, suggesting an advantage for this predator. Understanding multiple predator traits across a gradient of turbidity increases our understanding of how complex natural systems function.     

乔木种植位置对岸坡深层锚固作用的影响——以永定河泛区为例

以永定河泛区中天堂河下游段两岸作为研究区域,探究该区域不同类型乔木种植位置对岸坡整体锚固作用的影响,确定坡地区域与坡顶区域最佳的乔木种植方案,以解决洪泛区湿陷性粉质粘土岸坡坡脚处易失稳的安全隐患。采用拓扑根系描绘法、最大摩擦锚固力计算法、经验公式模型法以及ABAQUS有限元模拟法,分别对根系的形态、根系的固土性能、根系力学特性以及锚固岸坡整体稳定性进行分析。研究结果表明（：1）由于紫荆根系具有较为发达的须根,因而具有较强的锚固性能,相较于紫荆,榆叶梅锚固性能相对较差,在同一深度的埋置条件下,二者的锚固性能相差幅度为5%～25%(;2)当坡地区域的紫荆位于坡脚处,且坡顶区域的榆叶梅位于距离坡肩1.8 m处的种植位置时,岸坡的安全系数达到2.153,岸坡的抗滑锚固效果可达到最佳。坡顶区域与坡地区域的乔木种植位置可对粉质粘土坡体稳定产生双重耦合的影响,当坡地区域植株的种植位置处于坡脚处时,坡顶处任何区域的乔木根际土体均可与之形成有效的土拱效应,以遏制岸坡失稳。     

土壤钾素转化的影响因素及其研究进展

土壤中各种形态的钾之间存在着动态的平衡,这些平衡受一定因素的影响。本文主要从粘土矿物类型、土壤水分状况、温度、pH、肥料施用以及陪伴离子等方面对土壤钾素转化的影响因素进行了综述,可以归纳为:①以2∶1型粘土矿物为主的土壤吸附K 的结合能较小,易解吸;而以1∶1型粘土矿物为主的土壤吸附K 的结合能较大,吸附的K 不易解吸。②土壤干湿变化对钾素转化的影响因速效钾含量的高低而有明显的区别。③在0~40℃温度范围内,增温能使交换性钾离子减少,而水溶性钾离子浓度则相应增加。④pH对土壤钾素转化的影响比较复杂。⑤氮肥中的NH4 因与K 离子具有相似的离子半径和水化能而对土壤钾素的有效性产生显著的影响。最后展望了钾素转化领域未来的发展方向和研究热点。     

石羊河尾闾黏土质夹层结构土壤对降雨入渗的响应

为探明该种土壤结构如何影响降雨在土壤中再分配及其影响效果,采用自然降雨背景下的人工试验方法开展了黏土质夹层对降雨入渗影响效果的试验研究。结果表明:(1)降雨后经过相同时间水分再分布后的土壤末期含水率主要受控于降雨初期含水率、降雨入渗所能达到的最高含水率及其黏土夹层厚度;(2)黏土质夹层表层沙土土壤含水率在降雨条件下经过长期水分再分布后表现出黏土层厚度越小,表层含水率越低的特征;黏土层及黏土层下部的沙土层初始含水率越高,在降水初期水分增加量、增加速度以及水分流失量、流失速度与初始含水率具有一定的正相关关系。因此,黏土质夹层结构土壤阻滞水分入渗到植物难以利用到的深层,将水分固持于黏土层及黏土层上下部,在表层覆沙20 cm情景下,10,20,30 cm厚度的黏土质夹层以10 cm处理总体水分保持效果最好。     

混合方式对泡沫砂与土壤混合均匀性的影响

通过设置常规混合+风干态泡沫砂(CK)、常规混合+水浸态泡沫砂(1T)、常规混合+泥浆态泡沫砂(2T)、分层混合+风干态泡沫砂(3T)和分层混合+水浸态泡沫砂(4T) 5个处理,研究了不同混合方式对泡沫砂和土壤混合均匀性的影响,并采用容重的标准差和变异系数表征混合均匀性。结果表明:泡沫砂形态显著影响了混合均匀性。采用常规混合时,水浸态泡沫砂显著增加了0～10 cm和0～20cm土层混合均匀性,容重的标准差比风干态泡沫砂分别降低了188%和105%,容重的变异系数分别降低了62.1%和50.1%;与风干态泡沫砂相比,泥浆态泡沫砂不仅显著降低了不同土层的混合均匀性,还显著降低了混合物内部的混合均匀性,0～10 cm土层容重的标准差和变异系数分别比10～20 cm土层显著增加68.1%和50.8%。单变量分析表明,混合方式对混合均匀性无显著性影响,混合方式和泡沫砂形态之间无交互效应,泡沫砂形态是影响泡沫砂和土壤混合均匀性的主要因素。采用水浸态泡沫砂在常规混合方式下与土壤混合,不仅提高了混合物整体以及不同土层的混合均匀性,而且还降低了不同层次之间混合均匀性的差异。因此,建议采用常规混合+水浸态泡沫砂的方式混合土壤和泡沫砂。     

Potassium behavior and clay mineral composition in the soil with low effectiveness of potassium application

ABSTRACT

Increasing exchangeable potassium (ExK) content in soil to an appropriate level is important to mitigate the transfer of radioactive cesium to crops. We focused on a buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench) field with a low ExK content, despite the application of K, in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan (Field A), following the Tokyo Electric Power Company Fukushima Dai-ichi (No. 1) Nuclear Power Plant accident in March 2011. We examined the relationship between K concentration and clay mineral composition in the soil of Field A and compared the findings with another field in Fukushima Prefecture (Field B) to clarify whether K applied to the soil was leached or remaining fixed. Pot experiments showed that K concentration in water seepage from pots following irrigation was significantly lower in pots from Field A than in those from Field B. Soil ExK content after soybean cultivation was lower in soils of Field A than those of Field B. These results indicate that K applied to Field A was fixed in the soil. Analysis of clay mineral composition confirmed the distinctive vermiculitic nature of Field A soils. This clay mineralogy would be associated with the higher K fixation ability of Field A than Field B soils. This study demonstrated that K fixation in vermiculite was a factor preventing the increase in ExK content from K application to Field A.     

Roughness of biopores and cracks in Bt‐horizons assessed by confocal laser scanning microscopy

In structured soils, water and reactive solutes can preferentially move through larger inter‐aggregate pores, cracks, and biopores. The surface roughness of such macropores is crucial for describing microbial habitats and the exchange of water and solutes between macropores and the soil matrix together with other properties. The objective of this study was to compare the roughness of intact structural surfaces from the Bt‐horizons of five Luvisols developed on loess and glacial till and to test the applicability of confocal laser scanning microscopy. Samples of 5 to 10 cm edge length with intact structural surfaces including cracks with and without clay‐organic coatings, earthworm burrow walls, and root channels were prepared manually. The surface roughness of these structures was determined with a confocal laser scanning microscope of the type Keyence VK‐X100K. The root‐mean‐squared roughness (R_q) the curvature (R_cu) and the ratio between surface area and base area (R_A) were calculated from selected surface regions of interest of 0.342 mm² with an elevation resolution of 0.02 µm. The roughness was smaller for coated as compared to uncoated cracks and earthworm burrows of the Bt‐horizons. This reduction of roughness by the illuviation of clayey material was similar for the structural surfaces of the coarser textured till‐Bt and the finer‐textured loess‐Bt. This similarity suggested a dominant effect of pedogenesis and a minor effect of the parent material on the roughness levels of structural surfaces in the Bt‐horizons. An expected “smoothing” effect of burrow wall surfaces by earthworm activity was not reflected in the roughness values compared to those of uncoated cracks at the chosen spatial scale. However, for root channel walls from one loess‐Bt, the roughness was reduced as compared to that of other structures. These results suggest that the surface roughness of the structural surface types should separately be considered when describing preferential flow and macropore‐matrix exchange or analysing root growth, microbial habitats, and colloidal transport in structured soils. The confocal laser scanning microscopy technique was found useful for characterizing the roughness of intact structural surfaces.     

土壤持水特性参数与土壤质地尺度关系的联合多重分形分析

Soil water-retention characteristics at measurement scales are generally different from those at application scales, and there is scale disparity between them and soil physical properties. The relationships between two water-retention parameters, the scaling parameter related to the inverse of the air-entry pressure (αvG, cm-1) and the curve shape factor related to soil pore-size distribution (n) of the van Genuchten water-retention equation, and soil texture (sand, silt, and clay contents) were examined at multiple scales. One hundred twenty-eight undisturbed soil samples were collected from a 640-m transect located in Fuxin, China. Soil water-retention curves were measured and the van Genuchten parameters were obtained by curve fitting. The relationships between the two parameters and soil texture at the observed scale and at multiple scales were evaluated using Pearson correlation and joint multifractal analyses, respectively. The results of Pearson correlation analysis showed that the parameter αvG was significantly correlated with sand, silt, and clay contents at the observed scale. Joint multifractal analyses, however, indicated that the parameter αvG was not correlated with silt and sand contents at multiple scales. The parameter n was positively correlated with clay content at multiple scales. Sand content was significantly correlated with the parameter n at the observed scale but not at multiple scales. Clay contents were strongly correlated to both water-retention parameters because clay content was relatively low in the soil studied, indicating that water retention was dominated by clay content in the field of this study at all scales. These suggested that multiple-scale analyses were necessary to fully grasp the spatial variability of soil water-retention characteristics.