Chemistry of Arsenic in Semi-Arid Alkaline Soils of the Southern High Plains, USA: Sorption Characteristics and Interactions with Soil Constituents

The eastern escarpment of the Southern High Plains (USA) is today a semi-arid erosional landscape delineated by canyon breaks and topographic relief. A series of buried soils were identified, described, and sampled at 19 soil profile localities exposed along terraces of the South Fork of the Double Mountain Fork of the Brazos River (South Fork) and two associated tributaries (Spring Creek and Macy 285 drainage). Radiocarbon dating revealed late-Pleistocene to early Holocene (~12,580–9100 14C B.P.), middle-Holocene (~6025–4600 14C B.P.), and late-Holocene (~2000–800 14C B.P.) buried soils. The late-Pleistocene to middle-Holocene soils were preserved only at higher elevations within the upper section of the South Fork and Spring Creek. A topographic position analysis was conducted using GIS to identify and examine the impacts of a soil topographic threshold on the preservation and distribution of buried soils within this geomorphic system. Above the identified ~810 m threshold, lateral migration of channels was constrained. Extensive channel migration below the threshold removed older terraces that were replaced with late-Holocene terraces and associated buried soils. Landscape topography constraints on geomorphic processes and soil formation impacted the preservation of archaeological sites in this semi-arid region.

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Groundwater-induced alterations in elemental concentration and interactions in semi-arid soils of the Southern High Plains, USA

Environmental Monitoring and Assessment ◽

10.1007/s10661-015-4863-1 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 187 (11) ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Tarek Kandakji ◽

Theophilus K. Udeigwe ◽

Ryan Dixon ◽

Li Li

Keyword(s):

Elemental Concentration ◽

High Plains ◽

Arid Soils ◽

Southern High Plains ◽

Semi Arid

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Fixation kinetics of chelated and non-chelated zinc in semi-arid alkaline soils: Application to zinc management

10.5194/se-2016-51 ◽

2016 ◽

Author(s):

Theophilus K. Udeigwe ◽

Madeleine B. Eichmann ◽

Matthew C. Menkiti

Keyword(s):

Arid Regions ◽

Reaction Rate ◽

High Plains ◽

Tetraacetic Acid ◽

Alkaline Soils ◽

Reaction Rate Constants ◽

The World ◽

Kinetics Of ◽

Semi Arid ◽

Iron And Manganese

Abstract. This study was designed to examine the fixation patterns and kinetics of zinc (Zn) in chelated (Ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid, EDTA) and non-chelated mixed micronutrient systems in semi-arid alkaline soils of the Southern High Plains, US. Soils were characterized for a suite of chemical and physical properties and data obtained from extraction experiments fitted to various kinetic models. About 30 % more plant-available Zn was fixed in the non-chelated system within the first 14 d with only about 18 % difference observed between the two systems by day 90, suggesting that the effectiveness of the chelated compounds tended to decrease over time. The strengths of the relationships of change in available Zn with respect to other micronutrients (copper, iron, and manganese) were higher and more significant in the non-chelated system (R2: 0.68–0.94), compared to the chelated (R2: 0.20–0.77). Fixation of plant-available Zn was best described by the power function model (R2 = 0.94, SE = 0.076) in the non-chelated system, and was poorly described by all the models examined in the chelated system. Reaction rate constants and relationships generated from this study can serve as important tools for micronutrient management and for future micronutrient modeling studies in these soils and other semi-arid regions of the world.

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Copper micronutrient fixation kinetics and interactions with soil constituents in semi-arid alkaline soils

Soil Science & Plant Nutrition ◽

10.1080/00380768.2016.1197046 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 62 (3) ◽

pp. 289-296 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Theophilus K. Udeigwe ◽

Madeleine Eichmann ◽

Peter N. Eze ◽

George M. Ogendi ◽

Molly N. Morris ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Alkaline Soils ◽

Soil Constituents ◽

Semi Arid

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Fixation kinetics of chelated and non-chelated zinc in semi-arid alkaline soils: application to zinc management

Solid Earth ◽

10.5194/se-7-1023-2016 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 7 (4) ◽

pp. 1023-1031

Author(s):

Theophilus K. Udeigwe ◽

Madeleine Eichmann ◽

Matthew C. Menkiti

Keyword(s):

Arid Regions ◽

Reaction Rate ◽

Ethylenediaminetetraacetic Acid ◽

High Plains ◽

Alkaline Soils ◽

Reaction Rate Constants ◽

The World ◽

Kinetics Of ◽

Semi Arid ◽

Iron And Manganese

Abstract. This study was designed to examine the fixation pattern and kinetics of zinc (Zn) in chelated (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, EDTA) and non-chelated mixed micronutrient systems of semi-arid alkaline soils from the Southern High Plains, USA. Soils were characterized for a suite of chemical and physical properties and data obtained from extraction experiments fitted to various kinetic models. About 30 % more plant-available Zn was fixed in the non-chelated system within the first 14 days with only about 18 % difference observed between the two systems by day 90, suggesting that the effectiveness of the chelated compounds tended to decrease over time. The strengths of the relationships of change in available Zn with respect to other micronutrients (copper, iron, and manganese) were higher and more significant in the non-chelated system (average R2 of 0.83), compared to the chelated (average R2 of 0.42). Fixation of plant-available Zn was best described by the power-function model (R2 = 0.94, SE  =  0.076) in the non-chelated system, and was poorly described by all the models examined in the chelated system. Reaction rate constants and relationships generated from this study can serve as important tools for micronutrient management and for future micronutrient modeling studies on these soils and other semi-arid regions of the world.

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Examining the fixation kinetics of chelated and non-chelated copper micronutrient and the applications to micronutrient management in semi-arid alkaline soils

Solid Earth Discussions ◽

10.5194/sed-7-2875-2015 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 7 (4) ◽

pp. 2875-2902

Author(s):

T. K. Udeigwe ◽

M. B. Eichmann ◽

M. C. Menkiti

Keyword(s):

Total Concentration ◽

High Plains ◽

Alkaline Soils ◽

Order Model ◽

Relationship Of ◽

Future Work ◽

The Relationship ◽

Kinetics Of ◽

Mixed Systems ◽

Semi Arid

Abstract. The relationship between the deficiency of a nutrient in plants and its total concentration in the soil is complex. This study examined and compared the fixation and fixation kinetics of copper (Cu) in chelated (Ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid, EDTA) and non-chelated mixed systems of micronutrients in the semi-arid soils of the Southern High Plains, US using findings from Cu extraction studies and kinetic models. Approximately, 22 % more Cu was fixed in the non-chelated system within the first 14 days with only 7 % difference between the two systems by day 90. Findings suggest a decrease in the effectiveness of chelated micronutrient over time, highlighting the significance of timing even when chelated micronutrients are applied. The strengths of the relationship of change in available Cu with respect to other micronutrients [iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), and zinc (Zn)] were higher in the non-chelated system (R2: 0.68–0.94), compared to the chelated (R2: 0.42–0.81) with slopes of 0.40 (Cu–Fe), 0.31 (Cu–Mn), and 1.04 (Cu–Zn) in the non-chelated system and 0.26 (Cu–Fe), 0.22 (Cu–Mn), and 0.90 (Cu–Zn) in the chelated. Reduction in the amount of available Cu was best described by the power function model (R2 = 0.91, SE = 0.081) in the non-chelated system and second order model (R2 = 0.95, SE = 0.010) in the chelated system. The applications generated from this study could be used as tools for improved micronutrient management and also provide baseline data for future work in other semi-arid/arid alkaline soils of the world. Findings are also more applicable to field settings, an improvement over related previous studies.

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