Improvement of nitrogen utilization and soil properties by addition of a mineral soil conditioner: mechanism and performance

2017 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 2805-2813 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaodan Yan ◽  
Lin Shi ◽  
Rumeng Cai
Keyword(s):  
Soil Properties ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Nitrogen Utilization ◽  
Soil Conditioner ◽  
And Performance

scholarly journals Modified Humic Substances as Soil Conditioners: Laboratory and Field Trials

Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 150
Author(s):  
Natalia A. Kulikova ◽  
Alexander B. Volikov ◽  
Olga I. Filippova ◽  
Vladimir A. Kholodov ◽  
Nadezhda V. Yaroslavtseva ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Humic Substances ◽  
Soil Aggregates ◽  
Field Tests ◽  
Performance Testing ◽  
Field Trials ◽  
Soil Conditioner ◽  
Model Soil ◽  
Substrate Induced Respiration ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Survival Of Seedlings

The paper is devoted to the development and performance testing of a soil conditioner based on leonardite humic substances (LHS) modified with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES). The modified HS were obtained by adding APTES to LHS solution at different mass ratios of LHS and APTES, followed by the investigation of siloxane structures using 31Si NMR spectroscopy. The Urbic Technosol was used as a model soil. The size and amount of water-stable soil aggregates were estimated using wet sieving and laser diffraction, respectively. Toxicity was evaluated by monitoring microbial substrate-induced respiration (SIR) and seedling bioassay. Laboratory column experiments demonstrated an increase in water-stability of the 3–5 mm soil aggregates after LHS-APTES application. Field tests showed an increase in the average weighted diameter of micro aggregates (from 59 to 73 μm) and water-stable macroaggregates (from 1.6 to 2.9 mm) due to the LHS-APTES amendment. A substantial increase in SIR from 5 to 9 mg CO2 (kg h)−1 was detected. Better survival of seedlings was observed. The obtained beneficial results indicate that APTES-modified HS can be successfully used as a soil conditioner. The formation of extended siloxane networks was suggested as the main mechanism of the observed improvement in the structure of the amended soils.

Factors related to seedling growth in a boreal Scots pine stand: a spatial analysis of a vegetation–soil system

1993 ◽  
Vol 23 (10) ◽  
pp. 2101-2109 ◽  
Author(s):  
Timo Kuuluvainen ◽  
Timo J. Hokkanen ◽  
Erkki Järvinen ◽  
Timo Pukkala
Keyword(s):  
Soil Properties ◽  
Scots Pine ◽  
Seedling Growth ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Height Growth ◽  
Understory Vegetation ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Theory Approach ◽  
Seedling Height ◽  
Canopy Trees

The spatial structure of vegetation and soil properties of a patchy Scots pine (Pinussylvestris L.) forest of 1 ha was described and examined in relation to the height growth of pine seedlings in the understory. Measured ecosystem properties included the distribution and sizes of canopy trees, within-stand radiation regime, composition of understory vegetation, and topsoil and mineral soil properties. The joint distance dependent effects of large trees were described as the influence potential, derived from the ecological field theory approach. The variation in understory vegetation and soil characteristics was described as score values, derived from multivariate analyses, summarizing the variation of multiple measured variables; factor analysis was used for topsoil and mineral soil properties and canonical correspondence analysis was used for understory species composition. The spatial variation of variables was examined and mapped using geostatistical techniques. The influence potential of canopy trees, as determined by their size and spatial distribution, correlated most strongly with seedling growth, so that the height growth of seedlings was retarded in the vicinity of trees. Correlations suggest that canopy trees also affected seedlings indirectly through their dominating effect on the properties of understory vegetation and humus layer. The mineral soil nutrient content showed a weak positive correlation with seedling height growth. All the factors related to seedling growth showed substantial small-scale variation across the 1-ha study site. The analysis suggests that the variation in seedling height growth in the understory of the studied Scots pine stand is largely caused by the spatial heterogeneity of both above- and below-ground factors and by the joint effect of their complex interaction.

scholarly journals Aspen and white spruce productivity is reduced by organic matter removal and soil compaction

2012 ◽  
Vol 88 (03) ◽  
pp. 306-316 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Kabzems
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Properties ◽  
Bulk Density ◽  
Soil Compaction ◽  
Forest Floor ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
White Spruce ◽  
Soil Bulk Density ◽  
Post Treatment ◽  
Organic Matter Removal

Declines in forest productivity have been linked to losses of organic matter and soil porosity. To assess how removal of organic matter and soil compaction affect short-term ecosystem dynamics, pre-treatment and year 1, 5 and 10 post-treatment soil properties and post-treatment plant community responses were examined in a boreal trembling aspen (Populus tremuloidesMichx.)-dominated ecosystem in northeastern British Columbia. The experiment used a completely randomized design with three levels of organic matter removal (tree stems only; stems and slash; stems, slash and forest floor) and three levels of soil compaction (none, intermediate [2-cm impression], heavy [5-cm impression]). Removal of the forest floor initially stimulated aspen regeneration and significantly reduced height growth of aspen (198 cm compared to 472–480 cm) as well as white spruce (Picea glauca [Moench] Voss) height (82 cm compared to 154–156 cm). The compaction treatments had no effect on aspen regeneration density. At Year 10, heights of both aspen and white spruce were negatively correlated with upper mineral soil bulk density and were lowest on forest floor + whole tree removal treatments. Recovery of soil properties was occurring in the 0 cm to 2 cm layer of mineral soil. Bulk density values for the 0 cm to 10 cm depth remained above 86% of the maximum bulk density for the site, a soil condition where reduced tree growth can be expected.

scholarly journals Mercury in coniferous and deciduous upland forests in northern New England, USA: implications of climate change

2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (22) ◽  
pp. 6737-6749 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. B. Richardson ◽  
A. J. Friedland
Keyword(s):  
New England ◽  
Soil Properties ◽  
Vegetation Type ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Mineral Horizon ◽  
Coniferous Species ◽  
Organic Horizons ◽  
Northern New England ◽  
Total Hg ◽  
Hg Accumulation

Abstract. Climatic changes in the northeastern US are expected to cause coniferous stands to transition to deciduous stands over the next hundred years. Mercury (Hg) sequestration in forest soils may change as a result. In order to understand potential effects of such a transition, we studied aboveground vegetation and soils at paired coniferous and deciduous stands on eight mountains in Vermont and New Hampshire, USA. Organic horizons at coniferous stands accumulated more total Hg (THg; 42 ± 6 g ha−1) than deciduous stands (30 ± 4 g ha−1). Total Hg pools in the mineral horizons were similar for coniferous (46 ± 8 g ha−1) and deciduous stands (45 ± 7 g ha−1). Soil properties (C, % clay, and pH) explained 56 % of the variation in mineral soil Hg concentration when multiply regressed. Foliar and bole wood Hg concentrations were generally greater for coniferous species than deciduous species. Using allometric equations, we estimated that aboveground accumulation of Hg in foliage and woody biomass was similar between vegetation types but that coniferous stands have significantly smaller annual litterfall fluxes (0.03 g ha−1 yr−1) than deciduous stands (0.24 g ha−1 yr−1). We conclude that organic horizon Hg accumulation is influenced by vegetation type but mineral horizon Hg accumulation is primarily controlled by soil properties. Further investigations into the effect of vegetation type on volatilization, atmospheric deposition, and leaching rates are needed to constrain regional Hg cycling rates.

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