The Impact of Poplar Short Rotation Coppice on Topsoil Physical Properties and Related Water Conditions

AbstractIn Europe, the establishment of short rotation coppice (SRC) systems for biomass production has been expanding in the last decades. Several studies have considered the impacts of SRC on soil properties; many have focused on studying its effect on biochemical properties while only a few have addressed physical and hydraulic properties. This study reports the assessment of soil physical and hydraulic properties on two SRC sites on sandy soils planted with 3-year-old poplar trees and an adjacent conventional agricultural field in Western Slovakia. All sites contain a comparable sandy loam soil texture and both SRC fields differed only in the groundwater accessibility. Water infiltration experiments were conducted in the field with subsequent sampling of the upper topsoil (0–5 cm depth). The samples were further processed in the laboratory to obtain the water retention and hydraulic conductivity functions of the soil covering a wide range of soil pore saturation. These hydraulic functions were fitted by using the bimodal version of Kosugi-Mualem’s hydraulic model to estimate the pore-size distribution (PSD) of the soils. The comparison between the SRC field neighboring the agricultural field and the latter showed similar hydraulic soil properties such as the topsoil water retention. However, macropore content, bulk density (BD) and infiltration capacity differed under SRC particularly in the tree row. Analogously, the two SRC fields showed similar topsoil water contents. Other soil properties differed presenting an increased macropore content and higher BD in the SRC field with distant groundwater connection. Our findings suggest that the SRC management may influence the topsoil properties.

Download Full-text

Method for Quick Prediction of Hydraulic Conductivity and Soil-Water Retention of Unsaturated Soils

Transportation Research Record Journal of the Transportation Research Board ◽

10.1177/0361198118798486 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 2672 (52) ◽

pp. 108-117 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Shaoyang Dong ◽

Yuan Guo ◽

Xiong (Bill) Yu

Keyword(s):

Finite Element ◽

Hydraulic Conductivity ◽

Soil Properties ◽

Soil Water ◽

Unsaturated Soil ◽

Unsaturated Soils ◽

Hydraulic Properties ◽

Water Retention ◽

Characteristic Curve ◽

Soil Water Retention

Hydraulic conductivity and soil-water retention are two critical soil properties describing the fluid flow in unsaturated soils. Existing experimental procedures tend to be time consuming and labor intensive. This paper describes a heuristic approach that combines a limited number of experimental measurements with a computational model with random finite element to significantly accelerate the process. A microstructure-based model is established to describe unsaturated soils with distribution of phases based on their respective volumetric contents. The model is converted into a finite element model, in which the intrinsic hydraulic properties of each phase (soil particle, water, and air) are applied based on the microscopic structures. The bulk hydraulic properties are then determined based on discharge rate using Darcy’s law. The intrinsic permeability of each phase of soil is first calibrated from soil measured under dry and saturated conditions, which is then used to predict the hydraulic conductivities at different extents of saturation. The results match the experimental data closely. Mualem’s equation is applied to fit the pore size parameter based on the hydraulic conductivity. From these, the soil-water characteristic curve is predicted from van Genuchten’s equation. The simulation results are compared with the experimental results from documented studies, and excellent agreements were observed. Overall, this study provides a new modeling-based approach to predict the hydraulic conductivity function and soil-water characteristic curve of unsaturated soils based on measurement at complete dry or completely saturated conditions. An efficient way to measure these critical unsaturated soil properties will be of benefit in introducing unsaturated soil mechanics into engineering practice.

Download Full-text

IMPACT OF AGRO-ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS ON SOIL EROSION PROCESSES AND SOIL PROPERTIES ON HILLY LANDSCAPE IN WESTERN LITHUANIA

Journal of Environmental Engineering and Landscape Management ◽

10.3846/16486897.2015.1054289 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 24 (1) ◽

pp. 60-69 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Gintaras JARAŠIŪNAS ◽

Irena KINDERIENĖ

Keyword(s):

Soil Erosion ◽

Soil Properties ◽

Soil Ph ◽

Soil Texture ◽

Sandy Loam ◽

Chemical Properties ◽

Available Phosphorus ◽

Erosion Processes ◽

Physico Chemical ◽

The Impact

The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of different land use systems on soil erosion rates, surface evolution processes and physico-chemical properties on a moraine hilly topography in Lithuania. The soil of the experimental site is Bathihypogleyi – Eutric Albeluvisols (abe–gld–w) whose texture is a sandy loam. After a 27-year use of different land conservation systems, three critical slope segments (slightly eroded, active erosion and accumulation) were formed. Soil physical properties of the soil texture and particle sizes distribution were examined. Chemical properties analysed for were soil ph, available phosphorus (P) and potassium (K), soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (N). We estimated the variation in thickness of the soil Ap horizon and soil physico-chemical properties prone to a sustained erosion process. During the study period (2010–2012) water erosion occurred under the grain– grass and grass–grain crop rotations, at rates of 1.38 and 0.11 m3 ha–1 yr–1, respectively. Soil exhumed due to erosion from elevated positions accumulated in the slope bottom. As a result, topographic transfiguration of hills and changes in soil properties occurred. However, the accumulation segments of slopes had significantly higher silt/clay ratios and SOC content. In the active erosion segments a lighter soil texture and lower soil ph were recorded. Only long-term grassland completely stopped soil erosion effects; therefore geomorphologic change and degradation of hills was estimated there as minimal.

Download Full-text

Changes in Soil Hydro-Physical Properties and SOM Due to Pine Afforestation and Grazing in Andean Environments Cannot Be Generalized

Forests ◽

10.3390/f10010017 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

pp. 17 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Franklin Marín ◽

Carlos Dahik ◽

Giovanny Mosquera ◽

Jan Feyen ◽

Pedro Cisneros ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Land Use Change ◽

Physical Properties ◽

Soil Properties ◽

Water Retention ◽

Soil Parameters ◽

Water Retention Capacity ◽

Sampling Depth ◽

Site Specific ◽

The Impact

Andean ecosystems provide important ecosystem services including streamflow regulation and carbon sequestration, services that are controlled by the water retention properties of the soils. Even though these soils have been historically altered by pine afforestation and grazing, little research has been dedicated to the assessment of such impacts at local or regional scales. To partially fill this knowledge gap, we present an evaluation of the impacts of pine plantations and grazing on the soil hydro-physical properties and soil organic matter (SOM) of high montane forests and páramo in southern Ecuador, at elevations varying between 2705 and 3766 m a.s.l. In total, seven study sites were selected and each one was parceled into undisturbed and altered plots with pine plantation and grazing. Soil properties were characterized at two depths, 0–10 and 10–25 cm, and differences in soil parameters between undisturbed and disturbed plots were analyzed versus factors such as ecosystem type, sampling depth, soil type, elevation, and past/present land management. The main soil properties affected by land use change are the saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat), the water retention capacity (pF 0 to 2.52), and SOM. The impacts of pine afforestation are dependent on sampling depth, ecosystem type, plantation characteristics, and previous land use, while the impacts of grazing are primarily dependent on sampling depth and land use management (grazing intensity and tilling activities). The site-specific nature of the found relations suggests that extension of findings in response to changes in land use in montane Andean ecosystems is risky; therefore, future evaluations of the impact of land use change on soil parameters should take into consideration that responses are or can be site specific.

Download Full-text

Assessing the impact of fertilizer application on net soil-derived emission budgets from a temperate willow (Salix miyabeana) short rotation coppice system

Biomass and Bioenergy ◽

10.1016/j.biombioe.2018.11.010 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 120 ◽

pp. 135-143 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

K. Lutes ◽

M. Oelbermann ◽

N.V. Thevathasan ◽

A.M. Gordon

Keyword(s):

Fertilizer Application ◽

Short Rotation Coppice ◽

Short Rotation ◽

The Impact

Download Full-text

Combining Mineral and Polymer Binder Material Science for Sustainability in Construction and Restoration

Restoration of Buildings and Monuments ◽

10.1515/rbm-2015-2001 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 21 (4-6) ◽

pp. 149-164 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Dionys Van Gemert ◽

Özlem Cizer

Keyword(s):

Construction Industry ◽

Performance Improvement ◽

Hydraulic Properties ◽

Chemical Activation ◽

Sustainable Construction ◽

Inorganic Polymers ◽

Wide Range ◽

Concrete Production ◽

Construction Activity ◽

The Impact

Abstract The study of microstructure formation in polymer-cement concrete provides opportunities to exploit synergetic actions between cement and polymer, leading to performance improvement and to a wide range of new and innovative properties and applications. Polymers can reduce the impact of construction industry on environment, by decreasing the carbon footprint of cement and concrete production. Renovation and restoration, largely figuring in the concept of sustainable construction development, thank their growing share in construction activity to the input of polymers in repair and binder materials and in rehabilitation procedures. The study of ancient binders and mortars reveals aspects of the origins of the observed long lasting durability of those ancient mortars. It also reveals the interaction mechanisms between carbonation of air hardening components and hydration of hydraulic components, which in turn helps to develop chemical activation methods (i.e. alkaline activation) to improve the hydraulic properties of pozzolans and industrial residues to develop inorganic polymers (i.e. geopolymers) for eventually full replacement of cement in binders.

Download Full-text

Impact of plant roots and soil organisms on soil micromorphology and hydraulic properties

Biologia ◽

10.2478/s11756-006-0185-7 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 61 (19) ◽

Cited By ~ 26

Author(s):

Radka Kodešová ◽

Vít Kodeš ◽

Anna Žigová ◽

Jiří Šimůnek

Keyword(s):

Pore Structure ◽

Hydraulic Properties ◽

Water Retention ◽

Water Retention Curve ◽

Soil Organisms ◽

Soil Hydraulic Properties ◽

Soil Water Retention Curve ◽

Soil Water Retention ◽

Retention Curve ◽

The Impact

AbstractA soil micromorphological study was performed to demonstrate the impact of soil organisms on soil pore structure. Two examples are shown here. First, the influence of earthworms, enchytraeids and moles on the pore structure of a Greyic Phaeozem is demonstrated by comparing two soil samples taken from the same depth of the soil profile that either were affected or not affected by these organisms. The detected image porosity of the organism-affected soil sample was 5 times larger then the porosity of the not-affected sample. The second example shows macropores created by roots and soil microorganisms in a Haplic Luvisol and subsequently affected by clay coatings. Their presence was reflected in the soil water retention curve, which displayed multiple S-shaped features as obtained from the water balance carried out for the multi-step outflow experiment. The dual permeability models implemented in HYDRUS-1D was applied to obtain parameters characterizing multimodal soil hydraulic properties using the numerical inversion of the multi-step outflow experiment.

Download Full-text

Assessing the cover crop effect on soil hydraulic properties by inverse modelling in a 10-year field trial

10.5194/hess-2018-372 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

José Luis Gabriel ◽

Miguel Quemada ◽

Diana Martín-Lammerding ◽

Marnik Vanclooster

Keyword(s):

Soil Water ◽

Cover Crop ◽

Hydraulic Properties ◽

Water Retention ◽

Soil Hydraulic Properties ◽

Cover Cropping ◽

Term Change ◽

Soil Hydraulic ◽

The Impact

Abstract. Cover cropping in agriculture is expected to enhance many agricultural and ecosystems functions and services. Yet, few studies are available allowing to evaluate the impact of cover cropping on the long term change of soil hydrologic functions. We assessed the long term change of the soil hydraulic properties due to cover cropping by means of a 10-year field experiment. We monitored continuously soil water content in non cover cropped and cover cropped fields by means of capacitance probes. We subsequently determined the hydraulic properties by inverting the soil hydrological model WAVE, using the time series of the 10 year monitoring data in the object function. We observed two main impacts, each having their own time dynamics. First, we observed an initial compaction as a result of the minimum tillage. This initial negative effect was followed by a more positive cover crop effect. The positive cover crop effect consisted in an increase of the soil micro- and macro-porosity, improving the structure. This resulted in a larger soil water retention capacity. This latter improvement was mainly observed below 20 cm, and mostly in the soil layer between 40 and 80 cm depth. This study shows that the expected cover crop competition for water with the main crop can be compensated by an improvement of the water retention in the intermediate layers of the soil profile. This may enhance the hydrologic functions of agricultural soils in arid and semiarid regions which often are constrained by water stress.

Download Full-text

Comparison of the Effects of Polyacrylamide and Sodium Carboxymethylcellulose Application on Soil Water Infiltration in Sandy Loam Soils

Advances in Polymer Technology ◽

10.1155/2019/6869454 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 2019 ◽

pp. 1-7

Author(s):

Songrui Ning ◽

Halidaimu Jumai ◽

Quanjiu Wang ◽

Beibei Zhou ◽

Lijun Su ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Soil Water ◽

Water Retention ◽

Sandy Loam ◽

Water Infiltration ◽

Great Promise ◽

Sodium Carboxymethylcellulose ◽

Application Rates ◽

Soil Water Infiltration ◽

The Mean ◽

The Cost

Superabsorbent polymers have been used widely in agricultural production in arid and semi-arid regions to manage the soil water holding capacity. As the common water-retention polymers, the molecular weights, and structures of polyacrylamide (PAM) and sodium carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) are obviously different. Modified soil water management with polymers (i.e., PAM and CMC) has shown great promise for water conservation. Few researchers have reported the comparison of the effects of PAM and CMC on soil infiltration characteristics, especially in coarse-textured soils (i.e., sandy loam). In this research, two high-molecular polymers (PAM and CMC) were used to investigate the effects of polymers on soil water infiltration characteristics by laboratory experiment. The infiltration reduction effects of CMC treatments were more obvious than those of PAM treatments. With the applied rates of PAM (0.2–0.8 g/kg) and CMC (1–4 g/kg) increased, the processes of soil water infiltration were inhibited. The average infiltration time of CMC with different application rates is 1.85 times than that of PAM with different treatments. The mean wetting front distances of different application rates treatments of PAM and CMC were 22.20 and 19.23 cm. At the same application rate, applied CMC is more effective in reducing soil sorptivity than applied PAM in sandy loam soils. Moreover, the cost of application of CMC is lower than the cost of application of PAM. The mean economic inputs of PAM and CMC were 153.90 and 35.24 RMB/hm2. Therefore, CMC was selected and recommended as the suitable water retention agent in sandy loam soils.

Download Full-text

Combination of Measurement Methods for a Wide-Range Description of Hydraulic Soil Properties

Water ◽

10.3390/w10081021 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 (8) ◽

pp. 1021 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Thomas Weninger ◽

Gernot Bodner ◽

Janis Kreiselmeier ◽

Parvathy Chandrasekhar ◽

Stefan Julich ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Hydraulic Conductivity ◽

Soil Properties ◽

Soil Water ◽

Water Retention ◽

Measurement Methods ◽

Water Dynamics ◽

Conductivity Measurements ◽

Soil Water Dynamics ◽

Evaporation Method ◽

Wide Range

Established measurement methods for hydraulic soil properties cover a limited soil moisture range. Simulations of soil water dynamics based on such observations are therefore rarely representative for all conditions from saturation to drought. Recent technical developments facilitate efficient and cheap collecting of soil water characteristics data, but the quantitative benefit of extended measurement campaigns has not been adequately tested yet. In this study, a combination of four methods to measure water retention and hydraulic conductivity at different moisture ranges was applied. Evaporation method, dewpoint psychrometry, hood infiltrometer experiments, and falling head method for saturated conductivity were conducted at two experimental sites in eastern Austria. Effects of including the particular methods in the measurement strategy were examined by visual evaluation and a 1D-modelling sensitivity study including drainage, infiltration and drought conditions. The evaporation method was considered essential due to its broad measurement range both for water retention and hydraulic conductivity. In addition to that, the highest effect on simulated water balance components was induced by the inclusion of separate conductivity measurements near saturation. Water content after three days of drainage was 15 percent higher and the transpiration rate in a drought period was 22 percent higher without near-saturated conductivity measurements. Based on relative comparisons between different combinations, we suggested combining evaporation method and hood infiltrometer experiments as the basis for representative predictions of soil water dynamics.

Download Full-text