Vis-NIR spectroscopic assessment of soil aggregate stability and aggregate size distribution in the Belgian Loam Belt

Geoderma ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 357 ◽  
pp. 113958 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pu Shi ◽  
Fabio Castaldi ◽  
Bas van Wesemael ◽  
Kristof Van Oost

Soil Research ◽  
1995 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 153 ◽  
Author(s):  
AJ Gijsman ◽  
RJ Thomas

This study evaluated soil aggregate size distribution and stability of an Oxisol under improved grass-only or grass-legume pastures, established in previously native savanna. Three grass-legume combinations were included at various stocking rates. In all treatments and soil layers, soils were well aggregated, having more than 90% of their weight in macroaggregates (>250 �m). The addition of legumes to pastures did not affect the soil aggregate size distribution, although aggregates showed somewhat more stability against slaking. An increase in stocking rate negatively affected both average aggregate size and aggregate stability. Aggregates showed little or no dispersion of clay particles in any treatment. A positive correlation was found between wet aggregate stability and hot-water extractable carbohydrate concentration, supporting the hypothesis that these carbohydrates equate with plant-derived or microbial polysaccharides which glue soil aggregates together. It is suggested that determination of hot-water extractable carbohydrates may serve as a useful indicator of small differences in aggregate stability, even when these differences are not evident in the stability measurement itself.



2012 ◽  
Vol 92 (3) ◽  
pp. 529-536 ◽  
Author(s):  
Enheng Wang ◽  
Richard M. Cruse ◽  
Xiangwei Chen ◽  
Aaron Daigh

Wang, E., Cruse, R. M., Chen, X. and Daigh, A. 2012. Effects of moisture condition and freeze/thaw cycles on surface soil aggregate size distribution and stability. Can. J. Soil Sci. 92: 529–536. Freeze/thaw cycles can affect soil aggregate stability, which in turn impacts wind and water erosion. The objectives of this laboratory study were: (1) to determine the effect of variable freeze/thaw cycles and soil water conditions on aggregate size distribution and stability; and (2) to evaluate differences in aggregate size distribution and stability between disturbed soil and undisturbed soil cores as affected by freeze/thaw cycles and soil water conditions. Surface soil was collected before freezing in late fall of 2009. Aggregates isolated from disturbed soil or intact soil cores were subjected to a factorial combination of 3 gravimetric water content treatments: 0.15 m3 m−3, 0.23 m3 m−3 or 0.30 m3 m−3, and 3 freeze/thaw treatments: 0, 3, or 9 cycles. A freeze/thaw cycle involved soil freezing at –10∘C for 24 h, followed by thawing at 5∘C for 24 h. Most aggregate size classes were affected significantly (P<0.05) by freeze/thaw cycles except for wet-sieved aggregates >5 mm. Dry-sieved aggregates were relatively more sensitive to the freeze/thaw treatment than wet-sieved aggregates. The mean weight diameter (MWD) of dry-sieved aggregates was significantly (P<0.05) greater at 0.30 m3 m−3 than 0.15 m3 m−3 water content, but the opposite trend was observed for MWD of wet aggregates and aggregate stability. There was a significant (P<0.05) response of the MWD in dry-sieved aggregates to the interactive freeze/thaw×water content effect that differed for aggregates obtained from disturbed soil and those in the undisturbed soil core, but not for the MWD of wet-sieved aggregates and aggregate stability.



2020 ◽  
Vol 53 (1) ◽  
pp. 41
Author(s):  
George O. Odugbenro ◽  
Zhihua Liu ◽  
Yankun Sun

<p>A two-year field trial on maize (<em>Zea mays</em> L.) production was established to determine the influence of biochar, maize straw, and poultry manure on soil aggregate stability, aggregate size distribution, total organic carbon (TOC), and soil microbial biomass carbon (MBC). Seven treatments with four replications, namely CK, control; S, 12.5 Mg ha-1 straw; B1, 12.5 Mg ha-1 biochar; B2, 25 Mg ha-1 biochar; SB1, straw + 12.5 Mg ha-1 biochar; SB2, straw + 25 Mg ha-1 biochar; and M, 25 Mg ha-1 manure were tested at four soil depths (0–10, 10–20, 20–30, and 30–40 cm). Aggregates were grouped into large macro-aggregates (5–2 mm), small macro-aggregates (2–0.25 mm), micro-aggregates (0.25–0.053 mm) and silt + clay <span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; font-size: 9pt; color: #231f20; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal;">(&lt;0.053 mm). Biochar, straw,<span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; font-size: 9pt; color: #231f20; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal;"> and manure applications all had significant effects (<span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPS-ItalicMT; font-size: 9pt; color: #231f20; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal;"><em>p </em><span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; font-size: 9pt; color: #231f20; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal;">&lt; 0.05) on aggregate stability, with B<span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; font-size: 5pt; color: #231f20; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal;">2 <span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; font-size: 9pt; color: #231f20; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal;">at<span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; font-size: 9pt; color: #231f20; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal;"> 20 cm soil depth showing the greatest increase (62.1%). SB<span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; font-size: 5pt; color: #231f20; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal;">1 <span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; font-size: 9pt; color: #231f20; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal;">of small macro-aggregate fraction<span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; font-size: 9pt; color: #231f20; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal;"> showed the highest aggregate proportion (50.59% ± 10.48) at the 20–30 cm soil depth. The highest TOC was observed in SB<span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; font-size: 5pt; color: #231f20; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal;">2  <span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; font-size: 9pt; color: #231f20; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal;">(40.9 g kg<span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; font-size: 5pt; color: #231f20; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal;">-1<span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; font-size: 9pt; color: #231f20; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal;">) of large macro-aggregate at 10–20 cm soil depth. Treatment effects on soil MBC was high, with B<span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; font-size: 5pt; color: #231f20; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal;">1 <span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; font-size: 9pt; color: #231f20; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal;">showing the greatest value (600.0 µg g<span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; font-size: 5pt; color: #231f20; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal;">-1<span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; font-size: 9pt; color: #231f20; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal;">) at the 20–30<span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; font-size: 9pt; color: #231f20; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal;"> cm soil depth. Our results showed that application of biochar, straw, and manure to soil increased<span style="font-family: TimesNewRomanPSMT; font-size: 9pt; color: #231f20; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal;"> aggregate stability, TOC as well as MBC.</span></span></span></span></span></span><br style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;" /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>



2015 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 501-508 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jasmin Schomakers ◽  
Franz Zehetner ◽  
Axel Mentler ◽  
Franz Ottner ◽  
Herwig Mayer

Abstract It has been increasingly recognized that soil organic matter stabilization is strongly controlled by physical binding within soil aggregates. It is therefore essential to measure soil aggregate stability reliably over a wide range of disruptive energies and different aggregate sizes. To this end, we tested highaccuracy ultrasonic dispersion in combination with subsequent sedimentation and X-ray attenuation. Three arable topsoils (notillage) from Central Europe were subjected to ultrasound at four different specific energy levels: 0.5, 6.7, 100 and 500 J cm-3, and the resulting suspensions were analyzed for aggregate size distribution by wet sieving (2 000-63 μm) and sedimentation/X-ray attenuation (63-2 μm). The combination of wet sieving and sedimentation technique allowed for a continuous analysis, at high resolution, of soil aggregate breakdown dynamics after defined energy inputs. Our results show that aggregate size distribution strongly varied with sonication energy input and soil type. The strongest effects were observed in the range of low specific energies (< 10 J cm-3), which previous studies have largely neglected. This shows that low ultrasonic energies are required to capture the full range of aggregate stability and release of soil organic matter upon aggregate breakdown.



2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fayong Li ◽  
Xinqiang Liang ◽  
Hua Li ◽  
Yingbin Jin ◽  
Junwei Jin ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Colloid-facilitated phosphorus (P) transport is a recognized important pathway for soil P loss in agricultural systems, but limited information is available on the soil aggregate-associated colloidal P. To elucidate the effects of aggregate size on the loss potential of colloidal P (P coll ) in agricultural systems, soils (0-20 cm depth) from six land use types were sampled in Zhejiang province in the Yangtz river delta region, China. The aggregate size fractions (2–8 mm, 0.26–2 mm, 0.053–0.26 mm and <0.053 mm) separated by wet-sieving method were analyzed.Results Results showed that the 0.26–2 mm small macroaggregates had the highest total P (TP) content. For acidic soils, the highest P coll content was also found in the 0.26–2 mm aggregate size, while the lowest was found in the <0.053 mm (silt+clay)-sized particles, the opposite of that found in alkaline soils. Paddy soils contained less P coll than other land use types. The P coll in total dissolved P (TDP) was dominated by <0.053 mm (silt+clay)-sized particles. Aggregate size did strongly influence the loss potential of P coll in paddy soils, where P coll contributed up to 83% TDP in the silt+clay sized particles. The P coll content was positively correlated with TP, Al, Fe and mean weight diameter (MWD). Aggregate associated total carbon (TC), total nitrogen (TN), C/P, and C/N had significant, but negative effects on the contribution of P coll to potential soil P losses. The P coll content of the aggregates was controlled by aggregate associated TP and Al content as well as soil pH value, with P coll loss potential from aggregates being controlled by its organic matter content.Conclusion Therefore, we conclude that management practices that increase soil aggregate stability or its organic carbon content will limit P coll loss from agricultural systems.



CATENA ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 198 ◽  
pp. 105018
Author(s):  
Zhongling Guo ◽  
Chunping Chang ◽  
Xueyong Zou ◽  
Rende Wang ◽  
Jifeng Li ◽  
...  




2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Songyu Yang ◽  
Boris Jansen ◽  
Samira Absalah ◽  
Rutger L. van Hall ◽  
Karsten Kalbitz ◽  
...  

Abstract. Recent studies indicate that climate change influences soil mineralogy by altering weathering processes, and thus impacts soil aggregation and organic carbon (SOC) stability. Alpine ecosystems of the Neotropical Andes are characterized by high SOC stocks, which are important to sustain ecosystem services. However, climate change in the form of altered precipitation patterns can potentially affect soil aggregation and SOC stability with potentially significant effects on the soil’s ecosystem services. This study aimed to investigate the effects of precipitation and lithology on soil aggregation and SOC stability in the Peruvian Andean grasslands, and assessed whether occlusion of organic matter (OM) in aggregates controls SOC stability. For this, samples were collected from limestone soils (LSs) and acid igneous rock soils (ASs) from two sites with contrasting precipitation levels. We used a dry-sieving method to quantify aggregate size distribution, and applied a 76-day soil incubation with intact and crushed aggregates to investigate SOC stability in dependence on aggregation. SOC stocks ranged from 153±27 to 405 ± 42 Mg ha−1, and the highest stocks were found in the LSs of the wet site. We found lithology rather than precipitation to be the key factor regulating soil aggregate size distribution, as indicated by coarse aggregates in the LSs and fine aggregates in the ASs. SOC stability estimated by specific SOC mineralization rates decreased with precipitation in the LSs, but minor differences were found between wet and dry sites in the ASs. Aggregate destruction had a limited effect on SOC mineralization, which indicates that occlusion of OM in aggregates played a minor role in OM stabilization. This was further supported by inconsistent patterns of aggregate size distribution compared to the patterns of SOC stability. We propose that OM adsorption on mineral surfaces is the major OM stabilization mechanism controlling SOC stocks and stability. The results highlight the interactions between precipitation and lithology on SOC stability, which are likely controlled by soil mineralogy in relation to OM input.



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