Measurements and APSIM modelling of soil C and N dynamics

Soil Research ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 58 (1) ◽  
pp. 41
Author(s):  
C. J. Smith ◽  
B. C. T. Macdonald ◽  
H. Xing ◽  
O. T. Denmead ◽  
E. Wang ◽  
...  

Process-based models capture our understanding of key processes that interact to determine productivity and environmental outcomes. Combining measurements and modelling together help assess the consequences of these interactions, identify knowledge gaps and improve understanding of these processes. Here, we present a dataset (collected in a two-month fallow period) and list potential issues related to use of the APSIM model in predicting fluxes of soil water, heat, nitrogen (N) and carbon (C). Within the APSIM framework, two soil water modules (SoilWat and SWIM3) were used to predict soil evaporation and soil moisture content. SWIM3 tended to overestimate soil evaporation immediately after rainfall events, and SoilWat provided better predictions of evaporation. Our results highlight the need for testing the modules using data that includes wetting and drying cycles. Two soil temperature modules were also evaluated. Predictions of soil temperature were better for SoilTemp than the default module. APSIM configured with different combinations of soil water and temperature modules predicted nitrate dynamics well, but poorly predicted ammonium-N dynamics. The predicted ammonium-N pool empties several weeks after fertilisation, which was not observed, indicating that the processes of mineralisation and nitrification in APSIM require improvements. The fluxes of soil respiration and nitrous oxide, measured by chamber and micrometeorological methods, were roughly captured by APSIM. Discrepancies between the fluxes measured with chamber and micrometeorological techniques highlight difficulties in obtaining accurate measurements for evaluating performance of APSIM to predict gaseous fluxes. There was uncertainty associated with soil depth, which contributed to surface emissions. Our results showed that APSIM performance in simulating N2O fluxes should be considered in relation to data precision and uncertainty, especially the soil depths included in simulations. Finally, there was a major disconnection between the predicted N loss from denitrification (N2 + N2O) and that measured using the 15N balance technique.


2021 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 887-894
Author(s):  
GUSTAVO HADDAD SOUZA VIEIRA ◽  
ARILDO SEBASTIÃO SILVA ◽  
ARUN DILIPKUMAR JANI ◽  
LUSINERIO PREZOTTI ◽  
PAOLA ALFONSA VIEIRA LO MONACO

ABSTRACT This study aimed to determine how crop residue placement and composition would affect soil water content and temperature during the dry season in the central region of Espírito Santo state, Brazil. A 19-week field study was conducted from April to August 2017. A 2 x 4 factorial study with four replications was implemented using a randomized complete block design. Factors were soil management [conventional tillage (CT) and no soil disturbance (ND)] and residue amendment [maize (Zea mays L.), sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea L.), a maize-sunn hemp mixture, and a no amendment control]. Soil water content and temperature were measured weekly at predetermined soil depth intervals. Soil water content was higher in ND plots amended with surface residues than under all other treatments in the 0 to 0.05 m depth range. All residue amendments in this range were equally effective in conserving soil water. Surface residues reduced soil temperature by up to 8.4 °C relative to the control in ND plots. Incorporating residue amendments by CT cancelled all temperature-moderating benefits provided by surface residues. These results indicate that surface residues from cereals, legumes, or cereal/legume mixtures are equally effective in conserving soil water and moderating soil temperature during the dry season. Additional research is needed to determine how improved soil environmental conditions, generated by surface residues, would affect nutrient acquisition and crop performance.



Mathematics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (9) ◽  
pp. 1407
Author(s):  
Mohammad Taghi Sattari ◽  
Anca Avram ◽  
Halit Apaydin ◽  
Oliviu Matei

The temperature of the soil at different depths is one of the most important factors used in different disciplines, such as hydrology, soil science, civil engineering, construction, geotechnology, ecology, meteorology, agriculture, and environmental studies. In addition to physical and spatial variables, meteorological elements are also effective in changing soil temperatures at different depths. The use of machine-learning models is increasing day by day in many complex and nonlinear branches of science. These data-driven models seek solutions to complex and nonlinear problems using data observed in the past. In this research, decision tree (DT), gradient boosted trees (GBT), and hybrid DT–GBT models were used to estimate soil temperature. The soil temperatures at 5, 10, and 20 cm depths were estimated using the daily minimum, maximum, and mean temperature; sunshine intensity and duration, and precipitation data measured between 1993 and 2018 at Divrigi station in Sivas province in Turkey. To predict the soil temperature at different depths, the time windowing technique was used on the input data. According to the results, hybrid DT–GBT, GBT, and DT methods estimated the soil temperature at 5 cm depth the most successfully, respectively. However, the best estimate was obtained with the DT model at soil depths of 10 and 20 cm. According to the results of the research, the accuracy rate of the models has also increased with increasing soil depth. In the prediction of soil temperature, sunshine duration and air temperature were determined as the most important factors and precipitation was the most insignificant meteorological variable. According to the evaluation criteria, such as Nash-Sutcliffe coefficient, R, MAE, RMSE, and Taylor diagrams used, it is recommended that all three (DT, GBT, and hybrid DT–GBT) data-based models can be used for predicting soil temperature.



2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (16) ◽  
pp. 6603
Author(s):  
Li Ma ◽  
Ming’an Shao ◽  
Tongchuan Li

Earthworms have an important influence on the terrestrial ecological environment. This study assesses the effect of different earthworm densities on soil water content (SWC) and evaporation in a laboratory experiment. Four earthworm densities (0 no-earthworm, control [C]; 207 earthworms m−2, low density [LDE]; 345 earthworms m−2, medium density [MDE]; and 690 earthworms m−2, high density [HDE]) are tested in soil columns. Results show that cumulative evaporation occurs in the decreasing order of densities: C (98.6 mm) > LDE (115.8 mm) > MDE (118.4 mm) > HDE (124.6 mm). Compared with the control, earthworm activity decreases cumulative soil evaporation by 5.0–20.9%, increases soil temperature to 0.46 °C–0.63 °C at 8:00, and decreases soil temperature to 0.21 °C–0.52 °C at 14:00 on the soil surface. Temperature fluctuations reduce with increasing earthworm densities. A negative correlation is found between cumulative soil evaporation and earthworm density (R2 = 0.969, p < 0.001). Earthworms significantly (p < 0.05) decrease the surface SWC loss (0–20 cm) soil layer but increase the subsoil SWC loss (60–100 cm) by adjusting the soil temperature and reducing soil water evaporation. Earthworm activities (burrows, casts…) improve the soil water holding ability by adjusting soil temperature and reducing soil water evaporation. Thus, the population quantity of earthworms may provide valuable ecosystem services in soil water and heat cycles to save water resources and realize sustainable agricultural development.



1990 ◽  
Vol 20 (9) ◽  
pp. 1490-1497 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. J. Smethurst ◽  
E. K. S. Nambiar

The effects of clear-felling and slash removal on the distribution of organic matter and nutrients, fluxes of mineral N, and soil water and temperature were studied in a 37-year-old Pinusradiata D. Don plantation, on a sandy Podzol in southeastern Australia. Slash, litter, and the top 30 cm of soil combined contained 1957 kg N•ha−1, of which slash and litter contained 12 and 25%, respectively. Therefore, loss of slash and litter due to burning or other intensive site preparation practices would substantially reduce the N capital at the site. During the first 18 months after clear-felling, soil water content in the clear-felled area was up to 50% higher than in the uncut plantation, but there were only minor differences in soil temperature. Slash removal decreased the water content of litter, but had little effect on the water content or temperature of the soil. In the uncut plantation, N mineralized in litter and soil was completely taken up by the trees. Following clear-felling, rates of N mineralization increased in litter after 4 months, and in soil after 12 months, but changes were less pronounced with slash removal. After clear-felling, increased mineralization and the absence of trees (no uptake) led to increased concentrations of mineral N in both litter and soil, 64–76% of which was leached below the 30 cm soil depth prior to replanting. Despite leaching, concentrations of mineral N after clear-felling remained higher than those in the uncut plantation for at least 3 years.



2012 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 259-269 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Kočárek ◽  
R. Kodešová

Influence of temperature on soil water content measured by ECH2O-TE sensorsThe aim of this study was to investigate the influence of temperature on water content value measured by ECH2O-TE sensors. The influence of temperature on measured soil water content values was clearly demonstrated. Soil water content values measured during the day apparently oscillated with oscillating soil temperatures. Average daily temperature and soil water content were calculated for selected periods. Regression relationships between deviations of soil temperature and soil water content from their daily average values were evaluated. Correlation between the soil water content and temperature deviations increase with the soil depth due to the lower influence of rainfall and evaporation at the soil surface on measured soil water content values in deeper soil layersegsoil water content oscillation was controlled mostly by oscillating temperature. The guideline values of linear regression equations (R2>0.8) were very similar, close to value 0.002 and the intercept values were equal to zero. The equation for recalculation of measured soil water content values at given temperature to reference soil water content for reference soil temperature, was propozed on the basis of this analysis.



2017 ◽  
Vol 21 (7) ◽  
pp. 3839-3858 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthias Sprenger ◽  
Doerthe Tetzlaff ◽  
Chris Soulsby

Abstract. Understanding the influence of vegetation on water storage and flux in the upper soil is crucial in assessing the consequences of climate and land use change. We sampled the upper 20 cm of podzolic soils at 5 cm intervals in four sites differing in their vegetation (Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris) and heather (Calluna sp. and Erica Sp)) and aspect. The sites were located within the Bruntland Burn long-term experimental catchment in the Scottish Highlands, a low energy, wet environment. Sampling took place on 11 occasions between September 2015 and September 2016 to capture seasonal variability in isotope dynamics. The pore waters of soil samples were analyzed for their isotopic composition (δ2H and δ18O) with the direct-equilibration method. Our results show that the soil waters in the top soil are, despite the low potential evaporation rates in such northern latitudes, kinetically fractionated compared to the precipitation input throughout the year. This fractionation signal decreases within the upper 15 cm resulting in the top 5 cm being isotopically differentiated to the soil at 15–20 cm soil depth. There are significant differences in the fractionation signal between soils beneath heather and soils beneath Scots pine, with the latter being more pronounced. But again, this difference diminishes within the upper 15 cm of soil. The enrichment in heavy isotopes in the topsoil follows a seasonal hysteresis pattern, indicating a lag time between the fractionation signal in the soil and the increase/decrease of soil evaporation in spring/autumn. Based on the kinetic enrichment of the soil water isotopes, we estimated the soil evaporation losses to be about 5 and 10 % of the infiltrating water for soils beneath heather and Scots pine, respectively. The high sampling frequency in time (monthly) and depth (5 cm intervals) revealed high temporal and spatial variability of the isotopic composition of soil waters, which can be critical, when using stable isotopes as tracers to assess plant water uptake patterns within the critical zone or applying them to calibrate tracer-aided hydrological models either at the plot to the catchment scale.



PeerJ ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. e12216
Author(s):  
Yuan Li ◽  
Yuying Shen ◽  
Tao Wang

Lucerne (Medicago sativa L.) is a major component of the crops used in dry-land farming systems in China and its management is associated with notable nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions. A high proportion of these emissions is more likely to occur during periods when the soil undergoes freezing and thawing cycles. In this study, the effects of freeze/thaw cycles on N2O emissions and related factors were investigated in lucerne grasslands. The hypothesis was tested whether increased emissions resulted from a disruption of nitrification or denitrification caused by variations in soil temperatures and water contents. Three days (3 × 24 h) were chosen, where conditions represented freezing and thawing cycles. N2O emissions were measured for a fallow control (F) and two grasslands where lucerne had been cultivated for 4 and 11 years. Soil temperature, soil water content, soil microbial biomass carbon (MBC), soil microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN), soil ammonium nitrogen (NH4+-N), and soil nitrate nitrogen (NO3−-N) contents were measured. Moreover, the quantities of soil nitrification and denitrification microbes were assessed. Variations in N2O emissions were strongly affected by freeze/thaw cycles, and emissions of 0.0287 ± 0.0009, 0.0230 ± 0.0019, and 0.3522 ± 0.0029 mg m−2 h−1 were found for fallow, 4-year-old, and 11-year-old grasslands, respectively. Pearson correlation analyses indicated that N2O emissions were significantly correlated with the soil water content, temperature, NH4+-N content, and the number of nitrosobacteria and denitrifying bacteria at a soil depth of 0–100 mm. The numbers of nitrosobacteria and denitrifying bacteria correlated significantly with soil temperature at this soil depth. MBN and soil NH4+-N contents correlated significantly with soil water content at this depth. Principal component analysis highlighted the positive effects of the number of denitrifying bacteria on N2O emissions during the freeze/thaw period. Furthermore, soil temperature and the number of nitrosobacteria at the tested soil depth (0−100 mm) also played a significant role. This shows that soil freeze/thaw cycles strongly impacted both N2O emissions and the diurnal range, and the number of denitrifying bacteria was mainly influenced by soil temperature and soil NH4+-N content. The number of denitrifying bacteria was the dominant variable affecting N2O emissions from lucerne grasslands during the assessed soil freeze/thaw period on the Loess Plateau, China.



2020 ◽  
Vol 51 (6) ◽  
pp. 1349-1357
Author(s):  
Peigui Liu ◽  
Yan Xia ◽  
Manting Shang

Abstract To quantitatively evaluate in the laboratory the effect of soil temperature on bare soil evaporation, this study uses two indoor soil columns and homogenized sand as an example to carry out the experimental study of soil temperature on bare soil evaporation in winter. The results show that the soil temperature directly affects the change in bare soil evaporation and that the effect decreases as the soil temperature decreases. Because of the influence of soil temperature, the soil water movement accelerates, and the soil water content increases. At a depth of 50 cm, the average difference in soil water content between groups A and B was 7.61%. The soil evaporation when considering the soil temperature was obviously greater than that without considering the soil temperature. This shows that in a laboratory environment where the soil temperature is higher than the room temperature in winter, the effect of the soil temperature on bare soil evaporation is significant. Soil temperature directly affects soil water movement and distribution, which is one of the important influencing factors affecting bare soil evaporation.



2014 ◽  
Vol 955-959 ◽  
pp. 3177-3180
Author(s):  
Xue Hong Tan

This study investigated the effects of ceramsite mulching on soil water content and temperature in the central isolation belt of an expressway in Hebei province, China. Ceramsite mulching effectively improved the soil water content, and reduced the disparity between different soil layers in different months. The order of soil water content at different soil depths or in different months was: two layers of mulching (M2) > one layer of mulching (M1) > bare soil (MD). The effect of ceramsite mulching on soil water content decreased with soil depth. The effect of ceramsite mulching on soil temperature decreased with soil depth from 0cm to 15cm. ceramsite mulching had a cooling effect above 5cm,but had a heating effect at 15cm.M2 balanced soil temperature better than M1.



2005 ◽  
Vol 85 (3) ◽  
pp. 453-461 ◽  
Author(s):  
M R Carter ◽  
D. Holmstrom ◽  
J B Sanderson ◽  
J. Ivany ◽  
R. DeHaan

Conservation tillage (CT) for potato crop land has been increasing in Atlantic Canada, but producers are concerned that fields managed in this way may be wet, slow to warm in spring, have increased debris at harvest, exhibit higher soil compaction and result in reduced yield. The objective of this study was to compare the effects of four tillage practices on potato yield, soil properties and weed growth over a 3-yr period. The four tillage practices were: (1 ) conventional autumn mouldboard plowing followed by spring secondary tillage; (2) spring mouldboard plowing followed by secondary tillage; (3) autumn chisel plowing followed by spring secondary tillage; and (4) spring CT. Tillage practices significantly affected soil water content (at both the 0- to 15-cm and 15- to 30-cm soil depths) with CT generally showing a greater soil water content prior to spring tillage in comparison to the other treatments. Soil temperature (at the 2- to 5-cm soil depth) prior to spring tillage was not influenced by tillage differences. Conservation tillage increased soil compaction at the 10- to 30-cm soil depth, but not to a level considered detrimental to root growth. Tillage treatments had no effect on amount of soil clods and plant debris passing over the harvester. Potato yield (range of 43 to 51 Mg ha-1) and quality were not adversely influenced by tillage practices. There were few treatment effects on individual weed species or groupings of annual, perennial and total weeds. Overall, CT can be a viable management alternative to conventional tillage because this practice does not negatively affect field management, potato yield, or soil quality. Key words: Conservation tillage, residue management, potato, soil temperature, soil moisture, tillage methods



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