Soil attributes related to water repellency and the utility of soil survey for predicting its occurrence

Soil Research ◽  
1994 ◽  
Vol 32 (5) ◽  
pp. 1109 ◽  
Author(s):  
RJ Harper ◽  
RJ Gilkes

The incidence and severity of water repellency was related to five soil class (FC I-V), based on the field texture and dry consistence of the soil surface horizons, derived from a soil survey near Jerramungup, Western Australia. Water repellency was most severe on the FC I soils (median clay content 1.5%), with 66% of samples having water repellency based on the water drop penetration time (WDPT) test >10 s. Corresponding values for the FC II and III soils (2.5%, 4.0% clay) were 37% and 20%. Water repellency did not occur on the most clayey FC IV (8.1% clay) and FC V (22.1% clay) soils. Following stratification of Ap horizon soils by 1% increments of clay content, highly significant linear relationships occurred between log [water drop penetration time (WDPT)] and log [organic carbon (OC)] for the 1-2, 2-3 and 3-4% clay classes, these respectively explaining 50, 35 and 37% of the variation in water repellency. The role of organic carbon in promoting water repellency decreases markedly with increasing clay content, with WDPT being proportional to OC4.5, OC3.9 and OC3.0 for each of these clay classes. A multivariate relationship using measures of amorphous iron, clay and organic matter explained 63% of the variation in water repellency, and this multivariate dependency provides an explanation of the poor bivariate relationships between either clay or organic carbon content and water repellency reported in previous studies. There is a strong geomorphic control of the clay content in the soil surface horizons. Given the effect that clay content has on water repellency, the susceptibility of soils to water repellency can be mapped across farms, with the actual expression of water repellency depending on soil organic matter content, and hence land use. Such discrimination will allow the prediction of water erosion hazard and identify soils requiring ameliorative treatments.

1989 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 190-197 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick J. Shea

Organic matter is the soil constituent most often associated with herbicide adsorption. Structural diversity makes humified organic material an ideal substrate for the adsorption of many pesticides, but variability in composition and distribution in situ complicates interpretation of its quantitative effect on adsorption. Variability in the adsorption distribution coefficient (KD) of a herbicide among soils often is due to differences in organic matter content and can be reduced by adjusting KDfor soil organic carbon content and computing the organic carbon partition coefficient (Koc). Koccan be estimated from the octanol-water partition coefficient (Kow) of organic compounds, but the correlation weakens as compound polarity increases. Kocalso can be correlated with aqueous solubility if a correction is made for the melting point of compounds that are solids at 25 C. Relative adsorption can be estimated from parachor and molecular connectivity indices; but corrections are needed for polar compounds, and correlations with KDor Kochave been variable. Such predictive methods may be useful for broad classification purposes, but accurate extrapolation generally requires site-specific adsorption measurements. Empirical models which accommodate the multiple regression of organic matter content and other soil properties such as clay content, pH, and cation exchange capacity on herbicide adsorption can increase accuracy, but interpretation may be restricted to a small number of sites.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Surda ◽  
Lubomir Lichner ◽  
Viliam Nagy

<p>Abandonment of agricultural lands in recent decades is occurring mainly in Europe, North America and Oceania, and changing the fate of landscapes as the ecosystem recovers during fallow stage. The objective of this study was to find the impact of secondary succession in abandoned fields on some parameters of acidic sandy soils in the Borská nížina lowland (southwestern Slovakia). We investigated soil chemical (pH and soil organic carbon content), hydrophysical (water sorptivity, and hydraulic conductivity), and water repellency (water drop penetration time, water repellency cessation time, repellency index, and modified repellency index) parameters, as well as the ethanol sorptivity of the studied soils. Both the hydrophysical and chemical parameters decreased significantly during abandonment of the three investigated agricultural fields. On the other hand, the water repellency parameters increased significantly, but the ethanol sorptivity did not change during abandonment. As the ethanol sorptivity depends mainly on soil pore size, the last finding could mean that the pore size of acidic sandy soils did not change during succession.</p>


2006 ◽  
Vol 63 (2) ◽  
pp. 187-193 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcos Gervasio Pereira ◽  
Gustavo Souza Valladares ◽  
Lúcia Helena Cunha dos Anjos ◽  
Vinícius de Melo Benites ◽  
Ademar Espíndula Jr. ◽  
...  

Soil taxonomy systems distinguish mineral soils from organic soils based on the amount of soil organic carbon. Procedures adopted in soil surveys for organic carbon measurement are therefore of major importance to classify the soils, and to correlate their properties with data from other studies. To evaluate different methods for measuring organic carbon and organic matter content in Histosols and soils with histic horizons, from different regions of Brazil, 53 soil samples were comparatively analyzed by the methods of Walkley & Black (modified), Embrapa, Yeomans & Bremner, modified Yeomans & Bremner, muffle furnace, and CHN. The modified Walkley & Black (C-W & B md) and the combustion of organic matter in the muffle furnace (OM-Muffle) were the most suitable for the samples with high organic carbon content. Based on regression analysis data, the OM-muffle may be estimated from C-W & B md by applying a factor that ranges from 2.00 to 2.19 with 95% of probability. The factor 2.10, the average value, is suggested to convert results obtained by these methods.


2014 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 169-176 ◽  
Author(s):  
Majid Mahmoodabadi ◽  
Elina Heydarpour

Abstract Soil organic carbon is one of the most important soil components, which acts as a sink for atmospheric CO2. This study focuses on the effect of different methods of organic matter application on the soil organic carbon sequestration in a 4-month experiment under controlled greenhouse conditions. Three rates of straw residue and farmyard manure were added to uncultivated and cropland soils. Two treatments of straw residue and farmyard manure incorporation were used into: a soil surface layer and 0-20 cm soil depth. The result showed that the application of organic matter, especially the farmyard manure incorporation led to a significant increase in the final soil organic carbon content. Higher amounts of soil organic carbon were stored in the cropland soil than in the uncultivated soil. On average, the soil surface layer treatment caused a higher sequestration of soil organic carbon compared to the whole soil depth treatment. If higher rates of organic matter were added to the soils, lower carbon sequestration was observed and vice versa. The result indicated that the carbon sequestration ranged farmyardmanure > strawresidue and cropland soil > uncultivated soil. The findings of this research revealed the necessity of paying more attention to the role of organic residue management in carbon sequestration and prevention of increasing global warming.


2018 ◽  
Vol 189 (2) ◽  
pp. 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maxime Debret ◽  
Yoann Copard ◽  
Antonin Van Exem ◽  
Geneviève Bessereau ◽  
Frank Haeseler ◽  
...  

Organic matter studies find an echo within different topics such as biogeochemical cycles, processes occurring in continental surfaces, anthropogenic activities, climate science, earth and planetary sciences, etc. Today’s challenges include finding and developing the most appropriate method(s) supporting the differentiation and characterisation of various types of recalcitrant organic matter in modern environments. In this study, we focus on combustion residues and coals as these two types of organic matter contain a significant amount of so-called recalcitrant organic carbon (black carbon and fossil organic carbon). Both these materials are ubiquitous, broadly stem from the same living organisms and have similar polyaromatic structures. In this respect, we tested a spectrophotometry method, classically used for sedimentology, as a very fast method for preliminary investigations. Analyses were performed with a wide range of standards and referenced samples. The results discriminate three different spectral signatures related to the degree of transformation of organic matter related to the degree of aromaticity (i.e. carbonisation). Using calibration curves, total organic carbon content can be estimated in experimental mixes with mineral matter and in a real context using subsurface sample (Gironville 101 borehole, Paris Basin, France). This method has particularly high sensitivity to very low organic matter content and is shown to be promising for a rapid evaluation of the organic carbon content.


2019 ◽  
pp. 2426-2432
Author(s):  
Sayran Yousif Jalal ◽  
Nihal Suhail Hanna ◽  
Yahya Ahmed Shekha

     Insects have a vital role in solid waste composting process. Insects are detritus feeders that enhance changing the physical and chemical properties of decomposed materials during composting processes. This behavior makes insects excellent organisms in recycling of organic matter. The present study assesses the success of insects’ population in relation with the degradation of solid waste.  The study was carried out in the glass house facility of the College of Science, Salahaddin University in Erbil City, Kurdistan region of Iraq, using household organic waste. During composting process, three stages of lifecycle of insects were observed and recorded. The total number of insects reached to 1268 individuals, belonging to the orders Coleoptera and Diptera, class Insects. Diptera individuals were the most abundant insects with 95.4% of the total belonged to four families (Muscidae, Calliphoridae, Ulidiidae and Milichiidae). Coleoptera individuals represented 4.6% of the total number, belonging to three families (Promecheilidae, Staphylinidae and Salpingidae). The measured physicochemical characteristics of the compost included: pH, EC, moisture, total organic carbon, total nitrogen, total phosphorous and organic matter. The pH value of the composts ranged from 7.79 to 7.97. Organic carbon content and organic matter content ranged from 20.16 to 26.99 % and 34.67 to 46.23 %, respectively. It can concluded that household waste compost is not just a waste but has the potential to be transformed into a good quality organic fertilizer through composting. Composting can convert solid organic waste into a valuable added material.


Soil Research ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 495 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. McKissock ◽  
R. J. Gilkes ◽  
R. J. Harper ◽  
D. J. Carter

In order to predict the occurrence of water repellency, which is a labile property, from field survey data obtained throughout the year, it is necessary to identify predictive relationships between water repellency and commonly measured soil properties. This paper evaluates these relationships for diverse soil assemblages. These soil assemblages include a set of reference soils from the south-west of Western Australia (an area of 250 000 km2), more intensively sampled suites of soils in several smaller soil{landscape associations within the south-west of Western Australia (≅1000 km2), soils from single farms (1-10 km2) and transects (≅0·001 km2), and single soil profiles (≅m2). The severity of water repellency was assessed by measuring water drop penetration time in seconds (WDPT) and was related to intrinsic properties of soils using log-transformed data. For the set of soils from the West Midland Sandplain the type of land use was also considered as a variable. There is a general tendency for WDPT to increase as organic matter content increases and decrease as the content of fine mineral material increases (clay, silt, very fine sand). However, there is no single soil property that is able to predict WDPT adequately. Furthermore, reliability of prediction decreases as the area of sampling increases. There appear to be no systematic differences in the capacity of organic matter from pasture or crop to induce water repellency, but increments of organic matter under bush increase water repellency at a greater rate than does organic matter from crop or pasture.


2013 ◽  
Vol 64 (2) ◽  
pp. 30-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mirosław Orzechowski ◽  
Sławomir Smólczyński ◽  
Paweł Sowiński ◽  
Beata Rybińska

Abstract The objective of the work was to investigate hydrophobic properties of soil formations with various amounts of organic matter and occurring in young glacial landscape. The research was carried out in mineral, mineral-organic and organic (slightly and strongly silted mucks, sedge peat, alder wood peat, reed peat) soil formations. Water repellency is very important in soil protection. It favors the formation of stable aggregates and prevents from soil erosion. The study was carried out applying two methods . water drop penetration time test (WDPT) and alcohol percentage test (AP). Among 51 analyzed soil samples in WDPT test, 64.7% of mineral and mineral-organic soil formations were hydrophilic. Among organic soil formations 37.6% was slightly and strongly hydrophobic and they represented strongly silted mucks. Unsilted and slightly silted mucks, weakly and strongly decomposed peats, were very strongly (18.8%) and extremely (43.6%) hydrophobic. AP test showed that strongly silted mucks were moderately and very strongly hydrophobic. Slightly silted mucks, and peats were very strongly and extremely hydrophobic. It can be stated that water repellency decreases simultaneously with the degree of siltation of organic soil formations.


Biologia ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 64 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrzej Lachacz ◽  
Monika Nitkiewicz ◽  
Barbara Kalisz

AbstractThe objective of this study was to estimate the water repellency of post-boggy soils in north-eastern Poland. Potential water repellency was determined based on the water drop penetration time (WDPT) test and the molarity of an ethanol droplet (MED) test. A total of 276 soil samples with a varied organic carbon (OC) content, ranging from trace amounts in sandy subsoils to 44.4% in organic soils, were analyzed. The investigated material represents peat-muck soils (Eutri-Sapric Histsols) and muck-like soils (Arenic Gleysols, Areni-Humic Gleysols, Gleyic Arenosols). The mineral matter of the analyzed soils comprised loose sand. The obtained results indicate that peat soil formations are marked by higher potential water repellency than muck soil formations. The highest WDPT values (16 390 s) were reported in respect of an alder peat sample with 41.9% OC content, collected at a depth of 55–60 cm. In the group of muck soils, a sample with 36.7% OC content, collected at a depth of 15–20 cm, was marked by the highest water repellency (WDPT 10 492 s). The water repellency of the studied soils is dependent on organic matter content, and it is manifested only when organic matter content is higher than 20%. Soils with OC content of up to 12% show low water repellency or are hydrophilic. Organic soil formations (>12% OC) are characterized by a varied degree of water repellency, but WDPT values in excess of 2000 s are reported only in respect of soils containing more than 35% OC. A significant positive correlation between the content of organic matter, organic carbon, total nitrogen and water repellency was observed in the entire studied population (n = 276). A significant positive correlation was also found between WDPT values and the C:N ratio, while a significant negative correlation was reported in respect of $$ pH_{H_2 O} $$.


Molecules ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (11) ◽  
pp. 2470 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aleksandra Ukalska-Jaruga ◽  
Bożena Smreczak

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) exhibit persistence in soils, and most of them are potentially mutagenic/carcinogenic and teratogenic for human beings but also influence the growth and development of soil organisms. The PAHs emitted into the atmosphere are ultimately deposited (by dry or wet deposition processes) onto the soil surface where they tend to accumulate. Soil organic matter (SOM) plays an important role in the fate and transformation processes of PAHs, affecting their mobility, availability, and persistence. Therefore, the aim of this research was to investigate the influence of SOM fractional diversification (fulvic acids—FA, humic acids—HA, and humins—HN) on PAH availability and persistence in soils. Twenty soil samples (n = 20) were collected from upper horizons (0–30 cm) of agricultural soils exposed to anthropogenic emissions from industrial and domestic sources. The assessment of PAH concentrations included the determination of medium-molecular-weight compounds from the US EPA list: fluoranthene—FLA, pyrene—PYR, benz(a)anthracene—BaA, and chrysene—CHR. The assessment was conducted using the GC-MS/MS technique. Three operationally defined fractions were investigated: total extractable PAHs (TE-PAHs) fraction, available/bioavailable PAHs (PB-PAHs) fraction, and nonavailable/residual PAHs (RE-PAHs) fraction, which was calculated as the difference between total and available PAHs. TE-PAHs were analyzed by dichloromethane extraction, while PB-PAHs were analyzed with a hydrophobic β-cyclodextrin solution. SOM was characterized by total organic carbon content (Turin method) and organic carbon of humic substances including FA, HA, HN (IHSS method). Concentrations of PAHs differed between soils from 193.5 to 3169.5 µg kg−1, 4.3 to 226.4 µg kg−1, and 148.6 to 3164.7 µg kg−1 for ∑4 TE-PAHs, ∑4 PB-PAHs, and ∑4 RE-PAHs, respectively. The ∑4 PB-PAHs fraction did not exceed 30% of ∑4 TE-PAHs. FLA was the most strongly bound in soil (highest content of RE-FLA), whereas PYR was the most available (highest content of PB-PYR). The soils were characterized by diversified total organic carbon (TOC) concentration (8.0–130.0 g kg−1) and individual SOM fractions (FA = 0.4–7.5 g kg−1, HA = 0.6–13.0 g kg−1, HN = 0.9–122.9 g kg−1). FA and HA as the labile fraction of SOM with short turnover time strongly positively influenced the potential ∑4 PAH availability (r = 0.56 and r = 0.52 for FA and HA, respectively). HN, which constitutes a stable fraction of organic matter with high hydrophobicity and poor degradability, was strongly correlated with ∑4 RE-PAHs (r = 0.75), affecting their persistence in soil.


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