scholarly journals Tree species distribution and its impact on soil properties, and nitrogen and phosphorus mineralization in a humid subtropical forest ecosystem of northeastern India

2009 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-47 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenpuiru Kamei ◽  
H. N. Pandey ◽  
S. K. Barik

The impact of tree species on net N and P mineralization, and soil properties beneath their canopy were studied in a subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest of northeastern India. Four types of experimental plots were identified based on tree species dominance. The first plot was dominated by Myrica esculenta Buch.-Ham. ex D. Don., the second by Rhododendron arboreum Sm., the third by Neolitsea cassia Koster., and the fourth was a mixed-species plot. Organic carbon content (3.11%) and NH4+-N concentration (11.40 μg·g–1) in the Rhododendron plot, pH (4.64) and total N content (0.89%) in the mixed plot, available P (5.16 μg·g–1) and NO3–-N (8.63 μg·g–1) concentrations in the Neolitsea plot were significantly higher (p < 0.001) than the other plots. All these soil parameters were lowest in the Myrica plot. The net N and P mineralization rates in an annual cycle across different plots ranged between 18.83 and 22.14 μg·g–1·month–1 and between 4.54 and 5.87 μg·g–1·month–1, respectively. The flux varied significantly (p < 0.001) among the plots, the lowest and highest being in the Myrica plot and mixed plots, respectively. The differences in soil properties and in net N and P mineralization among different species plots were related to litter quality and yield of the respective species as well as soil microenvironment.

2004 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
pp. 351-355 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dieter Stolle ◽  
Peijun Guo ◽  
Gabriel Sedran

This paper analyzes the impact of natural random variation of soil properties on the constitutive modelling of geomaterial behaviour. A theoretical framework for accommodating variation in soil properties is presented. The framework is then used to examine the consequence of parameter variability on stress–strain relations. An important observation is that average soil parameters from a series of tests on small specimens, in which density of the specimens varies randomly, do not necessarily reflect the average constitutive behaviour of soil. Model predictions are shown to be consistent with the experimental data.Key words: random variability, deterministic analysis, soil parameters, constitutive model.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helena Doležalová-Weissmannová ◽  
Stanislav Malý ◽  
Martin Brtnický ◽  
Jiří Holátko ◽  
Michael Scott Demyan ◽  
...  

Abstract. Thermogravimetry (TG) is a simple method that enables rapid analysis of soil properties such as the content of total organic C, nitrogen, clay and C fractions with different stability. However, the possible link between TG data and microbiological soil properties has not been systematically tested yet and limits TG application for soil and soil organic matter assessment. This work aimed to search and to validate relationships of thermal mass losses (TML) to total C and N contents, microbial biomass C and N, basal and substrate-induced respiration, extractable organic carbon content, anaerobic ammonification, urease activity, short-term nitrification activity, specific growth rate, and time to reach the maximum respiration rate for two sample sets of arable and grassland soils. Analyses of the training soil set revealed significant correlations of TML with basic soil properties such as carbon and nitrogen content with distinguishing linear regression parameters and temperatures of correlating mass losses for arable and grassland soils. In a second stage the equations of significant correlations were used for validation with an independent second sample set. This confirmed applicability of developed equations for prediction of microbiological properties mainly for arable soils. For grassland soils was the applicability lower, which was explained as the influence of rhizosphere processes. Nevertheless, the application of TG can facilitate the understanding of changes in soil caused by microorganism’s activity and the different regression equations between TG and soil parameters reflect changes in proportions between soil components caused by land use management.


Agronomy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 1871 ◽  
Author(s):  
Porntip Puttaso ◽  
Weravart Namanusart ◽  
Kanjana Thumanu ◽  
Bhanudacha Kamolmanit ◽  
Alain Brauman ◽  
...  

Leaf litter plays a major role in carbon and nutrient cycling, as well as in fueling food webs. The chemical composition of a leaf may directly and indirectly influence decomposition rates by influencing rates of biological reactions and by influencing the accumulation of soil organic carbon content, respectively. This study aimed to assess the impact of the chemical composition of rubber (Hevea brasiliensis (Willd. ex A. Juss.) Muell. Arg.) leaves on various soil properties of different ages of rubber (4–5, 11–12, and 22–23 year-old). Synchrotron-based Fourier transform infrared microspectroscopy (Sr-FTIR) was utilized for analyzing the chemical composition of plant leaves. The Sr-FTIR bands illustrated that the epidermis of rubber leaves from 4–5-year-old trees was found to contain a high quantity of polysaccharides while mesophyll from 22–23-year-old trees had a large number of polysaccharides. The change in soil properties in the older rubber plantation could be attributed to its chemical composition. The change in soil properties across all tree ages, i.e., increased litter and organic carbon content, was a relatively strong driver of soil biota evolution. The aliphatic of C-H in the leaves showed high correlation with soil organic carbon (SOC) and permanganate-oxidizable C (POXC) from 22–23 year-old trees. This study shows the differences in the organic chemical composition of leaves that are consequential to soil organic carbon.


Forests ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Franklin Marín ◽  
Carlos Dahik ◽  
Giovanny Mosquera ◽  
Jan Feyen ◽  
Pedro Cisneros ◽  
...  

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.


2009 ◽  
Vol 60 (11) ◽  
pp. 1091 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. D. Armour ◽  
L. R. Hateley ◽  
G. L. Pitt

A long-term, annual-average catchment biophysical model (SedNet/ANNEX) was used to calculate sediment, nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) loads in the Tully–Murray catchment of north-eastern Australia. A total of 119 000 t year–1 of suspended sediment, equivalent to 430 kg ha–1 year–1, was calculated to be exported to the Great Barrier Reef (GBR). Most of the sediment (64%) was generated from hill-slope erosion. The modelled load of dissolved inorganic N (1159 t year–1 or 4.2 kg N ha–1 year–1) was similar to that from other wet tropics catchments in Queensland with similar areas of sugarcane. Sugarcane produced 77% of this load. The annual loads of total N and total P were 2319 t and 244 t, respectively. Simulations (scenarios) were run to evaluate the impact of improved land management on pollutant loads to the GBR. A combination of improved cultivation and fertiliser management of sugarcane and bananas (99% of cropping land) and restoration of the most degraded riparian areas reduced sediment by 23 000 t year–1 (18%) and dissolved inorganic N by 286 t year–1 (25%). However, this reduction is much less than the reduction of 80% that may be needed in the catchment to meet target chlorophyll loads in the marine environment.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina Lekka ◽  
George P. Petropoulos ◽  
Dimitrios Triantakonstantis ◽  
Spyros Detsikas ◽  
Christos Chalkias

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Abstract&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The National Map of Saline &amp;#8211; Alkaline Soils of Greece was recently developed within the initiative of the European Soil Partnership (ESP) of FAO. The technique combines between other MODIS satellite imagery, spatial interpolation methods and ground surveying to derive at 1 km spatial resolution maps of soil&amp;#8217;s salinity (SS) and soil organic carbon (SOC).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The present study investigates for the first time the development of higher resolution maps of these soil properties adopting the aforementioned methodology. Furthermore, this study attempted to estimate the Carbon sequestration (SOC) using Remote Sensing and geostatistic methods of spatial analysis, a concern that is eminent today due to its effect on climate change mitigation.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;As a case study the island of Mytilene in Greece is used, for which detailed information on soil properties as well as climatic, geomorphological, geological and soil data was available from previous studies. An MCDA (Multiple Criteria Decision Analysis) method was applied in a GIS environment using Landsat satellite imagery for the composition of a Saline - Alkaline map. Between the key soil parameters estimated spatially included the Electrical Conductivity (EC), Exchangeable Sodium Percentage (ESP) and pH. Geospatial data analysis methods were implemented to visualize all the derived parameters related for the study area and to analyze the final products in the spatial domain.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Finding suggests that climate change and soil directly affect one another. The impact of environmental and climate change in addition to unsustainable agricultural practices seems to be linked to salinity increase, soil erosion and loss of organic matter.&amp;#160; In addition, when land degradation as well as erosion and loss of vegetation occur, SOC emissions increase. Under these conditions, soil cannot absorb enough amounts of CO2, especially when soil salinization and sodicity exists; inputs are further limited due to declines in vegetation health. The role of geoinformation technologies in support of sustainable agricultural production under the pressure of both climate change and anthropogenic activities is also discussed within the present study framework. &amp;#160;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;KEYWORDS:&lt;/strong&gt; geoinformation, soil, pH, salinity, soil organic carbon, geostatistics, earth observation, GIS, Greece&lt;/p&gt;


2021 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan M. Berlingeri ◽  
Joseph R. Lawrence ◽  
S. Sunoj ◽  
Karl J. Czymmek ◽  
Quirine M. Ketterings

A field nutrient balance (supplied minus harvested) can be an effective, end-of-season management evaluation tool. However, development of guidance for balance-based management requires knowledge of variability in balance inputs. To contribute to development of such guidelines, we evaluated the impact of corn silage hybrid selection, nutrient management, and growing conditions on field nitrogen (N) balances and documented variability in N and phosphorus (P) balances at the whole-farm, field, within-field levels. Variability in N removal among hybrids was evaluated using hybrid trials (5 locations, 4 years each). Variability in farm and field balances (4 farms, 2 years each) and within-field balances (2 farms, 2 years each) was assessed as well. Nitrogen supply comprised soil N (soil type-specific book values), rotation N, past manure N, and current year N (fertilizer and/or manure). Total N balances included all current year manure N while available N balances considered only plant-available N from manure. Phosphorus balances were derived as total P applied minus P harvested. Yield explained 81% of the variability in N uptake across hybrids. Nitrogen uptake intensity (NUI; N uptake per unit of yield) varied across locations and years, averaging 4.3 ± 0.1 kg N/Mg for short-season hybrids [≤95 days-to-maturity (DTM)] vs. 4.1 ± 0.1 kg N Mg−1 for longer-season hybrids. Whole-farm N balances ranged from 139 to 251 kg N ha−1 for total N and 43 to 106 kg N ha−1 for available N. Phosphorus balances ranged from 28 to 154 kg P ha−1. Balances per field ranged from −8 to 453, −66 to 250 kg N ha−1, and −30 to 315 kg P ha−1 for total N, available N, and total P, respectively, while within-field balances showed even larger ranges. We conclude that (1) variability in corn silage N and P balances at field and within-field scales and across year is large, emphasizing the need for field and within-field (where feasible) evaluation tools and management options, and (2) feasible limits for N balances should include both total and available N.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vito Abbruzzese

In many farm systems, both inorganic and organic fertilisers, including manure and slurry, are applied to soil to replenish nutrient offtake in agricultural products and additional nutrient losses to surface water and groundwater. The use of manure/slurry as a nutrient resource offers important advantages over a sole reliance on inorganic fertilisers, including the reuse and recycling of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) within farming systems and a reduction in the reliance of agricultural production on finite inorganic fertiliser reserves. There is increasing interest in the extent to which additives are able to enhance the nutrient value of slurry/manure. However, little is known about the effects of these modified slurries/manures on the quantity and composition of N and P within agricultural soils. We report data from batch soil experiments in which soils received a range of treatments, including the application of livestock slurry that had received a combined SlurryBugs™ and SlurryBooster™ additive. Past research has shown that SlurryBugs™ and SlurryBooster™ additives have a range of potentially beneficial effects on livestock slurry, including increased total N content of the slurry. Our experiments were designed to understand how slurry that has received additives ultimately affects nutrient availability in organic, clay-loam and sandy-loam grassland soils. We consider the effects of our treatments on a range of agronomically-important soil parameters, including Olsen-P, mineral-N, available-K, pH and organic matter content. Through our experiments, we aim to understand the extent to which soil fertility can be enhanced through the application of slurries/manures that have received additives.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Alayu Haile Belayneh ◽  
Kidane Giday Gebremedhin ◽  
Yemane G. Egziabher

Acacia seyal is one of the multipurpose parkland agroforestry tree species in eastern and southern Africa. It is a common on-farm tree in the Rift Valley of Ethiopia, but information is limited on its effect on soil properties and sorghum growth and yield. The study was conducted to evaluate its effect on selected soil properties and sorghum growth and yield in Guba Lafto district of northern Ethiopia. Six isolated and closely comparable Acacia seyal trees growing on sorghum farms were purposely selected, and plots were marked under the canopy of trees with three radial distances (0–2 m, 2–4 m, and 4–6 m) and one outside of the tree canopy (10 m away from any tree). Soil samples from each distance zone were taken between 0–20 cm and 20–40 cm soil depths for soil property analysis. Four quadrates with 1 m2 at each distance zone in four directions were laid for sorghum growth and yield attribute valuation. The results showed that only total nitrogen (TN) was significantly higher ( P < 0.05 ) at the subsoil layer under the canopy compared to an open area, while other selected soil parameters were not affected by the tree species. Sorghum biomass yield ( P = 0.006 ) and grain yield ( P = 0.025 ) were significantly lower under the canopy of the trees than in the open area. Generally, Acacia seyal had little effect in improving soil properties and showed a negative effect on sorghum yield and growth. Further research on its effect under wide area coverage of parkland system should be performed to bring a radical shift on the intercropping farming system.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bartłomiej Woś ◽  
Agnieszka Józefowska ◽  
Justyna Likus-Cieślik ◽  
Marcin Chodak ◽  
Marcin Pietrzykowski

&lt;p&gt;The objective of this study was to compare the impact of Scots pine (&lt;em&gt;Pinus sylvestris&lt;/em&gt; L.), European larch (&lt;em&gt;Larix decidua&lt;/em&gt; Mill.) and common birch (&lt;em&gt;Betula pendula&lt;/em&gt; Roth) on the properties of regenerated soils in a reforested post-fire site in southern Poland (Central European conditions). The samples of O horizons (litter) and uppermost mineral soil (0-5 cm) were taken under pure stands of investigated tree species, aged from 26 to 27 years old and growing on sandy and loamy soils. In the litter samples, the pH, carbon and macronutrient (N, Ca, Mg and K) content were determined. The mineral soil samples were measured for texture, pH, soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (N&lt;sub&gt;t&lt;/sub&gt;), exchangeable acidity (Hh), basic exchangeable cations (Ca&lt;sup&gt;2+&lt;/sup&gt;, K&lt;sup&gt;+&lt;/sup&gt;, Mg&lt;sup&gt;2+&lt;/sup&gt;, Na&lt;sup&gt;+&lt;/sup&gt;) and cation exchangeable capacity (CEC). The obtained results indicated that the effect of tree species on soil properties was evident. The litter layers under birch had a higher pH and a lower C:N ratio, and they contained more N, P, Ca, and Mg than the litter layers under pine and larch. In the mineral soil, birch brought about a higher accumulation of SOC and CEC than the studied coniferous species. Higher SOC accumulation in mineral soil under birch was related to higher acidity under the species compared with the conifers. Soil texture in the studied range - from sands to loams - had only a limited effect on the properties of the studied post-fire soils. Thus, our results indicate that the tree species used for the reforestation of post-fire sites are crucial to the properties of regenerating soils and restoring the ecological functions of soils. Among the studied tree species, the common birch has the most pronounced effect on soil properties, and this is especially significant because the species has appeared by spontaneous succession.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The study was financed by The National Science Centre, Poland, Grant No. 2018/31/D/ST10/02137.&lt;/p&gt;


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