Relationships between Soil Crust Development and Soil Properties in the Desert Region of North China

This study investigated the effects of soil crust development on the underlying soil properties. The field sampling work was conducted in June 2016 in the Hobq Desert in Inner Mongolia, North China. Soil crust samples and 0–6, 6–12, 12–18, 18–24, 24–30 cm deep underlying soil samples were taken from five representative areas of different soil crust development stages. All samples were analyzed for physicochemical properties including water content, bulk density, aggregate content, organic matter content, enzyme activities, and microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen. The results showed that the thickness, water content, macroaggregate (>250 μm) content, organic matter content, microbial biomass and enzyme activities of the soil crusts gradually increased along the soil crust development gradient, while the bulk density of the soil crusts decreased. Meanwhile, the physicochemical and biological properties of the soils below the algal and moss crusts were significantly ameliorated when compared with the physical crust. Moreover, the amelioration effects were significant in the upper horizons (approx. 0–12 cm deep) and diminished quickly in the deeper soil layers.

Download Full-text

The Effects of Long‐Term Land‐Use Change on Soil Properties in Perth, Ontario Canada

Inquiry@Queen's Undergraduate Research Conference Proceedings ◽

10.24908/iqurcp.8271 ◽

2016 ◽

Author(s):

Trina Stephens

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Organic Matter ◽

North America ◽

Land Use Change ◽

Soil Properties ◽

Carbon Storage ◽

Organic Matter Content ◽

Matter Content ◽

Topographic Gradients

Land‐use change can have a major impact on soil properties, leading to long‐term changes in soilnutrient cycling rates and carbon storage. While a substantial amount of research has been conducted onland‐use change in tropical regions, empirical evidence of long‐term conversion of forested land toagricultural land in North America is lacking. Pervasive deforestation for the sake of agriculturethroughout much of North America is likely to have modified soil properties, with implications for theglobal climate. Here, we examined the response of physical, chemical and biological soil properties toconversion of forest to agricultural land (100 years ago) on Roebuck Farm near Perth, Ontario, Canada.Soil samples were collected at three sites from under forest and agricultural vegetative cover on bothhigh‐ and low‐lying topographic positions (12 locations in total; soil profile sampled to a depth of 40cm).Our results revealed that bulk density, pH, and nitrate concentrations were all higher in soils collectedfrom cultivate sites. In contrast, samples from forested sites exhibited greater water‐holding capacity,porosity, organic matter content, ammonia concentrations and cation exchange capacity. Many of these characteristics are linked to greater organic matter abundance and diversity in soils under forestvegetation as compared with agricultural soils. Microbial activity and Q10 values were also higher in theforest soils. While soil properties in the forest were fairly similar across topographic gradients, low‐lyingpositions under agricultural regions had higher bulk density and organic matter content than upslopepositions, suggesting significant movement of material along topographic gradients. Differences in soilproperties are attributed largely to increased compaction and loss of organic matter inputs in theagricultural system. Our results suggest that the conversion of forested land cover to agriculture landcover reduces soil quality and carbon storage, alters long‐term site productivity, and contributes toincreased atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations.

Download Full-text

Log landings are methane emission hotspots in managed forests

Canadian Journal of Forest Research ◽

10.1139/cjfr-2021-0109 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Juliana Vantellingen ◽

Sean C. Thomas

Keyword(s):

Organic Matter ◽

Soil Properties ◽

Management Practices ◽

Emission Rate ◽

Woody Debris ◽

Organic Matter Content ◽

Growing Season ◽

Matter Content ◽

Emission Rates ◽

Managed Forests

Log landings are areas within managed forests used to process and store felled trees prior to transport. Through their construction and use soil is removed or redistributed, compacted, and organic matter contents may be increased by incorporation of wood fragments. The effects of these changes to soil properties on methane (CH4) flux is unclear and unstudied. We quantified CH4 flux rates from year-old landings in Ontario, Canada, and examined spatial variability and relationships to soil properties within these sites. Landings emitted CH4 throughout the growing season; the average CH4 emission rate from log landings was 69.2 ± 12.8 nmol m-2 s-1 (26.2 ± 4.8 g CH4 C m-2 y-1), a rate comparable to CH4-emitting wetlands. Emission rates were correlated to soil pH, organic matter content and quantities of buried woody debris. These properties led to strong CH4 emissions, or “hotspots”, in certain areas of landings, particularly where processing of logs occurred and incorporated woody debris into the soil. At the forest level, emissions from landings were estimated to offset ~12% of CH4 consumption from soils within the harvest area, although making up only ~0.5% of the harvest area. Management practices to avoid or remediate these emissions should be developed as a priority measure in “climate-smart” forestry.

Download Full-text

Relationship of soil properties to fractionation, bioavailability and mobility of lead and zinc in soil

Plant Soil and Environment ◽

10.17221/2201-pse ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 53 (No. 5) ◽

pp. 225-238 ◽

Cited By ~ 28

Author(s):

N. Finžgar ◽

P. Tlustoš ◽

D. Leštan

Keyword(s):

Organic Matter ◽

Regression Analysis ◽

Soil Organic Matter ◽

Soil Properties ◽

Multiple Regression ◽

Contaminated Soils ◽

Organic Matter Content ◽

Clay Content ◽

Exchange Capacity ◽

Matter Content

Sequential extractions, metal uptake by Taraxacum officinale, Ruby’s physiologically based extraction test (PBET) and toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP), were used to assess the risk of Pb and Zn in contaminated soils, and to determine relationships among soil characteristics, heavy metals soil fractionation, bioavailability and leachability. Regression analysis using linear and 2nd order polynomial models indicated relationships between Pb and Zn contamination and soil properties, although of small significance (P < 0.05). Statistically highly significant correlations (P < 0.001) were obtained using multiple regression analysis. A correlation between soil cation exchange capacity (CEC) and soil organic matter and clay content was expected. The proportion of Pb in the PBET intestinal phase correlated with total soil Pb and Pb bound to soil oxides and the organic matter fraction. The leachable Pb, extracted with TCLP, correlated with the Pb bound to carbonates and soil organic matter content (R2 = 69%). No highly significant correlations (P < 0.001) for Zn with soil properties or Zn fractionation were obtained using multiple regression.

Download Full-text

Relationship between soil composition and retention capacity of terbumeton onto chalky soils

Environmental Chemistry ◽

10.1071/en08105 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 6 (3) ◽

pp. 245 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Achouak El Arfaoui ◽

Stéphanie Sayen ◽

Eric Marceau ◽

Lorenzo Stievano ◽

Emmanuel Guillon ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Organic Matter ◽

Soil Properties ◽

Environmental Fate ◽

Organic Matter Content ◽

Calcareous Soils ◽

Matter Content ◽

Soil Composition ◽

Retention Capacity ◽

Wide Range ◽

Soil Components

Environmental context. The wide use of pesticides for pest and weed control contributes to their presence in underground and surface waters, which has led to a continuously growing interest in their environmental fate. Soils play a key role in the transfer of these compounds from the sprayer to the water as a result of their capacity to retain pesticides depending on the soil components. The knowledge of soil composition should enable one to predict pesticide behaviour in the environment. Abstract. Eight calcareous soils of Champagne vineyards (France) were studied to investigate the adsorption of the herbicide terbumeton (TER). A preliminary characterisation of the soil samples using X-ray diffraction (XRD), elemental and textural analyses, revealed a wide range of soil properties for the selected samples. The adsorption isotherms of TER were plotted for all samples. The determination of soil properties, which significantly correlated with the Kd distribution coefficient, allowed identification of organic matter and CaCO3 as the two main soil components that govern the retention of the herbicide. Organic matter was the predominant phase involved in the retention but its role was limited by the presence of calcite. Finally, the ratio of CaCO3 content to organic matter content was proposed as a useful parameter to predict the adsorption of terbumeton in chalky soils. The evolution of Kd as a function of this ratio was successfully described using an empirical model.

Download Full-text

Adsorption of Five Phenylurea Herbicides by Selected Soils of Czechoslovakia

Weed Science ◽

10.1017/s0043174500069186 ◽

1983 ◽

Vol 31 (3) ◽

pp. 368-372 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Josef Kozak ◽

Jerome B. Weber

Keyword(s):

Organic Matter ◽

Soil Organic Matter ◽

Soil Properties ◽

Adsorption Isotherms ◽

Organic Matter Content ◽

Matter Content ◽

Langmuir Equation ◽

Phenylurea Herbicides ◽

Soil Organic Matter Content ◽

Freundlich Equation

Adsorption of five phenylurea herbicides, metobromuron [3-(p-bromophenyl)-1-methoxy-1-methylurea], monolinuron [3-(p-chlorophenyl)-1-methoxyl-1-methylurea], linuron [3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1-methoxy-1-methylurea], chlorbromuron [3-(4-bromo-3-chlorophenyl)-1-methoxy-1-methylurea], and CGA-15646 [3-(3-chloro-4-methylphenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea] by eight selected soils of Czechoslovakia were studied. Constants from Freundlich and Langmuir equations were calculated and correlated with the major soil properties. Freundlich K values ranged from 1.84 to 128, and the Freundlich equation was better fitted to the adsorption isotherms than was the Langmuir equation. Soil organic-matter content was the most important factor influencing the range of adsorption.

Download Full-text

QUANTITATIVE COMPARISON OF TWO CLOSELY RELATED SOIL MAPPING UNITS

Canadian Journal of Soil Science ◽

10.4141/cjss74-002 ◽

1974 ◽

Vol 54 (1) ◽

pp. 7-14 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

L. S. CROSSON ◽

R. PROTZ

Keyword(s):

Organic Matter ◽

Soil Properties ◽

Organic Matter Content ◽

Matter Content ◽

Soil Mapping ◽

Probability Level ◽

Ap Horizon ◽

Modal Values ◽

True Measure ◽

Mapping Units

Many soil mapping units (MU) have not been adequately sampled to provide a true measure of their variability; therefore, their descriptions must be regarded as incomplete, and valid statistical comparisons cannot be made with other closely related MU. The number of samples required to detect the differences in means of 18 soil properties between Brantford and Beverly Silt Loam MU were calculated and they ranged from 4 at the 80% probability level (10 at the 95% probability level) for organic matter content of the Ap horizon to several thousand for pH of the Ap horizon. Calculation of required sample numbers indicated that sufficient samples had been collected to make valid statistical comparisons between seven of the soil properties. All seven properties were found to be significantly different between the two MU at the 95% probability level. However, only two of the properties, hue and organic matter content of the Ap horizon, had distinctly different modal values between the two MU and neither of these properties is easily measured in the field. Therefore, it was concluded that the 18 soil properties examined were impractical and unreliable criteria for separating the MU in the field. But, the MU separations can be readily and validly made on the basis of landscape position.

Download Full-text

WITHIN-PEDON VARIABILITY IN SOIL PROPERTIES

Canadian Journal of Soil Science ◽

10.4141/cjss82-069 ◽

1982 ◽

Vol 62 (4) ◽

pp. 631-639 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

G. T. PATTERSON ◽

G. J. WALL

Keyword(s):

Particle Size ◽

Organic Matter ◽

Calcium Carbonate ◽

Particle Size Distribution ◽

Soil Properties ◽

Size Distribution ◽

Organic Matter Content ◽

Matter Content ◽

Soil Drainage ◽

Soil Material

Replicate soil samples (2–20) from the A, B and C horizons of 41 pedons were collected to measure within-pedon variability of particle size distribution, organic matter content, calcium carbonate equivalent and pH. Variability in soil properties was examined in relation to the mode of origin of the soil material, soil horizonation and soil drainage. Variance in particle size distribution was significantly influenced by mode of deposition as well as by soil horizons, while soil drainage had no significant influence on the variation in particle size distribution. Variance in calcium carbonate equivalent and organic matter content was not influenced by soil drainage or mode of deposition. The number of replicate samples required for statistically reliable evaluation of a pedon at given confidence limits was determined for the soil properties studied. The results of these calculations indicate the need for up to five replicate samples to achieve satisfactory levels of accuracy at the 95% confidence level for some of the soil properties studied.

Download Full-text

The impact of landscape evolution on soil physics: evolution of soil physical and hydraulic properties along two chronosequences of proglacial moraines

Earth System Science Data ◽

10.5194/essd-12-3189-2020 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (4) ◽

pp. 3189-3204

Author(s):

Anne Hartmann ◽

Markus Weiler ◽

Theresa Blume

Keyword(s):

Organic Matter ◽

Physical Properties ◽

Soil Properties ◽

Bulk Density ◽

Hydraulic Properties ◽

Organic Matter Content ◽

Soil Physical Properties ◽

Matter Content ◽

Data Set ◽

Soil Chronosequence

Abstract. Soil physical properties highly influence soil hydraulic properties, which define the soil hydraulic behavior. Thus, changes within these properties affect water flow paths and the soil water and matter balance. Most often these soil physical properties are assumed to be constant in time, and little is known about their natural evolution. Therefore, we studied the evolution of physical and hydraulic soil properties along two soil chronosequences in proglacial forefields in the Central Alps, Switzerland: one soil chronosequence developed on silicate and the other on calcareous parent material. Each soil chronosequence consisted of four moraines with the ages of 30, 160, 3000, and 10 000 years at the silicate forefield and 110, 160, 4900, and 13 500 years at the calcareous forefield. We investigated bulk density, porosity, loss on ignition, and hydraulic properties in the form of retention curves and hydraulic conductivity curves as well as the content of clay, silt, sand, and gravel. Samples were taken at three depths (10, 30, 50 cm) at six sampling sites at each moraine. Soil physical and hydraulic properties changed considerably over the chronosequence. Particle size distribution showed a pronounced reduction in sand content and an increase in silt and clay content over time at both sites. Bulk density decreased, and porosity increased during the first 10 millennia of soil development. The trend was equally present at both parent materials, but the reduction in sand and increase in silt content were more pronounced at the calcareous site. The organic matter content increased, which was especially pronounced in the topsoil at the silicate site. With the change in physical soil properties and organic matter content, the hydraulic soil properties changed from fast-draining coarse-textured soils to slow-draining soils with high water-holding capacity, which was also more pronounced in the topsoil at the silicate site. The data set presented in this paper is available at the online repository of the German Research Center for Geosciences (GFZ; Hartmann et al., 2020b). The data set can be accessed via the DOI https://doi.org/10.5880/GFZ.4.4.2020.004.

Download Full-text

Evaluation of some selected soil properties of a drip irrigated tomato field at different moisture regimes in South-Western Nigeria

LAUTECH Journal of Civil and Environmental Studies ◽

10.36108/laujoces/1202.60.0230 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 6 (2) ◽

Author(s):

E.O. Ogundipe

Keyword(s):

Organic Matter ◽

Hydraulic Conductivity ◽

Soil Properties ◽

Bulk Density ◽

Soil Texture ◽

Organic Matter Content ◽

Infiltration Rate ◽

Matter Content ◽

Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity ◽

Tomato Field

Soil properties are important to the development of agricultural crops. This study determined some selected soil properties of a drip irrigated tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum M.) field at different moisture regime in South-Western Nigeria. The experiment was carried out using Randomized Complete Block Design with frequency and depth of irrigation application as the main plot and sub-plot, respectively in three replicates. Three frequencies (7, 5 and 3 days) and three depths equivalent to 100, 75 and 50% of water requirement were used. Undisturbed and disturbed soil samples were collected from 0-5, 5-10, 10-20 and 20-30 cm soil layers for the determination of some soil properties (soil texture, organic matter content, bulk density, infiltration rate and saturated hydraulic conductivity) were determined using standard formulae. Soil Water Content (SWC) monitoring was conducted every two days using a gravimetric technique. The soil texture was sandy loam for all the soil depths; average value of soil organic matter was highest (1.8%) in the 0-5 cm surface layer and decreased with soil depth; the soil bulk density value before and after irrigation experiment ranged from 1.48 and 1.73 g/cm3 and 1.5 and 1.76 g/cm3, respectively; there was a rapid reduction in the initial infiltration and final infiltration rate. Saturated hydraulic conductivity show similar trend although the 20-30 cm layer had the lowest value (50.84 mm/h); the SWC affect bulk density during the growing season. The study showed that soil properties especially bulk density and organic matter content affect irrigation water movement at different depth..

Download Full-text

SOIL SPATIAL VARIABILITY OF SOME SOIL PROPERTIES USING FACTOR ANALYSIS IN FEDERAL COLLEGE OF FORESTRY MECHANIZATION, KADUNA RESEARCH FARM

FUDMA Journal of Sciences ◽

10.33003/fjs-2020-0402-289 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (2) ◽

pp. 695-698

Author(s):

Akinrinshola Dare ◽

Samson O. Okechalu ◽

Bako Amos ◽

Thompson Oluwole Ademola ◽

G. Lapkat Luka

Keyword(s):

Factor Analysis ◽

Organic Matter ◽

Spatial Variability ◽

Soil Properties ◽

Size Fraction ◽

Organic Matter Content ◽

Field Capacity ◽

Sampling Procedure ◽

Matter Content ◽

Available Water Content

This paper shows the spatial variability of soil properties and factors that contribute to the pattern of variability in Federal College of Forestry Mechanization Research farm. Nine (9) Soil samples were obtained from various points on the farm using random sampling procedure and these samples were subjected to further for laboratory analysis to determine the particle size fraction, soil pH, organic matter content, and from the data obtained was used to determine the Wilting Point (WP), Saturation Capacity (SC), Field Capacity (FC), Available Water Content (AW), Soil Hydraulic Conductivity (SHC), and Bulk density (BD) using SOILWAT software. Descriptive statistics and factor analysis techniques was used to analyze the data obtained, the coefficient of variation ranged from 3.045 to 61.825% and factor analysis showed that the variability of the soil properties is as a result of the textural characteristics, and organic matter.

Download Full-text