Water, soil and chemical losses: field experiments and model analysis

1999 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 93-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Rossi Pisa ◽  
F. Preti ◽  
M. Rossi ◽  
F. Ventura ◽  
B. Mazzanti

The study of the environmental impact of water erosion, chemicals and nutrient transport by runoff water is very important to protect soil and water quality. It is possible to find much literature on this topic, but the survey data lack uniformity and represent many different agronomic or natural environments. This is due to the wide range of parameters involved in these phenomena, such as soil and geomorphologic characteristics, tillage and crop management, nutrients and pesticides used. Results of some experiments are presented in this paper. A comparison of water, soil and chemical losses has been made between experimental data and modeling outputs, both at plot and at watershed scale. The findings indicate that monitoring and modeling are two complementary instruments, both necessary for the analysis of agrochemical transport phenomena, and that the proposed methodology is useful to evaluate the related environmental impact under different scenarios.

Biologia ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 69 (11) ◽  
Author(s):  
Roberto Lázaro ◽  
Juan Mora

AbstractIn drylands, water erosion can be a process with important economic and ecological implications, and is very dependent on the soil surface cover. There is broad agreement that biocrusts protect the soil from erosion in a wide range of circumstances. However, there is little information available on the effect of rain and biocrust types on this protective capacity and there is particularly very little knowledge on the erosive effects of runoff on biocrusts, which are expected to be larger in larger drainage areas, on the resistance of biocrusts to the combined effect of raindrops plus runoff flow and on the solute mobilisation by runoff in biocrusts. To answer these questions, we performed 96 rainfall-simulation in situ factorial experiments, including two biocrust types (cyanobacteria and lichens), three rain types (42, 63 and 77 mm h−1, always 20 min rain), four plot lengths (1, 2, 3 and 4 m long) and four replicates. In each experiment, runoff volume was measured and a runoff sample was taken to determine (i) the amount of dry matter in runoff, (ii) the amount of organic matter among the dry matter, (iii) the electrical conductivity, pH and alkalinity in runoff water. The main findings were: biocrusts strongly protected soil against water erosion, even under the most erosive conditions, and the protection increased with the successional development. Biocrusts were very resistant to the impact of raindrops and also to runoff flow, although an emergent hypothesis arose: under the most erosive conditions, a threshold of erodibility could be reached at the cyanobacterial biocrust. The lichen crust also protected the soil against the removal of soil soluble substances. The development of a biocrust could change the chemical composition of the solutes in runoff.


2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 20160086 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. D. Crall ◽  
J. J. Chang ◽  
R. L. Oppenheimer ◽  
S. A. Combes

Natural environments are characterized by variable wind that can pose significant challenges for flying animals and robots. However, our understanding of the flow conditions that animals experience outdoors and how these impact flight performance remains limited. Here, we combine laboratory and field experiments to characterize wind conditions encountered by foraging bumblebees in outdoor environments and test the effects of these conditions on flight. We used radio-frequency tags to track foraging activity of uniquely identified bumblebee ( Bombus impatiens ) workers, while simultaneously recording local wind flows. Despite being subjected to a wide range of speeds and turbulence intensities, we find that bees do not avoid foraging in windy conditions. We then examined the impacts of turbulence on bumblebee flight in a wind tunnel. Rolling instabilities increased in turbulence, but only at higher wind speeds. Bees displayed higher mean wingbeat frequency and stroke amplitude in these conditions, as well as increased asymmetry in stroke amplitude—suggesting that bees employ an array of active responses to enable flight in turbulence, which may increase the energetic cost of flight. Our results provide the first direct evidence that moderate, environmentally relevant turbulence affects insect flight performance, and suggest that flying insects use diverse mechanisms to cope with these instabilities.


Processes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 785
Author(s):  
Ahmed Ibrahim ◽  
Mohamed Meguid

Resolving the interaction between soil and water is critical to understanding a wide range of geotechnical applications. In cases when hydrodynamic forces are dominant and soil fluidization is expected, it is necessary to account for the microscale interactions between soil and water. Some of the existing models such as coupled Computational Fluid Dynamics–Discrete Element Method (CFD-DEM) can capture microscale interactions quite accurately. However, it is often computationally expensive and cannot be easily applied at a scale that would aid the design process. Contrastingly, continuum-based models such as the Two-Fluid Model (TFM) can be a computationally feasible and scalable alternative. In this study, we explored the potential of the TFM to simulate granular soil–water interactions. The model was validated by simulating the internal fluidization of a sand bed due to an upward water jet. Analogous to leakage from a pressurized pipe, the simulation was compared with the available experimental data to evaluate the model performance. The numerical results showed decent agreement with the experimental data in terms of excess pore water pressure, fluidization patterns, and physical deformations in violent flow regimes. Moreover, detailed soil characteristics such as particle size distribution could be implemented, which was previously considered a shortcoming of the model. Overall, the model’s performance indicates that TFM is a viable tool for the simulation of particulate soil–water mixtures.


Author(s):  
N. S. Aryaeva ◽  
E. V. Koptev-Dvornikov ◽  
D. A. Bychkov

A system of equations of thermobarometer for magnetite-silicate melt equilibrium was obtained by method of multidimensional statistics of 93 experimental data of a magnetite solubility in basaltic melts. Equations reproduce experimental data in a wide range of basalt compositions, temperatures and pressures with small errors. Verification of thermobarometers showed the maximum error in liquidus temperature reproducing does not exceed ±7 °C. The level of cumulative magnetite appearance in the vertical structure of Tsypringa, Kivakka, Burakovsky intrusions predicted with errors from ±10 to ±50 m.


Weed Science ◽  
1979 ◽  
Vol 27 (5) ◽  
pp. 497-501 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. D. Boyette ◽  
G. E. Templeton ◽  
R. J. Smith

An indigenous, host-specific, pathogenic fungus that parasitizes winged waterprimrose [Jussiaea decurrens(Walt.) DC.] is endemic in the rice growing region of Arkansas. The fungus was isolated and identified asColletotrichum gloeosporioides(Penz.) Sacc. f.sp. jussiaeae(CGJ). It is highly specific for parasitism of winged waterprimrose and not parasitic on creeping waterprimrose (J. repensL. var.glabrescensKtze.), rice (Oryza sativaL.), soybeans [Glycine max(L.) Merr.], cotton (Gossypium hirsutumL.), or 4 other crops and 13 other weeds. The fungus was physiologically distinct from C.gloeosporioides(Penz.) Sacc. f. sp.aeschynomene(CGA), an endemic anthracnose pathogen of northern jointvetch[Aeschynomene virginica(L.) B.S.P.], as indicated by cross inoculations of both weeds. Culture in the laboratory and inoculation of winged waterprimrose in greenhouse, growth chamber and field experiments indicated that the pathogen was stable, specific, and virulent in a wide range of environments. The pathogen yielded large quantities of spores in liquid culture. It is suitable for control of winged waterprimrose. Winged waterprimrose and northern jointvetch were controlled in greenhouse and field tests by application of spore mixtures of CGJ and CGA at concentrations of 1 to 2 million spores/ml of each fungus in 94 L/ha of water; the fungi did not damage rice or nontarget crops.


2010 ◽  
Vol 156-157 ◽  
pp. 1702-1707
Author(s):  
Xiang Wen Cheng ◽  
Jinchao Liu ◽  
Qi Zhi Ding ◽  
Li Ming Song ◽  
Zhan Lin Wang

How to predict the relationship among particle size and among product size, to establish the relationship between the granularity and working parameters in the process of grinding and to determine the optimum operating parameters. With proposing BS squeeze crush model by L. Bass and the idea of roll surface division as the material uneven extrusion force are adopted. Based on field experiments the experimental data is analyzed, the select function and the breakage functions are fitted with MATLAB software, and obtaining their model. The comminution model is determined by the roller division. We obtain the model parameter through the experimental data. Through model analysis shows: the relationship between particle breakage and energy absorption, namely the smaller size of the same power, the lower broken; the breakage diminishes with the decrease of particle size ratio and it will be tending to a small constant when the smaller particle size ratio. The breakage functions rapidly decrease within ratio of between 0.2-0.7. This shows: the energy consumption will rapidly increase when the particle size of less than 0.2 in broken; the selection diminish with the decrease of particle size. Pressure (8-9MPa) should be the most appropriate value.


Open Physics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 968-980
Author(s):  
Xueping Du ◽  
Zhijie Chen ◽  
Qi Meng ◽  
Yang Song

Abstract A high accuracy of experimental correlations on the heat transfer and flow friction is always expected to calculate the unknown cases according to the limited experimental data from a heat exchanger experiment. However, certain errors will occur during the data processing by the traditional methods to obtain the experimental correlations for the heat transfer and friction. A dimensionless experimental correlation equation including angles is proposed to make the correlation have a wide range of applicability. Then, the artificial neural networks (ANNs) are used to predict the heat transfer and flow friction performances of a finned oval-tube heat exchanger under four different air inlet angles with limited experimental data. The comparison results of ANN prediction with experimental correlations show that the errors from the ANN prediction are smaller than those from the classical correlations. The data of the four air inlet angles fitted separately have higher precisions than those fitted together. It is demonstrated that the ANN approach is more useful than experimental correlations to predict the heat transfer and flow resistance characteristics for unknown cases of heat exchangers. The results can provide theoretical support for the application of the ANN used in the finned oval-tube heat exchanger performance prediction.


Weed Science ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Muhammad Javaid Akhter ◽  
Per Kudsk ◽  
Solvejg Kopp Mathiassen ◽  
Bo Melander

Abstract Field experiments were conducted in the growing seasons of 2017 to 2018 and 2018 to 2019 to evaluate the competitive effects of rattail fescue [Vulpia myuros (L.) C.C. Gmel.] in winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and to assess whether delayed crop sowing and increased crop density influence the emergence, competitiveness, and fecundity of V. myuros. Cumulative emergence showed the potential of V. myuros to emerge rapidly and under a wide range of climatic conditions with no effect of crop density and variable effects of sowing time between the two experiments. Grain yield and yield components were negatively affected by increasing V. myuros density. The relationship between grain yield and V. myuros density was not influenced by sowing time or by crop density, but crop–weed competition was strongly influenced by growing conditions. Due to very different weather conditions, grain yield reductions were lower in the growing season of 2017 to 2018 than in 2018 to 2019, with maximum grain yield losses of 22% and 50% in the two growing seasons, respectively. The yield components, number of crop ears per square meter, and 1,000-kernel weight were affected almost equally, reflecting that V. myuros’s competition with winter wheat occurred both early and late in the growing season. Seed production of V. myuros was suppressed by delaying sowing and increasing crop density. The impacts of delayed sowing and increasing crop density on seed production of V. myuros highlight the potential of these cultural weed control tactics in the long-term management programs of this species.


Author(s):  
Afshin Anssari-Benam ◽  
Andrea Bucchi ◽  
Giuseppe Saccomandi

AbstractThe application of a newly proposed generalised neo-Hookean strain energy function to the inflation of incompressible rubber-like spherical and cylindrical shells is demonstrated in this paper. The pressure ($P$ P ) – inflation ($\lambda $ λ or $v$ v ) relationships are derived and presented for four shells: thin- and thick-walled spherical balloons, and thin- and thick-walled cylindrical tubes. Characteristics of the inflation curves predicted by the model for the four considered shells are analysed and the critical values of the model parameters for exhibiting the limit-point instability are established. The application of the model to extant experimental datasets procured from studies across 19th to 21st century will be demonstrated, showing favourable agreement between the model and the experimental data. The capability of the model to capture the two characteristic instability phenomena in the inflation of rubber-like materials, namely the limit-point and inflation-jump instabilities, will be made evident from both the theoretical analysis and curve-fitting approaches presented in this study. A comparison with the predictions of the Gent model for the considered data is also demonstrated and is shown that our presented model provides improved fits. Given the simplicity of the model, its ability to fit a wide range of experimental data and capture both limit-point and inflation-jump instabilities, we propose the application of our model to the inflation of rubber-like materials.


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