scholarly journals Biomass uptake and fire as controls on groundwater solute evolution on a southeast Australian granite: aboriginal land management hypothesis

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (15) ◽  
pp. 4099-4114 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. F. Dean ◽  
J. A. Webb ◽  
G. E. Jacobsen ◽  
R. Chisari ◽  
P. E. Dresel
Keyword(s):  
Surface Water ◽  
Plant Uptake ◽  
Plant Biomass ◽  
Chemical Species ◽  
Nutrient Elements ◽  
Surface Water Chemistry ◽  
Climatic Regions ◽  
The Past ◽  
Geochemical Mass Balance ◽  
Granite Terrain

Abstract. The chemical composition of groundwater and surface water is often considered to be dominated by water–rock interactions, particularly weathering; however, it has been increasingly realised that plant uptake can deplete groundwater and surface water of nutrient elements. Here we show, using geochemical mass balance techniques, that water–rock interactions do not control the hydrochemistry at our study site within a granite terrain in southwest Victoria, Australia. Instead the chemical species provided by rainfall are depleted by plant biomass uptake and exported, predominantly through fire. Regular landscape burning by Aboriginal land users is hypothesized to have caused the depletion of chemical species in groundwater for at least the past 20 000 yr by accelerating the export of elements that would otherwise have been stored within the local biomass. These findings are likely to be applicable to silicate terrains throughout southeast Australia, as well as similar lithological and climatic regions elsewhere in the globe, and contrast with studies of groundwater and surface water chemistry in higher rainfall areas of the Northern Hemisphere, where water–rock interactions are the dominant hydrochemical control.

scholarly journals Biomass uptake and fire as controls on groundwater solute evolution on a southeast Australian granite: aboriginal land management hypothesis

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 1827-1868 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. F. Dean ◽  
J. A. Webb ◽  
G. Jacobsen ◽  
R. Chisari ◽  
P. E. Dresel
Keyword(s):  
Chemical Composition ◽  
Surface Water ◽  
Plant Uptake ◽  
Plant Biomass ◽  
Chemical Species ◽  
Nutrient Elements ◽  
Surface Water Chemistry ◽  
Climatic Regions ◽  
The Past ◽  
Geochemical Mass Balance

Abstract. The chemical composition of groundwater and surface water is often considered to be dominated by water–rock interactions, particularly weathering; however, it has been increasingly realised that plant uptake can deplete groundwater and surface water of nutrient elements. Here we show, using geochemical mass balance techniques that at our study site in Southwest Victoria, Australia, water–rock interactions do not control the hydrochemistry. Instead the chemical species provided by rainfall are depleted by plant biomass uptake and exported, predominantly through fire. Regular landscape burning by Aboriginal land users is hypothesized to have caused the depletion of chemical species in groundwater for at least the past 20 000 yr by accelerating the export of elements that would otherwise have been stored within the local biomass. These findings are likely to be representative of southeast Australia, as well as similar climatic regions elsewhere in the globe, and contrast with Northern Hemisphere studies of groundwater and surface water chemistry, where water–rock interactions are the dominant hydrochemical control.

scholarly journals Effects of two wood-based biochars on the fate of added fertilizer nitrogen—a 15N tracing study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Subin Kalu ◽  
Gboyega Nathaniel Oyekoya ◽  
Per Ambus ◽  
Priit Tammeorg ◽  
Asko Simojoki ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plant Uptake ◽  
Plant Biomass ◽  
Application Rate ◽  
Control Treatment ◽  
Organic N ◽  
N Leaching ◽  
Soil N ◽  
Mineral N ◽  
Total N ◽  
Application Rates

AbstractA 15N tracing pot experiment was conducted using two types of wood-based biochars: a regular biochar and a Kon-Tiki-produced nutrient-enriched biochar, at two application rates (1% and 5% (w/w)), in addition to a fertilizer only and a control treatment. Ryegrass was sown in pots, all of which except controls received 15N-labelled fertilizer as either 15NH4NO3 or NH415NO3. We quantified the effect of biochar application on soil N2O emissions, as well as the fate of fertilizer-derived ammonium (NH4+) and nitrate (NO3−) in terms of their leaching from the soil, uptake into plant biomass, and recovery in the soil. We found that application of biochars reduced soil mineral N leaching and N2O emissions. Similarly, the higher biochar application rate of 5% significantly increased aboveground ryegrass biomass yield. However, no differences in N2O emissions and ryegrass biomass yields were observed between regular and nutrient-enriched biochar treatments, although mineral N leaching tended to be lower in the nutrient-enriched biochar treatment than in the regular biochar treatment. The 15N analysis revealed that biochar application increased the plant uptake of added nitrate, but reduced the plant uptake of added ammonium compared to the fertilizer only treatment. Thus, the uptake of total N derived from added NH4NO3 fertilizer was not affected by the biochar addition, and cannot explain the increase in plant biomass in biochar treatments. Instead, the increased plant biomass at the higher biochar application rate was attributed to the enhanced uptake of N derived from soil. This suggests that the interactions between biochar and native soil organic N may be important determinants of the availability of soil N to plant growth.

The Vyredox and Nitredox Methods of in situ Treatment of Groundwater

1988 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 149-163 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carol Braester ◽  
Rudolf Martinell
Keyword(s):  
Water Treatment ◽  
Surface Water ◽  
Traditional Method ◽  
Treatment Method ◽  
Nitrate Treatment ◽  
The Past ◽  
The World ◽  
Nitrate And Nitrite ◽  
Iron And Manganese

Nearly one fifth of all water used in the world is obtained from groundwater. The protection of water has become a high priority goal. During the last decades pollution of water has become more and more severe. Today groundwater is more and more used in comparison with surface water. Recently we have seen accidents, which can pollute nearly all surface water very quickly. Generally the groundwater is easier to protect, as well as cheaper to purify, and above all it is of better quality than the surface water. During the past two decades, alternatives to the traditional method of treating the water in filters have been developed, that is in situ water treatment i.e. the VYREDOX and NITREDOX methods. The most common problem regarding groundwater is too high content of iron and manganese, which can be reduced with the VYREDOX method. In some areas today there are severe problems with pollution by hydrocarbons and nitrate as well, and with modification of the VYREDOX treatment method it is used for hydrocarbon and nitrate treatment as well. The method to reduce the nitrate and nitrite is known as the NITREDOX method.

Mapping the relative risk of surface water acidification based on cumulative acid deposition over the past 25 years in Japan

2016 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 115-124 ◽  
Author(s):  
Naoyuki Yamashita ◽  
Hiroyuki Sase ◽  
Tsuyoshi Ohizumi ◽  
Junichi Kurokawa ◽  
Toshimasa Ohara ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Relative Risk ◽  
Surface Water ◽  
Acid Deposition ◽  
Water Acidification ◽  
The Past ◽  
Surface Water Acidification

scholarly journals How Effective Are Existing Phosphorus Management Strategies in Mitigating Surface Water Quality Problems in the U.S.?

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 6565
Author(s):  
Shama E. Haque
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Surface Water ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Surface Water Quality ◽  
Land Application ◽  
Water Soluble ◽  
Phosphorus Recovery ◽  
Water Bodies ◽  
The Past ◽  
The U.S

Phosphorus is an essential component of modern agriculture. Long-term land application of phosphorous-enriched fertilizers and animal manure leads to phosphorus accumulation in soil that may become susceptible to mobilization via erosion, surface runoff and subsurface leaching. Globally, highly water-soluble phosphorus fertilizers used in agriculture have contributed to eutrophication and hypoxia in surface waters. This paper provides an overview of the literature relevant to the advances in phosphorous management strategies and surface water quality problems in the U.S. Over the past several decades, significant advances have been made to control phosphorus discharge into surface water bodies of the U.S. However, the current use of phosphorus remains inefficient at various stages of its life cycle, and phosphorus continues to remain a widespread problem in many water bodies, including the Gulf of Mexico and Lake Erie. In particular, the Midwestern Corn Belt region of the U.S. is a hotspot of phosphorous fertilization that has resulted in a net positive soil phosphorous balance. The runoff of phosphorous has resulted in dense blooms of toxic, odor-causing phytoplankton that deteriorate water quality. In the past, considerable attention was focused on improving the water quality of freshwater bodies and estuaries by reducing inputs of phosphorus alone. However, new research suggests that strategies controlling the two main nutrients, phosphorus and nitrogen, are more effective in the management of eutrophication. There is no specific solution to solving phosphorus pollution of water resources; however, sustainable management of phosphorus requires an integrated approach combining at least a reduction in consumption levels, source management, more specific regime-based nutrient criteria, routine soil fertility evaluation and recommendations, transport management, as well as the development of extensive phosphorus recovery and recycling programs.

Sulfur-enriched biochar as a potential soil amendment and fertiliser

Soil Research ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 55 (1) ◽  
pp. 93 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hongjie Zhang ◽  
R. Paul Voroney ◽  
G. W. Price ◽  
Andrew J. White
Keyword(s):  
Hydrogen Sulfide ◽  
Plant Uptake ◽  
Soil Amendment ◽  
Growth Response ◽  
Zea Mays L ◽  
Plant Biomass ◽  
Control Treatment ◽  
Corn Plant ◽  
Greenhouse Study ◽  
Glycine Max L

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is a highly toxic and corrosive contaminant gas co-generated during anaerobic digestion. Studies have shown that biochars have the potential to adsorb H2S and to promote its oxidisation. To date, no studies have investigated the bioavailabilty to plants of the sulfur (S) contained in biochar when used as an S fertiliser. Biochar was packed into the biogas emissions stream to adsorb the H2S being generated. The resulting sulfur-enriched biochar (SulfaChar) and synthetic S fertiliser (control treatment) were amended to potting soils and the growth response of corn (Zea mays L.) and soybeans [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] and nutrient uptake were measured after a 90-day greenhouse study. SulfaChar contained 36.5% S (S element and SO42–), confirming it adsorbed significant amounts of H2S. Compared with the control treatment, SulfaChar amendment significantly increased corn plant biomass, ranging from 31% to 49% but only a slight increase in soybean biomass (4 to 14%). SulfaChar also increased corn plant uptake of S and other macro- (N, P, K, Ca, and Mg) and micro-nutrients (Zn, Mn and B). Our results show that SulfaChar was a source of plant available S, suggesting that SulfaChar is either a supplier of these nutrients or that it promoted their uptake.

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