scholarly journals New molecular evidence for surface and sub-surface soil erosion controls on the composition of stream DOM during storm events

Author(s):  
Marie Denis ◽  
Laurent Jeanneau ◽  
Patrice Petitjean ◽  
Anaëlle Murzeau ◽  
Marine Liotaud ◽  
...  

Abstract. Storm events are responsible for more than 60 % of the export of dissolved organic matter (DOM) from headwater catchments due to an increase in both the discharge and concentration. The latter was attributed to changing water pathways inducing the mobilization of DOM from the surface soil horizons. Recent molecular investigations have challenged this view and hypothesized (i) a contribution of an in-stream partition of organic matter (OM) between eroded particles and the dissolved fraction and (ii) the modification of the composition of soil DOM during storm events. To investigate these assumptions, soil solutions in the macropores, surface runoff and stream outlet were sampled at high frequency during three storm events in the Kervidy-Naizin catchment, part of the French critical zone observatory AgrHys. The molecular composition of the DOM was analysed by thermally assisted hydrolysis and methylation (THM) with tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) coupled to a gas chromatograph and a quadrupole mass spectrometer. These analyses highlighted a modification of the DOM composition in soil solution controlled by the water-table dynamic and pre-event hydrological conditions. These findings fits with the mechanism of colloidal and particulate destabilization in the soil macroporosity. The different behaviour observed for lignins, carbohydrates and fatty acids highlights a potential chemical segregation based on their hydrophobicity. The composition of surface runoff DOM is similar to the DOM composition in soil solution and could be generated by the same mechanism. The DOM composition in both soil solution and surface runoff corresponds to the stream DOM composition observed during storm events. On the basis of these results, modifications of the stream DOM composition during storm events seem to be due to surface and sub-surface soil erosion rather than in-stream production.

2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (22) ◽  
pp. 5039-5051 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie Denis ◽  
Laurent Jeanneau ◽  
Patrice Petitjean ◽  
Anaëlle Murzeau ◽  
Marine Liotaud ◽  
...  

Abstract. Storm events are responsible for more than 60 % of the export of dissolved organic matter (DOM) from headwater catchments due to an increase in both the discharge and concentration. The latter was attributed to changing water pathways inducing the mobilization of DOM from the surface soil horizons. Recent molecular investigations have challenged this view and hypothesized (i) a contribution of an in-stream partition of organic matter (OM) between eroded particles and the dissolved fraction and (ii) the modification of the composition of soil DOM during storm events. To investigate these assumptions, soil solutions in the macropores, surface runoff and stream outlet were sampled at high frequency during three storm events in the Kervidy–Naizin catchment, part of the French critical zone observatory AgrHyS. The molecular composition of the DOM was analysed by thermally assisted hydrolysis and methylation (THM) with tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) coupled to a gas chromatograph and a quadrupole mass spectrometer. These analyses highlighted a modification of the DOM composition in soil solution controlled by the water-table dynamic and pre-event hydrological conditions. These findings fit with the mechanism of colloidal and particulate destabilization in the soil macroporosity. The different behaviour observed for lignins, carbohydrates and fatty acids highlights a potential chemical segregation based on their hydrophobicity. The composition of surface runoff DOM is similar to the DOM composition in soil solution and could be generated by the same mechanism. The DOM composition in both soil solution and surface runoff corresponds to the stream DOM composition observed during storm events. On the basis of these results, modifications of the stream DOM composition during storm events seem to be due to surface and sub-surface soil erosion rather than in-stream production.


Soil Research ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 45 (5) ◽  
pp. 333 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. J. Macdonald ◽  
D. V. Murphy ◽  
N. Mahieu ◽  
I. R. P. Fillery

Total C and N were measured in whole soils (0–0.15, 0.15–0.35, and 0.35–0.65 m), light organic matter fractions (<1 g/cm3 (LF 1.0) and 1.0–1.7 g/cm3 (LF 1.7)) in surface soils, and in leaf litter collected from a mixed grass/lucerne pasture and adjacent native bush at Moora, Western Australia. The C content of the plant material and light fractions was characterised by 13C cross-polarisation/magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (13C CP/MAS NMR) spectroscopy. Water-extractable organic C (WEOC) and N (WEON) were measured in soil, and dissolved organic C (DOC) and N (DON) were measured in soil solutions. In addition, both NO3-N and NH4-N (SMN) were measured in soil solutions and water extracts. Total soil C (0–0.65 m) did not differ significantly between land uses, but there was clear evidence of N enrichment under the pasture system, which contained significantly (P < 0.05) more total N in the surface soil (0–0.15 m) compared with that under native bush. The significantly (P < 0.05) smaller C/N ratios of the surface soil, plant litter, and light fractions (LF 1.0 and 1.7) under the pasture provided further evidence of N enrichment. The 13C CP/MAS NMR spectra for plant material and light fractions did not differ greatly between landuses, but in both cases the O-alkyl : alkyl carbon ratio declined with increasing density. The decomposition and subsequent mineralisation of the relatively N-rich organic matter fractions in the pasture system may have contributed to the significantly (P < 0.05) greater DOC, DON, and SMN concentration measured in soil solutions under pasture compared with those under native bush.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 348
Author(s):  
Zhenbo Du ◽  
Bingbo Gao ◽  
Cong Ou ◽  
Zhenrong Du ◽  
Jianyu Yang ◽  
...  

Black soil is fertile, abundant with organic matter (OM) and is exceptional for farming. The black soil zone in northeast China is the third-largest black soil zone globally and produces a quarter of China’s commodity grain. However, the soil organic matter (SOM) in this zone is declining, and the quality of cultivated land is falling off rapidly due to overexploitation and unsustainable management practices. To help develop an integrated protection strategy for black soil, this study aimed to identify the primary factors contributing to SOM degradation. The geographic detector, which can detect both linear and nonlinear relationships and the interactions based on spatial heterogeneous patterns, was used to quantitatively analyze the natural and anthropogenic factors affecting SOM concentration in northeast China. In descending order, the nine factors affecting SOM are temperature, gross domestic product (GDP), elevation, population, soil type, precipitation, soil erosion, land use, and geomorphology. The influence of all factors is significant, and the interaction of any two factors enhances their impact. The SOM concentration decreases with increased temperature, population, soil erosion, elevation and terrain undulation. SOM rises with increased precipitation, initially decreases with increasing GDP but then increases, and varies by soil type and land use. Conclusions about detailed impacts are presented in this paper. For example, wind erosion has a more significant effect than water erosion, and irrigated land has a lower SOM content than dry land. Based on the study results, protection measures, including conservation tillage, farmland shelterbelts, cross-slope ridges, terraces, and rainfed farming are recommended. The conversion of high-quality farmland to non-farm uses should be prohibited.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Brice K. Grunert ◽  
Maria Tzortziou ◽  
Patrick Neale ◽  
Alana Menendez ◽  
Peter Hernes

AbstractThe Arctic is experiencing rapid warming, resulting in fundamental shifts in hydrologic connectivity and carbon cycling. Dissolved organic matter (DOM) is a significant component of the Arctic and global carbon cycle, and significant perturbations to DOM cycling are expected with Arctic warming. The impact of photochemical and microbial degradation, and their interactive effects, on DOM composition and remineralization have been documented in Arctic soils and rivers. However, the role of microbes, sunlight and their interactions on Arctic DOM alteration and remineralization in the coastal ocean has not been considered, particularly during the spring freshet when DOM loads are high, photoexposure can be quite limited and residence time within river networks is low. Here, we collected DOM samples along a salinity gradient in the Yukon River delta, plume and coastal ocean during peak river discharge immediately after spring freshet and explored the role of UV exposure, microbial transformations and interactive effects on DOM quantity and composition. Our results show: (1) photochemical alteration of DOM significantly shifts processing pathways of terrestrial DOM, including increasing relative humification of DOM by microbes by > 10%; (2) microbes produce humic-like material that is not optically distinguishable from terrestrial humics; and (3) size-fractionation of the microbial community indicates a size-dependent role for DOM remineralization and humification of DOM observed through modeled PARAFAC components of fluorescent DOM, either through direct or community effects. Field observations indicate apparent conservative mixing along the salinity gradient; however, changing photochemical and microbial alteration of DOM with increasing salinity indicate changing DOM composition likely due to microbial activity. Finally, our findings show potential for rapid transformation of DOM in the coastal ocean from photochemical and microbial alteration, with microbes responsible for the majority of dissolved organic matter remineralization.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (15) ◽  
pp. 6763
Author(s):  
Mongi Ben Zaied ◽  
Seifeddine Jomaa ◽  
Mohamed Ouessar

Soil erosion remains one of the principal environmental problems in arid regions. This study aims to assess and quantify the variability of soil erosion in the Koutine catchment using the RUSLE (Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation) model. The Koutine catchment is located in an arid area in southeastern Tunisia and is characterized by an annual mean precipitation of less than 200 mm. The model was used to examine the influence of topography, extreme rainstorm intensity and soil texture on soil loss. The data used for model validation were obtained from field measurements by monitoring deposited sediment in settlement basins of 25 cisterns (a traditional water harvesting and storage technique) over 4 years, from 2015 to 2018. Results showed that slope is the most controlling factor of soil loss. The average annual soil loss in monitoring sites varies between 0.01 and 12.5 t/ha/y. The storm events inducing the largest soil losses occurred in the upstream part of the Koutine catchment with a maximum value of 7.3 t/ha per event. Soil erosion is highly affected by initial and preceding soil conditions. The RUSLE model reasonably reproduced (R2 = 0.81) the spatiotemporal variability of measured soil losses in the study catchment during the observation period. This study revealed the importance of using the cisterns in the data-scarce dry areas as a substitute for the classic soil erosion monitoring fields. Besides, combining modeling of outputs and field measurements could improve our physical understanding of soil erosion processes and their controlling factors in an arid catchment. The study results are beneficial for decision-makers to evaluate the existing soil conservation and water management plans, which can be further adjusted using appropriate soil erosion mitigation options based on scientific evidence.


Soil Research ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 345 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. D. Schwenke ◽  
D. R. Mulligan ◽  
L. C. Bell

At Weipa, in Queensland, Australia, sown tree and shrub species sometimes fail to establish on bauxite-mined land, possibly because surface-soil organic matter declines during soil stripping and replacement. We devised 2 field experiments to investigate the links between soil rehabilitation operations, organic matter decline, and revegetation failure. Experiment 1 compared two routinely practiced operations, dual-strip (DS) and stockpile soil, with double-pass (DP), an alternative method, and subsoil only, an occasional result of the DS operation. Other treatments included variations in stripping-time, ripping-time, fertiliser rate, and cultivation. Dilution of topsoil with subsoil, low-grade bauxite, and ironstone accounted for the 46% decline of surface-soil (0–10 cm) organic C in DS compared with pre-strip soil. In contrast, organic C in the surface-soil (0–10 cm) of DP plots (25.0 t/ha) closely resembled the pre-strip area (28.6 t/ha). However, profile (0–60 cm) organic C did not differ between DS (91.5 t/ha), DP (107 t/ha), and pre-strip soil (89.9 t/ha). Eighteen months after plots were sown with native vegetation, surface-soil (0–10 cm) organic C had declined by an average of 9% across all plots. In Experiment 2, we measured the potential for post-rehabilitation decline of organic matter in hand-stripped and replaced soil columns that simulated the DS operation. Soils were incubated in situ without organic inputs. After 1 year’s incubation, organic C had declined by up to 26% and microbial biomass C by up to 61%. The difference in organic C decline between vegetated replaced soils (Expt 1) and bare replaced soils (Expt 2) showed that organic inputs affect levels of organic matter more than soil disturbance. Where topsoil was replaced at the top of the profile (DP) and not ploughed, inputs from volunteer native grasses balanced oxidation losses and organic C levels did not decline.


1986 ◽  
Vol 66 (2) ◽  
pp. 273-285 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. F. DORMAAR ◽  
C. W. LINDWALL ◽  
G. C. KOZUB

A field was artificially eroded by levelling in 1957 and then continuously cropped to barley for 7 yr. Subsequently, a wheat-fallow experiment was conducted from 1965 to 1979 to determine the effects of four fertilizer treatments and green manure (yellow sweet clover) on restoring the productivity to soil that had been "eroded" to various depths. After 22 yr and 14 crops, the productivity of the land from which soil was removed has been improved but not fully restored. Although green manuring with yellow sweet clover improved soil structure, wheat yields were not improved because of competition for soil moisture and poorer in-crop weed control in this part of the rotation. The addition of 45 kg N plus 90 kg P2O5 per hectare in each crop year to sites from which 8–10, 10–20, or 46 + cm of soil had been removed resulted in yield increases of 18, 46, and 70%, respectively, over the unfertilized check of each treatment; the average yields were 104, 91, and 70%, respectively, of the undisturbed, unfertilized (check) treatment. On "erosion" treatments where only 8–10 cm of soil were removed, 45 kg N plus 22 kg P2O5 per hectare were sufficient to restore the productivity. Precipitation apparently had a greater effect than fertilizer application on wheat yields. The loss of organic matter and associated soil structure characteristics seemed to be critical factors contributing to yield losses associated with soil erosion. These results show that it is more practical to use management practices that prevent soil erosion than to adopt the practices required to restore eroded soil. Key words: Soil erosion, topsoil loss, water-stable aggregates, soil organic matter, green manure, precipitation


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