scholarly journals Contrasting pH buffering patterns in neutral-alkaline soils along a 3600 km transect in northern China

2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (16) ◽  
pp. 13215-13240 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Luo ◽  
P. N. Nelson ◽  
M.-H. Li ◽  
J. Cai ◽  
Y. Zhang ◽  
...  

Abstract. Soil pH buffering capacity (pHBC) plays a crucial role in predicting acidification rates, yet its large-scale patterns and controls are poorly understood, especially for neutral-alkaline soils. Here, we evaluated the spatial patterns and drivers of pHBC along a 3600 km long transect (1900 km sub-transect with carbonate containing soils and 1700 km sub-transect with non-carbonate containing soils) across northern China. Soil pHBC was greater in the carbonate containing soils than in the non-carbonate containing soils. Acid addition decreased soil pH in the non-carbonate containing soils more markedly than in the carbonate containing soils. Within the carbonate soil sub-transect, soil pHBC was positively correlated with cation exchange capacity (CEC), carbonate content and exchangeable sodium (Na) concentration, but negatively correlated with initial pH and clay content, and not correlated with soil organic carbon (SOC) content. Within the non-carbonate sub-transect, soil pHBC was positively related to initial pH, clay content, CEC and exchangeable Na concentration, but not related to SOC content. Carbonate content was the primary determinant of pHBC in the carbonate containing soils and CEC was the main determinant of buffering capacity in the non-carbonate containing soils. Soil pHBC was positively related to aridity index and carbonate content across the carbonate containing soil sub-transect. Our results indicated that mechanisms controlling pHBC differ among neutral-alkaline soils of northern China, especially between carbonate and non-carbonate containing soils, leading to different rates, risks, and impacts of acidification. This understanding should be incorporated into the acidification risk assessment and landscape management in a changing world.

2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (23) ◽  
pp. 7047-7056 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. T. Luo ◽  
P. N. Nelson ◽  
M.-H. Li ◽  
J. P. Cai ◽  
Y. Y. Zhang ◽  
...  

Abstract. Soil pH buffering capacity (pHBC) plays a crucial role in predicting acidification rates, yet its large-scale patterns and controls are poorly understood, especially for neutral-alkaline soils. Here, we evaluated the spatial patterns and drivers of pHBC along a 3600 km long transect (1900 km sub-transect with carbonate-containing soils and 1700 km sub-transect with non-carbonate-containing soils) across northern China. Soil pHBC was greater in the carbonate-containing soils than in the non-carbonate-containing soils. Acid addition decreased soil pH in the non-carbonate-containing soils more markedly than in the carbonate-containing soils. Within the carbonate soil sub-transect, soil pHBC was positively correlated with cation exchange capacity (CEC), carbonate content and exchangeable sodium (Na) concentration, but negatively correlated with initial pH and clay content, and not correlated with soil organic carbon (SOC) content. Within the non-carbonate sub-transect, soil pHBC was positively related to initial pH, clay content, CEC and exchangeable Na concentration, but not related to SOC content. Carbonate content was the primary determinant of pHBC in the carbonate-containing soils and CEC was the main determinant of buffering capacity in the non-carbonate-containing soils. Along the transect, soil pHBC was different in regions with different aridity index. Soil pHBC was positively related to aridity index and carbonate content across the carbonate-containing soil sub-transect. Our results indicated that mechanisms controlling pHBC differ among neutral-alkaline soils of northern China, especially between carbonate- and non-carbonate-containing soils. This understanding should be incorporated into the acidification risk assessment and landscape management in a changing world.


2004 ◽  
Vol 68 (2) ◽  
pp. 662-668 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. R. Weaver ◽  
D. E. Kissel ◽  
F. Chen ◽  
L. T. West ◽  
W. Adkins ◽  
...  

HortScience ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 51 (9) ◽  
pp. 1153-1158 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew D. Taylor ◽  
Rachel Kreis ◽  
Lidia Rejtö

The pH of peatmoss generally ranges from 3.0 to 4.0 and limestone is typically added to raise pH to a suitable range. Compost is also used as a substrate component and typically has a high pH of 6.0 to 8.0. When using compost, lime rates must be reduced or eliminated. The two objectives of this study were to determine the resulting pH of substrates created with varying amounts of limestone and compost and assess the impact of the various amounts of limestone and compost on pH buffering capacity. Compost was created from a 1:1:1 weight ratio of a mixture of green plant material and restaurant food waste:horse manure:wood chips. The first experiment was a factorial design with five compost rates (0%, 10%, 20%, 30%, and 40% by volume), four limestone rates (0, 1.2, 2.4, and 3.6 g·L−1 substrate) with five replications. The experiment was conducted three times, each with a different batch of compost. With 0 lime, initial substrate pH increased from 4.5 to 6.7 as compost rate increased. This trend occurred at all other lime rates, which had pH ranges of 5.2–6.9, 5.6–7.0, and 6.1–7.1 for rates of 1.2, 2.4, and 3.6 g·L−1 substrate, respectively. Substrate pH increased significantly as either compost or lime rates increased. The second experiment was a factorial design with four compost rates by volume (0%, 10%, 20%, and 30%), the same four limestone rates as Expt. 1, and five replications. Each substrate treatment was titrated through incubations with six sulfuric acid rates (0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.4, or 0.7 mol of H+ per gram of dry substrate). Substrates with a similar initial pH had very similar buffering capacities regardless of the compost or limestone rate. These results indicate compost can be used to establish growing substrate pH similar to limestone, and this change will have little to no effect on pH buffering capacity.


2019 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
pp. 1594-1610
Author(s):  
Todd Pirtle ◽  
Lee Rumble ◽  
Michael Klug ◽  
Forbes Walker ◽  
Song Cui ◽  
...  

Short-season forage radish (Raphanus sativus L. var. longipinnatus) has recently gained great popularity in Middle Tennessee and many parts of the world used as a high-quality vegetable crop for human consumption or a forage crop for winter grazing and cover cropping. In this study, we (i) estimated soil pH buffering capacity and microbial activity, (ii) quantified crop productivity influenced by different biochar amendment rates and N fertilizer management practices based on a factorial treatment design. Particularly, biochar was amended at rates of 0, 5, 20, and 40 Mg/ha; N fertilizer was applied at zero (N0), 122 kg/ha of urea (56 kg/ha of N; N1) and 4.8 Mg/ha of aged dairy cattle manure (56-60 kg/ha of N), providing a total of 12 treatments (four biochar rates × three fertilization practices). The combination of biochar and inorganic N fertilizer such as urea appeared to have positive impacts on the short-term biomass production, soil pH buffering capacity, and enhanced soil microbial activity for short-season forage radish production (P < 0.05). Future research is warranted to evaluate the use of biochar in field-based forage/vegetable studies in Tennessee.


2012 ◽  
Vol 76 (2) ◽  
pp. 694-699 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. E. Kissel ◽  
L. S. Sonon ◽  
M. L. Cabrera

1994 ◽  
Vol 34 (8) ◽  
pp. 1165 ◽  
Author(s):  
PJ Dolling ◽  
WM Porter ◽  
IC Rowland

The rate and mechanisms of acidification were determined on a sandy duplex soil (depth of sand 30-45 cm) under a cereal-annual pasture rotation in Western Australia. We also evaluated the effect of rotation (intensity of cropping) on relative acidification of a sandy duplex soil. Rate of acidification was based on a linear regression analysis between soil pH and years since clearing. Sites were sampled to a depth of 50 cm in 10-cm increments and measurements included soil pH, pH buffering capacity, and bulk density. The effect of different rotations on the acidification rate was determined by soil sampling a rotation experiment which had been established for 25 years. Sampling and measurements were similar to the regression analysis. From regression, the rate of acidification for the profile was 0.15 kmol H+/ha.year, requiring 7.7 kg CaCO3 to neutralise. Most of the acidification could be accounted for by removal of alkaline products. Acidification was occurring to a depth of 30 cm, the acidification rate decreasing with depth. In the surface 20 cm the pH decline was 0.005-0.006 units/year. In the rotation experiment, the rate of acidification relative to continuous wheat without fertiliser nitrogen (N) ranged from 0.35 kmol H+/ha .year (17.5 kg CaCO3) for continuous wheat with fertiliser N to 0.92 kmol H+/ha. year (45.8 kg CaCO3) for continuous pasture. Between these rates was 1 year pasture-1 year cereal (0.41 kmol H+/ha. year, 20.5 kg CaCO3) and 2 years pasture-1 year cereal (0.82 kmol H+/ha . year, 41.2 kg CaCO3). Acidification was occurring to 60 cm depth in all rotations, mostly due to nitrate leaching, removal of alkaline products, and build-up of organic matter.


1995 ◽  
Vol 35 (6) ◽  
pp. 753 ◽  
Author(s):  
PJ Dolling

The effect of years since clearing, frequency of lupin crops, and location on soil acidification rates was determined on a deep yellow sand in the northern wheatbelt of Western Australia. The study involved soil sampling of 87-89 sites at each of 2 locations (Mingenew, East Chapman) representing a range of years (3-40) since land clearing and frequency of lupin crops (0-11). The sites were sampled to a depth of 80 cm in 10-cm increments, and measurements included soil pH, pH buffering capacity, and bulk density. The rate of acidification for the profile at Mingenew (400-450 mm rainfalljyear) in a rotation without lupins (3-4 years pasture and 1 year wheat) was 0.42 kmol H+/ha . year requiring 21 kg CaCO3/ha. year to neutralise. When a lupin-wheat rotation was grown at Mingenew, the net acidification for the profile was 0.62 kmol H+/ha. year (or 31 kg lime/ha. year). The main causes of acidification were organic anion removal and nitrate leaching. At East Chapman (325-375 mm rainfall/year), the acidification rate depended on years since clearing. For 8-14 years since clearing the acidification rate was negative, and for 15-4oyears since clearing it was positive: in year 8 the rate for the profile was -0.39 kmol H+/ha. year; in year 15, 0.04 kmol H+/ha. year; and in year 40, 1.58 kmol H+/ha. year (79 kg CaCO3/ha.year). The main causes of acidification were organic anion removal, nitrate leaching, and ammonium-based nitrogen fertiliser use. There was a significant difference in initial pH (pH of the uncleared sites) of the soil samples from the 2 locations; at East Chapman the initial pH was 0.2-0.3 units higher than at Mingenew, and the rate of pH decline was greater at East chapman.


Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 2223
Author(s):  
Prisca Divra Johan ◽  
Osumanu Haruna Ahmed ◽  
Latifah Omar ◽  
Nur Aainaa Hasbullah

Soil-available P for crop use is limited because of fixation reaction and loss of organic matter through erosion and surface runoff. These factors cause an imbalance between inputs and outputs of P nutrients in acid soils. Several approaches to improve P availability have been proposed, however, little is known about the effectiveness of amending humid mineral acid soils with charcoal and sago bark ash on P dynamics. Thus, pH buffering capacity and leaching studies were conducted to determine: (i) pH buffering capacity upon application of charcoal and sago bark ash and (ii) the influence of charcoal and sago bark ash on P leaching in acid soils. pH buffering capacity was calculated as the negative reciprocal of the slope of the linear regression (pH versus acid addition rate). A leaching study was carried out by spraying distilled water to each container with soil such that leachates through leaching were collected for analysis. The ascending order of the treatments based on their pH buffering capacity and regression coefficient (R2) were soil alone (0.25 mol H+ kg−1 sample), soil with charcoal (0.26 mol H+ kg−1 sample), soil with sago bark ash (0.28 mol H+ kg−1 sample), charcoal alone (0.29 mol H+ kg−1 sample), soil with charcoal and sago bark ash (0.29 mol H+ kg−1 sample), and sago bark ash alone (0.34 mol H+ kg−1 sample). Improvement in the soil pH buffering capacity was partly related to the inherent K, Ca, Mg, and Na contents of charcoal and sago bark ash. In the leaching study, it was noticed that as the rate of sago bark ash decreased, the pH of leachate decreased, suggesting that unlike charcoal the sago bark ash has significant impact on the alkalinity of leachate. Soil exchangeable acidity, Al3+, and H+ reduced significantly following co-application of charcoal and sago bark ash with ERP. This could be attributed to the neutralizing effects of sago bark ash and the high affinity of charcoal for Al and Fe ions. The amount of P leached from the soil with 100% charcoal was lower because charcoal has the ability to capture and hold P-rich water. The findings of this present study suggest that combined use of charcoal and sago bark ash have the potential to mitigate soil acidity and Al toxicity besides improving soil pH buffering capacity and minimizing P leaching. A field trial to consolidate the findings of this work is recommended.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (20) ◽  
pp. 11376
Author(s):  
Keke Yu ◽  
Le Wang ◽  
Lipeng Liu ◽  
Enguo Sheng ◽  
Xingxing Liu ◽  
...  

Understanding the synchronicity of and discrepancy among temperature variations on the western Loess Plateau (WLP), China, is critical for establishing the drivers of regional temperature variability. Here we present an authigenic carbonate-content timeseries spanning the last 300 years from sediments collected from Lake Chaonaqiu in the Liupan Mountains, WLP, as a decadal-scale record of temperature. Our results reveal six periods of relatively low temperature, during the intervals AD 1743–1750, 1770–1780, 1792–1803, 1834–1898, 1930–1946, and 1970–1995, and three periods of relatively high temperature during 1813–1822, 1910–1928, and since 2000. These findings are consistent with tree-ring datasets from the WLP and correlate well with extreme cold and warm events documented in historical literature. Our temperature reconstruction is also potentially representative of large-scale climate patterns over northern China and more broadly over the Northern Hemisphere. The Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) might be the dominant factor affecting temperature variations over the WLP on decadal timescales.


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