The use of microwave radar and radiometer in estimating soil moisture and vegetation parameters of land has shown a good potential. However, both experimental activities and theoretical results seem to indicate that important limitations to the actual use of monostatic radar exist. They are: in soil moisture applications the simultaneous disturbing effects of soil roughness and vegetation cover...

in this study, stability of geosynthetic reinforced soil retaining walls investigated using plaxis code that is based on finite element method. the effects of axial stiffness, length and vertical space between geosynthetic layers, internal friction angle of soil wall and cohesion of foundation on deformations of wall and maximum axial force of geosynthetic have been investigated. results of ana...

in practice, foundations are settled on the soft layers of soil, so the ground must be designed as well as the structure. wave propagation and hysteresis damping of soil layers may alter the seismic response of flexible-base design in comparison to controversial fixed-base. lots of uncertainties about this issue, necessitate most of seismic design standards including iranian standard no. 2800 t...

Total atmospheric Hg contamination in a French mountainous catchment upstream from a chlor-alkali industrial site was assessed using Hg concentrations in the deepest soil horizon, in the stream bottom sediments, in river waters and in bryophytes. The natural background level of Hg content deriving from rock weathering was estimated to 32 ng g(-1) in the deepest soil layers. The soils appear to ...

ECOPHYS, an individual-based process model for poplar, requires a three-dimensional soil water redistribution model to simulate soil water dynamics, plant uptake, and root growth. SOILPSI is a potential-driven water redistribution model based on the RHIZOS rhizosphere simulator. It expands on RHIZOS by calculating water flux based on water potential, and has a macropore flow mode to allow rapid...

During the past century, the biomass of woody species has increased in many grassland and savanna ecosystems. As many of these species fix nitrogen symbiotically, they may alter not only soil nitrogen (N) conditions but also those of phosphorus (P). We studied the N-fixing shrub Dichrostachys cinerea in a mesic savanna in Zambia, quantifying its effects upon pools of soil N, P, and carbon (C), ...

soil salinity is one of the problems threatening agricultural lands. parts of this phenomenon are related to geologic formations and saltpans, while some major factors are resulted from irrelevant agricultural activities, issue of irrigation, and improper cultivation systems which lead to increase in soil salinity. to avoid such consequences that would end up with ecosystem degradation, suitabl...