A closely spaced (1 x 1 m) cottonwood (Populus deltoides Bartr.) plantation was established to evaluate the effects of nutrient availability on fine root dynamics. Slow-release fertilizer (17:6:12 N,P,K plus micronutrients) was applied to 225-m(2) plots at 0, 50, 100 and 200 kg N ha(-1), and plots were monitored for two growing seasons. Fine root production, mortality, live root standing crop a...

This study investigated the effects of soil particle size on the reflectance spectra of sandy soils using ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared spectroscopy in sensing phosphorus (P) concentration. Pure sandy soil was graded into three particle sizes. Sieve sizes were 125, 250, and 600 m for fine, medium, and coarse, respectively. Phosphorus application rates for the soil samples were 0.0, 12...

Intensive forestry may reduce net CO2 emission into atmosphere by storing carbon in living biomass, dead organic matter and soil, and durable wood products. Because quantification of belowground carbon dynamics is important for reliable estimation of the carbon sequestered by intensively managed plantations, we examined soil CO2 efflux (SCO2 ) in a 6-year-old loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) plan...

This study conducts a detailed analysis of multiscale periodic features involved in the annual and seasonal precipitation signals at the typical coastal reclamation region in China by selecting the suitable continuous wavelet transform (CWT) and innovatively combining the improved Hilbert–Huang transform (HHT), and further deduces the precipitation trend and its impacts on the future soil hydro...

'Vernal' alfalfa was grown for 30 weeks in nematode-free soil and in soil infested with Pratylenchus penetrans. Charlottetown fine sandy loam soil was used at its pH of 4.4 and at adjusted reactions of 5.2, 6.4 and 7.3. Nematode reproduction was significantly greater at pit 5.2 and 6.4 and was not related to alfalfa root production over the full pH range studied. A significant nematode infestat...

In order to obtain the soil water retention curve of an unsaturated soil which is defined as the relationship between water content and suction, extensive laboratory tests are essential. These laboratory tests are usually costly and time consuming. Moreover, for most practical problems, it has been found that approximate unsaturated soil properties are adequate for analysis. Thus, empirical pro...

the potential risk of metal accumulation in periurban agricultural areas is a matter for concern.the climate characteristics and carbonate content of calcareous agricultural mediterranean soils typical inthese areas favour metal accumulation at the surface level; however there is also a risk of potential metalmobility. our study focuses on the soil properties affecting metal mobility in these s...

The incorporation of biochar into soils has been proposed as a means to sequester carbon from the atmosphere. An added environmental benefit is that biochar has been shown to increase soil retention of agrochemicals, and recent research has indicated that biochar may be effective in increasing soil retention of bacteria. In this study we investigate the transport behavior of Escherichia coli O1...

In arid and semiarid areas, the effects of afforestation on soil organic carbon (SOC) have received considerable attention. In these areas, in fact, soil inorganic carbon (SIC), rather than SOC, is the dominant form of carbon, with a reservoir approximately 2-10 times larger than that of SOC. A subtle fluctuation of SIC pool can strongly alter the regional carbon budget. However, few studies ha...

much has been learned in recent years about the factors affecting reflection of sunlight by soils, the influence Knowledge of how surface roughness influences the reflectance of of w on albedo of rough soil surfaces is still poorly sunlight from cultivated soils is useful in various applications, such as estimating albedo values used as inputs to soil temperature models understood (Cresswell et...