Soil bulk density is a physical property of soils that affects water storage, water and nutrient movement, and plant root activity in the soil profile. The ability to quantify soil bulk density using vibration-induced conductivity fluctuation was investigated with possible field applications in the future. The AC electrical conductance of soil was measured using a pair of blade-like electrodes ...

The presence of ice in soil dramatically alters soil hydrologic and thermal properties. Despite this important role, many recent studies show that explicitly including the hydrologic effects of soil ice in land surface models degrades the simulation of runoff in cold regions. This paper addresses this dilemma by employing the Community Land Model version 2.0 (CLM2.0) developed at the National C...

introduction: nitrogen (n) is one of the most important growth-limiting nutrients for dryland wheat. mineral nitrogen or ammonium (nh4+) and nitrate (no3−) are two common forms of inorganic nitrogen that can serve as limiting factors for plant growth. nitrogen fertilization in dryland area can increase the use of soil moisture, and improve wheat yields to some extent. many researchers have been...

In cases of decomposed bodies Y chromosomal STR markers may be useful in identification of a male relative. The authors assessed typeability PowerPlex Y (Promega) loci in tissue material stored in water and soil environment. Tissue material was collected during autopsies of five persons aged 20-30 years with time of death determined within the limit of 14 hours. Heart muscle, liver and lung spe...

A major challenge in plant ecology is quantifying how roots interact with the soil to obtain water and nutrients. Stable isotope analysis of hydrogen and oxygen bound in plant and soil water is one of the best and least destructive methods for elucidating plant-soil interactions. Plant roots obtain water from various depths in the soil and the isotopic signature of plant stem water reflects the...

* Corresponding author. USDA – ARS, SEWRL E-mail addresses: [email protected] (J. Cho), sm 1537-5110/$ – see front matter Published by doi:10.1016/j.biosystemseng.2009.01.007 Accurate simulation of cell-based processes is important for evaluating the impacts of best management practices (BMPs) on surface and ground water. The objective of this study was to evaluate the cell-based component of the Dyn...

Although the global partitioning of evapotranspiration (ET) into transpiration, soil evaporation, and canopy evaporation is not well known, most current land surface schemes and the few available observations indicate that transpiration is the dominant component on the global scale, followed by soil evaporation and canopy evaporation. The Community Land Model version 3 (CLM3), however, does not...

The no-tillage system is perceived as having lower soil temperatures, wetter soil conditions, and greater surface penetration resistance compared with conventional and other conservation tillage systems. Concerns associated with the effect of the no-tillage system on certain soil physical properties (i.e. soil temperature, moisture, and compaction) prompted this study to evaluate the effect of ...

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...