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Soil System (soil + system)
Selected AbstractsSeismic response of intake towers including dam,tower interactionEARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING AND STRUCTURAL DYNAMICS, Issue 3 2009M. A. Millán Abstract The seismic response of the intake,outlet towers has been widely analyzed in recent years. The usual models consider the hydrodynamic effects produced by the surrounding water and the interior water, characterizing the dynamic response of the tower,water,foundation,soil system. As a result of these works, simplified added mass models have been developed. However, in all previous models, the surrounding water is assumed to be of uniform depth and to have infinite extension. Consequently, the considered added mass is associated with only the pressures created by the displacements of the tower itself. For a real system, the intake tower is usually located in proximity to the dam and the dam pressures may influence the equivalent added mass. The objective of this paper is to investigate how the response of the tower is affected by the presence of the dam. A coupled three-dimensional boundary element-finite element model in the frequency domain is employed to analyze the tower,dam,reservoir interaction problem. In all cases, the system response is assumed to be linear, and the effect of the internal fluid and the soil,structure interaction effects are not considered. The results suggest that unexpected resonance amplifications can occur due to changes in the added mass for the tower as a result of the tower,dam,reservoir interaction. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Flux and turnover of fixed carbon in soil microbial biomass of limed and unlimed plots of an upland grassland ecosystemENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 4 2005J. Ignacio Rangel-Castro Summary The influence of liming on rhizosphere microbial biomass C and incorporation of root exudates was studied in the field by in situ pulse labelling of temperate grassland vegetation with 13CO2 for a 3-day period. In plots that had been limed (CaCO3 amended) annually for 3 years, incorporation into shoots and roots was, respectively, greater and lower than in unlimed plots. Analysis of chloroform-labile C demonstrated lower levels of 13C incorporation into microbial biomass in limed soils compared to unlimed soils. The turnover of the recently assimilated 13C compounds was faster in microbial biomass from limed than that from unlimed soils, suggesting that liming increases incorporation by microbial communities of root exudates. An exponential decay model of 13C in total microbial biomass in limed soils indicated that the half-life of the tracer within this carbon pool was 4.7 days. Results are presented and discussed in relation to the absolute values of 13C fixed and allocated within the plant,soil system. [source] Factors influencing the sorption of oxytetracycline to soilsENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 4 2005Aaryn D. Jones Abstract Veterinary antibiotics such as oxytetracycline (OTC) increasingly are found in the environment and often come into direct contact with soils via the release of animal wastes. Oxytetracycline is known to sorb strongly to soils by interaction with soil organic matter, clay minerals, and metal oxides. However, current knowledge of the influence of soil properties on OTC sorption is limited, as is our ability to predict OTC sorption to soils. This work was aimed at identifying properties that most influence the extent of OTC sorption in a suite of soils from the eastern United States representing a wide range in soil properties. Thirty soils were well characterized, an OTC soil-water distribution coefficient (Kd) was determined for each soil, and statistical analyses were employed to determine appropriate soil descriptors of OTC sorption. Soil texture, cation exchange capacity, and iron oxide content seemed to most influence the extent of OTC sorption in soils with organic carbon (OC) content between 0 and 4%. Thus, the knowledge of these three soil properties would be key to anticipating the extent of OTC sorption and gaining insight into OTC fate within a given soil system. Notably, OC content appeared to influence OTC sorption only in a soil with 9% OC. [source] Changes in organic matter, nitrogen, phosphorus and cations in soil as a result of fire and water erosion in a Mediterranean landscapeEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOIL SCIENCE, Issue 2 2000E. Gimeno-García Summary Fire affects large parts of the dry Mediterranean shrubland, resulting in erosion and losses of plant nutrients. We have attempted to measure these effects experimentally on a calcareous hillside representative of such shrubland. Experimental fires were made on plots (4 m × 20 m) in which the fuel was controlled to obtain two different fire intensities giving means of soil surface temperature of 439°C and 232°C with temperatures exceeding 100°C lasting for 36 min and 17 min. The immediate and subsequent changes induced by fire on the soil's organic matter content and other soil chemical properties were evaluated, together with the impact of water erosion. Seven erosive rain events, which occurred after the experimental fires (from August 1995 to December 1996), were selected, and on them runoff and sediment produced from each plot were measured. The sediments collected were weighed and analysed. Taking into account the variations induced by fire on the soil properties and their losses by water erosion, estimates of the net inputs and outputs of the soil system were made. Results show that the greatest losses of both soil and nutrients took place in the 4 months immediately after the fire. Plots affected by the most intense fire showed greater losses of soil (4077 kg ha,1) than those with moderate fire intensity (3280 kg ha,1). The unburned plots produced the least sediment (72.8 kg ha,1). Organic matter and nutrient losses by water erosion were related to the degree of fire intensity. However, the largest losses of N-NH4+ and N-NO3, by water erosion corresponded to the moderate fire (8.1 and 7.5 mg N m,2, respectively). [source] Analysis of laterally loaded piles with rectangular cross sections embedded in layered soilINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL AND ANALYTICAL METHODS IN GEOMECHANICS, Issue 7 2008D. Basu Abstract An analysis is developed to determine the response of laterally loaded rectangular piles in layered elastic media. The differential equations governing the displacements of the pile,soil system are derived using variational principles. Closed-form solutions of pile deflection, the slope of the deflected curve, the bending moment and the shear force profiles can be obtained by this method for the entire pile length. The input parameters needed for the analysis are the pile geometry and the elastic constants of the soil and pile. The new analysis allows insights into the lateral load response of square, rectangular and circular piles and how they compare. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Arbuscular mycorrhizal propagule densities respond rapidly to ponderosa pine restoration treatmentsJOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY, Issue 1 2003Julie E. Korb Summary 1Mycorrhizae form a critical link between above-ground plants and the soil system by influencing plant nutrition, nutrient cycling and soil structure. Understanding how mycorrhizae respond to disturbances may lead to important advances in interpreting above-ground plant recovery. 2The inoculum potential for arbuscular mycorrhizae (AM) and ectomycorrhizal (EM) fungi was investigated in thinned-only, thinned and prescribed burned (both restoration treatments) and unthinned and unburned control stands in northern Arizona ponderosa pine forests. The relationships between mycorrhizal fungal propagule densities and plant community and soil properties were quantified. 3The relative amount of infective propagules of AM fungi was significantly higher in samples collected from both restoration treatments than their paired controls (unthinned and unburned stands). In contrast, the same restoration treatments had no significant effect on the relative amount of infective propagules of EM fungi. 4The relative amount of infective propagules of AM fungi was significantly positively correlated with graminoid cover and herbaceous understorey species richness and negatively correlated with overstorey tree canopy cover and litter cover. 5Synthesis and applications. These results indicate that population densities of AM fungi can rapidly increase following restoration treatments in northern Arizona ponderosa pine forests. This has important implications for restoring the herbaceous understorey of these forests because most understorey plants depend on AM associations for normal growth. These results also can be applied to other ecosystems that are in a state of restoration or where the role of fire is just beginning to be understood. [source] CO2 enrichment increases carbon and nitrogen input from fine roots in a deciduous forestNEW PHYTOLOGIST, Issue 3 2008Colleen M. Iversen Summary ,,Greater fine-root production under elevated [CO2] may increase the input of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) to the soil profile because fine root populations turn over quickly in forested ecosystems. ,,Here, the effect of elevated [CO2] was assessed on root biomass and N inputs at several soil depths by combining a long-term minirhizotron dataset with continuous, root-specific measurements of root mass and [N]. The experiment was conducted in a CO2 -enriched sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua) plantation. ,,CO2 enrichment had no effect on root tissue density or [N] within a given diameter class. Root biomass production and standing crop were doubled under elevated [CO2]. Though fine-root turnover declined under elevated [CO2], fine-root mortality was also nearly doubled under CO2 enrichment. Over 9 yr, root mortality resulted in 681 g m,2 of extra C and 9 g m,2 of extra N input to the soil system under elevated [CO2]. At least half of these inputs were below 30 cm soil depth. ,,Increased C and N input to the soil under CO2 enrichment, especially below 30 cm depth, might alter soil C storage and N mineralization. Future research should focus on quantifying root decomposition dynamics and C and N mineralization deeper in the soil. [source] A 15N-aided artificial atmosphere gas flow technique for online determination of soil N2 release using the zeolite Köstrolith SX6®RAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY, Issue 22 2006Oliver Spott N2 is one of the major gaseous nitrogen compounds released by soils due to N-transformation processes. Since it is also the major constituent of the earth's atmosphere (78.08% vol.), the determination of soil N2 release is still one of the main methodological challenges with respect to a complete evaluation of the gaseous N-loss of soils. Commonly used approaches are based either on a C2H2 inhibition technique, an artificial atmosphere or a 15N-tracer technique, and are designed either as closed systems (non-steady state) or gas flow systems (steady state). The intention of this work has been to upgrade the current gas flow technique using an artificial atmosphere for a 15N-aided determination of the soil N2 release simultaneously with N2O. A 15N-aided artificial atmosphere gas flow approach has been developed, which allows a simultaneous online determination of N2 as well as N2O fluxes from an open soil system (steady state). Fluxes of both gases can be determined continuously over long incubation periods and with high sampling frequency. The N2 selective molecular sieve Köstrolith SX6® was tested successfully for the first time for dinitrogen collection. The presented paper mainly focuses on N2 flux determination. For validation purposes soil aggregates of a Haplic Phaeozem were incubated under aerobic (21 and 6 vol.% O2) and anaerobic conditions. Significant amounts of N2 were released only during anaerobic incubation (0.4 and 640.2,pmol N2 h,1,g,1 dry soil). However, some N2 formation also occurred during aerobic incubation. It was also found that, during ongoing denitrification, introduced [NO3], will be more strongly delivered to microorganisms than the original soil [NO3],. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Integrating Soil Ecological Knowledge into Restoration ManagementRESTORATION ECOLOGY, Issue 4 2008Liam Heneghan Abstract The variability in the type of ecosystem degradation and the specificity of restoration goals can challenge restorationists' ability to generalize about approaches that lead to restoration success. The discipline of soil ecology, which emphasizes both soil organisms and ecosystem processes, has generated a body of knowledge that can be generally useful in improving the outcomes of restoration despite this variability. Here, we propose that the usefulness of this soil ecological knowledge (SEK) for restoration is best considered in the context of the severity of the original perturbation, the goals of the project, and the resilience of the ecosystem to disturbance. A straightforward manipulation of single physical, chemical, or biological components of the soil system can be useful in the restoration of a site, especially when the restoration goal is loosely defined in terms of the species and processes that management seeks to achieve. These single-factor manipulations may in fact produce cascading effects on several ecosystem attributes and can result in unintended recovery trajectories. When complex outcomes are desired, intentional and holistic integration of all aspects of the soil knowledge is necessary. We provide a short roster of examples to illustrate that SEK benefits management and restoration of ecosystems and suggest areas for future research. [source] Assessing the fate and effects of nano aluminum oxide in the terrestrial earthworm, Eisenia fetidaENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 7 2010Jessica G. Coleman Abstract Nano-sized aluminum is currently being used by the military and commercial industries in many applications including coatings, thermites, and propellants. Due to the potential for wide dispersal in soil systems, we chose to investigate the fate and effects of nano-sized aluminum oxide (Al2O3), the oxidized form of nano aluminum, in a terrestrial organism. The toxicity and bioaccumulation potential of micron-sized (50,200,µm, nominal) and nano-sized (11,nm, nominal) Al2O3 was comparatively assessed through acute and subchronic bioassays using the terrestrial earthworm, Eisenia fetida. Subchronic (28-d) studies were performed exposing E. fetida to nano- and micron-sized Al2O3 -spiked soils to assess the effects of long-term exposure. No mortality occurred in subchronic exposures, although reproduction decreased at ,3,000,mg/kg nano-sized Al2O3 treatments, with higher aluminum body burdens observed at 100 and 300,mg/kg; no reproductive effects were observed in the micron-sized Al2O3 treatments. In addition to toxicity and bioaccumulation bioassays, an acute (48-h) behavioral bioassay was conducted utilizing a soil avoidance wheel in which E. fetida were given a choice of habitat between control, nano-, or micron-sized Al2O3 amended soils. In the soil avoidance bioassays, E. fetida exhibited avoidance behavior toward the highest concentrations of micron- and nano-sized Al2O3 (>5,000,mg/kg) relative to control soils. Results of the present study indicate that nano-sized Al2O3 may impact reproduction and behavior of E. fetida, although at high levels unlikely to be found in the environment. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 2010;29:1575,1580. © 2010 SETAC [source] Long-term corrosion-induced copper runoff from natural and artificial patina and its environmental impact,ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 3 2006Sofia Bertling Abstract The overall objective of this paper is to present an extensive set of data for corrosion-induced copper dispersion and its environmental interaction with solid surfaces in the near vicinity of buildings. Copper dispersion is discussed in terms of total copper flows, copper speciation and bioavailability at the immediate release situation, and its changes during transport from source to recipient. Presented results are based on extensive field exposures (eight years) at an urban site, laboratory investigations of the runoff process, published field data, generated predictive site-specific runoff rate models, and reactivity investigations toward various natural and manmade surfaces, such as those in soil, limestone, and concrete. Emphasis is placed on the interaction of copper-containing runoff water with different soil systems through long-term laboratory column investigations. The fate of copper is discussed in terms of copper retention, copper chemical speciation, breakthrough capacities, and future mobilization based on changes in copper concentrations in the percolate water, computer modeling using the Windermere Humic Aqueous Model, and sequential extractions. The results illustrate that, for scenarios where copper comes in extensive contact with solid surfaces, such as soil and limestone, a large fraction of released copper is retained already in the immediate vicinity of the building. In all, both the total copper concentration in runoff water and its bioavailable part undergo a significant and rapid reduction. [source] Influence of hydroxypropyl-,-cyclodextrin on the extraction and biodegradation of phenanthrene in soilENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 3 2004Brian J. Reid Abstract A study was conducted to investigate the effect of hydroxypropyl-,-cyclodextrin (HPCD) on the aging and biodegradation of phenanthrene (PHE) in soil. Soil was spiked with PHE at 25 mgPHE/kgSOIL and HPCD at a range of concentrations from 0 to 3.5 gHPCD/kgSOIL and aged for 1, 84, and 322 d. At each time point, a variety of analyses were performed to assess the loss and aging of the PHE in the soil. Methods included determination of total PHE remaining, dichloromethane (DCM) and butan-1-ol (BuOH) extractions, and determination of PHE extractable by an aqueous HPCD shake extraction. Mineralization assays were also carried out to assess the availability of the PHE to a PHE-degrading bacterial inoculum. It was found that the presence of HPCD in the soils increased PHE loss from the aged soil systems, particularly at the higher application rates. Dichloromethane and BuOH extractabilities were reduced with aging and increasing HPCD concentration, as was the amount of PHE that was extractable using an aqueous HPCD shake extraction or that was available for mineralization. The DCM and BuOH extraction yielded similar results, and both greatly overestimated the availability of the PHE to the degraders, whereas the HPCD extraction results were very similar to that of PHE biodegradation. This study indicates that cyclodextrins have potential for use as alternatives to surfactants in enhancing the desorption/solubilization and degradation of recalcitrant organic contaminants in soil. [source] Cadmium leaching from some New Zealand pasture soilsEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOIL SCIENCE, Issue 1 2003C. W. Gray Summary Cadmium (Cd) inputs and losses from agricultural soils are of great importance because of the potential adverse effects Cd can pose to food quality, soil health and the environment in general. One important pathway for Cd losses from soil systems is by leaching. We investigated loss of Cd from a range of contrasting New Zealand pasture soils that had received Cd predominantly from repeated applications of phosphate fertilizer. Annual leaching losses of Cd ranged between 0.27 and 0.86 g ha,l, which are less than most losses recorded elsewhere. These losses equate to between 5 and 15% of the Cd added to soil through a typical annual application of single superphosphate, which in New Zealand contains on average 280 mg Cd kg,1 P. It appears that Cd added to soil from phosphate fertilizer is fairly immobile and Cd tends to accumulate in the topsoil. The pH of the leachate and the total volume of drainage to some extent control the amount of Cd leached. Additional factors, such as the soil sorption capacity, are also important in controlling Cd movement in these pasture soils. The prediction of the amount of Cd leached using the measured concentrations of Cd in the soil solution and rainfall data resulted in an overestimation of Cd losses. Cadmium concentrations in drainage water are substantially less than the current maximum acceptable value of 3 µg l,1 for drinking water in New Zealand set by the Ministry of Health. [source] Interspecific carbon exchange and cost of interactions between basidiomycete mycelia in soil and woodFUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY, Issue 2 2002J. M. Wells Summary 1.,The outcome of interactions between wood decay basidiomycete fungi is affected by the size of territory held by a mycelium. We investigated the outcomes of interactions between the cord-forming saprotrophs Phanerochaete velutina (DC: Pers.) Parm., Phallus impudicus (L.) Pers. and Hypholoma fasciculare (Huds: Fr) Kumner over 152,155 days, determined as ability to capture or share territory in soil and wood, in terms of decay partitioning and the carbon cost of interactions. 2.,The outcome of interactions in wood alone differed from those in which the fungi competed for an opponents' inoculum in soil microcosms. Competitive ability (the ability to capture or co-occupy an opponent's inoculum) varied according to species and inoculum age. In wood block pairings in the absence of soil there was evidence that P. velutina opportunistically utilized C previously mobilized within an opponent's inoculum. 3.,In soil systems, short-term (28-day) respiratory losses of preloaded 14C (supplied as glucose) indicated that interaction could have a substantial C cost, depending on the resource quality of the opponents' inocula. Phallus impudicus inocula accumulated 14C from opponents' mycelia during ,deadlock' interactions, although reciprocal interspecific 14C transfer was not observed. 4.,Saprotrophic cord-forming basidiomycetes are considered to be highly conservative of acquired nutrients, representing a significant nutrient reservoir in woodland ecosytems. Here we demonstrate that a potential major pathway for nutrient mineralization by this group is nutrient loss during competitive interactions in soil. [source] Patterns of rhizosphere carbon flux in sugar maple (Acer saccharum) and yellow birch (Betula allegheniensis) saplingsGLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY, Issue 6 2005Richard P. Phillips Abstract Despite its importance in the terrestrial C cycle rhizosphere carbon flux (RCF) has rarely been measured for intact root,soil systems. We measured RCF for 8-year-old saplings of sugar maple (Acer saccharum) and yellow birch (Betula allegheniensis) collected from the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest (HBEF), NH and transplanted into pots with native soil horizons intact. Five saplings of each species were pulse labeled with 13CO2 at ambient CO2 concentrations for 4,6 h, and the 13C label was chased through rhizosphere and bulk soil pools in organic and mineral horizons for 7 days. We hypothesized yellow birch roots would supply more labile C to the rhizosphere than sugar maple roots based on the presumed greater C requirements of ectomycorrhizal roots. We observed appearance of the label in rhizosphere soil of both species within the first 24 h, and a striking difference between species in the timing of 13C release to soil. In sugar maple, peak concentration of the label appeared 1 day after labeling and declined over time whereas in birch the label increased in concentration over the 7-day chase period. The sum of root and rhizomicrobial respiration in the pots was 19% and 26% of total soil respiration in sugar maple and yellow birch, respectively. Our estimate of the total amount of RCF released by roots was 6.9,7.1% of assimilated C in sugar maple and 11.2,13.0% of assimilated C in yellow birch. These fluxes extrapolate to 55,57 and 90,104 g C m,2 yr,1 from sugar maple and yellow birch roots, respectively. These results suggest RCF from both arbuscular mycorrhizal and ectomycorrhizal roots represents a substantial flux of C to soil in northern hardwood forests with important implications for soil microbial activity, nutrient availability and C storage. [source] The hydrological response of heavy clay grassland soils to rainfall in south-west England using ,2H,RAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY, Issue 5 2010Steven J. Granger Stable isotopes of water have been previously used in catchment studies to separate rain-event water from pre-event groundwater. However, there are a lack of studies at the smaller scale looking at the separation of event water from pre-event water. This is particularly relevant for heavy clay soil systems through which the movement of water is uncertain but is thought to be rainwater-dominated. The data presented here were collected at a rural site in the south-west of England. The historic rainfall at the site was isotopically varied but similar to the global meteoric water line, with annual weighted means of ,37, for ,2H and ,5.7, for ,18O and with no seasonal variation. Drainage was sampled from the inter-flow (surface runoff,+,lateral through-flow) and drain-flow (55,cm deep mole drains) pathways of two 1,ha lysimeters during two rainfall events, which had ,2H values of ,68, and ,92,, respectively. The ,2H values of the lysimeter drainage water suggest that there was no contribution of event water during the first, small discharge (Q) event; however, the second larger event did show isotopic variation in ,2H values negatively related to Q indicating that rainwater was contributing to Q. A hydrograph separation indicated that only 49,58% of the inter-flow and 18,25% of the drain-flow consisted of event water. This was surprising given that these soil types are considered retentive of soil water. More work is needed on heavy clay soils to understand better the nature of water movement from these systems. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] | |||||||||||||