Thermal Decomposition Kinetics of Humic Substances Extracted from Mid-Rio Negro (Amazon Basin) Soil Samples

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Drained thaw-lake basin soil characteristics of cores from Barrow, Alaska

Arctic soils contain a large fraction of Earth's stored carbon. Temperature increases in the Arctic may enhance decomposition of this stored carbon, shifting the role of Arctic soils from a net sink to a new source of atmospheric CO2. Predicting the impact of Arctic warming on soil carbon reserves requires knowledge of the composition of the stored organic matter. Here, we employ solid state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared-photoacoustic spectroscopy (FTIR-PAS) to investigate the chemical composition of soil organic matter collected from drained thaw-lake basins ranging in age from 0 to 5500 years before present (y BP). The 13C NMR and FTIR-PAS data were largely congruent. Surface horizons contain relatively large amounts of O-alkyl carbon, suggesting that the soil organic matter is rich in labile constituents. Soil organic matter decreases with depth with the relative amounts of O-alkyl carbon decreasing and aromatic carbon increasing. These data indicate that lower horizons are in a more advanced stage of decomposition than upper horizons. Nonetheless, a substantial fraction of carbon in lower horizons, even for ancient thaw-lake basins (2000-5500 y BP), is present as O-alkyl carbon reflecting the preservation of intrinsically labile organic matter constituents. Climate change-induced increases in the depth of the soil active layer are expected to accelerate the depletion of this carbon.

Thermal Decomposition Kinetics of Humic Substances Extracted from Mid-Rio Negro (Amazon Basin) Soil Samples

In this work humic substances (HS) extracted from non-flooded (Araca) and flooded (Iara) soils were characterized through the calculation of stability and activation energies associated with the dehydration and thermal decomposition of HS using TGA and DTA, electronic paramagnetic resonance and C/H, C/N and C/O atomic ratios. For HS extracted from flooded soils, there was evidence for the influence of humidity on the organic matter humification process. Observations of thermal behaviour, with elemental analysis, indicated the presence of fossilized organic carbon within clay particles, which only decomposed above 800 C. This characteristic could explain the different thermal stability and pyrolysis activation energies for Iara HS compared to Araca HS.

Soil humus characteristics in virgin and cleared areas of the paraná river basin in Brazil

A study of the characteristics and distribution of the soil humus fractions in representative ecosystems of central Brazil was carried out with special emphasis on the comparison between the soils under virgin vegetation-Cerrado-and those subjected to cultivation. In spite of the contrasted vegetation and cultural practices in the sites studied, the soil humus showed analogous characteristics: there was a negligible amount of plant residues, the humic and fulvic acids amounted to approximately 70% of the total organic carbon, and about 40% of these humic substances were in extremely stable association with the soil mineral fraction, the HCl-HF treatment being required for their extraction. The stability of such organo-mineral complexes increased slightly in the cultured sites. The study of the humic acid fraction showed increased oxidation and aromaticity in most of the cultivated sites: the lowest values for the IR alkyl vibrations and H/C atomic ratios and the highest ones for the optical density at 465 nm were observed in sites transformed into orchards, whereas the above changes were small in those used as pasture. The 14C NMR spectra confirmed that the proportion of polyalkyl structures decreased in the humic acids of soils subjected to cultivation, as opposed to that of carboxyl groups. In spite of the high stability inferred for the organic matter throughout the wide area examined, the samples from the original Cerrado as well as from those transformed into pastures showed, in laboratory conditions, higher mineralization rates than those from the sites subjected to cultivation. This is partly attributed to the decreased proportions of extractable humic substances in the latter. © 1992.

Kosteikkosedimentin fosforivarat ja niiden käyttökelpoisuus kasveille

Maatalouden ympäristötukiohjelmalla pyritään vähentämään maatalouden ravinnekuormitusta, sillä valtaosa fosforin hajakuormituksesta on peräisin maataloudesta. Maataloudesta peräisin olevan fosforin rehevöittävää vaikutusta vesistöissä voidaan pyrkiä vähentämään kosteikoilla, joiden päätarkoituksena on saada valumaveden mukana erodoitunut maa-aines sedimentoitumaan kosteikon pohjalle. Kosteikkojen toimivuudesta ja vesiensuojelun merkityksestä on kuitenkin Suomessa tehdyissä tutkimuksissa saatu ristiriitaisia tuloksia. Tämän työn tavoitteena on selvittää maa-analyysien avulla, mitä valuma-alueelta erodoitunut fosforille tapahtuu kosteikon sedimentissä ja kuinka hyvin sedimentoitunut aines soveltuu kasvualustaksi kasvintuotannossa. Valuma-alueen maanäytteitä ja kosteikon sedimenttinäytteitä vertailemalla havaittiin kosteikossa tapahtuvan erodoituneen maa-aineksen lajittumista. Kosteikosta otetussa sedimenttinäytteessä oli 48 % enemmän savesta kuin valumapellon muokkauskerroksen maanäytteissä. Lisäksi havaittiin, että savespitoisuuden lisääntyminen lisäsi sedimentin reaktiivista pinta-alaa, koska sedimentissä oli 45 % enemmän alumiini- ja rautahydroksideja kuin valuma-alueelta otetuissa maanäytteissä. Hydroksidien runsauden takia fosforin sorptiokapasiteetti oli sedimentissä 52 % suurepi kuin valuma-alueelta otetuissa näytteissä. Sedimenttinäytteiden fosforin sorptiokyllästysaste oli kuitenkin samansuuruinen verrattuna valuma-alueelta otettuihin näytteisiin, sillä hapettuneessa sedimentissä oli 50 % enemmän alumiini- ja rautahydroksidien sitomaa fosforia. Näytteenottohetkellä sedimentti oli pelkistyneessä tilassa, jolloin sen vesiuuttoisen fosforin määrä oli huomattavasti suurempi kuin hapettuneessa sedimentissä. Vastaavasti sedimentin hapettuessa fosforin sorptiokyky kasvoi huomattavasti, sillä pelkistyneestä sedimentistä desorboitui fosforia kosteikon veteen. Tämä havaittiin myös astiakokeessa, sillä sedimentissä kasvanut raiheinä kärsi voimakkaasta fosforin puutoksesta niillä lannoitustasoilla, joilla valuma-alueen maanäytteessä kasvaneella raiheinällä ei silmämääräisesti havaittu esiintyvän puutosoireita. Sedimentin toiselle sadolle annetulla kolminkertaisella fosforin lisälannoituksella saavutettiin samansuuruiset sadon kuiva-ainemäärät, fosforipitoisuudet ja fosforin otot kuin valuma-alueen maanäytteissä kasvaneella ensimmäisellä sadolla oli. Astiakokeen tulosten perusteella pelkistyneessä tilassa ollut sedimentti soveltuu heikosti kasvintuotannon kasvualustaksi suuren fosforisorptiokykynsä ansiosta. Parhaiten sedimentti soveltuisi runsaasti helppoliukoista fosforia sisältäville alueille, kuten karjan jalottelutarhan pohjamateriaaliksi, vähentämään ympäristöön kohdistuvaa fosforikuormitusta.

内蒙古锡林河流域主要植物种、功能群和群落水分利用效率的研究

近二十年来，碳同位素技术己被广泛应用于植物生态学，特别是植物“碳一水”关系的研究中。植物的碳同位素组成（δ13C值）是叶片组织合成过程中光合活动的整合，它反映了植物长期的水分利用效率。内蒙古锡林河流域位于我国温带典型草原的核心区域，水分是制约本区植物生产力和群落稳定性的限制因素。因此关于本区植物水分利用效率和水分利用状况的研究，对探讨植物对生境干旱化的适应与响应机制具有十分重要的理论和实践意义。本研究沿土壤水分梯度在锡林河流域选取了沼泽化草甸、盐化草甸、草甸草原、典型草原、退化草地和疏林沙地等8个代表性植物群落，研究主要植物种、功能群和群落的碳同位素组成及叶片含水量、脯氨酸含量等与植物抗旱性相关的生理指标的变化，从植物种、功能群和群落三个层次研究了不同水分条件下植物水分利用效率的变化及其对不同水分生境的响应与适应机制。 　　1）在所调查的8个植物群落中，C3植物占绝对优势;C3植物的δ13C值和水分利用效率越大，其在整个流域中的分布频度越高，生物量也越大;与生长在湿润生境中的植物相比，生长在较干旱生境中的植物能积累更高水平的脯氨酸。以上结果表明，锡林河流域的植物可能通过两种机制适应当地的干旱生境：一是通过调节气孔导度提高植物的水分利用效率;止是通过积累高水平的脯氨酸增强植株的渗透调节能力并维持相对稳定的水分含量。 　　2）依照生活型将锡林河流域主要植物种划分成6个植物功能群：乔木、灌木、半灌木、多年生禾草、多年生杂类草和一年生植物。在较湿润生境，多年生杂类草更加丰富并构成了群落地上生物量的绝大部分;而在较干旱生境下，多年生禾草在群落中起更重要的作用;随着土壤含水量下降，灌木和半灌木逐渐增多，且在退化草地和沙地中其相对生物量迅速增加;多年生禾草别3c值显著高于其它功能群;随着土壤水分可利用性降低，多年生禾草和杂类草的别3c值表现出增加的趋势，而灌木／半灌木则表现出相反的趋势。以上结果进一步证明了，在典型草原区以生活型为基础划分的植物功能群可以用来进行较大尺度植物一水分关系的研究。 　　3）依照植物的水分生态类群，将锡林河流域主要植物种划分为六个植物功能群：旱生植物、中旱生植物、旱中生植物、中生植物、湿中生植物和湿生植物。在较湿润生境中（沼泽化草甸和盐化草甸），湿中生和湿生植物成为优势种并构成地上生物量的主体;在干旱生境中（草甸草原、典型草原和退化草地），旱生和中早生植物占绝对优势并构成群落生物量的90％以上;随着不同水分生态类群所适应的生境从干旱到湿润逐渐转变，植物的δ13C值和水分利用效率显著降低;旱生植物叶片脯氨酸含耸最高，湿中生和湿生植物脯氨酸含量最低，不同水分生态类群脯氨酸含量与其δ13C值和地上生物星．显著正相关关系。 　　4）不同群落类型的平均δ13C值有显著不同，表现为：典型草原＞退化草地＞沙地＞退化恢复草地＞草甸草原之盐化草甸＞沼泽化草甸。C4植物的出现、不同物种δ13C值的差异和同一物种在不同生境下δ13C值的变化是影响群落平均δ13C值的主要因素，而这些因素与土壤水分状况和干扰历史（特别是放牧）密切相关。 　　此外，本文还研究了氮素添加对羊草和大针茅光合和水分利用效率的影响。土壤含氮量的增加可以显著提高羊草叶片光合能力和叭JE，而对大针茅的影响不大。作为锡林河流域两种优势植物，羊草和大针茅通过不同的生理机制来维持较高的WUE适应干旱生境：羊草为高光合、高蒸腾，而大针茅为低光合、低蒸腾。羊草较高的WUE是以降低氮利用效率 （NuE）为代价的;而大针茅在维持较高WUE的同时仍能维持较高的NUE，这一特征使大针茅可以广泛分布于更加干旱和贫瘩的地区。 　　以上研究结果，为深入开展典型草原生态系统植物与水分关系的研究提供了有价值的信息，进一步证实了稳定性碳同位素技术可以有效地指示不同群落类型中主要植物种长期水分利用效率。同时，通过对其它相关生理指标的测定，可以更好地探讨植物对水分限制的适应策略。我们的研究结果从植物种、功能群和群落三个层次进一步揭示了植物对干旱生境的适应机制，并初步阐明了人类干扰特别是过度放牧对草原群落建群种和优势种的生态替代或／和灌丛入侵的影响。这些研究对生物多样性保护、全球变化和区域可持续发展等热点问题的研究都具有重要的意义。在今后的研究中，结合其它稳定性同位素（如2H，18O和15N）技术，将有助于我们进一步深入研究蒙古高原植物对气候变化和过度放牧的适应与响应机制。 　　

Connectivité hydrologique et signature géochimique à l'échelle événementielle dans un bassin versant forestier

Dans un bassin versant, la connectivité hydrologique constitue un état hydrologique qui lie le versant à la zone riveraine. Ses impacts sur la production du débit et le transfert des éléments dissous vers le cours d’eau sont présumés substantiels. L’étude vise à 1) détecter les hydrotopes et les connexions hydrologiques à l’aide d’un réseau de puits qui permet la mesure des fluctuations de la nappe phréatique (NP); 2) identifier la variabilité spatio-temporelle et la signature géochimique des sources potentielles en eau à l’aide des éléments majeurs et traces et 3) examiner la contribution spatio-temporelle respective des sources en eau du bassin lors d’un événement de précipitation. L’étude s’effectue dans un bassin versant forestier du Bouclier canadien (l’Hermine). Nous démontrons l’existence de quatre hydrotopes représentant un gradient de convergence de l’eau, soulignant la diversité de comportement de NP. Les connexions hydrologiques se caractérisent par des coefficients de Spearman élevés des relations entre la profondeur de la NP et le débit, dans leur partie en aval, et s’enclenchent par le fill and spill. Le comportement de NP est influencé par la distance aux limites du bassin, l’horizonation du sol et la topographie souterraine. En somme, trois sources en eau se connectent à partir du versant vers la zone riveraine durant l’événement pluvial de manière chronologique: 1) les horizons B et la NP de l’ensemble du bassin (Sr); 2) les horizons LFH des zones de convergence (Ba et Zn) et 3) une dépression de sol humide sur le versant nord (Co et Mn).

Aspectos fisico-geograficos da Regiao Administrativa de Aracatuba.

In this region there are exposures of sandstones, siltstones, and argillites of the Adamantina Formation, belonging to the Bauru Group. Using satellite and radar images, superposition of drainage maps, toposheets geologic and pedologic maps and field trips, it was possible to discern (three geomorphological domains; a) hilly and interfluvial plateau in the divisories areas of Tiete - Aguapei and Tiete - Sao Jose dos Dourados mainrivers; b) colluvial surfaces located around the interfluvial plateau; and c) fluvial terraces and floodplains. The indiscriminant use of the soils is accelerating the erosive process, increasing the sedimentation of the river beds, the size of the floodplains and prejudicing the water quality, used to supply the rural and urban population. -from English summary

Tolerância de perdas de solo na bacia do rio Itiquira, Mato Grosso, Brasil

The geographic area of the present study corresponds to the basin of the Itiquira river high course (Figure 1), in the portion that extends from the tributaries of its source, in the east of the plateau Correntes/Itiquira, in the neighbourhoods the city of Alto Garç as, to the scarp of the São Jerônimo mountain range, toward the west of Itiquira, in the state of Mato Grosso, totalizing 5,361 km 2. The area is placed in the eastern part of the Alto Paraguai basin, in the western portion of the Paraná Sedimentary Basin plateau. Through GIS techniques, it was possible to asses total soil losses from the Itiquira river basin, considering the years of 1966, 1985 and 1996, being based on the Universal Soil Loss Equation. Thus, in 1966 the basin lost 201,546.94 ton of soil, with an average loss of 0.37 ton/ha/year. Considering that the total area of the Itiquira river basin is of 536,100 ha, while in 1985 the soil losses had passed to 1,760,833.40 ton, with an increase of approximately 8.5 times. The average of soil losses in 1985 was of 3.28 ton/ha/year. In 1996 the basin lost 1,662,043.24 ton, with a reduction of only 9.4% in relation to 1985 but, in relation the 1966, the increase continued in the order of 8 times. The average losses per hectare in this year was in the order of 3.10 ton/ha/year (Chart 1). The map of potential of the laminar erosion for 1966 (Figure 3), shows to the highest values in small areas, situated in the northeast of the area, in Alto Garças, with values between 10 the 20 ton/ha/year and some spots in sources of the Itiquira and Ariranha rivers, with values between 1 the 5 ton/ha/year. In a general way, however, the area presents low soil loss for laminar erosion in this year, with inferior values to 1 ton/ha/year. The higher class of erosion, over 10 ton/ha/year, occupied 2,947 ha in 1966. In the year of 1985 (Figure 4), the erosive process spread over the entire studied area, and the class of erosion over of 10 ton/ha/year, already started to occupy 78,437 ha, implying an increase of approximately 27 times in 19 years. A strong increment in the erosive process was noticed in the western part of the area, to along the BR-163 road, exactly where great areas of natural vegetation (open pasture) had been transformed in culture and pasture areas. In the north-eastern part of the area it was also noticed an increment in the erosive process in agreement with the increase of culture areas and reduction of the natural areas, but it was not of so intense form as in the western portion of the area. In the year of 1996 (Figure 5), the class of erosion over of 10 ton/ha/year had diminished for a total of 53.499 ha noticing a retraction of the erosive process in the western part of the area, alongside the BR-163 road. On the other hand, it occurred a strong increment in the northern part of the area, in the neighbourhoods of the city of Alto Garças, alongside the BR-364 road and part of the MT-040 road. In a general way, in the outskirts of the city of Itiquira, in the central part of the area, it was verified an increase of the amount of zones with erosion between 0-1 ton/ha/year, passing to the immediately superior class, of 1-3 ton/ha/year; scarce data of hydrosedimentology in the UHE Itiquira (1999), shows good agreement with the values gotten for the EUPS (Chart 2). Based on the hydric classification proposal for FAO (1967) (Chart 3), it is noticed that areas with high degree of erosion (> 50) in the analysed area are very restricted, occupying 493 ha in 1985 and 332 ha in 1996 (Chart 4). In 1996 appeared as isolated spots in the north of Itiquira and Alto Garças, however beyond limits of the Itiquira river basin. These areas require special cares in its use as agricultural areas. Aiming at identifying and indicating the areas of potential risk of erosion and that need implementation of conservation practices, it was elaborated the map of limit of tolerance to the soil losses. In 1966 (Figure 6), areas with soil losses over of the tolerable were restricted to small spots located in the eastern part of the area, occupying 0.43% of the total of the area; already in 1985 (Figure 7), this percentage passed to 5.86%, spreading for all the area; in 1996 (Figure 8) it is observed a fast reduction of the areas with soil losses over of the tolerance limit, passing 5.43% of the total of the area. All the areas with losses over of the tolerable value must be considered as risk areas and were done in these areas studies for implementation of conservation practices.

A evolução dos processos erosivos na Bacia do Ribeirão Alam Grei - SP: uma contribuição ao planejamento ambiental

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Assessing soil erosion rates on manually-tilled hillslopes in the Sichuan Hilly Basin using Cs-137 and Pb-210(ex) measurements

IEECAS SKLLQG