Quantification of soil spatial and temporal variability at watershed scale is important in ecological modeling, precision agriculture, and natural resources management. The spatio-temporal variations of soil nitrogen ...Quantification of soil spatial and temporal variability at watershed scale is important in ecological modeling, precision agriculture, and natural resources management. The spatio-temporal variations of soil nitrogen under different land uses in a small watershed (12.10 km^2) in the hilly area of purple soil at the upper reaches of the Yangtze River in southwestern China were investigated by using conventional statistics, geostatistics, and a geographical information system in order to provide information for land management and control of environmental issues. A total of 552 soil samples (o to 15 cm) from 276 sites within the watershed were collected in April and August of 2o11, and analyzed for soil total nitrogen (STN) and nitrate nitrogen (NO3-N). We compared spatial variations of STN and NO3-N under different land uses as well as the temporal variations in April (dry season) and August (rainy season). Results showed that STN contents were deeply affected by land-use types; median STN values ranged from 0.94to 1.27g.kg-I, and STN contents decreased in the following order: paddy field 〉 foresfland 〉 sloping cropland. No significant difference was found for STN contents between April and August under the same land use. However, NO3- N contents were 23.26, 10.58, and 26.19 mg·kg^-1 in April, and 1.34, 8.51, and 3.00 mg·kg^-1 in August for the paddy field, sloping cropland and forestland, respectively. Nugget ratios for STN indicatedmoderate spatial dependence in the paddy field and sloping cropland, and a strong spatial dependence in forestland. The processes of nitrogen movement, transformation, absorption of plant were deeply influenced by land use types; as a result, great changes of soil nitrogen levels at spatial and temporal scales were demonstrated in the studied watershed.展开更多
Land cultivation and tillage process, and their consequent impacts on soil erosion, have been criticized as the main cause of degradation of land or soil quality. However, purple soils, classified as Regosols in FAO T...Land cultivation and tillage process, and their consequent impacts on soil erosion, have been criticized as the main cause of degradation of land or soil quality. However, purple soils, classified as Regosols in FAO Taxonomy or Entisols in USDA Taxonomy, are formed from purple rocks of the Trias- Cretaceous system, have been developed or at least accelerated the development due to continual tillage operation, especially digging and ridging. The present study took micromorphological investigation on the sedimentary rocks and the soils under different operations of tillage. Results show that the purple rock of Feixiangguan Formation of the Trias system (Tlf) is the easiest to physical weathering and the most fertile soil material enriched in nutrients, and it has been, therefore, mostly cultivated and intensively tilled around the year. It has the fastest soil formation rate. Soil formation rate in the cropland with conventional tillage is higher than that in the forestiand and the grassland. It implies that the artificial brokenness and tillage disturbance play a great role in physical weathering and initiating soil formation processes.展开更多
基金this project was provided by the Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No.41271321)the National Key Basic Research Program of China (Grant no. 2012CB417101)
文摘Quantification of soil spatial and temporal variability at watershed scale is important in ecological modeling, precision agriculture, and natural resources management. The spatio-temporal variations of soil nitrogen under different land uses in a small watershed (12.10 km^2) in the hilly area of purple soil at the upper reaches of the Yangtze River in southwestern China were investigated by using conventional statistics, geostatistics, and a geographical information system in order to provide information for land management and control of environmental issues. A total of 552 soil samples (o to 15 cm) from 276 sites within the watershed were collected in April and August of 2o11, and analyzed for soil total nitrogen (STN) and nitrate nitrogen (NO3-N). We compared spatial variations of STN and NO3-N under different land uses as well as the temporal variations in April (dry season) and August (rainy season). Results showed that STN contents were deeply affected by land-use types; median STN values ranged from 0.94to 1.27g.kg-I, and STN contents decreased in the following order: paddy field 〉 foresfland 〉 sloping cropland. No significant difference was found for STN contents between April and August under the same land use. However, NO3- N contents were 23.26, 10.58, and 26.19 mg·kg^-1 in April, and 1.34, 8.51, and 3.00 mg·kg^-1 in August for the paddy field, sloping cropland and forestland, respectively. Nugget ratios for STN indicatedmoderate spatial dependence in the paddy field and sloping cropland, and a strong spatial dependence in forestland. The processes of nitrogen movement, transformation, absorption of plant were deeply influenced by land use types; as a result, great changes of soil nitrogen levels at spatial and temporal scales were demonstrated in the studied watershed.
基金supported by the CAS West-Developing Initiative (Grant No. KZCX2-XB2-07)the Key Technologies R & D Program of China (Grant No. 2008BAD98B04)
文摘Land cultivation and tillage process, and their consequent impacts on soil erosion, have been criticized as the main cause of degradation of land or soil quality. However, purple soils, classified as Regosols in FAO Taxonomy or Entisols in USDA Taxonomy, are formed from purple rocks of the Trias- Cretaceous system, have been developed or at least accelerated the development due to continual tillage operation, especially digging and ridging. The present study took micromorphological investigation on the sedimentary rocks and the soils under different operations of tillage. Results show that the purple rock of Feixiangguan Formation of the Trias system (Tlf) is the easiest to physical weathering and the most fertile soil material enriched in nutrients, and it has been, therefore, mostly cultivated and intensively tilled around the year. It has the fastest soil formation rate. Soil formation rate in the cropland with conventional tillage is higher than that in the forestiand and the grassland. It implies that the artificial brokenness and tillage disturbance play a great role in physical weathering and initiating soil formation processes.