Effect of Biochar on the Chemical Fertility of Vegetable Soil

[Objective] To investigate the effect of biochar on the chemical fertility of vegetable soil. [Method] By pot experiments, the effect of biochar the soil pH and the content of organic matter, available nitrogen, readily available potassium, avail- able phosphorus, water-soluble phosphorus, exchangeable calcium and magnesium were investigated. The experiment contained five treatments, i.e., CK （no biochar）, T1 （0.10% biochar）, T2 （0.25% biochar）, T3 （0.50% biochar） and T4 （1.00% biochar）. [Result] As the application amount of biochar increases in the treatments, the soil pH, the content of organic matter and readily available potassium ascended significantly, with a trend of T4〉T3 〉T2〉TI〉CK; the contents of available phospho- rus and water-soluble phosphorus first show upward trend then downward trend, with T3 being the highest and CK the lowest; the contents of available nitrogen and exchangeable magnesium did not assume obvious change; compared with control, an appropriate amount of char could significantly increase the content of exchangeable calcium. [Conclusion] Biochar can significantly improve the chemical fertility of vegetable soil, and the application amount in T3 （0.50% biochar） brings the best effects.

Nutrient Limiting Factors in Acidic Vegetable Soils

Nutrient limiting factors in acidic soils from vegetable fields of the Chongqing suburbs of China were assessed by employing the systematic approach developed by Agro Services International (ASI) including soil testing, nutrient adsorption study, and pot and field experiments to verify the results of soil testing, with a conventional soil test (CST) used for comparison. The ASI method found the moderately acidic soil (W01) to be N and P deficient; the strongly acidic soil (W04) to be N, K and S deficient; and the slightly acidic soil (W09) to be N, K, S, Cu, Mn, and Zn deficient. The CST method showed that W01 had P, B and Cu deficiencies; W04 had N, P and S deficiencies; and W09 had N, P, S, B, Cu, and Zn deficiencies. There were differences between the two methods. Among the two indicator plants selected, the response of sorghum on the three representative acidic soils was more closely related to the ASI results than that of sweet pepper.

Role of nitrification inhibitor DMPP(3,4-dimethylpyrazole phosphate) in NO^-_3-N accumulation in greengrocery( Brassica campestris L. ssp. chinensis ) and vegetable soil

The influence of nitrification inhibitor(NI) 3,4 dimethylpyrazole phosphate(DMPP) on nitrate accumulation in greengrocery( Brassica campestris L. ssp. chinensis ) and vegetable soil at surface layer were investigated in field experiments in 2002 and 2003 Results showed that NI DMPP took no significant effect on yields of edible parts of greengrocery, but it could significantly decrease NO - 3 N concentration in greengrocery and in vegetable soil at surface layer. In addition, NI DMPP could reduce the NO - 3 N concentration during the prophase stage of storage.

Phosphorus Status and Risk of Phosphate Leaching Loss From Vegetable Soils of Different Planting Years in Suburbs of Changsha, China

The aim of the study was to develop an index to assess the environmental risk of P loss potential in vegetable soils with chronic difference of plantation in the suburbs of Changsha, Hunan Province, China. Chemical methodology was used to study soil phosphorus status and the relationships between available P in soil and potential soil leaching P. The results showed that there was a significant linear relationship between Olsen P and CaC12-P or P concentration in soil solution. Olsen P increased sharply when either CaCI2-P or P concentration in soil solution reached a certain level. It was confirmed that 80 mg kg-t of Olsen P was the critical value of soil P leaching in the vegetable soils. P leaching probability over the critical was assessed by GIS and indicator Kriging and four secondary risks of phosphorus leaching loss were defined. In the area with vegetable cropping for over 30 yr （Chenjiadu） and 10-15 planting years （Huangxingzhen）, the indices of phosphorus leaching loss risk were 3 and 2.93, respectively. These two areas belonged to strong secondary of risk of phosphate leaching loss. In the new vegetable planting field less than 2 yr （Ningxiang）, the index was 0.06, which had almost no risk of phosphorus leaching. In vegetable soils in the suburban region of Changsha, the phosphorus leaching peotential is high and the phosphorus leaching loss is related to chronic length of vegetable cropping.

Effects of fencing on vegetation and soil restoration in a degraded alkaline grassland in northeast China

In order to restore a degraded alkaline grassland, the local government implemented a large restoration project using fences in Changling county, Jilin province, China, in 2000. Grazing was excluded from the protected area, whereas the grazed area was continuously grazed at 8.5 dry sheep equivalent（DSE）/hm2. In the current research, soil and plant samples were taken from grazed and fenced areas to examine changes in vegetation and soil properties in 2005, 2006 and 2008. Results showed that vegetation characteristics and soil properties improved significantly in the fenced area compared with the grazed area. In the protected area the vegetation cover, height and above- and belowground biomass increased significantly. Soil pH, electrical conductivity and bulk density decreased significantly, but soil organic carbon and total nitrogen concentration increased greatly in the protected area. By comparing the vegetation and soil characteristics with pre-degraded grassland, we found that vegetation can recover 6 years after fencing, and soil pH can be restored 8 years after fencing. However, the restoration of soil organic carbon, total nitrogen and total phosphorus concentrations needed 16, 30 and 19 years, respectively. It is recommended that the stocking rate should be reduced to 1/3 of the current carrying capacity, or that a grazing regime of 1-year of grazing followed by a 2-year rest is adopted to sustain the current status of vegetation and soil resources. However, if N fertilizer is applied, the rest period could be shortened, depending on the rate of application.

Differential Responses of Nitrifier and Denitrifier to Dicyandiamide in Short- and Long-Term Intensive Vegetable Cultivation Soils

Nitrification inhibitors, such as dicyandiamide （DCD）, have been shown to decrease leaching from urea- and ammoniumbased fertilizers in agricultural soils. The effect of nitrification inhibitors on nitrifier and denitrifier in short- and long-term intensive vegetable cultivation soils was poorly understood. In this study, the pot trial was conducted to investigate the differential responses of nitrifier （amoA-containing bacteria） and denitrifier （nirK-containing bacteria） to DCD in short-（soil S） and long-term （soil L） intensive vegetable cultivation soils. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction （qPCR） and terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism （T-RFLP） were employed to detect the abundance and composition of amoA- and nirK-containing communities. The results indicated that application of DCD led to a consistently higher NH4＋-N concentration during the whole incubation in soil L, while it was quickly decreased in soil S after 21 days. Furthermore, DCD induced more severe decrease of the abundance of amoA-containing bacteria in soil L than in soil S. However, the abundance of the nirK- containing community was not significantly affected by DCD in both soils. Long-term vegetable cultivation resulted in a super-dominant amoA-containing bacteria group and less divergence in soil L compared with soil S, and DCD did not cause obvious shifts of the composition of ammonia-oxidising bacteria （AOB）. On the contrary, both amoA- and nirK-containing bacterial compositions were influenced by DCD in soil S. The results suggested that long-term intensive vegetable cultivation with heavy nitrogen fertilization resulted in significant shifts of AOB community, and this community was sensitive to DCD, but denitrifiers were not clearly affected by DCD.

The ecohydrology of the soil-vegetation system restoration in arid zones: a review

Arid zones, which cover approximately 40 percent of the earth’s land surface, support complicated and widely varied ecological systems. As such, arid zones are an important composition of the global terrestrial ecosystem, and water is the key and abiotic lim-ited factor in ecosystem-driven processes in these areas. Ecohydrology is a new cross discipline that provides, in an objective and comprehensive manner, novel ideas and approaches to the evaluation of the interaction and feedback mechanisms involved in the soil–vegetation systems in arid zones. In addition, ecohydrology provides a theoretical basis of ecological restoration that is cen-tered on vegetation construction. In this paper, long-term monitoring and local observations in the transitional belt between a de-sertified steppe and a steppified desert at the Shapotou Desert Research and Experiment Station, Tengger Desert, in northern China, were evaluated. The primary achievements and related research progress regarding ecohydrology in arid zones were analyzed and summarized, as a keystone, and the response of soil ecohydrological processes to the changes in the species composition, structure, and function of sandland vegetation was discussed. Meanwhile, the long-term ecological effects and mechanism of regulation of vegetation on soil habitat and on water-cycling were considered. As a vital participant in the ecohydrological processes of soil–vegetation systems, the studies on biological soil crusts was also summarized, and related theoretical models of restoration based on the water balance was reviewed.

Vegetation/Soil Synthesis Water Index Using MODIS Data

In consideration of the spectral character of MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) dataand the reflective spectrum of vegetation and soil, NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) and NDWI (Nor-malized Difference Water Index) are deduced using one visible band (0.66μm) and two near-infrared bands (0.86μm,1.24 μm). Vegetation canopy temperature is derived using two thermal infrared bands (8.6 μm and 11μm). Then thevegetation/soil synthesis water index (VSWI) is acquired through analyzing the coupling character of three indexeswhich can reflect the water condition of vegetation. Finally, the synthesis index is verified by equivalent water contentof a single leaf. The matching results show that the synthesis index is directly proportional to the modeled data,which means that the vegetation water content can be reflected using the synthesis index effectively.

Vegetation fractional coverage change in a typical oasis region in Tarim River Watershed based on remote sensing

Vegetation fractional coverage （VFC） is an important index to describe and evaluate the ecological system. The vegetation index is widely used to monitor vegetation coverage in the field of remote sensing （RS）. In this paper, the author conducted a case study of the delta oasis of Weigan and Kuqa rivers, which is a typical saline area in the Tarim River Watershed. The current study was based on the TM/ETM＋ images of 1989, 2001, and 2006, and supported by Geographic Information System （GIS） spatial analysis, vegetation index, and dimidiate pixel model. In addition, VBSl （vegetation, bare soil and shadow indices） suitable for TM/ETM＋ irrlages, constructed with FCD （forest canopy density） model principle and put forward by ITTO （International Tropical Timber Organization）, was used, and it was applied to estimate the VFC. The estimation accuracy was later prow^n to be up to 83.52%. Further, the study analyzed and appraised the changes in vegetation patterns and revealed a pattern of spatial change in the vegetation coverage of the study area by producing the map of VFC levels in the delta oasis. Forest, grassland, and farmland were the three main land-use types with high and extremely-high coverage, and they played an important role in maintaining the vegetation. The forest area determined the changes of the coverage area, whereas the other two land types affected the directions of change. Therefore, planting trees, protecting grasslands, reclaiming farmlands, and controlling unused lands should be included in a long-term program because of their importance in keeping regional vegetation coverage. Finally, the dynamic variation of VFC in the study area was evaluated according to the quantity and spatial distribution rendered by plant cover diigital images to deeply analyze the reason behind the variation.

Biomass production and carbon balance in two hybrid poplar(Populus euramericana)plantations raised with and without agriculture in southern France

Poplar is useful in different climates for bioenergy production and carbon sequestration when planted as a single species or in agroforestry. Europe has large areas potentially suitable for poplar forestry and a bioenergy policy that would encourage poplar forestry. In this study I estimated biomass production and carbon sequestration in poplar monoculture plantation and poplar-wheat agroforestry, in the Mediterranean region of France. A single-tree harvesting method was used to estimate biomass and an empirical conversion factor was adopted to calculate sequestered carbon. Total biomass was higher in agroforestry trees(1223 kg tree) than in monoculture plantation trees(1102 kg tree).Aboveground and belowground biomass distributions were similar in both cases(89 and 88% aboveground, and 11 and12% belowground, respectively in agroforestry and monoculture). The partitioning of total biomass in an agroforestry tree in leaves, branch, and trunk(aboveground), and fine roots, medium roots, coarse roots and underground stem(belowground) was 1,22,and 77,and 6,9, 44 and 40%,respectively. Except for branch and trunk, all other compartments were similarly distributed in a monoculture tree.Storage of C was higher in agroforestry trees(612 kg tree)than in monoculture trees(512 kg tree). In contrast, C storage on a per hectare basis was lower in agroforestry(85 Mg ha) than in monoculture(105 Mg ha) due to the lower density of trees per hectare in agroforestry(139 trees in agroforestry vs 204 trees in monoculture). On a per hectare basis, soil C stocks pattern were similar to per tree stocking:They were higher in agroforestry at 330 Mg hathan in monoculture 304 Mg ha. Higher C accumulation by agroforestry has a direct management implication in the sense that expanding agroforestry into agriculture production areas with short rotation and fast growing trees like poplar would encourage quicker and greater C sequestration. This could simultaneously fulfil the requirement of bioenergy plantation in Europe.

Changes in vegetation and soil properties during recovery of a subtropical forest in South China

Secondary forests account for a large amount of subtropical forest due to persistent anthropogenic disturbance in China.The interaction between vegetation and soil during recovery process is rather complex and dependent on forest conditions.Understanding how vegetation and soil properties changes and how their relationship develops in secondary forests is key to effective forest restoration and management.Here we explored the patterns of vegetation and soil properties as well as their correlations during forest recovery process in a subtropical forest in south China.Plots of three forest types,i.e.,broadleaf-conifermixedforest,broadleaved forest and old growth stand,were established to represent the recovery stages.The results showed that diversity patterns in the tree,shrub and herb layers were different:in the tree layer the species diversity peaked at the intermediate stage,while in the understory layers it decreased chronologically.Most of the soil factors showed an increasing trend,and different effects of soil factors were found for the three layers as well as for the two spatial scales.Together,our results suggested that vegetation and soil might be interdependent during the recovery course.Further studies are needed on exploring how vegetation interplays with soil at different scales and how nutrient limitations affects the vegetation development in a chronosequence.

SOC storage and potential of grasslands from 2000 to 2012 in central and eastern Inner Mongolia, China

Grassland ecosystem is an important component of the terrestrial carbon cycle system. Clear comprehension of soil organic carbon（SOC） storage and potential of grasslands is very important for the effective management of grassland ecosystems. Grasslands in Inner Mongolia have undergone evident impacts from human activities and natural factors in recent decades. To explore the changes of carbon sequestration capacity of grasslands from 2000 to 2012, we carried out studies on the estimation of SOC storage and potential of grasslands in central and eastern Inner Mongolia, China based on field investigations and MODIS image data. First, we calculated vegetation cover using the dimidiate pixel model based on MODIS-EVI images. Following field investigations of aboveground biomass and plant height, we used a grassland quality evaluation model to get the grassland evaluation index, which is typically used to represent grassland quality. Second, a correlation regression model was established between grassland evaluation index and SOC density. Finally, by this regression model, we calculated the SOC storage and potential of the studied grasslands. Results indicated that SOC storage increased with fluctuations in the study area, and the annual changes varied among different sub-regions. The SOC storage of grasslands in 2012 increased by 0.51×1012 kg C compared to that in 2000. The average carbon sequestration rate was 0.04×1012 kg C/a. The slope of the values of SOC storage showed that SOC storage exhibited an overall increase since 2000, particularly for the grasslands of Hulun Buir city and Xilin Gol League, where the typical grassland type was mainly distributed. Taking the SOC storage under the best grassland quality between 2000 and 2012 as a reference, this study predicted that the SOC potential of grasslands in central and eastern Inner Mongolia in 2012 is 1.38×1012 kg C. This study will contribute to researches on related methods and fundamental database, as well as provide a reference for the protection of grassland ecosystems and the formulation of local policies on sustainable grassland development.

Monitoring Soil Salt Content Using HJ-1A Hyperspectral Data: A Case Study of Coastal Areas in Rudong County, Eastern China

Hyperspectral data are an important source for monitoring soil salt content on a large scale. However, in previous studies, barriers such as interference due to the presence of vegetation restricted the precision of mapping soil salt content. This study tested a new method for predicting soil salt content with improved precision by using Chinese hyperspectral data, Huan Jing-Hyper Spectral Imager(HJ-HSI), in the coastal area of Rudong County, Eastern China. The vegetation-covered area and coastal bare flat area were distinguished by using the normalized differential vegetation index at the band length of 705 nm(NDVI705). The soil salt content of each area was predicted by various algorithms. A Normal Soil Salt Content Response Index(NSSRI) was constructed from continuum-removed reflectance(CR-reflectance) at wavelengths of 908.95 nm and 687.41 nm to predict the soil salt content in the coastal bare flat area(NDVI705 < 0.2). The soil adjusted salinity index(SAVI) was applied to predict the soil salt content in the vegetation-covered area(NDVI705 ≥ 0.2). The results demonstrate that 1) the new method significantly improves the accuracy of soil salt content mapping(R2 = 0.6396, RMSE = 0.3591), and 2) HJ-HSI data can be used to map soil salt content precisely and are suitable for monitoring soil salt content on a large scale.

Mercury Pollution of Soil-Crop System in Acid Precip-itation Area

In acid precipitation area of Chongqing suburb the average of Hg in soil rose from 0.158 mg/kg in 1984to 0.20 mg/kg in 1989, and Hg content of crops grown on these soils increased too. Both soil and vegetableHg came mainly from power plant emission, which caused Hg and acid precipitation pollution in environmentand the Hg pollution of water, crops and milk in the area.

Ammonia volatilization from a Chinese cabbage field under different nitrogen treatments in the Taihu Lake Basin, China

Ammonia（NH3） volatilization is a major pathway of nitrogen（N） loss from soil-crop systems.As vegetable cultivation is one of the most important agricultural land uses worldwide,a deeper understanding of NH3 volatilization is necessary in vegetable production systems.We therefore conducted a 3-year（2010-2012） field experiment to characterize NH3 volatilization and evaluate the effect of different N fertilizer treatments on this process during the growth period of Chinese cabbage.Ammonia volatilization rate,rainfall,soil water content,p H,and soil NH4~＋were measured during the growth period.The results showed that NH3 volatilization was significantly and positively correlated to topsoil p H and NH4＋concentration.Climate factors and fertilization method also significantly affected NH3 volatilization.Specifically,organic fertilizer（OF） increased NH3 volatilization by 11.77%-18.46%,compared to conventional fertilizer（CF,urea）,while organic-inorganic compound fertilizer（OIF） reduced NH3 volatilization by 8.82%-12.67% compared to CF.Furthermore,slow-release fertilizers had significantly positive effects on controlling NH3 volatilization,with a 60.73%-68.80% reduction for sulfur-coated urea（SCU）,a 71.85%-78.97% reduction for biological Carbon Power~？ urea（BCU）,and a 77.66%-83.12% reduction for bulk-blend controlled-release fertilizer（BBCRF）relative to CF.This study provides much needed baseline information,which will help in fertilizer choice and management practices to reduce NH3 volatilization and encourage the development of new strategies for vegetable planting.

On the separate retrieval of soil and vegetation temperatures from ATSR data

The Along-Track Scanning Radiometer (ATSR) onboard the European Remote Sensing satellite (ERS) is presently the only one available to provide quasi-simultaneous thermal infrared measurements at two view angles. Such data represent an opportunity to explore the potential information on the directional observations in the thermal infrared region, in view of the preparation of a new generation of multi-angle satellite sensors. Based on the analysis of one ATSR image, the results of this work indicate that the magnitude of the directional effect on the brightness temperature (ground anisotropic radiance), although quite sensitive to errors in atmospheric conditions, may still be retrieved with acceptable uncertainty. In order to retrieve both vegetation and soil temperatures from directional brightness temperatures, it is shown that an appropriate description of the nature and content of the pixel is needed, otherwise this retrieval will be quite uncertain.

Response of runoff and soil loss to reforestation and rainfall type in red soil region of southern China

To evaluate the long-term effects of reforestation types on soil erosion on degraded land, vegetation and soil properties under conventional sloping farmland （CSF） and three different reforestation types including a Pinus massoniana secondary forest （PSF）, an Eucommia ulmoides artificial economic forest （EEF） and a natural succession type forest （NST）, were investigated at runoff plot scale over a six-year period in a red soil region of southern China. One hundred and thirty erosive rainfall events generating runoff in plots were grouped into four rainfall types by means of K-mean clustering method. Erosive rainfall type I is the dominant rainfall type. The amount of runoff and the soil loss under erosive rainfall type III were the most, followed by rain-fall type II, IV and I. Compared with CSF treatment, reforestation treatments decreased the average annual runoff depth and the soil loss by 25.5%–61.8% and 93.9%– 96.2% during the study period respectively. Meanwhile, runoff depth at PSF and EEF treatments was significantly lower than that in NST treatment, but no significant difference existed in soil erosion modulus among the three reforestation treatments. This is mainly due to the improved vegetation properties （i.e., vegetation coverage, biomass of above- and below-ground and litter-fall mass） and soil properties （i.e., bulk density, total porosity, infiltration rate and organic carbon content） in the three reforestation treatments compared to CSF treatment. The PSF and EEF are recommended as the preferred reforestation types to control runoff and soil erosion in the red soil region of southern China, with the NST potentially being used as an important supplement.

Effect of liming on sulfate transformation and sulfur gas emissions in degraded vegetable soil treated by reductive soil disinfestation

Reductive soil disinfestation（RSD）, namely amending organic materials and mulching or flooding to create strong reductive status, has been widely applied to improve degraded soils.However, there is little information available about sulfate（SO4^2-） transformation and sulfur（S）gas emissions during RSD treatment to degraded vegetable soils, in which S is generally accumulated. To investigate the effects of liming on SO4^2-transformation and S gas emissions,two SO4^2--accumulated vegetable soils（denoted as S1 and S2） were treated by RSD, and RSD plus lime, denoted as RSD0 and RSD1, respectively. The results showed that RSD0 treatment reduced soil SO4^2-by 51% and 61% in S1 and S2, respectively. The disappeared SO4^2-was mainly transformed into the undissolved form. During RSD treatment, hydrogen sulfide（H2S）,carbonyl sulfide（COS）, and dimethyl sulfide（DMS） were detected, but the total S gas emission accounted for 〈 0.006% of total S in both soils. Compared to RSD0, lime addition stimulated the conversion of SO42-into undissolved form, reduced soil SO4^2-by 81% in S1 and 84% in S2 and reduced total S gas emissions by 32% in S1 and 57% in S2, respectively. In addition to H2S, COS and DMS, the emissions of carbon disulfide, methyl mercaptan, and dimethyl disulfide were also detected in RSD1 treatment. The results indicated that RSD was an effective method to remove SO4^2-, liming stimulates the conversion of dissolved SO4^2-into undissolved form,probably due to the precipitation with calcium.

Mapping fractional landscape soils and vegetation components from Hyperion satellite imagery using an unsupervised machinelearning workflow

An unsupervised machine-learning workflow is proposed for estimating fractional landscape soils and vegetation components from remotely sensed hyperspectral imagery.The workflow is applied to EO-1 Hyperion satellite imagery collected near Ibirací,Minas Gerais,Brazil.The proposed workflow includes subset feature selection,learning,and estimation algorithms.Network training with landscape feature class realizations provide a hypersurface from which to estimate mixtures of soil(e.g.0.5 exceedance for pixels:75%clay-rich Nitisols,15%iron-rich Latosols,and 1%quartz-rich Arenosols)and vegetation(e.g.0.5 exceedance for pixels:4%Aspen-like trees,7%Blackberry-like trees,0%live grass,and 2%dead grass).The process correctly maps forests and iron-rich Latosols as being coincident with existing drainages,and correctly classifies the clay-rich Nitisols and grasses on the intervening hills.These classifications are independently corroborated visually(Google Earth)and quantitatively(random soil samples and crossplots of field spectra).Some mapping challenges are the underestimation of forest fractions and overestimation of soil fractions where steep valley shadows exist,and the under representation of classified grass in some dry areas of the Hyperion image.These preliminary results provide impetus for future hyperspectral studies involving airborne and satellite sensors with higher signal-to-noise and smaller footprints.