Made available in DSpace on 2017-07-10T19:24:43Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Diego dos Santos.pdf: 2913932 bytes, checksum: d8e9895a3e1da5977f9c57f222aa7ece (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-02-12 / The benefits of a no-tillage system and crop rotation in order to mitigate soil compaction problems show that the use of cover crops is an interesting management to improve soil quality and therefore crop yield. However, there is a spatial dependence for soil properties, thus it is an important geostatistic analysis to detect the structure of dependence in the studied area. This study aimed at evaluating the cover crops performance in winter management and the spatial variability of porosity, bulk density, water content of soil and soybean yield. The experiment was carried out in a randomized block design with three blocks, five treatments and two replications per treatment. Each plot was averagely 5.1 m wide and 133 m of length. There were five winter managements as treatments: black oat; Consortium 1 (consortium of forage turnip and black oats); Consortium 2 (forage turnip, black oat and common vetch), wheat, and control (remained fallow during the winter). Data were collected in a two hectare area, in two periods: before each sowing and after management of winter treatments to evaluate macro and microporosity, total porosity, bulk/ soil density and water content of soil from 0 - 0.1 m depth. The cover crops management was carried out with a roller-knife and wheat was cropped by a harvester machine. Soybean was sown in the whole area during summertime and determined its yield for each treatment. After exploratory and geostatistic analyses, the theoretical models were set to semivariograms for each attribute by cross-validation. For each map drawing, the sampling points were considered for each winter treatment. Then an interpolation of values for the whole area was done, as if the respective treatment were used in it. For the comparison of maps made for different treatments, it was used the relative deviation coefficient (RDC) by taking the control as standard. Pearson's correlation and Spearman non-parametric correlation coefficients were used to evaluate the correlation degree among variables. In the first soil analysis, all variables showed spatial dependence. This fact, however, was not observed in the second soil analysis, where, except for soybean yield, all variables showed a nugget effect in someone treatment (except for Consortium 2). It was concluded that the reduction of porosity raised high values for the soil density, which, in its turn, decreased soil ability to retain water. The studied cover crops improved macroporosity and total porosity in some regions of this area. Besides, the use of black oats as cover crop was more efficient and kept higher soil water content, so it can be suggested in rotation with soybeans to decrease bulk density. / A associação dos benefícios do sistema plantio direto e da rotação de culturas com a necessidade de amenizar problemas oriundos da compactação do solo mostra que o uso de plantas de cobertura aparece como um manejo interessante na melhoria da qualidade do solo e consequentemente, da produtividade de culturas comerciais. Entretanto, os atributos do solo apresentam dependência espacial, portanto, necessitam de análise geoestatística para detectar a estrutura de dependência dentro da área em estudo. Assim, o objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o desempenho de plantas de cobertura em manejo de inverno e a variabilidade espacial de porosidade, densidade e teor de água do solo e produtividade da soja. O experimento foi implantado sob delineamento experimental de blocos ao acaso, com três blocos, cinco tratamentos e duas repetições por tratamento. Cada parcela foi uma faixa de 5,1 m de largura e 133 m de comprimento. Os tratamentos foram os cinco manejos de inverno: aveia preta; consórcio 1 (consórcio de nabo forrageiro e aveia preta); consórcio 2 (consórcio entre nabo forrageiro, aveia preta e ervilhaca comum); trigo; e testemunha (permaneceu em pousio durante o inverno). Os dados foram coletados em uma área de 2ha, em duas épocas: antes de cada semeadura e após o manejo dos tratamentos de inverno em que se avaliaram macroporosidade, microporosidade, porosidade total, densidade e teor de água do solo, na profundidade de 0 - 0,1 m. O manejo das plantas de cobertura foi realizado com rolo-faca e o trigo colhido com colhedora. A soja foi semeada em toda área no verão e determinada sua produtividade para cada tratamento. Após as análises exploratória e geoestatística, ajustaram-se os modelos teóricos aos semivariogramas para cada atributo por meio da validação cruzada. Para elaboração de cada mapa, consideraram-se os pontos amostrais relativos a cada tratamento de inverno. Então, realizou-se a interpolação dos valores para toda a área, como se em toda área tivesse sido usado o respectivo tratamento. Para comparação dos mapas elaborados para os diferentes tratamentos, utilizou-se o coeficiente de desvio relativo (CDR) sendo a testemunha a referência. Para a avaliação do grau de correlação entre as variáveis, foram utilizados o coeficiente de correlação linear de Pearson e o coeficiente de correlação não-paramétrica de Spearman. Na primeira análise do solo, todas as variáveis apresentaram dependência espacial. Tal fato, entretanto, não foi verificado na segunda análise do solo, na qual, com exceção da produtividade da soja, todas as variáveis apresentaram efeito pepita puro em algum tratamento (exceto para o Consórcio 2). A redução da macroporosidade promoveu os altos valores para a densidade do solo que, por sua vez, diminuíram a capacidade do solo em reter água. As plantas de cobertura utilizadas melhoraram a macroporosidade e porosidade total em algumas regiões dentro da área em estudo. O uso da aveia preta como planta de cobertura foi mais eficiente em manter mais elevado o teor de água do solo e pode ser recomendado em rotação com a soja pelo potencial para diminuição da densidade do solo.

Made available in DSpace on 2017-05-12T14:47:25Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 tese__fabiana.pdf: 3413093 bytes, checksum: 69eef866f8ca47e7714ae83768804879 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-02-02 / Understanding the spatial distribution knowledge regarding georeferenced data has been essencial to various areas including agriculture. Thus, several trials have been carried out. However, most of these studies assume that the underlying stochastic process is Gaussian. When the data associated with this process do not present normality, data transformations are applied. And though the use of these transformations has presented satisfactory results, it is important to consider models which take into account the characteristics of such phenomenon. It may be more appropriate than using a normal model. So, this trial aimed at proposing a spatial model based on the Birnbaum-Saunders distribution (BS). This distribution has been shown effective to model data that take positive values and whose behavior presents positive asymmetry and unimodality. Thefore, this trial has proposed a methodology that includes the formulation of the spatial Birnbaum-Saunders model , estimation of its parameters using maximum likelihood (ML), and application of diagnostic techniques which can detect the sensitivity of the model to atypical data and evaluate the proposed model through a simulation study and studies using real data sets of agricultural engineering. These data were obtadined in a 167.35-ha commercial area for grain production, in Cascavel city, to validate the studied model. In the study with simulated data and large samples, estimation parameters and diagnostic analysis showed a good performance. According to the study with real data, calculations of AIC (Akaike s information criterion) and BIC (Bayesian information criterion) indexes, Bayes factor as well as Q-Q plots constrution have shown that the proposed model is appropriate to fit the obtained data. Influential cases were detected, and their removal from data set caused a considerable change in contour maps. It is therefore concluided that Birnbaum-Saunders spatial model is adequate to carry out studies with spatially correlated data. Is is also an alternative model to the normal model when the data set present positive asymmetrical distribution / O conhecimento da distribuição espacial de dados georrefenciados é de interesse de diversas áreas do conhecimento, incluindo a área agrícola. Neste sentido, diversos trabalhos já foram realizados; no entanto, a maioria destes trabalhos assumem que o processo estocástico subjacente é gaussiano. Quando os dados associados com este processo não apresentam normalidade, transformações de dados são usadas. E ainda que o uso dessas transformações tenha apresentado resultados satisfatórios, considerar modelos que levem em conta as características do fenômeno pode ser mais adequado do que a utilização do modelo normal. O objetivo deste trabalho é propor um modelo espacial baseado na distribuição Birnbaum-Saunders (BS). Esta distribuição tem se mostrado eficiente para modelar conjuntos de dados formados por valores estritamente positivos e cujo comportamento apresenta assimetria positiva e unimodalidade. A metodologia proposta neste trabalho inclui a formulação do modelo espacial Birnbaum-Saunders, a estimação de seus parâmetros utilizando o método de máxima verossimilhança (ML), a aplicação de técnicas de diagnóstico que permitem detectar a sensibilidade do modelo a dados atípicos, a avaliação do modelo proposto por um estudo de simulação e aplicação da metodologia desenvolvida em análise de dados reais da área agrícola. Os dados utilizados para validação do modelo estudado foram obtidos em uma área comercial de produção de grãos de 167,35 ha de Cascavel. No estudo com dados simulados, para amostras grandes, a estimação dos parâmetros e a análise de diagnóstico apresentaram boa performance. No estudo com dados reais, os cálculos dos índices AIC, BIC e fator Bayes bem como a construção de Q-Q plots mostraram que o modelo proposto é adequado para ajustar os dados. Casos influentes foram detectados e suas retiradas do conjunto de dados causaram uma mudança considerável nos mapas de contorno. Conclui-se portanto, que o modelo espacial Birnbaum-Saunders é adequado para realização de estudos com dados espacialmente correlacionados, e é um modelo alternativo ao modelo normal quando o conjunto de dados apresenta distribuição assimétrica positiva

Made available in DSpace on 2017-05-12T14:48:06Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Diego dos Santos.pdf: 2913932 bytes, checksum: d8e9895a3e1da5977f9c57f222aa7ece (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-02-12 / The benefits of a no-tillage system and crop rotation in order to mitigate soil compaction problems show that the use of cover crops is an interesting management to improve soil quality and therefore crop yield. However, there is a spatial dependence for soil properties, thus it is an important geostatistic analysis to detect the structure of dependence in the studied area. This study aimed at evaluating the cover crops performance in winter management and the spatial variability of porosity, bulk density, water content of soil and soybean yield. The experiment was carried out in a randomized block design with three blocks, five treatments and two replications per treatment. Each plot was averagely 5.1 m wide and 133 m of length. There were five winter managements as treatments: black oat; Consortium 1 (consortium of forage turnip and black oats); Consortium 2 (forage turnip, black oat and common vetch), wheat, and control (remained fallow during the winter). Data were collected in a two hectare area, in two periods: before each sowing and after management of winter treatments to evaluate macro and microporosity, total porosity, bulk/ soil density and water content of soil from 0 - 0.1 m depth. The cover crops management was carried out with a roller-knife and wheat was cropped by a harvester machine. Soybean was sown in the whole area during summertime and determined its yield for each treatment. After exploratory and geostatistic analyses, the theoretical models were set to semivariograms for each attribute by cross-validation. For each map drawing, the sampling points were considered for each winter treatment. Then an interpolation of values for the whole area was done, as if the respective treatment were used in it. For the comparison of maps made for different treatments, it was used the relative deviation coefficient (RDC) by taking the control as standard. Pearson's correlation and Spearman non-parametric correlation coefficients were used to evaluate the correlation degree among variables. In the first soil analysis, all variables showed spatial dependence. This fact, however, was not observed in the second soil analysis, where, except for soybean yield, all variables showed a nugget effect in someone treatment (except for Consortium 2). It was concluded that the reduction of porosity raised high values for the soil density, which, in its turn, decreased soil ability to retain water. The studied cover crops improved macroporosity and total porosity in some regions of this area. Besides, the use of black oats as cover crop was more efficient and kept higher soil water content, so it can be suggested in rotation with soybeans to decrease bulk density. / A associação dos benefícios do sistema plantio direto e da rotação de culturas com a necessidade de amenizar problemas oriundos da compactação do solo mostra que o uso de plantas de cobertura aparece como um manejo interessante na melhoria da qualidade do solo e consequentemente, da produtividade de culturas comerciais. Entretanto, os atributos do solo apresentam dependência espacial, portanto, necessitam de análise geoestatística para detectar a estrutura de dependência dentro da área em estudo. Assim, o objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o desempenho de plantas de cobertura em manejo de inverno e a variabilidade espacial de porosidade, densidade e teor de água do solo e produtividade da soja. O experimento foi implantado sob delineamento experimental de blocos ao acaso, com três blocos, cinco tratamentos e duas repetições por tratamento. Cada parcela foi uma faixa de 5,1 m de largura e 133 m de comprimento. Os tratamentos foram os cinco manejos de inverno: aveia preta; consórcio 1 (consórcio de nabo forrageiro e aveia preta); consórcio 2 (consórcio entre nabo forrageiro, aveia preta e ervilhaca comum); trigo; e testemunha (permaneceu em pousio durante o inverno). Os dados foram coletados em uma área de 2ha, em duas épocas: antes de cada semeadura e após o manejo dos tratamentos de inverno em que se avaliaram macroporosidade, microporosidade, porosidade total, densidade e teor de água do solo, na profundidade de 0 - 0,1 m. O manejo das plantas de cobertura foi realizado com rolo-faca e o trigo colhido com colhedora. A soja foi semeada em toda área no verão e determinada sua produtividade para cada tratamento. Após as análises exploratória e geoestatística, ajustaram-se os modelos teóricos aos semivariogramas para cada atributo por meio da validação cruzada. Para elaboração de cada mapa, consideraram-se os pontos amostrais relativos a cada tratamento de inverno. Então, realizou-se a interpolação dos valores para toda a área, como se em toda área tivesse sido usado o respectivo tratamento. Para comparação dos mapas elaborados para os diferentes tratamentos, utilizou-se o coeficiente de desvio relativo (CDR) sendo a testemunha a referência. Para a avaliação do grau de correlação entre as variáveis, foram utilizados o coeficiente de correlação linear de Pearson e o coeficiente de correlação não-paramétrica de Spearman. Na primeira análise do solo, todas as variáveis apresentaram dependência espacial. Tal fato, entretanto, não foi verificado na segunda análise do solo, na qual, com exceção da produtividade da soja, todas as variáveis apresentaram efeito pepita puro em algum tratamento (exceto para o Consórcio 2). A redução da macroporosidade promoveu os altos valores para a densidade do solo que, por sua vez, diminuíram a capacidade do solo em reter água. As plantas de cobertura utilizadas melhoraram a macroporosidade e porosidade total em algumas regiões dentro da área em estudo. O uso da aveia preta como planta de cobertura foi mais eficiente em manter mais elevado o teor de água do solo e pode ser recomendado em rotação com a soja pelo potencial para diminuição da densidade do solo.

A presente pesquisa propôs-se a investigar problemas de ordem estatístico-experimental relacionados à aplicação do delineamento de blocos aumentados, em programas de melhoramento genético vegetal. Nesses desenhos experimentais há duas categorias de tratamentos: as testemunhas (repetidas) e os tratamentos adicionais ou novos (normalmente não repetidos). As primeiras usualmente são cultivares comerciais já recomendados, e os outros, os novos materiais genéticos sob avaliação. Sua relação com os delineamentos de blocos em geral, princípios para a sua aplicação e análise estatística, bem como informações correlatas de outros temas aqui investigados (modelos mistos, componentes de variância e análise espacial de experimentos) foram objetos de revisão no Capítulo 1. O material que fundamentou este trabalho foi um conjunto de 41 ensaios de competição de linhagens de soja (genótipos), em gerações de autofecundação nunca inferiores a F5. Os ensaios, assim delineados, fazem parte do Programa de Melhoramento da Soja desenvolvido pelo Setor de Genética Aplicada às Espécies Autógamas, do Departamento de Genética da ESALQ/USP. Foram escolhidos, preferencialmente, os ensaios que dispunham de mapa de campo completo, o que possibilita associar cada observação à sua posição espacial na área do experimento. Entre os diversos caracteres avaliados, apenas os dados de produtividade de grãos (kg/ha) foram aqui considerados. Sabe-se que esses ensaios são conduzidos em etapas preliminares, quando as linhagens podem ser estatisticamente assumidas como de efeitos aleatórios, ou em fases intermediárias e finais, quando são preferencialmente tidas como de efeitos fixos. Logo, uma curiosidade inicial foi investigar, nos delineamentos em blocos, a influência destas suposições sobre as estimativas das médias genotípicas, bem como sobre o seu ordenamento para fins de seleção (Capítulo 2). O fato também abre a possibilidade de diferentes modelagens para a análise estatística dos dados desses experimentos, incluindo-se o modelo fixo e modelos mistos (análise intrablocos, análise com recuperação de informação interblocos e análises recuperando informação intergenotípica). A apresentação destas alternativas e suas implicações na seleção de genótipos constitui o objetivo principal do Capítulo 3. Acrescenta-se que, na abordagem de modelos mistos, uma etapa fundamental é a de estimação dos componentes de variância. Isto é passível de realização por meio de vários métodos estatísticos, cujos resultados, todavia, podem ser bastante conflitantes; sobretudo em caso de desbalanceamento. Dada a escassez de informações específicas e o fato de esses delineamentos serem naturalmente desbalanceados, avaliaram-se através de simulação em computador as propriedades dos principais estimadores disponíveis: ANOVA, MIVQUE(0), ML e REML (Capítulo 4). Outra característica marcante desses ensaios, particularmente nas etapas iniciais, é a adoção de parcelas de pequeno tamanho, haja vista a pouca disponibilidade de material de propagação. Isto, associado à costumeira alocação sistemática de testemunhas e/ou grupos de linhagens aparentadas, suscitou a avaliação de um procedimento de análise estatística que não ficasse sujeito à clássica suposição de independência espacial entre observações (Capítulo 5). Entre os resultados e conclusões obtidas pode-se destacar: i) a análise intrablocos (modelo fixo) pode fornecer ordenamentos inadequados das médias dos genótipos se estes forem de efeitos aleatórios e, sobretudo, se estiverem relacionados a diferentes populações de referência (Capítulo 2); ii) a classificação das novas linhagens em relação aos cultivares testemunhas pode mudar sensivelmente de um modelo de análise para outro, principalmente quando se passa da análise intrablocos para uma análise que recupera informação interlinhagens (Capítulo 3); iii) o método MIVQUE(0) comparativamente fornece estimativas de melhor qualidade para os componentes de variância, em particular se os genótipos vierem de população(ões) com baixa(s) variância(s) genotípica(s) e os experimentos forem relativamente pequenos (Capítulo 4); e, iv) em experimentos com observações correlacionadas espacialmente, a discriminação genotípica e o ordenamento dos genótipos para fins de seleção podem ser melhorados consideravelmente através da análise estatística espacial (Capítulo 5). / This research investigates experimental and statistical problems related with the use of the augmented block design in plant breeding programs. A characteristic of these designs is that treatments are of two categories, namely: common checks (generally commercial varieties replicated over blocks) and the additional or new treatments (usually not replicated), the latter being the ones under evaluating for selection purposes. The relation of this design with block designs in general and fundaments required for its applications and analysis, as well as information about other topics (mixed models, components of variance and spatial analysis) were reviewed in the Chapter 1. For analysis and discussion a group of 41 trials, set up at the Department of Genetics (ESALQ, USP) for evaluating soybean inbred lines, was used. Only trials having a complete layout of the spatial position of plots in the field were taken. Analyses and discussions given here refer only to grain yield (kg/ha). It is known that these trials are usually conducted at preliminary stages, when genotypes can be statistically assumed as having random effects, or at intermediate and final stages when they are preferentially considered with fixed effects. The first interesting point here investigated was the influence of these assumptions on the estimates of genotypic means, as well as on the ranking of lines for selection purposes (Chapter 2). The assumptions open the possibility of considering either fixed or mixed models for analysis (intrablock analysis, or others with recovering of interblock or intergenotypic information). Chapter 3 shows the corresponding analytical procedures and their consequences on the ranking and selection of genotypes. Under mixed models a fundamental step is the estimation of variance components, for which several procedures are available. It is known that these procedures may lead to different estimates of the same parameter, specially when experiments are unbalanced. Due to the lack of specific information about its point, and since these designs are naturally unbalanced, computer simulations were made here for evaluating the properties of the different available estimators, specifically: ANOVA, MIVQUE(0), ML and REML (Chapter 4). An additional characteristic of these design, at initial stages of breeding programs, is the use of small-sized plots, necessary to accommodate the lack of seeds. This fact in addition to the common practice of systematic arrangement of check plots in the field and/or the arrangement of genetically related treatments in sets, motivated the application of spatial statistics procedures (Chapter 5). The following main results and conclusions can be pointed out: i) the intrablock analysis (fixed model) can provide inadequate ranking of the genotypic means if genotypes have random effects and, specially if they are stem from different populations (Chapter 2); ii) the classification of the new genetic treatments in relation to check varieties may change considerably, depending on the model adopted, specially when the intrablock and the analyses with recovery of intergenotypic information are compared (Chapter 3); iii) the MIVQUE(0) method, in general, furnished more efficient estimates of variance components, particularly if genotypes are derived from population(s) with low genotypic variance(s) and experiments are of small size (Chapter 4); and, iv) if the experimental observations are spatially correlated the discrimination among genotypes and the ranking of genetic treatments can be substantially improved through spatial statistical analysis (Chapter 5).

L'hétérogénéité spatiale est aujourd'hui reconnue comme un facteur primordial pour la diversité et le fonctionnement des écosystèmes prairiaux, mais reste souvent négligée dans l'analyse de l'impact de différents modes d'utilisation pastorale. Les communautés prairiales subalpines sont des milieux hautement diversifiés, au cœur d'enjeux écologiques, socio-économiques et culturels. Depuis plusieurs décennies, des changements d'usage, notamment l'extensification conduisant parfois à l'abandon du pâturage, affectent ces prairies dans de vastes régions des Alpes. Connaitre la réponse spatiale de ces communautés à ces changements d'usage peut constituer un enjeu important pour mieux prédire les conséquences en termes de valeurs écologiques et agronomiques. L'objectif général de ce travail est d'identifier l'organisation spatiale de composantes spécifiques et fonctionnelles de communautés prairiales subalpines dans des situations contrastées d'usage : pâturage traditionnel et abandon sur le moyen terme (~20 ans), de comprendre les mécanismes liés au pâturage influençant cette organisation spatiale et d'explorer les conséquences potentielles de l'organisation spatiale des composantes spécifiques et fonctionnelles sur les valeurs d'usage de ces milieux. Ce travail révèle que l'arrêt du pâturage conduit à des modifications importantes de l'organisation spatiale à la fois des espèces et de traits fonctionnels aériens. La variabilité spatiale de ces composantes est systématiquement augmentée à différentes échelles spatiales en situation d'abandon révélant un grain plus grossier d'hétérogénéité spatiale, lié à une plus faible coexistence locale des espèces et des traits et à une convergence fonctionnelle plus forte que sous l'effet diversificateur à échelle fine du pâturage traditionnel. D'autres part, même si une réponse en termes de patrons spatiaux est également observée, celle-ci n'est pas systématique, indiquant l'absence d'une action structurante forte du pâturage qui agit donc surtout sur la variabilité. Une expérimentation in situ montre en effet que la formation de patrons spatiaux marqués en réponse à une action de défoliation sélective semble limitée dans ces prairies relativement peu productives. De plus, une faible structuration spatiale du couvert en termes de valeurs d'usage fourragère a été observée, pilotée dès des échelles très fines par la variabilité spatiale à un grain fin des assemblages d'espèces et de traits dans les zones pâturées. Ces résultats suggèrent ainsi l'expression d'un pâturage peu sélectif exprimé par les troupeaux ovins dans ces milieux peu productifs, et la prépondérance du filtre abiotique dans la détermination des assemblages spatiaux des espèces et des traits. La formation de patchs très contrastés et très structurés spatialement en réponse au pâturage est plus probable dans des milieux très productifs où la compétition est plus intense et la repousse de la végétation favorisée. La prise en compte de la variabilité autour de la réponse moyenne des communautés se révèle donc un élément essentiel pour analyser l'évolution des prairies subalpines en réponse au changement d'usages pastoraux. Une des perspectives fortes suite à ce travail est l'analyse de la synergie entre la réponse de l'hétérogénéité spatiale du couvert et celle du compartiment souterrain (traits racinaires, mycorhization, diversité microbienne…). / Spatial heterogeneity is now widely recognized as a key component for diversity and functioning of grazed plant communities but is still often neglected for the analysis of the impact of different pastoral uses. Subalpine grassland communities are species-rich habitats of high conservative, economic and cultural values. In large regions of the Alps, these grasslands have experienced a decrease in pastoral use and even abandonment, in the last decades. The investigation of the spatial response of these communities to these changes in pastoral use can be a key issue to better predict ecological and agronomical consequences of such changes. The main objective of this study is to identify the spatial organization of species and traits of subalpine grassland communities in contrasted situations of pastoral use: traditional grazing and abandonment (~20 years), to understand grazing-induced mechanisms influencing this spatial organisation and to explore the potential consequences of the spatial organization of species and traits on the pastoral value of these grasslands. This work reveals that grazing cessation leads to strong modifications of the spatial organization of both species and aerial functional traits. The spatial variability of these components are systematically increased at different spatial scales following grazing abandonment which revealed a coarser grain of spatial heterogeneity in relation to a lower species and trait local coexistence and to a stronger functional convergence than under the fine-scale diversifying action of traditional grazing. Besides, despite we also observed a response in terms of spatial patterns, this one is not systematic which indicates the absence of strongly structuring action of grazing that especially acts on variability. An in situ experiment indeed showed that spatial pattern creation in response to selective defoliation is limited in these relatively low productive grassland communities. In addition, we also evidenced that pastoral values (forage quality) exhibited poor spatial heterogeneity in these grasslands in relation to the fine grained spatial variability of species and plant traits in grazed areas. These results suggest the expression of a low selective grazing promoted by sheep herds grazing and low productivity of subalpine communities and the predominance of the abiotic filter in the determination of spatial assemblages of species and traits. Pronounced spatial patterns in response to grazing may be expected in more productive environments where competitive interactions between species are more intense and species regrowth promoted. Therefore, the consideration of the spatial variability in addition to the mean response of community components appeared to be essential in the analysis of subalpine grassland community dynamics in response to land use changes. One of the strong perspective following this work is to analyse the association between spatial responses of vegetation components and those of belowground components (root traits, microbial diversity…).

It is well known that methane (CH4) is emitted from soil, water and wetlands under anaerobic conditions through methanogenesis. CH4 is the final product of the anaerobic respiration of the microorganism methanogen. More recently, it has been shown that CH4 is also emitted by trees and if only the emissions from soil and water are measured the fluxes of CH4 in the ecosystem will be underestimated. Considering the emission from trees, the Amazon region greatly contributes to global emissions. To investigate if there is need for method development for measuring CH4 fluxes, the aim in this study was to statistically test the spatial and the short temporal variability of CH4 emissions from trees. This was done within and between two different seasons in three different plots in the Amazon basin during the year 2017. Samples of CH4 were collected using semi rigid chambers placed on tree stems. The samples were later analyzed in a laboratory environment using the Los Gatos Ultraportable Greenhouse Gas Analyzer (UGGA). For the statistical analysis non-parametric test were used, due to the non-parametric data. In this study, the result shows that the short temporal variability is not statistically significant in any of the three plots, but the short temporal variability is statistically significant between the two seasons. This tells us that it is of importance to collect samples during different seasons of the year when measuring CH4 emissions from trees. The spatial variability is statistically significant on all the three plots in both seasons. This tell us that it is important to collect samples from different heights of the tree stems when collecting CH4 samples regardless of the season. / The Global Methane Budget

Dans le cadre d’un projet d’aménagement, la reconnaissance du sous-sol est une étape prépondérante pour la construction d’un bâtiment. Le géotechnicien se doit de définir le comportement mécanique des sols à partir d’un nombre limité de sondages. La problématique soulevée par les prospections géotechniques est qu’il est difficile d’une part d’étendre une information ponctuelle dans l’environnement proche des sondages, et d’autre part d’estimer la variabilité latérale des matériaux. Dans cette optique, cette thèse développe une approche novatrice de combinaison de méthodes géophysiques aidant à la quantification de la variabilité spatiale des structures géoélectriques du sous-sol. Dans un second temps, au regard des limites rencontrées dans la modélisation 3D des structures géoélectriques du sous-sol, nous avons mis au point un processus innovant de modélisation 3D des propriétés physiques du sous-sol par combinaison de méthodes géophysiques. Les travaux menés ont permis de caractériser les paramètres régissant le positionnement et la quantité de données sources nécessaires.Enfin, un dispositif innovant de mesure de Tomographie de Résistivité Electrique en Cinématique (TREC) a été développé. La validation du dispositif sur trois sites différents a permis de mettre en évidence sa capacité à détecter les structures géoélectriques des sols sur un linéaire de plusieurs centaines de mètres. Ce dispositif constitue un outil précieux pour l’étude des structures géoélectriques du sous-sol dans le cadre de prospections géophysiques à grand rendement. / The geotechnical study of a building project is a decisive step for the construction of it. The geotechnical engineer must define the mechanical behavior of soils from a limited number of drills. The problem of the geotechnical surveys is, on the one hand that difficult to extend a punctual data in the near space to the drills,and on the other hand to estimate the lateral variability of materials. In this context, this thesis develops an innovative approach by combination of geophysical methods to quantify the spatial variability of geoelectrical structures. In asecond time, against the known limits of the 3D modeling of soil geoelectrical structures, we have developed an innovative process of 3D modeling of the physical properties of soil by geophysical methods combination. These works allow characterizing the parameters who governing the positioning and the number of necessary primary data.Finally, an innovative measuring device of Kinematic Electrical Resistivity Tomography (KERT) has been developed. The validation of the device on three different site has allowed to highlight its ability to detect the soil geoelectrical structures within a linear of hundreds meters. This device is a valuable tool for studying soil geoelectrical structures in the context of high yield geophysical prospection.

<p>The transport of elements by streams from headwater regions to the sea is influenced by landscape characteristics. This thesis focuses on the influence of landscape characteristics (e.g. proportion of wetland/forest coverage) on temporal and spatial variations of Fe, Mn, S and trace elements (As, Co, Pb) in streams located in northern Sweden, a boreal region characterized by coniferous forests and peat wetlands.</p><p>Water samples from a network of 15 streams revealed a different hydrogeochemistry in forested catchments compared to wetland catchments. The temporal variation was dominated by spring flood, when concentrations of Fe, Mn and trace elements increased in forested headwaters. However, in streams of wetland catchments concentrations decreased, but Pb concentrations were higher in comparison to other streams. Both Fe and Pb showed positive correlations with wetland area, while Co correlated with forest coverage. The anthropogenic contribution of As and Pb appear to be larger than the supply from natural sources.</p><p>During spring flood SO₄^2- decreased in most streams, although concentrations increased in streams of wetland catchments. Concentrations of SO₄^2-were higher in streams of forested catchments than in wetland dominated streams, the former being net exporters of S and the latter net accumulators. Isotope values of stream water SO₄^2- (δ³⁴S_SO4) were close to that of precipitation during spring flood, indicating that the major source of S is from deposition. The results show that, although emissions of anthropogenic S have been reduced, there is still a strong influence of past and current S deposition on runoff in this region.</p><p>In conclusion, wetlands are key areas for the hydrogeochemistry in this boreal landscape. The findings emphasize the importance of understanding stream water chemistry and element cycling from a landscape perspective. This may be important for predicting how boreal regions respond to environmental disturbances such as climate change.</p>

The focus of this study is on potential damages to buildings resulting from expansive soils in Tanzania, particularly clay soils in Kibaha. For the fact that most of the affected structures are founded on expansive soils, a clear understanding of the behaviour of soils and their interaction with structures has been of interest to the study in order to evaluate properly the source of the problem.The geotechnical behaviour of expansive clay soils is investigated by looking into the geomorphologic, geological and climatic conditions and mineralogical composition of the soils in the study area.Two sites, representative of known problem-areas in Kibaha were selected for geotechnical tests. Geotechnical site investigation consisted of open trial pits, profile description and the collection of both disturbed and undisturbed samples. To extend and amplify the findings, supplementary samples were collected from the environs of the two sites.The collected samples were submitted to soil laboratories at KTH, ARU, SEAMIC and DIT for mineralogical composition tests, natural water content, density, Atterberg limits and swell tests. The results of this investigation indicate that soils in Kibaha contains clay (31%), have high liquid limit (59%) and plastic limit (37%) which indicate high potential swell.Since swell pressure, free swell and swell percent are key properties of expansive soils, the swell properties were measured by free swell tests and one-dimensional oedometer swell tests. The free swell ranged from 100% to 150% and the swell pressure was in the region of 45 kPa. The coefficient of linear extensibility (COLE) was determined for characterizing expansive clays. For all tested samples, COLE ranged from 0.09 to 0.14 indicating that soils fall in the region of high to very high expansion potential rating. The properties of expansive soils were confirmed by the x-ray diffraction test which showed the presence of smectite in the soil. Furthermore, total suction measurement technique using filter paper method indicated that the soils have high suction values, signifying that they have a tendency to swell upon wetting depending on plasticity of particular soil.The depth of the active zone was measured as a function of moisture variations in the profiles during two extreme weather conditions. The active zone depth was found to be between 1.0 and 2.0 m deep. Procedures to assess models to predict swell in the case study were outlined together with their validity.Vertical and horizontal spatial variability in selected soil properties was defined using geostatistical techniques through the fitting of variogram. The indicator semivariograms of both clay contents and free swell gave a range of 20 m horizontally and 1.0 m vertically, with the horizontal variograms exhibiting greater ranges than the dipping variograms.Physical conditions of the surveyed properties in the area confirmed that building damages are associated with poor building materials triggered by expansive soils. In support of the obtained data, the actual behaviour of the foundations was supplemented with prototypes of strip foundations whose performances were monitored over a period of four months. Finally, suggested are the ways forward to solve the problem of foundation on expansive soil / QC 20100824

Die Berücksichtigung der flächenhaften bodenhydraulischen Variabilität gilt bei der Modellierung von Wasser- und Stofftransportprozessen als problematisch. Dies liegt vorrangig an ihrer Erfassung, die kosten- und zeitintensiv ist. Die vorliegende Arbeit untersucht verschiedene Messstrategien, die zur Abbildung der flächenhaften Bodenhydraulik mit wenigen, einfach zu bestimmenden und physikalisch begründeten Bodenparametern führen. Die Vorgehensweise erfolgt mit der Anwendung eines Ähnlichkeitskonzeptes, das die Böden in bodenhydraulisch ähnliche Klassen unterteilt. Innerhalb einer Klasse kann die Variabilität der Retentions- und hydraulischen Leitfähigkeitcharakteristik auf einen freien Parameter (Skalierungsparameter) reduziert werden. Die Analyse der Zusammenhänge zwischen Boden- und Skalierungsparametern führt letztendlich zu den geeigneten Parametern die eine flächenhafte Abbildung möglich machen. Diese Untersuchungen bilden die Grundlage für die weitere Entwicklung eines stochastischen Modellansatzes, der die Variabilität der Bodenhydraulik bei der Modellierung des Bodenwassertransportes im Feldmaßstab berücksichtigen kann. An Hand von drei Datensätzen unterschiedlicher Skalenausbreitung konnte dieses Konzept angewendet werden. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass die Beschreibung der hydraulischen Variabilität nur für die vertikale (Profil) nicht aber für die flächenhafte Ausbreitung mit einfachen Bodenparametern möglich ist. Mit einer ersten Modellanwendung konnte gezeigt werden, dass über die Variabilität der Bodenparameter Trockenrohdichte und Tongehalt auch die Variabilität der Bodenhydraulik und damit die Berechnung des Bodenfeuchteverlaufs am Standort darstellbar ist. / The consideration of the spatial variability of the unsaturated soil hydraulic characteristics still remains an unsolved problem in the modelling of the water and matter transport in the vadose zone. This can be mainly explained by the rather cumbersome measurement of this variability, which is both, time-consuming and cost-intensive. The presented thesis analyses various measurement strategies which aim at the description of the soil-hydraulic heterogeneity by a small number of proxy-parameters, which should be easily measurable and still have a soil-physical meaning. The developed approach uses a similarity concept, which groups soils into similar soil hydraulic classes. Within a class, the variability of the retention and hydraulic conductivity curves can be explained by a single parameter (scaling parameter). The analysis of the correlation between the soil parameters and the scaling parameters can eventually indicate which soil parameters can be used for describing the soil hydraulic variability in a given area. This investigation forms the basis for the further development of a stochastic model, which can integrate the soil-hydraulic variability in the modelling of the soil water transport. Three data sets, all covering different scales, were subsequently used in the application of the developed concept. The results show that depth development of the soil-hydraulic variability in a soil profile can be explained by a single soil parameter. Contrarily, the explanation of the horizontal variability of the soil-hydraulic properties was not possible with the given data sets. First model applications for a soil profile showed that including the variability of the soil parameters bulk density and clay fraction in the water transport simulations could describe the variability of the soil-hydraulic variability and thus, the dynamics of the soil water content at the investigated profile.