Following wildfires, plant materials are direct-seeded to limit erosion and annual weed invasion. Seedlings often fail to establish because selected plant materials are not always well adapted to local soil moisture and temperature conditions. In an effort to help improve plant materials selection and to evaluate sites potential revegetation, we have worked toward developing methodology to predict germination and root growth based on site specific soil moisture and temperature conditions. First, we characterized the seedbed environment of 24 sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) steppe sites throughout the Intermountain West to determine the wet-thermal time of five temperature ranges relevant to germination response and thermal-time model accuracy (Chapter 1). Second, we predicted potential germination for 31 plant materials at those same sites (Chapter 2). Third, in preparation to predict root growth at multiple sites, we characterized the drying patterns and the associated plant-available water for in the seedling root zone across nine woodland (Juniperus spp. and Piñus spp.) sites (Chapter 3). For all of these studies, we determined the effects of tree reduction and tree infilling phase at time of tree reduction. Our key findings are that seedbeds generally sum most wet-thermal time at temperature ranges where the germination rates fit thermal accumulation models quite well (R2 ≥ 0.7). The majority of plant materials summed enough wet-thermal time for a potential germination at most sites during the fall, early spring, and late spring. Soil drying primarily occurs from the soil surface downward. Drying rates and Plant available water associated with the first drying event increased with increasing soil depth. Root zone (1-30 cm) plant-available water increased before and decreased after the first spring drying event with increasing soil depth. Tree removal with increasing pretreatment tree infilling phase generally added progress toward germination, plant available water, and wet-thermal time in the seedbed and root zones of the sagebrush steppe in the Great Basin. Because soil moisture and temperature does not appear to be limiting for potential germination, combining germination and root growth models to create a more comprehensive model may allow for a more robust prediction for seedling survival. For either root growth or combined germination and root growth models, plant available water and wet-thermal time before the first spring drying period hold the most potential for successfully predicting seedling survival.

La respiration du sol (Rs) en milieu forestier est influencée par les conditions hydroclimatiques du sol ainsi que par la composition en espèces et la qualité de la litière. La hausse des températures et les changements dans les patrons de précipitation, attendus en contexte de changements climatiques, ont donc un fort potentiel de modifier Rs et ainsi, la concentration de CO2 atmosphérique. En ce sens, ce projet de recherche visait tout d’abord à étudier l’effet d’un réchauffement et d’un assèchement artificiels des sols sur Rs, puis à évaluer si la réponse des sols au chauffage allait varier selon le type de couvert forestier. Nous avons échantillonné le flux gazeux des sols sur deux ans dans trois peuplements d'une forêt tempérée décidue à sa limite nordique. Les résultats ont démontré une faible accentuation de Rs en réponse au chauffage, mais seulement jusqu’à un seuil de température du sol d’environ 15°C à partir duquel l’effet positif du chauffage s’estompe, voire s’inverse. Cependant, cette tendance n’était pas systématique puisque les trois peuplements ont démontré une sensibilité différente au chauffage, l’érablière à hêtre étant beaucoup plus sensible que la forêt mixte et l’érablière à bouleau. Ce qui était toutefois commun aux trois peuplements, c’est l’affaiblissement de l’influence de la température sur Rs passé le seuil de 15°C. Outre la température du sol, l’intégration d’autres variables, comme la teneur en eau, l’activité ionique en N, P et Ca de la solution de sol et la présence de conifères au modèle cherchant à expliquer la variabilité de Rs, n’a pas augmenté la puissance explicative du modèle, et ce pour aucun des traitements ou des peuplements. Les résultats de cette étude suggèrent néanmoins un élément intéressant, soit le plafonnement potentiel de Rs malgré la hausse des températures. Ceci apporte un questionnement quant à la magnitude de la rétroaction positive entre le cycle du carbone terrestre et le système climatique. / Forest soil respiration (Rs) is driven by soil hydroclimatic conditions as well as species composition and litter quality. Rising temperatures and changes in precipitation patterns, expected in the context of climate change, therefore have a strong potential to modify Rs and thus the concentration of atmospheric CO2. This research aimed to study the effect of artificial heating and drying of soils on Rs, and to assess whether the response of soils to heating would vary according to the type of forest cover. We sampled soil gas flux over two years in three stands of a temperate deciduous forest at its northern edge. The results demonstrated a weak accentuation of Rs in response to heating, but only up to a soil temperature threshold of about 15°C, where the positive heating effect decreases or is even reversed. However, this trend was not systematic since the three stands demonstrated a different sensitivity to heating, the maple-beech forest being much more sensitive than the mixed forest and the maple-birch forest. Yet, what was common to the three stands was the decrease of the influence of temperature on Rs above the threshold of 15°C. In addition to soil temperature, the integration of other variables, such as water content, ionic activity in N, P and Ca of the soil solution and the presence of conifers in the model seeking to explain the variability of Rs, did not increase the explanatory power of the model for any of the treatments or stands. The results of this study highlight a potential capping of Rs despite the increase in temperatures. They bring questions regarding the magnitude of the positive feedback between the terrestrial carbon cycle and the climate system.

<p>The energy exchange in the soil-snow-vegetation-atmospheresystem was studied to improve the quantitative knowledge of thegoverning processes. The lack of such knowledge contributes tothe uncertainty in the applicability of many existing modelsindependent of the temporal or spatial scale. The theoreticalbackground and available methods for measurements and numericalsimulations were reviewed. Numerical simulation models andavailable data sets representing open land and boreal forestwere evaluated in both diurnal and seasonal time-scales.Surface heat fluxes, snow depth, soil temperatures andmeteorological conditions were measured at an agriculturalfield in central Sweden over two winters, 1997-1999. Twoone-dimensional simulation models of different complexity wereused to simulate the heat and water transfer in thesoil-snow-atmosphere system and compared with the measurements.Comparison of simulated and observed heat fluxes showed thatparameter values governing the upper boundary condition weremore important than the formulation of the internal mass andheat balance of the snow cover. The models were useful toevaluate the lack of energy balance closure in the observedsurface heat fluxes, which underlined the importance ofimproved accuracy in eddy correlation measurements of latentflow during winter conditions.</p><p>The representation of boreal forest in the land surfacescheme used within a weather forecast model was tested with athree-year data set from the NOPEX forest site in centralSweden. The formulation with separate energy balances forvegetation and the soil/snow beneath tree cover improvedsimulation of the seasonal and diurnal variations of latent andsensible heat flux compared with an older model version.Further improvements of simulated surface heat fluxes could beexpected if the variation of vegetation properties within andbetween years and a new formulation of the boundary conditionsfor heat flux into the soil is included.</p><p><strong>Keywords</strong>: Surface energy balance, Snow, Boreal forest,SVAT models, Eddy-correlation Measurements, Latent heat flux,Sensible heat flux, Net radiation, Soil temperature,Aerodynamic roughness, Surface resistance</p> / QC 20100614

From the Proceedings of the 1971 Meetings of the Arizona Section - American Water Resources Assn. and the Hydrology Section - Arizona Academy of Science - April 22-23, 1971, Tempe, Arizona / Mulches have been used for evaporation suppression in facilitating vegetable production under arid lands conditions. A study was undertaken in order to evaluate the effectiveness of plastic aprons, supplied by the FAO, as compared to gravel mulches. The vinyl aprons were 6 mils thick and about 1 meter square. Squash plants (Cucurbita pepo) were planted with gravel or plastic aprons or in bare areas and under different watering schedules. The yields under plastic aprons were considerably greater than under gravel and required slightly less water. Bare soil yields lagged far behind. Soil temperatures under the plastic aprons were consistently higher over 24 hours than bare soil, which within limits, would facilitate faster crop growth. Additionally, the apron collects and diverts rainfall to the plant. The vinyl used lasts only 2 seasons, and gravel would probably be a more suitable mulch for developing countries where capital is scarce.

From the Proceedings of the 1971 Meetings of the Arizona Section - American Water Resources Assn. and the Hydrology Section - Arizona Academy of Science - April 22-23, 1971, Tempe, Arizona / Knowledge of the dynamic water content-pressure potential relationship within the soil profile is useful in determining the importance of hysteresis under natural conditions. Continuous monitoring of water content in the field is now possible using recently developed gamma-ray transmission equipment which allows water content measurements in 1 cm-thick soil layers with an error of 0.0009 gm/gm. The nuclear equipment and the tensiometer assembly for pressure measurements are described. Soil water content and pressure in the top 10 cm of a field soil profile were measured continuously for a 2-week period following an irrigation. The highest water content was measured each day just before sunrise. This declined rapidly from early morning to early afternoon, and was followed by a gain during the mid-afternoon and evening. The amplitude of this diurnal change diminished with time after irrigation. The pressure potential at a depth of 1.5 cm decreased most rapidly as the water content declined, but not exactly in phase. This may have been due to temperature effects on the pressure metering system. A moisture characteristic curve was constructed from the data.

From the Proceedings of the 1975 Meetings of the Arizona Section - American Water Resources Assn. and the Hydrology Section - Arizona Academy of Science - April 11-12, 1975, Tempe, Arizona / Space-age technology has produced tools which when turned to earthly pursuits can provide information on food and fiber production. Soil moisture has the potential for being remotely assessed, and three techniques for accomplishing this are under study. Two of the methods, reflectance and thermal, are sensitive to the conditions of the bare soil surface. The third technique, microwave emission, appears to have a good potential for assessing soil moisture with depth, because of its greater wavelength.

From the Proceedings of the 1975 Meetings of the Arizona Section - American Water Resources Assn. and the Hydrology Section - Arizona Academy of Science - April 11-12, 1975, Tempe, Arizona / Evaporation of water from bare soils is an important consideration in the scheduling of many farming operations in both irrigated and dryland agriculture. Accurate predictions of bare soil evaporation can serve as the basis for decisions to increase the acreage planted with a given crop. An alternative is presented to previous approaches to bare soil evaporation estimation by empirically correlating the ratio of daily totals of actual to potential evaporation and the amplitude of the diurnal surface soil temperature wave. Since evaporation is directly related to the surface soil water pressure, the soil thermal inertia technique might be capable of prescribing relative bare soil evaporation rates which, combined with potential evaporation calculations, could allow determination of actual evaporation rates over the entire range of soil drying.

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Soil management systems with minimum tillage and mulch are predominant in agriculture of Southern of Brazil. No-tillage for tobacco crop is not common and restricted to isolated places and only for some farmers that, through empiric tests and adaptation of equipments, search for soil preservation and increased yield. The objective of this work was study the main soil management systems for tobacco crop and possibilities of changing the traditional system of tobacco cropping, with emphasis on practices of soil management and conservation to maintain the levels of yield and decrease the environmental impacts. Six treatments, in a completely randomized blocks design with three replicates, were installed: PC conventional till; CMP - minimum tillage rest; CMA - minimum tillage oat; PDcC no-tillage with camalhão; PDcCC no-tillage with consolidated camalhão; PDsC no-tillage without camalhão. The experiment was installed in a watershed, located in Agudo-RS city, in the agricultural year of 2004, in a Leptosol. The maim physical parameters were soil moisture, measured with a time domain reflectometer (TDR), in the depths of 0-0,06, 0,06-0,12 and 0,12-0,18 m, and soil temperature in the depth of 0,05 m, measured with datalogger and termopars, both during 87 days in the growth cycle; total porosity, macroporosity, microporosity, bulk density and soil water retention curve (CRA), determined in the depths of 0-0,06, 0,06-0,12, 0,12-0,18 and 0,18-0,24 m, 30 days after transplantion (DAT) and on 135 DAT, except for CRA, in the depths of 0-0,06 and 0,06-0,12 m; water and soil loss by runoff, determined for eight rain events, in two blocks, with on area of 1.2 m2 of collection; potassium and phosphorus, soluble and total were determined for seven rain events; the root system, the distribution in the cultural profile, nutrients availability in the exploration area, dry mass for soil volume and maximum depth of roots were determined; mechanical resistance of soil was determined with a manual penetrometer to verify the depth of the root impediment; measures of the plants included the leaf area, determination of plant height, number of leaves and yield for hectare. The conservation managements reduced soil and water losses, providing smaller amplitude in the daily temperature variation, larges soil moisture, but the yield was smaller than PDsC. This result for the PDsC was directly influenced by the shallower roots depth, which was a consequence of several factors, such as: presence of impediment layer; absence of ridge; nutrients in the surface and favorable initial conditions of soil temperature and moisture. However, there was great interaction among factors, turning complex the explanation of the results obtained; therefore, factors such as nutrients in the surface favored the losses of P and K soluble, decreasing their availability to plants; the impediment layer reduced the volume of soil explored by the roots and the ability for water storage, whereas the management systems PDcCC and PDsC were outside the upper or lower limit of water availability, in the layer of 0 to 0,06 m, for about 15 days. / Sistemas de manejos do solo com o mínimo de revolvimento e com palha em superfície predominam na maioria dos cultivos agrícolas, no Sul do Brasil. A utilização do plantio direto na cultura do fumo está sendo iniciada, mas restrita a locais isolados e a alguns agricultores, que, via testes empíricos e adaptação de equipamentos, buscam preservar o solo e aumentar a produtividade. O objetivo deste trabalho foi estudar os principais sistemas de manejo do solo para a cultura do fumo e as possibilidades de mudança no sistema tradicional de cultivo de fumo, com ênfase às práticas de manejo e conservação do solo, mantendo os níveis de produtividade e diminuindo os impactos ambientais. O delineamento experimental foi blocos ao acaso com três repetições e seis tratamentos, sendo eles: PC - preparo convencional; CMP - cultivo mínimo pousio; CMA - cultivo mínimo aveia; PDcC - plantio direto com camalhão; PDcCC - plantio direto com camalhão consolidado; PDsC - plantio direto sem camalhão. O experimento foi implantado em uma microbacia hidrográfica, localizada no município de Agudo-RS, no ano agrícola de 2004, sobre em um Neossolo litólico eutrófico típico. Os principais avaliadores físicos foram umidade volumétrica do solo, medida com reflectômetro de domínio de tempo (TDR), nas profundidades de 0-0,06, 0,06-0,12 e 0,12-0,18 m, e temperatura do solo na profundidade de 0,05 m medida com datalogger e termopares, ambas durante 87 dias no período de crescimento; porosidade total, macroporosidade, microporosidade, densidade do solo e curva de retenção de água (CRA), realizadas nas profundidades de 0-0,06, 0,06-0,12, 0,12-0,18 e 0,18-0,24 m aos 30 dias após transplante (DAT) e aos 135 DAT, exceto CRA, nas profundidades de 0-0,06 e 0,06-0,12 m; perda de água e solo pelo escoamento superficial, determinados em oito chuvas, em dois blocos, com uma área de coleta de 1,2 m2; fósforo e potássio solúvel e total, em sete chuvas; no sistema radicular foram determinados a distribuição no perfil cultural, disponibilidade de nutrientes na região de exploração, massa seca por volume de solo e profundidade máxima das raízes; a resistência mecânica do solo determinada com um penetrômetro manual para diagnosticar a profundidade de impedimento radicular; medidas avaliadoras das plantas foram área foliar, comprimento de caule, número de folhas e produtividade por hectare. Os preparos conservacionistas reduziram as perdas de solo e água e proporcionaram uma menor amplitude na temperatura diária, maior umidade do solo, mas a produtividade no PDsC ficou aquém dos preparos convencionais. Esse resultado no PDsC foi diretamente influenciado pelo menor aprofundamento das raízes, sendo esse conseqüência de vários fatores como presença de camada de impedimento, não possuir camalhão, posicionamento mais superficial da adubação de base e condições iniciais favoráveis de temperatura e umidade do solo. Contudo, houve grande interação de fatores, tornando complexa a explicação do resultado obtido, pois fatores como a adubação superficial favoreceu as perdas de P e K solúvel, diminuindo a disponibilidade; a camada de impedimento diminuiu o volume de solo explorado pelas raízes e a capacidade de armazenamento de água, sendo que os manejos PDcCC e PDsC ficaram em torno de 15 dias fora da faixa de disponibilidade de água, na camada de 0 a 0,06 m.

Submitted by Biblioteca de Pós-Graduação em Geoquímica BGQ (bgq@ndc.uff.br) on 2017-03-13T17:47:58Z No. of bitstreams: 1 TESE MESTRADO ALINE MANSUR 2010.pdf: 1839199 bytes, checksum: f520bd5d9b9f9478a82cfdae75982512 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-03-13T17:47:59Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 TESE MESTRADO ALINE MANSUR 2010.pdf: 1839199 bytes, checksum: f520bd5d9b9f9478a82cfdae75982512 (MD5) / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / Comissão de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Fundação Carlos Chagas Filho de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro / Universidade Federal Fluminense. Instituto de Química. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Geociências- Geoquímica, Niterói, RJ / O solo, parte integral e estrutural do ecossistema terrestre, contém cerca de duas vezes mais carbono (C) que a atmosfera. Importante mediador do ciclo do C, o solo funciona como reservatório temporário de C e como fonte de dióxido de carbono (CO2) para a atmosfera. A dinâmica do C na interface solo-atmosfera relaciona o conteúdo de C no solo com o fluxo de CO2 da superfície do solo para a atmosfera (respiração do solo). No solo, o CO2 é produzido naturalmente através de processo mediado por microrganismos, durante a decomposição aeróbia da matéria orgânica e durante a respiração do sistema radicular das plantas e da fauna do solo. O uso e a cobertura do solo, juntamente com as variáveis ambientais externas e edáficas, determinam as taxas de incorporação e decomposição da matéria orgânica do solo (MOS). Neste estudo, foram avaliados e quantificados fluxos médios de CO2 do solo para a atmosfera das duas principais coberturas do solo do Rio de Janeiro: pastagens e fragmentos de Floresta Atlântica. As amostragens foram realizadas em duas localidades, ambas no Estado do Rio de Janeiro: (1)Sítio Deserto, no Sana e (2)Fazenda Califórnia, em Passa Três. Fluxos de CO2 de solos foram medidos utilizando o método de câmaras colocadas sobre o solo associadas com analisador de gás por infravermelho. Foram determinadas a temperatura do solo e do ar, bem como a umidade, a densidade, a porosidade, os conteúdos de carbono (C) e nitrogênio (N) totais do solo e a fração leve livre (FLL) da matéria orgânica do solo. As pastagens apresentaram os maiores fluxos de CO2, independente da área de estudo amostrada. A dinâmica do fluxo de CO2 do solo mostrou sofrer influência da sazonalidade, já que a temperatura do solo e o conteúdo de água no solo foram os principais condicionadores da respiração do solo. Os solos sob cobertura vegetal de florestas apresentaram maiores conteúdos de C e N no solo e maiores entradas de FLL da MOS. A maior entrada de FLL e o menor distúrbio no solo sob floresta devem ser os principais responsáveis pelos maiores estoques de C nesse solo. Os resultados obtidos sugerem que em solos sob cobertura florestal a ciclagem do carbono ocorre mais lentamente que na pastagem / The soil, structural and integral part of the terrestrial ecosystem, contains approximate more carbon (C) than the atmosphere. Important mediator of the C cycle, the soil acting like a temporary reservoir of carbon and like a source of CO2 to the atmosphere. The dynamics of C in soil-atmosphere interface lists the contents of C in soil with the flow of CO2 from the soil surface to the atmosphere (soil respiration). In soil, the CO2 is naturally produced through a process mediated by microorganisms during the aerobic decomposition of organic matter and during respiration of the root system of plants and soil fauna. The land use and land cover, with the external environmental variables and soil conditions, determine the relative rates of incorporation and decomposition of organic matter. In this study, medium fluxes of CO2 of the soil for the atmosphere were assessed and quantified of the two principal coverings of the soil of Rio de Janeiro: pastures and fragments of Atlantic Forest. The samplings were accomplished at two places, located in Rio de Janeiro State: (1) Sítio Deserto, in Sana and (2) Fazenda Califórnia, in Passa Três. Fluxes of CO2 of soils were measured using an infrared gas analyser coupled to a vented dynamic chamber system. Parameters of the soil as the temperature, moisture, density, contents of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) totals and the free light fraction (FLL) from the organic matter of the soil, were adressed. The pastures had greater soil CO2 fluxes than forests, independent of the area of study. Seasonality influences CO2 fluxes from soil to atmosphere in pasture and in forest, and the soil respiration rates were positively correlated with soil water-filled pore space (WFPS) and with soil temperature. The soils under forest cover had higher content of C and N and higher inflows of FLL. Also, in the soil under forest cover, was recorded the largest stocks of C. The largest input of FLL and the smallest disturbance in the soil under forest should be the main responsible for the largest stocks of C in this soil. These results suggest that soils under forest cover in the cycling of carbon occur more slowly than in the pasture.

Dans un contexte de changement global, prédire l’évolution de la productivité de la végétation dans le sud-ouest (SO) Sibérien reste un défi du fait d’incertitudes fortes sur les processus régulant la disponibilité en eau et en nutriments. Nous avons mis en évidence des relations entre cycles biogéochimiques, climat et propriétés du sol sur six sites contrastés.La croissance radiale des tiges de peuplier est principalement sensible au bilan hydrique du sol en forêt de steppe, au sud du SO Sibérien, alors qu’elle est stimulée par de hautes températures estivales en sub-taïga, dans le nord de la région.Des mesures de terrain et des simulations du bilan hydrique du sol ont montré que la fonte des neiges est importante pour la recharge des réserves hydriques du sol au sud. Au nord, ces réserves sont souvent rechargées en automne. La fonte des neiges est alors associée à du drainage. De plus, au nord, une épaisse couverture de neige protège le sol du gel en hiver. La distribution des racines fines est plus profonde en forêt de steppe qu’en sub-taïga, impactée par le déficit hydrique et le gel.L’homogénéité du statut en phosphore (P) des sols dans le SO Sibérien montre qu’il n’est pas encore très impacté par la pédogénèse. Les stocks en P élevés, notammen tles formes disponibles pour les plantes, suggèrent que le P n’est pas et ne sera pas limitant dans le futur.La décomposition des litières aériennes et la libération de l’azote (N) sont plus rapides en sub-taïga qu’en forêt de steppe. Un fort drainage pourrait expliquer un transfert profond du N dans les sols en sub-taïga. Cependant ces sols semblent efficaces pour retenir le N, limitant les pertes pour le système sol–plante. / Predicting the evolution of vegetation productivity in SW Siberia in the contextof global change remains a challenge because of major uncertainties concerningthe biogeochemical cycling and the plant-availability of water and nutrients. Weprovided insights on their relation to climate and soil properties, investigating sixcontrasting sites.Aspen stem radial growth is mainly sensitive to soil water budget in the foreststeppezone established in the south of SW Siberia while it is enhanced by highsummer temperatures in the sub-taiga, in the north of the region.Field measurements and water budget simulations revealed that snow-melt isimportant re-filling soil water reserves in the south. In the north, these reservesare mostly re-filled in autumn and snow-melt is associated with drainage. A thicksnow-pack also prevents soil from freezing in winter in the sub-taiga. Water deficitand soil freezing largely impact the distribution of fine roots within the soil profilewhich is deeper in forest-steppe than in sub-taiga.The homogeneous soil phosphorus (P) status in the region investigated revealedthis nutrient has not been yet very impacted by contrasting soil processes. High Pstocks, and in particular plant-available forms, suggest P is unlikely to be limitingunder current and future conditions.By contrast, we found differences in nitrogen (N) status. Above-ground litterdecay and the release of N occurs faster in sub-taiga than in forest-steppe. Higherdrainage may explain deeper N transfer in sub-taiga soils. However, sub-taiga soilsalso seem to be efficient in retaining N, limiting losses from the soil–plant system.