Comparison of nutrient loss pathways: Run‐off and seepage flow in Vertisols

Recent studies have highlighted the agronomic and environmental importance of phosphorus (P) movement through the soil profile. Thus, faced with challenges such as high‐profile cases of P enrichment of surface water, better understanding of nutrient movement through soil is needed to better manage agricultural fertilizers and manures and their contribution to water quality degradation. In particular, field‐scale research is especially needed in soils with preferential flow transport pathways. Thus, we collected nitrogen (N) and P transport data in run‐off and seepage (lateral subsurface return flow) from 13 field‐ and farm‐scale watersheds on Vertisols in Central Texas for a 14‐year period. For 2004–2017, seepage accounted for ~20% of the total surface flow, and nutrient concentrations were generally similar in run‐off and seepage. As surface run‐off contributed ~80% of the flow, it follows that median annual N and P loads in run‐off were significantly greater than in seepage for every watershed. N loads in both run‐off and seepage flow from cultivated land were an order of magnitude greater than in native prairie and improved pasture, and the highest run‐off and seepage P loads both occurred on cultivated land with organic fertilizer sources. Increasing watershed scale (size) did not to produce consistent patterns in N or P loss in run‐off or seepage. Land use and watershed scale produced significant differences in seepage volume but did not affect run‐off volumes or total surface flow/rainfall. Although less significant in terms of total offsite flux, nutrient movement in vadose zones has important agronomic and environmental implications as considerable N and P are transported through and within the root zone and eventually offsite. And in terms of P, this contradicts the traditionally held scientific viewpoint that P movement through the vadose zone is unimportant agronomically and environmentally.     

Nitrate subsurface transport and losses in response to its initial distributions in sloped soils: An experimental and modelling study

Transport and losses of nitrate from sloped soils are closely linked to nitrogen fertilizer management. Previous studies have always focused on different types of fertilizer applications and rarely analysed various initial nitrate distributions as a result of nitrogen fertilizer applications. Under certain conditions, both subsurface lateral saturated flow and vertical leaching dominate nitrate losses. Soil tank experiments and HYDRUS‐2D modelling were used to better understand the subsurface nitrate transport and losses through lateral saturated flow and vertical leaching under various initial nitrate distributions. Low (L: 180 mg L^?1), normal (N: 350 mg L^?1), and high (H: 500 mg L^?1) nitrate concentrations were used in five different distributions (NNNN, NLLN, LHHL, LNLN, and HNHN) along the slope of the tank. The first two treatments (NNNN and NLLN) were analysed both experimentally and numerically. Experiments were conducted under 12 rainfall events at intervals of 3 days. The HYDRUS‐2D model was calibrated and validated against the experimental data and demonstrated good model performance. The other three treatments (LHHL, LNLN, and HNHN) were investigated using the calibrated model. Nitrate concentrations in purple sloped soils declined exponentially with time under intermittent rainfalls, predominantly in the upper soil layers. Non‐uniform initial nitrate distributions contributed to larger differences between four locations along the slope in deeper soil layers. The non‐uniform nitrate distribution either enhanced or reduced decreases in nitrate concentrations in areas with higher or lower initial nitrate concentrations, respectively. Higher nitrate concentrations at the slope foot and along the slope were reduced mainly by lateral flow and vertical leaching, respectively. Increasing nitrogen application rates increased subsurface nitrate losses. Mean subsurface lateral nitrate fluxes were twice as large as mean vertical leaching nitrate fluxes. However, due to longer leaching durations, total nitrate losses due to vertical leaching were comparable with those due to lateral flow, which indicated comparable environmental risks to surface waters and groundwater.     

A Comparative Study of the Use of Organoclay‐Based Formulations and Organic Amendment to Reduce the Leaching of the Herbicide MCPA in Soil

MCPA (4‐chloro‐2‐methylphenoxyacetic acid) is an acidic herbicide widely used on olive crops in Spain. Due to its anionic form at natural soil pH, there is high risk of leaching and groundwater contamination by the use of this herbicide. The aim of this work was to study the effects of organoclay‐based formulations of MCPA and olive oil waste amendment on MCPA leaching in a sandy loam soil. For this purpose, batch adsorption and column leaching studies were performed. The organoclays used to prepare the clay‐based formulations of MCPA were obtained by treating Wyoming montmorillonite (SWy‐2) and Arizona montmorillonite (SAz‐1) with an amount of hexadecyltrimethylammonium (HDTMA) cation equal to 100% of the CEC of the montmorillonites. The organic residue used in this study was a solid waste from olive oil production (olive oil waste, OOW). The soil was amended with the organic residue at the rate of 10% (w/w). Batch release and column leaching studies indicated that organoclay‐based formulations of MCPA reduced the release rate and the leaching of the herbicide as compared to the use of a conventional formulation containing the herbicide in an immediately available form. The increase in soil organic matter of the soil upon amendment with the organic residue also resulted in greater adsorption and reduced leaching of MCPA in the soil. Accordingly, both the use of organoclay‐based formulations and the amendment of soil with OOW are proposed as efficient strategies to reduce extensive leaching losses associated with the application of MCPA in high‐risk scenarios, such as Mediterranean olive groves.     

Nutrient budget of a montane evergreen broad‐leaved forest at Ailao Mountain National Nature Reserve,Yunnan, southwest China

Hydrological fluxes and associated nutrient budget were studied during a 2 year period (1998–99) in a montane moist evergreen broad‐leaved forest at Ailao Mountain, Yunnan. Water samples of rainfall, throughfall, and stemflow, and of surface runoff, soil water, and stream flow were collected bimonthly to determine the concentration and fluxes of nutrients. Soil budgets were determined from the difference between precipitation input (including nutrient leaching from canopy) and output via runoff and drainage. The forest was characterized by low canopy interception and surface runoff, and high percolation and stream flow. Concentrations of nutrients were increased in throughfall and stemflow compared with precipitation. Surface runoff and drainage water had higher nutrient concentrations than precipitation and stream water. Total nitrogen and NH₄⁺‐N concentrations were higher in soil water than stream water, whereas K⁺, Ca²⁺, and Mg²⁺ concentrations were lower in the former than the latter. Annual nutrient fluxes decreased with soil depth following the pattern of water flux. Annual losses of most nutrient elements via stream flow were less than the corresponding inputs via throughfall and stemflow, except for calcium, for which solute loss was greater than the inputs via precipitation. Leaching losses of that element may be compensated by weathering. Losses of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, sodium, and sulphur could be replaced through atmospheric inputs. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Soil sealing and soil water content under no‐tillage and conventional tillage in irrigated corn: Effects on grain yield

The main objective of this research was to analyse the effect of soil management on soil sealing and on soil water content under contrasting tillage practices and its influence on corn yield. The experimental research was carried out in a field cultivated with irrigated corn differentiated into three zones representing a gradient of soil texture (Z1, Z2, and Z3, i.e., increasingly coarser). Two plots under different soil management practices (conventional intensive tillage, CT, and no‐tillage, NT) were selected in each zone. The susceptibility to sealing of each soil and the steady infiltration rates were evaluated in the laboratory subjecting the soils to rainfall simulation applied at an intensity of 25 mm h^?1. In addition, soil porosity under each treatment was quantified. Soil water content (0–90 cm depth) was determined gravimetrically at the beginning and the end of the growing cycle and at the surface (0–5 cm) during three growing seasons and continuously at two depths (5–15 and 50–60 cm) during the last growing cycle. Soil water content was simulated using the SIMPEL model, which was calibrated for the experimental conditions. Corn yield and above‐ground biomass were also analysed. Significant differences in soil sealing among zones, with decreasing soil sealing for coarser textures, and treatments were observed with infiltration rates that were near twice in NT than in CT, being the effect of soil cover significant in the reduction of soil detachment and soil losses. NT showed higher soil water content than CT, especially in the surface layers. Above‐ground biomass production was smaller in CT than in NT, and in the areas with higher sealing susceptibility was 30% to 45% smaller than in other zones, reaching the smallest values in Z1. A similar reduction in corn yield was observed between treatments being smaller in CT than in NT. No‐tillage has been confirmed as an effective technique that benefits soil physical properties as well as crop yields in relation to CT, being its impact greater in soils susceptible to sealing.     

Hydrological and erosional response to natural rainfall in a semi‐arid area of south‐east Spain

A better knowledge of soil erosion by water is essential for planning effective soil and water conservation practices in semi‐arid Mediterranean environments. The special climatic and hydrological characteristics of these areas, however, make accurate soil loss predictions difficult, particularly in the absence of minimal data. Two zero‐order experimental microcatchments (328–759 m²), representative of an extensive semi‐arid watershed with a high potential erosion risk in the south‐east of Spain, were selected and monitored for 3 years (1991–93) in order to provide information on the hydrological and erosional response. A pluviogram and hydrograph recorded data at 1‐min intervals during each storm, after which the soil loss was collected and the particle size of the sediment was analysed. Runoff coefficients of about 9% and soil losses of between 84·83 and 298·9 g m^?2 year^?1 were observed in the area. Rapid response times (geometric mean values lower than 2 h) and low runoff thresholds (mean values between 3·5 to 5·9 mm) were the norm in the experimental areas. A rain intensity of over 15 mm h^?1 was considered as ‘erosive rainfall’ in these areas because of the total soil loss and the transport capacity of the overland flow. Differences in pore‐size distribution explained the different hydrological responses observed between areas. The erosional response was more complex and basically seemed to be determined by soil aggregate stability and topographical properties. A greater proportion of finer particles in the eroded material than in the soil matrix indicated selective erosion and the transport of finer material. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effects of Lime‐Based Waste Materials on Immobilization and Phytoavailability of Cadmium and Lead in Contaminated Soil

Low cost lime‐based waste materials have recently been used to immobilize metals in contaminated soils. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of oyster shells and eggshells as lime‐based waste materials on immobilization of cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) in contaminated soil, as well as their effects on metal availability to maize plants (Zea mays L.). Oyster shells and eggshells were applied to soils at 1 and 5% w/w, after which they were subject to 420 days of incubation. The toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP) test was employed to determine the mobility of Cd and Pb in soils. The results showed that the addition of waste materials effectively reduced the metal mobility as indicated by the decrease in the concentration of TCLP‐extractable Cd and Pb, and this was mainly due to significant increases in soil pH (from 6.74 in untreated soil to 7.85–8.13 in treated soil). A sequential extraction indicated that the addition of such alkaline wastes induced a significant decline in the concentration of Cd in the exchangeable fraction (from 23.64% in untreated soil to 1.90–3.81% in treated soil), but it increased the concentration of Cd in the carbonate fraction (from 19.59% in untreated soil to 36.66–46.36% in treated soil). In the case of Pb, the exchangeable fraction was also reduced (from 0.67% in untreated soil to 0.00–0.01% in treated soil), and the fraction of Pb bound to carbonate was slightly increased (from 16.61% in untreated soil to 16.41–18.25% in treated soil). Phytoavailability tests indicated that the metal concentrations in the shoots of maize plant were reduced by 63.39–77.29% for Cd and by 47.34–75.95% for Pb in the amended soils, with no significant differences being observed for the amendment types and the application rates. Overall, these results indicate that oyster shells and eggshells can be used as low cost lime‐based amendments for immobilizing Cd and Pb in contaminated soils.     

Estimation of soil losses within plots as affected by different agricultural land management

Abstract

Proper agricultural land management strategies improve soil structural properties, thereby reducing soil loss by water erosion. This study was conducted to estimate soil losses from plots of different agricultural land management using the Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP) (95.7) model. The study took place in a semiarid region in Kenya. The mean annual rainfall was 694 mm. The WEPP (95.7) model was initially used to estimate total sediment loading from the catchment into a reservoir. The estimate was about 2871 t corresponding to an average sedimentation rate of 1063 t km^?2 year^?1, which was about 76% of the measured total sediment inflow into the reservoir. Soil losses were estimated within 10 plots on the catchment of different sizes and slopes with the following treatments: conventional tillage (hand hoeing) with maize and soybean intercropping (HOCOBE); conservation tillage (disc plough) with maize and soybean intercropping (COBEAN); conservation tillage with only maize cultivation (CNTCORN); and conservation tillage with only soybean cultivation (CNTBEAN). The soil loss reduction of COBEAN, CNTCORN and CNTBEAN relative to HOCOBE ranged between 27–47%, 16–29% and 12–25%, respectively, depending on the size and slope of the plot. In general, conservation tillage reduced soil loss relative to conventional tillage. However, with conservation tillage, the single cropping system resulted in greater soil loss than the intercropping system. In the case of single cropping with conservation tillage, the soil loss reduction for maize ranged between 4 and 9%, relative to soybean. Overall, the study showed that there would be a significant reduction of soil losses from plots if conservation tillage with an intercropping system (maize and soybean) were to be adopted on agricultural lands in semiarid regions.     

Soil‐structure system frequency and damping: Estimation from eigenvalues and results for a 2D model in layered half‐space

This paper presents a formulation for estimation of the frequency and damping of a soil‐structure interaction system based on the classical modal analysis and solving the system eigenvalue problem. Without loss of generality, the structure is represented by a single degree of freedom oscillator, while the soil effects are included through impedance functions for in‐plane motion of a 2D rigid foundation. For the results presented in this paper, the impedance functions were computed by the indirect boundary element method for a rectangular foundation embedded in a soil layer over elastic bedrock. The study shows that the classical modal‐analysis approach works well, with the exception of squat, stiff structures, even though the impedance functions are frequency‐dependent and the soil‐structure interaction system does not possess normal modes. The study also shows that system frequency and damping are independent of the wave passage effects, contrary to findings of some previous studies, and that the site conditions, represented by the soil‐layer thickness and stiffness contrast between bedrock and soil layer, have significant influences on both system frequency and system damping. Finally, the paper examines the accuracy of some of the simple methods for estimation of these two system parameters and comments on some conflicting conclusions of previous studies about the effects of foundation embedment.     

Long‐term assessment of nutrient flow pathway dynamics and in‐stream fate in a temperate karst agroecosystem watershed

Nutrient dynamics in karst agroecosystems remain poorly understood, in part due to limited long‐term nested datasets that can discriminate upland and in‐stream processes. We present a 10‐year dataset from a karst watershed in the Inner‐Bluegrass Region of central Kentucky, consisting of nitrate (nitrate‐N [NO₃^?]), dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP), total organic carbon (TOC), and total ammoniacal‐N (TAN) measurements at nested spring and stream sites as well as flowrate at the watershed outlet. Hydrograph separation techniques were coupled with multiple linear regression and Empirical Mode Decomposition time‐series analysis to determine significance of seasonal processes and to generate continuous estimates of nutrient pathway loadings. Further, we used model results of benthic algae growth and decomposition dynamics from a nearby watershed to assess if transient storage in algal biomass could explain differences in spring and downstream watershed nutrient loading. Results highlight statistically significant seasonality for all nutrients at stream sites, but only for NO₃^? at springs with longitudinal variability showing significant decreases occurring from spring to stream sites for NO₃^? and DRP, and significant increases for TOC and TAN. Pathway loading analysis highlighted the importance of slow flow pathways to source approximately 70% of DRP and 80% of NO₃^?. Results for in‐stream dynamics suggest that benthic autotroph dynamics can explain summer deviations for TOC, TAN, and DRP but not NO₃^?. Regarding upland dynamics, our findings agree well with existing perceptions in karst for N pathways and upland source seasonality but deviate from perceptions that karst conduits are retentive of P, reflecting the limited buffering capacity of the soil profile and conduit sediments in the Inner‐Bluegrass. Regarding in‐stream fate, our findings highlighted the significance of seasonally driven nutrient processing in the bedrock‐controlled streambed to influence nutrient fluxes at the watershed outlet. Contrary to existing perceptions, we found high N attenuation and an unexplained NO₃^? sink in the bedrock stream, leading us to postulate that floating macrophytes facilitate high rates of denitrification.     

Response of unbounded soil in scaled boundary finite‐element method

The scaled boundary finite‐element method is a powerful semi‐analytical computational procedure to calculate the dynamic stiffness of the unbounded soil at the structure–soil interface. This permits the analysis of dynamic soil–structure interaction using the substructure method. The response in the neighbouring soil can also be determined analytically. The method is extended to calculate numerically the response throughout the unbounded soil including the far field. The three‐dimensional vector‐wave equation of elasto‐dynamics is addressed. The radiation condition at infinity is satisfied exactly. By solving an eigenvalue problem, the high‐frequency limit of the dynamic stiffness is constructed to be positive definite. However, a direct determination using impedances is also possible. Solving two first‐order ordinary differential equations numerically permits the radiation condition and the boundary condition of the structure–soil interface to be satisfied sequentially, leading to the displacements in the unbounded soil. A generalization to viscoelastic material using the correspondence principle is straightforward. Alternatively, the displacements can also be calculated analytically in the far field. Good agreement of displacements along the free surface and below a prism foundation embedded in a half‐space with the results of the boundary‐element method is observed. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

TOPCAT‐NP: a minimum information requirement model for simulation of flow and nutrient transport from agricultural systems

Future catchment planning requires a good understanding of the impacts of land use and management, especially with regard to nutrient pollution. A range of readily usable tools, including models, can play a critical role in underpinning robust decision‐making. Modelling tools must articulate our process understanding, make links to a range of catchment characteristics and scales and have the capability to reflect future land‐use management changes. Hence, the model application can play an important part in giving confidence to policy makers that positive outcomes will arise from any proposed land‐use changes. Here, a minimum information requirement (MIR) modelling approach is presented that creates simple, parsimonious models based on more complex physically based models, which makes the model more appropriate to catchment‐scale applications. This paper shows three separate MIR models that represent flow, nitrate losses and phosphorus losses. These models are integrated into a single catchment model (TOPCAT‐NP), which has the advantage that certain model components (such as soil type and flow paths) are shared by all three MIR models. The integrated model can simulate a number of land‐use activities that relate to typical land‐use management practices. The modelling process also gives insight into the seasonal and event nature of nutrient losses exhibited at a range of catchment scales. Three case studies are presented to reflect the range of applicability of the model. The three studies show how different runoff and nutrient loss regimes in different soil/geological and global locations can be simulated using the same model. The first case study models intense agricultural land uses in Denmark (Gjern, 114 km²), the second is an intense agricultural area dominated by high superphosphate applications in Australia (Ellen Brook, 66 km²) and the third is a small research‐scale catchment in the UK (Bollington Hall, 2 km²). Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Simulations of water movement and solute transport through different soil texture configurations under negative‐pressure irrigation

This study examined the effects of different soil texture configurations on water movement and solute transport to provide a reliable scientific basis for the application of negative‐pressure irrigation (NPI) technology. HYDRUS‐2D was used to analyse water movement and solute transport under NPI. The main results are as follows: (a) HYDRUS‐2D can be used to simulate water movement and solute transport under NPI, as there was good agreement between the simulated and measured values for water contents, NaCl concentrations, cumulative water infiltration, and wetting distances in the horizontal and vertical directions; the Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency coefficients were in the range of 0.94–0.97. (b) Layered soils have obvious effects on water movement under NPI. With the emitter position in the loam layer, when a coarse texture of loamy sand was present below the loam layer (namely, L‐LS), irrigation water accumulated in the topsoil, and this led to an increase in evaporation compared with the homogeneous loam profile. However, fine texture silty loam or silty clay loam layers beneath the loam layer (namely, L‐SiL or L‐SiCL, respectively) was more conducive to water infiltration into the lower layer, and this increased the amount of water infiltration and simultaneously reduced the surface evaporation effectively. (c) Layered soils have obvious effects on solute transport under NPI, and salt accumulation will readily occur in the clay‐rich soil layer at the interface. The maximum soil salt accumulation of L‐LS occurred above the soil interface between the two soil layers with a value of 21.80 g/kg; however, for L‐SiCL and L‐SiL, the maximum salt accumulation occurred below the soil interface between the two soil layers, with values of 23.80 g/kg and 20.08 g/kg, respectively. (d) Interlayered soils showed remarkable changes in the water infiltration characteristics and salt‐leaching intensities under NPI, and the properties for the soil profile with a silty loam interlayer were better than those for the soil profile with a silty clay loam interlayer. The soil profile with a loamy sand interlayer had the lowest amount of water infiltration, which resulted in reductions of the salt‐leaching intensities. Thus, NPI is clearly not suitable for loamy sand soil. Overall, the results demonstrated that soil texture configurations affected water movement and solute transport under NPI. Therefore, careful consideration should be given to the use of NPI to achieve target soil water and solution conditions and reduce water loss.     

Severe soil erosion during a 3‐day exceptional rainfall event: combining modelling and field data for a fallow cereal field

Exceptional rainfall events cause significant losses of soil, although few studies have addressed the validation of model predictions at field scale during severe erosive episodes. In this study, we evaluate the predictive ability of the enhanced Soil Erosion and Redistribution Tool (SERT‐2014) model for mapping and quantifying soil erosion during the exceptional rainfall event (~235 mm) that affected the Central Spanish Pyrenees in October 2012. The capacity of the simulation model is evaluated in a fallow cereal field (1.9 ha) at a high spatial scale (1 × 1 m). Validation was performed with field‐quantified rates of soil loss in the rills and ephemeral gullies and also with a detailed map of soil redistribution. The SERT‐2014 model was run for the six rainfall sub‐events that made up the exceptional event, simulating the different hydrological responses of soils with maximum runoff depths ranging between 40 and 1017 mm. Predicted average and maximum soil erosion was 11 and 117 Mg ha^?1 event^?1, respectively. Total soil loss and sediment yield to the La Reina gully amounted to 16.3 and 9.0 Mg event^?1. These rates are in agreement with field estimations of soil loss of 20.0 Mg event^?1. Most soil loss (86%) occurred during the first sub‐event. Although soil accumulation was overestimated in the first sub‐event because of the large amount of detached soil, the enhanced SERT‐2014 model successfully predicted the different spatial patterns and values of soil redistribution for each sub‐event. Further research should focus on stream transport capacity. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Modeling Arsenic Sorption in the Subsurface with a Dual‐Site Model

Arsenic is a well‐known groundwater contaminant that causes toxicological and carcinogenic effects in humans. Predicting the transport of arsenic in the subsurface is often problematic because of its complex sorption characteristics. Numerous researchers have reported that arsenic sorption on soil material is initially fast and then subsequently slow. A dual‐site numerical sorption model was previously developed to describe arsenic desorption from arsenic‐contaminated soils in batch experiments in terms of two different release mechanisms. Experiments involving synthetic acid rain leaching of four arsenic‐contaminated soil columns were performed to verify the dual‐site numerical sorption model in the context of one‐dimensional vertical transport. The fitted models successfully simulated the signature long tailings and the two‐stage arsenic leaching patterns for all four soil columns. The dual‐site sorption model was incorporated within the general solute transport simulation code Modular Three‐Dimensional Multispecies (MT3DMS), version 5.10. The resulting version was named MT3DDS and is available for public access. This experimental study has shown that MT3DDS is capable of simulating phase redistribution during transport, and thus provides a new numerical tool for simulating arsenic transport in the subsurface.     

SOIL ERODIBILITY PARAMETERS UNDER VARIOUS CROPPING SYSTEMS OF MAIZE

For four years, runoff and soil loss from seven cropping systems of fodder maize have been measured on experimental plots under natural and simulated rainfall. Besides runoff and soil loss, several variables have also been measured, including rainfall kinetic energy, degree of slaking, surface roughness, aggregate stability, soil moisture content, crop cover, shear strength and topsoil porosity. These variables explain a large part of the variance in measured runoff, soil loss and splash erosion under the various cropping systems. The following conclusions were drawn from the erosion measurements on the experimental plots (these conclusions apply to the spatial level at which the measurements were carried out). (1) Soil tillage after maize harvest strongly reduced surface runoff and soil loss during the winter; sowing of winter rye further reduced winter erosion, though the difference with a merely tilled soil is small. (2) During spring and the growing season, soil loss is reduced strongly if the soil surface is partly covered by plant residues; the presence of plant residue on the surface appeared to be essential in achieving erosion reduction in summer. (3) Soil loss reductions were much higher than runoff reductions; significant runoff reduction is only achieved by the ‘straw system’ having flat-lying, non-fixed plant residue on the soil surface; the other systems, though effective in reducing soil loss, were not effective in reducing runoff.     

Effects of eastern redcedar encroachment on soil hydraulic properties along Oklahoma's grassland‐forest ecotone

In north‐central Oklahoma eastern redcedar (Juniperus virginiana), encroachment into grassland is widespread and is suspected of reducing streamflow, but the effects of this encroachment on soil hydraulic properties are unknown. This knowledge gap creates uncertainty in understanding the hydrologic effects of eastern redcedar encroachment and obstructs fact‐based management of encroached systems. The objective of this study was to quantify the effects of eastern redcedar encroachment into tallgrass prairie on soil hydraulic properties. Leaf litter depth, soil organic matter, soil water repellency, soil water content, sorptivity, and unsaturated hydraulic conductivity were measured near Stillwater, OK, along 12 radial transects from eastern redcedar trunks to the center of the grassy intercanopy space. Eastern redcedar encroachment in the second half of the 20th century caused the accumulation of 3 cm of hydrophobic leaf litter near the trunks of eastern redcedar trees. This leaf litter was associated with increased soil organic matter in the upper 6 cm of soil under eastern redcedar trees (5.96% by mass) relative to the grass‐dominated intercanopy area (3.99% by mass). Water repellency was more prevalent under eastern redcedar than under grass, and sorptivity under eastern redcedar was 0.10 mm s^?1/2, one seventh the sorptivity under adjacent prairie grasses (0.68 mm s^?1/2). Median unsaturated hydraulic conductivity under grass was 2.52 cm h^?1, four times greater than under eastern redcedar canopies (0.57 cm h^?1). Lower sorptivity and unsaturated hydraulic conductivity would tend to decrease infiltration and increase runoff, but other factors such as rainfall interception by the eastern redcedar canopy and litter layer, and preferential flow induced by hydrophobicity must be examined before the effects of encroachment on streamflow can be predicted. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Global sensitivity analysis of DRAINMOD‐FOREST,an integrated forest ecosystem model

Global sensitivity analysis is a useful tool to understand process‐based ecosystem models by identifying key parameters and processes controlling model predictions. This study reported a comprehensive global sensitivity analysis for DRAINMOD‐FOREST, an integrated model for simulating water, carbon (C), and nitrogen (N) cycles and plant growth in lowland forests. The analysis was carried out for multiple long‐term model predictions of hydrology, biogeochemistry, and plant growth. Results showed that long‐term mean hydrological predictions were highly sensitive to several key plant physiological parameters. Long‐term mean annual soil organic C content and mineralization rate were mainly controlled by temperature‐related parameters for soil organic matter decomposition. Mean annual forest productivity and N uptake were found to be mainly dependent upon plant production‐related parameters, including canopy quantum use efficiency and carbon use efficiency. Mean annual nitrate loss was highly sensitive to parameters controlling both hydrology and plant production, while mean annual dissolved organic nitrogen loss was controlled by parameters associated with its production and physical sorption. Parameters controlling forest production, C allocation, and specific leaf area highly affected long‐term mean annual leaf area. Results of this study could help minimize the efforts needed for calibrating DRAINMOD‐FOREST. Meanwhile, this study demonstrates the critical role of plants in regulating water, C, and N cycles in forest ecosystems and highlights the necessity of incorporating a dynamic plant growth model for comprehensively simulating hydrological and biogeochemical processes. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Baseflow and peakflow chemical responses to experimental applications of ammonium sulphate to forested watersheds in north‐central West Virginia,USA

Stream water was analysed to determine how induced watershed acidification changed the chemistry of peakflow and baseflow and to compare the relative timing of these changes. Two watersheds in north‐central West Virginia, WS3 and WS9, were subjected to three applications of ammonium sulphate fertilizer per year to induce acidification. A third watershed, WS4, was the control. Samples were collected for 8 years from WS9 and for 9 years from WS3. Prior to analyses, concentration data were flow adjusted, and the influence of natural background changes was removed by accounting for the chemical responses measured from WS4. This yielded residual values that were evaluated using robust locally weighted regression and Mann–Kendall tests. On WS3, analyte responses during baseflow and peakflow were similar, although peakflow responses occurred soon after the first treatment whereas baseflow responses lagged 1–2 years. This lag in baseflow responses corresponded well with the mean transit time of baseflow on WS3. Anion adsorption on WS3 apparently delayed increases in SO₄ leaching, but resulted in enhanced early leaching losses of Cl and NO₃. Leaching of Ca and Mg was strongly tied, both by timing and stoichiometrically, to NO₃ and SO₄ leaching. F‐factors for WS3 baseflow and peakflow indicated that the catchment was insensitive to acid neutralizing capacity reductions both before and during treatment, although NO₃ played a large role in reducing the treatment period F‐factor. By contrast, the addition of fertilizer to WS9 created an acid sensitive system in both baseflow and peakflow. On WS9, baseflow and peakflow responses also were similar to each other, but there was no time lag after treatment for baseflow. Changes in concentrations generally were not as great on WS9 as on WS3, and several ions showed no significant changes, particularly for peakflow. The lesser response to treatment on WS9 is attributed to the past abusive farming and site preparation before larch planting that resulted in poor soil fertility, erosion, and consequently, physical and chemical similarities between upper and lower soil layers. Even with fertilizer‐induced NO₃ and SO₄ leaching increases, base cations were in low supplies and, therefore, unavailable to leach via charge pairing. The absence of a time lag in treatment responses for WS9 baseflow indicates that it has substantially different flow paths than WS3. The different hydrologies on these nearby watersheds illustrates the importance of understanding watershed hydrology when establishing a monitoring programme to detect ecosystem change. Published in 2002 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Catchment scale hydrology of an irrigated cropping system under soil conservation practices

Soil erosion by water is a pressing environmental problem caused and suffered by agriculture in Mediterranean environments. Soil conservation practices can contribute to alleviating this problem. The aim of this study is to gain more profound knowledge of the effects of conservation practices on soil losses by linking crop management and soil status to runoff and sediment losses measured at the outlet of a catchment during seven years. The catchment has 27.42 ha and is located in a commercial farm in southern Spain, where a package of soil conservation practices is an essential component of the farming system. The catchment is devoted to irrigated annual crops with maize–cotton–wheat as the primary rotation. Mean annual rainfall‐induced runoff coefficient was 0.14 and mean annual soil loss was 2.4 Mg ha^?1 y^?1. Irrigation contributed to 40% of the crop water supply, but the amount of runoff and sediment yield that it generated was negligible. A Principal Components Analysis showed that total soil loss is determined by the magnitude of the event (rainfall and runoff depths, duration) and by factors related to the aggressiveness of the events (rainfall intensity and preceding soil moisture). A third component showed the importance of crop coverage to reduce sediment losses. Cover crops grown during autumn and early winter and crop residues protecting the soil surface enhanced soil conservation notably. The role of irrigation to facilitate growing cover crops in Mediterranean environments is discussed. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.