Potential role of feldspathic sandstone as a natural water retaining agent in Mu Us Sandy Land, Northwest China

This paper analyzed the water-retention mechanism of feldspathic sandstone(fine-(<1 mm diam.)and gravel-sized(2-3 cm diam.)in Mu Us Sandy Land,Northwest China.The objective of this study is to study the effect of feldspathic sandstone amendment on water retention in sandy land.The results showed that as the proportion of fine feldspathic sandstone in the sandy land soil increased,the soil texture changed from sand to silt loam,the capillary porosity gradually increased from 26.3%to 44.9%,and the soil saturated hydraulic conductivity decreased from 7.10 mm/min to 0.07 mm/min.Feldspathic sandstone gravel formed micro-reservoirs in the sandy land soil,playing the role of a′water absorbent′and′water retaining agent′in sandy land.Amendment with feldspathic sandstone can increase water retention in the arable layer of sandy land by 67%.This study provides a theoretical basis for the amelioration of sandy land on a large scale.It can be concluded that amendment with feldspathic sandstone can improve the physical properties of sandy land soil and increase soil water retention.     

Effects of soil shrinkage in permanent gullies formation: The case of Benggang erosion in the granite area of southern China

Soil shrinkage is an important factor in slope destabilization in granitic areas, which is also one of the most important conditions for the formation of permanent gullies. This study explored the effect of soil shrinkage on permanent gullies, and Benggang erosion in granitic areas in southeastern China was used as an example. Three types of Benggang in granitic area were selected to examine the soil shrinkage of three soil layers(the lateritic, transitional and sandy layers) and their effect on the development of Benggang erosion was studied. The results show that the maximum values of COLEH and COLEV(coefficient of linear extensibility in horizontal and vertical directions, respectively) are 3.09% and 1.60% in the laterite layers, 2.71% and 2.13% in transition layers, and 1.10% and 1.82% in sandy layers, indicating that the shrinkage potential of the soil layers exhibits the following order, from highest to lowest: the laterite layer, transition layer, and sandy layer. With a decreasing volumetric water content, the linear shrinkage ratio increases gradually and eventually stabilizes, and in the laterite, transition and sandy layers, the average values of the maximum linear shrinkage are 1.50%, 2.09%, and 1.74%, respectively. Axial shrinkage is most obvious in the transition layers, in which the volume change in the form of subsidence is greater than that in other layers. The soil shrinkage curves fit the trilinear model(R20.9), and the soil shrinkage characteristic curves were divided into structural, basic, and residual sections. The correlation analysis shows that the soil shrinkage rate is positively correlated with clay and Fe_2 O_3 content and negatively correlated with sand content. Clay and sand contents are the most important factors influencing soil shrinkage. Soil oxides can influence soil shrinkage by affecting the particle composition of the soil, so soil shrinkage is closely related to soil clay minerals. Our findings can provide a theoretical basis for revealing the mechanism of Benggang erosion and its control.     

Theoretical Analysis of Bearing Capacity of Shallowly Embeded Rectangular Footing of Marine Structures

In this paper, the finite element analysis software ABAQUS is used to analyze the ultimate bearing capacity of three-dimensional rectangular footing of marine structures. The deformation law and the failure mode of homogeneous seabed soil beneath the rectangular footing are analyzed in detail. According to the equivalent plastic strain of soil under rectangular footing, an allowable velocity field of homogeneous seabed soil is reasonably constructed. Based on the plastic limit analysis theory of soil mass and by using the Mohr-Coulomb yield criterion, an upper bound solution of the ultimate bearing capacity of three-dimensional rectangular footing on general homogeneous seabed soil is derived, and a correction factor of ultimate bearing capacity of three-dimensional rectangular footing is given. To verify the rationality and applicability of this theoretical solution, some numerical solutions are achieved using the general-purpose FEM analysis package ABAQUS, and comparisons are made among the derived upper bound solution, the solution of Vesic, and the solution of Salgado et al. The results indicate that the upper bound solution of the three-dimensional shallowly embedded rectangular footing proposed in this paper is accurate in calculating the bearing capacity of homogeneous seabed soil. For undrained saturated clay foundation and sandy foundation with smaller internal friction angle, this upper bound solution can evaluate the ultimate bearing capacity of rectangular footing; with the gradual increase of the internal friction angle of the soil, the ultimate bearing capacity of the proposed upper bound solution is slightly higher than that of the rectangular footing.     

Paradigm and ecological implication of changing agricultural land-use: A case study from Govind Wildlife Sanctuary, Central Himalaya, India

The paper scrutinizes that the changes in any sub-system(i.e.agriculture,livestock and forest) have direct impact on biophysical and social processes in village ecosystem of the central Himalayan region.In view of this,we studied the changes in spatial patterns of agricultural land use and dependency of agroecosystem on forest and animal husbandry over a period of two decades.Based on data analysis it was found that the cultivation of some traditional crops has either been abandoned in the area or declined by 25%-85% due to introduction of cash crops viz.,potato,kidney bean and apple farming with acreage increased up to 51%-72% in the last three decades.Livestock population of different categories has declined drastically by 17%-75%,and has resulted shortage of farmyard manure,deterioration of soil quality and fertility which leads to un-sustainability of agriculture system.The changes in agrobiodiversity have led to the dramatic increase in soil loss and runoff from the croplands together with the increase pressure on forests.The economic evaluation of each crop showed higher monetary benefit from cash crops as compared to traditional crops.Among all the evaluated crops,the monetary output/input ratio was found highest(3.04) for kidney bean and lowest(1.26) for paddy.Changes in land use and management have improved household income but at the cost of forest degradation,less productive animal husbandry and loss of agrodiversity in the region.Therefore,there is an urgent need to bring desirable changes in agricultural policy,research,land use and efficient management of the resources for maintaining sustainability in agro and Himalayan forest ecosystem.     

A systems approach for analyzing vegetative and soil degradation in Arnigad micro-watershed of Indian Himalayan region

This study analyzes the vegetative and soil degradation, measured as biomass and soil loss, for Arnigad micro-watershed located in Indian Himalayan state of Uttarakhand, in systems framework by using dynamic linear programming bio-economic model. The focus is at investigating the effects of alternate policy regimes, i.e., introduction of improved energy sources for cooking along with substitution of existing local livestock breeds with improved breed, reduction in human population growth and introduction of high yielding varieties of main crops including paddy, maize and wheat. The model horizon extended over a period of 25 years, i.e., from 2006 to 2030. It was found that the model scenario incorporating increased use of improved energy sources along with substitution of local cows by improved cows could be the most effective policy option in reducing vegetative and soil degradation. The vegetative biomass density declined to 19.76% compared to 35.24% in the BASE scenario and soil erosion loss was also lowered by 29.13%. Also, the reduction of population growth rate to half of the BASE scenario led to minor improvements in degradation. Introduction of high yielding varieties of main crops slightly increased vegetative degradation but reduced soil loss (8.35%) with respect to the BASE scenario. Such a phenomenon could be explained in terms of changed crop mix resulting in reduced amount of crop by-products requiring increased lopping of tree branches for animal fodder. The policy option of the increased use of improved energy sources along with substitution of improved breed of cows resulted in 9.58% higher income. Introduction of high yielding varieties of crops led to 1.92% increase in income, but the income decreased by 1.25 % when population growth was reduced to half. The usefulness of the model lies in analyzing the systems behavior in its entirety where the results can predict the possible direction of change as a result of manipulation in alternate economic regimes.     

Influence of root suction on tensile strength of Chrysopogon zizanioides roots and its implication on bioslope stabilization

Root tensile strength is an important factor controlling the performance of bio-slope stabilization works. Due to evapotranspiration and climate factors, the root moisture content and its suction can vary seasonally in practice and may not equal soil suction. The influences of suction and root moisture contents were investigated on Chrysopogon zizanioides(vetiver grass) root tensile strength. The root specimens were equilibrated with moist air in different suction conditions(0, 10, 20, and 50 kPa), prior to root tension tests. The root-water characteristic curve or relationship between root moisture and suction, was determined. The increase in suction resulted in decreased tensile strengths of the grass roots, particularly those with diameter of about 0.2 mm, which constituted 50.7% of all roots. For 1 mm roots, the tensile strength appeared to be unaffected by suction increase. The average root tensile strengths were used to estimate the root cohesion in slope stability analysis to find variation of safety factors of a bioengineered slope in different suction conditions. The analysis showed that the critical condition of slope with the lowest factor of safety would happen when the soil suction was zero and the root suction was high. Such condition may occur during a heavy rain period after a prolonged drought.     

Studies on the effects of polyaspartate protease fertilizer enhancer in the absorptions of soil nutrition and the enzymatic activities of crops

1　Introduction　Chinaisboththelargestproducerandthelargestconsumerofchemicalfertilizersintheworld .Since1984 ,Chineseconsumptionofchemicalfertilizerhasincreasedmorethanonetimes ,fromabout 17millionmetrictonsto 35millionmetrictons .However ,dur ingthesameperiod ,theyieldoffoodproductionhasincreasedonlyabout 10 % .Thediscrepancybetweenfertilizerconsumptionandyieldincreasehasindicatedthedrasticdecreaseofthebenefitsofchemicalfertiliz ers .Infact ,theutilizationefficiencyofnitrogenfer tilizerinC…     

Characteristics of vibration liquefaction of saturated medium sandy soil with silt

In order to understand and master the dynamic characteristics of sandy soil with different silt contents, the authors carried out many indoor dynamic triaxial tests for five groups of sandy with silt which took from Panjin and Xiamen. Under the conditions of consolidation pressure of 100 kPa, 200 kPa, 300 kPa, stationary vibration frequency H=1 and cyclic loading, the authors found that the effective cohesion increases and the effective internal friction angle decreases with the increase of the silt contents. During the liquefied scope, the cementation and the strength have been increased with the increase of the silt contents.     

镉在棕壤上的吸附过程及其对土壤酶活性的影响

土壤对镉的吸附过程是影响镉在土壤溶液中的浓度、迁移性、潜在毒性的重要因素。土壤微生物活性作为土壤质量的重要指标之一,对土壤重金属的含量具有较好的指示作用。该文研究了重金属镉在棕壤中的吸附过程,及在此过程中土壤酶活性的变化。结果表明,随着溶液中Cd2+含量的增大,两种土壤对Cd2+吸附量逐渐增大,且吸附反应符合Freundlich模型。随着镉初始浓度的增加,土壤中脲酶和过氧化氢酶的活性均出现抑制现象,其中脲酶对镉的反应更加敏感。     

Effects of Trichoderma harzianum YC_(459) and soil types on seed germination and seedling growth in rock slope restoration

We carried out experiments with various concentrations of Trichoderma harzianum YC459 in different soil types(forest soil, mixed soil,merchantable soil, and leaf mold soil) to evaluate its effect on seed germination and seedling establishment of four species(Festuca arundinacea Schreb., Dianthus barbatus var. asiaticus Nakai,Lespedeza cyrtobotrya Miq., and Parthenocissus tricuspidata Planch) for rock slope restoration. We also investigated the use of drilled slanted holes on the rock slopes for seedling establishment. The results showed that T. harzianum concentration had significant effects on seed germination, seedling growth, and seedling survival for all the species with different soil types. Seed germination and survival rates peaked at 5% T. harzianum concentration with leaf mold soil and decreased as T. harzianum concentration increased from 5% to 10%. Seedling survival rates of all four species were generally lowest at 0% T. harzianum concentration in all soil types.The height of F. arundinacea and L. cyrtobotrya peaked at 5% T. harzianum concentration whereas that of D. barbatus and P. tricuspidata peaked at 10%T. harzianum concentration. We concluded that 5% T. harzianum concentration with leaf mold soil is appropriate for seed germination and seedling survival rates of most species, thus enhancing seedling establishment. Practical application of the findings of this study will contribute in the vegetation restoration of steep rocks in mountain environments.     

Effects of terracing and agroforestry on soil and water loss in hilly areas of the Sichuan Basin,China

Soil erosion in hilly areas of the Sichuan Basin is a serious concern over sustainable crop production and sound ecosystem. A 3-year experiment was conducted using the method of runoff plots to examine the effects of terracing and agroforestry in farmland systems on soil and water conservation of slope fields in the hilly areas in Jianyang County, Sichuan Province, Southwestern China. A power function （Y = aX^b） can statistically describe the relationship between water runoff （Y） and rainfall （X）. The regression equation for the treatment of sloping terraces with crops （Plot 2） is remarkably different from that for the treatment of sloping terraces with grasses and trees （Plot 1） and the conventional up- and down-slope crop system （Plot 3） regarding equation coefficients, while regression equations are similar between Plot 1 and Plot 3. Water runoff amount and runoff coefficient of slope fields increased by 21.5-41.0 % and 27.5 - 69.7 % respectively, compared to those of sloping terraces, suggesting that terracing notably reduced the water runoff in the field. In the case of sloping terraces, lower amount of water runoff was observed on sloping terraces with crops than on sloping terraces with grasses and trees. Sediment yields on the slope fields in the normal year of rainfall distribution were notably higher （34.41 - 331.67 % and 37.06-403.44 % for Plot 1 and Plot 2, respectively） than those on sloping terraces, implying that terracing also plays a significant role in the reduction in soil erosion. It is suggested that terracing with crops is significantly effective for soil and water conservation in cultivated farmland, while the conventional practice of up- and down- slope cultivation creates high rates of water runoff and soil sediment transport. Terracing with grasses and fruit trees shows a less reduction in water runoff than terracing with crops, which was observed in the 3-year experiments.     

基于GNSS-IR双系统组合的土壤湿度多星线性回归反演模型

提出一种GPS/BDS双系统组合的土壤湿度多星线性回归反演模型,并以GNSS接收机实测数据为例,对比分析不同GPS和BDS卫星组合反演土壤湿度的效果。实验表明：1)GPS和BDS双系统组合相对于单系统在短观测时间内可以提高有效卫星数,通过多元线性回归原理可实现双系统多卫星的有效融合,提高土壤湿度反演的精度;2)当GPS和BDS组合卫星数达到6颗以上时,反演效果趋于稳定,反演结果与土壤湿度的相关系数均优于0.90,RMSE相对于单星至少提高25.8%。     

A sand control and development model in sandy land based on mixed experiments of arsenic sandstone and sand: A case study in Mu Us Sandy Land in China

Serious desertification caused by human activity and climate change, in addition to water loss and soil erosion related to arsenic sandstone in the Mu Us Sandy Land, lead to severe scarcity of soil and water resources, which causes worse local agricultural conditions accordingly. Many physical properties of arsenic sandstone is complementary with that of sand, arsenic sandstone is therefore supposed to be blended to enhance water productivity and arability of sandy land. Container experiments are carried out to study the enhancement of water holding capacity of the mixture, the blending ratio of arsenic sandstone and sand, and the proper size of the arsenic sandstone particles, respectively. The results of the experiments show that particle size of 4 cm with a ratio of 1 ： 2 between arsenic sandstone and sand are the proper parameters on blending. Both water content and fertility increase after blending. Water use efficiency in the mixture is 2.7 times higher than that in sand by the water release curves from experiments. Therefore, a new sand control and development model, including arsenic sandstone blending with sand, efficient water irrigation management and reasonable farming system, is put forward to control and develop sandy land so that water-saving agriculture could be developed. Demonstration of potato planting about 153.1 ha in area in the Mu Us Sandy Land in China indicates that water consumption is 3018 m3/ha in the whole growth period. It means that about 61% of irrigation water can be saved compared with water use in coarse sand without treatment. Recycle economic mode and positive feedback of sand resource-crop planting-soil resource are constructed, which changes sand into arable soil and make it possible to develop water-saving agriculture on it. The proposed model will be helpful for soil-water resources utilization and management in the Mu Us Sandy Land.     

黑河中游地区作物用水效率比较及种植结构调整方向研究

黑河流域地处西北干旱区,水资源短缺是限制其中游绿洲农业发展、下游生态环境保护的首要原因。该流域的中游绿洲农业用水约占总用水量的80%,因此农业节水对流域发展至关重要。在干旱区绿洲农业节水探索中,众多学者主张通过节水技术来提高用水效率,而关于农业种植结构调整对农业节水影响的定量研究较少。本文采用2012年黑河流域蒸散发数据、土地利用数据、降水数据和农业经济统计数据,定量分析黑河中游主要作物需水特征和用水效率差异,尝试从调整作物种植结构角度为其绿洲农业节水提供依据。结果表明：(1)研究区4种主要作物中,玉米生长期需水量最大,其次为小麦、油菜和大麦;(2)考虑降水补给,发现大麦和油菜生长需水可很大程度上依赖降水,而小麦和玉米则需要灌溉,且玉米灌溉需水量远超小麦;(3)作物用水效率由高到低依次为大麦、油菜、小麦和玉米。从用水效率角度而言,考虑种植区位,在黑河中游适当扩大小麦种植规模更有利于提高中游农业用水效率。     

郑州东北郊污水灌区重金属元素对土壤的污染

根据郑州市东北郊不同污水灌区、不同深度的土壤采样分析结果,计算了重金属元素在土壤中的概率分布类型及环境背景值,论述了重金属元素对土壤的污染特点及其对农作物生长的影响,并指出了汞污染土壤的普遍性和对粮食及蔬菜质量所造成的危害。     

Effects of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Trichoderma harzianum</Emphasis> YC459 and soil types on seed germination and seedling growth in rock slope restoration

We carried out experiments with various concentrations of Trichoderma harzianum YC459 in different soil types (forest soil, mixed soil, merchantable soil, and leaf mold soil) to evaluate its effect on seed germination and seedling establishment of four species (Festuca arundinacea Schreb., Dianthus barbatus var. asiaticus Nakai, Lespedeza cyrtobotrya Miq., and Parthenocissus tricuspidata Planch) for rock slope restoration. We also investigated the use of drilled slanted holes on the rock slopes for seedling establishment. The results showed that T. harzianum concentration had significant effects on seed germination, seedling growth, and seedling survival for all the species with different soil types. Seed germination and survival rates peaked at 5% T. harzianum concentration with leaf mold soil and decreased as T. harzianum concentration increased from 5% to 10%. Seedling survival rates of all four species were generally lowest at 0% T. harzianum concentration in all soil types. The height of F. arundinacea and L. cyrtobotrya peaked at 5% T. harzianum concentration whereas that of D. barbatus and P. tricuspidata peaked at 10% T. harzianum concentration. We concluded that 5% T. harzianum concentration with leaf mold soil is appropriate for seed germination and seedling survival rates of most species, thus enhancing seedling establishment. Practical application of the findings of this study will contribute in the vegetation restoration of steep rocks in mountain environments     

土壤有效硫批量检测方法改进

土壤有效硫检测的常规方法是利用硫酸钡比浊法,鉴于规范推荐的测试步骤在批量土壤样品测试时效率较低,因此对常规方法进行了改进。加入2.0g氯化钡晶粒改为加入浓度为200g/L氯化钡溶液10mL;加稳固剂阿拉伯胶水溶液4mL改为加入浓度为6%甘油-乙醇(1+2)溶液5mL。通过对比实验,改进后检测方法比常规方法操作简便快捷,省时、省力、数据准确可靠,标准曲线线性相关系数达到0.9982。对土壤有效态成分分析标准物质土样GBW07459(ASA-8)、GBW07460(ASA-9) GBW07461(ASA-10)进行多次平行测试,测试结果全部在标准值范围内,且平行相对相差≤10%,证明改进后的检测方法可用于土壤有效硫的检测。     

STATUS, CAUSES AND COMBATING SUGGESTIONS OF SANDY DESERTIFICATION IN QINGHAI-TIBET PLATEAU

Land desertification isone ofthe m ajorissuesofw orld-w ide concern and considerable am ount of research onthis subject has been carried out at hom e and abroad(D O N G and LIU , 1993a; 1993b; H O U ER O U ,1996;ZH A and G A O ,1996),especially the com m …     

Wind tunnel study of multiple factors affecting wind erosion from cropland in agro-pastoral area of Inner Mongolia, China

In this paper,the process of wind erosion on two kinds of soil from the agro-pastoral area of Inner Mongolia are studied using wind tunnel experiments,considering the wind speed,blown angle of wind and soil moisture content.The results showed that the modulus of soil wind erosion increases with an increase of wind speed.When the wind speed exceeds a critical value,the soil wind erosion suddenly increases.The critical speed for both kinds of soil is within the range of 7-8m·s-1.For a constant wind speed,the rate of soil wind erosion changes from increasing to falling at a critical soil slope.The critical slope of loam soil and sandy loam soil is 20° and 10°,respectively.Soil moisture content has a significant effect on wind erosion.Soil wind erosion of both soils decreases with an increase of the soil water content in two treatments,however,for treatment two,the increasing trends of wind erosion for two soils with the falling of soil water content are no significant,especially for the loam soil,and in the same soil water content,the wind erosion of two soils in treatment one is significantly higher than treatment two,this indicates reducing the disturbance of soil surface can evidently control the soil wind erosion.