Heavy metal inflow into the floodplains at the mouth of the river Weiße Elster (Central Germany)

From 1998 to 2002 investigations were carried out to estimate both the quantity and quality (heavy metal contents) of suspended matter loads discharged into a floodplain area measuring approx. 5 km² of the Central German river Weiße Elster, a tributary of the river Saale in the Elbe river basin. Flood sediments, suspended particulate matter, and floodplain soils were investigated especially for the main pollutants Cd, Zn, Cu, Pb, Cr, and Hg. Supplementary gamma spectroscopy examinations were performed to help to identify the age of deposits in order to estimate sedimentation rates for last decades. The recent flood sediments are contaminated by up to 33 times the geogenic background (Cd). Up to 55% of the total annual SPM load of the river Weiße Elster is relocated into the investigated retention area in the flood‐stricken year 2002. The sedimentation rates for the last 50 years vary between 0.5 mm/a and 1 mm/a in far away and rarely flooded parts and between 1 mm/a and 2 mm/a in the frequently flooded parts of the inflow of the retention area.     

Implementing quality control on a random number stream to improve a stochastic weather generator

For decades, stochastic modellers have used computerized random number generators to produce random numeric sequences fitting a specified statistical distribution. Unfortunately, none of the random number generators we tested satisfactorily produced the target distribution. The result is generated distributions whose mean even diverges from the mean used to generate them, regardless of the length of run. Non‐uniform distributions from short sequences of random numbers are a major problem in stochastic climate generation, because truly uniform distributions are required to produce the intended climate parameter distributions. In order to ensure generation of a representative climate with the stochastic weather generator CLIGEN within a 30‐year run, we tested the climate output resulting from various random number generators. The resulting distributions of climate parameters showed significant departures from the target distributions in all cases. We traced this failure back to the uniform random number generators themselves. This paper proposes a quality control approach to select only those numbers that conform to the expected distribution being retained for subsequent use. The approach is based on goodness‐of‐fit analysis applied to the random numbers generated. Normally distributed deviates are further tested with confidence interval tests on their means and standard deviations. The positive effect of the new approach on the climate characteristics generated and the subsequent deterministic process‐based hydrology and soil erosion modelling are illustrated for four climatologically diverse sites. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A broad‐scale assessment of the effect of improved soil management on catchment baseflow index

Although the importance of sustainable soil management is recognized, there are many threats to soils including widespread soil structural degradation. This reduces infiltration through the soil surface and/or the percolation of water through the soil profile, with important consequences for crop yields, nutrient cycling and the hydrological response of catchments. This article describes a broad‐scale modelling approach to assess the potential effect that improved agricultural soil management, through reduced soil structural degradation, may have on the baseflow index (BFI) of catchments across England and Wales. A daily soil–water balance model was used to simulate the indicative BFI of 45 696 thirty‐year model runs for different combinations of soil type, soil/field condition, land cover class and climate which encapsulate the variability across England and Wales. The indicative BFI of catchments was then calculated by upscaling the results by spatial weighting. WaSim model outputs of indicative BFI were within the 95% confidence intervals of the national‐average BFI values given for the Hydrology of Soil Type (HOST ? ) classes for 26 of the 28 classes. At the catchment scale, the concordance correlation coefficient between the BFI from the WaSim model outputs and those derived from HOST was 0·83. Plausible improvements in agricultural soil/field condition produced modest simulated increases of up to 10% in the indicative BFI in most catchments across England and Wales, although for much of southern and northern England the increases were less than 5%. The results suggest that improved soil management might partially mitigate the expected adverse effects of climate change on baseflow to rivers. Healthy, well‐functioning soils produce many additional benefits such as better agricultural yields and reduced pollutant movement, so improved soil management should provide win‐win opportunities for society, agricultural systems and the environment and provide resilience to some of the expected environmental impacts of climate change. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Hydraulics of overland flow influenced by litter incorporation under extreme rainfall

Water erosion on hillslopes is a worldwide environmental problem, which is a rainfall‐induced process, especially extreme rainfall. The great intensity of extreme rainfall strongly enhances the power of overland flow to detach soil and transport sediment. Plant litter is one of the most important constituents of ecosystems that often covers the soil surface and can be incorporated into topsoil. However, little attention has been paid to its effect on flow hydraulics owing to the veiled nature. This study aimed to examine the effects of incorporated litter on the hydraulic properties under extreme rainfall condition. To reach this goal, six litter rates of 0, 0.05, 0.10, 0.20, 0.35, and 0.50 kg m^?2 and four litter types collected from deciduous trees, coniferous trees, shrubs, and herbs were incorporated into topsoil. Then, simulated rainfall experiments were performed on five slope gradients (5°, 10°, 15°, 20°, and 25°) with an extreme rainfall intensity of 80 mm h^?1. The results showed that Froude number and flow velocity of the overland flow decreased, whereas flow resistance increased exponentially with litter incorporation rate. Litter type had an influence on flow hydraulics, which can mainly be attributed to the variations in surface coverage of the exposed litter and the litter morphology. Flow velocity and Darcy–Weisbach coefficient increased markedly with slope gradient. However, the variation of slope gradient did not modify the relationships between flow hydraulics and incorporated litter rate. The random roughness, resulting from heterogeneous erosion due to the uneven protection of surface exposed litter, increased linearly with litter incorporated rate. As rainfall proceeded, flow hydraulics varied with incorporated litter rate and slope gradient complicatedly due to the increases in flow rate and coverage of the exposed litter and the modification of soil surface roughness.     

1992—2018年中国旱作农田土壤湿度的时空模式及气象驱动因素

土壤湿度作为影响陆气水热交换的重要变量,指示了干旱的演变特征。为揭示中国旱作农田土壤湿度的变化特征及其气象驱动要素,本文利用站点数据研究了1992—2018年中国旱作农田土壤湿度变化趋势的时间和空间特征,采用相关性、敏感性分析等方法探究了土壤湿度的驱动机制。结果表明：2001年中国旱作农田土壤湿度的变化趋势发生转折,土壤湿度年际变化普遍由下降趋势变为上升趋势,主要由夏季和秋季土壤湿度主导。而且土壤湿度的变化存在空间异质性,2001年后东北地区的土壤湿度在显著增加,而西南地区在显著下降。降水量和蒸散发的时空变化是土壤湿度趋势发生时空变化的主要原因,二者存在协同作用,北方地区由降水主导,南方地区由蒸散发主导。     

西藏米拉山区土壤主要养分元素垂直分布特征

研究了米拉山区域土壤常规营养变化情况。该区域位于冈底斯山脉东段,巨大的高差、复杂多样的地势结构与地貌作用过程,以及极为复杂多样的气候类型、植被分布等,决定了本区域土壤形成过程的多样化和鲜明的垂直地带性分异特点。按垂直高程变化每100m设一采样点采集各剖面层土样样品,分析其常规营养组成。结果显示:米拉山东坡土壤显弱酸性,西坡土壤从米拉山口至拉萨由弱酸性递变至弱碱性;有机质从林芝八一镇至米拉山口而至拉萨市呈现递减规律变化,而且随剖面深度增加而降低;土壤全氮东坡A层高于西坡,B、C两层变化不明显,速效态氮东西坡剖面层次性变化分明,从八一镇至米拉山口递增,从米拉山口至拉萨递减;全磷含量A层高于B、C层,东坡剖面层次性变化较西坡显著,有效磷从八一镇至米拉山口递减,从米拉山口至拉萨递增;研究区土壤中钾素含量变化不明显。     

中国耕地土壤相对湿度时空分异

以全国653个农业气象站1993-2013年耕地的土壤相对湿度数据为基础,运用地统计方法,分析中国耕地土壤相对湿度时空分异特征与规律。结果表明:自1993年以来全国耕地的土壤相对湿度呈现波动上升趋势。全国耕地的土壤相对湿度普遍大于60%,分布区域自4月中旬开始随夏季风推移不断向北向西扩大,自10月下旬开始向东、南方向缩小。耕地土壤相对湿度值随土壤深度的增加而增加。年际尺度上,耕地的土壤相对湿度在夏秋季上升速度最快,变化幅度随土层深度增加而变小。土壤相对湿度与降水量存在较强的正相关关系,与潜在蒸发量、气温普遍存在较强的负相关关系。土壤相对湿度与各气象要素的相关性随深度加深而减弱。春、夏、秋季气象因素对旱地土壤相对湿度影响较大,冬季气象因素对水田影响更大。     

基于探地雷达的土体构型无损探测方法研究

土体构型对土壤水分、溶质运移过程和作物成长等有显著影响,常规测量采用人工挖土壤剖面取样、实验室化验分析等方法,其周期长效率低。针对以上问题,以探地雷达波形及其图像为研究对象,从检测土体构型的属性(层次、层厚、土质)入手,提出了一种使用探地雷达快速测量土壤土体构型的无损探测方法。基于探地雷达波形图像的纵向梯度信息能够反应土壤分层,采用包络检波法从探地雷达回波中提取包络信号,利用Hilbert分析其瞬时相位来确定分层位置;鉴于土壤介电常数与雷达回波振幅的关系,采用探地雷达回波振幅反演各层介电常数,由介电常数推算雷达波在土壤中的传播速度,以此得到土壤剖面各层厚度;根据探地雷达波形图的图像噪声与土壤砂壤比之间存在定量关系,提出采用主成分分析方法对每一层土质的图像进行噪声估计求得各层土壤的含砂量,结合支持向量机进而辨识各层土壤土质。建立涵盖地域信息、土壤指标、探测信息、图像多特征融合信息的土体构型知识库,并编制快速识别土壤土体构型的信息系统,在内蒙古自治区呼和浩特市周边2个试验基地、6个采样点、4类土壤土体构型使用该方法进行野外探测验证。研究表明:在上述地区地表以下1 m范围内的土体构型识别正确...     

东北黑土区保护性耕作的发展现状与成效研究

东北黑土区承担着国家粮食安全“稳压器”的重要责任。然而,由于长期超负荷开发利用导致黑土日益退化,黑土资源的永续利用受到严重制约。理论与实践证明,保护性耕作是保护黑土地、推动黑土耕地质量和耕作效益绿色增长的发展模式。综述了保护性耕作的基本内涵及其在东北黑土区的发展现状与技术概况,从保护性耕作在土壤保持、保墒效益、结构改善、固碳培肥和土壤生物多样性增加、节本增效等方面系统评估了东北黑土区实施保护性耕作后的生态与经济效益,提出黑土区实施保护性耕作存在的问题与未来发展方向,以促进黑土地保护与利用协调发展、推动保护性耕作高质量跨越式发展。