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Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

1995

Earth Sciences

Soil freezing

Articles 1 - 4 of 4

Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Biological Processes: Relationships Between Earthworms And Soil Temperature, Edwin C. Berry, Jerry K. Radke Jan 1995

Biological Processes: Relationships Between Earthworms And Soil Temperature, Edwin C. Berry, Jerry K. Radke

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

Soil fauna play important roles in many soil processes and conditions which relate to agricultural systems. Earthworms are credited with enhancing soil fertility and soil physical properties by their feeding and burrowing activities. Most research on earthworms has focused on the warmer seasons of the year and relatively little is known about earthworm activity and survival during the portion of the year with frozen soils. Earthworms may survive winter by acclimatization, aestivation, or by burrowing to deeper depths where the soil is not frozen. More research is needed on the fate of earthworms in frozen soils. Suggested research areas include: …


Freezing And Thawing Of Agricultural Soils: Implications For Soil, Water, And Air Quality, Brenton S. Sharratt, Keith E. Saxton, Jerry K. Radke Jan 1995

Freezing And Thawing Of Agricultural Soils: Implications For Soil, Water, And Air Quality, Brenton S. Sharratt, Keith E. Saxton, Jerry K. Radke

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

Most agricultural lands in the USA are subject to subfreezing temperatures. Soil freezing and thawing affects both biotic and abiotic interactions and processes which vary with weather, soil type, land management, and topography. Soil fauna generally undergo physiological changes or rely on locomotion as a means of adapting to frozen soils. Managing faunal populations using soil management may be achievable with a better understanding of winter ecological processes. Many of the thermal, hydraulic, mechanical, and physical properties of soils are altered by freezing and thawing. Soil erosion may be accentuated by soil freezing and thawing as a result of changes …


Migration Of Water During Winter In West Central Minnesota Soils, Brenton S. Sharratt Jan 1995

Migration Of Water During Winter In West Central Minnesota Soils, Brenton S. Sharratt

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

Soil freezing influences the amount and quality of our water resources, yet, little is known concerning the impacts of soil texture and water content before freezing on water migration in frozen soils. Columns of Hamerly clay loam and Sioux loam at 3 initial water contents were subjected to the vagaries of the field environment at Morris, Minnesota during the winter of 1993-1994 and then sectioned to determine changes in soil water content. Redistribution of water in the frozen soil layer became more apparent with an increase in initial water content. Little movement of water occurred at the lowest initial water …


Soil Freeze-Thaw Processes: Implications For Nutrient Cycling, C. Wayne Honeycutt Jan 1995

Soil Freeze-Thaw Processes: Implications For Nutrient Cycling, C. Wayne Honeycutt

Journal of the Minnesota Academy of Science

Soil freeze-thaw processes can regulate nutrient availability to plants by influencing nutrient leakage from plant tissues, nutrient release from soil organisms, mineral weathering, various inorganic nutrient transformations, and nutrient transport in both soil solution and sediment. These aspects of freeze-thaw processes are given in this review. A frequently reported observation is that soil water content controls the extent of freeze-thaw impacts on several chemical, physical, and biological processes and components important for nutrient cycling. Practices affecting soil water content, such as tillage and crop residue management, may therefore provide opportunities for managing freeze-thaw impacts on nutrient use efficiency in crop …