Soil Science Commons^™

Factors Affecting Anion Movement And Retention In Four Forest Soils, D. W. Johnson, D. W. Cole, H. Van Miegroet, F. W. Horng

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

Three hypotheses concerning the movement and retention of anions in forest soils were tested in a series of laboratory and field studies on two Tennessee Ultisols with mixed deciduous forest cover and two Washington Inceptisols, one with deciduous (red alder Alnus rubra Bong.) and one with coniferous [Douglas-fir, Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco] forest cover. The first hypothesis, that sulfate and phosphate retention was related to adsorption to free Fe and Al oxides, which were in turn related to soil parent material and degree of weathering, was not supported by results of laboratory and field studies. The young, relatively unweathered Washington …

Chemical Weathering Of Pyrite In Soils, Aaron D. Brown

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The products of pyrite oxidation, including solution phase Fe²⁺, Fe³⁺, S₂O₃^2-, S₄O₆^2-, SO₃^2- and SO₄^2- and solid phase Fe(OH)₃, were measured under controlled conditions in order to investigate the behavior of pyrite in calcareous and alkaline soils.

The distribution of sulfur oxidation products is pH dependent and can be interpreted in terms of metastable equilibrium among thiosulfate, disulfane disulfonate and sulfite. Thiosulfate and sulfite predominate in the pH range greater than about pH 7 or 8. Sulfane disulfonates are more …

The Effects Of Ultraviolet-B Radiation On Plant Competition In Terrestrial Ecosystems, Warren G. Gold, Martyn M. Caldwell

Green Canyon Environmental Research Area, Logan Utah

Evidence regarding the interaction of ultraviolet-B radiation and plant competition in terrestrial ecosystems is examined. The competitive interactions of some species pairs were affected even by ambient solar UV-B radiation when compared to control pairs grown without UV-B. Also, the total shoot biomass of these species pairs was depressed under ambient UV-B. Relatively large increases in UV-B radiation altered the competitive interactions of some species pairs grown in pots under field conditions, but did not affect the total shoot biomass production of those pairs. Recent field experiments have examined the competitive interactions of wheat and wild oat under a simulated …

Genesis Of A Vertisol And An Associated Palexeroll In Northern Utah, Robert C. Graham

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The genetic relationship between a Vertisol and an associated Mollisol with an argillic horizon was studied. These soils are taxadjuncts of the Hawkins and Ostler series, respectively. They occur in the Wasatch Mountains of northern Utah and have similar parent materials, altitudes, and slope percentages. Ostler soils have a dense cover of Gambel oak (Quercus gambelii) and occur preferentially on north aspects. Mule's ear (Wyethia amplexicaulis) is the dominant vegetation on Hawkins soils, which are most frequent on south aspects. Erosion is prevalent on Hawkins soils because the mule's ear does not adequately cover the soil …

Characteristics And Genesis Of Certain Soils In The Southern Foothills Of Central Alborz, Iran, Firouz Rooyani

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Characteristics and genesis of five pedons representing some of the soils of the central Alborz mountain northeast of Tehran were investigated. The present climate of the area is similar to the Mediterranean climate. The parent materials for the soils under study have apparently been derived from the Ecocene Alborz Green Beds (a thinly bedded light green mudstone), the Pliocene Hezardareh Formation (a poorly-cemented conglomerate) and Recent alluvium and colluvium. Pedons 2 and 4 are located at lower elevations (plain and river terraces) on 1 to 2 percent slopes. Pedons 3 and 5 are located at higher elevations (hills that surround …

Turbidity - Suspended Sediment Relations In A Subalpine Watershed, Thomas A. Holstrom

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The effect of particle size distribution of suspended sediment vii upon a turbidity reading at a known concentration has been relatively quantified for stream bank materials on the Moccasin Basin - North Fork Fish Creek (MB-NFFC) Watershed, located in northwestern Wyoming. As expected, an increase in the median particle size in suspension results in a decrease of turbidity at a given concentration. The relationship derived correlates the particle size distribution of a chemically dispersed stream-bank material sample, with the Coefficient of Fineness for a mechanically dispersed portion of the sample.

Interpretation Of Selected Soil Data From The Central Part Of Utah, Amjad T. El-Rihani

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Seventy-eight soil samples belonging to 15 sites were sampled by SEAM project in 1976. These 15 pedons represent different soil types which cover the Manti-LaSal area in the central part of Utah. The 15 pedons were described in standard notation. Complete soil analysis was done. The soil analysis includes the following determinations: particle size distribution, moisture retention, soil pH, organic matter, electrical conductivity, calcium carbonate equivalent, cation exchange capacity , base saturation, extractable cations and saturation extract soluble. Also x-ray diffraction for selected horizons was done.

The 15 pedons were classified according to the currently used system. This report includes …

The Evaluation Of A Computer Model To Predict The Effects Of Salinity On Crop Growth, James K. Wolf

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A model was developed to predict the effects of soil salinity on crop growth. The model makes three major assumptions: 1) Relative yield for a growing season is directly related to the ratio of actual and potential transpiration. 2) Water uptake by plants is in response to the water potential gradient between the plant roots and the surrounding soil. 3) The effects of the soil salinity on crop growth is solely due to the affect of osmotic potential in decreasing the water potential. Minor assumptions also included are concerned with the plant growth cover, plant root growth, and the separation …

Effect Of Drilling Fluid Components And Mixtures On Plants And Soils, Parvin Pesaran (Djavan)

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The concern about the environment has required that the effects of drilling fluids (muds) on surrounding areas be known. This study was initiated to investigate the effects of various muds on plant growth and on soils.

In preliminary studies in Phase I (31 individual mud components), it was concluded that the obvious dominant effects on plant growth of detrimental drilling fluid components included excess soluble salts, excess exchangeable sodium percentage, possibly a high pH in some mixtures, and undesirable physical conditions. The latter resulted from the sodium and/or starch, gums, and bentonite.

Phase II, the second year's study of the …

Phosphorus Availability As Indicated By Alfalfa Response To Applied Phosphorus On Soils With Low Soil-Test Values, Ibrahim Odeh Ghawi

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A field experiment was conducted at two locations in Utah, one at Erda in Tooele County and the other at Minersville in Beaver County. Each experiment was designed as a randomized block design with five treatments and four replication s for each treatment. The test crop was alfalfa. Three cuttings were taken from each location to estimate the yield. Soil samples from the first 12 inches and subsoil samples from 12-24 inches were taken to determine the available NaHCO₃-P in the soils. Plant samples were taken to determine the P content of the crop. The results showed that …

Vertical Mesoscale Water Vapor Flux In An Irrigated Valley, Esmaiel Malek

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

To obtain the profiles of dry bulb and wet bulb temperature, specific humidity, q, and air density, ρ, to a height of 200 meters above the ground, a precise lightweight thermocouple psychrometer was designed. To lift the thermocouple psychrometer and the attached wires in obtaining the ρq profiles, a rigid polyethylene balloon augmented with 5.5-feet outdoor or 100-g meteorological balloons were used. Using the height dependent eddy exchange coefficient and a one-dimensional time-dependent profile model, the nighttime variations of ρq as a function of height were predicted and compared with observed values. It was found that the general shape of …

Seasonal Course Of Root Respiration In Atriplex Confertifolia, Richard S. Holthausen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Root respiratory response of mature Atriplex confertifolia plants growing in established communities was measured during two growing seasons using freshly excised root segments and gas chromatography techniques. Respiratory response at fixed test temperatures changed significantly during the growing season, and this pattern of respiratory adjustment varied for root segments located at different depths in the soil profile. Respiration measured at a constant test temperature was highest during early sumner, and declined to minimum values in late summer and fall. Root segments taken from the top 30 cm of the soil profile displayed peak activity several weeks before root segments from …

The Accuracy Of Soil Mapping Units Of Certain Pachic And Cumulic Soils In Northern Utah, Behjat Badamchian

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to determine the accuracy of mapping of pachic and cumulic soils in Cache County. The soil maps that were used for this study as the basemap were the Atlas sheets of the published soil survey of Cache County.

Five map units from Mendou, Nebeker, Avon, Hendricks and Winn which include almost 52 percent of the pachic and cumulic soils in the survey area were selected for this study. These five soils cover large areas when compared to other soil series and they are distributed throughout the county. All these map units were recognized as …

Irrigation Scheduling Program For Sugarcane, Terence L. Pearse

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

An estimate of potential evapotranspiration is acquired to implement an irrigation scheduling program. Four equations, which estimate potential evapotranspiration (evaporation) were evaluated for prediction of Class "A" Pan evaporation. The equations used were Penman's combination equation, the Jensen-Haise temperature and radiation equation, and two of the Christiansen-Hargreaves polynomial regression type equations. Measured and calculated radiation was used together with two values of albedo. Four years of daily climate data from Rhodesia was evaluated by general linear regression methods.

Despite the significant variations between the four annual regression lines of each equation, the use of confidence intervals indicate that the Penman …

Modeling Spring Wheat Production As Influenced By Climate And Irrigation, V. Philip Rasmussen Jr.

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A model has been developed that predicts spring wheat grain and dry matter yield. Preliminary tests show very favorable results when predicting grain yield in two different climatic regimes, one being a dryland and another being an irrigated area. The strengths of the model lie in its simplicity, relatively available input data, and low computer processing time cost. Weakness of the model stem from the assumptions that allow its simplicity. The basic assumption in the model is that grain and dry matter yield can be related to the ratio of actual to potential transpiration, computed for each of five phenological …

Albedo Of The Earth's Surface -- A Comparison Of Measurements Taken On The Ground And From Flying Platforms, Frank D. Eaton

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The main objectives of this study were to develop the intricacies of reflected solar radiation from different natural surfaces and to show comparisons between values sensed in space of emergent radiation to ground values obtained from accounting for anisotropic reflection and estimating the effect of the intervening atmosphere. Thus, this study demonstrated that a prior knowledge of the angular distribution of reflected radiation allows determining the true hemispherical reflected radiation from a narrow field of view instrument such as found on a flying platform. Measurements for determining the indicatrices were made from a tower-mounted Nimbus MRIR and, in one case, …

A Model For Designing Surface Drainage Systems In Nearly Level Agricultural Lands, Rafael Maria Rojas

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The increasing demand for reclamation of periodically waterlogged nearly level agricultural lands in humid tropical areas and the hazard of soil deterioration and soil moisture balance disturbances by current land forming methods suggests the need for investigations of new surface drainage design procedures. This report presents a rainfall-runoff model for simulating hydrographs from ungaged agricultural plots. The model is based on routing procedures and utilizes common soil and hydrologic data. Tests made with several small agricultural water-sheds indicate that the model could be a useful tool in simulating surface drainage design.

Input data for the model consists of (a) rainfall …

Some Aspects Of The Salinity Of Mancos Shale And Mancos Derived Soils, James C. Whitmore

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Initial studies to determine the thermodynamic solubility product (K_sp) of gypsum and CaCO₃ were conducted. The influence of different electrolyte salts at different concentrations upon the solubility of gypsum and CaCO₃ was then tested. Analytical data was utilized in conjunction with a computer to calculate the activity of CaCO₃ and gypsum, the ion pair concentration and the solubility product. Indifferent salts increased the solubility of gypsum and CaCO₃, and salts with a common ion decreased the solubility of gypsum and CaCO₃.

Lithium was found to be the dominant monovalent cation present …

A Model To Predict The Effect Of Salinity On Crop Growth, Stuart W. Childs

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A model is developed to predict the effects of soil salinity on crop growth. As an outgrowth and extension of the modelling efforts of Nimah and Hanks (1973a) and Gupta (1972), this model makes these principal assumptions in order to arrive at a quantitative relationship: 1) relative yield for a growing season is directly related to the ratio of actual and potential transpiration. 2) Water uptake by plants is in response to the water potential gradient between the plant at the soil surface and the soil surrounding the plant roots. 3) the effect of salinity on crop growth is solely …

Effect Of Drilling Fluid Components And Mixtures On Plants And Soils, Shahnaz Honarvar (Asad Sangabi)

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Using greenhouse pot techniques, 32 drilling mud components were tested to see if, at a high rate of addition, they reduced plant growth. Green beans and sweet corn were the test plants. The excellent black, silt loam, slightly acidic, uncultivated Dagor soil (Cumulic Haploxeroll) was used for most tests. Rates used were considered to be abnormal level (high rate) and usual (low rate) amounts that might be added in commonly used drilling muds.

Drilling mud components that caused no observable or statistically significant reductions of plant yield are the following: Super Visbestos, (Asbestos), asphalt, Ben-Ex (a vinyl acetate and maleic …

Evaluating The Availability Of Organic Nitrogen In Soils, Saleh M. Romaih

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The main objective of this study was to evaluate the organic N in silty clay loam soil as an indicator of soil fertility. The incubation method was used in this study. The NO₃ -N, the total N percent, and the organic matter were determined. The soil which was used in this study came from Evans Research Farm. The samples were taken from two different N experiments which were adjacent to each other. The soil samples were taken in October-November, 1973, after the crop had been harvested. These two experiments had different cropping histories.

The results of the first experiment …

The Contribution Of Subsoil Phosphorus To The Nutrition Of Alfalfa As Influenced By Soil Temperature, Reuel E. Lamborn

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

High bicarbonate-soluble phosphorus (P) in some Utah subsoils may affect the validity of fertilizer recommendations based on plow layer samples. The primary objective of this experiment was to determine the proportion of plant P derived from subsoils at typical Utah soil P levels and soil temperatures.

A calcareous soil very low in bicarbonate-soluble P was treated with various amounts of P and packed into deep pots to provide 24 centimeters of "topsoil" and 27 centimeters of "subsoil". Water baths in a growth chamber were used to control soil temperatures at 14 centigrade and 20 centigrade. Light, air temperature and humidity …

Residual Nitrogen As It Affects Soil Fertility Under Irrigated Agriculture In A Tropical Wet-Dry Climate, Don Carlos Kidman

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In the Zapotitan Valley near San Andres, El Salvador, Central America, an experiment was conducted to determine the availability of residual soil N to corn grown during the rainy season. This was an extension of an experiment conducted during the preceding dry season. The variables of the dry season experiment were irrigation method, crop, and rate of fertilizer N application. Soil NO₃-N and NH₄-N were determined by soil sample analysis to a soil depth of 120 cm by 30 cm depth increments. The samples were taken at the end of the dry season experiment and again …

Distribution Of Available Phosphorus In The Subsoil Of Selected Pedons Of The Warm Springs Series, Duane Altman Lammers

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The Warm Springs soil series which contained variable amounts of subsoil available (sodium bicarbonate extractable) phosphorus was studied to explain the variability and distribution of the NaHCO₃-P in the subsoil. Four pedons ranging in subsoil NaHCO₃-P from less than 10 ppm to greater than 30 ppm were selected in an area of less than 200 ha located on a nearly level, low lake terrace east of the Great Salt Lake in Weber County, Utah.

The morphology of each pedon was described in the field and samples collected from each genetic horizon or contrasting layer. Each soil …

Determination Of Crop Production Functions As Related To Soil Moisture And Nitrogen, James W. Bauder

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Soil moisture and nitrogen are often the primary controlling factors of crop production. Production functions are valuable in describing crop responses to such controlling factors. Such functions are also needed for determining the economic reliability of crop production.

Soil moisture and nitrogen fertilizer were maintained at various levels to determine the response of field corn to these controlling factors. A conventional split plot design, a continuous function experimental design, and a confined barrel plot design were used to obtain data for determining production functions.

The complete factorial, conventional split plot data was successfully used to generate reliable production functions in …

Characteristics And Genesis Of The Parleys And Mendon Soils Series In Northern Utah, Khalid I. Al-Amin

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The study was designed to test the genetic theory of soil development of two soils derived from different geological material, but developed under conditions of similar climate, topography, biological activity, and age. An attempt was made to relate the soils characteristics to their present classification. Parleys and Mendon series which developed from Bonneville and Salt Lake Formation, respectively, were selected for that purpose. Along the east side of Cache valley, two pedons representing each of the studied series were selected to have similar soil formers except for their parent material.

Evidently, these studied soils have been developed from different heterogenous …

A Study Of The Radiation Quality Under Plant Canopies In The Wave Range 0.4 To 2.5 Microns, Nolasco G. Baldazo

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The spectral distribution of the global radiation from 0.4 to 2.5 microns penetrating deciduous and coniferous canopies were measured during clear days between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. using a double-quartz monochromator.

In the visible region (0.4 to 0.7 micron) the average relative spectral transmissions under both canopies are about one percent beginning at 0.4 micron and decreasing to about half a percent at 0.67 micron. There is only a small peak in the green (0.55 micron) transmission under deciduous stands while there is none under coniferous canopies. The slightly higher transmission in the blue (0.4 micron) is attributed to …

1972 Progress Report: Soil As A Factor In Modelling The Phosphorus Cycle In The Desert Ecosystem, J. J. Jurinak, R. A. Griffin

Elusive Documents

The research conducted in 1972 emphasized a nutrient assay of soil from the Curlew Valley site, phosphorus inventory of the vegetation and rabbit droppings, and further chemical characterization of soil phosphorus, which also included determination of the kinetics and energetics of the calcium carbonate-phosphate system.

Bromegrass Productivity In Relation To Precipitation, Shrub Canopy Cover And Soil Nitrogen Content, Lawrence G. Kline

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In seasons of above normal precipitation, populations of annual weedy species increase in great abundance in semi-arid desert plant communities. These increases in biomass tie up a considerable portion of the available nitrogen of such ecosystems and may depress subsequent annual grass germination.

A big sagebrush-annual bromegrass plant community was irrigated to simulate a spring growth period of abundant precipitation amenable to annual bromegras s productivity. Productivity and nitrogen content parameters were monitored throughout the spring and summer to evaluate the short and potential long term effects of this seasonal increase in "precipitation".

Irrigation increased annual bromegrass productivity almost 50 …

An Intensive Edaphological Characterization Of The Soils Of Malambito Experimental Station And Its Implications In Future Agricultural Research, William L. Rubink

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Malambito Experiment Station, in the Atlántico III project area, Department of Atlántico, Colombia, had almost no quantitative edaphological data on which to base agricultural research. Unexplainably low general yields as well as problem areas of deficient plant growth only confounded the results of field plot experiments. Intensive soil sampling and subsequent measurements of pH, EC_e of the saturation extract, and the four major cations disproved the previous suggestions that the crop growth problems were related to saline, sodic, or degraded soil conditions. The Ca/Mg+K+Na ratio, although significant when correlated with plant height, was sufficient explanation for only a small …