Soil Science Commons^™

Using Thermal Infrared Imagery To Estimate Soil Hydraulic Parameters: A Novel Approach, Matthew B. Thomas

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

In this study, skin temperature measured with a thermal infrared (TIR) camera was used to estimate soil hydraulic parameters. These physical properties that control how soils transport and retain water are notoriously difficult to measure in the field due to spatial variability. Laboratory experiments were set up to record surface skin temperature response in a clean soil column using a TIR camera after an artificial wetting event. An array of thermocouples, a net radiometer, heat flux sensor and weather station were used to constrain the TIR data and the energy budget during the experiment. The soil column surface was then …

Analysis Of Microbial Diversity In Disturbed Soil, Tyler G. Sanda

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This paper uses the composition and abundance of microbial species to analyze soil recovery in disturbed land. Surface mining disturbs ecological communities throughout the world. As organizations seek to reclaim these disturbed lands, a proper analysis of recovery is needed. In previous studies, recovery of disturbed land was limited to surface examinations, which do not characterize the possible unseen devastating effects of the subsoil. Soil microorganisms are extremely sensitive to environmental changes such as strip mining. It is proposed that these microorganisms may serve as better indicators of recovery post disturbance. Our analysis indicates microbial recovery, however it may not …

Quantifying Ephemeral Gully Erosion With Photogrammetry Surveying, C. B. Weerasekara, A. Y. Shechukov

Conservation and Survey Division: Faculty and Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Soil Hydraulic Property Estimation Under Major Land-Uses In The Shawnee Hills, Trinity Joseph Baker

Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences

The ability to map soil moisture is becoming more important with changing climates and modeling these effects depends on reliable estimations of hydrologic soil properties under different land managements. This study: 1) tests the application of existing soil hydraulic property estimation methods against in-situ values of six catenas under two covers (forest and grass); 2) validate Random Forest Algorithm (RF) estimates informed from the six catenas on two separate catenas; 3) identify Rapid Carbon Assessment (RaCA) sites within the Shawnee Hills Region that represent different land-uses (Crop, Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), Forest, and Pasture); 4) apply RF learning tree informed …

Evaluating Soil Physical And Chemical Properties Following Addition Of Non-Composted Spent Coffee And Tea For Athletic Fields, Shuang Zhou

Theses and Dissertations--Plant and Soil Sciences

Physical and chemical properties of non-composted spent coffee (CF) and tea (T) suggest they may have applications as soil amendments for improving poor soils. Studies were conducted to determine 1) the effect of amendments on grass growth and soil properties, 2) the effect of incorporation versus surface application of amendments on soil properties, and 3) the effect of amendment application frequency on grass growth and soil properties. In the first study, amendments were mixed with sand and planted to bermudagrass. Treatments included CF, T, and peat moss (PM) mixed with sand, and 100% sand as a control. In the second …

Short-Term Effects Of Nutrients On A Barrier Island Grassland Community, Ashley Moulton

Theses and Dissertations

Increased nutrient availability globally has the potential to affect community functional composition of plants in nutrient limited environments, such as coastal grassland systems. Stability of these systems are threatened worldwide by urbanization, as well as effects of sea level rise and increased frequency and intensity of storms, and atmospheric N deposition, associated with climate change. Annual net primary productivity (ANPP), species composition, and functional traits (community weighted specific leaf area (CWSLA), leaf area index (LAI), growth form and photosynthetic pathway) were measured across four treatments to assess multiple resource limitation of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) and functional community response …

Soil Erosion Risk Factors And The Impacts Of Diversification On Organic Strawberry Farms Along California’S Central Coast, Kay Sterner

Pomona Senior Theses

Soil erosion is a major issue that threatens to undermine our current system of agriculture. Due to the fact that this system is in turn the number one cause of erosion, agricultural practices in the United States need to be rethought. This study explores how traditional ideas of erosion risks are related to observed erosion on organic strawberry farms along California’s Central Coast. In addition, diversified farming systems are addressed as a possible solution for the current unsustainability of our farming practices. The data from this research suggest that diversity of crops on farms could be linked to less soil …

Water–Soil–Vegetation Dynamic Interactions In Changing Climate, Xixi Wang, Xuefeng Chu, Tingxi Liu, Xiangju Cheng, Rich Whittecar

Civil & Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Previous studies of land degradation, topsoil erosion, and hydrologic alteration typically focus on these subjects individually, missing important interrelationships among these important aspects of the Earth's system. However, an understanding of water–soil–vegetation dynamic interactions is needed to develop practical and effective solutions to sustain the globe's eco-environment and grassland agriculture, which depends on grasses, legumes, and other fodder or soil-building crops. This special issue is intended to be a platform for a discussion of the relevant scientific findings based on experimental and/or modeling studies. Its 12 peer-reviewed articles present data, novel analysis/modeling approaches, and convincing results of water–soil–vegetation interactions under …

Nebraska Statewide Groundwater-Level Monitoring Report 2016, Aaron R. Young, Mark E. Burbach, Leslie M. Howard, Michele M. Waszgis, R. Matthew Joeckel, Sue Olafsen Lackey

Conservation and Survey Division: Faculty and Staff Publications

The term “groundwater” has come to be all but synonymous with Nebraska. Nearly three-quarters of the volume of the High Plains aquifer lies beneath the State, and groundwater maintains our streams, our ecosystems, our people, and our vitally important agricultural economy. Although Nebraska’s total groundwater resource is vast, it is also quite vulnerable to changes induced by natural processes and by humankind, necessitating a long-term commitment to wise management through informed decision making. Monitoring, studying, and reporting are the essential basis for such management and, ultimately, for meeting the myriad challenges presented by change.

The personnel of the Conservation and …

Determinants Of Integrated Soil Fertility Management Technologies Adoption By Smallholder Farmers In The Chinyanja Triangle Of Southern Africa, Powell Mponela, Lulseged Tamene, Gift Ndengu, Ruth Magreta, Job Kihara, Nelson Mango

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Integrated Soil Fertility Management (ISFM) technologies have proven to be viable options for improving land productivity and increasing yield. However, adoption of the set of complementary technologies that are required in ISFM is quite variable and studies tend to focus on single technologies. In this study we used cluster analysis to group technologies and ordered probit to determine the probability of multiple technology adoption. The result show that usage of ISFM in the Chinyanja Triangle (Southern Africa) is grouped into 3 technological sets based on complementarities. The set of nutrient dense technologies of inorganic fertiliser, compost and animal manure (ISFMset3) …

Aplikasi Pupuk Organik Terhadap Hasil Kacang Hijau (Vigna Radiate L.) Di Ultisol, Ida Widiyawati, T. Harjoso, T. T. Taufik

Jurnal Kultivasi

Permasalahan budidaya kacang hijau di Indonesia adalah produktivitas yang masih rendah dan lahan budidaya yang terbatas, sehingga dapat diatasi dengan mengoptimalkan lahan marginal seperti tanah ultisol untuk kegiatan budidaya kacang hijau. Tujuan pene-litian ini adalah untuk mengetahui varietas kacang hijau dan jenis pupuk organik yang mampu menghasilkan produksi tinggi di tanah ultisol. Penelitian dilakukan menggunakan polibag di Screen House, Fakultas Pertanian, Universitas Jenderal Soedirman pada bulan Juli-September 2015. Penelitian menggunakan Rancangan Acak Kelompok Lengkap (RAKL) dengan dua faktor. Faktor pertama adalah varietas kacang hijau yang terdiri atas tiga varietas, yaitu Vima 1, Betet, dan Murai. Faktor kedua adalah jenis pupuk, …

Pertumbuhan Dan Hasil Padi Gogo Hubungannya Dengan Kandungan Prolin Dan 2-Acetyl-1-Pyrroline Pada Kondisi Kadar Air Tanah Berbeda, A. Y. Rahayu, T. A.D. Haryanto, S. N. Iftitah

Jurnal Kultivasi

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui respons varietas padi gogo pada kadar air tanah berbeda terhadap pertumbuhan, hasil dan kandungan prolin dan 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline biji. Penelitian dilaksanakan di Universitas Tidar Magelang mulai bulan September 2012 sampai dengan Maret 2013. Percobaan menggunakan Rancangan Acak Kelompok Lengkap terdiri atas dua faktor yaitu varietas padi gogo (Inpago Unsoed-1, galur JSPGA 136, varietas Situ-bagendit (non-aromatik) dan varietas Mentik Wangi) dan tingkat kadar air tanah (100 % kapasitas lapang dan 50 % kapasitas lapang). Variabel pengamatan meliputi: tinggi tanaman (cm), jumlah anakan total per rumpun (batang), jumlah anakan produktif (batang), total panjang akar (m), umur berbunga (hst), …

Pengaruh Pupuk Pelengkap Cair Dan Sistem Olah Tanah Terhadap Pertumbuhan Dan Hasil Kacang Tanah (Arachis Hypogaea L.) Kultivar Nkancil Pada Inceptisols Jatinangor, Aep Wawan Irwan, Fiky Yulianto Wicaksono

Jurnal Kultivasi

Percobaan ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui pengaruh dosis pupuk pelengkap organik cair dan sistem olah tanah terhadap pertumbuhan dan hasil kacang tanah (Arachis hypogaea L.). Percobaan dilaksanakan di Kebun Percobaan Fakultas Pertanian, Universitas Padjadjaran, Jatinangor, dari bulan Januari 2015 sampai April 2015.Rancangan percobaan yang digunakan adalah rancangan acak kelompok (RAK) dengan 18 perlakuan dan 2 ulangan. Perlakuannya meliputi: kontrol (50 kg/ha Urea + 125 kg/ha SP-36 + 100 kg/ha KC1) + tanpa olah tanah, kontrol (50 kg/ha Urea + 125 kg/ha SP-36 + 100 kg/ha KC1) + pengolahan tanah minimum, kontrol (50 kg/ha Urea + 125 kg/ha SP-36 + 100 kg/ha …

Assessing The Impact Of A Constructed Wetland Biome On The Ecosystem Health Of Cedar Run, Thomas Vasilopoulos, Casey Lee

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

A wetlands ecosystem is defined as “an area saturated by surface or groundwater at a frequency or duration sufficient to support...a prevalence of vegetation typically adapted for life in saturated soil conditions” (Batzer and Sharitz, 2007). Wetlands serve as biofilters and thus have been used to treat sewage and wastewater, as well as to restore the health of polluted water systems. Solly Walker and Lorinda Palin, owners of a certified natural and biodynamic farm called Avalon Acres located in Broadway, Virginia, constructed a wetland two years ago, using the stream, Cedar Run, that flows through their property. Pollution from agricultural …

Ironstone Gravel Types In Western Australia: Re-Purposing A Geological Survey To Improve Soil Management, Edward A. Griffin, Karen Holmes, Tim Overheu

Conference papers and presentations

The deeply laterised landscapes of Western Australia’s wheatbelt contain large amounts of ferruginous concretions or pisoliths, referred to locally as ironstone gravel. Soil surveys over the years have described ironstone gravel presence and abundance, and the state soil classification system recognises their importance in agriculture by designating ‘ironstone gravel soils’ at the highest level of the classification hierarchy. These gravels have generally been assumed inert in agricultural soils; however, farm trials and anecdotal experience suggest they may play a more active role in nutrient and water retention than previously recognised. Gravelly soil performance under dryland agriculture varies dramatically across the …

Residual Effects Of Nitrogen Fertilization On Soil Nitrogen Pools And Corn Growth, Meghan E. Moser

Open Access Theses

Given the dynamic nature of soil nitrogen (N), inorganic N fertilization to corn (Zea mays L.) has potential to alter N pool balance by creating an accumulation or depletion of soil N. Current corn N recommendations in the common corn-soybean rotation of Indiana strive to find the best N rate that maximizes producer profit. Increasing our understanding of soil N will inform producers if they should adjust fertilizer rates for corn to influence maintenance of organic N and Carbon. Our objective was to determine residual N effects from fertilized corn in a corn-soybean rotation by measuring (1) soil N …

Annual Forage Cropping-Systems For Midwestern Ruminant Livestock Production, John Ernest Mcmillan

Open Access Dissertations

Annual forage cropping systems are a vital aspect of livestock forage production. One area where this production system can be enhanced is the integration of novel annual forages into conventional cropping systems. Two separate projects were conducted to investigate alternative forage options in annual forage production. In the first discussed research trial, two sets of crops were sown following soft red winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grain harvest, at two nitrogen application rates 56 and 112 kg ha-1 . The first set of crops were C4 summer annuals seeded within two weeks of wheat grain harvest and included, brown …

An Examination Of Geographic Patterns Of Soil Climate And Its Classification In The U.S. System Of Soil Taxonomy, Hans Edwin Winzeler

Open Access Dissertations

Soil climate, the record of temporal patterns of soil moisture and temperature, is an important component of the structure of U.S. Soil Taxonomy. The U.S. Soil Survey has used the Newhall Simulation Model (NSM) for estimating soil climate from atmospheric climate records at weather stations since the 1970s. The current soil climate map of the U.S. was published in 1994 by using NSM runs from selected weather stations along with knowledge-based hand-drawn mapping procedures. We developed a revised soil climate mapping methodology using the NSM and digital soil mapping techniques.

The new methodology is called Grid Element Newhall Simulation Model …

Controls On The Presence, Concentration, Storage, And Variability Of Soil Inorganic Carbon In A Semi-Arid Watershed, Christopher Allen Stanbery

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Soil inorganic carbon (SIC) constitutes approximately 40% of terrestrial soil carbon and is an integral part of the global carbon cycle; however, the controls on the storage and flux of inorganic carbon are poorly understood. Soil forming factors controlling SIC storage and flux include climate, organisms, relief, parent material, and time (Jenny, 1941). Rainfall is a primary factor controlling SIC accumulation in arid and semi-arid regions, but the hierarchy of controls on SIC development is complex. The Reynolds Creek Experimental Watershed in southwestern Idaho is an ideal location to study factors influencing SIC, as the carbon pool transitions from predominately …

Growth Of Methanogens In The Presence Of Perchlorate Salts: A Study For Possible Life On Mars, John Cale

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

The Phoenix Lander collected soil samples from Mars, and it detected perchlorate salts in its analysis [1]. As oxidizing agents, perchlorates pose a threat to the hypothesis that there may be microbial life on Mars. Since Mars is very dry, perchlorate may continue to accumulate in the soil. If anaerobic methanogens inhabit Mars, then they must be able to grow in the presence of perchlorate salts. There were four species of methanogens tested in this project. The methanogens were first exposed to small concentrations of calcium perchlorate, and then they were gradually tested at higher concentrations. Growth was measured by …