Soil moisture gradients along hillslopes in humid watersheds, although indicated by vegetation gradients and by studies using models, have been difficult to confirm empirically. While soil properties and topographic features are the two general physiographic factors controlling soil moisture on hillslopes, studies have shown conflicting results regarding which factor is more important. The rela...

c-means clustering of remotely sensed (RS) data, and multiple linear regression relating spectral response to Knowledge of surface soil properties is used to assess past erosion soil attributes may be used to evaluate variability in and predict erodibility, determine nutrient requirements, and assess surface texture for soil survey applications. This study was designed to surface soil propertie...

Arsenite [As(III>] is a soluble and toxic species of arsenic that can be introduced into soil by geothermal waters, mining activities, irrigation practices, and disposal of industrial wastes. We determined the rates of As(III) adsorption, and subsequent oxidation to arsenate | As(V)| in aerobic soil-water suspensions using four California soils. The rate of As(III) adsorption on the soils was c...

We assessed the effects of canopy position and feral pig disturbance on soil moisture, pH, and inorganic nitrogen concentrations beneath canopies of Quercus agrifolia and surrounding grasslands on Santa Cruz Island, California. Percent soil moisture, pH, nitrate-N, and total inorganic nitrogen varied significantly with canopy position. Soil moisture decreased, and pH increased along transects f...

Soil moisture is an important property for agriculture, but currently commercialized soil moisture sensors are too expensive for many farmers. The objective of this study is to develop a low-cost soil moisture sensor using capacitors on a film substrate and a capacitive touch integrated circuit. The performance of the sensor was evaluated in two field experiments: a grape field and a mizuna gre...

We investigated two approaches for large-scale analysis and prediction of the spatial distribution of soil properties in an agricultural landscape in the Canadian prairies. The first approach was based on the implementation of nine types of digital terrain models (DTMs) and regression analysis of soil and topographic data. The second approach used a concept of accumulation, transit, and dissipa...

A field study involving wheat production was extended in order to study the effects of biochar (BC) amendment in paddy soil that had long-term contamination of Cd. The BC was used as an amendment in Cdcontaminated soil for its special property. BC was amended at rates of 10 to 40 t ha -1 during the rice season before rice transplantation in 2009. BC amendments increased soil pH by 0.11 to 0.24 ...