Stabilizing extracellular enzymes may maintain enzymatic activity while protecting enzymes from proteolysis and denaturation. A study determined whether a fast pyrolysis hardwood biochar (CQuest™) would reduce evaporative losses, subsequently stabilizing soil extracellular enzymes and prohibiting potential enzymatic activity loss following a denaturing stress (microwaving). Soil was incubated i...

A variety of techniques to measure matric potential or water potential in the laboratory and in the field are described in this section. The techniques described herein require equilibration of some medium whose matric or water potential can be determined from previous calibration or can be measured directly. Under equilibrium conditions the matric or water potential of the medium is equal to t...

We used the heat-pulse velocity technique to estimate transpirational water use of trees in an experimental 16-year-old Pinus radiata D. Don plantation in South Australia during a 4-month period from November 1993 to March 1994 (spring-summer). Fertilization and other silvicultural treatments during the first 8 years of the plantation produced trees ranging in diameter at a height of 1.3 m from...

Managers reduce piñon (Pinus spp.) and juniper (Juniperus spp.) trees that are encroaching on sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) communities to lower fuel loads and increase cover of desirable understory species. All plant species in these communities depend on soil water held at . 1.5 MPa matric potential in the upper 0.3 m of soil for nutrient diffusion to roots and major growth in spring (resource g...

wild jujube, ziziphus lotus, is a multipurpose xerophytic shrub of the rhamnaceae family widely distributed in arid and semi-arid regions of tunisia, where it occupies most soil types. the fruit is the edible part of the plant by local population. the reintroduction of this shrub requires the control of its multiplication in response to water shortage. this study aims to evaluate growth and wat...

One of the major challenges for agriculture is to understand the effects of agricultural practices on soil properties and diffuse pollution, to support practical farm-scale land management. Three conventionally managed grassland fields with similar short-term management, but different ploughing histories, were studied on a long-term research platform: the North Wyke Farm Platform. The aims were...

Fecal wastes from domestic animals, wildlife and humans are applied to the soil surface and to varying extents are incorporated into the soil. These fecal wastes can also enter water systems by direct contamination of the water or through seepage or surface runoff. Humans contaminate water sources through poorly processed sewage effluents, malfunctioning septic tanks and seepage from sanitary l...

The majority of hydraulic processes under a natural condition in a field are carried out under unsaturated flow conditions. The soil moisture retention curve (SMRC) is the most important hydraulic characteristic of an unsaturated soil whose knowledge is of prime importance in soil-water studies such as soil conservation, soil erosion, land evaluation, soil reclamation, and water resources manag...