We investigated the power of near infrared (NIR) analysis for the quantitative assessment of soil quality in a wildfire chronosequence. The effect of wildfire disturbance and soil engineering activity of earthworms on soil organic matter quality was first assessed with principal component analysis of NIR spectra. Three soil quality indices were further calculated using an adaptation of the meth...

This research investigates the interannual variability of soil moisture as related to large-scale climate variability and also evaluates the spatial and temporal variability of modeled deep layer (40–140 cm) soil moisture in the Upper Colorado River Basin (UCRB). A three layers hydrological model VIC-3L (Variable Infiltration Capacity Model – 3 layers) was used to generate soil moisture in the ...

Though much research has been conducted regarding traction of tires in soft granular terrain, little empirical data exist on the motion of soil particles beneath a tire. A novel experimentation and analysis technique has been developed to enable detailed investigation of robot interactions with granular soil. This technique, the Shear Interface Imaging Analysis method, provides visualization an...

Phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis of a soil microbial community was coupled with (13)C isotope tracer analysis to measure the community's response to addition of 35 microg of [(13)C]toluene ml of soil solution(-1). After 119 h of incubation with toluene, 96% of the incorporated (13)C was detected in only 16 of the total 59 PLFAs (27%) extracted from the soil. Of the total (13)C-enriched P...

the field study was conducted in one district of educational-experimental forest at tehran university (kheirood-kenar forest) in the north of iran. eighty-five soil profiles were dug in the site of study and several chemical and physical soil properties were considered. these factors included: soil ph, soil texture, bulk density, organic carbon, total nitrogen, extractable phosphorus and depth ...

soil and land information is vital for land use planning and infrastructure development. maps of soils landscapes are powerful tools to guide sustainable planning and natural resource management. fuzzy set theory has been widely used in soil science for soil classification and mapping, land evaluation, fuzzy soil geostatistics, soil quality indices. in fuzzy logic-based approaches, soil spatial...

The measurement of soil carbon dioxide respiration is a means to gauge biological soil fertility. Test methods for respiration employed in the laboratory vary somewhat, and to date the equipment and labor required have somewhat limited more widespread adoption of such methodologies. The purpose of this research is to compare the results of measured soil CO2 respiration using three methods: (1) ...

Abstract: Soil pH has a major effect on plant nutrient availability by controlling the chemical structure of the nutrient. Adjusting soil acidity or alkalinity improves soil nutrition without adding extra fertilizers. Soil nutrients needed by plants in the largest amount are referred to as macronutrients. In addition to macronutrients, plants also need trace nutrients and both macro and trace n...

The analysis and forecast of the distribution and dynamics of soil organic matter (SOM) content is an essential requirement for sustainable land management, especially in Western Jilin, where the saline-alkalized land increased at a very fast rate per year and is in desperate need of improving soil. Compared to conventional analytical methods, hyperspectral remote sensing is faster, cheaper, no...

Geotextiles have been commonly used in geotechnical and environmental engineering projects to prevent erosion of soils in contact with the filter without impeding the flow of seeping water through the soil. Several empirical criteria incorporating varying factors of safety have been proposed for selection of geotextile filters. A probabilistic numerical filter model, named RETAIN, using image-b...