Adoption of new management techniques that improve soil water storage and soil N plant availability yet limit N leaching may help improve environmental quality. A benchtop study was conducted to determine the influence of a single urea fertilizer rate (224 kg N ha) applied with band or fully mixed zeolite (clinoptilolite) application rates (up to 90 Mg ha) on NH4-N and NO3-N concentrations in a...

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...

in order to study the effects of climate and geomorphology on the development of soils and their physico-chemical peroperties, two transects on the loess parent material were selected in two regions of golestanprovince. the regions were: huttan (maraveh tappeh area) and gorgan with aridic-thermic and xeric-thermic soil moisture and temperature regimes, respectively. four pedons in hutan and fiv...

We used a time series of satellite multispectral imagery for mapping and monitoring six classes of montane meadows arrayed along a moisture gradient (from hydric to mesic to xeric). We hypothesized that mesic meadows would support the highest species diversity of plants, birds, and butterflies because they are more moderate environments. We also hypothesized that mesic meadows would exhibit the...

We determined the temporal dynamics of cambial activity and xylem cell differentiation of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) within a dry inner Alpine valley (750 m a.s.l., Tyrol, Austria), where radial growth is strongly limited by drought in spring. Repeated micro-sampling of the developing tree ring of mature trees was carried out during two contrasting years at two study plots that differ in ...

The southeastern US has experienced an increase in the number of extreme heat events since 1970s, due part to global change. Despite rising temperatures, greater variability weather also led more freeze across parts Southeast, particularly during El Niño winters. Structural variation forest stands and plant functional diversity can lead localized micrometeorological differences that may alter r...