Search results for "Surface Processes"

Effects of soil compaction, rain exposure and their interaction on soil carbon dioxide emission

2012

Soils release more carbon, primarily as carbon dioxide (CO2), per annum than current global anthropogenic emissions. Soils emit CO2 through mineralization and decomposition of organic matter and respiration of roots and soil organisms. Given this, the evaluation of the effects of abiotic factors on microbial activity is of major importance when considering the mitigation of greenhouse gases emissions. Previous studies demonstrate that soil CO2 emission is significantly affected by temperature and soil water content. A limited number of studies have illustrated the importance of bulk density and soil surface characteristics as a result of exposure to rain on CO2 emission, however, none exami…

Influence of soil properties on the aggregation of some Mediterranean soils and the use of aggregate size and stability as land degradation indicators

2001

Abstract Soil aggregation in relation to other soil properties was studied along a climatological transect in the Southeast of Spain. Three sites were selected along this transect ranging from semiarid to subhumid climatological conditions. The aggregate size distribution, the macro and microaggregate stability of the superficial soil horizon and their relations with other soil properties were analysed. Large aggregates (>10, 10–5, 5–2 mm) were present in highest proportions in the most arid of the studied areas. These large aggregates were associated with high values of water-stable microaggregates; however, they did not improve soil structure and are related to high bulk densities and low…

Cementing agents involved in the macro- and microaggregation of a Mediterranean shrubland soil under laboratory heating

2014

The heating effect on aggregation and cementing agents of a Mediterranean soil was studied in two fractions (macro- and microaggregates) in different environments: under Quercus coccifera soil (UQ), under Rosmarinus officinalis soil (UR) and between plants or bare soil (BS). Samples were heated under laboratory conditions at different temperatures (220, 380, 500, 750 and 1000. °C) to establish their effects on the studied soil properties by comparison with unheated control samples (25. °C). Increasing temperature treatments caused significant changes in most soil variables. In both soil fractions, the presence of vegetation contributed to increase of the soil organic matter (SOM) content, w…

Spatial and short-term temporal variations in runoff, soil aggregation and other soil properties along a Mediterranean Climatological Gradient.

1998

Abstract Physical and chemical soil properties were measured along a mountainous climatological gradient in the province of Alicante (Spain). The objective was to evaluate how the climate affects certain soil properties at different temporal and spatial scales. These properties include infiltration, runoff and sediment concentrations resulting from rainfall simulation experiments performed in winter and in summer. Chemical soil properties like carbonate content, organic matter content and CEC were analysed in reference soil profiles along the gradient. Physical soil properties like soil moisture content, macroaggregation and waterstable microaggregation were measured at monthly intervals du…

Are polymers suitable rock analogs?

2002

To evaluate if a polymer is suitable for analog modeling, it is essential to know the rheological properties of the material. Polymers used in analog modeling exhibit a complex rheological behavior; only part of which has been taken into account in most modeling studies. The mechanical behavior is strongly dependent on strain rate and temperature, and is characterized by specific dependencies of the storage and loss moduli, related to the elasticity and viscosity, on the deformation rate (frequency). We have measured the storage and loss moduli at a broad range of strain rates and strains, using an oscillatory parallel-disk rheometer. Investigated materials are polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), …

Reduction of the frequency of herbaceous roots as an effect of soil compaction induced by heavy grazing in rangelands of SW Spain

2017

Rangelands in SW Spain constitute the most extensive ranching system on the Iberian Peninsula. During the last few decades, a significant increase in livestock numbers, along with a progressive substitution of cattle for sheep, have led to land degradation processes such as the reduction of grass cover and increased soil compaction in heavily grazed areas. Nevertheless, a better understanding of how soil compaction affects grass production is still needed. In this study, some of the effects of soil compaction due to heavy grazing are analysed, mainly the reduction of the frequency of herbaceous roots and its relationships with bulk density and soil penetration resistance. The study was carr…

Orbitally induced limestone/marlstone rhythms in the Albian—Cenomanian Cismon section (Venetian region, northern Italy): Sedimentology, calcareous an…

1996

Abstract A multidisciplinary study of the upper Albian—Cenomanian portion of the Cismon section (Venetian region, northern Italy) was undertaken in order to characterize the cyclic alternations of carbonate-rich and carbonate-poor layers and to investigate their possible origin and cyclic patterns. Limestone semicouplets are characterized by abundant radiolarians and micarbs (micron-sized calcitic fragments), common planktonic foraminifera, strong bioturbation, good oxygenation as expressed by the Mn* and V/(V+Ni) parameters, high Si/Al ratio, low K/Al, in the absence of pyrite and organic matter. The marlstone semicouplets are, on the contrary, frequently laminated, rich in pyrite and orga…

2018

Abstract. Here we present a sensitive method to analyze lignin oxidation products (LOPs) in speleothems and cave drip water to provide a new tool for paleo-vegetation reconstruction. Speleothems are valuable climate archives. However, compared to other terrestrial climate archives, such as lake sediments, speleothems contain very little organic matter. Therefore, very few studies on organic biomarkers in speleothems are available. Our new sensitive method allows us to use LOPs as vegetation biomarkers in speleothems. Our method consists of acid digestion of the speleothem sample followed by solid-phase extraction (SPE) of the organic matter. The extracted polymeric lignin is degraded in a m…

Cambios en el comercio exterior de los países del este. La difícil reinserción en Europa

1999

Changes in the foreign trade of the countries of the East. The difficult assimilation into Europe. The direction of the trading lines of the post-communist countries has been modified by the political and economical changes of the countries of the East of Europe, the dismantling of the COMECON, as well as by the disintegration of the USSR and the detente in the international relationships. During the forty years that the COMECON was prevailing, that region centred its attention on the USSR, but nowadays the East looiks at the West, concretaly at the European Union and more exactly at Germany. The composition of the imports and exports reveals the marked dependence on Central and Eastern Eur…

Geomatic applications tourban park in palermo

2015

Over the last few years topographical techniques have developed an exponential trend towards simplifying and speeding, both survey operations and analysis of data collected reaching at the same time ever higher levels of accuracy. Among the technologies that are increasingly taking the field in this context is part of the Mobile Mapping System (MMS) that, on any mobile platform, combines sensors and measurement systems designed to provide a 3D position of the platform and, at the same time, capable to acquire geographic data without the aid of control points on the ground. The study reported concerns the verification of the reliability metrics and a qualitative MMS in order to evaluate its …