An Extreme Value Analysis of Pollutant Concentrations in Surface Soils Due to Atmospheric Deposition

Risk assessments often rely on deterministic models using long-term averages or “steady-state” values of input variables. Such models do not provide the information needed to estimate acute exposures. This study uses extreme value theory to examine the frequency and magnitude of daily pollutant concentrations in surface soils predicted at six U.S. locations. Concentrations are predicted using a deposition-leaching model and 50 years of historical precipitation data. A stochastic model also is used to generate 1000 years of precipitation data as modeling inputs for each location. The annual maximum concentrations at each site are fitted to a Gumbel type I distribution to estimate occurrence probability. For soluble pollutants, the predicted concentration varied substantially with precipitation, and the maximum daily concentrations exceeded annual averages by 4 to 8 times. Observed and synthetic precipitation data produced similar results at most study locations, though the synthetic data provided a slightly better fit to the Gumbel type I distribution. The precipitation model allows the generation of representative precipitation data that extend limited historical records. The extreme value analysis facilitates the evaluation of maximum pollutant concentrations, return periods, and other statistics that are important in evaluating acute exposures.     

Leaching requirement conceptual models for reactive salt

Accurate prediction of the leaching requirements (Lr) of crops and striving to attain them is essential for efficient irrigation water use. Solute modeling was extended to develop four Lr conceptual models that do not neglect solute reactions in the root-zone, surface evaporation, and the influence of immobile wetted pore space. The models were based on: (i) the water movement equation which included an exponential water-uptake function (-e) or the 40-30-20-10 water-uptake function (-4); (ii) the solute movement equation for a reactive salt of a linear reaction term (the Lrchem-e and Lrchem-4 models); or the employment of output (salinity of soil solution, EC vs concentration factor, CF) of the SAO comprehensive chemical model (the LrSAO-e and LrSAO-4 models); and (iii) the inclusion of an effective soil solution volume in the transport equations. The root-zone average relative effective soil solution volume νeff (L | L50, p) was of sigmoidal response to leaching fraction (L) with two adjustable parameters L50 and p; the root-zone average reduced retention coefficient decreased linearly with L; and salt concentration at soil surface was related to salt concentration of irrigation water (ECi) by the fraction of irrigation water that evaporated (∈). The resulted concentration profiles indicated the salt behaved as a conservative one down to a threshold depth (xs) below of which salt was retained and precipitated. The depth of the conservative-salt front, xs increased with L and the 40-30-20-10 water-uptake pattern overestimated the xs depth relative to the exponential pattern. Concentration profiles were integrated to compute the root-zone average salinity, which was converted to crop salt-tolerance threshold (AE). The four conceptual models were successfully calibrated using experimental AE/ECi vs. Lr data with the input parameter values: ς = 0.27, p = 1.44, L50 = 0.16, ω = 2, and ∈ = 0 or 0.1 for the exponential or the 40-30-20-10 pattern, respectively; where ς is relative root length parameter and ω is a weighing parameter. No significant difference existed between the four model correlations at the 0.05 level. The four models require ECi and AE of the crop as input for Lr prediction. Sensitivity analysis revealed predicted Lr was sensitive the least to error in ∈. For tolerant and moderately tolerant crops Lr was sensitive the most to ς, and for sensitive crops to L50 and p. Model verification and validation were discussed. In deriving the present Lr models, no osmotic adjustment was required and both the exponential and the 40-30-20-10 water uptake patterns were, equivalently, applicable. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Nitrogen and phosphorus content of flow from drains fertilized with cow manure slurry

Summary The rate of flow and nitrate and phosphorus content of the water from four drained sandy and clayey plots of size 12×60 m cropped to continuous corn were determined following two annual applications of different rates (0, 260, 390 and 520 kg N/ha) of cow manure slurry. The drain flow was directly related to the rainfall and was greatly influenced by soil texture. The N losses were greater in 1972 (7.8 to 19.1 kg N/ha) than in 1971 (0.4 to 7.8 kg N/ha) because of more summer rainfall. Nitrogen and phosphorus losses were larger from the sandy plots than from the clayey plots. The manure application rates had no apparent effect on nitrogen losses in the drain water.     

基于秸秆还田条件下的黄灌区稻旱轮作土壤硝态氮淋失特征研究

宁夏引黄灌区农田面源污染较为严重,区内大部分排水沟水质为劣Ⅴ类,其主要污染物硝态氮与铵态氮。设置常规施肥(CK)、常规施肥条件下施用4500kg/hm~2(T1,半量还田)和9000 kg/hm~2(T2,全量还田)秸秆3个处理。利用树脂芯法吸附10、20、30、60、90cm土层的硝态氮流失量。2009—2013年的试验结果表明:秸秆还田能够减少土壤30cm土层的硝态氮淋失。与对照硝态氮淋失量(15.76 kg/hm~2)相比,T1(13.76 kg/hm~2)与T2(13.74 kg/hm~2)均达到显著差异(P0.05),淋失量分别减少12.71%和12.84%,T1与T2没有达到显著差异。秸秆还田对土壤硝态氮淋失的影响效应主要体现在30cm土层处,10、20、60与90cm土层处的处理与对照都没有达到显著差异。秸秆还田提高了30cm土层的土壤有机质与土壤总氮,与对照(13.78 g/kg)相比,T1与T2土壤有机质分别提高0.89 g/kg和1.24 g/kg;试验结束后,对照、T1和T2的总氮是达到0.64、0.66和0.69 g/kg,与对照相比,处理分别提高了2.76%和6.83%。秸秆还田有助于作物增产,T1与T2的水稻平均增产9.24%和10.37%,小麦增产10.11%和11.51%。     

铲草和施肥对降香黄檀与印度檀香混交林土壤氮素矿化淋溶的影响

珍贵树种降香黄檀与印度檀香混交种植是当前华南地区人工林发展的一种重要模式.本研究设置对照(不做处理)、铲草、施肥、铲草+施肥4个处理,研究抚育措施对林地土壤净矿化速率、净硝化速率、净铵化速率和氮素淋溶速率的影响.结果表明:4个处理0~10 cm土层在春、秋季有最大净氮矿化速率,分别为18.92、18.13 mg·kg^-1·month^-1;在春、秋季有最大硝化速率,分别为20.35、18.85 mg·kg^-1·month^-1;夏、冬季有最大铵化速率,分别为0.22、0.26 mg·kg^-1·month^-1;秋季的氮素淋溶最严重,为15.98 mg·kg^-1·month^-1,全年最大淋溶为86.69 mg·kg^-1.铲草、施肥、铲草+施肥都在一定程度上抑制了土壤氮的净矿化和硝化速率,铲草、施肥、铲草+施肥处理年氮矿化量分别下降26.2%、16.1%、6.3%,年氮硝化量分别下降17.1%、16.6%、1.4%,同时也抑制了土壤铵态氮的累积.铲草、施肥、铲草+施肥处理全年氮素淋溶量依次减少25.2%、8.6%、6.1%.相对于铲草、施肥、铲草+施肥抚育措施,季节因素对土壤氮素矿化和淋溶过程的影响更显著.铲草、施肥、铲草+施肥措施在一定程度上抑制了土壤氮素硝化和铵化过程,减少了土壤氮素的矿化和淋溶损失量,有利于土壤肥力的保存和氮素的累积.     

宁夏引黄灌区秸秆还田对麦田土壤硝态氮淋失的影响

以宁夏引黄灌区为例,探索秸秆还田条件下冬小麦土壤硝态氮淋失规律。试验设置常规施肥(CK)、常规施肥条件下施用4500kg/hm2(T1,半量还田)和9000 kg/hm2(T2,全量还田)秸秆3个处理。利用树脂芯法吸附10、20、30、60cm和90cm土层的硝态氮流失量。结果表明:硝态氮(纯N)淋失量6.26—12.85 kg/hm2,是冬小麦施用化肥氮量的2.78%—5.71%。与对照CK相比,T1和T2在10cm土层减少0.09%和3.97%;20cm土层减少8.51%和9.81%;30cm土层减少2.25%和10.34%;60cm土层减少23.85%和13.08%;90cm土层减少27.65%和20.73%。10cm和20cm土层,处理与对照以及处理之间均未到显著性差异(P0.05);30cm处理,T1与CK以及T1与T2未达到显著性差异,但T2与CK达到显著性差异表明全量还田效果最好;60cm土层,处理与对照、以及处理之间均达到显著性差异;90cm土层,处理与对照之间达到显著性差异,处理之间未达到显著性差异。硝态氮淋失主要发生在冬小麦返青至灌浆期间,占全生育期淋失量的52.95%—67.79%。T1、T2冬小麦产量增产率分别为10.11%与11.51%。可见,稻秆还田能够减少灌区土壤硝态氮淋失量。     

No‐tillage and fertilization management on crop yields and nitrate leaching in North China Plain

A field experiment was performed from 2003 to 2008 to evaluate the effects of tillage system and nitrogen management regimes on crop yields and nitrate leaching from the fluvo-aquic soil with a winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)–maize (Zea mays L.) double-cropping system. The tillage systems consisted of conventional tillage (CT) and no-tillage (NT). Three nitrogen management regimes were included: 270 kg N ha⁻¹ of urea for wheat and 225 kg N ha⁻¹ of urea for maize (U), 180 kg N ha⁻¹ of urea and 90 kg N ha⁻¹ of straw for wheat and 180 kg N of urea and 45 kg N ha⁻¹ of straw for maize (S), 180 kg N ha⁻¹ of urea and 90 kg N ha⁻¹ of manure for wheat and 180 kg N ha⁻¹ of urea and 45 kg N ha⁻¹ of manure for maize (M). An array of tension-free pan lysimeters (50 cm × 75 cm) were installed (1.2 m deep) to measure water flow and -N movement. No significant effect of the N management regime on yields of winter wheat and maize grain was found in the 5-year rotation. Tillage systems had significant influences on -N leaching from the second year and thereafter interacted with N management regimes on -N loads during all maize seasons. The average yield-scaled -N leaching losses were in order of CTS < NTS< CTU < NTU −1 for winter wheat system and from 0.99 (CTS) to 6.27 (NTM) kg N Mg⁻¹ for summer maize system for 5 rotation years. The results showed that CTS decreased the yield-scaled -N leaching losses while sustaining crop grain yields. Considering the lower costs, NTS could be a potential alternative to decrease yield-scaled -N leaching losses and improve soil fertility while maintaining crop yield for the winter wheat–maize double-cropping systems in the North China Plain.     

Long-term effects on the nitrogen budget of a short-rotation grey alder (Alnus incana (L.) Moench) forest on abandoned agricultural land

Short-rotation energy forestry is one of the potential ways for management of abandoned agricultural areas. It helps sequestrate carbon and mitigate human-induced climate changes. Owing to symbiotic dinitrogen (N₂) fixation by actinomycetes and the soil fertilizing capacity and fast biomass growth of grey alders, the latter can be suitable species for short-rotation forestry. In our study of a young grey alder stand (Alnus incana (L.) Moench) on abandoned arable land in Estonia we tested the following hypotheses: (1) afforestation of abandoned agricultural land by grey alder significantly affects the soil nitrogen (N) status already during the first rotation period; (2) input of symbiotic fixation covers an essential part of the plant annual N demand of the stand; (3) despite a considerable N input into the ecosystem of a young alder stand, there will occur no significant environmental hazards (N leaching or N₂O emissions). The first two hypotheses can be accepted: there was a significant increase in N and C content in the topsoil (from 0.11 to 0.14%, and from 1.4 to 1.7%, respectively), and N fixation (151.5 kg N ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹) covered about 74% of the annual N demand of the stand. The third hypothesis met support as well: N₂O emissions (0.5 kg N ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹) were low, while most of the annual gaseous N losses were in the form of N₂ (73.8 kg N ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹). Annual average NO₃-N leaching was 15 kg N ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ but the N that leached from topsoil accumulated in deeper soil layers. The soil acidifying effect of alders was clearly evident; during the 14-year period soil acidity increased 1.3 units in the upper 0-10 cm topsoil layer.     

氮添加对沙质草地氨挥发及硝态氮淋溶的影响

采用密闭室法和离子交换树脂袋法,研究了科尔沁沙质草地不同处理(水添加、氮添加、水氮添加)氧挥发的损失量和硝态氮的淋溶量.结果表明:氮添加处理和水氮添加处理显著促进了氨挥发(P＜0.05),最大氨挥发速率显著高于对照;氮添加处理和水氮添加处理的氨挥发累积量为111.80和148.64 mg·m-2,分别占氮添加量的1.1％和1.5％;水氮同时添加条件下,氨挥发累计量显著高于氨添加处理(P＜0.05),水添加处理和对照相比没有显著差异(P＞0.05);水氮添加处理显著增加了土壤深度20 cm处的硝态氮淋溶量(P＜0.05),氮添加处理和水氮添加处理的硝态氮淋溶量分别是对照的1.96和4.22倍,然而在土壤深度40 cm处各处理硝态氮淋溶量差异不显著(P＞0.05);可见,氮添加和水氮添加均促进了土壤的氧挥发,对硝态氮的淋溶没有显著影响.