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Dive into the research topics where Michael H. Ebinger is active.

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Featured researches published by Michael H. Ebinger.


Critical Reviews in Plant Sciences | 2006

Potential soil carbon sequestration and CO2 offset by dedicated energy crops in the USA.

Fabio Sartori; Rattan Lal; Michael H. Ebinger; David J. Parrish

Energy crops are fast-growing species whose biomass yields are dedicated to the production of more immediately usable energy forms, such as liquid fuels or electricity. Biomass-based energy sources can offset, or displace, some amount of fossil-fuel use. Energy derived from biomass provides 2 to 3% of the energy used in the U.S.A.; but, with the exception of corn-(Zea mays L.)-to-ethanol, very little energy is currently derived from dedicated energy crops. In addition to the fossil-fuel offset, energy cropping might also mitigate an accentuated greenhouse gas effect by causing a net sequestration of atmospheric C into soil organic C (SOC). Energy plantations of short-rotation woody crops (SRWC) or herbaceous crops (HC) can potentially be managed to favor SOC sequestration. This review is focused primarily on the potential to mitigate atmospheric CO2 emissions by fostering SOC sequestration in energy cropping systems deployed across the landscape in the United States. We know that land use affects the dynamics of the SOC pool, but data about spatial and temporal variability in the SOC pool under SRWC and HC are scanty due to lack of well-designed, long-term studies. The conventional methods of studying SOC fluxes involve paired-plot designs and chronosequences, but isotopic techniques may also be feasible in understanding temporal changes in SOC. The rate of accumulation of SOC depends on land-use history, soil type, vegetation type, harvesting cycle, and other management practices. The SOC pool tends to be enhanced more under deep-rooted grasses, N-fixers, and deciduous species. Carbon sequestration into recalcitrant forms in the SOC pool can be enhanced with some management practices (e.g., conservation tillage, fertilization, irrigation); but those practices can carry a fossil-C cost. Reported rates of SOC sequestration range from 0 to 1.6 Mg C ha−1 yr−1 under SRWC and 0 to 3 Mg C ha−1 yr−1 under HC. Production of 5 EJ of electricity from energy crops—a perhaps reasonable scenario for the U.S.A.—would require about 60 Mha. That amount of land is potentially available for conversion to energy plantations in the U.S.A. The land so managed could mitigate C emissions (through fossil C not emitted and SOC sequestered) by about 5.4 Mg C ha−1 yr−1. On 60 Mha, that would represent 324 Tg C yr−1—a 20% reduction from current fossil-fuel CO2 emissions. Advances in productivity of fast-growing SRWC and HC species suggest that deployment of energy cropping systems could be an effective strategy to reduce climate-altering effects of anthropogenic CO2 emissions and to meet global policy commitments.


Critical Reviews in Plant Sciences | 2009

Evaluation of different soil carbon determination methods.

Amitava Chatterjee; Rattan Lal; Lucian Wielopolski; Madhavi Z. Martin; Michael H. Ebinger

Determining soil carbon (C) with high precision is an essential requisite for the success of the terrestrial C sequestration program. The informed choice of management practices for different terrestrial ecosystems rests upon accurately measuring the potential for C sequestration. Numerous methods are available for assessing soil C. Chemical analysis of field-collected samples using a dry combustion method is regarded as the standard method. However, conventional sampling of soil and their subsequent chemical analysis is expensive and time consuming. Furthermore, these methods are not sufficiently sensitive to identify small changes over time in response to alterations in management practices or changes in land use. Presently, several different in situ analytic methods are being developed purportedly offering increased accuracy, precision and cost-effectiveness over traditional ex situ methods. We consider that, at this stage, a comparative discussion of different soil C determination methods will improve the understanding needed to develop a standard protocol.


Applied Spectroscopy | 2004

Determination of nitrogen in sand using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy

Ronny D. Harris; David A. Cremers; Michael H. Ebinger; Brian K. Bluhm

The use of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) to detect a variety of elements in soils has been demonstrated and instruments have been developed to facilitate these measurements. The ability to determine nitrogen in soil is also important for applications ranging from precision farming to space exploration. For terrestrial use, the ideal situation is for measurements to be conducted in the ambient air, thereby simplifying equipment requirements and speeding the analysis. The high concentration of nitrogen in air, however, is a complicating factor for soil nitrogen measurements. Here we present the results of a study of LIBS detection of nitrogen in sand at atmospheric and reduced pressures to evaluate the method for future applications. Results presented include a survey of the nitrogen spectrum to determine strong N emission lines and determination of measurement precision and a detection limit for N in sand (0.8% by weight). Our findings are significantly different from those of a similar study recently published regarding the detection of nitrogen in soil.


PLOS ONE | 2013

Evaluation of three field-based methods for quantifying soil carbon

Roberto C. Izaurralde; Charles W. Rice; Lucian Wielopolski; Michael H. Ebinger; James B. Reeves; Allison M. Thomson; Ronny D. Harris; Barry Francis; Sudeep Mitra; Aaron G. Rappaport; Jorge D. Etchevers; K.D. Sayre; Bram Govaerts; Gregory W. McCarty

Three advanced technologies to measure soil carbon (C) density (g C m−2) are deployed in the field and the results compared against those obtained by the dry combustion (DC) method. The advanced methods are: a) Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS), b) Diffuse Reflectance Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (DRIFTS), and c) Inelastic Neutron Scattering (INS). The measurements and soil samples were acquired at Beltsville, MD, USA and at Centro International para el Mejoramiento del Maíz y el Trigo (CIMMYT) at El Batán, Mexico. At Beltsville, soil samples were extracted at three depth intervals (0–5, 5–15, and 15–30 cm) and processed for analysis in the field with the LIBS and DRIFTS instruments. The INS instrument determined soil C density to a depth of 30 cm via scanning and stationary measurements. Subsequently, soil core samples were analyzed in the laboratory for soil bulk density (kg m−3), C concentration (g kg−1) by DC, and results reported as soil C density (kg m−2). Results from each technique were derived independently and contributed to a blind test against results from the reference (DC) method. A similar procedure was employed at CIMMYT in Mexico employing but only with the LIBS and DRIFTS instruments. Following conversion to common units, we found that the LIBS, DRIFTS, and INS results can be compared directly with those obtained by the DC method. The first two methods and the standard DC require soil sampling and need soil bulk density information to convert soil C concentrations to soil C densities while the INS method does not require soil sampling. We conclude that, in comparison with the DC method, the three instruments (a) showed acceptable performances although further work is needed to improve calibration techniques and (b) demonstrated their portability and their capacity to perform under field conditions.


Computational Biology and Chemistry | 1998

Modeling precipitation from concentrated solutions with the EQ3/6 chemical speciation codes

Lee F. Brown; Michael H. Ebinger

Abstract Four simple precipitation problems are solved to examine use of numerical equilibrium codes. The study emphasizes concentrated solutions, assumes both ideal and non-ideal solutions, and employs different databases and different activity-coefficient relationships. The study uses the EQ3/6 numerical speciation codes. Results show satisfactory agreement between solubility products calculated from free-energy relationships and those calculated from concentrations and activity coefficients. Most material balances are also satisfactory, but the modeling of an evaporation campaign exhibits serious deficiencies in the balances. Precipitates show slightly higher solubilities when solutions are regarded as non-ideal than when considered ideal, agreeing with theory. A code may or may not predict precipitation from a solution dilute in the precipitating species, depending on the database or activity-coefficient relationship used. In solutes remaining after precipitations there is little consistency in calculated concentrations and activity coefficients. They do not appear to depend on the database or activity-coefficient relationship used. These results reinforce warnings in the literature about perfunctory or mechanical use of numerical speciation codes.


Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment | 2007

Changes in soil carbon and nutrient pools along a chronosequence of poplar plantations in the Columbia Plateau, Oregon, USA.

Fabio Sartori; Rattan Lal; Michael H. Ebinger; James A. Eaton


Journal of Environmental Quality | 2001

Measuring total soil carbon with laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS).

David A. Cremers; Michael H. Ebinger; David D. Breshears; Pat J. Unkefer; Susan A. Kammerdiener; Monty J. Ferris; Kathryn M. Catlett; Joel R. Brown


Soil Science Society of America Journal | 2002

Soil Chemical Properties Controlling Zinc 2+ Activity in 18 Colorado Soils

Kathryn M. Catlett; Dean Heil; Willard L. Lindsay; Michael H. Ebinger


Soil Science Society of America Journal | 2003

Extending the applicability of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy for total soil carbon measurement

Michael H. Ebinger; M. Lee Norfleet; David D. Breshears; David A. Cremers; Monty J. Ferris; Pat J. Unkefer; Megan S. Lamb; Kelly L. Goddard; Clifton W. Meyer


Soil Science Society of America Journal | 2004

Physical and hydrological characteristics of reclaimed minesoils in southeastern Ohio

M. K. Shukla; Rattan Lal; J. Underwood; Michael H. Ebinger

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Pat J. Unkefer

Los Alamos National Laboratory

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Ronny D. Harris

Los Alamos National Laboratory

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Clifton W. Meyer

Los Alamos National Laboratory

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David A. Cremers

Los Alamos National Laboratory

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Madhavi Z. Martin

Oak Ridge National Laboratory

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Monty J. Ferris

Los Alamos National Laboratory

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Craig D. Allen

Los Alamos National Laboratory

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