Siyang Chen

Combined impacts of freeze–thaw processes on paddy land and dry land in Northeast China

The quantity of spring snowmelt infiltration and runoff, which affects the hydrology of the freeze zone, depends on the antecedent soil water content (SWC) conditions at the time of the soils freezing. An understanding of the characteristics of frozen soil is essential for spring sowing in the agricultural freeze zones. The main goal of this study was to evaluate the differences in the freeze-thaw process and the freeze-thaw-induced water redistribution between the paddy and dry lands in a freeze zone. For this purpose, a field study was conducted in the winter of 2011-2012 for two types of farmlands in Northeast China. To illustrate the soils frost dynamics over time, the measured SWCs at different depths (15, 30, 60, and 90 cm) were transformed into different expressions including the SWC dynamic, the frozen soils profile, and the freezing and thawing front trace. The freezing characteristics in the paddy land, in contrast to that in the dry land, had a higher freezing point temperature, a larger amount of water movement to the upper layer, and a 2.76 mm larger accumulation of water in the upper layer. However, the increase of SWC (which is equivalent to thawing) was evidently faster than the decrease of SWC (which is equivalent to freezing). The water in the frozen soils profile was most likely redistributed towards the freezing front before soil temperature (ST) falls below the freezing point. The findings may partially explain the soils freeze-thaw characteristics for the different stages as well as the combined impact of these characteristics with farmland use types on soil hydrology; the findings may also provide a foundation for forecasting the hydrologic response of the freeze-thaw process and provide guidance for management strategies dealing with seasonally frozen agricultural soils.

Factor controlling soil organic carbon and total nitrogen dynamics under long-term conventional cultivation in seasonally frozen soils

Abstract Limited information is available for understanding factors controlled dynamics of soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN) affected by long-term conventional cultivation in seasonally frozen soils. A 19-year observation in this study was conducted in north-eastern China to evaluate effects and relative importance of potential factors. SOC variation extent was greater relative to global average as per unit of annual mean air temperature and precipitation changed. Increased carbon sequestration was observed in meadow lessive, while slight to moderate declines occurred in meadow-boggy soil and meadow soil. However, no differences in TN were found across soil types. At sites with low slope, carbon and nitrogen sequestration increased, largely due to water movement. Increased biomass with introducing 1-year oilseed rape/fallow in crop rotations could promote SOC and TN accumulation in the long run. Planting proportion of crops could also regulate carbon and nitrogen levels at a farm scale; the optimal ratio was observed in the range of 0.8–1.4. High crop yield was associated with lower carbon and nitrogen levels, and nutrient thresholds of yielding increment were observed as 25.7 g kg−1 for carbon and 2.6 g kg−1 for nitrogen. The length of frost-free period or cultivation period could not help sequestrating carbon and nitrogen. Chemical fertilizer with crop residues provoked SOC and TN increments compared with no chemical fertilizer plus little organic manure. Different factors exerted different tendentious influences, leading to subtle differences in SOC and TN variation rates. Accordingly, optimal cultivation strategies could be developed to reduce nutrient losses and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions.

Dryland soil hydrological processes and their impacts on the nitrogen balance in a soil-maize system of a freeze-thawing agricultural area.

Understanding the fates of soil hydrological processes and nitrogen (N) is essential for optimizing the water and N in a dryland crop system with the goal of obtaining a maximum yield. Few investigations have addressed the dynamics of dryland N and its association with the soil hydrological process in a freeze-thawing agricultural area. With the daily monitoring of soil water content and acquisition rates at 15, 30, 60 and 90 cm depths, the soil hydrological process with the influence of rainfall was identified. The temporal-vertical soil water storage analysis indicated the local albic soil texture provided a stable soil water condition for maize growth with the rainfall as the only water source. Soil storage water averages at 0–20, 20–40 and 40–60 cm were observed to be 490.2, 593.8, and 358 m3 ha−1, respectively, during the growing season. The evapo-transpiration (ET), rainfall, and water loss analysis demonstrated that these factors increased in same temporal pattern and provided necessary water conditions for maize growth in a short period. The dry weight and N concentration of maize organs (root, leaf, stem, tassel, and grain) demonstrated the N accumulation increased to a peak in the maturity period and that grain had the most N. The maximum N accumulative rate reached about 500 mg m−2d−1 in leaves and grain. Over the entire growing season, the soil nitrate N decreased by amounts ranging from 48.9 kg N ha−1 to 65.3 kg N ha−1 over the 90 cm profile and the loss of ammonia-N ranged from 9.79 to 12.69 kg N ha−1. With soil water loss and N balance calculation, the N usage efficiency (NUE) over the 0–90 cm soil profile was 43%. The soil hydrological process due to special soil texture and the temporal features of rainfall determined the maize growth in the freeze-thawing agricultural area.