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Publikasjoner

NIBIOs ansatte publiserer flere hundre vitenskapelige artikler og forskningsrapporter hvert år. Her finner du referanser og lenker til publikasjoner og andre forsknings- og formidlingsaktiviteter. Samlingen oppdateres løpende med både nytt og historisk materiale. For mer informasjon om NIBIOs publikasjoner, besøk NIBIOs bibliotek.

2006

Sammendrag

Lignin has long been suspected a major source of stable carbon in soils notably because of the recalcitrant nature of its polyphenolic structure relative to other families of plant molecules. However, lignin turnover studies have produced conflicting results, most of them suggesting that large proportions of plant-residue lignin decompose within a year of incorporation into soils. Here, we propose a two-reservoir model where lignin in undecomposed plant residue (Lp) can either reach soil fractions where it is somewhat protected from further decomposition (Ls) or is transformed to non-lignin products. Model calibration data were obtained through compound-specific 13C isotopic analyses conducted in a zero- to nine-year chronosequence of maize monoculture after wheat in a temperate loam soil of the Paris basin. Lignin was quantified by CuO oxidation as VSC-lignin, i.e., the sum of vanillil- (V), syringyl- (S) and coumaryl-type (C) phenols. Model calibrations indicate that Lp has a turnover rate faster than one year and that 92% is mineralized as CO2 or transformed into other non-lignin products, while only 8% reaches the Ls fraction. Estimated turnover rate of the Ls fraction was 0.05 yr-1. The model also suggested that about half of Lp was not measured because it had been excluded from the samples in the process of sieving at 5 mm. In conclusion, the model indicates that chemical recalcitrance alone is not sufficient to explain VSC-lignin turnover in soils, and that, functionally, the most relevant mechanism appears to be the transfer of VSC-lignin molecules and fragments from decomposing plant tissues to soil-protected fractions.

Sammendrag

Chemical recalcitrance of specific molecules is one of the factors governing organic matter stabilization in soils. Little is known about the relationship between the chemical nature and the dynamics of soil organic matter at the long-term scale. Lignin molecules are abundant in plant tissues and are generally considered as slowly biodegradable in soils. In a previous study, using compound specific isotopic tracer techniques applied to agricultural lands converted from C3 to C4 cropping, we showed that lignin turnover was faster than that of total organic carbon. Lignin dynamics was well described by a two-pool model, distinguishing lignins in fresh plant residues and those more closely associated to the soil matrix. These two pools may be transformed into non-lignin products, which includes CO2, microbial biomass and chemical substances, which are no longer recognized as lignin derivatives. The aim of the present work was to study the nature and dynamics of these non lignin products formed during lignin degradation in a laboratory incubation of 13C-labelled lignin with soil. Maize plants were grown for 1 month under 13C enriched CO2. The lignins of leaves and stems were isolated after treatment with cellulolytic enzymes and solubilization in dioxane:water (1:9). The Milled Maize Lignin (MML) obtained had a 13C abundance of 1.4 %. Solid-state 13C NMR spectroscopy of MML before analysis showed that the isolation method produces a lignin-cellulose complex, as indicated by the presence of some polysaccharides (the 60-115 ppm region represented about 40 % of total C of isolated lignins). Lignins were incubated with soil (1 mg lignin/g soil) at 20°C in sealed glass jars and analyzed after 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32 and 48 weeks. A control sample was incubated without lignin. We monitored the mineralization, solubilization and incorporation in the microbial biomass of lignin C by measuring 13C enrichments in respired CO2, water-soluble fractions, and fumigated biomass, respectively. Lignins remaining in incubated soils were quantified by CuO oxidation and the 13C contents of vanillyl, syringyl and cinnamyl units (VSC) were measured. After 4 months, 3% of the 13C of the labelled lignin was mineralized. This mineralization rate was less than that found by Martin and Haider (1979) for DHP lignins but more than the 5% per year found in situ by Dignac et al. (2005). Less than 0.5% of incubated lignin C was water soluble and 0.5 % was incorporated into the soil microbial biomass. The main part (96%) of incubated MML remained in soil. We used compound-specific isotopic analysis of the CuO oxidation products and pyrolysis analysis to estimate the proportion of intact lignins remaining in the soil.

Sammendrag

Fire is the main disturbance for terrestrial ecosystems, with a strong effect on biogeochemical cycles. Especially, part of the ecosystem organic matter (OM) is chemically modified by temperature elevation. Depending on fire severity, a big variety of chemical structures is produced ranging from slightly altered OM to strongly condensated structures. The fate of these pyrogenic OM when added to soil is unclear. Highly aromatic black carbon (BC) may be the most stable part of the continuum. At molecular level, levoglucosan is the main fire product of cellulose alteration. These two compounds have been separately used as tracers of plant biomass burning in aerosols, soils and sediments. Their combined use may provide closer insight into conditions and OM transformations that occurred during the fire. We aimed at quantifying BC and levoglucosan in plant residues after fire. Their production rates were compared to improve the understanding of their relative contribution to soil OM. Litter leaves were collected after a prescribed burning. The >2mm fraction was visually separated into charred (black, shiny) and unburned (brown) particles. BC was quantified by chemical oxidation (K2Cr2O7/H2SO4) and elemental analyses. Levoglucosan was identified and quantified by GC/MS analysis of the total lipid extract. Unburned post-fire leaves contain more levoglucosan than charred leaves, showing that a chemical alteration occurred despite no visual evidence. Moreover BC and levoglucosan concentrations are negatively correlated. This is consistent with their expected production temperatures: levoglucosan may be destroyed at temperature BC is produced. Relative quantity of theses compounds may then provide information about fire severity. However while BC is expected to be stable in soil, levoglucosan may suffer from degradation processes. Consequently, for historical reconstitution their respective fates in soil degrading conditions have to be considered.

Sammendrag

Environment Synthesis) family of crop models predicts cereal growth, development, and yield. CERES simulates nitrogen (N) as a yield"limiting macronutrient. Because N leaching is an economic and environmental concern, this study evaluated if CERES can be used to predict N leaching under different N management scenarios: background leaching in unfertilized corn (Zea mays L.), alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) residue mineralization, and till versus no"till management. Data were collected during a 7"yr field experiment on tillage practices in a maize"alfalfa"maize succession. Sensitivity analyses were performed for decomposition rates of the different residue pools and the relative proportions of carbohydrate, cellulose, and lignin in the residues. During the last 5 yr, under corn, CERES accurately simulated nitrate leaching from the no"till lysimeters. Nitrate leaching was underestimated in the tillage treatments, possibly because CERES does not simulate tillage. The model is not very sensitive to the decomposition rates and to the composition of the residues

Sammendrag

Fytoremediering er en kostnadseffektiv og miljøvennlig teknologi til opprensning av forurenset jord og vann ved hjelp av planter. Ulike anvendelser benytter seg av planters evne til absorpsjon og nedbryting, eller synergistiske effekter der samspill med mikroorganismer inngår. Potensialet for fytoremediering i Norge er stort og ubenyttet.

Sammendrag

Boken Soil Erosion in Europe gir en omfattende oversikt over erosjonsprosesser, omfang og fordeling av erosjon i Europa. Den er delt inn i to deler: " Nasjonale oversikter over erosjon og relaterte problemer " Erosjonsprosesser, erosjonsrisiko og konsekvenser av erosjon og tiltak Soil Erosion in Europe er skrevet som en avslutning og oppsummering på et femårig samarbeid i regi av EU sin COST-aksjon 623: Soil erosion and global change der 20 land og 114 forfattere har bidratt. Boka er svært verdifull for alle som er opptatt av jord- og miljøspørsmål, spesielt forskere og studenter som ønsker å få en oversikt over dette fagområdet.

Sammendrag

Freezing and thawing influence the transport potential and pathways for contaminants by altering the soil physical properties. Firstly, soil frost delays or impedes infiltration of rain and meltwater, reducing the transport rate of dissolved contaminants. But at the same time, particle bound contaminants may be mobilised because the reduced infiltration capacity increases surface runoff and erosion risk. Secondly, freezing water expands and imposes mechanical stresses on the soil, which may cause aggregate breakdown and facilitate particle detachment and transport. The influence of repeated freezing and thawing on aggregate stability of different soils is poorly documented for Nordic winter conditions. The purpose of this study (Kværnø and Øygarden, subm.) was to quantify the effect of variable freeze-thaw cycles and soil moisture conditions on aggregate stability of three soils: Silt, structured clay loam (Clay A) and artificially levelled silty clay loam (Clay B). These soils are representative of two erosion prone areas in South-eastern Norway. Field moist surface soil was sieved into the fraction 1- 4 mm, and packed into cylinders. The water content of the soil was adjusted, corresponding to matric potentials of -0.75, -2 and -10 kPa. The soil cores were insulated and covered, and subjected to 0, 1, 3 or 6 freeze-thaw cycles: freezing at "15"C for 24 hours, and thawing at 9"C for 48 hours. Aggregate stability was measured in a rainfall simulator (representing rainfall) and a wet-sieving apparatus (representing surface runoff). The aggregate stability of Silt was found to be significantly lower than of Clay A and Clay B. Clay A and Clay B had similar aggregate stabilities, even if it was expected that the artificially levelled Clay B would have lower stability. Freezing and thawing decreased the aggregate stability for all three soils, but the effect was more severe on the silt soil. There was no evident effect of water content on the aggregate stability, probably due to experimental limitations. The wet-sieving apparatus resulted in less aggregate breakdown than the rainfall simulator. Rainfall impact seemed to be more detrimental than wet-sieving the more unstable the soil was, that is, after many freeze-thaw cycles, and on silt soil. The results indicate that freezing and thawing is an important factor influencing the erosion risk of the studied soils. In the future, climate change is expected to give more unstable winters with more freezing and thawing events. Combined with more precipitation as rainfall during the winter period both runoff and erosion will probably increase, possibly resulting in heavier loads of particulate bound contaminants to surface waters. The results are also helpful for improving predictions of contaminant fate and transport, as most of the existing hydrological and soil erosion prediction models do not satisfactorily describe soil processes occurring under Nordic winter conditions. This study focused on arable soils with conventional agricultural management, where plant nutrients and pesticides pose a threat to water quality. It would be useful to conduct similar experiments on soils where other organic and inorganic contaminants are of concern, e.g. on soils where sewage sludge and compost have been applied, and soils in road cuttings and on contruction sites. References Kværnø, S.H. & Øygarden, L. submitted: The influence of freeze-thaw cycles and soil moisture on aggregate stability of three soils in Norway.