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There are various factors that affect soil temperature, such as water content, [84] soil color, [85] and relief (slope, orientation, and elevation), [86] and soil cover (shading and insulation), in addition to air temperature. [87] The color of the ground cover and its insulating properties have a strong influence on soil temperature. [88]
The single probe method employs a heat source inserted into the soil whereby heat energy is applied continuously at a given rate. The thermal properties of the soil can be determined by analysing the temperature response adjacent to the heat source via a thermal sensor. This method reflects the rate at which heat is conducted away from the probe.
Temperature variations in soil are influenced by factors such as seasonality, environmental conditions, vegetation, and soil composition. [8] [9] Soil temperature also varies with depth; upper soil layers are majorly influence by air temperature, while soil temperature fluctuations decrease with depth.
The cryic temperature regime distinguishes some higher-level groups. These regimes are based on the mean annual soil temperature (MAST), mean summer temperature, and the difference between mean summer and winter temperatures all at a soil depth of 50 cm. It is normally assumed that the MAST (in °C) equals the sum of the mean annual air ...
Water retention curve is the relationship between the water content, θ, and the soil water potential, ψ. The soil moisture curve is characteristic for different types of soil, and is also called the soil moisture characteristic. It is used to predict the soil water storage, water supply to the plants (field capacity) and soil aggregate stability.
Soil biological processes are most important in soils that do not have 2:1 phyllosilicate clay minerals, and are therefore lacking in shrinking and swelling properties that can aid in structural formation. [12] Soil organisms can have an indirect and direct effects on soil structure at different levels of aggregate formation.
Soil quality can be evaluated using the Soil Management Assessment Framework. [5] Soil quality in agricultural terms is measured on a scale of soil value (Bodenwertzahl) in Germany. [6] Soil quality is primarily measured by chemical, physical, and biological indicators because soil function cannot easily be measured directly. [7]
The means-based evaluation looks at farmers' practices of agriculture, and the effect-based evaluation considers the actual effects of the agricultural system. For example, the means-based analysis might look at pesticides and fertilization methods that farmers are using, and effect-based analysis would consider how much CO 2 is being emitted ...