Nitrogen (N) pollution in shallow groundwater within the Jianghan Plain—a depositional basin along the Yangtze River in China—is a serious issue affecting the local water supply. There is little concern regarding temporal variation patterns of groundwater N in regions with intensive groundwater/surface-water interactions thus far. In this study, a 2-year field monitoring program and a set of incubation experiments were jointly applied to characterize the seasonal variation mechanisms of groundwater N. Groundwater monitoring suggested that temporal N variations in monitoring wells of 25 and 10-m depth were correlated with fluctuations in water levels, with lower NH₄-N and higher NO₃⁻-N concentrations corresponding to groundwater discharge during the dry season, and with higher NH₄-N and lower NO₃⁻-N concentrations corresponding to groundwater recharge during the wet season. Batch sediment incubation experiments showed that buried organic carbon in sediments from the field site could not promote NH₄-N release, but exogenous organic carbon and oxidant input could catalyze organic N mineralization, resulting in NH₄-N release. Nevertheless, NO₃⁻-N release was limited in all incubations. Thus, the temporal variation patterns could be divided into (1) groundwater N in type-1 wells (25 and 10 m), controlled by the annual reversal of groundwater flow gradient, which determined whether there was input of exogenous organic carbon or oxidants, ultimately affecting organic N mineralization, denitrification and other transformation processes, and (2) groundwater N in type-2 wells (<4 m depth), which showed no significant seasonal variation, implying the process is mainly controlled by surface inputs in the shallower subsurface.

Tem sido verificado que a adoção das técnicas de uso e manejo para solos derivados do arenito Caiuá no noroeste do Paraná nem sempre corresponde às expectativas de produção das culturas. Nessa região ocorrem duas Formações desse arenito: a Caiuá e a Paranavaí, com diferenças na granulometria dos solos. A hipótese é de que os solos da Formação Caiuá tenham menor retenção e disponibilidade de água para a produção agrícola, em razão da maior proporção da fração de areia grossa do que solos da Formação Paranavaí. O objetivo deste trabalho foi caracterizar a retenção e disponibilidade de água do solo em integração lavoura-pecuária e cultivado com abacaxi em solos do arenito das Formações Caiuá e Paranavaí, no noroeste do Paraná. Em 2010, foram realizadas duas amostragens de solo em quatro áreas agrícolas comerciais de integração lavoura-pecuária e produção de abacaxi, que apresentaram textura arenosa na camada de 0-40 cm; nessas havia evidências de que, mesmo com a utilização das melhores técnicas agronômicas de manejo de solo, as produtividades de soja, pastagem e de abacaxi eram muito baixas nos solos da Formação Caiuá. Coletas de amostras de solo deformadas e indeformadas nas camadas de 0-10, 11-20 e 21-40 cm foram realizadas para caracterizar a granulometria (argila, silte, areia fina e areia grossa), o carbono orgânico e a retenção de água no solo. Os solos da Formação Caiuá têm granulometria mais grosseira, poros de maior diâmetro e menor disponibilidade de água do que os da Paranavaí. Os riscos de deficiência hídrica são maiores em solos da Formação Caiuá do que os da Paranavaí. | It has been found that the results of the land use and management techniques adopted for soils derived from Caiuá sandstone in the Northwest of Paraná are not always satisfactory in terms of crop yields. In this region, sandstone occurs in two forms: the Caiuá and Paranavaí Formations, with differences in soil particle size. We hypothesized that the water retention and availability for agricultural production is lower in the Caiuá soils, due to the higher proportion of coarse sand than in the Paranavaí soils. The aim of this work was to characterize the retention and availability of soil water in an integrated crop-livestock system and pineapple cultivation in Caiuá and Paranavaí soils in the Northwest of Paraná, Brazil. In 2010, two studies were conducted in four commercial farming areas (integrated crop - livestock and pineapple cultivation), with a sandy texture in the 0-40 cm layer. There was evidence that even under the best soil management the yields of soybean, pasture, and pineapple were very low in soils of Caiuá Formation. Disturbed and undisturbed soil samples were collected (layers 0-10, 11-20 and 21-40 cm) to characterize particle size (clay, silt, fine sand and coarse sand), organic carbon and water retention through water retention curves. In soil of the Caiuá Formation, the particle size was larger, pores had a greater diameter and water availability was lower than in Paranavaí soil. The risk of water stress was higher for Caiuá than for Paranavaí Formation soils.

The Peruvian Amazon has experienced large losses of forest cover due to changes in land use, contributing to increases in CO2 in the atmosphere. This study estimated the organic carbon content of forest soil in two forests "Ojos de Agua" and "El Quinillal" in the Central Huallaga of Peru, establishing three types of cover: (i) primary, (ii) intervened, and (iii) deforested. For this purpose, 24 plots of 100 m² were established and samples were extracted at a depth of 0-20 cm. The effect of the type of forest cover on soil carbon (Organic Carbon-SOC, Inorganic Carbon-SIC, Saturated Carbon-SC, Critical Carbon-CC, Saturated Carbon Deficit-SCD, and Organic Carbon-OC) was analyzed by means of an Analysis of Variance, correlation. Likewise, the relationship between carbon (C) and soil properties was evaluated by principal component analysis and correlation network. The results indicated that the highest SOC averages were found in the primary forests of Ojos de Agua and El Quinillal with 3.54% and 2.51%. The lowest values were found in the deforested forests with 1.34% and 1.46%. The calculation of the saturated C levels of the soil showed an average of 28.63% ± 2.14% and the saturated carbon deficit of 26.63% ± 2.45%, whereas the critical threshold of C showed an average of 2.21% ± 0.18%. The highest SOC content found in the Ojos de Agua primary forest is due to the presence of dominant forest species such as Manilkara bidentata and Brosimum alicastrum. Likewise, the C deficit in the soils of the study area is very alarming because it is very close to saturation levels, especially in deforested forests. | This research received no external funding and was fully supported through self-financing by the authors. The authors thank the members of the Association Bosques del Futuro Ojos de Agua from the town of Pucacaca, province of Picota, San Martin region.

A qualidade do solo em sistemas de manejo pode ser avaliada por indicadores simples ou por equações de pedotransferências. O objetivo deste estudo foi obter funções de pedotransferência (FPT) para as curvas de retenção de água (CRA) e de resistência do solo à penetração (CRP), em sistemas de manejo com plantas de cobertura permanente nas entrelinhas de laranjeira "Pêra". Avaliaram-se três tratamentos: gramínea Paspalum notatum roçada, leguminosa Arachis pintoi e vegetação espontânea com herbicida, em um Argissolo Vermelho distrófico latossólico, no noroeste do Paraná. Em maio de 2003, foram coletadas 216 amostras indeformadas de solo sob o rodado e o entrerrodado a 0,05-0,10m de profundidade. Avaliaram-se a densidade do solo (Ds), o teor de carbono orgânico (CO), o teor de água e a resistência do solo à penetração (RP) para ajustar as curvas de CRA e CRS em diferentes potenciais mátricos. As FPT foram dependentes da Ds, CO e tratamento para o ajuste das CRA (R²=0,94) e CRS (R²=0,87). O manejo da vegetação espontânea com herbicida aumenta a compactação do solo, reduz a retenção de água e aumenta a RP. A leguminosa reduz a retenção de água do solo e aumenta a RP, e a gramínea melhora a qualidade física e hídrica do solo nas entrelinhas. Alternativamente, as FPT exigem apenas as determinações dos teores de água e Ds para as CRA e CRS.<br>The soil quality in management systems can be assessed by simple indicators or pedrotransfer functions. This study was aimed at obtaining pedotransfer function (PTF's) such as the soil water retention curve (SWRC) and the soil resistance to penetration curve (SRPC), under interrows groundcover management systems of the 'Pêra' orange. Three treatments were evaluated: bahiagrass mowed Paspalum notatum, perennial peanut Arachis pintoi and spontaneous vegetation with herbicide, in a Typic Paleudult, northwestern Paraná, Brazil. In May 2003, two hundred and sixteen undisturbed soil samples were collected under beneath and between the whell tracks at 0.05-0.10m depth. Soil bulk density (Db), organic carbon (OC), water content and soil resistance to penetration (PR) were determined to fit the SWRC and SRPC in differents water potential. The Db and OC contributed to fit the SWRC and SRPC under groundcover management systems in the interrows. PTF's were depended Db, OC and treatment to fit SWRC (R²=0.94) and SRPC (R²=0.87). Management on spontaneous vegetation using herbicide enhance soil compaction, decrease water retention and increase PR. Perennial peanut decrease soil water retention and increase PR, and bahiagrass groundcover enhance the soil physical and hydarulic quality in the interrows. Alternatively, PTF's required only to the determinations of the water content and Db to the SRPC and SWRC.

15 páginas, 5 tablas, 7 figuras | [EN] A method for the determination of organic carbon in seawater is described; the organic matter is oxidised to CO2 with peroxidisulphate under UV ligth, and is detected by a colorimetric method where the CO2, after dialysis through a silicon membrane, produces a decrease in the colour of an alkaline phenolphthalein solution proportional to the CO2 concentration. A theoretical study is carried out of the carbonic and indicator system to fix the optimum concentration of carbonate-bicarbonate buffer and phenolphthalein in accordance with the dialysis yield of the CO2 and the concentration of total organic carbon (TOC). For seawater it is advisable to prepare the colour reagent with a concentration of 500 μmol dm-3 in sodium ion and of 30 μmol dm-3 in phenolphthalein, with an adjustment of the pH to 9.60. | [ES] Se describe un método para la determinación de carbono orgánico en agua de mar mediante la oxidación de la materia orgánica a CO2 con peroxidisulfato bajo luz UV. La detección es por un método colorimétrico, donde el CO2, después de dializar a través de una membrana de silicona, produce un descenso en el color de una disolución alcalina de fenolftaleina que es proporcional a la concentración de CO2. Se hace un estudio teórico del sistema carbónico e indicador para fijar las concentraciones óptimas de tampón carbonato-bicarbonato y fenolftaleina de acuerdo con el rendimiento de la diálisis de CO2 y la concentración de carbono orgánico total (TOC). Para el agua de mar se aconseja preparar el reactivo de color con una concentración en ion sodio de 500 μmol dm-3 y en fenolftaleina de 30 μmol dm-3 con un ajuste de pH a 9,60 | Peer reviewed

Data on spatiotemporal variations in groundwater levels are crucial for understanding arsenic (As) behavior and dynamics in groundwater systems. Little is known about the influences of groundwater extraction on the transport and mobilization of As in the Hetao Basin, Inner Mongolia (China), so groundwater levels were recorded in five monitoring wells from 2011 to 2016 and in 57 irrigation wells and two multilevel wells in 2016. Results showed that groundwater level in the groundwater irrigation area had two troughs each year, induced by extensive groundwater extraction, while groundwater levels in the river-diverted (Yellow River) water irrigation area had two peaks each year, resulting from surface-water irrigation. From 2011 to 2016, groundwater levels in the groundwater irrigation area presented a decreasing trend due to the overextraction. Groundwater samples were taken for geochemical analysis each year in July from 2011 to 2016. Increasing trends were observed in groundwater total dissolved solids (TDS) and As. Owing to the reverse groundwater flow direction, the Shahai Lake acts as a new groundwater recharge source. Lake water had flushed the near-surface sediments, which contain abundant soluble components, and increased groundwater salinity. In addition, groundwater extraction induced strong downward hydraulic gradients, which led to leakage recharge from shallow high-TDS groundwater to the deep semiconfined aquifer. The most plausible explanation for similar variations among As, Fe(II) and total organic carbon (TOC) concentrations is the expected dissimilatory reduction of Fe(III) oxyhydroxides.

Microbes live throughout the soil profile. Microbial communities in subsurface horizons are impacted by a saltwater–freshwater transition zone formed by seawater intrusion (SWI) in coastal regions. The main purpose of this study is to explore the changes in microbial communities within the soil profile because of SWI. The study characterizes the depth-dependent distributions of bacterial and archaeal communities through high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA gene amplicons by collecting surface soil and deep core samples at nine soil depths in Longkou City, China. The results showed that although microbial communities were considerably impacted by SWI in both horizontal and vertical domains, the extent of these effects was variable. The soil depth strongly influenced the microbial communities, and the microbial diversity and community structure were significantly different (p < 0.05) at various depths. Compared with SWI, soil depth was a greater influencing factor for microbial diversity and community structure. Furthermore, soil microbial community structure was closely related to the environmental conditions, among which the most significant environmental factors were soil depth, pH, organic carbon, and total nitrogen.