Quantitative Rheological Indicators for Soil Physical Degradation
2006
Szegi, Tamás | Tombácz, E. | Czibulya, Zs | Akagi, J. | Zsolnay, A.
A lot of attention is being paid to the understanding of the influence of soil degradation on human life at the beginning of the 21 <sup>st</sup> century. Among the many types of degradation processes, structural degradation is widespread on huge areas in Europe. For better control, it is needed to get familiar with all the driving forces, the main reasons that lead to soil degradation (Várallyay, 2003; ESB, 2002). In addition to unfavourable natural conditions, inappropriate land use has an important impact on micro-aggregate stability and the rate of tolerance to deformation forces, such as cultivation and erosion. Rheological measurements provide new quantitative information on particle-particle interaction, the colloidal stability and structure of concentrated suspensions in general. Field samples from loess derived agricultural soils were investigated. In addition to general laboratory analyses (soil organic matter content, CaCO <sub>3</sub> content, CEC), conventional, simple aggregate stability, and water retention measurements and rheology were applied for investigating the micro-aggregate stability of the samples. The evaluation of pseudoplastic flow curves indicated close relationships between the strength and stability of the physical network and the composition of the suspensions. These soil properties have strong, well-defined connection with tolerating cultivation and capability for erosion.
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