SOILS-L digests for FEBRUARY 1996

To AGRONOMY homepage @ SunSITE

From ab4el@ab4el.com Fri Mar 1 00:01 EST 1996
From: Stephen Modena <modena@SunSITE.unc.edu>
Message-Id: <9603010001.modena@sunsite.unc.edu>
Subject: SOILS-L LOG9602
Date: Fri, 1 Mar 1996 00:01:00 -0500 (EST)

This is the compendium of SOILS-L digests for Febuary 1996.

It was prepared from the daily digest mailings. Some digests
may be missing, because occasional mailings are lost en route.



From root@crcnis1.unl.edu Thu Feb 1 10:46 EST 1996
Date: Thu, 1 Feb 1996 04:26:53 -0600
Message-Id: .<.199602011026.AA23691@crcnis1.unl.edu.>.
From: soils-l@unl.edu
Subject: SOILS-L digest 454

Contents:
Re: Soil Classification (NThurman@aol.com)

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

Date: Wed, 31 Jan 1996 18:14:05 -0500 From: NThurman@aol.com Subject: Re: Soil Classification Good to see this lively discussion. I'd like to add the perspective of a field soil scientist who has worked with people who swore by Soil Taxonomy and people who swore at Soil Taxonomy. The "soil scientist" vs. "pedologist" distinction concerns me but that's for another discussion. The main reason for any classification system (aside from the human tendency to name everything) is to serve as a useful means for organizing and retrieving information. Any classification system will be inherently biased because it must be designed for a specific purpose. When we extend beyond that purpose, we can run into problems. Soil Taxonomy is weighted toward observable soil properties, focusing on soils as natural bodies in the landscape. It is open-ended, allowing for modification as our knowledge of soils increases. For instance, the "Andisol" problem someone alluded to led to the establishment of a new soil order. I suspect it will continue to be modified as our knowledge and needs evolve. This hierarchial system becomes more specific as you move through the categories. Certainly not all soils in the subgroup Typic Fragiaqualfs will be similar and it may be too broad a category for evaluating things such as erosion potential, P adsorption, and clay content. At the next level -- family -- soils that are Typic Fragiudalfs are further separated according to differences in particle-size distribution, mineralogy, and soil temperature. For other subgroups, differences in reaction, depth, consistence, coatings, etc. will result in family distinctions. At the next level -- series -- the families are further separated into more refined distinctions. Some of the limitations in classification mentioned here are limitations in the scale of the soil map. While soils often occur as a continuum across the landscape, soil properties do change with changes in landscape. Some changes are subtle, some are not. A general soil map covering an entire region may not contain the detail necessary to see meaningful differences for certain interpretations. A more detailed map might be needed. By evaluating a soil in a manner that allows me to place it in a series classification, I can make interpretations regarding its behavior under certain uses. The reason I can do this is because a wealth of information (observations, analyses, studies) has been gathered over the years and this information has been grouped in a way that is easy to retrieve (try gathering meaningful data on "silt loam" and see how broad the range is). Knowledge gaps do exist so, in those cases, more information must be gathered. While classification is a tool for me, the ultimate user is looking at the bottom line: what he/she can do with the land, where the most suitable areas for a particular use are located, what properties pose particular problems (and where they are located) and what options are available for addressing these properties. That's the job of the interpretative soil scientist -- making sense out of this jargon and synthesizing the information in a way that is valuable for the user. If I were developing a soil classification system, I might aim for a method that would be easier to grasp (and I might fail at that). Of course, my eyes also glaze over when I hear a botanist call a red maple "Acer rubrum" (and don't let plant taxonomists fool you -- their system has vagarities as well). I'm sure I have more to say but this is already more of a mouthful than I had originally intended. So, I look forward to the responses and to a continued discussion. Cheers! Nelson Thurman nthurman@aol.com <------------------------------>
End of Digest ************************


From root@crcnis1.unl.edu Fri Feb 2 10:53 EST 1996
Date: Fri, 2 Feb 1996 04:27:12 -0600
Message-Id: .<.199602021027.AA18031@crcnis1.unl.edu.>.
From: soils-l@unl.edu
Subject: SOILS-L digest 455

Contents:
greetings and introduction (James Snyder .<.jsnyder@casof.ca.nrcs.usda.gov.>.)
Definition query (Rob Gurwitt .<.robbg@well.com.>.)
      Reply to definition query ("RICHARD MACEWAN" .<.RJM@fs3.ballarat.edu.au.>.)
Re: Definition query (tzimmerm@postbox.acs.ohio-state.edu (Tommy (Tom) L. Zimmerman))
Re:  Reply to definition query (Rob Gurwitt .<.robbg@well.com.>.)

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

Date: Thu, 1 Feb 1996 12:15:37 -0600 From: James Snyder .<.jsnyder@casof.ca.nrcs.usda.gov.>. Subject: greetings and introduction Hi all I recently resubscribed to this list after being absent for awhile due to my tranfer for my job from west central Ohio to the Sacramento Valley in California. I work for the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, formerly the Soil Conservation Service, in the state office for NRCS in Davis, California. My new position is an AutoCAD specialist and Civil Engineering Technician. My former position, for nearly 12 years, was Soil Conservation Technician in the Dayton area. During that time, I was able to work on the installation of over 200 erosion control and animal waste projects. I am now working on numerous emergency watershed projects for California and several projects in the Pacific Rim area. We have recently began working on a 160 acre irrigation and drainage project for the island of Saipan. It is good to see some interesting discussion on this list lately. I enjoy hearing from the many soils experts subscribed to this list. I am particulary interested in the sustainability of soils for agricultural use and would enjoy hearing some discussion about this topic. My major concerns are the build-up of dangerous combinations of ag chemicals and excessive fertilizers in the soil and how to maintain a healthy soil for future generations. Thank you Jim Civil Engineering Tech. USDA\NRCS State Office Davis, California jsnyder@ca.nrcs.usda.gov WWW: http://www.mother.com/~jsnyder http://www.serve.com/~JSnyder <------------------------------>
Date: Thu, 1 Feb 1996 11:25:17 -0800 From: Rob Gurwitt .<.robbg@well.com.>. Subject: Definition query Treading somewhat gingerly into this new terrain, I have a question. I'm a journalist. In going through a few old soil surveys from the 1930s in connection with a story I've done on a rural demographer named Calvin Beale, I ran across the word "sononetzlike." It's included in a quote that I've put in the piece, and my copy editor has now called me on it, mostly, I think, out of curiosity. No dictionary I have actually has the word, though, so I assume it's something only a soils scientist would be familiar with. Anyone who can enlighten me as to its meaning and -- although I realize I may be opening a can of worms, here -- its derivation, I'd much appreciate it. The phrase in which it's included, by the way, is: "perfectly developed sononetzlike horizons." I'm unsure of this list's protocol, so please feel free to respond directly to me if you wish. Thanks for your help. Rob Gurwitt <------------------------------>
Date: Fri, 2 Feb 1996 09:21:23 GMT+1000 From: "RICHARD MACEWAN" .<.RJM@fs3.ballarat.edu.au.>. Subject: Reply to definition query Date: Thu, 1 Feb 1996 14:15:04 -0600 Reply-to: .<.soils-l@unl.edu.>. From: Rob Gurwitt .<.robbg@well.com.>. To: Multiple recipients of list .<.soils-l@unl.edu.>. Subject: Definition query Treading somewhat gingerly into this new terrain, I have a question. I'm a journalist. In going through a few old soil surveys from the 1930s in connection with a story I've done on a rural demographer named Calvin Beale, I ran across the word "sononetzlike." It's included in a quote that I've put in the piece, and my copy editor has now called me on it, mostly, I think, out of curiosity. No dictionary I have actually has the word, though, so I assume it's something only a soils scientist would be familiar with. > No dictionary would have this word as the term is Solonetz, not Sononetz. The soil in question, being solonetzlike, would have a loamy or sandy loamy A horizon (topsoil), leached but not particularly acidic. The A horizon would become quite pale just above the clay subsoil. The subsoil would very likely be alkaline, pH>8.5. There would be a sharp change from the topsoil to the subsoil. The term is an old one in soil science but is largely superceded in the current classifications. It is still used in the FAO-UNESCO soil classification. Anyone who can enlighten me as to its meaning and -- although I realize I may be opening a can of worms, here -- its derivation, I'd much appreciate it. The phrase in which it's included, by the way, is: "perfectly developed sononetzlike horizons." I'm unsure of this list's protocol, so please feel free to respond directly to me if you wish. Thanks for your help. Rob Gurwitt ****************************** Richard MacEwan, School of Science University of Ballarat, PO Box 663, BALLARAT 3353 AUS Phone: 053 279221 Fax: 053 279240 "If you're smart or rich or lucky, you may beat the laws of man. But the inner laws of spirit and the outer laws of nature no man can." (Joni Mitchell - The Wolf that Lives in Lindsay) ########## <------------------------------>
Date: Thu, 1 Feb 1996 17:23:45 -0500 From: tzimmerm@postbox.acs.ohio-state.edu (Tommy (Tom) L. Zimmerman) Subject: Re: Definition query I looked in the 1938 USDA Yearbook of Agriculture, Soils and Men, and found a reference to "Solonetz" soils and "Solonetzlike" soils. Your query is for "sononetzlike" soils. Is solonetzlike soils really what you mean? If so, consult pages 977-978, 999, 994, 1118-1120, and 976 of the above book. Then we can help you understand what that reference is saying about those kinds of soils. You should be able to find this book in most libraries, especially college or university ones. If you can't find it, I could photocopy some pages and send them to you. Hope this helps. Tom Zimmerman > > > Treading somewhat gingerly into this new terrain, I have a question. > > I'm a journalist. In going through a few old soil surveys from >the 1930s in connection with a story I've done on a rural demographer >named Calvin Beale, I ran across the word "sononetzlike." It's included >in a quote that I've put in the piece, and my copy editor has now >called me on it, mostly, I think, out of curiosity. No dictionary I >have actually has the word, though, so I assume it's something >only a soils scientist would be familiar with. > > Anyone who can enlighten me as to its meaning and -- although I realize >I may be opening a can of worms, here -- its derivation, I'd much >appreciate it. > > The phrase in which it's included, by the way, is: "perfectly >developed sononetzlike horizons." > > I'm unsure of this list's protocol, so please feel free to respond >directly to me if you wish. > > Thanks for your help. > > Rob Gurwitt > > ********************************************************************** Tommy (Tom) L. Zimmerman, Associate Professor Environmental Resources Management The Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute 1328 Dover Road, Wooster, OH 44691-4000 Voice: 216-264-3911, ext. 1325; FAX: 216-262-7634 [area code 216 changes to 330 on March 9, 1996] E-Mail: tzimmerm@postbox.acs.ohio-state.edu OR zimmerman.4@osu.edu ********************************************************************** <------------------------------>
Date: Thu, 1 Feb 1996 14:50:53 -0800 From: Rob Gurwitt .<.robbg@well.com.>. Subject: Re: Reply to definition query Thank you, Richard and Tommy, for the correction as well as well as your help on the definition. You just helped me deeply impress a copy editor, which -- take my word for it -- is a very difficult thing to do. Solonetzlike is now permanently, I would say, embedded in my memory. <------------------------------>
End of Digest ************************


From root@crcnis1.unl.edu Sat Feb 3 10:42 EST 1996
Date: Sat, 3 Feb 1996 04:28:12 -0600
Message-Id: .<.199602031028.AA08024@crcnis1.unl.edu.>.
From: soils-l@unl.edu
Subject: SOILS-L digest 456

Contents:
introduction ("Hill, Doug" .<.DHILL@williams.env.gov.bc.ca.>.)
Re: archives (genon@pedo.ucl.ac.be (Jose' GENON))
      Soil Quality Symposium ("RICHARD MACEWAN" .<.RJM@fs3.ballarat.edu.au.>.)

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

Date: Fri, 02 Feb 1996 08:52:00 -0800 (PST) From: "Hill, Doug" .<.DHILL@williams.env.gov.bc.ca.>. Subject: introduction Hello, My name is Douglas Hill, I live in Williams Lake, British Columbia, Canada. I work for the provincial Environmental Protection Branch at a regional office of the B.C. Ministry of Environment, Lands, and Parks. I am involved in the regulating of waste management practises in a rural region known as the Cariboo. I am a graduate of applied science from the University of British Columbia's bio-resource department. There I specialized in soils and environmental engineering. Although my interest in soils in general, soil science is involved in my current work where it is the media for discharging a waste, as in the case of a municipal landfill ( or an accidental spill of diesel). Also, waste is reused in a beneficial manner to improve soil (we have poorly developed soils in this area due to a cold climate), for example the application of biosolids (aka sludge) to a hay field. A question I have about using the archives for the group. Has anyone tried to do this? and if so how did you type the middle part of the instructions? (after the get command) --------End of Unsent Message <------------------------------>
Date: Fri, 2 Feb 1996 21:30:13 --100 From: genon@pedo.ucl.ac.be (Jose' GENON) Subject: Re: archives >A question I have about using the archives for the group. Has anyone tried >to do this? and if so how did you type the middle part of the instructions? >(after the get command) > Send the following line in the body of the message to LISTSERV@UNL.EDU : get soils-l .<.filename.>. where filename = logyymm with yy the year and mm the month (beginning 9311). You'll receive all the posts of that month in 3 or 4 mails. For retrieving the archives directory, send index to listserv@unl.edu <------------------------------>
Date: Sat, 3 Feb 1996 14:24:08 GMT+1000 From: "RICHARD MACEWAN" .<.RJM@fs3.ballarat.edu.au.>. Subject: Soil Quality Symposium Dear Soils Folk, "Advances in Soil Quality for Land Mangement: Science, Practice & Policy", an international symposium at Ballarat, Victoria, Australia from 17-19 April 1996, now has a web page at: http://www.ballarat.edu.au/science/soilsymp.htm This has symposium details and will be updated over the next two months. Those without access to the Web can get all the details from us here at Ballarat either from me or from: pryan@fs3.ballarat.edu.au Hope to see some of you there, it is shaping up to be a good event with some excellent contributors. Regards Richard ****************************** Richard MacEwan, School of Science University of Ballarat, PO Box 663, BALLARAT 3353 AUS Phone: 053 279221 Fax: 053 279240 "If you're smart or rich or lucky, you may beat the laws of man. But the inner laws of spirit and the outer laws of nature no man can." (Joni Mitchell - The Wolf that Lives in Lindsay) ########## <------------------------------>
End of Digest ************************


From root@crcnis1.unl.edu Sun Feb 4 14:58 EST 1996
Date: Sun, 4 Feb 1996 08:43:53 -0600
Message-Id: .<.199602041443.AA18952@crcnis1.unl.edu.>.
From: soils-l@unl.edu
Subject: SOILS-L digest 457

Contents:
re: is this group serious? (jaartz@blue.weeg.uiowa.edu (Joe Artz))

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

Date: Sun, 4 Feb 1996 08:30:48 -0600 From: jaartz@blue.weeg.uiowa.edu (Joe Artz) Subject: re: is this group serious? The "Is this Group Serious?" thread has taken several interesting twists. On one hand, there are ruminations about classifying soils, and on the other hand, there is concern about the adequacy of mapping units for conveying information about individual soil properties. As an archaeologist, I make extensive use of both the USDA "Seventh Approximation" classification, and of soil survey maps in my work in the Midwest US.. Before I go out to do fieldwork in an unfamiliar area, the county soils maps give me a feel for the landscape. The soil classification data and "typical pedon" descriptions let me anticipate where I can anticipate finding sites of different ages, particularly when dealing with soils formed in alluvium. An area mapped as Cumulic Hapludolls, for example, will usually be located on a low terrace or floodplain, underlain by sediments of Late Holocene age. Any site I find buried in the sediments into which that soil is formed will be younger than 3 or 4 thousandy years before present. By contrast an area of Typic Argiudolls will usually be on an alluvial terrace underlain by Middle Holocene or older alluvium, and any site I find in that soil will be older than ca. 3-4 thousand years. An area mapped as Entisols generally tells me to expect alluvium deposited in the last 150 years (the historic period), where I can expect no prehistoric sites, unless they are deeply buried beneath the postsettlement alluvium. When I get to the field, I find that the maps are rarely perfect. In my experience (and I believe most of my colleagues who worry about such things agree) the usefulness of the maps for my purpose depends on how good a feel the mappers had for landscape evolution in that particular county. Some maps are more useful than others, but any map is more useful than no map. As to the usefulness of the existing classification, I think what I wrote in the paragraph before last stands as an example. Cumulic Hapludoll and Typic Argiudoll impart a great deal of information about two very different soils. Maybe those differences aren't as important to someone focused in on soil microbes or a particular cation, but to someone like myself who is concerned with the soilscape in a holistic sense (e.g., landscape evolution) they are meaninful and useful. Linguistically cumbersome, sure, but being a little tongue-tied seems a small price for having so much information packed into a name. Like Patrick Coyle, the organic chemist who wrote to the list as a self-styled "outsider", I also find it very interesting (and informative) to see participants in another discipline wrangling over issues of classification. It's a bit like watching beetles battle in a jar, until you realize that the jar is actually a mirror. All disciplines wrangle over classification. Believe me, from the perspective of this archaeologist, the Seventh Approximation and other modern soil classification systems are vastly more systematic and logical than almost any classification that presently exists in archaeology. The names given soils, and lines drawn on maps of soils, impart important (although necessarily general) information about the phenomena they describe. But, like any taxonomy, they are means to ends, not ends in and of themselves. <------------------------------>
End of Digest ************************


From root@crcnis1.unl.edu Mon Feb 5 15:37 EST 1996
Date: Mon, 5 Feb 1996 08:51:12 -0600
Message-Id: .<.199602051451.AA02938@crcnis1.unl.edu.>.
From: soils-l@unl.edu
Subject: SOILS-L digest 458

Contents:
Pedology problems (phill@calima.ciat.cgiar.org (Patrick_Hill))
Re: Pedology problems (ALMONDP@tui.lincoln.ac.nz)
Re: Pedology problems (Rob Bramley .<.Rob.Bramley@tvl.tcp.csiro.au.>.)
      Re: Pedology problems ("RICHARD MACEWAN" .<.RJM@fs3.ballarat.edu.au.>.)
More pedology problems (Rob Bramley .<.Rob.Bramley@tvl.tcp.csiro.au.>.)

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

Date: Sun, 4 Feb 1996 16:36:02 -0300 (WDT) From: phill@calima.ciat.cgiar.org (Patrick_Hill) Subject: Pedology problems It is nice to see some debate on a subject that I do not know much about. I hope that this controversy might teach me a bit more about pedology. I am not sure if I understand Rob's point exactly, is he criticising theUSDA system or the whole idea of soil classification ? I think that we will always need some way of classifying soils in order to map them. If his quarrel is with the USDA system he might suggest some alternatives ? With regards to Almond's comment: > > A point that you fail to realise because you have not taken the time to > > learn about soil classification is that most systems are hierarchical > > i.e. in the name typic fragiaqualf is embodied classification at the > > order (ALFisol), suborder (Alfisol with an AQUic moisture regime), great > > group (aqualf with a FRAGipan) and subgroup (a TYPical one). These > > classes can be further subdivided into families, series, and phases > > depending on the level of subdivision of the soil continuum appropriate > > to your purpose or your clients (soil series and phases have user > > friendly names eg Lismore silt loam very stony phase). It has been argued that this hierarchy is a weakness rather than a strength. Butler in "Soil classification for soil survey" says "Thus we have the major problem that it is deceptively easy to create an elegant soil classification to which any new entity can be allocated without ambiguity or hesitation. Yet this means only that every member of a class shares the keying attributes of that class. Unless all the entities within a class also share other attributes that are relevant to some land use, there will be no benefit to identifying them....At the same time, unless the classes roughly correspond to the natural modalities of the survey area, and at least roughly conform to the most obvious discontinuities of the land scape, they may be difficult to map and require the subdivision of areas that common sense requires to be left undivided" In respect to the USDA system he says that: "Another disadvantage to a fixed hierarchy is the restraint that it imposes on the series units that arise during soil survey. Ideally a series should be developed by the soil surveyor so that it fits the modes of local occurrence of profile variation and boundaries. If the series is part of a fixed hierarchy, then it's range of variability cannot cross the differential point of any class above it in the system and all the differentia of all the classes and categories above it must apply in addition to its own interseries differentia. This is likely to impose compromises and inaccuracies at the series level where accuracy should be at it's sharpest" Butler suggests that the solution to this is to have a taxanomic hiatus at the family level. Above this you would have a hierarchical system, below this you would have families and series used for large scale mapping that were defined by what surveyors found corresponded to the landscape units. He also says that: "Undoubtedly there are some areas in which soils lend themselves to useful classification and mapping. Equally there are some areas in which a classification or a map can only be meaningless" He wrote this in 1980. Are his views relevant to Soil classification as it is used today ? Pat Hill <------------------------------>
Date: Mon, 05 Feb 1996 11:45:51 +1300 From: ALMONDP@tui.lincoln.ac.nz Subject: Re: Pedology problems In response to Pat Hill's comments: >It has been argued that this hierarchy is a weakness rather than >a strength. I believe also that the hierarchical structure in soil classifications is used as a convenience. Hierarchical classification is most appropriate when individuals being classified are clustered in property space and those clusters are themselves clustered and so on. (Property space is the n dimensional space formed by the ordinates of the n properties measured or assessed for each individual.) Where this type of laborious analysis has been done (cluster analysis) it has been found that soils do not behave in manner which justifies hierarchical classification. However hierarchies remain a means of organising information in a way our brain (perhaps the scientists brain) likes to work. This debate is not limited to soil science but arises in ecology as well. Communites of plants or animals may be classified in a hierarchical or non-hierarchical sense. Incidentally hierarchies work well in plant and animal taxonomy because of the evolutionary diversion of species through time. >Butler suggests that the solution to this is to have a taxanomic >hiatus at the family level. Above this you would have a hierarchical >system, below this you would have families and series used for large >scale mapping that were defined by what surveyors found corresponded >to the landscape units. > >He also says that: >"Undoubtedly there are some areas in which soils lend themselves >to useful classification and mapping. Equally there are some >areas in which a classification or a map can only be meaningless" > >He wrote this in 1980. Are his views relevant to Soil classification >as it is used today ? The taxonomic hiatus advocated by Butler endures although there are other lines of thought (Schelling, 1970) which suggest that the hiatus is a consequence of imperfect allocation of individuals at higher levels. The hiatus may be reconcilled by an iterative approach to refinement of the classification in question (bootom-up and top-down). I am sceptical that this nirvana will be reached. Peter Almond Soil Science Dept P.O. Box 84 Lincoln University Canterbury New Zealand ph 064 3 325 2811 xtn 8209 fax 064 3 325 3607 <------------------------------>
Date: Mon, 5 Feb 96 08:52:23 EST From: Rob Bramley .<.Rob.Bramley@tvl.tcp.csiro.au.>. Subject: Re: Pedology problems At 03:46 PM 4/02/96 -0600, Pat Hill wrote: >I am not sure if I understand Rob's point exactly, is he >criticising theUSDA system or the whole idea of soil >classification ? I think that we will always need some way >of classifying soils in order to map them. >If his quarrel is with the USDA system he might suggest >some alternatives ? My point is simply that soil classification is not nearly as useful, or as necessary as its proponents would have us believe. I have no greater qualms about USDA than I do about any other system of soil classification although it is true that USDA is the one that has been made obligatory in the international journals irrespective of any consideration of its utility; clearly in Australia and New Zealand, and no doubt elsewhere, it is not terribly useful, because it does not "fit" with some soils - remember it was developed by Americans using american soils. That is not to say that I think the Australian or New Zealand systems are inherently any more useful. In Australia, and I am sure elsewhere, the "county" soil maps that some people have spoken of do not exist - at least, not at a scale that gives resolution of use to land managers. Similarly, it would be fair to say that the level of farmer education is lower than might be so in the US. So I come back to my original questions: what do we use soil classification for; and how does it aid communication ? There is no doubt in my mind that land use capability is a much more important thing to know about than soil characteristics alone. But the problem is, at what scale do we want to have this information. The work that I am currently involved in suggests that a 1:100,000 soil map of a catchment which was produced largely on the basis of aerial photography, and in which the soil profile descriptions are for virgin soils, is absolutely useless given that land managers (including farmers) need knowledge about their soils at a much better resolution than 1:100,000 and they need it for the soils that they use (ie. agricultural soils) not virgin soils. So the fact is, that the 1:100,000 offering from the pedologist does not help them - it contains no information on how their fertilizer and pesticide additions are going to react with the soil, and what information it does contain is not useful to them because of scale. Under these circumstances, why should anyone, most of all them, give a stuff what the name of their soil type is ? How has the soil classification aided their communication ? As for the agricultural and environmental scientists trying to help these land managers, they too need to know about the specific properties of the non-virgin soils, and they need to be able to explain these to the land managers - and at a scale which is meaningful to them. Soil classification does not help with this task. The requirement of journals that scientists give soil classification information when writing up their work for the "literature" is, under these circumstances, just a damn nuisance ! As I said before, Table 1 is much more useful. I recognise that I have brought the question of scale into this debate, but it goes hand in hand with the question of communication - which has always been the justification put to me of the merits of soil classification. Of course, we could just produce the maps at a scale of say, 1:10,000, but Peter Almond has already objected to that as akin to finding out about the properties of soils in one paddock, then the next, and then the one after that - which he presumably thinks is overkill. (How does this differ philosophically from soil testing by the way ?). Just returning to the question of land use capability, I hear everyone crying that a soil map is needed for this. Just so ! So lets make the production of a land capability map the end product to be communicated, and not the soil map, or the name ascribed to a particular soil. That will require some communication between the soil classifier and the soil chemist, physicist, biologist and agriculturalist. Ah, now that would be a fine thing ! Rob Bramley > >With regards to Almond's comment: > > >> > A point that you fail to realise because you have not taken the time to >> > learn about soil classification is that most systems are hierarchical >> > i.e. in the name typic fragiaqualf is embodied classification at the >> > order (ALFisol), suborder (Alfisol with an AQUic moisture regime), great >> > group (aqualf with a FRAGipan) and subgroup (a TYPical one). These >> > classes can be further subdivided into families, series, and phases >> > depending on the level of subdivision of the soil continuum appropriate >> > to your purpose or your clients (soil series and phases have user >> > friendly names eg Lismore silt loam very stony phase). > >It has been argued that this hierarchy is a weakness rather than >a strength. Butler in "Soil classification for soil survey" says > >"Thus we have the major problem that it is deceptively easy to >create an elegant soil classification to which any new entity >can be allocated without ambiguity or hesitation. Yet this means >only that every member of a class shares the keying attributes >of that class. Unless all the entities within a class also share >other attributes that are relevant to some land use, there will >be no benefit to identifying them....At the same time, unless the >classes roughly correspond to the natural modalities of the >survey area, and at least roughly conform to the most obvious >discontinuities of the land scape, they may be difficult to map >and require the subdivision of areas that common sense requires >to be left undivided" > >In respect to the USDA system he says that: >"Another disadvantage to a fixed hierarchy is the restraint that >it imposes on the series units that arise during soil survey. Ideally >a series should be developed by the soil surveyor so that it >fits the modes of local occurrence of profile variation and >boundaries. If the series is part of a fixed hierarchy, then >it's range of variability cannot cross the differential point >of any class above it in the system and all the differentia >of all the classes and categories above it must apply in addition >to its own interseries differentia. This is likely to impose >compromises and inaccuracies at the series level where accuracy >should be at it's sharpest" > >Butler suggests that the solution to this is to have a taxanomic >hiatus at the family level. Above this you would have a hierarchical >system, below this you would have families and series used for large >scale mapping that were defined by what surveyors found corresponded >to the landscape units. > >He also says that: >"Undoubtedly there are some areas in which soils lend themselves >to useful classification and mapping. Equally there are some >areas in which a classification or a map can only be meaningless" > >He wrote this in 1980. Are his views relevant to Soil classification >as it is used today ? > > > Pat Hill > > <---------------------------------------------------------------------------->
--------------------------- Dr Rob Bramley, Senior Research Scientist - Soil and Environmental Chemistry. CSIRO Division of Soils, Davies Laboratory, Townsville. Post: PMB Aitkenvale, Qld 4814, Australia. Tel: 077-538591 Fax: 077-538650 Email: Rob.Bramley@tvl.soils.csiro.au <---------------------------------------------------------------------------->
-------------------------- <------------------------------>
Date: Mon, 5 Feb 1996 11:24:30 GMT+1000 From: "RICHARD MACEWAN" .<.RJM@fs3.ballarat.edu.au.>. Subject: Re: Pedology problems Rob Bramley wrote: 'My point is simply that soil classification is not nearly as useful, or as necessary as its proponents would have us believe' and '..a 1:100000 soil map of a catchment ...... is absolutely useless ' 'So the fact is, that the 1:100000 offering from the pedologist does not help them' There seems to be a little confusion here, once again between soil classification and mapping units. What do pedologists promise in terms of the use of soil classification ? I have not ever seen great promises, merely an ordering, primarily on recognisable field properties and additionally on some generalised chemical properties. The systems vary in terms of the order of importance given to different properties. As for scale and the usefulness of maps at different scales and what is promised by pedologists as soil surveyors: read Dent & Young, Soil Survey for land evaluation. The limitations/potential of maps at different scales has long been recognised and is well documented. For detailed investigation there is necessarily integration of pedology, hydrology, chemistry and geology. The production of 'useful' maps is restricted by available resources. It is harder to get money for basic soil investigations that are related to pedological aspects than it is to get money for an ICP or a new scanning electron microscope. The potential for integration of all the relevant disciplines is always going to be stifled without more detailed as well as more extensive field data. Richard ****************************** Richard MacEwan, School of Science University of Ballarat, PO Box 663, BALLARAT 3353 AUS Phone: 053 279221 Fax: 053 279240 "If you're smart or rich or lucky, you may beat the laws of man. But the inner laws of spirit and the outer laws of nature no man can." (Joni Mitchell - The Wolf that Lives in Lindsay) ########## <------------------------------>
Date: Mon, 5 Feb 96 11:01:11 EST From: Rob Bramley .<.Rob.Bramley@tvl.tcp.csiro.au.>. Subject: More pedology problems Richard wrote: >'My point is simply that soil classification is not nearly as useful, >or as necessary as its proponents would have us believe' >and >'..a 1:100000 soil map of a catchment ...... is absolutely useless ' >'So the fact is, that the 1:100000 offering from the pedologist does >not help them' > >There seems to be a little confusion here, once again between soil >classification and mapping units. What do pedologists promise in >terms of the use of soil classification ? I have not ever seen great >promises, merely an ordering, primarily on recognisable field >properties and additionally on some generalised chemical properties. That is a good point - I have no argument with it at all. But I do have an argument with those who require the rest of us to make use of what the classifier has done. Having said that, I still want an answer from the classifiers as to who they believe they are classifying for; who are their clients ? Have they discussed their product with their clients ? >The systems vary in terms of the order of importance given to >different properties. As for scale and the usefulness of maps at >different scales and what is promised by pedologists as soil >surveyors: read Dent & Young, Soil Survey for land evaluation. The >limitations/potential of maps at different scales has long been >recognised and is well documented. For detailed investigation there >is necessarily integration of pedology, hydrology, chemistry and >geology. The production of 'useful' maps is restricted by available >resources. Indeed, but that is no excuse - see again, my comments on clients. >It is harder to get money for basic soil investigations >that are related to pedological aspects than it is to get money for >an ICP or a new scanning electron microscope. The potential for >integration of all the relevant disciplines is always going to be >stifled without more detailed as well as more extensive field data. Also a fair point, but going back to the use of all this information by a farmer or land manager, whether a soil map with correctly classified soils exists or not, he may still need to use some form of soil testing - and this needs appropriate interpretation. Neither the testing nor its interpretation needs soil classification. Rob <---------------------------------------------------------------------------->
--------------------------- Dr Rob Bramley, Senior Research Scientist - Soil and Environmental Chemistry. CSIRO Division of Soils, Davies Laboratory, Townsville. Post: PMB Aitkenvale, Qld 4814, Australia. Tel: 077-538591 Fax: 077-538650 Email: Rob.Bramley@tvl.soils.csiro.au <---------------------------------------------------------------------------->
-------------------------- <------------------------------>
End of Digest ************************


From root@crcnis1.unl.edu Tue Feb 6 16:15 EST 1996
Date: Tue, 6 Feb 1996 09:45:51 -0600
Message-Id: .<.199602061545.AA25264@crcnis1.unl.edu.>.
From: soils-l@unl.edu
Subject: SOILS-L digest 459

Contents:
Pedology problems - a joke (marino@veneto.shineline.it (Marino Perelli))
Introducing my self ("Farouq Asmar, 4157." .<.farouq.asmar@risoe.dk.>.)

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

Date: Tue, 6 Feb 1996 13:13:49 +0100 From: marino@veneto.shineline.it (Marino Perelli) Subject: Pedology problems - a joke About pedology problems, please, let me to tell a Jewish joke, with a small change. :-) "If you show a soil to four pedologists, you will have seven soil classifications, because everywhere there is a stupid with only an idea in his mind." :-) I told it without malice, only to make less dramatic a very important and interesting debate. Marino --------------------------------------- Marino Perelli free-lance agronomist Via Puccini, 11 - 30034 Mira VE - Italy voice: +39 41 421995 fax: +39 41 421995 (from Italy: 041-421995) E-mail: marino@veneto.shineline.it --------------------------------------- <------------------------------>
Date: Tue, 06 Feb 1996 14:29:07 +0100 (MET) From: "Farouq Asmar, 4157." .<.farouq.asmar@risoe.dk.>. Subject: Introducing my self Dear friends, I am a new member in Soils-L group working on plants nutrient effeciency. In my recent work with barley genotypes, the results indicate that extracellular phosphatase (phosphomono- and phosphodiesterase) are mostly associated with roots rather than released to their surrounding. Are these enzymes important for solubilization of soil (at least soluble organic P) organic P? or there might be another plant mechnism to bring first organic P in soil solution before their hydrolysis by the action of the enzymes, for example, production of chelating compounds or acidification of rhizosphere soil. <------------------------------>
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From root@crcnis1.unl.edu Wed Feb 7 16:11 EST 1996
Date: Wed, 7 Feb 1996 09:46:27 -0600
Message-Id: .<.199602071546.AA17081@crcnis1.unl.edu.>.
From: soils-l@unl.edu
Subject: SOILS-L digest 460

Contents:
Re: Pedologists are not alone ("Peter J. Harris" .<.P.J.Harris@reading.ac.uk.>.)

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

Date: Wed, 7 Feb 1996 10:18:14 +0000 (GMT) From: "Peter J. Harris" .<.P.J.Harris@reading.ac.uk.>. Subject: Re: Pedologists are not alone A thread on bionet threw up the following. Two bacteria in a test tube were observing a microbial taxonomist in the laboratory. One bacterium said to the other "It makes me so mad ! I know what I am but just try telling him!" 8-) Peter Harris, Reading University. <------------------------------>
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From root@crcnis1.unl.edu Thu Feb 8 16:07 EST 1996
Date: Thu, 8 Feb 1996 09:47:07 -0600
Message-Id: .<.199602081547.AA10775@crcnis1.unl.edu.>.
From: soils-l@unl.edu
Subject: SOILS-L digest 461

Contents:
soil moisture measurements (Oscar van Dam .<.O.vanDam@frw.ruu.nl.>.)

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

Date: Thu, 08 Feb 1996 13:53:09 +0100 From: Oscar van Dam .<.O.vanDam@frw.ruu.nl.>. Subject: soil moisture measurements Hello collegues, Let me introduce meself. My name is Oscar van Dam and I'm working at the University of Utrecht, dep. of Physical Geography. In April I'm going to Guyana, South-America for my research in the Tropical Forest. One of the things that I will be measuring are gradients of soil moisture from the centre of man-made gaps in the forest to the undisturbed forest itself. I'm currently investigating the methods for these soil moisture measurements and I'm thinking of using a TDR as well as gypsum-blocks. Does anybody have any experience with these gypsum-blocks in general and in the wet-tropics in specific? I'm affraid that they might simply dissolve in these harsh conditions. Greetings, Oscar van Dam. **************************************************************** Oscar van Dam Department of Physical Geography, University of Utrecht P.O. Box 80.115, 3508 TC Utrecht, The Netherlands Visiting adress: Heidelberglaan 2, Transitorium II, Room 617 Tel: +31 30 253 3888 Fax: +31 30 254 0604 **************************************************************** <------------------------------>
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From root@crcnis1.unl.edu Fri Feb 9 16:19 EST 1996
Date: Fri, 9 Feb 1996 09:58:19 -0600
Message-Id: .<.199602091558.AA05824@crcnis1.unl.edu.>.
From: soils-l@unl.edu
Subject: SOILS-L digest 462

Contents:
request for references or data (moutier@geru.ucl.ac.be (Moutier =?iso-8859-1?Q?Maryl=E8ne?= ))

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Date: Thu, 8 Feb 1996 19:02:38 +0100 From: moutier@geru.ucl.ac.be (Moutier =?iso-8859-1?Q?Maryl=E8ne?= ) Subject: request for references or data Hello, I'm looking for references or data about water retained by calcic montmorillonite related to their swelling pressure. Any reference or even a small data set will be helpful. Thanks MOUTIER Marylene Universite Catholique de Louvain faculte des Sciences Agronomiques Dep. Sciences du Milieu et Amenagement des Territoires Unite de Genie Rural Place Croix du Sud 2, Bte 2 B-1348 Louvain-la-Neuve BELGIQUE Tel : +32.10/47.37.12 Fax : +32.10/47.38.33 E-Mail : MOUTIER@GERU.UCL.AC.BE <------------------------------>
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From root@crcnis1.unl.edu Sat Feb 10 16:13 EST 1996
Date: Sat, 10 Feb 1996 09:58:44 -0600
Message-Id: .<.199602101558.AA22658@crcnis1.unl.edu.>.
From: soils-l@unl.edu
Subject: SOILS-L digest 463

Contents:
Re: soil moisture measurements (Klaas Broersma .<.BROERSMA@bcrska.agr.ca.>.)
      ortstein soils (.<.SOIL@biotop.umcs.lublin.pl.>.)

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

Date: 09 Feb 1996 12:29:45 -0400 (EDT) From: Klaas Broersma .<.BROERSMA@bcrska.agr.ca.>. Subject: Re: soil moisture measurements Hello Oscar van Dam Re: Determination of soil moisture In addition to the TDR use the soil moisture meter and soil moisture cells. These soil moisture cells basically operate the same as the gypsum blocks and consist of two metal plates separated by a glassfibre binding which provides a coupling that varies with mositure conditions within the soil. These can be obtained from ELE International, Agronomics Division, Eastman Way, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire HP2 7HB, England Telephone (0442)218355 Fax (0442)52474 The moisture cells can also be combined with a temperature cell so that you can obtain soil moisture and temperature. Cataloque Numbers are EL514-050 soil moisture meter EL514-054 soil moisture cell (1.8 m length lead) Regards Klaas Broersma Kamloops Range Research Station Kamloops, B.C. Canada <------------------------------>
Date: Sat, 10 Feb 1996 10:32:18 +0100 From: .<.SOIL@biotop.umcs.lublin.pl.>. Subject: ortstein soils Hello, I am a new member in SOILS-L, and J am looking for references or data about ortstein soils. I'd like to become acquainted person, who carry out research of ortstein soil, too. Any reference or even a small data set will be helpful. Thanks, Jacek Chodorowski Dep. of Soil Science Maria Curie-Sklodowska Univ. Lublin, Poland .<.soil@biotop.umcs.lublin.pl.>. <------------------------------>
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From root@crcnis1.unl.edu Mon Feb 12 09:09 EST 1996
Date: Mon, 12 Feb 1996 02:53:38 -0600
Message-Id: .<.199602120853.AA10938@crcnis1.unl.edu.>.
From: soils-l@unl.edu
Subject: SOILS-L digest 464

Contents:
Information ("Farouq Asmar, 4157." .<.farouq.asmar@risoe.dk.>.)

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

Date: Mon, 12 Feb 1996 09:40:22 +0100 (MET) From: "Farouq Asmar, 4157." .<.farouq.asmar@risoe.dk.>. Subject: Information I am a new member and I would like to know if there are sub-groups of discussion such as Rhizosphere or Roots groups whithin Soils-l group. It would be appreciated if you please send me their e-mail address. <------------------------------>
End of Digest ************************


From root@crcnis1.unl.edu Tue Feb 13 09:21 EST 1996
Date: Tue, 13 Feb 1996 02:54:33 -0600
Message-Id: .<.199602130854.AA02726@crcnis1.unl.edu.>.
From: soils-l@unl.edu
Subject: SOILS-L digest 465

Contents:
Re: ortstein soils (tzimmerm@postbox.acs.ohio-state.edu (Tommy (Tom) L. Zimmerman))
Re: soil moisture measurements (Brendan Williams .<.bwilliam@rose.vcah.edu.au.>.)

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

Date: Mon, 12 Feb 1996 14:22:50 -0500 From: tzimmerm@postbox.acs.ohio-state.edu (Tommy (Tom) L. Zimmerman) Subject: Re: ortstein soils Jacek: I recommend a textbook for you to start with. Pertinent information: Authors: Fanning, Delvin S. & Mary C. B. Fanning Title: Soil Morphology, Genesis, and Classification Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Copyright date: 1989 ISBN No.: 0-471-89248-3 Pages 98-99 and 101 have a small amount of information about orstein soils. There are some references cited which may help. If you are unable to locate this book or are in need of some more help, I suggest you contact me directly so we can work out the details. Tom Zimmerman >Hello, >I am a new member in SOILS-L, and J am looking for references or data >about ortstein soils. I'd like to become acquainted person, who carry >out research of ortstein soil, too. >Any reference or even a small data set will be helpful. > >Thanks, > >Jacek Chodorowski >Dep. of Soil Science >Maria Curie-Sklodowska Univ. >Lublin, Poland >.<.soil@biotop.umcs.lublin.pl.>. > > ********************************************************************** Tommy (Tom) L. Zimmerman, Associate Professor Environmental Resources Management The Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute 1328 Dover Road, Wooster, OH 44691-4000 Voice: 216-264-3911, ext. 1325; FAX: 216-262-7634 [area code 216 changes to 330 on March 9, 1996] E-Mail: tzimmerm@postbox.acs.ohio-state.edu OR zimmerman.4@osu.edu ********************************************************************** <------------------------------>
Date: Tue, 13 Feb 1996 11:52:39 +1000 From: Brendan Williams .<.bwilliam@rose.vcah.edu.au.>. Subject: Re: soil moisture measurements Oscar I can't help you but I suggst you contact Graham Moore on graham_moore@muwayf.edu.au as he has some experience in this area. ******************************************************************* Brendan Williams ph 053 622239 Lecturer in Agricultural Engineering fx 053 622213 Longerenong College, Email: bwilliam@vcah.edu.au The University of Melbourne, RMB 3000, HORSHAM, 3401,VICTORIA,AUSTRALIA ******************************************************************* <------------------------------>
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From root@crcnis1.unl.edu Wed Feb 14 21:01 EST 1996
Date: Wed, 14 Feb 1996 14:41:01 -0600
Message-Id: .<.199602142041.AA10777@crcnis1.unl.edu.>.
From: soils-l@unl.edu
Subject: SOILS-L digest 466

Contents:
Re: Introduction to list (shaavig@ptialaska.net)

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

Date: Wed, 14 Feb 1996 11:26:30 -0900 From: shaavig@ptialaska.net Subject: Re: Introduction to list Kent, Thank you for your response to my inquiry. I have been out of town for the last two weeks, hence my delay in getting back to you. Thanks for the references, I will look into retrieveing them thru our library system here in Juneau. I don't think it will be a problem. I am abit confused about your statement that thresholds for fuel oil #2 and diesel have been lowered due to the lower VOCs compared to gasoline. Can you tell me why this is so? I think our firm is going to purchase a PID for our site work. If you were to purchase one today is there a brand you would be interested in? (Keeping cost in the 3-5K range) I have asked the UST Program Coordinator to send you a copy of the UST regs. Thanks again for your help. Must have been the Alaskan connection! Steve Haavig On Tue, 30 Jan 1996, KSKgeos@aol.com wrote: >Steven; >I have specialized in groundwater and soil investigation and remediation here >in Vermont for the past 13 years, with a particular emphasis on petroleum >hydrocarbon impact from UST and AST releases. Having lived in a number of >different Alaskan locales for several years - 1977 - 1980 - I find that the >climate here in Vermont is not unlike that in central Alaska. > >We routinely employ both PIDs and FIDs for field screening of gasoline, fuel >oil #2, and diesel fuel impacted soils with very good results. Threshholds >for soil segregation and treatment in Vermont have been lowered for fuel oil >#2 and for diesel due to the lower VOC constituent base in the products as >compared to gasoline; i.e. - 20 ppm for gasoline, and 10 ppm for fuel oil #2 >and diesel are the limits. Concentrations above these limits mandate soil >segregation and treatment. > >I can understand where transport of calibration gases by air could pose a >problem due to the relative lack of a roadway infrastructure and the vast >country you have up there. I don't have any suggestions in that regard, nor >do I know of a more satisfactory field-screening method, although the field >microscope method you mentioned sounds like it may have merit. I know that I >have always become much more frustrated with FIDs than with PIDs in high >moisture situations. > >How about Millipore's immunoassay kits? I haven't used them, because of their >higher cost, relative to a fixed assett PID, and because they are not >required in Vermont, but it sounds like they may be applicable to your >situation. I know that they can be set up specifically for BTEX constituents >I don't know how well the results will correlate with laboratory analyses, >but PID and FID screening rarely yields a satisfactory correlation with most >lab analyses, so you do your best with the tools at hand. > >One problem we have come across is the inconsistency in regards to results >when screening the same soils with different PIDs. We did a comparison of >different instruments and came up with some correlative formulae. Also, the >Maine DEP did some testing and assigned threshhold levels specific to >different PID manufacturers. If your interested, check the following >articles: > >Hoffer, J.P., K.S. Koptiuch, & R.L. Parker, "Field & Bench Scale Comparisons >of Photoionization Detectors," Proceedings of the Focus Conference on Eastern >Regional Groundwater Issues," Burlington, Vermont, October 3-5, 1994, NGWA, >Dublin, Ohio. > >Wallace, B., R. Peale, & F. Lavallee, "Establishing Calibration Set Points >for Selected Photoionization Detectors (PIDs) for Use at Leaking Underground >Storage Tank Sites," Maine Department of Environmental Protection Bureau of >Hazardous Materials and Solid Waste Control.Proceedings, "Remediation of >Petroleum-Contaminated Sites in Maine, 1994 Conference," Augusta, Maine, >April 28, 1994. > >I can provide you with copies if you have no other way of securing them. > Also, I would be very interested in securing a copy of Alaska's new UST >regulations if you could point me in the right direction. > >Let me know what direction you choose to follow in addressing this problem. > >Sincerely, >Kent Koptiuch, CGWP #449 >Principal Geologist >KENT S. KOPTIUCH, Inc. Geo-Environmental Services >164 Osgood Hill >Essex, VT 05452 >802-878-1620 >KSKGeoS@aol.com > > > <------------------------------>
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From root@crcnis1.unl.edu Mon Feb 19 03:11 EST 1996
Date: Sun, 18 Feb 1996 20:53:23 -0600
Message-Id: .<.199602190253.AA26286@crcnis1.unl.edu.>.
From: soils-l@unl.edu
Subject: SOILS-L digest 467

Contents:
Buffering soil pH (Dean Stewart .<.STEWARTD@tui.lincoln.ac.nz.>.)

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

Date: Mon, 19 Feb 1996 15:35:44 +1300 From: Dean Stewart .<.STEWARTD@tui.lincoln.ac.nz.>. Subject: Buffering soil pH I want to buffer some soil at a pH 5-6 for an incubation at 30oC. Does anyone know of a buffer that would not be toxic/beneficial to soil micro-organisims, not give off CO2, and not react with clay minerals (i.e. allophane, ferrihydrite or smectite). Thanks in anticipation. Dean Stewart AgResearch c/- Dept. Soil Science Lincoln University New Zealand <------------------------------>
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From root@crcnis1.unl.edu Tue Feb 20 03:08 EST 1996
Date: Mon, 19 Feb 1996 20:53:43 -0600
Message-Id: .<.199602200253.AA15147@crcnis1.unl.edu.>.
From: soils-l@unl.edu
Subject: SOILS-L digest 468

Contents:
Re: Buffering soil pH (rate@uniwa.uwa.edu.au (Andrew Rate))
Bayesian Networks (David Favis-Mortlock .<.david.favismortlock@ecu.ox.ac.uk.>.)

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

Date: Mon, 19 Feb 1996 11:23:37 +0800 From: rate@uniwa.uwa.edu.au (Andrew Rate) Subject: Re: Buffering soil pH Hi Dean - interesting request... >I want to buffer some soil at a pH 5-6 for an incubation at 30oC. >Does anyone know of a buffer that would not be toxic/beneficial to soil >micro-organisims, not give off CO2, and not react with clay minerals >(i.e. allophane, ferrihydrite or smectite) That's a pretty big ask, really! Some suggestions: Why not simply adjust the pH of your soil to the required value by pre-incubation with acid/alkali, and use the existing buffering ability of the soil solids? Use a solid-phase buffering material (something with a pznc of around 5-6). How about a weak-acid ion-exchange resin (if such things are available)? Most of the solution-phase buffers I'm aware of are weak organic acids which will supply C to bugs, apart from HPO4/H2PO4 which is even more undesirable given your criteria. If you're doing the incubation in suspension rather than under `normal' soil moisture conditions, why not go to a pH-stat method and get even more control? Cheers, Andrew. - Andrew Rate (rate@uniwa.uwa.edu.au) Soil Science and Plant Nutrition Group, University of Western Australia, WA 6907, AUSTRALIA. Telephone: +61 9 380 2500 Fax: +61 9 380 1050 World Wide Web: http://www.uwa.edu.au/cyllene/soilweb/ <------------------------------>
Date: Mon, 19 Feb 1996 21:16:37 GMT From: David Favis-Mortlock .<.david.favismortlock@ecu.ox.ac.uk.>. Subject: Bayesian Networks Hi! Has anyone made use of Bayesian Networks (or releted approaches) in their modelling? Apologies for any cross-postings. Dave F-M Dr David Favis-Mortlock Address: Environmental Change Unit University of Oxford 1a Mansfield Road Oxford OX1 3TB UK e-mail : david.favismortlock@ecu.ox.ac.uk WWW : http://info.ox.ac.uk/departments/ecu/ld/ldhp.htm fax : (+44) (0)1865 281181 phone : (+44) (0)1865 281180 <------------------------------>
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From root@crcnis1.unl.edu Thu Feb 22 07:03 EST 1996
Date: Wed, 21 Feb 1996 21:59:32 -0600
Message-Id: .<.199602220359.AA01024@crcnis1.unl.edu.>.
From: soils-l@unl.edu
Subject: SOILS-L digest 469

Contents:
GPS (Neil Moore .<.nmoore@oncomdis.on.ca.>.)

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

Date: Wed, 21 Feb 1996 22:46:38 -0500 From: Neil Moore .<.nmoore@oncomdis.on.ca.>. Subject: GPS Hi, I am a Soil & Crop Advisor with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs in the area east and north of Toronto. I work in field crops and cropping systems management. The topic of discussion on yield monitors and GPS has become a discussion on grid soil sampling vs topography or slope related soil samples. My feeling is that the topography sampling is better than a grid. Do others have any info on this? <------------------------------>
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From ab4el@ab4el.com Fri Feb 23 00:01 EDT 1996
Date: Fri, 23 Feb 1996 00:01:00 -0500
Message-Id: .<.199602230100.ab4el@ab4el.com.>.
From: soils-l@unl.edu
Subject: SOILS-L digest 470 was NOT received

SOILS-L digest 470 was NOT received

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->



From ab4el@ab4el.com Sat Feb 24 00:01 EDT 1996
Date: Sat, 24 Feb 1996 00:01:00 -0500
Message-Id: .<.199602240100.ab4el@ab4el.com.>.
From: soils-l@unl.edu
Subject: SOILS-L digest 471 was NOT received

SOILS-L digest 471 was NOT received

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->



From ab4el@ab4el.com Sun Feb 25 00:01 EDT 1996
Date: Sun, 25 Feb 1996 00:01:00 -0500
Message-Id: .<.199602250100.ab4el@ab4el.com.>.
From: soils-l@unl.edu
Subject: SOILS-L digest 472 was NOT received

SOILS-L digest 472 was NOT received

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->



From root@crcnis1.unl.edu Mon Feb 26 04:25 EST 1996
Date: Sun, 25 Feb 1996 22:08:11 -0600
Message-Id: .<.199602260408.AA04134@crcnis1.unl.edu.>.
From: soils-l@unl.edu
Subject: SOILS-L digest 473

Contents:
Re: Field capacity 2nd (Stephen Rawlins .<.srawlins@ncw.net.>.)

<---------------------------------------------------------------------->

Date: Sat, 24 Feb 1996 21:39:46 -0800 From: Stephen Rawlins .<.srawlins@ncw.net.>. Subject: Re: Field capacity 2nd Sandra; No problem making inferences about the microporosity of the samples you make measurements on in the lab. The problem arises when one attempts to infer what the water content of this sample will be when it is interposed within different profiles in the field. If by field capacity one means "upper limit of available water", then it cannot be determined unambiguously from a sample. But I suppose one could use the term "field capacity" to refer to something other than upper limit of available water, which is apparently the case you cite for French scientists. Steve Rawlins USDA/ARS -- Retired 2638 Eastwood Avenue Richland, WA 99352 Phone 509-627-4943 FAX 509-627-1841 Email srawlins@ncw.net <------------------------------>
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From root@crcnis1.unl.edu Tue Feb 27 04:39 EST 1996
Date: Mon, 26 Feb 1996 22:20:42 -0600
Message-Id: .<.199602270420.AA27894@crcnis1.unl.edu.>.
From: soils-l@unl.edu
Subject: SOILS-L digest 474

Contents:
Re: Field capacity 2nd (Seth N Asare .<.sasare@uoguelph.ca.>.)
Analyses of pore solutions in soil profiles (George Fisher .<.gfisher@jhu.edu.>.)
 ("J.D. Oster" .<.oster@mail.ucr.edu.>.)
Re: Analyses of pore solutio (Robert Edis .<.Robert_Edis@muwayf.unimelb.edu.au.>.)
Soil Quality Symposium, Australia (bwilson@waite.adelaide.edu.au)

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Date: Mon, 26 Feb 1996 09:45:54 -0500 (EST) From: Seth N Asare .<.sasare@uoguelph.ca.>. Subject: Re: Field capacity 2nd On Fri, 23 Feb 1996, Sandra Novak wrote: helo sandra, how are you going to estimate microporosity from field capacity measurements? i am interested to know your defination of microporosity and how you are goint to estimate it. > Dear fiel capacity correspondents, > > > First I want to thank you for your answers. And I will return to my first > question about field capacity. One of my interest was to get an > international overview. Maybe you would be interested to know the french > point of view (I will give it as far as I know). First I would say there > are 2 "schools" in France : the first one which advise to measure water > content at field capacity (determined in the laboratory!) with 2mm-sieved > samples and the other which only works with undisturbed (or low-distubed) > samples, i.e. with little clods. Then there is a second point of > disagreement : some scientists use a single pF value (pF=2, not far from > 0,1 bar) for all soils, and other advise to use different succions > depending on the soil texture : 0,1 bar for sandy soils, 1 bar for clay > soils and 0,3 bar for loamy soils. > It appears that these different values can sometimes induce significant > differences for available moisture. > In my case I will use these values to evaluate microporosity of 2 soils > profiles. > > Well what do you think about the french point of view? I would also be > pleased to receive the point of view of french scientists! > > > > ************************************************************************** > Sandra NOVAK > Soil and Environment Department > ENSAIA-INPL, BP 172, F-54505 VANDOEUVRE-LES-NANCY, FRANCE > Phone : + 83 59 58 45 > ########################################################################## > > <------------------------------>
Date: Mon, 26 Feb 1996 11:34:45 -0400 (EDT) From: George Fisher .<.gfisher@jhu.edu.>. Subject: Analyses of pore solutions in soil profiles Deal folks, I'm interested in trying to understand the degree to which reactions with minerals in the soil system can control the chemical composition of solutions in soil profiles. Can anyone point me to references which give the major element chemistry of soil solutions and the mineral composition of the co-existing soil horizons? Thanks very much for your help. George Fisher ******************************************* George W. Fisher, Professor of Geology Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences Johns Hopkins University Baltimore MD 21218 Phone: 410-516-7237 FAX: 410-516-7933 ******************************************* <------------------------------>
Date: Mon, 26 Feb 1996 12:37:05 -0600 From: "J.D. Oster" .<.oster@mail.ucr.edu.>. Subject: --=====================_825360364==_ Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Greetins from sunny, cool, southern California. My research/extension interests are: soil and irrigation water management to control salt effects on soils and plants, chemistry and physics of soils, exchange and salt equilibria of soil-water systems, salt effects on infiltration and hydraulic conductivity of soils, reclamation of saline and sodic soils, salt and boron tolerance of crops of calcite and gypsum. Instead of a burning question, the purpose of this message is to use Soils-L to advertize a symposium being organized for the 1996 ASA meetings. Jim --=====================_825360364==_ Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="ANNC96.TXT" Your name was given by one of the organizers of the Symposium as one who may be interested in participating in the Symposium. I hope this is the case, and that you and a colleague will submit a Title/Summary form. Regards, Jim. SYMPOSIUM ANNOUNCEMENT 1996 Annual ASA meeting Utility of Soil Research: Case Studies Sponsor: Division S-1 in cooperation with Divisions S-2, S-4, S-6, S-8, and S-11 The session's purpose is to enhance the appreciation and application of new research developments in a variety of natural resource systems and to document the impact of our research upon society and the environment. Oral and poster sessions will include presentations of new information from basic scientific principles and their application in the management of soil and water resources. This session will provide examples of the coordination which occurs across a broad spectrum of research. To assure a balance, the plan is to have two speakers per topic. One speaker will focus on research of basic principles related to a specific topic and the second speaker will focus on the application of that research. Presentations will alternate between research of discovery and applied research with several speaker time-slots being reserved for group discussion. The following list of topics is provided to indicate the broad scope of the session. It is not intended to be exclusive in any manner. I. Soil variability: precision farming and precision irrigation, crop yield characterization and its utilization, salinity characterization and management, and nutrient management. II. Rootzone conditions: non-limiting or least-limiting water range, tillage and irrigation management impacts on soil aeration and crop growth. III. Environmental issues: watershed dynamics, ecological impacts of dryland and irrigated agriculture, land and water management impacts on pesticide movement, and land and water management impacts on pesticide emissions during fumigation. IV. Groundwater contamination: monitoring, predicting, and managing the movement of contaminants generated by agriculture, industries, and municipalities. In order to arrange the program, it is essential that presenters identify their counterpart. In other words, the invitation is for two people to submit coordinated Abstracts, one for an applied research presentation and the other for a basic research presentation. The contact people for those who have questions are: Jim Oster (oster@ucrac1.ucr.edu), R. Allmaras (dmurray@soils.umn.edu ), J. D. Bauder (acxyjb@msu.oscs.montana.edu), and J. Watson (jwatson@ag.Arizona.edu). The deadline is April 4 for receipt of the Title/Summary form at ASA Hdqrs. A copy of the form was published in the February issue of Agronomy News. If you need a copy, I can FAX one to you. Jim --=====================_825360364==_ Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" J.D.(Jim) Oster Dept. of Soil & Env. Sciences University of California Riverside, CA 92521 Phone (909)787-5100 FAX (909)787-5522 --=====================_825360364==_-- <------------------------------>
Date: Tue, 27 Feb 1996 10:46:03 +1000 From: Robert Edis .<.Robert_Edis@muwayf.unimelb.edu.au.>. Subject: Re: Analyses of pore solutio Reply to: RE>Analyses of pore solutions in soil profiles George, yYou might find talking to Dimitri Sverjensky, also at Johns Hopkins helpful -------------------------------------- Date: 27/2/96 3:59 AM To: Robert Edis From: soils-l@unl.edu Deal folks, I'm interested in trying to understand the degree to which reactions with minerals in the soil system can control the chemical composition of solutions in soil profiles. Can anyone point me to references which give the major element chemistry of soil solutions and the mineral composition of the co-existing soil horizons? Thanks very much for your help. George Fisher ******************************************* George W. Fisher, Professor of Geology Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences Johns Hopkins University Baltimore MD 21218 Phone: 410-516-7237 FAX: 410-516-7933 ******************************************* ------------------ RFC822 Header Follows ------------------ Received: by muwayf.unimelb.edu.au with SMTP;27 Feb 1996 03:58:51 +1000 Received: from crcnis1.unl.edu by muwayb.ucs.unimelb.edu.au (PMDF V5.0-5 #7200) id .<.01I1P033KI740071V2@muwayb.ucs.unimelb.edu.au.>. for robert_edis@muwayf.unimelb.edu.au; Tue, 27 Feb 1996 03:58:45 +1000 Received: by crcnis1.unl.edu id AA12310 (5.65c/IDA-1.4.4 for robert_edis@muwayf.unimelb.edu.au); Mon, 26 Feb 1996 10:47:25 -0600 Date: Mon, 26 Feb 1996 10:47:25 -0600 From: George Fisher .<.gfisher@jhu.edu.>. Subject: Analyses of pore solutions in soil profiles Sender: soils-l@unl.edu To: Multiple recipients of list .<.soils-l@unl.edu.>. Errors-to: jp@unlinfo.unl.edu Reply-to: soils-l@unl.edu Message-id: .<.2.2.16.19960226113421.385fc8c4@JHUVMS.HCF.JHU.EDU.>. Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Originator: soils-l@unl.edu version: 5.5 -- Copyright (c) 1991/92, Anastasios Kotsikonas <------------------------------>
Date: Tue, 27 Feb 1996 12:17:21 -1400 From: bwilson@waite.adelaide.edu.au Subject: Soil Quality Symposium, Australia Last call for Posters for the International symposium: Advances in Soil Quality for Land Management: Science, Practice and Policy. The symposium is for land managers, consultants, extension professionals, research scientists, tertiary students, planners and policy makers and aims to provide an international forum for debate on the science of soil quality, processes and indicators of soil quality, and practical applications of soil quality in land use management and policy making. 17 - 19 April 1996, Ballarat, Australia Presented by University of Ballarat and the CRC for Soil and Land Management, Adelaide, SA For more information see web site http://www.waite.adelaide.edu.au/Soil_Science/crc.html or email a reply direct to me for further information. ************************************************************ Benjamin Wilson CRC for Soil and Land Management South Australia 5064 Australia ph +61 8 3036518 fax +61 8 3036511 WWW site http://www.waite.adelaide.edu.au/CRCSLM/ <------------------------------>
End of Digest ************************


From root@crcnis1.unl.edu Tue Feb 27 23:32 EST 1996
Date: Tue, 27 Feb 1996 22:20:51 -0600
Message-Id: .<.199602280420.AA23501@crcnis1.unl.edu.>.
From: soils-l@unl.edu
Subject: SOILS-L digest 475

Contents:
UNSUBSCRIBE (cedare@ritsec1.com.eg)
UNSUBSCRIBE (di_kaplan@ccmail.pnl.gov)
RE>Analyses of pore solutions in soil profiles ("J.D. Oster" .<.oster@mail.ucr.edu.>.)
      Subscribe me ("Jerzy Melke" .<.MELKEJ@biotop.umcs.lublin.pl.>.)
unsubscribe (shaavig@ptialaska.net)
Re: RE>Analyses of pore solutions in soil profiles (Stephen Rawlins .<.srawlins@ncw.net.>.)
Job opening: physics/env. studies (Bruce Callen .<.bcallen@lib.drury.edu.>.)
Soil solution compositions (George Fisher .<.gfisher@jhu.edu.>.)
 (Wolfgang LUDWIG .<.wludwig@athos.u-strasbg.fr.>.)
Re: Soil solution compositions (Stephen Rawlins .<.srawlins@ncw.net.>.)
UNSUBSCRIBE (fcolozza@julian.uwo.ca (Frank C. Colozza))

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Date: Tue, 27 Feb 1996 20:46:19 +0200 From: cedare@ritsec1.com.eg Subject: UNSUBSCRIBE unsubscribe cedare@ritsec1.com.eg <------------------------------>
Date: Tue, 27 Feb 1996 07:29 -0800 (PST) From: di_kaplan@ccmail.pnl.gov Subject: UNSUBSCRIBE unsubscribe di_kaplan@pnl.gov <------------------------------>
Date: Tue, 27 Feb 1996 10:05:51 -0600 From: "J.D. Oster" .<.oster@mail.ucr.edu.>. Subject: RE>Analyses of pore solutions in soil profiles George: For computer based, inorganic chemistry models that describe chemical reaction for a multiphase system - - calcite-gypsum-exchanger phase-solution phase equilibria - - , contact Dr. Donald Suarez, U. S. Salinity Lab. Riverside Ca FAX 909-369-4818. Reference: Oster and McNeal Soil Sc. Soc. Am. Proc. 35:436-442. 1971. Computation of soil solution composition variation with water content for desaturated soils. Jim J.D.(Jim) Oster Dept. of Soil & Env. Sciences University of California Riverside, CA 92521 Phone (909)787-5100 FAX (909)787-5522 <------------------------------>
Date: Tue, 27 Feb 1996 17:35:43 +0100 From: "Jerzy Melke" .<.MELKEJ@biotop.umcs.lublin.pl.>. Subject: Subscribe me Subscribe soils-l melkej <------------------------------>
Date: Tue, 27 Feb 1996 09:44:56 -0900 From: shaavig@ptialaska.net Subject: unsubscribe UNSUBSCRIBE shaavig@ptialaska.net <------------------------------>
Date: Tue, 27 Feb 1996 10:52:03 -0800 From: Stephen Rawlins .<.srawlins@ncw.net.>. Subject: Re: RE>Analyses of pore solutions in soil profiles Here is an email address for Don Suarez DSUAREZ@ussl.ars.usda.gov At 10:30 AM 2/27/96 -0600, you wrote: >George: For computer based, inorganic chemistry models that describe >chemical reaction for a multiphase system - - calcite-gypsum-exchanger >phase-solution phase equilibria - - , contact Dr. Donald Suarez, U. S. >Salinity Lab. Riverside Ca FAX 909-369-4818. > >Reference: Oster and McNeal Soil Sc. Soc. Am. Proc. 35:436-442. 1971. >Computation of soil solution composition variation with water content for >desaturated soils. > >Jim >J.D.(Jim) Oster >Dept. of Soil & Env. Sciences >University of California >Riverside, CA 92521 > >Phone (909)787-5100 >FAX (909)787-5522 > > > USDA/ARS -- Retired APPROPRIATE SYSTEMS (Precision Farming Consultants) 2638 Eastwood Avenue Richland, WA 99352 Phone 509-627-4943 FAX 509-627-1841 Email srawlins@ncw.net <------------------------------>
Date: Tue, 27 Feb 1996 13:28:47 -0600 (CST) From: Bruce Callen .<.bcallen@lib.drury.edu.>. Subject: Job opening: physics/env. studies Please pardon this one-time post. We are seeking a person with background in environmental studies and physics for a tenure-track appointment. A principal focus of the environmental physics course would be soils, and are trying to reach a broader cross-section of applicants. Thanks. TENURE TRACK POSITION The Department of Physics at Drury College invites applicants for a tenure track position at the rank of assistant professor to commence August 1996. The position includes teaching in the physics department and in the college's Environmental Science Program. A typical assignment would include an introductory physics course and its associated lab, an upper division physics course, and an environmental science course. The ideal candidate would have a Ph.D. in physics, demonstrated teaching ability, and a background in geophysics or geology and some area of environmental science. Applicants should send a letter of application describing their teaching experience and philosophy and names of three references who can speak to the applicant's teaching abilities to the address above. Further information about the position can be obtained by contacting the department chair at the above address, by telephone at ( 417) 873-7233, or by e-mail at jriley@lib.drury.edu. Information about the college can be obtained by visiting the web site at http://www.drury.edu Jim Riley, Department of Physics Drury College Springfield, MO 65802 e-mail: jriley@lib.drury.edu Phone: (407) 873 7233 <------------------------------------------------------------------------->
Bruce Callen email: bcallen@lib.drury.edu Physics Department phone: (417) 873-7473 Drury College fax: (417) 873-7432 Springfield, MO 65802 <------------------------------>
Date: Tue, 27 Feb 1996 14:53:09 -0400 (EDT) From: George Fisher .<.gfisher@jhu.edu.>. Subject: Soil solution compositions Hello again - Thanks to all who responded to my request for analyses of pore solutions in soil profiles. I guess I must have phrased my question incorrectly, because most of the responses recommend models for calculating soil solutions compositions. What I was really looking for was some actual analyses of soil solutions and descriptions of the clay mineral associations with which those solutions coexist. The reason for my interest is that I'm really a metamorphic petrologist who's trying to learn about soils. My stock-in-trade has been using thermodynamic data to predict mineral sequences in metasomatically altered rocks from 1) the initial composition of the rock system and 2) the composition of the fluid infiltrating the rock system. I've tried the same approach with weathering profiles (for example, calcualting the sequence of clay mineral assemblages that should be produced by weathering of microcline, given an initial pore fluid composition). You can think of the result as a line shifting across a plot of the activity of K+/H+ vs the activity of H4SiO4, successively crossing the stability fields of gibbsite, kaolinite, and montmorillonite to that of microcline, with appropriate detours along the two-phase boundaries. In essence, I'd like to plot solution compositions on such a diagram and see if there is any evidence that solution compositions are controlled by mineral equilibria. Thanks again for your help! George ******************************************* George W. Fisher, Professor of Geology Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences Johns Hopkins University Baltimore MD 21218 Phone: 410-516-7237 FAX: 410-516-7933 ******************************************* <------------------------------>
Date: Tue, 27 Feb 1996 21:53:31 +0100 From: Wolfgang LUDWIG .<.wludwig@athos.u-strasbg.fr.>. Subject: unsubscribe wludwig@athos.u-strasbg.fr <------------------------------>
Date: Tue, 27 Feb 1996 16:05:29 -0800 From: Stephen Rawlins .<.srawlins@ncw.net.>. Subject: Re: Soil solution compositions George: I still think Don Suarez in your man. Steve Rawlins> USDA/ARS -- Retired APPROPRIATE SYSTEMS (Precision Farming Consultants) 2638 Eastwood Avenue Richland, WA 99352 Phone 509-627-4943 FAX 509-627-1841 Email srawlins@ncw.net <------------------------------>
Date: Tue, 27 Feb 1996 19:36:39 -0500 (EST) From: fcolozza@julian.uwo.ca (Frank C. Colozza) Subject: UNSUBSCRIBE Unsubscribe fcolozza@julian.uwo.ca Frank C. Colozza ____________________________ e-mail: fcolozza@julian.uwo.ca Telephone: (519) 858-0242 <------------------------------>
End of Digest ************************


From root@crcnis1.unl.edu Wed Feb 28 23:34 EST 1996
Date: Wed, 28 Feb 1996 22:21:32 -0600
Message-Id: .<.199602290421.AA17785@crcnis1.unl.edu.>.
From: soils-l@unl.edu
Subject: SOILS-L digest 476

Contents:
Re: Salinity Discussion lis ("Ted Zobeck" .<.tzobeck@mail.csrl.ars.usda.gov.>.)
Introduction (Dr Jay Maheswaran .<.mahesj@slim.agvic.gov.au.>.)

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Date: 28 Feb 1996 09:05:19 -0600 From: "Ted Zobeck" .<.tzobeck@mail.csrl.ars.usda.gov.>. Subject: Re: Salinity Discussion lis Thanks to all those who responded to my request for the location of a salinity discussion list. For those interested, the following replies to my request will lead you to excellent salinity-related information: *********************************************************** There is a very good list of mailing lists at: http://www.waite.adelaide.edu.au/Soil_Science/links.htm#Mail including a soil salinity list. To subscribe to the salinity list send an e-mail message to LISTSERV@unl.edu leave the subject line blank and in the body of the message type SUBSCRIBE SALINITY-L your name delete any signature file or anything else in the body of the message. ************************************************************ Also try http://asset.arsusda.gov/wmrl/salinity.html ************************************************************* Cheers, Ted M. Zobeck tzobeck@mail.csrl.ars.usda.gov <------------------------------>
Date: Thu, 29 Feb 1996 10:31:07 +1100 From: Dr Jay Maheswaran .<.mahesj@slim.agvic.gov.au.>. Subject: Introduction Hello Members, I would like help on two issues: 1. In our work on pastures in Victoria, we have found that soil pH could rise over a period of time. This is common in perennial pastures in high rain fall areas. We have found it hard to explain this rise in pH. Could someone out there direct me in the right path for references that could explain this phenomenon? Dissolution of clay minerals due to extreme acidic conditions has been given as one cause. 2. Are there any waste utilisation groups similar to this soils group that I can subscribe to? Especially keen in discussing issues related to the use of domestic and industrial wastes in agriculture. Cheers Jay Maheswaran <------------------------------>
End of Digest ************************
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