Soil aeration

The ventilation of soil rate of gas

exchange
Dependent upon:
Soil Aeration and Temperature Porosity
ESS 210 Water content
Oxygen consumption by organisms
Chapter 7
Saturated soil = anaerobic: O2 has low
p 272-315 solubility in H2O and slow rate of
dissolution
O2 present = aerobic (oxic); absent =
1
anaerobic 2

Soil air composition Redox potential

Air above soil: 21% O2, 0.035% CO2, 78% N2
O2 readily accepts electrons from other elements;
Soil atmosphere: inverse relationship between it is an oxidizer
O2 and CO2
O2 + H+ + e H2O
O2 ~ 20% at surface to < 5% in lower horizons
No O2, anaerobic (typical of wet soils) Redox potential is dependent upon pH and
Carbon dioxide levels often 0.35 % 10 that of air
electron acceptors
Other gases: Primary electron acceptors in soils (if O2 absent):
H2O vapor (typically 100% relative humidity) NO3 + H+ + e NO2 + H2O
In strongly reduced soils: methane (CH4), ethylene MnIVO2 + H+ + e Mn2+ + H2O
(C2H4), and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) (toxic to plants if Fe3+ + e Fe2+
air exchange is too slow)
SO42 + 5H+ + 4e H2S + 2H2O
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Factors Affecting Redox Ecological Effects of Redox

Drainage of macropores and soil
Breakdown of organic (crop, leaf litter,
macroporocity
etc.) residues: organic matter accumulates
Soil respiration rates (is there food for
in saturated soils histic;
bugs?)
Subsoil more depleted of O2 than topsoil in aerated soils CO2 + H2O
Soil heterogeneity Absence of O2, anaerobes take over:
Profile decomposition is slow and incomplete
Tillage (partially decomposed organic compounds
Macroporocity produced)
Plant roots How can you tell redox potential?
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1
 Redox Potential is Seen by: Wetlands Poorly Aerated Soils
Soil color (Fe & Mn transformations;
suboxic) Soils that are water-saturated near the
Gray (gleyed) surface for prolonged periods when the
Mottles soil temperature is high enough to result in
Matrix color anaerobic conditions (bugs active to
Gases (S & C transformations; anoxic) deplete soil O2)
H2S (reduction of SO42), mercaptans, etc. Swamps, bogs, coastal (salt-affected)
Methane (reduction of CO2) marshes, etc.
Vegetation Histosols & histic epipedons
Plants vary in ability to tolerate poor aeration Frozen soils (Histels)
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Usually Defined by Three Characteristics:

What is a wetland?
Wetlands are lands transitional between
terrestrial and aquatic systems where the
water table is usually at or near the
surface or the land is covered by shallow
water. (Cowardin et al., 1985)
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Vegetation:
More than 50% of the dominant species are
hydrophytic plants (aerenchyma tissues typical)
Hydrology:
Seasonally inundated and/or saturated for
consecutive days > 12.5% of growing season
Hydric soils (redoximorphic features in upper
horizons)
Peraquic & aquic moisture regimes
Gley chroma (< 1)
Organic matter accumulation

Importance of Wetlands Importance of Wetlands

Flood-control Water quality
Temporary storage of excess water Water movement VERY slow
>19 million acres of wetlands have been Sediments settle
drained in the Upper Mississippi River Valley Nutrients utilized by plant life
Loss of 30 million acre-feet of storage Effective pollution filter (agricultural and
Restoration of 15% would have reduced flood urban)
stage at St. Louis in 1993 by 2 feet Groundwater recharge
Shoreline protection
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2
 Importance of Wetlands Soil T-Affected Processes
Maintenance of biodiversity Plant growth rates
Net primary productivity is higher in Seed germination
wetlands than any other ecosystem Root functions
Spawning grounds, migratory bird Microbial processes
< 5 C not much happens
habitat, amphibians, insects, ...
Biological activity doubles with every 10 C increase
~40 % of all endangered species & of Freezing and thawing
all birds in US depend on wetlands Ice lenses
Frost heaving

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Absorption and Loss of Solar Energy Soil Temperature Control

Albedo: the fraction of incident radiation that is Mulches
reflected from the land surface Residues
Aspect: how the land faces the sun south
Shading
facing vs. north facing
Rain Moisture control
Summer rains cool the soil
Spring rains warm the surface but, overall, make the
soil cooler and harder to warm (high specific heat of
water determines the rate at which soil warms in the
spring)
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