Imaging soil pore characteristics using computed tomography as influenced by agroecosystems

Authors : Melis CERCİOGLU

Pages : 192-202

Doi:10.18393/ejss.396237

View : 14 | Download : 7

Publication Date : 2018-07-01

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :Soil pore parameters are important for water infiltration into the soil and transport within the soil. The aim of this study was to compare influences of agroecosystems on soil pore characteristics insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(number of pores, macropores, coarse mesopores, porosity, macroporosity, coarse mesoporosity, pore circularity); using computed tomography insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(CT);. This experiment was carried out four different agroecosystem field [ Tucker Prairie insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(TP);: native prairie, Prairie Fork insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(PF);: restored prairie, Conservation Reserve Program insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(CRP);, and row crop insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(RC);: corn/soybean rotation] in Missouri state of United States during the year of 2017. Undisturbed soil samples were collected at four soil depths insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(0-10, 10-20, 20-30, and 30-40 cm); from each treatment with three replications. Five scan images from each sample were acquired using a X-ray CT scanner with 0.19 by 0.19 mm pixel resolution with 0.5 mm slice thickness and analyzed with Image-J . TP, PF, CRP, and RC treatments had 195, 88, 112, and 49 pores on a 2500 mm 2 area, respectively across all the depths. Soil under TP and CRP treatment had significantly higher porosity insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(0.046 m 3 m -3 , 0.046 m 3 m -3 );, and macroporosity insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(0.036 m 3 m -3 , 0.041 m 3 m -3 ); values than other treatments. The CT-measured number of macropores insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(>1000 μm diam.); were 5 times higher for TP when compared with RC treatment. The CT-measured pore circularity values were lower for CRP and RC treatments. CT-measured number of coarse mesopores, and mesoporosity were significantly greater under TP treatment. Results show that native prairie can improve soil pore parameters.
Keywords : Agroecosystems, computed tomograpy, Image J, soil pore