The utilization of dredged material in dike construction as a substitute for traditionally used materials is considered as an option to preserve natural resources such as marsh sediments. As a prerequisite for this application, the equivalency with respect to soil physical and mechanical properties of the materials must be assessed. Previous investigations have shown pronounced differences in shrinkage behavior and desiccation cracking between sediments and dredged material. The key objective of the study was to assess whether shrinkage of processed dredged material can be reduced by further processing, i.e., dewatering, which can be referred to as ripening.
Materials and methods
To compare the shrinkage behavior of the materials, three different methods of different scales were applied. Small-scale methods conducted were the standard procedure for the determination of the shrinkage limit and the determination of the coefficient of linear extensibility (COLErod). Large-scale shrink-swell experiments were carried out in a specially constructed test system with 90 l capacity for a period of up to 385 days. Here the materials were ripened, i.e., air-dried, until shrinkage almost ceased, and a rewetting-air-drying cycle was conducted. Shrinkage and swelling were determined during the processes by measuring the changes in volume. On the ripened materials, COLErod was determined.
Results and discussion
The experiments show that the shrinkage behavior of processed dredged material can be ameliorated by ripening. COLErod of the ripened materials were about 20–80% lower than COLErod of the un-ripened materials. The large-scale shrink-swell experiments showed that shrinkage in the second drying cycle amounted to less volume than in the first drying cycle and that shrinkage behavior in contrast to the first drying cycle, where pronounced proportional shrinkage was observed, was dominated by structural and residual shrinkage in this cycle.
Conclusions
Ripening of processed dredged material is considered a useful pre-treatment option to ameliorate the shrink-swell behavior of processed dredged material and to obtain a better functional equivalency with traditionally used dike construction materials such as fine-grained marsh sediments.
For dryland ecosystems, soil evaporation is a major factor of the soil water balance. Often handled in one term with transpiration, little is known quantitatively about evaporation and impacts of soil and vegetation on it. On 12 plots at three sites in Angola, Namibia, and Botswana, potential and actual evaporation was measured using microlysimeters and parameterized. Dependencies on micrometeorological, soil, and site properties were statistically examined. In simulation runs with SWAP, the microlysimeter measurements were tried to be reproduced. Measured potential evaporation rates varied from 3.0 mm d–1 to 8.6 mm d–1. The evaporational parameter β ranged between 0.9 mm1/2 and 4.3 mm1/2. Evaporation was found to be strongly impacted by vegetation and land use, increasing from homogeneous bush areas over heterogeneous, more open woodlands to sparsely covered dryland agricultures. Correlations of evaporation variables with temperature, humidity, shading, topsoil water content, pF, bulk density, texture, and C content were found. Relationships were non‐explicit, which could be achieved by combining different factors. The simulation showed satisfying results with small deviations, confirming the model's general ability to depict the process. The application of the Boesten‐Stroosnijder‐model in combination with the used methods showed to be very useful to express evaporational properties, yet further research is necessary to improve consistency. A basis for evaporation prediction from known plot and soil characteristics and temporal and spatial up‐scaling could be given. 相似文献
Soils of tidal marshes play an important role in regional carbon (C) cycles as they are able to store considerable amounts of organic carbon (OC). However, the C dynamics of marsh soils of the Elbe estuary have not been investigated so far. Therefore, the aim of this study was to identify the sources and distribution of soil organic carbon (SOC) and the factors influencing the SOC pools of tidal marshes of the study region.
Materials and methods
In this study, SOC pools were determined in different salinity zones and elevation classes of the estuarine marshes. The amount of initial allochthonous OC was derived from the OC content in fresh sediments. The difference to the recent OC content in the soils was interpreted as autochthonous accumulation or mineralization by microorganisms.
Results and discussion
Young, low marshes of the study sites seem to be predominantly influenced by allochthonous OC deposition whereas the older, high marshes show autochthonous OC accumulation in the topsoils (0–30 cm) and mineralization in the subsoils (30–70 cm). SOC pools of the whole profile depth (0–100 cm) did not significantly differ between elevation classes, but decreased significantly with increasing salinity from 28.3 kg m?2 in the most upstream site of the oligohaline zone to 9.7 kg m?2 in the most downstream site of the polyhaline zone. Even though the areal extent of the investigated salinity zones was similar, the SOC mass within 100 cm soil depth decreased from 0.62 Tg (1 Tg = 1012 g) in the oligohaline zone to 0.18 Tg in the polyhaline zone.
Conclusions
Elevation was found to be one factor influencing the SOC pools of tidal marshes. However, salinity seems to be an even stronger influencing factor reducing the above-ground biomass and, accordingly, the autochthonous OC input as well as the allochthonous input by enhanced mineralization of OC along the course of the estuary. An upstream shift of the salinity zones by sea level rise could, therefore, lead to a reduction of the SOC storage of the estuarine marshes.
Urban soils’ variability in the vertical direction presumably affects hydrological parameters at the timescale. Moreover, horizontal soil alterations at small spatial scales are common in urban areas. This spatio-temporal variability and heterogeneity of soil moisture and the possible influencing factors were to be described and quantified, using data of a soil monitoring network in the city of Hamburg, Germany.
Materials and methods
Soil moisture data from ten observation sites within the project HUSCO was evaluated for two different years. The sites were located within districts with different mean groundwater table depths and characteristic urban soil properties. Soil hydrological simulations with SWAP were calculated for a selected site.
Results and discussion
The temporal evolution of soil water content and tension for the sites was very distinct, related to soil substrate, organic matter content, and groundwater table depth. Impacts of different vegetation rooting depths, the soil substrates’ type, and to some extent the degree of disturbance on soil water dynamics could be identified. An impact of groundwater table depth on the water content of the topsoil during low-precipitation periods could be assumed. The comparison of the results of soil hydrological simulations with empirical data indicated an overestimation of infiltration and percolation for the given soil substrates.
Conclusions
While soil properties are mainly determinant for the long-term progression of soil hydrology, local site factors affect the short-term regime. A shallow groundwater table contributes to more constant water dynamics while the relative decrease of water during a dry phase is diminished.
Although bladder cancers are very common, little is known about their molecular pathogenesis. In this study, invasive bladder cancers were evaluated for the presence of gene mutations in the p53 suppressor gene. Of 18 tumors evaluated, 11 (61 percent) were found to have genetic alterations of p53. The alterations included ten point mutations resulting in single amino acid substitutions, and one 24-base pair deletion. In all but one case, the mutations were associated with chromosome 17p allelic deletions, leaving the cells with only mutant forms of the p53 gene products. Through the use of the polymerase chain reaction and oligomer-specific hybridization, p53 mutations were identified in 1 to 7 percent of the cells within the urine sediment of each of three patients tested. The p53 mutations are the first genetic alterations demonstrated to occur in a high proportion of primary invasive bladder cancers. Detection of such mutations ex vivo has clinical implications for monitoring individuals whose tumor cells are shed extracorporeally. 相似文献
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