Quantifying and Modeling Soil Strucure Dynamics

Quantifying and Modeling Soil Structure Dynamics emphasizes a systems approach to how soil structure changes in response to inputs and to the environment. Soil structure is a dynamic, complex system affected by tillage, wheel traffic, roots, soil life, shrink–swell, and freeze–thaw. In turn, soil structure affects root growth and function, soil fauna, solute transport, water infiltration, gas exchange, thermal and electrical conductivities, traffic bearing capacity, and more. Ignoring soil structure or viewing it as “static” can lead to poor predictions and management. Readers will especially appreciate the description of soil structure influence on endpoints, such as environmental contamination and efficient water use, and how models should be adjusted to include dynamic soil structure components for accurate outputs. Foreword vii

Preface ix

Contributors xi

Chapter 1 1
Quantifying and Modeling Soil Structure Dynamics
Sally Logsdon, Markus Berli, and Rainer Horn

Chapter 2 11
Impacts of Soil Organic Carbon on Soil Physical Behavior
Humberto Blanco-Canqui and Joseph G. Benjamin

Chapter 3 41
High Energy Moisture Characteristics: Linking Between Some Soil Physical Processes and Structure Stability
A.I. Mamedov and G.J. Levy

Chapter 4 75
Applications of Complex Network Models to Describe Soil Porous Systems
Dean Korošak and Sacha Jon Mooney

Chapter 5 93
A History of Understanding Crack Propagation and the Tensile Strength of Soil
Paul D. Hallett, Anthony R. Dexter, and Shuichiro Yoshida

Chapter 6 121
Dynamics of Soil Macropore Networks in Response to Hydraulic and Mechanical Stresses Investigated by X-ray Microtomography
Stephan Peth, Jens Nellesen, Gottfried Fischer, Wolfgang Tillmann, and Rainer Horn

Chapter 7 155
Gas Permeability in Soils as Related to Soil Structure and Pore System Characteristics
Tjalfe G. Poulsen

Index 187

About the Series 193

Sally Logdson is a research scientist at the USDA-ARS in Ames, IA.