Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Jan Vopravil Author-Workplace-Name: Research Institute for Soil and Water Conservation, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: Miloslav Janeček Author-Workplace-Name: Research Institute for Soil and Water Conservation, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: Martin Tippl Author-Workplace-Name: Research Institute for Soil and Water Conservation, Prague, Czech Republic Title: Revised soil erodibility K-factor for soils in the Czech Republic Abstract: In the territory of the Czech Republic there are more than 50% of agricultural soils exposed to water erosion; it is a very urgent problem both at present and for the future. It must be solved now when there is still something to be protected. It is rather complicated to describe the soil properties in terms of soil susceptibility to water erosion because it is a complex relation in which many factors participate. For the complex evaluation of all main factors participating in erosion origination it is possible to apply the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE). It consists of six factors interacting with each other and participating in the origination of soil erosion. One of these factors is the soil erodibility factor (K-factor), the revision of which for soil conditions of the CR is the subject of this study. In total ca. 5000 soil pits from the whole territory of the country were processed and evaluated in detail. The main results of this study are K-factor values (means and variances) for the soil types, subtypes and varieties (represented in the database) according to the Taxonomic Classification System of Soils of the Czech Republic. Keywords: water erosion, soil erodibility, soil structure, permeability, soil texture, organic matter Journal: Soil and Water Research Pages: 1-9 Volume: 2 Issue: 1 Year: 2007 DOI: 10.17221/2100-SWR File-URL: http://swr.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/2100-SWR.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/swr-200701-0001.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlswr:v:2:y:2007:i:1:id:2100-SWR Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Jana Podhrázská Author-Workplace-Name: Department for Land Use Planning, Research Institute for Soil and Water Conservation, Brno, Czech Republic Author-Name: Ivan Novotný Author-Workplace-Name: Department for Land Use Planning, Research Institute for Soil and Water Conservation, Brno, Czech Republic Title: Evaluation of the wind erosion risks in GIS Abstract: The paper refers to the possibilities of the evaluation of the wind erosion risks by using a model created in GIS. The model exploits the pedological information database for determining the potential risks of soils by wind erosion. The following data are the database of the agricultural land use, meteorological data and the topographic maps for determining the direction of wind and climatic conditions. Using the data transferred to the graphic form, it is possible to create the digital terrain model and to regionalise the meteorological data. Consequently, the wind barriers are localised in the landscape and it is possible to create the zone of efficiency around each barrier (protecting the land from the erosive effects of the wind) according to the characteristics of their height and density. Keywords: wind erosion, wind barriers, geographic information system, digital terrain model, land use Journal: Soil and Water Research Pages: 10-14 Volume: 2 Issue: 1 Year: 2007 DOI: 10.17221/2101-SWR File-URL: http://swr.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/2101-SWR.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/swr-200701-0002.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlswr:v:2:y:2007:i:1:id:2101-SWR Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Milan Kroulík Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Technology, Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: Josef Hůla Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Technology, Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague, Czech Republic Author-Workplace-Name: Research Institute of Agricultural Engineering, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: Rudolf Šindelář Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Technology, Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: František Illek Author-Workplace-Name: Agroservis, 1st Agricultural, a.s., Višňové, Czech Republic Title: Water infiltration into soil related to the soil tillage intensity Abstract: Soil infiltration capacity is one of the key factors in the soil protection against unfavourable effects of water erosion. The purpose of its measuring was to compare and evaluate the changes of the soil physical properties and of water infiltration into soil caused by different intensity of soil cultivation at two individual sites. The ploughing (PL), shallow tillage (ST), and direct drilling (NT) effects on the soil physical properties, water infiltration into soil, and soil surface coverage with the crop residua under the soil condition loamy Haplic Luvisol, with long-term growing of maize (Zea mays L.) - Agroservis, 1st Agricultural, a.s., Višňové - and clay soil of Calcic Chernozem (Cooperative farm Klapý), were compared. Soil bulk density values in the variant with ploughing showed in the depth up to 0.20 m considerably lower values as compared with the variants shallow tillage and direct drilling. Nevertheless, in the subsoil layer the bulk density of soil in the variant with ploughing increased in comparison with other variants. The results were also confirmed by the cone index values. At the plots in Višňové the infiltration was evaluated utilising the double ring infiltrometer, and by means of the coloured water infiltration. The results revealed significant differences in the water infiltration rate at various stages of the soil loosening. The highest average values were recorded for ploughing (1.00 dm3/min). The lowest values were found for the shallow soil tillage (0.18 dm3/min). The variant with direct drilling showed values of 0.53 dm3/min. The coloured water infiltration evaluation showed a different character of water flow in soil. The variant with ploughing showed water saturation in the top layer, the variants with reduced tillage were characterised by vertical macropores and crack effects with the water drain into deeper layers. Ploughing proved its advantage for the short-term rainfall retention. Similar results were also brought in the evaluation on the plot with clay soil (Klapý). The loosening effect was evident during coloured water infiltration in the period of snow thawing. The loosed soil layer showed a significantly higher soil water holding capacity as compared with variants with reduced soil tillage. The result showed major differences in the water infiltration rate into soil and different characters of water infiltration into soil at different soil tillage. Keywords: water infiltration, water erosion, soil tillage Journal: Soil and Water Research Pages: 15-24 Volume: 2 Issue: 1 Year: 2007 DOI: 10.17221/2098-SWR File-URL: http://swr.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/2098-SWR.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/swr-200701-0003.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlswr:v:2:y:2007:i:1:id:2098-SWR Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Jaroslava Sobocká Author-Workplace-Name: Soil Science and Conservation Research Institute, Bratislava, Slovak Republic Author-Name: Juraj Balkovič Author-Workplace-Name: Soil Science and Conservation Research Institute, Bratislava, Slovak Republic Author-Name: Milan Lapin Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Astronomy, Earth's Physics and Meteorology, Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics, Comenius University in Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovak Republic Title: A CENTURY 5 model using for estimation of soil organic matter behaviour at predicted climate change Abstract: The trends of carbon sequestration behaviour have been estimated for the most fertile soil type of Slovakia based on the prognosticated regional climate change scenario. The processes were modelled and simulated by CENTURY 5 model to provide these inputs: predicted information about quantification of carbon and nitrogen fluxes, and primary net of organic matter production. Soil conditions were represented by the soil type calcareous Haplic Chernozem (Danubian lowland), and the climatic scenario was related to the meteorological station Hurbanovo modelled for the period of 2005-2090. The dynamics of soil carbon and nitrogen was assessed using a conventional cropping system, concretely for 5-years crop rotation winter wheat-maize-oats (feed)-alfalfa-alfalfa modified into two alternatives: with fertilisation and without irrigation (ALT1), and excluding fertilisation and irrigation (ALT2). The model CENTURY 5 provides the simulation of three soil organic matter pools: the active (labile) pool (CL), the slow (sequestration) pool (CS), and the passive (resistant) pool (CP). The results of the model simulation for the conventional crop rotation predict that the supplies of active and slow SOM pools (CL, CS) do not show any statistically significant decreasing tendency in relation to the expected climate scenario. A moderately linear decreasing trend is expected with the passive SOM pool (CP), however, this decreasing tendency is not recognised during total carbon running (CTOT). I.e., in the future conventional crop-rotation farming no significant climate change impacts on total carbon sequestration will be presumed. In the case of ALT1, the model shows a gradual but very moderate decrease mainly with CS pool, and in that of ALT2 a significant decreasing trend is recognised with all SOM pools, mainly with CS pool. Amazing is the finding that in the case of non-irrigated but fertilised cropping system (in dry weather), the anticipated significant decrease in carbon sequestration was not observed, however, more drastic changes can be predicted in the non-fertilised and non-irrigated alternative. The average aboveground live carbon and belowground live carbon in both alternative cropping systems in relation to the conventional one have been compared. It was, estimated: in ATL1, that the primary net of organic matter decreased by almost 38% (aboveground live C) and by 43% (belowground live C), and in ALT2 by 43% (aboveground live C) and 45% (belowground live C), respectively. All these findings can be considered as the modelling outputs at the given input data, not as a firmly confirmed prognosis. Nevertheless, the achieved results of CENTURY 5 modelling assume that in the case of sufficient fertilisation and irrigation with well-managed cropping rotation practice under fertile soil conditions of Slovakia, no serious changes in carbon supplies in all SOM pools can be expected. Keywords: carbon sequestration, CENTURY 5 model, climate change, modelling, regional climate scenario Journal: Soil and Water Research Pages: 25-34 Volume: 2 Issue: 1 Year: 2007 DOI: 10.17221/2099-SWR File-URL: http://swr.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/2099-SWR.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/swr-200701-0004.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlswr:v:2:y:2007:i:1:id:2099-SWR