Résumé
Among the geophysical tools used in soil science, electrical methods are considered as potentially useful to characterize soil compaction intensity. A laboratory investigation was undertaken on agricultural and forest soils in order to study the impact of compaction on bulk soil electrical resistivity. Samples taken from four different types of loamy soils were compacted at three bulk densities (1.1, 1.3 and 1.6 g cm(-3)). Bulk soil resistivity was measured at each compacted state for gravimetric water contents ranging from 0.10 to 0.50 g g(-1). A specific experimental procedure allowed the control of the water-filling of the intra-aggregate pores and the inter-aggregate pores. Soil resistivity decreased significantly with increase in density and typically for gravimetric water contents less than 0.25 g g(-1). The decrease was more pronounced for the drier soils, indicating the strong impact of the surface conductance, especially in agricultural soils. The experimental data were in good agreement with simulated values given by the petro-physical model of Waxman-Smits (1968), at least for water saturation greater than 0.3. The analysis of the petro-physical parameters derived from the experimental data suggested that: (i) the electrical tortuosity of the loamy agricultural soil was significantly affected by compaction and (ii) the forest soil had a singular microstructure from an electrical point of view and had isolated conductive zones associated with clay embedded in a poorly conductive medium comprised mainly of soil solution and quartz grains. Our results provide the phenomenological basis for assessing, in the field, the relationship between soil electrical resistivity and compaction intensity.
Auteurs, date et publication :
Auteurs S. Seladji , P. Cosenza , A. Tabbagh , J. Ranger , G. Richard
Publication : European Journal of Soil Science
Date : 2010
Volume : 61
Issue : 6
Pages : 1043-1055
Catégorie(s)
#FORET Azerailles-Clermont #INRAERésumé
An experimental site was set up in northeast France on a Luvisol (ruptic) soil to examine the duration of physical, chemical and biological disturbances in the soil following mechanized forest harvesting. Soil carbon dioxide (CO2) efflux (SE) and concentration ([CO2]) in the silt loam layer (050 cm) were measured from March 2008 to March 2010 in the trafficked (T) and control (C) plots of this site. This study aimed to validate these two measurements as indicators for long-term soil monitoring following disturbance by heavy traffic in 2007. Throughout the sampling period, SE in the T-treatment was significantly reduced relative to that in the C-treatment. The response of [CO2] to traffic depended on the season; it decreased during summer and increased during winter and spring. The combination of the two measurements indicated an increase in the frequency and duration of anoxic conditions resulting from poor gas diffusion after heavy forest traffic. The relationships between soil climatic properties (temperature, water content and water table level) on one hand and SE or [CO2] on the other, demonstrated a strong control of SE by soil biological activity and a double control of [CO2] by gas production/consumption and gas transfer. Our findings suggest that [CO2] and SE are sensitive to soil degradation by forest harvesting and that the impact of soil compaction provides complementary information on the processes involved in regulating CO2 production and efflux. However, their use as simple indicators is questionable as the impact varied with time and was probably dependent on the soil type.
Auteurs, date et publication :
Auteurs N. Goutal , F. Parent , P. Bonnaud , J. Demaison , G. Nourrisson , D. Epron , J. Ranger
Publication : European Journal of Soil Science
Date : 2012
Volume : 63
Issue : 2
Pages : 261-271
Catégorie(s)
#FORET Azerailles-Clermont #INRAERésumé
Soil compaction is a major contributor to forest soil degradation. To make a decision on soil remediation, both the soil compactness after heavy traffic of forest machinery and the natural soil recovery rate must be estimated. We estimated the impact of heavy traffic on soil specific volume (V) and its recovery rate on two forest sites by yearly collecting steel cylinders close to field capacity, as currently recommended, at different depths (D) during 3 to 4 yr. Though collected at water contents (w) as homogeneous as possible, the comparison of sample volumes led to inconsistent results. Using w as covariate was necessary to quantify the initial compaction and the V recovery with time and D. Moreover, compared to the soil V and w determined with shrinkage analysis, some field values were very large, suggesting an artifact due to hammering the cylinder at large w. The surface layer (0-10 cm) of the less compacted site showed no residual compactness 3 yr after heavy traffic and the 10- to 20-cm layer compactness decreased significantly with time. The compactness of the second site decreased significantly only in the 0- to 10-cm layer, and the recovery was still ongoing after the third year of monitoring. This site had less swelling clays and larger clay content. The recovery of the soil volume was attributed to shrink-swell processes. Longer monitoring is required to validate these trends, and further research should evaluate the need for more accurate monitoring based on shrinkage analysis and the use of soil organic carbon (SOC) and clay content as covariates.
Auteurs, date et publication :
Auteurs Noemie Goutal , Pascal Boivin , Jacques Ranger
Publication : Soil Science Society of America Journal
Date : 2012
Volume : 76
Issue : 4
Pages : 1426-1435
Catégorie(s)
#FORET Azerailles-Clermont #INRAERésumé
Models for predictions of soil compaction following forest traffic represent important decision tools for forest managers in order to choose the best management practices for preserving soil physical quality. In agricultural soil compaction research, analytical models are widely used for this purpose. Our objective was to assess the ability of an analytical model to predict forest soil compaction under forwarder traffic. We used the results from two experimental sites set up in north-eastern France in 2007 and 2008 to compare simulations using the SoilFlex model with observed bulk density following forwarder traffic. The best model-based predictions were found when considering the mean initial soil conditions and an increased rebound parameter in the upper soil layers (0-10 cm) in comparison to the deeper layers (10-50 cm). The need to increase the rebound parameter in the soil surface layer to improve model accuracy was attributed to a large soil organic matter content in the uppermost layers of forest soils. For the site where initial soil mechanical parameters were measured as a function of soil bulk density and water content, the model performance was good, with a root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.06. The model performed poorer (RMSE of 0.11), especially for the surface soil layer, for the second site that was wetter at the time of traffic and where soil mechanical properties were not measured but estimated by means of pedo-transfer functions. SoilFlex was found to yield satisfactory predictions and could help forest managers estimate the risk of compaction and to select the most appropriate machinery for given soil conditions in order to preserve the soil from physical degradation during traffic in forest ecosystems. However, our results emphasise the need for research on soil mechanical properties of forest soils, in particular on the role of soil organic matter and roots on soil compressive properties.
Auteurs, date et publication :
Auteurs N. Goutal , T. Keller , P. Defossez , J. Ranger
Publication : Annals of Forest Science
Date : 2013
Volume : 70
Issue : 5
Pages : 545-556
Catégorie(s)
#FORET Azerailles-Clermont #INRAERésumé
To determine the role of earthworms in regenerating compacted zones, it is essential to consider their capacity to colonise these zones. This study aimed to determine the short-term (3-4 years) response of earthworm populations to heavy traffic in two forest soils, at Azerailles (AZ) and Clermont-en-Argonne (CA) in north-eastern France. Earthworm populations were recorded immediately and for 3-4 years after heavy traffic by a 8-wheel drive forwarder with a load of about 23 Mg at AZ and 17 Mg at CA. To test the capacity of earthworms to recolonise traffic plot from the edges, an extra sampling was performed at the border of the traffic plots at AZ. Heavy traffic had a detrimental impact on the density and biomass of three earthworm functional groups. At AZ, earthworm populations, dominated by endogeic species, followed by anecic and epigeic species, had not fully recovered four years after compaction. The absence of statistically significant colonisation by the three functional groups from control to traffic plots indicated that the soil habitat was not yet favourable. At CA, earthworm populations, represented exclusively by epigeic species, had fully recovered three years after compaction, suggesting that the soil habitat was already suitable for them. This strong dependence on soil habitat quality is discussed and may be one reason for variation in the recovery rate of earthworms after compaction reported in the literature. In conclusion, this study did not support the hypothesis that earthworms play a role in regenerating soil structure the first few years following forest-soil compaction. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Auteurs, date et publication :
Auteurs N. Bottinelli , Y. Capowiez , J. Ranger
Publication : Applied Soil Ecology
Date : 2014
Volume : 73
Pages : 130-133
Catégorie(s)
#FORET Azerailles-Clermont #INRAEAuteurs, date et publication :
Auteurs N. Goutal-Pousse , F. Lamy , J. Ranger , P. Boivin
Publication : European Journal of Soil Science
Date : 2016
Volume : 67
Issue : 2
Pages : 160-172
Catégorie(s)
#FORET Azerailles-Clermont #INRAERésumé
Forest ecosystems are often found on add soils where calcium availability depends on two main inputs (atmospheric deposition and the weathering of soil minerals) and on the biological cyding of nutrients. In the context of global change (decreasing atmospheric inputs, increasing biomass exportation, climate change), it is important to determine calcium sources to the ecosystem and tree nutrition to better understand how forest ecosystems will respond to these changes over time. The aim of this study was to study and compare Ca pools and cycling in two mature forest ecosystems (Clermont en Argonne and Azerailles) developed on two contrasting polycyclic soils (Lorraine plateau, eastern France) and identify the Ca sources contributing to ecosystem functioning. At both sites, soil Ca pools were measured; atmospheric deposition of Ca was monitored from bulk precipitation and throughfall chemistry; Ca biological cycling was assessed by measuring litterfall and by a litter decomposition experiment; strontium (Sr-87/Sr-86) isotope data in the soil profile (fine roots, exchangeable pool, bulk soil) was used to estimate the distribution of Sr and Ca uptake in the soil profile and the relative contribution of mineral weathering in the soil layers to total ecosystems inputs. Despite important differences in Ca availability in the topsoil between both sites, tree growth and nutrition indicators showed no significant difference. This discrepancy is not explained by the biological cycling of Ca but may be partly explained by higher Ca deposition at the Ca-poorer site. Strontium isotope data enabled to show important differences of Ca sources for tree uptake. At the Ca-poorer site, deep soil layers (>105 cm) potentially represent from 32% to 100% of total Sr uptake. At the Ca-richer site, results suggest that uptake is more evenly distributed in the soil profile. Sr isotope data coupled with a modeling approach suggest that two different mineral sources exist in the soil profile: a radiogenic Sr source in the topsoil (Sr-87/Sr-86 > 0.717) and a less radiogenic source in depth (Sr-87/Sr-86 < 0.717). The deep mineral source may represent from 40% to 86% of total Sr inputs at the poorer site and from 25% to 86% at the richer site. The origin of this deep strontium source is unclear but soil mineralogy suggests an allochthonous origin. We hypothesize that this deep source originates from capillary rise of the groundwater aquifer. This nutrient input to forest ecosystems is not commonly taken into account but may strongly participate in maintaining the chemical fertility of soils over time. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Auteurs, date et publication :
Auteurs Lea Bedel , Anne Poszwa , Gregory van der Heijden , Arnaud Legout , Luc Aquilina , Jacques Ranger
Publication : Geoderma
Date : 2016
Volume : 264
Pages : 103-116
Catégorie(s)
#FORET Azerailles-Clermont #INRAERésumé
Key messageAggregation was studied in two acidic forest soils (NE France) to investigate the potential link between available Ca and Mg content and soil aggregate size distribution and properties. Clay content influenced the aggregation status while clay mineralogy influenced aggregate stability and dynamics. Aggregation status and reactivity of soil components contributed to the difference of exchangeable Ca and Mg content in topsoil between the two sites.ContextThough nutrient fluxes are important to define forest soil chemical fertility, the quantification of nutrient reservoirs in the soils and their availability to tree uptake is essential. A thorough understanding of nutrient availability requires an investigation of nutrient location and distribution in the soil solid phase.AimsThe general aim was to investigate the potential link between available Ca and Mg content and soil aggregate size distribution and their properties (chemical, physical, mineralogical).MethodsSoil aggregates were separated according to three size classes (200-2000m; 50-200m; <50m) in two forest soils of the Lorraine plateau (France), both classified as Luvisols ruptic. The physical, chemical, and mineralogical properties were measured for each aggregate class.ResultsWe showed that the relative abundance of an intermediate aggregate class [200-50m] was relevant to explain the difference of exchangeable Ca and Mg between sites. These aggregates were the poorest in organic and reactive mineral components and were unstable, which may mitigate the retention of Ca and Mg by ion-exchange.ConclusionThis study highlights the role of aggregation and reactivity of soil components as relevant determinants of cation availability to tree uptake in soils.
Auteurs, date et publication :
Auteurs Lea Bedel , Arnaud Legout , Anne Poszwa , Gregory van der Heijden , Melanie Court , Noemie Goutal-Pousse , Emmanuelle Montarges-Pelletier , Jacques Ranger
Publication : Annals of Forest Science
Date : 2018
Volume : 75
Issue : 4
Catégorie(s)
#FORET Azerailles-Clermont #INRAERésumé
Key message The hydraulic properties of compacted and rutted soils were evaluated through in-situ infiltration experiments and predicted based on soil texture class and traffic treatments. A significant decrease in saturated soil water content and soil hydraulic conductivity at saturation was observed. The resulting soil hydraulic parameters, when integrated into a soil water transfer model, effectively simulated water dynamics in these impacted forest soils, providing a crucial first step toward developing decision support tools for real-time trafficability. This approach can assist forest managers in minimizing the extent of soil compaction. Context To overcome trafficability issues of forest soils induced by heavy logging machinery, planning support tools are needed to determine suitable soil moisture conditions for traffic. Aims This study aimed to identify the soil properties that differ significantly between undisturbed and compacted soils and to provide several estimation tools to predict the hydraulic properties of compacted soils beneath the skid trails. Methods Four hundred seventeen water infiltration tests were conducted on 19 forest sites, mostly in North-eastern France, and analysed with the BEST method to estimate the hydraulic properties of the skid trails and undisturbed soils. The hydraulic properties of the skid trails were predicted thanks to linear mixed effect models using a bulk treatment effect, a site effect, or a skid trail degradation score. The predicted hydraulic properties were tested using a water flow model to assess their relevance regarding the prediction of water dynamics in skid trails. Results The compaction effect was only significant for the logarithm of the hydraulic conductivity at saturation (log10(Ksat)) and the soil water content at saturation (θsat). For the skid trails, θsat was reduced by - 0.02 and − 0.11 m3m−3 in the 0 − 10 cm and 15 − 25 cm layers respectively, compared to undisturbed topsoil (0 − 10 cm). log10(Ksat) was reduced by − 0.38 and − 0.85 for skid trails in the 0 − 10 and 15 − 25 cm soil layers respectively, compared to undisturbed topsoil. The use of a pedotransfer function, in replacement of water infiltration tests, and their combination with the same correction coefficients proved to efficiently simulate the difference in water dynamics between skid trails and undisturbed forest soils.
Auteurs, date et publication :
Auteurs Manon Martin , André Chanzy , Laurent Lassabatere , Arnaud Legout , Noémie Pousse , Stéphane Ruy
Publication : Annals of Forest Science
Date : 2024
Volume : 81
Issue : 1
Pages : 47
Catégorie(s)
#FORET Azerailles-Clermont #INRAERésumé
Methane (CH4) oxidation by methanotrophic bacteria in forest soils is the largest biological sink for this greenhouse gas on earth. However, the compaction of forest soils by logging traffic has previously been shown to reduce the potential rate of CH4 uptake. This change could be due to not only a decrease of methanotrophs but also an increase in methanogen activity. In this study, we investigated whether the decrease in CH4 uptake by forest soils, subjected to compaction by heavy machinery 7 years earlier, can be explained by quantitative and qualitative changes in methanogenic and methanotrophic communities. We measured the functional gene abundance and polymorphism of CH4 microbial oxidizers (pmoA) and producers (mcrA) at different depths and during different seasons. Our results revealed that the soil compaction effect on the abundance of both genes depended on season and soil depth, contrary to the effect on gene polymorphism. Bacterial pmoA abundance was significantly lower in the compacted soil than in the controls across all seasons, except in winter in the 0–10 cm depth interval and in summer in the 10–20 cm depth interval. In contrast, archaeal mcrA abundance was higher in compacted than control soil in winter and autumn in the two soil depths investigated. This study shows the usefulness of using pmoA and mcrA genes simultaneously in order to better understand the spatial and temporal variations of soil C H4 fluxes and the potential effect of physical disturbances.
Auteurs, date et publication :
Auteurs Frédérique Changey , Ghozlane Aissaoui , Caroline Plain , Jacques Ranger , Arnaud Legout , Bernd Zeller , Daniel Epron , Thomas Z. Lerch
Publication : Microbial Ecology
Date : 2022