bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A novel polymorphism in the human interleukin‐13 (IL‐13) promoter
Authors: Laundy G. J. , Spink C. F. , Keen L. J. , Wood N. A. P. , Bidwell J. L.
Published: March 2003

Using PCR–SSCP and automated nucleotide sequencing we have identified a novel single nucleotide C → T polymorphism in the human IL‐13 promoter, at position —1055 relative to the transcription start site. Allele frequency analysis in a population of normal cord blood donors indicated frequencies of 0.833 (C) and 0.167 (T).
Geographical differences within Finland in the frequency of HLA‐DQ genotypes associated with Type 1 diabetes susceptibility
Authors: Ilonen J. , Reijonen H. , Green A. , Reunanen A. , Knip M. , Simell O. , Åkerblom H. K. ,   the Childhood Diabetes in Finland Study Group
Published: March 2003

Geographical variations in the HLA‐DQ genotypes associated with risk for type 1 diabetes were evaluated in Finland. Samples of 280 diabetic children diagnosed in Turku (south‐west of the country) and 405 in Oulu (north of the country) were studied as well as a series of 14 096 and 10 016 newborns collected from the same hospitals. There were no major differences in the risk or protection conferred by various HLA‐DQB1 genotypes between south‐western and northern parts of the country when genotypes of children with type 1 diabetes from these two centres were compared with those of newborns, representing the background populations. However, the distribution of various genotypes was different, both in diabetic children and in newborns, when compared between the two regions (P < 0.0001, χ2 test). These differences reflected the allele frequencies in newborn cohorts in which HLA‐DQB1*02 and DQB1*0301 were found more often in Turku and DQB1*0302 more often in Oulu (P < 0.0001 for all differences). Similar types of differences were detected when children who were diagnosed as having diabetes during the national ‘Childhood Diabetes in Finland’ (DiMe) study between the years 1986–1989 were compared according to their residence. The observed differences in genotype and allele frequencies demonstrate the heterogeneity for HLA alleles even in a population that is generally regarded as highly homogeneous. These differences also affect the sensitivity and efficiency of the screening programme used for identifying infants with genetic susceptibility to IDDM in the ongoing Finnish Diabetes Prediction and Prevention Study.
TAP1 and TAP2 gene polymorphism in rheumatoid arthritis in a population in eastern France
Authors: Zhang S.‐L. , Chabod J. , Penfornis A. , Reviron D. , Tiberghien P. , Wendling D. , Toussirot É.
Published: March 2003

The ‘transporter associated with antigen processing’ (TAP) gene products are involved in the processing of endogenous peptides that bind to class I molecules. Polymorphism within these genes could alter the level of the immune response, a phenomenon relevant to the development of autoimmune diseases. In this study, we examined the polymorphism of TAP1 and TAP2 genes in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). TAP1 and TAP2 typing was performed for 138 Caucasian RA patients and 100 healthy controls, all originating from eastern France. TAP1 polymorphic residues at positions 333 and 637 and amino acid variants 379, 565, 651 and 665 in the TAP2 gene were found using amplification refractory mutation system–polymerase chain reaction (ARMS‐PCR). This method enabled us to determine four TAP1 alleles (TAP1A to TAP1D) and eight TAP2 alleles (TAP2A to TAP2H). All patients and controls had been HLA‐DRB1* genotyped. The polymorphic residues TAP1333 and TAP1637 did not show any difference in their distribution between patients and controls. Similar findings were obtained for TAP2379 and TAP2665. However, we found an increased frequency of Thr homozygosity and heterozygosity at position 565 in the TAP2 gene in RA patients (RA vs. controls: 25.3 vs. 14%; P = 0.032; OR = 2.09; CI = 1.01–4.38). Similarly, the prevalence of subjects who were homozygote and heterozygote for Cys651 was increased in the RA group (RA vs. controls: 36.8 vs. 11%; P = 0.02). The dimorphic site TAP2565 defines TAP2D and TAP2E alleles, while the site at position 651 characterizes TAP2F. Thus, we found that TAP2D and TAP2E alleles were more prevalent in RA, but not significantly so (RA vs. controls: TAP2D: 10 vs. 3.6%; P = 0.24; TAP2E: 3.6 vs. 0%; P = 0.19). Similarly, the frequency of TAP2F was higher in RA patients (24.5%) than in controls (11.3%), but this was not significant after correction (P = 0.029; Pcorr = 0.17). Finally, we found no linkage disequilibrium between DRB1* RA‐associated alleles and amino acid substitution Thr565 or TAP2D and TAP2E alleles, whereas Cys651 (and TAP2F) was not independent of DRB1*04, a strongly RA‐associated allele. Finally, Thr at position 565 in the TAP2 gene was associated with manifestations of disease severity in only a few patients. Examination of TAP1 and TAP2 gene polymorphisms in RA patients revealed an association between a particular amino acid residue, namely Thr565 in the TAP2 gene, and RA. This association was found to be weak and did not seem to be a predictor for the severity of the disease.
Comparison of different techniques for detection of anti‐HLA antibodies in sera from patients awaiting kidney transplantation
Authors: Uboldi de Capei M. , Praticò L. , Curtoni E. S.
Published: March 2003

The aim of the present study was to compare different techniques of HLA antibody detection in patients waiting for a transplant. Two methods of HLA antibody screening were compared: the complement‐dependent cytotoxicity (CDC) test and the enzyme‐linked immunosorbent solubility assay (ELISA). Three different commercial kits for the latter assay were tested: the kits were produced by One Lambda (O.L.) and SANG STAT for prescreening and specificity determination, and GTI only for prescreening. Of the two techniques, only CDC can detect IgM. The study included 207 serum samples selected from 192 patients waiting for a first kidney transplant. The conclusions are that O.L. is more sensitive than CDC and the other ELISA kits and is much faster for analysing a serum (taking only a few hours), but costs about 16 times more than CDC and does not detect IgM antibodies, so can be used only in support of CDC.
Novel single nucleotide polymorphisms in the 3′‐UTR of the TGFβRI and TGFβRIII genes
Authors: Bayat A. , Watson J. S. , Stanley J. K. , Ferguson M. W. J. , Ollier W. E. R.
Published: March 2003

Transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ) family members are multifunctional cytokines that play a key role in cellular growth, proliferation and differentiation. Transmembrane signalling by TGFβ occurs via a complex of the serine/threonine kinases TGFβ type 1 (TGFβRI), type 2 (TGFβRII), and type 3 (TGFβRIII) receptors. Previous studies have implicated TGFβ receptors (TGFβR) in a variety of important hereditary clinical disorders. Mutations of the TGFβR genes have been observed in several human cancers. The aim of this study was to identify and confirm novel single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in TGFβRI and RIII and to determine the relative allele and genotype frequencies of these SNPs. SNPs were identified from the examination of sequence alignments held in databases and were confirmed by DNA sequencing. A polymerase chain reaction–restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR‐RFLP) method was devised for genotyping TGFβ receptor polymorphisms. DNA samples from 91 controls were examined. The observed heterozygosities of TGFβRI and TGFβRIII gene polymorphisms in the control population were 43 and 33%, respectively, suggesting these SNPs could be useful markers in disease association studies.
Modelling SO42– surface complexation on variable charge minerals. II. Competition between SO42–, oxalate and fulvate
Authors: Karltun E.
Published: March 2003

The adsorption of oxalate and fulvate and the competition for surface‐adsorption sites between SO42–‐oxalate and SO42–‐fulvate on goethite and on a soil material from a podzol B horizon were studied in batch titration experiments. The adsorption and competition processes were evaluated with surface complexation modelling using the diffuse‐layer model (DLM). Two different adsorption reactions were tested for oxalate and fulvate adsorption and the reaction giving the largest charge neutralization at the surface gave the best description of experimental data. In the soil solution an Al‐oxalate complex induced a substantial decrease in oxalate adsorption when the pH fell below 4.5. No such effect was found in the soil‐fulvate system. Adsorption constants obtained from binary systems (oxide‐ligand) were used to model adsorption and competition in the two ternary systems oxide‐SO42–‐oxalate and oxide‐SO42–‐fulvate. Experimental data showed that oxalate and fulvate competed with SO42– for adsorption sites. The DLM produced acceptable descriptions of experimental data, although the model slightly underpredicted SO42– adsorption in ternary systems. The competition between adsorbates was attributed mainly to charge neutralization at the surface induced by adsorption of the ligands.
Apparent cation‐exchange equilibria in podzolic forest soils
Authors: Nissinen A. , Ilvesniemi H. , Tanskanen N.
Published: March 2003

The Gaines–Thomas selectivity coefficient, K, was used to express the relation between the cations in solution and the cations in exchange sites in podzolic forest soils. Soil solution was obtained by centrifuging a fresh bulked soil sample. Exchangeable cations HX, AlX, CaX, MgX and KX and effective cation‐exchange capacity, CECe, were determined with 0.1 m BaCl2. Apparent values of K indicated a preference of Ca2+ over Mg2+ and over Al3+ in O, A and B horizons (log KAl–Ca < 0 and log KMg–Ca < 0), whereas log KK–Ca and log KH–Ca exceeded zero. The horizons were similar with respect to log KH–Ca, and the differences in log KMg–Ca were small. Log KK–Ca and log KAl–Ca increased in the horizons in the order O < A < B. Log KAl–Ca was not significantly correlated with the fraction AlX/CECe. Log KMg–Ca was positively correlated with the fractions HX/CECe and AlX/CECe, and negatively correlated with log (CaX/MgX). The selectivity coefficient of binary cation exchange seemed to be applicable to in situ soil solutions. However, the fraction of each cation on exchange sites should be based on the CECe rather than on the sum of the two cations. The latter, also, seemed to be acceptable in cases of exchangeable cations with a large relative content in soil, e.g. in Al3+–Ca2+ exchange in A and B horizons, and in H+–Ca2+ exchange in O and A horizons.
A casting method for the three‐dimensional analysis of the intraprism structural pores in vertisols
Authors: CABIDOCHE  , GUILLAUME
Published: March 2003

The structural voids in vertisols contain easily available water for plants and their volume can be calculated from the shrinkage curve. Access by plants to that water depends also on the geometric arrangement of the pores so that the water can flow through them. We have devised a method for studying the structural porosity by casting the pores in resin. The intraprism pore space of wet soil clods is impregnated with a UV fluorescent polyester resin under vacuum. When this has set we use the swelling properties of the clay to separate the clay matrix from the resin. A cast so obtained is the real three‐dimensional solid reproduction of the structural porosity. This representation of the pore system is easier to study than results from computerized reconstitution of the three‐dimensional space from two‐dimensional images of soil in thin sections. Channels, packing pores and planar voids can be observed directly in three dimensions as the method saves the integrity and continuity of pores as small as 10 μm in diameter. The geometry of the cast shapes agrees with the interpretation of shrinkage and moisture characteristic curves. The method offers direct qualitative observation of pore organization and volume measurements of the intraprism structural porosity in vertisols.
Nitrate leaching: modifying the loss from mineralized organic matter
Authors: GOSS M. J. , HOWSE K. R. , CHRISTIAN D. G. , CATT J. A. , PEPPER T. J.
Published: March 2003

The impact on nitrate leaching of agronomic practices designed to immobilize nitrogen in autumn and winter was investigated over 4 years. Experimental treatments (reducing tillage depth, incorporating harvest residues, reducing fertilizer N by growing unfertilized grass or by spring‐sown rather than autumn‐sown crops) were compared with a control treatment in which autumn crops were sown after burning harvest residues, mouldboard ploughing and seedbed preparation. Winter cover cropping was also compared with winter fallowing. In the first year, incorporation of harvest residues or reducing tillage depth significantly decreased nitrate leaching compared with the control. Unfertilized grass did not affect leaching in the first winter but significantly decreased it in years 2 and 3. When winter cover crops were grown, nitrate leaching was never less than that under an autumn‐sown cereal, and in the subsequent year leaching could be significantly greater. Winter fallowing caused the most nitrate leaching over the year. In the winter following a spring‐sown crop, leaching under an autumn‐sown crop greatly increased. Summed over 4 years, most leaching occurred with the winter fallow—spring cropping treatment; it was 18% more than where a winter cover crop preceded the spring crop. Reducing tillage depth or incorporating harvest residues did not significantly decrease leaching. Unfertilized grass ley followed by an autumn‐sown cereal in the fourth year was the only treatment that significantly decrease leaching. Unfertilized grass ley followed by an autumn‐sown cereal in the fourth year was the only treatment that significantly reduced leaching loss compared with the control. Incorporating harvest residues resulted in a balance between annual N inputs and outputs. All other treatments required substantial net annual N mineralization to balance annual inputs and outputs.
Movement, adsorption and mineralization of atrazine in two soils with and without switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) roots
Authors: Mersie W. , Seybold C. , Tsegaye T.
Published: March 2003

A study was conducted to determine the influence of switchgrass roots on the mobility, adsorption–desorption and mineralization of atrazine in Cullen clay loam and Emporia loamy sand soils. Bromide and atrazine distribution profiles in the leachates indicated greater preferential movement in columns with roots than in columns without roots. Larger concentrations of atrazine were detected at lower depths of Emporia soil with switchgrass roots than without. Adsorption of atrazine was greater in Cullen than in Emporia soil and conformed to Freundlich isotherms. In both Cullen and Emporia soils, adsorption and desorption were not different between soil with or without switchgrass roots. After 84 days of incubation, less than 6% of the applied atrazine was mineralized in the Cullen soil and 2% in Emporia soil. Mineralization was greater in the Cullen soil than in the Emporia soil at 42, 56, 70 and 84 days of sampling. The presence of switchgrass roots did not affect the mineralization of atrazine in Emporia soil. The presence of switchgrass roots caused preferential movement of atrazine, but did not affect its adsorption and mineralization in either soil type.
Management effects on forms of phosphorus in soil and leaching losses
Authors: Leinweber P. , Meissner R. , Eckhardt K. ‐U. , Seeger J.
Published: March 2003

We should know the effects of soil use and management on the contents and forms of soil phosphorus (P) and the resulting potential for leaching losses of P to prevent eutrophication of surface water. We determined P test values, amounts of sequentially extracted forms of P, P sorption capacities and degrees of P saturation in 20 differently treated soils and compared these data with leaching losses in lysimeters. One‐way analyses of variance indicated that most fractions of P were significantly influenced by soil texture, land use (grassland, arable or fallow or reafforestation), mineral fertilization and intensity of soil management. Generally, sandy soils under grass and given large amounts of P fertilizer contained the most labile P and showed the largest P test values. Fallow and reafforestation led to smallest labile P fractions and relative increases of P extractable by H2SO4 and residual P. Arable soils with organic and mineral P fertilization given to crop rotations had the largest amounts of total P, labile P fractions and P test values. The mean annual concentrations of P in the lysimeter leachates varied from 0 to 0.81 mg l–1 (mean 0.16 mg l–1) and the corresponding leaching losses of P from < 0.01 to 3.2 kg ha–1 year–1 (mean 0.3 kg P ha–1 year–1). These two sets of data were correlated and a significant exponential function (R2 = 0.676) described this relation. Different soil textures, land uses and management practices resulted in similar values for P leaching losses as those for the amounts of labile P fractions. Surprisingly, larger rates of mineral P fertilizer did not necessarily result in greater leaching losses. The contents of P extracted by NaHCO3 and acid oxalate and the degrees of P saturation were positively correlated with the concentrations of P in leachates and leaching losses. As the P sorption capacity and degree of P saturation predicted leaching losses of P better than did routinely determined soil P tests, they possibly can be developed as novel P tests that meet the requirements of plant nutrition and of water protection.
Particle size fractionation of soil containing coal and combusted particles
Authors: Schmidt M. W. I. , Rumpel C. , Kögel‐Knabner I.
Published: March 2003

Standard procedure for dispersing natural soils for particle size fractionation can be too aggressive for soil containing coal and other organic particles from coal industries. We have investigated ultrasonic dispersion for the latter in four soils differing in pedogenesis (Phaeozem, Podzol, reclaimed mine soils), carbon content (27.5–138.6 g kg–1), clay content (80–153 g kg–1) and sources of particles (airborne coal dust, combustion residues, lignite particles). As we found previously for natural soils, the ultrasonic energy needed for complete dispersion varies between 450 and 500 J ml–1, but the resulting particle size distributions differ from those obtained by standard textural analysis. This is probably related to the different properties of native soil organic matter and coal and combusted particles. Coal and soot particles may partly resist oxidation with hydrogen peroxide, depending on material and particle size. The diameter of lignite particles, remaining after oxidation, is overestimated in sedimentation analysis by a factor of 1.66. Sand‐sized lignite particles can be disrupted by ultrasonication and redistributed to finer particle size fractions. The ultrasonic dispersion and particle size fractionation procedure can be applied to soils containing coal and combusted particles, but caution is needed in interpreting the results if they contain large proportions of coal particles.
From local hydraulic properties to effective transport in soil
Authors: Kasteel R. , Vogel H. ‐J. , Roth K.
Published: March 2003

The inability to predict flow and transport behaviour based on a priori information demonstrates the lack of knowledge we currently have concerning transport‐relevant properties or processes, or both. We present an approach in which the behaviour of effective solute transport at the scale of a soil column (100 mm) is predicted by taking into account the spatial structure of the hydraulic properties at the local scale (1 mm). The local absorption coefficients obtained from X‐ray tomography, which are linearly related to bulk density, are used as local proxy for hydraulic properties. As a first approximation, two density classes were distinguished, and the three‐dimensional structure of the hydraulic properties was implemented in a model of flow and transport. The local hydraulic properties were obtained from a network model, except for the absolute value of the hydraulic conductivity function which was measured. Model simulations were compared with a measured breakthrough curve determined on the same soil sample. The two agreed well, although the local hydraulic properties and parameter structure were determined independently with respect to a breakthrough experiment. Predictions of solute transport at the column scale were sensitive to the difference in saturated hydraulic conductivities of both materials, but not to the local dispersivities. The simulations demonstrate that (i) assuming validity of the Richards equation and the convection–dispersion equation on the local scale leads to a good description of the effective flow and transport behaviour at the column scale without making any assumptions about the governing processes at that scale; (ii) the dispersion parameters, which are notoriously difficult to determine, need not be determined since their effect is included explicitly; and (iii) local absorption coefficients can be used as a local proxy for the parameter field of the hydraulic properties.
Simulation of water retention and hydraulic conductivity in soil using a three‐dimensional network
Authors: Peat D. M. W. , Matthews G. P. , Worsfold P. J. , Jarvis S. C.
Published: March 2003

The conduction of water by soil is fundamental to the way in which soils transport nutrients and pollutants into groundwater. The derivation of relations between water flow and void structure has relied on the implicit assumption that water flows through aligned unconnected cylindrical capillary tubes. We describe a three‐dimensionally interconnected model of void structure, called Pore‐Cor, which simulates the intrusion of a non‐wetting fluid and drainage of a wetting fluid. The model is calibrated by fitting it to the water retention curves of a sandy soil at four depths. The experimental drainage pressures are related to the radii of the entries to the voids by the Laplace equation. The necessities of using this equation, and of employing a simplified void geometry, introduce major approximations into the modelling. Nevertheless, the model is sufficiently precise and versatile to predict trends in other properties usefully. It is illustrated in this work by a close correlation between a predicted and experimental change in saturated hydraulic conductivity with depth, and a realistic unsaturated hydraulic conductivity curve. The saturated and unsaturated hydraulic values are shown to be much more realistic than those predicted by the aligned cylinders model. In addition, the simulations by Pore‐Cor indicate that the void network within the sandy soil is acting in a structured rather than a random manner. The Pore‐Cor model is currently being used to explain the matrix‐flow characteristics of tracers and pollutants.
Particulate organic matter as a source of variation in denitrification in clods of soil
Authors: Parry S. , Renault P. , Chadœuf J. , Chenu C. , Lensi R.
Published: March 2003

Existing mechanistic models of denitrification in clods of soil describe the anaerobic activity in the centres of the clods, but they neglect the role of particulate organic materials. We therefore studied the effect of particulate organic matter on denitrification in soil both under pasture and in arable cultivation. Clods were separated into two compartments: (i) particulate organic matter and adhering soil exceeding 200 μm (coated POM), and (ii) the matrix (the rest of the soil). Potential denitrification and production of CO2 were then estimated on coated POM, matrix and unfractionated soil. The quantity and the quality of coated POM were assessed individually in 100 clods from the pasture and 100 from the arable land. The rate of potential denitrification was similar in unfractionated soil from these treatments. However, it was 70 times greater in the coated POM than in the matrix from the arable soil. Production of CO2 was nine times greater in the coated POM than in the matrix from the pasture soil and 33 times greater in the arable soils. These observations were the basis for a mechanistic model of denitrification, taking into account contributions from coated POM and the matrix. Denitrification rates in a computerized representation of clods from both pasture and arable soil had approximately the same distribution as experimental data both in the matrix and coated POM contributions in the cropped soil and in the matrix alone in the pasture soil. Coated particulate organic matter can explain more than half of the denitrification and most of the variation in denitrification when it increases microbial activity sufficiently and the soil structure limits the supply of O2.
Simulation of calcium leaching and desorption in an acid forest soil
Authors: Van Praag H. J. , De Smedt F. , Thanh T. vu
Published: March 2003

The aim of the study was to evaluate effects of mobile and immobile water and diffusion‐limited transport on the binding and release of ions in soils. The desorption and leaching of calcium in a humic layer of a densely rooted acid forest soil under a beech stand was studied in laboratory experiments by leaching soil columns with a desorption solution and recycling the leachate through the columns. Radioactive tracers were added and monitored in the leachate to evaluate desorption and leaching characteristics of the soil. Parallel experiments were conducted with chloride and calcium to determine transport and desorption parameters independently. The experimental data were then analysed with a transport model, taking into account effects of mobile and immobile soil water fractions, and in the case of calcium assuming an equilibrium Langmuir adsorption isotherm.

The transport was highly dependent on the mobility of the soil water, and in particular the fraction of the soil water to which the chemical was confined as a result of ionic properties. For chloride an excluded soil water phase had to be taken into account to explain the experimental findings. Immobile or mobile water and solute transfer and transport properties were not sufficient to explain non‐equilibrium effects in the adsorption reactions. Desorption curves agreed with results from batch experiments, provided the leaching experiments were done in such a way that equilibration between the soil solution and the solid matrix adsorption sites was reached, otherwise desorption was delayed and the calculated isotherms do not represent actual equilibrium adsorption–desorption conditions.
Relationship between the isotopically exchangeable and resin‐extractable phosphate of deficient to heavily fertilized soil
Authors: Schneider A. , Morel C.
Published: March 2003

The rate and extent of soil–solution transfer of orthophosphate ions (Pi) depend both on soil solution Pi concentration and on time. This is so both in experiments on sorption–desorption and in those on isotopic exchange. Because the two methods are based on different principles, it is questionable whether they give a similar quantification of Pi transfer.

The amount of isotopically exchangeable Pi, E, was determined over periods of 100 minutes and described as a function of both time and Pi concentration in solution for three soil samples taken from field plots having different P fertilizer histories over 26 years of annual application. In separate experiments, amounts of Pi, Qd, were extracted from soil suspensions using three levels of anion exchange resin strips for periods ranging from 10 minutes to 7 days. Both initial and final solution Pi concentrations were measured. These concentrations and periods of resin‐contact were used to predict the difference in E, ΔE, between the initial and final states of the suspension–resin system using extrapolations of the equations fitted to the exchange data. Under conditions in which the solution concentration of Pi decreased during extraction the ΔE values and the resin‐extracted Pi values, Qd, were equal. It is thus possible, using the description of E, to predict the amount of Pi released from soil suspension knowing the initial and final solution Pi concentrations and the time it took for the system to pass from the initial to the final state. For the soil studied, identical amounts of mobile Pi, i.e. the Pi which participates in the soil–solution dynamics, may therefore be assessed by either isotopic exchange or desorption.
The effect of organic acids on base cation leaching from the forest floor under six North American tree species
Authors: Dijkstra F. A. , Geibe C. , Holmström S. , Lundström U. S. , Van Breemen N.
Published: March 2003

Organic acidity and its degree of neutralization in the forest floor can have large consequences for base cation leaching under different tree species. We investigated the effect of organic acids on base cation leaching from the forest floor under six common North American tree species. Forest floor samples were analysed for exchangeable cations and forest floor solutions for cations, anions, simple organic acids and acidic properties. Citric and lactic acid were the most common of the acids under all species. Malonic acid was found mainly under Tsuga canadensis (hemlock) and Fagus grandifolia (beech). The organic acids were positively correlated with dissolved organic carbon and contributed significantly to the organic acidity of the solution (up to 26%). Forest floor solutions under Tsuga canadensis contained the most dissolved C and the most weak acidity among the six tree species. Under Tsuga canadensis we also found significant amounts of strong acidity caused by deposition of sulphuric acid from the atmosphere and by strong organic acids. Base cation exchange was the most important mechanism by which acidity was neutralized. Organic acids in solution from Tsuga canadensis, Fagus grandifolia, Acer rubrum (red maple) and Quercus rubra (red oak) were hardly neutralized while much more organic acidity was neutralized for Acer saccharum (sugar maple) and Fraxinus americana (white ash). We conclude that quantity, nature and degree of neutralization of organic acids differ among the different tree species. While the potential for base cation leaching with organic acids from the forest floor is greatest under Tsuga canadensis, actual leaching with organic anions is greatest under Acer saccharum and Fraxinus americana under which the forest floor contains more exchangeable cations than does the strongly acidified forest floor under Tsuga canadensis.
Isotopic fractionation of dissolved organic carbon in shallow forest soils as affected by sorption
Authors: Kaiser K. , Guggenberger G. , Zech W.
Published: March 2003

Isotopic fractionation of dissolved organic carbon percolating through the soil is often interpreted as due to microbial transformation. We investigated the potential effects of sorption on the δ13C of dissolved organic C in field and laboratory experiments. We sampled the organic C in soil water at two forested sites and measured sorption with intact mineral soil and individual minerals (dolomite, ferrihydrite, goethite, and quartz). The dissolved organic C was separated into hydrophilic and hydrophobic fractions using a resin approach. The δ13C values of bulk soils, alkaline‐extractable organic C, and dissolved organic C and its fractions were measured. Hydrophilic and hydrophobic fractions in forest floor seepage water were characterized by13C‐NMR spectroscopy.

At both sites, δ13C of dissolved organic C increased with increasing depth, suggesting that decomposition contributes to the loss of the dissolved organic C. However, there was an enrichment of hydrophilic organic C in the soil solution as the water moved down the soil. The δ13C values of hydrophilic fractions were less negative than those of hydrophobic fractions. The smaller δ13C in the hydrophobic fraction was due to the large contribution of compounds derived from lignin that are depleted in13C. As the isotope composition of both fractions of dissolved organic C did not change throughout the profile, changes in δ13C of total organic C reflected changes in the relative proportions of its hydrophilic and hydrophobic fractions. The sorption experiments with minerals and soil cores gave similar results. When dissolved organic C came into contact with mineral material, the δ13C of that remaining in solution increased due to preferential sorption of the13C‐depleted hydrophobic fractions. Moreover, the soils released hydrophilic organic C with large δ13C values, increasing the δ13C of organic C in effluents from soil compared with that in the inflow. Thus, selective sorption of organic C fractions changes δ13C in a way that mimics metabolic transformation and decomposition.
Pedotransfer functions for solute transport parameters of Portuguese soils
Authors: Gonc˛alves M. C. , Leij F. J. , Schaap M. G.
Published: March 2003

The purpose of this study is to quantify solute transport parameters of fine‐textured soils in an irrigation district in southern Portugal and to investigate their prediction from basic soil properties and unsaturated hydraulic parameters. Solute displacement experiments were carried out on 24 undisturbed soil samples by applying a 0.05 mKCl pulse during steady flow. The chloride breakthrough curves (BTCs) were asymmetric, with early breakthrough and considerable tailing characteristic of non‐equilibrium transport. The retardation factor (R), dispersion coefficient (D), partitioning coefficient (β), and mass transfer coefficient (ω) were estimated by optimizing the solution of the non‐equilibrium convection–dispersion equation (CDE) to the breakthrough data. The solution could adequately describe the observed data as proved by a median of 0.972 for the coefficient of determination (r2) and a median for the mean squared error (MSE) of 5.1 × 10−6. The median value forRof 0.587 suggests that Cl–was excluded from a substantial part of the liquid phase. The value forβwas typically less than 0.5, but the non‐equilibrium effects were mitigated by a large mass transfer coefficient (ω > 1). Pedotransfer functions (PTFs) were developed with regression and neural network analyses to predictR,D,βandωfrom basic soil properties and unsaturated hydraulic parameters. Fairly accurate predictions could be obtained for logD(r2 ≈ 0.9) andβ(r2 ≈ 0.8). Prediction forR andlogωwere relatively poor (r2 ≈ 0.5). The artificial neural networks were all somewhat more accurate than the regression equations. The networks are also more suitable for predicting transport parameters because they require only three input variables, whereas the regression equations contain many predictor variables.
Modelling competitive anion adsorption on oxide minerals and an allophane‐containing soil
Authors: Gustafsson J. P.
Published: March 2003

Can surface complexation constants for anions, drawn from the literature for reference oxides, be combined to describe competitive adsorption in a spodic B horizon sample containing the important adsorbent minerals proto‐imogolite allophane and ferrihydrite? To answer this and to derive complexation constants for the corresponding reference oxides, a CD‐MUSIC model was used, with arsenate as the sorbing ion. To minimize the interference from competing organic substances, a sample containing little organic matter was used. To describe the adsorption of added arsenate correctly, it was found that competitive interactions from sulphate, silicic acid and phosphate had to be considered. In the model, the specific surface area of singly coordinated AlOH groups of allophane, the sulphate surface complexation constant on allophane, and the total concentration of reactive silicic acid were fitted. All other parameters were fixed using reference oxide values. The results indicated that arsenate, phosphate and silicic acid formed stronger surface complexes on ferrihydrite than on gibbsite or allophane, whereas the reverse was true for sulphate. I conclude that the approach used should provide significant qualitative information on the competitive adsorptive interactions in soils. However, the approach may be impractical for routine simulations and predictions. This is partly due to the uncertainty of the assumption that the properties of allophane and ferrihydrite in real soils can be approximated by those of gibbsite and ferrihydrite synthesized in the laboratory. Another difficulty is that the adsorption of arsenate and phosphate might not reach equilibrium within the limited time of most experiments.
Shrinkage and drainage in aggregates of volcanic soils: a new approach combining mercury porosimetry and vacuum drying kinetics
Authors: Poulenard J. , Bartoli F. , Burtin G.
Published: March 2003

The topsoils of Andisols in the wet high altitude grasslands (páramos) of Ecuador have shrunk after recent changes from permanent grassland to agriculture. The question arises as to whether all Andisols in the region behave in the same way. We have therefore studied the shrinkage on drying of topsoils from four representative types of Andisol in the páramos using a combination of drying kinetics and mercury porosimetry. We aimed to identify and quantify the pore volumes that participate in either drainage or shrinkage or both. The key concept of hierarchical dual porosity of soils used to interpret the shrinkage curves was partly validated, but we also identified more complex relations between drainage, shrinkage and structure. We found that the older was the soil, the more weathered it was, and, consequently, the greater its aggregation and porosity. In turn, the total volumetric shrinkage was controlled by the initial void ratio of the wet soil samples. Our results also show that the solid–pore interfaces of the volcanic soil aggregates were less accessible after shrinkage than before.
Evaluation of ferrolysis in soil formation
Authors: Van Ranst E. , De Coninck F.
Published: March 2003

The concept of ferrolysis as defined in the 1970s by Brinkman and co‐workers is mentioned in the recent literature as a dominant process to explain clay disintegration, interlayering of clay minerals, and strong texture contrast of duplex soils, in which bleaching and mottling are predominant features. Ferrolysis is based on biochemical reduction of free iron(III) oxides to Fe2+ and re‐oxidation of Fe2+ during alternating reducing and oxidizing conditions in the soil. The acidity produced during the oxidation is assumed to release cations from silicates which results in the destruction of clay minerals.

 A detailed analysis of data from chemical analyses, laboratory experiments, and mineralogical and micromorphological investigations, which have been considered to sustain the ferrolysis theory, has been carried out. Some soils in Belgium and France, which have been considered to be formed mainly by ferrolysis, show strong textural contrast or albeluvic features. It has been shown that the development of these soils is due to clay translocation rather than to clay destruction by ferrolysis. Fine quartz and chlorite, assumed to be secondary minerals formed during ferrolysis, are more likely formed by disintegration of larger quartz and chlorite particles.
Edaphic and physiographic factors affecting the distribution of natural gamma‐emitting radionuclides in the soils of the Arnás catchment in the Central Spanish Pyrenees
Authors: Navas A. , Soto J. , Machín J.
Published: March 2003

Gamma‐emitting radionuclides are a natural source of radiation that can be a concern for human health, therefore it is important to know the radionuclide backgrounds in soils and to assess their mobility and transfer in ecosystems. Concentrations of natural radionuclides were determined in soils from a small catchment in the middle mountain environment of the Central Spanish Pyrenees. Radioisotope activities were well within the natural ranges for soil, averaging 27, 26, 32 and 500 Bq kg−1 for 238U, 226Ra, 208Tl and 40K, respectively. Their distributions in the soil profile were analysed along three transects of contrasting physiography and soil type. Uranium was depleted in upper layers of the soil and slightly enriched in deeper sections, while 226Ra, 40K and 208Tl were more uniformly distributed. Radionuclide activities in the Calcaric Regosols on the shrub slope were less than those in the deeper and better developed Haplic Kastanozems under forest and in Calcaric Fluvisols in the valley bottom. These spatial patterns seem to be affected by the soil type; other landscape features, such as slope orientation and vegetation cover, appeared to have an indirect effect. The results indicate that the depth distribution of the radionuclides is affected by some soil properties, including pH, carbonates, organic matter and particle size, and soil processes, such as leaching and adsorption.
Stabilization of carbon from maize in a sandy soil in a long‐term experiment
Authors: Ludwig B. , John B. , Ellerbrock R. , Kaiser M. , Flessa H.
Published: March 2003

The sequestration of carbon (C) in soil is not completely understood, and quantitative information about the amounts of organic carbon in the various fractions and their rates of turnover could improve understanding. We aimed (i) to quantify the amounts of C derived from maize at various depths in the soil in a long‐term field experiment with and without fertilization using 13C/12C analysis, (ii) to model changes in the organic C, and (iii) to compare measured and modelled pools of C. The organic C derived from the maize was measured in soil samples collected to a depth of 65 cm from four plots, two of which had been under continuous maize and two under continuous rye during long‐term field experiments with NPK and without fertilization. The fractionation procedures included particle‐size fractionation and extractions in water and in pyrophosphate solution. We used the Rothamsted Carbon Model to model the dynamics of the carbon from 13C data. The amounts of C derived from maize in the Ap horizon after 39 years of continuous maize cropping were 9.5% of the total organic C (where unfertilized) and 14.0% where NPK had been applied. Fertilization did not affect the residence time of carbon in the soil. The amounts of C derived from maize in water extracts were 21% of the total organic C (where unfertilized) and 22% where NPK had been applied. The extracts that were soluble in pyrophosphate and insoluble in acid were depleted in C from maize (the amounts were 5% and 7% of the total organic C, respectively). The results of the 13C natural abundance technique were used to model the dynamics of the organic C. Both the total organic C and the C derived from maize in the particle‐size fraction 0–63 μm agreed well with the total and maize‐derived sums of the model pools ‘inert organic matter’, ‘humified organic matter’ and ‘microbial biomass’. The model suggested that 64% (unfertilized) or 53% (NPK) of the organic C in the Ap horizon were inert. Only one of three published equations to determine the size of the inert pool agreed well with these model results.
A comparison of three methods for estimating substrate coarseness in rivers
Authors: GIBSON R. J. , HILLIER K. G. , WHALEN R. R.
Published: March 2003

Three methods were used to estimate coarseness of substrate within experimental stations in four Newfoundland rivers: (1) a categorical rating was derived by estimating proportions of types of all the substrate within an area; (2) a similar type of rating was derived, but from substrate types within 30 cm sections delineated on a lead rope stretched across the station; and (3) an index of coarseness of the substrate was measured from a depth sampler constructed of 11 sliding rods supported within a 1 m long frame. The rod, or depth, sampler was considered to provide the least subjective method and could therefore provide an index to validate the other methods. Compared with the standard deviations of depths for the rod sampler, the categorical ratings from the general estimate had an rs= 0.85, and the 30 cm sampler an rs= 0.86. It was deduced that the two methods of visually estimating substrate types in shallow clear rivers are reasonably adequate methods for describing coarseness, but that the depth sampler would be the more precise under certain conditions.
Management and restoration of fish communities in Lake Taihu, China
Authors: Kangmin LI.
Published: March 2003

The economic development of the cities around Lake Taihu, China, has caused both environmental changes and ecological succession. The biodiversity of Lake Taihu has declined since 1970. Migratory fish, including anadromous, catadromous and semi‐migratory fish, are either extinct or on the verge of extinction in Lake Taihu. Only lake dwellers persist. Several measures have been taken, such as restocking, closed seasons, sanctuaries for enhancement and even introductions to restore some original fish communities. Although these measures have achieved a certain degree of success, increased fishing activities or over‐fishing have offset the benefits obtained. Moreover, cultural eutrophication of the lake and the pollution of the waterways connected with the lake are getting worse. This jeopardizes the remaining economically valuable species in the lake. Measures are required not only to control eutrophication and pollution, and to reduce the intensity of fishing, but also to address the wider biodiversity issues.
Effects of eutrophication on fish and fisheries in Finnish lakes: a survey based on random sampling
Authors: TAMMI J. , LAPPALAINEN A. , MANNIO J. , RASK M. , VUORENMAA J.
Published: March 2003

Abstract  The effects of eutrophication on fish and fisheries in Finnish lakes were determined by an extensive lake survey conducted in 1995 and 1996. The study lakes (873) were chosen by stratified random sampling from all Finnish lakes with a surface area ≥ 0.04 km2 (29 515 lakes in all). The chemical parameters of the lake water were determined for water samples taken in autumn 1995. Information on the fish stocks of the study lakes was collected by means of a postal questionnaire sent to local fishing authorities and lake owners. The results show that the fish community structure is cyprinid dominated, reflecting eutrophication in 2100 lakes (7% of all the target lakes). Strong fouling of the fishing gear, as well as a great abundance of unwanted species in the catch of passive gears, were considered to be a continuous problem in more than 10% of the lakes. Roach, Rutilus rutilus (L.), and bream, Abramis brama (L.), were the most common species to have increased in abundance in the study lakes, whereas burbot, Lota lota (L.), and vendace, Coregonus albula (L.), decreased, especially in highly eutrophic lakes. High total phosphorus and cyprinid dominance in lakes were found mainly in the most intensive agricultural regions in the western and southern parts of Finland.
Density of brown trout, Salmo trutta L., and Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., parr after point and scatter stocking of fry
Authors: Jokikokko E.
Published: March 2003

Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., and brown trout, Salmo trutta L., fry were point and scatter stocked in the early part of June at densities of 63–263 fry 100 m−2 per species in the River Viantienjoki, a small river in northern Finland, and their population densities were assessed in late summer. Both species were always stocked together in similar quantities. Point stocking was used in the first 2 years and scatter stocking in the following 2 years. In point stocking, there was no correlation between the distance from the stocking sites (maximum = 250 m) and parr density in census sites (r= −0.013 and 0.019 for brown trout and Atlantic salmon, respectively). The stocking density of fry did not influence parr density in August by either method or by species. Stocking density explained only from 11% to 23% of the parr survival depending on the species or stocking method. The mean densities of Atlantic salmon and brown trout parr did not differ significantly from each other at any fishing site (P > 0.05). Both point and scatter stocking appear to be suitable methods for use in small rivers. The parr densities depend more on the other factors (e.g. habitat quality) than the stocking method, and the choice between methods could be based on the time and labour available.