Geoderma最新文献

{"title":"The impact of grazing and fertilization intensity on functional trait diversity and assembly processes of soil mesofauna in grasslands","authors":"Dennis Baulechner ,&nbsp;Katharina John ,&nbsp;Andrey Zaitsev ,&nbsp;Ruslan Saifutdinov ,&nbsp;Volkmar Wolters","doi":"10.1016/j.geoderma.2026.117715","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.geoderma.2026.117715","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Assessing the impact of land-use intensification on soil communities is important for developing conservation strategies to maintain grassland ecosystem functioning. We aimed to establish a trait-based mechanistic understanding of how soil community composition responds to varying grazing and fertilization intensity, and whether this alters assembly processes of soil microarthropod metacommunities (Collembola and Oribatida). Microarthropods were sampled at 150 grassland plots of the German DFG Biodiversity Exploratories, covering gradients in three regions (north, centre, south).</div><div>First, functional community responses (functional richness, functional dispersion) to grazing and fertilization gradients were analysed using a trait-based approach. Hierarchical assembly models then estimated contributions of stochastic (dispersal-driven) vs. niche-based (environmental filtering, limiting similarity) processes. We compared low- vs. high-intensity plots to test whether trait-based responses shifted assembly processes. Trait–environment relationships were assessed using RLQ analyses.</div><div>Increased grazing reduced functional diversity and increased similarity in collembolan communities. Environmental filtering dominated Collembola assembly in intensively grazed grasslands in north and central Germany, but not in the south. Grazing had no effect on oribatid assembly processes. The strength of environmental filtering was region-specific. Fertilizer input was positively correlated with functional richness in Collembola but not Oribatida. Environmental filtering contributed less to Collembola assembly in intensively fertilized than unfertilized sites, suggesting low nutrient availability limits community structure.</div><div>Oribatida appeared more resistant to land-use change than Collembola. We conclude that grazing intensification reduces soil microarthropod functional diversity. Under high-intensity use, this promotes environmental filtering (especially for Collembola), altering assembly processes. Medium-intensity grazing reduced some functional groups but communities remained more resilient than at high-intensity sites, where filtering excluded entire groups. We recommend reducing high-intensity grazing to conserve soil biodiversity and ecosystem functioning.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12511,"journal":{"name":"Geoderma","volume":"467 ","pages":"Article 117715"},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146160815","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Distinct effects of long-term canopy and understory nitrogen addition on soil silicon forms in a subtropical forest","authors":"Heng Yu ,&nbsp;Félix de Tombeur ,&nbsp;Yao Chen ,&nbsp;Xiaofei Lu ,&nbsp;Yuan Lai ,&nbsp;Zihan Wang ,&nbsp;Yuanwen Kuang","doi":"10.1016/j.geoderma.2026.117714","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.geoderma.2026.117714","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Investigating the impacts of chronic atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition on soil silicon (Si) forms is critical for predicting terrestrial Si biogeochemistry, but the influence of N deposition on soil Si forms in subtropical forests is vague. Here, we evaluated the impacts of 12 year’s canopy and understory N-addition on soil Si forms in a subtropical forest. Our results revealed divergent effects of N-addition approaches on topsoil Si forms. Canopy N-addition led to significant increases in Si pools extracted with CaCl₂ (plant-available/mobile Si), acetic acid (adsorbed Si) and oxalate (Si associated with pedogenic oxides). This was attributed to the increase in poorly crystalline pedogenic oxides (evidenced by an increase in oxalate-Fe), which might provide enhanced adsorption sites for Si. In contrast, understory N-addition significantly decreased soil pH and increased soil organic carbon, which enhanced amorphous/biogenic forms of Si (Si extracted with H₂O₂ (organic-matter-associated Si), Na₂CO₃ (amorphous Si), and physically-extracted biogenic silica). Interestingly, mobile Si was positively correlated with amorphous Si and physically-extracted biogenic silica only in deeper soil, but with adsorbed Si and organic-matter-associated Si in both soil depths. This suggests that biogenic Si may not be the only source of plant-available Si and that sorption/adsorption processes are also critical for regulating Si mobility. These results demonstrate different mechanisms by which canopy and understory N-addition treatments affect soil Si forms, and highlight the necessity and importance to unbiasedly assess the effects of atmospheric N deposition on Si biogeochemical cycle in forest ecosystems, taking canopy processes into consideration.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12511,"journal":{"name":"Geoderma","volume":"467 ","pages":"Article 117714"},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146172930","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Similar impact of biodegradable and conventional microplastics on soil hydraulic properties, aggregate stability, and splash erosion","authors":"Ahsan Maqbool ,&nbsp;Emilee Severe ,&nbsp;María-Auxiliadora Soriano ,&nbsp;Azahara Ramos ,&nbsp;John N Quinton ,&nbsp;José A Gómez","doi":"10.1016/j.geoderma.2026.117727","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.geoderma.2026.117727","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Microplastics, both biodegradable and conventional, are becoming ubiquitous in terrestrial ecosystems, posing potential risks to soil health and ecosystem functioning. Although biodegradable polymers are promoted as environmentally friendly alternatives to persistent plastics such as polyethylene, their effects on critical soil physical properties and processes remain poorly understood, creating a major knowledge gap. We conducted a controlled experimental study by incorporating two types of microplastics, polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT, biodegradable) and low-density polyethylene (LDPE, conventional), into soil at five concentrations (0.1, 0.5, 1.0, 3.0, and 5.0% of w/w). The study used a size mixture to reflect environmentally relevant microplastic distributions: 4000–2000 µm (4.25%), 2000–650 µm (8%), 650–400 µm (8%), 400–250 µm (15%), 250–100 µm (26%), 100–50 µm (21%), and &lt; 50 µm (17.75%). We then employed a mechanistic framework to evaluate the effects of microplastics on key soil physical processes, such as aggregate stability, and their influence on splash erosion dynamics (particle detachment, soil consolidation, and surface roughness), encompassing the effects on soil hydraulic properties (water repellency, hydraulic conductivity, and water retention). Results of the linear regression analysis showed a negative relationship with saturated hydraulic conductivity (<em>K_s</em>) and a positive relationship with soil water retention (SWR) at matric potential (hPa), water-stable aggregate (WSA), and splash erosion under simulated rainfall, with increasing microplastics concentrations. Furthermore, increasing microplastic concentration did not affect soil water repellency, bulk density, or surface roughness as characterized by photogrammetry. Moreover, a monotonic response of microplastic concentration on soil properties was observed: WSA increased by up to 58% and 53%, splash erosion by 39% and 44%, and SWR by up to 30%, while <em>K_s</em> decreased by 44% and 53% for conventional and biodegradable microplastics, respectively, compared to the plastic-free control. PBAT, a biodegradable microplastic, and LDPE, a conventional microplastic, showed comparable effects on soil physical properties, challenging the presumed functional divergence between them. The study also established concentration thresholds above which microplastics begin to alter soil functions in the tested soil type.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12511,"journal":{"name":"Geoderma","volume":"467 ","pages":"Article 117727"},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146209594","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Methods matter: examining the apparent saturation of soil mineral-associated organic carbon","authors":"Ryan E. Champiny ,&nbsp;Katerina Georgiou ,&nbsp;Yang Lin","doi":"10.1016/j.geoderma.2026.117732","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.geoderma.2026.117732","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Identifying organic carbon (C) saturation behavior in large soil datasets will broaden the scientific community’s understanding of C sequestration potential and enable targeted effort toward efficient C sequestration. Recently, there has been debate on whether mineral-associated organic carbon (MAOC) saturates at a certain limit – here we seek to compare methods for analysis of MAOC saturation in three large datasets from Europe and the United States of America (USA). Using 95th quantile regression of the MAOC fraction to the percent clay and silt of the soil, and assessment of the contribution of MAOC to total soil organic carbon (SOC) content, we show the interpretation of apparent saturation limits differs depending on the method used. Assessment of the MAOC fraction to total SOC provides inconsistent results, particularly in one European dataset where MAOC did not appear to saturate. In contrast, under quantile regression, all three datasets show saturation limits between 54 to 88 g MAOC kg⁻¹ mineral. Here we demonstrate that the quantile regression method minimizes ambiguity and is the more useful tool for identifying and quantifying MAOC saturation limits in large datasets. Our analysis also highlights the importance of sampling design and fractionation methods in identifying the MAOC saturation within these datasets.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12511,"journal":{"name":"Geoderma","volume":"467 ","pages":"Article 117732"},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146777805","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Asymmetric responses of gross primary productivity (GPP) and ecosystem respiration (Reco) in response to long-term drought","authors":"Qiaoyan Li ,&nbsp;Per Lennart Ambus ,&nbsp;Inger Kappel Schmidt ,&nbsp;Senhao Wang ,&nbsp;Klaus Steenberg Larsen","doi":"10.1016/j.geoderma.2026.117737","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.geoderma.2026.117737","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Gross primary productivity (GPP) and ecosystem respiration (R_eco) account for the largest fluxes of CO₂ between the land surface and the atmosphere but exhibit different sensitivities in response to climate change causing potentially large effects on land-climate feedback. In this study, we investigated the long-term drought effects on GPP, R_eco, and soil respiration (R_S) to uncover their potential asymmetric responses to climate change. We quantified the three flux components in a temperate grassland/heathland ecosystem exposed to long-term drought and modelled annual flux rates through stepwise parameter addition and treatment-specific parameter fitting. GPP, R_eco and R_S rates were all suppressed during summer droughts, but seasonal rewetting partially mitigated the summer drought effects on an annual scale. Upscaled best-fit models showed asymmetry in the annual drought impacts on GPP and R_eco with a stronger decrease of R_eco than of GPP resulting in annual net ecosystem exchange (NEE) ranging from a carbon source of 41.2 ± 122.4 g C m⁻² y⁻¹ in ambient plots to a carbon sink of 31.8 ± 115.7 g C m⁻² y⁻¹ in drought plots. Overall, our annual results showed greater drought resilience and lower sensitivity of GPP compared to R_eco. Furthermore, our year-round observations also indicated that the annual trend covers different seasonal sensitivity patterns of GPP and R_eco to drought. The stepwise modelling approach revealed that drought altered model parameters, highlighting the need to account for such parameter changes in ecosystem model projections of net ecosystem carbon flux under future climate change.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12511,"journal":{"name":"Geoderma","volume":"467 ","pages":"Article 117737"},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146778154","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Investigating periodic variations of salt-affected soil distribution from the perspective of salt absorption and migration pathway shifts induced by salt discharge zone","authors":"Sihui Yan ,&nbsp;Haorui Chen ,&nbsp;Xiaomin Chang ,&nbsp;Xiaoyan Guan ,&nbsp;Haiyuan Lu ,&nbsp;Shaoli Wang ,&nbsp;Xiaojun Fu ,&nbsp;Zhengzhong Li ,&nbsp;Binbin Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.geoderma.2026.117750","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.geoderma.2026.117750","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Rational allocation and enhancement of saline soils can effectively counteract the growing soil salinization and the reduction of available arable land resources. However, some soils are challenging to improve and often remain ineffective due to factors such as evaporation and groundwater. Instead, they can function as salt discharge areas, accommodating salts from the surrounding land. This study aims to investigate how these salt discharge zones can regulate regional salt-affected soils by naturally altering their area and distribution patterns. Therefore, based on Landsat data, we analyzed the changes and interactions in the distribution patterns of salt-affected soil (soil salinity content (SSC) &gt; 2 g kg⁻¹) and salt discharge zone (SSC &gt; 10 g kg⁻¹) in the Hetao Irrigation District over the period from 2003 to 2023, at 5-year intervals. The results indicated that although salt discharge zones occupied only about 12% of the total area, they contained approximately 56% of the region’s total salt storage. The small, patchy salt discharge zones were closely linked to shallow groundwater depths, particularly in the northwestern part of the Hetao Irrigation District. The salt-affected soil area increased from 2003 to 2008, then declined from 2008 to 2023, ranging from 4.5 to 5.4 × 10⁹ m². Salt-affected soil area fell sharply in 2018 but rebounded in 2023, with total area dropping to 4.0 × 10⁹ m². Meanwhile, the proportion of small patches within salt‑affected soils increased between 2013 and 2023. The east–west distribution range of salt-affected soils (defined by the 25%–75% percentile interval) narrowed from 2003 to 2013, reaching its minimum width of 80000 m in 2013, before expanding again by 2023. Groundwater depths in salt‑affected soils and salt discharge zones varied over time, reaching their shallowest levels (∼2.0 m and ∼ 1.9 m, respectively) in 2008–2013, deepening slightly during 2013–2018, and returning to shallower depths by 2023. Salt‑affected soils showed a decline to a minimum in 2013, followed by a recovery to initial levels by 2023. Similarly, the anisotropy of the salt discharge zone increased significantly (P &lt; 0.05) after 2013. For salt-affected soil influenced by groundwater, salt content fluctuates periodically, passing through four stages: accumulation, surge, reduction, and backflow. During the accumulation stage, enhancing salt drainage is key to preventing excessive salt accumulation. In the surge stage, efforts should focus on restoring soil quality in low-lying, salt discharge zones to control salt discharge. The reduction stage requires monitoring salt discharge zones for controlling potential salt backflow. And in the backflow stage, it is essential to perform regular remediation and prevent further salt accumulation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12511,"journal":{"name":"Geoderma","volume":"467 ","pages":"Article 117750"},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147334789","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Multiple thermophysical effects of aeolian sand cover on permafrost under climate warming and wetting","authors":"Tianli Lan ,&nbsp;Yuanming Lai ,&nbsp;Xiaoxiao Luo ,&nbsp;Fan Yu ,&nbsp;Qinguo Ma","doi":"10.1016/j.geoderma.2026.117681","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.geoderma.2026.117681","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Permafrost degradation on the Tibetan Plateau (TP) poses serious risks to the environment and infrastructure. Permafrost changes are controlled by both climate changes and local factors, including climate warming, wetting, and aeolian desertification, but the heat transfer process and hydrothermal mechanism under aeolian sand cover (ASC) remain poorly understood. Using a model test and a coupling numerical model, this study analyzes the effects and mechanisms of warming and wetting on permafrost under ASC. The results indicate that: Under thin ASC, infiltration is tiny and heat conduction dominates heat transfer, and climate warming increases surface heat flux and accelerates permafrost degradation by enhancing the net radiation and reducing the sensible heat. Under thick ASC, infiltration and heat convection become significant, and climate warming increases the annual infiltration by extending the thawing period, drives the decrease in latent heat of evaporation, and further promotes permafrost degradation. As precipitation increases, thin ASC cools the permafrost by enhancing evaporation and reducing surface heat flux. In contrast, thick ASC warms the permafrost by suppressing evaporation increment and enhancing both surface heat flux and subsurface heat convection.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12511,"journal":{"name":"Geoderma","volume":"466 ","pages":"Article 117681"},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145962588","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Plant phenological functional types shape soil nematode abundance and function by regulating aboveground biomass and soil dissolved organic carbon in tropical Xishuangbanna","authors":"Chunyu Hou ,&nbsp;Shangwen Xia ,&nbsp;Xuan Liu ,&nbsp;Jiaojiao Jiao ,&nbsp;Yi Xiong ,&nbsp;Hong Chen ,&nbsp;Changwei Ma ,&nbsp;Jianping Wu","doi":"10.1016/j.geoderma.2025.117665","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.geoderma.2025.117665","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Plant-soil interactions in terrestrial ecosystems profoundly shape the structure and function of belowground communities. Soil nematodes play a vital role in facilitating key belowground ecological processes, however, it remains poorly understood how different plant phenological functional types regulate their community composition and function in tropical forest soils. To address this, we selected three tropical deciduous species—<em>Terminalia bellirica</em>, <em>Melia azedarach</em>, and <em>Albizia lucidior</em>—and three tropical evergreen species—<em>Castanopsis indica</em>, <em>Trema orientalis</em>, and <em>Syzygium jambos</em>—for a two-year common garden pot experiment in Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden. We evaluated soil physicochemical properties, leaf functional traits, the nematode abundance and biomass, and their function (energy flux). Our results showed that evergreen species had higher aboveground biomass, leaf thickness, soil dissolved organic carbon, and soil total phosphorus compared to deciduous species. Furthermore, evergreen species exhibited greater abundance, biomass, and energy flux than deciduous species, with increases of 69.12 %, 93.47 %, and 107.55 % for herbivores, and increases of 46.51 %, 27.72 %, and 68.46 % for the total nematodes. Although herbivores abundance positively contributed to total energy flux, this effect was indirectly modulated by plant aboveground biomass and soil dissolved organic carbon. Our findings demonstrate that phenological functional types regulate herbivores by altering the resource quantity available to the soil food web, consequently shaping the community structure of soil nematodes and influencing the energy flow patterns. Based on this common garden pot experiment, we conclude that evergreen species enhance the abundance of herbivores and total soil nematodes, while simultaneously increasing soil carbon storage potential, relative to deciduous species.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12511,"journal":{"name":"Geoderma","volume":"466 ","pages":"Article 117665"},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145941327","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The interplay of aboveground and belowground biodiversity drives the soil multifunctionality of hummock wetlands","authors":"Xiaoai Cao ,&nbsp;Huamin Liu ,&nbsp;Rui Zhang ,&nbsp;Yunhao Wen ,&nbsp;Linqian Ma ,&nbsp;Zhichao Xu ,&nbsp;Lu Wen ,&nbsp;Yi Zhuo ,&nbsp;Dongwei Liu ,&nbsp;Lixin Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.geoderma.2026.117708","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.geoderma.2026.117708","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Hummock wetlands are important ecosystem components for maintaining biogeochemical cycles and biodiversity. Currently, there remains a lack of systematic understanding of how hummock microtopography regulates soil multifunctionality (SMF). This study investigated 11 hummock wetlands in the Inner Mongolia Plateau. By comparing and analyzing the influence of hummocks (vs. hollows) on SMF and its nutrient cycling function, the synergistic regulatory mechanism of aboveground and underground biodiversity was revealed. The results showed that hummock significantly increased key single functional indicators such as SOC, URE, β-GC, aboveground biomass (AB), and underground biomass (UB) (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05), thereby significantly enhancing SMF. Especially in the functions of the carbon cycling, plant growth, and microbial activity (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). Linear fitting analysis indicated that plant species richness was significantly positively correlated with SMF (<em>P</em> = 0.031), while microbial diversity, especially fungal diversity (Sob index, Shannon index, and ACE index), had a higher explanatory power for SMF (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). The structural equation model showed that microtopography drives SMF by altering soil water content and, at the same time, by influencing soil pH and thereby affecting plant diversity. Furthermore, given the high explanatory power of fungal diversity for SMF, it was further identified that saprophytic fungi (such as Titaea, Dactylonectria, and Collarina) play key ecological functions in the process of organic matter decomposition and nutrient turnover. This study emphasizes the significance of protecting the heterogeneity of microtopography and the diversity of plants for the maintenance and restoration of wetland functions, providing a theoretical basis for the management of high-latitude wetlands.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12511,"journal":{"name":"Geoderma","volume":"466 ","pages":"Article 117708"},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146074599","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A calibration-free approach for measuring soil thermal properties and bulk density using the thermo-TDR technique","authors":"Wei Peng ,&nbsp;Meng Zhang ,&nbsp;Yili Lu ,&nbsp;Zhengchao Tian ,&nbsp;Yajing Wang ,&nbsp;Tusheng Ren","doi":"10.1016/j.geoderma.2026.117679","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.geoderma.2026.117679","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Traditional heat-pulse methods for determining soil thermal properties require frequent probe spacing calibrations due to their susceptibility to geometric errors in heat capacity (<em>C</em>) estimation. Here we present a novel calibration-free thermo-TDR technique as a methodological innovation that concurrently measures soil bulk density (<em>ρ</em>_b), thermal conductivity (<em>λ</em>), and <em>C</em> by integrating heat-pulse theory with soil constitutive relationships within a unified inversion framework. The procedure: (i) directly calculates <em>λ</em> from heat-pulse signals using physical probe spacing without calibration; (ii) predicts <em>ρ</em>_b via a <em>λ</em>-<em>ρ</em>_b model that is parameterized with soil texture and TDR-derived water content (<em>θ</em>_TDR); and (iii) estimates <em>C</em> from <em>ρ</em>_b and <em>θ</em>_TDR using the <span><span>de Vries (1963)</span></span> model. This approach eliminates the need for probe spacing calibration, which is a key limitation of traditional methods. Laboratory validation with packed soils yielded high accuracy (<em>RMSE</em>: ≤0.08 Mg m⁻³ for <em>ρ</em>_b; ≤0.11 MJ m⁻³ K⁻¹ for <em>C</em>). Field deployments tracked dynamic <em>ρ</em>_b and <em>C</em> during natural drying events (mean <em>RMSE</em>: 0.09 Mg m⁻³ for <em>ρ</em>_b, 0.13 MJ m⁻³ K⁻¹ for <em>C</em>), outperforming traditional spaced probe methods that were sensitive to sensor misalignment. Eliminating probe spacing calibration makes this approach ideal for long-term monitoring and integration with automated field sensor networks, advancing studies of soil–water-energy dynamics in agronomic and vadose zone hydrology.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12511,"journal":{"name":"Geoderma","volume":"466 ","pages":"Article 117679"},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145975324","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}