Quantifying and Modeling Soil Strucure Dynamics

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

Foreword vii Preface ix Contributors xi Chapter 1 1 Quantifying and Modeling Soil Structure Dynamics Sally Logsdon, Markus Berli, and Rainer Horn Chapter 2 11 Impacts of Soil Organic Carbon on Soil Physical Behavior Humberto Blanco-Canqui and Joseph G. Benjamin Chapter 3 41 High Energy Moisture Characteristics: Linking Between Some Soil Physical Processes and Structure Stability A.I. Mamedov and G.J. Levy Chapter 4 75 Applications of Complex Network Models to Describe Soil Porous Systems Dean Korošak and Sacha Jon Mooney Chapter 5 93 A History of Understanding Crack Propagation and the Tensile Strength of Soil Paul D. Hallett, Anthony R. Dexter, and Shuichiro Yoshida Chapter 6 121 Dynamics of Soil Macropore Networks in Response to Hydraulic and Mechanical Stresses Investigated by X-ray Microtomography Stephan Peth, Jens Nellesen, Gottfried Fischer, Wolfgang Tillmann, and Rainer Horn Chapter 7 155 Gas Permeability in Soils as Related to Soil Structure and Pore System Characteristics Tjalfe G. Poulsen Index 187 About the Series 193