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ARS Home » Plains Area » Las Cruces, New Mexico » Range Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #426130
Research Project: Knowledge Systems and Tools to Increase the Resilience and Sustainability of Western Rangeland Agriculture

Location: Range Management Research

Title: Crushing energy-based indicators of dry soil aggregate stability from contrastive land management practices in a semi-arid agroecosystem

Author
item PI, HUAWEI - Henan University Of Science And Technology
item WANG, CHUANZHOU - Shenzhen Life Science And Biotechnology Association
item LI, SIFENG - Henan University Of Science And Technology
item LI, SISI - Henan University Of Science And Technology
item Webb, Nicholas

Submitted to: Ecological Engineering
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/22/2025
Publication Date: 4/26/2025
Citation: Pi, H., Wang, C., Li, S., Li, S., Webb, N.P. 2025. Crushing energy-based indicators of dry soil aggregate stability from contrastive land management practices in a semi-arid agroecosystem. Ecological Engineering. 217. Article 107663. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoleng.2025.107663.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoleng.2025.107663

Interpretive Summary: The stability of dry soil aggregates is an important control on the susceptibility of soils to wind erosion and can be used as an indicator of soil quality on agricultural lands. In the past, researchers have used to the percentage of dry soil aggregates smaller than certain diameters (e.g., 0.85 mm) to describe soil susceptibility to wind erosion. However, such measurements do not capture how resistant soil aggregates are to abrasion, which is an important determinant of their potential to release dust particles into the atmosphere. To address the need for such an indicator, here we develop and validate a new quantitative analysis method and indicator based on aggregate crushing energy (DASJ/kg). We selected 58 research sites with varying land management practices (e.g., crop rotation, tillage, and irrigation) in the lower FloodPlain of the Yellow River (FPYR) to quantitatively evaluate the wind stability of farmland aggregates. Our findings show a significant exponential increase in DASJ/kg (0.2121''^0.0451'') corresponding to increasing DAS% (x) for aggregates that remained relatively stable (> 61%). Conversely, a weak correlation was observed between the GMD of aggregates (x) and DASJ/kg. Our results suggest that DAS% can be used to assess the abrasion flux of aggregates under certain conditions by converting it to DASJ/kg. Additionally, crop rotation and irrigation had a substantial impact on DASJ/kg, with flood-affected plots exhibiting a significantly higher DASJ/kg (86%) than that exhibited by non-flooded plots. These findings provide valuable insights into improving soil management practices to mitigate wind erosion and for the restoration ecology of degraded farmland.

Technical Abstract: Dry soil aggregate stability (DAS) is a critical indicator of soil quality and a significant factor influencing soil wind erosion in arid and semi-arid agroecosystems. Previous research primarily used aggregate size distribution, determined through “dry sieving,” to describe DAS. However, the standardization of “dry sieving” has faced criticism, and the resultant DAS based on particle size distribution (DAS%) does not effectively reflect the aggregate's resistance to abrasion. To address this issue, we aimed to develop a novel quantitative analysis method and indicator based on aggregate crushing energy (DASJkg-1) and validate this procedure by comparing it with DAS% and aggregate Geometric Mean Diameter (GMD). We selected 58 research sites with varying land management practices (e.g., crop rotation, tillage, and irrigation) in the lower FloodPlain of the Yellow River (FPYR) to quantitatively evaluate the wind stability of farmland aggregates. Our findings show a significant exponential increase in DASJkg-1 (0.2121 ) corresponding to increasing DAS% (x) for aggregates that remained relatively stable (> 61 %). Conversely, a weak correlation was observed between the GMD of aggregates (x) and DASJkg-1. Our results suggest that DAS% can be used to assess the abrasion flux of aggregates under certain conditions by converting it to DASJkg-1. Additionally, crop rotation and irrigation had a substantial impact on DASJkg-1, with flood-affected plots exhibiting a significantly higher DASJkg-1 (86 %) than that exhibited by non-flooded plots. These findings provide valuable insights into improving soil management practices to mitigate wind erosion and for the restoration ecology of degraded farmland.