Quantifying Mechanistic Detachment Parameters Due to Humic Acids in Biological Soil Crusts

Humic acid (HA) is a material that could be used to decrease erosion and improve soil structure. It is also known that biological soil crusts (biocrusts) have a major role in soil stabilization, but the mechanism is not well understood in the presence of HA, especially with mechanistic soil detachme...

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Main Authors: Atheer A. Abbood, Abdul-Sahib T. Al-Madhhachi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2021-11-01
Series:Land
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/10/11/1180
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author Atheer A. Abbood
Abdul-Sahib T. Al-Madhhachi
author_facet Atheer A. Abbood
Abdul-Sahib T. Al-Madhhachi
author_sort Atheer A. Abbood
collection DOAJ
description Humic acid (HA) is a material that could be used to decrease erosion and improve soil structure. It is also known that biological soil crusts (biocrusts) have a major role in soil stabilization, but the mechanism is not well understood in the presence of HA, especially with mechanistic soil detachment rate parameters (<i>b</i><sub>0</sub> and <i>b</i><sub>1</sub>) of the Wilson model, where <i>b</i><sub>0</sub> is the dimensional soil detachment parameter and <i>b</i><sub>1</sub> is the dimensional soil threshold parameter. Therefore, this study intends to (1) investigate the effect of different humic acid (HA) concentrations (0%, 4%, and 8%) on mechanistic soil detachment rate parameters (<i>b</i><sub>0</sub> and <i>b</i><sub>1</sub>,) in the Tigris Riversides of the Gheraiat region, Baghdad City, Iraq, of the crusted versus uncrusted soils using a small scale model of the jet erosion tests (mini-JET) at different curing periods (1 week, 2 weeks, and 3 weeks), and (2) examine the impact of HA on <i>b</i><sub>0</sub> and <i>b</i><sub>1</sub> parameters versus some soil characteristics, such as electrical conductivity, cation exchange capacity, and soil organic matter for uncrusted and crusted soils. Thirty-six undisturbed soil specimens (18 for crusted soils and 18 for uncrusted soils) were acquired from the Tigris Riverbank. On these specimens, the mini-JET was used to determine the mechanistic cohesive soil erodibility parameters <i>b</i><sub>0</sub> and <i>b</i><sub>1</sub>. The results showed that the value of <i>b</i><sub>0</sub> decreased up to 60% with an increase in curing times for crusted soils until they reached their optimum values at 2 weeks. There was no consistent pattern for <i>b</i><sub>1</sub> at different curing times. As the concentration of HA increased, the value of <i>b</i><sub>0</sub> decreased up to 86% and 99% for crusted and uncrusted soils, respectively. HA significantly improved electrical conductivity, exchange capacity, and organic matter in the soil and reduced soil erodibility. This study provides the benefits of adding HA to the soils as a soil stabilizer using a low-cost technique, which is the JET instrument.
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spelling doaj.art-ba52c123daa1459bb4dd6bfeef2a6feb2023-11-23T00:01:18ZengMDPI AGLand2073-445X2021-11-011011118010.3390/land10111180Quantifying Mechanistic Detachment Parameters Due to Humic Acids in Biological Soil CrustsAtheer A. Abbood0Abdul-Sahib T. Al-Madhhachi1Department of Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering, Mustansiriyah University, Baghdad 10047, IraqDepartment of Water Resources Engineering, College of Engineering, Mustansiriyah University, Baghdad 10047, IraqHumic acid (HA) is a material that could be used to decrease erosion and improve soil structure. It is also known that biological soil crusts (biocrusts) have a major role in soil stabilization, but the mechanism is not well understood in the presence of HA, especially with mechanistic soil detachment rate parameters (<i>b</i><sub>0</sub> and <i>b</i><sub>1</sub>) of the Wilson model, where <i>b</i><sub>0</sub> is the dimensional soil detachment parameter and <i>b</i><sub>1</sub> is the dimensional soil threshold parameter. Therefore, this study intends to (1) investigate the effect of different humic acid (HA) concentrations (0%, 4%, and 8%) on mechanistic soil detachment rate parameters (<i>b</i><sub>0</sub> and <i>b</i><sub>1</sub>,) in the Tigris Riversides of the Gheraiat region, Baghdad City, Iraq, of the crusted versus uncrusted soils using a small scale model of the jet erosion tests (mini-JET) at different curing periods (1 week, 2 weeks, and 3 weeks), and (2) examine the impact of HA on <i>b</i><sub>0</sub> and <i>b</i><sub>1</sub> parameters versus some soil characteristics, such as electrical conductivity, cation exchange capacity, and soil organic matter for uncrusted and crusted soils. Thirty-six undisturbed soil specimens (18 for crusted soils and 18 for uncrusted soils) were acquired from the Tigris Riverbank. On these specimens, the mini-JET was used to determine the mechanistic cohesive soil erodibility parameters <i>b</i><sub>0</sub> and <i>b</i><sub>1</sub>. The results showed that the value of <i>b</i><sub>0</sub> decreased up to 60% with an increase in curing times for crusted soils until they reached their optimum values at 2 weeks. There was no consistent pattern for <i>b</i><sub>1</sub> at different curing times. As the concentration of HA increased, the value of <i>b</i><sub>0</sub> decreased up to 86% and 99% for crusted and uncrusted soils, respectively. HA significantly improved electrical conductivity, exchange capacity, and organic matter in the soil and reduced soil erodibility. This study provides the benefits of adding HA to the soils as a soil stabilizer using a low-cost technique, which is the JET instrument.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/10/11/1180humic acidsbiological soil crustsmechanistic soil erodibility parameterssoil stabilizationjet erosion test (JET)
spellingShingle Atheer A. Abbood
Abdul-Sahib T. Al-Madhhachi
Quantifying Mechanistic Detachment Parameters Due to Humic Acids in Biological Soil Crusts
Land
humic acids
biological soil crusts
mechanistic soil erodibility parameters
soil stabilization
jet erosion test (JET)
title Quantifying Mechanistic Detachment Parameters Due to Humic Acids in Biological Soil Crusts
title_full Quantifying Mechanistic Detachment Parameters Due to Humic Acids in Biological Soil Crusts
title_fullStr Quantifying Mechanistic Detachment Parameters Due to Humic Acids in Biological Soil Crusts
title_full_unstemmed Quantifying Mechanistic Detachment Parameters Due to Humic Acids in Biological Soil Crusts
title_short Quantifying Mechanistic Detachment Parameters Due to Humic Acids in Biological Soil Crusts
title_sort quantifying mechanistic detachment parameters due to humic acids in biological soil crusts
topic humic acids
biological soil crusts
mechanistic soil erodibility parameters
soil stabilization
jet erosion test (JET)
url https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/10/11/1180
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