e-journal

Development and calibration of a novel sensor to quantify thewater content of surface soils and biological soil crusts

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1. The surface layer of soil as transition zone between pedosphere and atmosphere plays a crucial role in
exchange processes of nutrients, atmospheric gases and water. Knowledge of its water content is essential, as it
governs both physiological and transport mechanisms. In arid and semi-arid regions, this uppermost soil layer is
commonly colonized by biological soil crusts (biocrusts), which play major roles in the global terrestrial carbon
and nitrogen cycles. The water status of biocrusts is essential as it controls the activity, productivity and surface
exchange of these poikilohydric communities.On-site analyses of the water content of both bare and crusted soils
are thus urgently needed to correctly model the exchange processes of water, nutrients and trace gases at the soil
surface.
2. In this study, we present the biocrust wetness probe (BWP), which is the first to reliably measure the water
content within biocrusts or the uppermost 5 mm of a substrate. Using a weak alternating current, the electrical
conductivity is assessed over time. With an automatic calibration routine, conductivity values are temperaturecorrected
and converted into water contents and precipitation equivalents.
3. During 1 year of continuous field measurements at 5-min intervals, 60 BWPs worked reliably without any
failure. The probes responded immediately and individually upon rain events, showing substrate-specific water
response curves, which are well represented by linear and exponential calibration curves.
4. The BWP facilitates the spatio-temporal assessment and interpolation of surface soil wetness and thus biocrust
activity, which governs nutrient fluxes, trace gas release and biogeochemical cycles. Its implementation in
distributed sensor networks is under development.

Key-words: biocrusts, biogeochemical cycle, calibration, carbon balance, electrical conductivity,humidity sensor, nitrogen cycling, physiological activity, precipitation equivalent, wetness probe

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Informasi Detail

Judul Seri

Methods in Ecology and Evolution

No. Panggil

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Penerbit

: British Ecological Society., 2016

Deskripsi Fisik

Methods in Ecology and Evolution 2016, 7, 14–22

Bahasa

English

ISBN/ISSN

doi: 10.1111/2041-21

Klasifikasi

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Tipe Isi

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Tipe Media

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Tipe Pembawa

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Edisi

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Subjek

BIOLOGI

Info Detail Spesifik

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Pernyataan Tanggungjawab

Wati/Agus

Versi lain/terkait

Lampiran Berkas

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