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Abstract
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Environmental Science
Environmental Studies

Oxygen diffusion in soils: Understanding the factors and processes needed for modeling

Profile image of Edmundo AcevedoEdmundo Acevedo
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23 citations

2015, Chilean Journal of Agricultural Research

https://doi.org/10.4067/S0718-58392015000300005
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10 pages

Abstract

Oxygen is an important element for plant growth. Reducing its concentration in the soil affects plant physiological processes such as nutrient and water uptake as well as respiration, the redox potential of soil elements and the activity of microorganisms. The main mechanism of oxygen transport in the soil is by diffusion, a dynamic process greatly influenced by soil physical properties such as texture and structure, conditioning, pore size distribution, tortuosity and connectivity. Organic matter is a modifying agent of the soil's chemical and physical properties, affecting its structure and the porous matrix, which are determinants of oxygen transport. This study reviews the theory of soil gas diffusion and the effect of soil organic matter on the soil's physical properties and transport of gases. It also reviews gas diffusion models, particularly those including the effect of soil organic matter.

Key takeaways
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  1. Oxygen diffusion in soils primarily relies on soil physical properties like texture, structure, and porosity.
  2. Soil oxygen diffusion rates below 20 × 10^-8 g O2 cm^-2 min^-1 inhibit plant emergence.
  3. Organic matter enhances soil structure, affecting pore connectivity and oxygen transport efficiency.
  4. Gas diffusion models must account for soil heterogeneity and organic matter's role for accurate predictions.
  5. Fick's laws, while common, may inadequately describe gas diffusion in natural soils due to structural variability.
Figures (5)
Figure 1. Scheme of soil oxygen dynamics. J is gas density flux, c is gas concentration (g m*), ¢ is time, x is distance, Sm is microorganism respiration, Sp is plant respiration, and Sr is redox reactions in the soil.
Figure 1. Scheme of soil oxygen dynamics. J is gas density flux, c is gas concentration (g m*), ¢ is time, x is distance, Sm is microorganism respiration, Sp is plant respiration, and Sr is redox reactions in the soil.
There is a positive relation between SOM content and the stability of aggregates (Figure 3). The increased stability of aggregates reduces the tendency of the soil Source: Chaney and Swift (1984) modified by Martinez et al. (2008). Figure 3. Relation between weighted average diameter (DPM) and soil organic matter (% SOM) of 26 British soils.
There is a positive relation between SOM content and the stability of aggregates (Figure 3). The increased stability of aggregates reduces the tendency of the soil Source: Chaney and Swift (1984) modified by Martinez et al. (2008). Figure 3. Relation between weighted average diameter (DPM) and soil organic matter (% SOM) of 26 British soils.
Figure 2. Gas diffusion in parallel straight tubes (a), coarse particles (b), and fine particles (c). The presence of single particles and the addition of water enhance the tortuosity and reduce the connectivity of the gas phase compared with straight parallel tubes, with the texture governing the resistance of the particles (reflected by the particle shape factor p) and the resistance of the water (reflected by the water-blockage factor w), respectively.
Figure 2. Gas diffusion in parallel straight tubes (a), coarse particles (b), and fine particles (c). The presence of single particles and the addition of water enhance the tortuosity and reduce the connectivity of the gas phase compared with straight parallel tubes, with the texture governing the resistance of the particles (reflected by the particle shape factor p) and the resistance of the water (reflected by the water-blockage factor w), respectively.
Figure 4. Hypotheses 1 and 2 of soil structure formation and management of organic matter particles.
Figure 4. Hypotheses 1 and 2 of soil structure formation and management of organic matter particles.
Figure 5. Scheme of oxygen transport divided into a micromodel on the left side of the figure and a macromodel on the right side of the figure. oxygen transport. Based on Equation [1], the microscale should be as follows:
Figure 5. Scheme of oxygen transport divided into a micromodel on the left side of the figure and a macromodel on the right side of the figure. oxygen transport. Based on Equation [1], the microscale should be as follows:

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What factors primarily influence oxygen diffusion rates in soils?add

The study reveals that soil texture, structure, porosity, and water content significantly impact oxygen diffusion rates; specifically, larger macropores enhance gas movement compared to micropores.

How do soil compaction and water saturation affect gas diffusion?add

Compaction and water saturation are major barriers to oxygen transport, with water being 10,000 times more obstructive than air, leading to reduced diffusion rates detrimental to plant growth.

What are the direct effects of oxygen deficiency in soil?add

Research findings indicate that oxygen deficiency can directly hinder plant respiration and nutrient absorption, potentially causing a shift from aerobic to anaerobic metabolism.

How is the gas diffusion coefficient estimated in soils?add

The gas diffusion coefficient (D p) incorporates soil properties such as porosity (ε) and tortuosity (τ), calculated using the formula Dp = D0τε, where D0 is the diffusion coefficient in air.

What implications does organic matter have on soil oxygen transport?add

Organic matter improves soil structure and aggregate stability, resulting in enhanced porosity which facilitates better oxygen diffusion; however, its direct effect has not been extensively studied.

About the author
Edmundo Acevedo
Universidad de Chile, Faculty Member
Papers
200
Followers
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Related papers

Measurement and Prediction of the Oxygen Diffusion Coefficient in Unsaturated Media, with Applications to Soil Covers
Michel Aubertin

Water, Air, & Soil Pollution, 2000

Molecular diffusion is an important mechanism for gas transport in various natural and man-made systems. This is particularly the case with soil covers installed on acid-generating mine tailings, where oxygen availability has to be controlled. One of the most important roles of such covers is to limit gas flux, which depends on the effective diffusion coefficient D e of the cover materials. This paper presents an experimental procedure and results from oxygen diffusion tests performed on different types of materials, at various degrees of saturation. The determination of D e in the laboratory from the test data is based on analytical and numerical solutions to Fick's laws.

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Laboratory Measurements and Predictive Equations for Gas Diffusion Coefficient of Unsaturated Soils
mostafa aachib

2002

Molecular diffusion is an important mechanism for gas transport through soil covers placed over municipal dumps (from which bio-gas must not escape) and above acid generating mine tailings (where oxygen availability must be controlled). Gas flux through cover systems depends on the effective diffusion coefficient De of the cover materials. In this paper, the authors describe a laboratory procedure for oxygen diffusion tests, and present results obtained on different types of porous materials at various degrees of saturation. The determination of De from experimental measurements is based on analytical and numerical solutions to the diffusion equations. The measured values of De are compared to values calculated from two predictive models. A new expression is finally proposed as a simple means of estimating De. RÉSUMÉ La diffusion moléculaire est un mécanisme important de transport de gaz à travers les couvertures en sols mises en place sur les décharges municipales (d'où le bio...

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HYDROTECHNICS Tom 55 ( 69 ) , Fascicola 1 , 2010 Models for predicting the gas diffusion coefficient in undisturbed soil
Florian Statescu

2010

Overall objective of this project is mathematical modeling of diffusion processes, functional status and numerical methods development. This paper includes qualitative study to estimate the gas diffusion coefficient (DP/D0) in undisturbed soils. Based on empirical and numerical models of Penman [1940], Millington and Quirk [1960], Millington and Quirk [1961] and Moldrup [1999] has determined diffusion coefficient variation for different types of soil taken in the study. It was found that soil type, texture, structure, porosity, apparent density are the main factors influencing the diffusion and gas transport in porous media. The project conducted fundamental research on both general diffusion models and analysis models particulare major in science and engineering.

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Structure formation and its consequences for gas and water transport in unsaturated arable and forest soils
Alvin Smucker

Soil and Tillage Research, 2005

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Compaction Effect on the Gas Diffusion Coefficient in Soils
John Nieber

Gas diffusion is important in determining the aeration status of soils for crop production and in providing estimates of transport of volatile chemicals at waste disposal or chemical spill sites. This study investigated the effects of compaction on the gas diffusion coefficient in four soils. The experiment involved equilibrating bulk loose soil to a known matric potential in a pressure chamber, compressing the equilibrated moist soil in metal cores at a given applied stress, and measuring the concentration of N 2 diffusing through these cores into a diffusion chamber. The diffusion coefficient was calculated by fitting an analytical solution of the transient diffusion equation to the measured N, concentration in the diffusion chamber as a function of time. The diffusion coefficient of N 2 in four soils at four water contents and four applied loads varied exponentially as a function of air-filled porosity and was nearly the same function for all four soils. At an airfilled porosity of -10%, the diffusion coefficient was close to zero, reflecting a discontinuity in the pathways at an air-filled pore space of 10% or lower. A model for predicting the diffusion coefficient of gases in soils based on the diffusion coefficient of individual soil constituents was tested with the data set. For known shape factors for soil solid and soil water, the model overpredicted the diffusion coefficient for all four soils. A reduction factor suggested in the literature to account for blocked air slightly improved predictions. The ratio of the measured to predicted diffusion coefficient vs. degree of air-filled saturation suggests a second-degree correction factor to account for blocked air in soils.

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Related topics

  • Chemistry
  • Environmental Soil Science
  • Oxygen Transport

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    Nitrate contamination of groundwater in Ambohidrapeto–Antananarivo-Madagascar using hydrochemistry and multivariate analysis
    Voahirana Ramaroson

    Applied Water Science

    Nitrate contamination of groundwater was assessed in the crowded area of Ambohidrapeto, Antananarivo city-Madagascar using hydrochemistry and multivariate analysis. Seventeen dug well waters and three spring waters were collected and measured in the field for physical parameters and in the laboratory for major ions. The results showed that all water samples have nitrate concentration above the standard value of 50 mg/L-NO 3 set by the World Health Organization, with a minimum value of 79.3 mg/L-NO 3 and a maximum value of 394.5 mg/L-NO 3 . Anthropogenic activities, from the surrounding pit latrines are the main sources of the groundwater nitrate contamination and are dominant over natural processes, which contribute to a lower degree to the groundwater mineralization. Ionic ratios indicated the occurrence of mineral dissolution and silicate weathering as the natural sources of magnesium and sodium, respectively. Furthermore, the correlation between calcium and sodium as well as the Piper diagram revealed the occurrence of ion exchange, resulting in sodium being the dominant cation over calcium. Forty percent (40%) of the water samples have the hydrochemical facies Na-Mg-Cl, followed by Na-Mg-Ca-Cl facies for 25% and Na-Mg-Cl-HCO 3 facies for 20%. By applying principal component analysis, the influence of anthropogenic activities is confirmed. The first principal component extracted, which explained 52.88% of the total variance showed strong positive loadings on TDS, NO 3 -, Cl -, Mg 2+ , Na + , K + and Ca 2+ , indicating that these ions contribute as anthropogenic sources, although Mg 2+ , Na + , K + and Ca 2+ contribute to a lesser extent than NO 3 -, and Cl -.

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    Germination and seedlings response of bermudagrasses under water submersion
    Maurizio Giolo

    European Journal of Horticultural Science, 2021

    What is already known on this subject? • or waterlogging. The expected climate change will management practices. Several studies demonstrated that bermudagrass plants are quite tolerant of submersion, even when this is relatively prolonged. • Results demonstrated that bermudagrass has shortsubmersion conditions, while seedlings denoted hypoxia symptoms after six days of submersion. • Heavy rains may harm the establishment of bermudagrass turfs. However, little information is available regarding the effects of waterlogging on germination and seedling growth.

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    Seasonal variation in soil CO2 emission and leaf gas exchange of well‐managed commercial Citrus sinensis (L.) orchards
    Kingsley Ayisi

    Plant and Soil, 2021

    Purpose To investigate whether soil clay content, cultivar and seasonal variation have any effect on soil CO2 emission rates and leaf CO2 assimilation rates in a drip-irrigated commercial Citrus sinensis orchard. Methods The study was carried out in the field as a randomised complete block design in a 2 × 2 factorial consisting of two soil types and two citrus cultivars on a drip-irrigated commercial Citrus sinensis orchards with 2-week interval measurements of soil CO2 emission and leaf gas exchanges for a year. Results Soil clay content did not influence plant CO2 assimilation rates and soil CO2 emission rates in irrigated citrus. However, seasonal variation significantly influenced both processes. Soil CO2 emission rates were highest in summer and were more than double the rates observed in winter while leaf CO2 assimilation rates were highest in autumn and four times higher than the winter season rates. Mean seasonal soil CO2 emission rates were strongly influenced by mean minim...

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    Importance of substrate quality and clay content on microbial extracellular polymeric substances production and aggregate stability in soils
    Cordula Vogel

    Biology and Fertility of Soils, 2022

    We investigated the effects of substrate (cellulose or starch) and different clay contents on the production of microbial extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) and concomitant development of stable soil aggregates. Soils were incubated with different amounts of montmorillonite (+ 0.1%, + 1%, + 10%) both with and without two substrates of contrasting quality (starch and cellulose). Microbial respiration (CO2), biomass carbon (C), EPS-protein, and EPS-polysaccharide were determined over the experimental period. The diversity and compositional shifts of microbial communities (bacteria/archaea) were analysed by sequencing 16S rRNA gene fragments amplified from soil DNA. Soil aggregate size distribution was determined and geometric mean diameter calculated for aggregate formation. Aggregate stabilities were compared among 1–2-mm size fraction. Starch amendment supported a faster increase than cellulose in both respiration and microbial biomass. Microbial community structure and compos...

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    Nitrification inhibitor reduces the inhibitory effect of N‐(n‐butyl) thiophosphoric triamide (NBPT) on the hydrolysis of urea
    Ahmed Lasisi

    Soil Science Society of America Journal

    Core ideas N-(n-butyl) thiophosphoric triamide (NBPT) reduces rate of urea hydrolysis in soil. Nitrification inhibitor reduces the inhibitory effect of NBPT on urea hydrolysis rate. Inhibitory effect of NBPT on urea hydrolysis rate is lower in acidic than neutral to alkaline soils. Nitrification Inhibitor Reduces the Inhibitory Effect of N-(n-butyl) thiophosphoric triamide (NBPT) on the Hydrolysis of Urea

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