Principles of Soil and Plant Water Relations

Principles of Soil and Plant Water Relations, Third Edition describes the fundamental principles of soil and water relationships in relation to water storage in soil and water uptake by plants. The book explains why it is important to know about soil-plant-water relations, with subsequent chapters providing the definition of all physical units and the SI system and dealing with the structure of water and its special properties. Final sections explain the structure of plants and the mechanisms behind their interrelationships, especially the mechanism of water uptake and water flow within plants and how to assess parameters.

All chapters begin with a brief paragraph about why the topic is important and include all formulas necessary to calculate respective parameters. This third edition includes a new chapter on water relations of plants and soils in space as well as textbook problems and answers.

Cover image
Title page
Table of Contents
Copyright
Dedication
Preface to the First Edition
Preface to the Second Edition
Preface to the Third Edition
Chapter 1. Introduction
1.1. Why study soil-plant-water relations?
1.2. Plant growth curves
1.3. Problem
1.4. Appendix: biography of John Napier
Chapter 2. Definitions of physical units and the international system
2.1. Definitions
2.2. Le Système International d'Unités
2.3. Example: applying units of work and pressure to a root
2.4. Problem
2.5. Appendix: biography of Isaac Newton
Chapter 3. Structure and properties of water
3.1. Importance of water for life and water on Mars
3.2. Structure of water
3.3. Forces that bind water molecules together
3.4. Properties of water
3.5. Problem
3.6. Appendix: biography of Johannes van der Waals
Chapter 4. Soil–water terminology and applications
4.1. Water content
4.2. Water potential
4.3. Heads in a column of soil
4.4. Movement of water between tensiometers
4.5. Problems
4.6. Appendix: biography of William L. Powers
Chapter 5. Tensiometers
5.1. Description of a tensiometer
5.2. Types of tensiometers
5.3. Temperature effects on tensiometers
5.4. Applications of tensiometers
5.5. Problem
5.6. Appendix: biography of L.A. Richards
Chapter 6. Static water in soil
6.1. Surface tension
6.2. Examples of surface tension
6.3. Rise and fall of water in soil pores
6.4. Problems
6.5. Appendix: biography of Marquis de Laplace
Chapter 7. Water movement in saturated soil
7.1. Darcy's law
7.2. Hydraulic conductivity
7.3. Laplace's equation
7.4. Ellipse equation
7.5. Linear flow laws
7.6. Problems
7.7. Appendix: biography of Apollonius of Perga
7.8. Appendix: biography of Henry Darcy
Chapter 8. Time domain reflectometry
8.1. Definitions
8.2. Dielectric constant, frequency domain, and time domain
8.3. Theory for the use of the dielectric constant to measure soil water content
8.4. Coaxial cable and waveguides
8.5. Measurement of soil water content using TDR
8.6. Practical information when using TDR to measure soil water content
8.7. Example of using TDR to determine root water uptake
8.8. Commercially available equipment
8.9. Problem
8.10. Appendix: biography of Heinrich Hertz
8.11. Appendix: biography of Sergei Schelkunoff
Chapter 9. Dual thermal probes
9.1. Introduction
9.2. Thermal properties of soils
9.3. Theory of the dual-probe heat-pulse method
9.4. Example calculation
9.5. Meaning of Q
9.6. Measurements of differences of water content, Δθ
9.7. Errors
9.8. Advantages
9.9. Calibration
9.10. Measurements near the soil surface
9.11. Convection and its effect on measurements
9.12. Measurement of electrical conductivity
9.13. Determination of soil water movement
9.14. Measurements with roots in soil
9.15. Hydraulic lift
9.16. Commercially available equipment
9.17. Summary
9.18. Problem: dual-probe heat-pulse sensor placement
9.19. Appendix: biography of John Jaeger
Chapter 10. Field capacity, wilting point, available water, and the nonlimiting water range
10.1. Field capacity
10.2. Wilting point
10.3. Available water
10.4. Nonlimiting water range
10.5. Problems
10.6. Biographies of Briggs and Shantz
Chapter 11. Penetrometers
11.1. Definition, types of penetrometers, and uses
11.2. Types of tests
11.3. What penetrometer measurements depend upon
11.4. Cone penetrometer
11.5. Problems
11.6. Appendix: biography of Champ Tanner
Chapter 12. Oxygen diffusion rate
12.1. The oxygen diffusion rate method
12.2. Electrolysis
12.3. Model and principles of the ODR method
12.4. Method
12.5. Problem: calculation of oxygen diffusion rate
12.6. Appendix: biography of Michael Faraday
Chapter 13. Infiltration
13.1. Definition of infiltration
13.2. Four models of one-dimensional infiltration
13.3. Two- and three-dimensional infiltration
13.4. Redistribution
13.5. Tension infiltrometer or disc permeameter
13.6. Minidisk infiltrometer
13.7. Measurement of unsaturated hydraulic conductivity and sorptivity with the tension infiltrometer
13.8. Measurement of repellency with the tension infiltrometer
13.9. Measurement of mobility with the tension infiltrometer
13.10. Ellipsoidal description of water flow into soil from a surface disc
13.11. Problems
13.12. Appendix: biography of John Philip
Chapter 14. Pore volume
14.1. Definitions
14.2. Illustration of breakthrough curves and pore volumes
14.3. Mathematical analysis of pore volume
14.4. Calculation of a pore volume
14.5. Pore volumes based on length units
14.6. Miscible displacement
14.7. Relation between mobile water content and pore volume
14.8. Problem: calculation of pore volume
14.9. Appendix: biography of Donald Nielsen
Chapter 15. Root anatomy and Poiseuille's law for water flow in roots
15.1. Root anatomy
15.2. Poiseuille's law
15.3. Assumptions of Poiseuille's law
15.4. Calculations of flow based on Poiseuille's law
15.5. Agronomic applications of Poiseuille's law
15.6. Problems
15.7. Appendix: biography of J.L.M. Poiseuille
15.8. Appendix: biography of Osborne Reynolds
15.9. Appendix: biography of Katherine Esau
Chapter 16. Gardner's equation for water movement to plant roots
16.1. Description of the equation
16.2. Assumptions
16.3. Values for the rate of water uptake
16.4. Examples
16.5. Effect of wet and dry soil
16.6. Effect of root radius
16.7. Comparison of matric potential at root and in soil for different rates of water uptake
16.8. Effect of root distribution on wilting
16.9. Final comment
16.10. Problem: respiration rate in soil
16.11. Appendix: biography of Wilford Gardner
Chapter 17. Stem anatomy and pressure–volume curves
17.1. Stem anatomy
17.2. Measurement of the components of the water potential
17.3. Osmotic potential (Ψs)
17.4. Theory of Scholander pressure–volume curves
17.5. How to analyze a pressure–volume curve
17.6. Turgor potential (Ψp)
17.7. Measurement of plant water content and relative water content
17.8. Osmometer
17.9. Problems
17.10. Appendix: biography of Wilhelm Pfeffer
17.11. Appendix: biography of Jacobus van't Hoff
17.12. Appendix: biography of Rudolf Clausius
Chapter 18. Thermocouple psychrometers
18.1. Relation between water potential and relative humidity
18.2. Thermoelectric effects
18.3. Joule heating
18.4. Thermoelectric power
18.5. Relationship between vapor pressure and temperature
18.6. Calibration
18.7. Importance of isothermal conditions when making measurements
18.8. Types of thermocouple psychrometers
18.9. Problems
18.10. Appendix: biography of J.C.A. Peltier
18.11. Appendix: biography of James Prescott Joule
18.12. Appendix: biography of William Thomson, Baron Kelvin
Chapter 19. Pressure chambers
19.1. Comparison of measurements made with the pressure chamber and the thermocouple psychrometer
19.2. Advantages and disadvantages of the pressure chamber
19.3. Pump-up pressure chamber
19.4. Problem
19.5. Appendix: biography of Per Scholander
19.6. Appendix: biography of John Boyer
Chapter 20. The ascent of water in plants
20.1. The problem
20.2. How water gets to the top of tall buildings and animals
20.3. Cohesion theory
20.4. Limitations of the cohesion theory
20.5. Alternative theories to the cohesion theory
20.6. Techniques to confirm the cohesion theory
20.7. Controversy about the cohesion theory
20.8. Potentials in the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum
20.9. Problem: use of polyethylene glycols to control osmotic potential of a solution
20.10. Appendix: biography of Henry Dixon
20.11. Appendix: biography of John Joly
Chapter 21. Sap flow
21.1. Heat-pulse method
21.2. Heat-balance method
21.3. Problem: water requirement
21.4. Appendix: biography of C.H.M. van bavel
Chapter 22. Electrical analogs for water movement through the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum
22.1. The analogy
22.2. Measurement of resistance with the Wheatstone bridge
22.3. Law of resistance
22.4. Units of electrical conductivity
22.5. Example of an electrical analog applied to soil with wormholes
22.6. van den Honert's equation
22.7. Proof of van den Honert's equation
22.8. Problems
22.9. Appendix: biography of Georg Ohm
22.10. Appendix: biography of Charles Wheatstone
22.11. Appendix: biographies of members of the Siemens family
Chapter 23. Leaf anatomy and leaf elasticity
23.1. Leaf anatomy
23.2. Internal water relations
23.3. Elasticity
23.4. Elasticity applied to plant leaves
23.5. Problems
23.6. Appendix: biography of Robert Hooke
23.7. Appendix: biography of Thomas Young
Chapter 24. Stomatal anatomy and stomatal resistance
24.1. Definition of stomata and their distribution
24.2. Stomatal anatomy of dicots and monocots
24.3. Stomatal density
24.4. Diffusion of gases through stomatal pores
24.5. Guard cells
24.6. Mechanism of stomatal opening
24.7. Boundary layer
24.8. Leaf resistances
24.9. Measurement of stomatal aperture and stomatal resistance
24.10. Theory of mass-flow and diffusion porometers
24.11. Problems
24.12. Appendix: biography of Adolf Fick
Chapter 25. Solar radiation, black bodies, heat budget, and radiation balance
25.1. Solar radiation
25.2. Terrestrial radiation
25.3. Definition of a black body
25.4. Example of a black body
25.5. Temperature of a black body
25.6. Gray body
25.7. Spectrum of a black body
25.8. Sun's temperature
25.9. Earth's temperature
25.10. Comparison of solar and terrestrial radiation
25.11. Heat budget
25.12. Radiation balance
25.13. Problems
25.14. Appendix: biography of Gustav Kirchhoff
25.15. Appendix: biography of Josef Stefan
25.16. Appendix: biography of Ludwig Boltzmann
25.17. Appendix: biography of Wilhelm Wien
Chapter 26. Infrared thermometers
26.1. Infrared thermometers
26.2. Definitions
26.3. Principles of infrared thermometry
26.4. Use of a portable infrared thermometer
26.5. Calibration of infrared thermometers
26.6. Advantages of infrared thermometers
26.7. Problem: radiant flux density
26.8. Appendix: biography of Ray Jackson
Chapter 27. Stress-degree-day concept and crop water stress index
27.1. SDD procedure
27.2. Canopy-minus-air temperature and evapotranspiration
27.3. Crop water stress index
27.4. How to calculate the crop water stress index
27.5. Crop water stress index for alfalfa, soybeans, and cotton
27.6. Importance of a wide range of vapor pressure deficit values
27.7. Normalized difference vegetation index
27.8. Problem: calculation of the crop water stress index
27.9. Appendix: biography of Sherwood Idso
Chapter 28. Potential evapotranspiration
28.1. Definition of potential evapotranspiration
28.2. Factors that affect potential evapotranspiration
28.3. Advection
28.4. Example calculation to determine potential evapotranspiration
28.5. Problems
28.6. Appendix: biography of Howard Penman
Chapter 29. Water and yield
29.1. de Wit's analysis
29.2. Relationship between yield and transpiration and yield and evapotranspiration
29.3. Water and marketable yield
29.4. Water and quality
29.5. Crop water-use efficiency
29.6. Water-use efficiency under elevated carbon dioxide
29.7. Problem: leaching requirement
29.8. Appendix: biography of Cornelis de Wit
Chapter 30. Solar time and interception of direct-beam solar radiation
30.1. Time of day
30.2. Interception of direct-beam solar radiation
30.3. How to measure altitude and azimuth angles of sun
30.4. Problem: overlapping shadows
30.5. Appendix: biography of Johannes Kepler
Chapter 31. Soil and plant water relations under microgravity
31.1. Fundamental forces of nature
31.2. Soils
31.3. Plants
31.4. Center of gravity (center of mass)
31.5. Specific gravity
31.6. Problems
31.7. Appendix: biography of Galileo Galilei
Index

Life Sciences

Physical Sciences & Engineering

Social Sciences & Humanities

Health

Principles of Soil and Plant Water Relations

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M.B. Kirkham

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