Contemporary sulfur biomineralisation in acid sulfate soil landscapes. This project aims to generate fundamental knowledge on the processes, kinetics and impacts to water quality of contemporary sulfur biomineralisation in acid sulfate soil landscapes. Extreme concentrations of highly reactive sulfides are forming in the surface sediments of floodplain drains, wetlands and agricultural soils. The newly forming sulfides are linked to severe oxygen depletion and acidification of coastal rivers a ....Contemporary sulfur biomineralisation in acid sulfate soil landscapes. This project aims to generate fundamental knowledge on the processes, kinetics and impacts to water quality of contemporary sulfur biomineralisation in acid sulfate soil landscapes. Extreme concentrations of highly reactive sulfides are forming in the surface sediments of floodplain drains, wetlands and agricultural soils. The newly forming sulfides are linked to severe oxygen depletion and acidification of coastal rivers and the complete failure of floodplain vegetation, leaving soils susceptible to erosion. The proposed study will greatly advance our understanding of how our precious coastal floodplain soil and water resources are being degraded, and will guide better land management.
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An integrated investigation of nutrient generation and delivery processes and pathways from paddock to small catchment scales. Improving water quality, primarily through reducing nutrient concentrations, remains a massive challenge for effective catchment management in Australia. Through a multidisciplinary approach including soil science, hydrology and aquatic chemistry, this project will develop an integrated catchment system understanding of water quality behaviour. This understanding will ....An integrated investigation of nutrient generation and delivery processes and pathways from paddock to small catchment scales. Improving water quality, primarily through reducing nutrient concentrations, remains a massive challenge for effective catchment management in Australia. Through a multidisciplinary approach including soil science, hydrology and aquatic chemistry, this project will develop an integrated catchment system understanding of water quality behaviour. This understanding will greatly improve the scientific underpinning of catchment water quality management and prediction, thus supporting improvements in the sustainability of Australia's water management. The work will focus on catchments with high intensity livestock grazing, which tend to be located in high rainfall areas near coasts where significant issues of water quality management exist.Read moreRead less
Special Research Initiatives - Grant ID: SR0354511
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$10,000.00
Summary
Soil Acidification, the Environment and Production. Soil acidification affects 50% of Australia's agricultural land and is the most important economic constraint to agricultural. In addition, major external offsite impacts include greenhouse gas emissions, reduced stream and ground water health, reduced biodiversity, increased salinity and waterlogging and infrastructure damage. The aim of this network is to quantify the acidification processes and the connection of these processes to the offsit ....Soil Acidification, the Environment and Production. Soil acidification affects 50% of Australia's agricultural land and is the most important economic constraint to agricultural. In addition, major external offsite impacts include greenhouse gas emissions, reduced stream and ground water health, reduced biodiversity, increased salinity and waterlogging and infrastructure damage. The aim of this network is to quantify the acidification processes and the connection of these processes to the offsite impacts. This will lead to development of strategic plans for acidified and potential acid soils and associate offsite impacts, as well as identifying knowledge gaps and building research and policy synergies. Read moreRead less
Unraveling the oxidative geochemistry of nanoparticulate mackinawite in acid sulfate soil landscapes. Acid sulfate soils impact over 8 million ha of valuable coastal land in Australia, and over 24 million ha throughout the world. Drainage from acid sulfate soil waterways is a major threat to water quality, ecosystem health, agricultural sustainability and fisheries productivity. The practical benefits of this project arise from an improved understanding of the processes controlling water qualit ....Unraveling the oxidative geochemistry of nanoparticulate mackinawite in acid sulfate soil landscapes. Acid sulfate soils impact over 8 million ha of valuable coastal land in Australia, and over 24 million ha throughout the world. Drainage from acid sulfate soil waterways is a major threat to water quality, ecosystem health, agricultural sustainability and fisheries productivity. The practical benefits of this project arise from an improved understanding of the processes controlling water quality and associated resources in these areas. The intellectual benefits include the development of novel geochemical concepts involving sulfur minerals that are central to coastal rivers, wetlands and estuaries. This project will enhance Australia's capacity for sustainable environmental management.Read moreRead less
Hydraulic Properties of Swelling Clay-Gel Soils: Electrolyte and Temperature Effects. We seek to understand the impacts of electrolytes and temperature on the equilibrium and water flow properties of swelling, clay-gel soils. These soils are important in cropping, the environment and industrial processes. Their hydraulic properties govern dewatering rates, rheology, and solute movement. Double layer theory (DLVO) successfully describes the equilibrium behaviour of model, parallel-plate clay syst ....Hydraulic Properties of Swelling Clay-Gel Soils: Electrolyte and Temperature Effects. We seek to understand the impacts of electrolytes and temperature on the equilibrium and water flow properties of swelling, clay-gel soils. These soils are important in cropping, the environment and industrial processes. Their hydraulic properties govern dewatering rates, rheology, and solute movement. Double layer theory (DLVO) successfully describes the equilibrium behaviour of model, parallel-plate clay systems in laboratories. However, equilibrium and water transport properties of less-ideal, clay slurries are poorly described by theory. Field clay-gels are therefore problematic. Outcomes will be better understanding of swelling clays, improved and more cost effective management techniques for gel soils and trained graduates.Read moreRead less
The Sustainable Effluent Irrigation Project - Effects of effluent irrigation on soil sodicity and groundwater quality. The land application of recycled municipal effluent is now regularly practised by a number of local authorities and agencies responsible for centralised collection of wastewater, its treatment and disposal. Treated municipal effluent is often land applied and used to grow hardwood plantations. Hardwood plantations are very effective in producing large amounts of biomass and also ....The Sustainable Effluent Irrigation Project - Effects of effluent irrigation on soil sodicity and groundwater quality. The land application of recycled municipal effluent is now regularly practised by a number of local authorities and agencies responsible for centralised collection of wastewater, its treatment and disposal. Treated municipal effluent is often land applied and used to grow hardwood plantations. Hardwood plantations are very effective in producing large amounts of biomass and also assist agencies in off-setting wastewater treatment and disposal costs associated with advanced wastewater treatment to remove nutrients. This project will examine the effects of effluent irrigation on soil chemistry and groundwater quality at two hardwood plantations in the Hunter Valley, NSW. It is increasingly clear that large-scale reuse schemes, particularly those involving hardwood plantations, must be designed to be sustainable and have no significant impact on soil chemistry (increasing sodicity) and groundwater. This project will develop irrigation regimes for hardwood plantations which will promote soil productivity and optimize effluent application rates for pollutant removal and biomass production.
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The fate and toxicity of nanoparticles in the terrestrial environment. This research aims to provide the knowledge needed to understand the fate and effects of new nanoparticulate metal products in Australian landscapes. The movement and environmental effects of manufactured nanoparticulates are unknown, partly because of the difficulty of measuring and detecting these nano-products in the environment. This project will develop techniques to identify manufactured nanoparticulate metals in soils, ....The fate and toxicity of nanoparticles in the terrestrial environment. This research aims to provide the knowledge needed to understand the fate and effects of new nanoparticulate metal products in Australian landscapes. The movement and environmental effects of manufactured nanoparticulates are unknown, partly because of the difficulty of measuring and detecting these nano-products in the environment. This project will develop techniques to identify manufactured nanoparticulate metals in soils, and to determine the potential adverse effects of these products on plants and soil organisms. This will indicate the need, if any, for controls on the disposal or dispersal of nano-sized metal products in the terrestrial environment.Read moreRead less
Tracing nitrogen through wet tropical aquifers using stable isotopic signatures, molecular markers and gas emissions. The project aims at enabling land managers to reduce the loss of nitrogen into creeks, rivers and estuaries of the Great Barrier Reef catchments. This will improve the economic and environmental viability of primary production while restoring the quality of aquatic and marine ecosystems. The results will identify parts of the landscape where land management needs to change and ov ....Tracing nitrogen through wet tropical aquifers using stable isotopic signatures, molecular markers and gas emissions. The project aims at enabling land managers to reduce the loss of nitrogen into creeks, rivers and estuaries of the Great Barrier Reef catchments. This will improve the economic and environmental viability of primary production while restoring the quality of aquatic and marine ecosystems. The results will identify parts of the landscape where land management needs to change and over what time scale improvements would be apparent. These outputs address the water quality priorites and targets of the 'Reef Water Quality Protection Plan' of the State and National governments and the 'Far North Queensland Natural Resource Management Plan'.Read moreRead less
Schwertmannite in acid sulfate soil landscapes: iron cycling induced acidification. Acid sulfate soils impact over 24 million ha of land throughout the world, 4 million ha of valuable coastal land in Australia alone. Their oxidation and acidification are the cause of catastrophic declines in water quality, aquatic habitat, agricultural productivity and urban infrastructure. The practical benefits of this project arise from an improved understanding of the processes controlling acidification a ....Schwertmannite in acid sulfate soil landscapes: iron cycling induced acidification. Acid sulfate soils impact over 24 million ha of land throughout the world, 4 million ha of valuable coastal land in Australia alone. Their oxidation and acidification are the cause of catastrophic declines in water quality, aquatic habitat, agricultural productivity and urban infrastructure. The practical benefits of this project arise from an improved understanding of the processes controlling acidification and water quality in these areas. Intellectual benefits include the development and application of novel geochemical concepts involving iron minerals relevant to acidity impacted coastal rivers, wetlands and estuaries; this project will enhance Australia's capacity for sustainable environmental management.Read moreRead less
The role of biological and chemical interactions in the rhizosphere in sustainable intercropping systems. Intercropping can result in large yield increases compared to mono-cropped systems. It is used extensively in China and could be an option for sustainable land-use in Australia. Belowground interactions between intercropped crop species may be important for the yield increase, but they are poorly understood, especially with regard to nutrient availability and soil biology. We will combine th ....The role of biological and chemical interactions in the rhizosphere in sustainable intercropping systems. Intercropping can result in large yield increases compared to mono-cropped systems. It is used extensively in China and could be an option for sustainable land-use in Australia. Belowground interactions between intercropped crop species may be important for the yield increase, but they are poorly understood, especially with regard to nutrient availability and soil biology. We will combine the field experience in intercropping systems of the Chinese scientists with the expertise of the Australian scientists in plant nutrition and rhizosphere ecology to characterise chemical and biological interactions in the rhizosphere governing nutrient availability and the competitive ability of intercropped species.Read moreRead less