Vz. Antonopoulos et Gcl. Wyseure, MODELING OF WATER AND NITROGEN DYNAMICS ON AN UNDISTURBED SOIL AND A RESTORED SOIL AFTER OPEN-CAST MINING, Agricultural water management, 37(1), 1998, pp. 21-40
The water movement, mass transport and nitrogen transformations were e
valuated on a restored and on an undisturbed soil. During the opencast
coal-mining at Acklington in north-east England the soil-layers were
removed and stored in large heaps. After the completion of the coal ex
ploitation the soil was restored layer by layer. An identical and undi
sturbed soil in the vicinity of the opencast mine served as a benchmar
k. The same experimental treatments were given to both soils. The wate
r and nitrogen dynamics were evaluated by an one-dimensional model bas
ed on the Galerkin finite element method. The nitrogen submodel incorp
orates mineralization, immobilization, nitrification, denitrification,
ammonium exchange, uptake and mass transport. The simulations of wate
r content and nitrogen in the soils were compared with the biweekly wa
ter content and irregular inorganic nitrogen measurements. Good a,agre
ement was found between measured and simulated water distribution duri
ng simulation period. At 10 cm depth, the simulation was not as good e
specially during the autumn period. The soils received the same amount
of inorganic nitrogen fertilizer and agronomic treatment. The dynamic
s of the simulated and observed ammonia and nitrate concentrations can
be largely explained as a result of differences in soil structure. (C
) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.