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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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Comparison of N2O Emissions from Soils at Three Temperate Agricultural Sites

Nitrous oxide (N2O) flux simulations by four models were compared with year-round field measurements from five temperate agricultural sites in three countries. The field sites included an unfertilized, semi-arid rangeland with low N2O fluxes in eastern Colorado, USA; two fertilizer treatments (urea and nitrate) on a fertilized grass ley cut for silage in Scotland; and two fertilized, cultivated crop fields in Germany where N2O loss during the winter was quite high. The models used were daily trace gas versions of the CENTURY model, DNDC, ExpertN, and the NASA-Ames version of the CASA model. These models included similar components (soil physics, decomposition, plant growth, and nitrogen transformations), but in some cases used very different algorithms for these processes. All models generated similar results for the general cycling of nitrogen through the agro-ecosystems, but simulated nitrogen trace gas fluxes were quite different. In most cases the simulated N20 fluxes were within a factor of about 2 of the observed annual fluxes, but even when models produced similar N2O fluxes they often produced very different estimates of gaseous N loss as nitric oxide (NO), dinitrogen (N2), and ammonia (NH3). Accurate simulation of soil moisture appears to be a key requirement for reliable simulation of N2O emissions. All models simulated the general pattern of low background fluxes with high fluxes following fertilization at the Scottish sites, but they could not (or were not designed to) accurately capture the observed effects of different fertilizer types on N2O flux. None of the models were able to reliably generate large pulses of N2O during brief winter thaws that were observed at the two German sites. All models except DNDC simulated very low N2O fluxes for the dry site in Colorado. The US Trace Gas Network (TRAGNET) has provided a mechanism for this model and site intercomparison. Additional intercomparisons are needed with these and other models and additional data sets; these should include both tropical agro-ecosystems and new agricultural management techniques designed for sustainability.

Frolking, S. E.↗

Investigation of LANDSAT imagery on correlations between ore deposits and major shield structures in Finland

The author has identified the following significant results. Based on tests, it is obvious that practically all major LANDSAT winter linears found are geologically significant features. Most of them are chains of bogs, lakes, rivers, and cultivated areas covered by ice and/or snow, i.e., unforested linear topographic lows. They need no explanation other than that they are extensive fracture zones of the basement.

Tuominen, H. V.↗

A study of the early detection of insect infestations and density/distribution of host plants

The author has identified the following significant results. Significant results have been obtained in the identification of citrus, sugarcane, winter vegetables, irrigated pastures, and unimproved pastures which contain brush. Land without vegetation, lakes, roads, and waterways can also be determined. Different densities of vegetation covering some cultivated areas are apparent. The practical applications of these results are many. The abundance of host plants of pests can be determined. Avenues of entry of pests can be plotted, facilitating control or preventing entry of pest species. The boundaries of areas to be quarantined can be accurately established after viewing the S-190B data. Better cultural methods can be employed such as planning where to plant certain crops that indirectly are detrimental to those already growing. This would relate to such factors as pesticide drift or alternate hosts of major pests.

Hart, W. G.↗

Agricultural Breadbaskets Shift Poleward Given Adaptive Farmer Behavior Under Climate Change

Modern food production is spatially concentrated in global “breadbaskets”. A major unresolved question is whether these peak production regions will shift poleward as the climate warms, allowing some recovery of potential climaterelated losses. While agricultural impacts studies to date have focused on currently cultivated land, the Global Gridded Crop Model Intercomparison Project (GGCMI) Phase 2 experiment allows us to assess changes in both yields and the location of peak productivity regions under warming. We examine crop responses under projected end-of-century warming using 7 process-based models simulating 5 major crops (maize, rice, soybeans, and spring and winter wheat) with a variety of adaptation strategies. We find that in no-adaptation cases, when planting date and cultivar choices are held fixed, regions of peak production remain stationary and yield losses can be severe, since growing seasons contract strongly with warming. When adaptations in management practices are allowed (cultivars that retain growing season length under warming and modified planting dates), peak productivity zones shift poleward and yield losses are largely recovered. While most growing-zone shifts are ultimately limited by geography, breadbaskets studied here move poleward over 600 km on average by end of the century under RCP8.5. These results suggest that agricultural impacts assessments can be strongly biased if restricted in spatial area or in the scope of adaptive behavior considered. Accurate evaluation of food security under climate change requires global modeling and careful treatment of adaptation strategies.

adaptation↗

Ground truth measurement for the analysis of airborne SAR data recorded over Oberpfaffenhofen, FRG, 1989

As a preliminary investigation to the joint multiparameter SIR-C/X-SAR shuttle experiment of NASA/JPL (USA), DLR (FRG), and PSN (Italy) which is scheduled for the year 1992 an airborne SAR campaign was conducted over Oberpfaffenhofen, FRG, in August 1989. Primarily this campaign was planned to test and verify equipment and algorithms developed at the DLR to calibrate multifrequency polarimetric SAR data. Oberpfaffenhofen is designated as one of the super test sites for the SIR-C/X-SAR experiment which will be imaged under all circumstances except severe mission errors. A super test site drives radar parameters and look directions and the recorded SAR data will be calibrated. In addition ancillary data will be available for the site. During the airborne STAR campaign conducted in the week of August 14th 1989 various sensor types were used to record remote sensing data over the calibration test site and its vicinity: the polarimetric DC-8 JPL-SAR (P-, L-, C-band), the DLR airborne SAR (C-, X-band), color infrared aerial photography (DLR), and the truck-mounted scatterometer (C- and X-band) of the Institute for Navigation, University of Stuttgart (INS). Because of this variety of different sensor types used and out of the fact that sufficiently large forested and agriculturally used areas were planned to be covered by these sensors, the interest of several German research groups involved in investigations concerning SAR land applications arose. The following groups carried out different ground-truth measurements: University of Bonn, Institute for plant cultivation (plant morphology and moisture content); University of Braunschweig, Institute for Geography (soil moisture and surface roughness); University of Freiburg, Institute for Geography (dielectric soil properties, landuse); and University of Munich, Institute for Geography (landuse inventory, plant, surface, and soil parameters). This paper presents the joint ground truth activities of the Institute for Geography, University of Munich, and the German Remote Sensing Data Center of the DLR.

Bayer, T.↗