Soil Aeration Variability as Affected by Reoxidation

The interplay between soil physical parameters during the recovery from anoxic stresses (reoxidation) is largely unrecognized. This study was conducted to characterise the soil aeration status and derive correlations between variable aeration factors during reoxidation. Surface layers (0–30 cm) of three soil types, Haplic Phaeozem, Mollic Gleysol, and Eutric Cambisol (FAO soil group), were selected for analysis. The moisture content was determined for a range of pF values (0, 1.5, 2.2, 2.7, and 3.2), corresponding to the available water for microorganisms and plant roots. The variability of a number of soil aeration parameters, such as water potential (pF), air-filled porosity (Eg), oxygen diffusion rate (ODR), and redox potential (Eh), were investigated. These parameters were found to be interrelated in most cases. There were significant (P < 0.001) negative correlations of pF, Eg, and ODR with Eh. A decrease in water content as a consequence of soil reoxidation was manifested by an increase in the values of aeration factors in the soil environment. These results contributed to understanding of soil redox processes during recovery from flooding and might be useful for development of agricultural techniques aiming at soil reoxidation and soil fertility optimisation.