Helicobacter pylori are ubiquitous Gram-negative bacteria with a high estimated level of infection in the world populations, but a majority of the infected persons are asymptomatic. This pathogen has been classified b...Helicobacter pylori are ubiquitous Gram-negative bacteria with a high estimated level of infection in the world populations, but a majority of the infected persons are asymptomatic. This pathogen has been classified by the World Health Organization as a class I carcinogen and recognized as the causal agent of most peptic ulcers and chronic gastritis that might lead to stomach cancer. Although not all the transmission pathways of these bacteria into humans have been propedy identified, enough data have suggested that the oral-oral or fecal-oral ones are the main infection routes. Helicobacterpylori have been detected in non-treated water and in drinking water, which suggested that water might be an important infection source. As childhood is the critical period of infection, the aim of the present work was to examine the presence of Helicobacterpylori in soil samples from public playing areas of Spanish parks.展开更多
The most important parameter affecting ground-penetrating radar (GPR) measurements is the complex effective relative permittivity εr^*,eff because it controls the propagation velocity and the reflection of GPR pul...The most important parameter affecting ground-penetrating radar (GPR) measurements is the complex effective relative permittivity εr^*,eff because it controls the propagation velocity and the reflection of GPR pulses. Knowing εr^*,eff of soils passed through by electromagnetic waves increases accuracy in soil thickness and interface identification. Complex effective relative permittivity εr^*,eff= εr^*,eff - jεr^*,effof 25 soil samples with textures ranging from loamy sand to silty clay was measured using the two-electrode parallelplate method. The measurements were conducted at defined water contents for frequencies from 1 MHz to 3 GHz. The results confirm the frequency dependence of εr^*,eff and show that the dielectric behavior of soil-water mixtures is a function of water content. Applying the experimental data of this study with predictions based on the empirical model by Toppet aL (1980), we find that Topp et aL's curve tends to underestimate the real part of εr^*,eff measured. Along with frequency and water content, soil texture and organic matter affect soil permittivity. Moreover, the real part of εr^*,eff increases at higher dry bulk densities. Output from our calibration model enables us to predict εr^*,eff for the soil samples which were tested under the actual in situ soil water content. This results in high accuracy of soil thickness prediction.展开更多
Through the analysis on the migratory diffusion process of atmospheric pollutants,we proposed to seek atmospheric pollutant source with surface soil sample of data.Based on Gaussian plume model and deposition model,at...Through the analysis on the migratory diffusion process of atmospheric pollutants,we proposed to seek atmospheric pollutant source with surface soil sample of data.Based on Gaussian plume model and deposition model,atmospheric pollutants distribution model was deduced,with which a schema matching source seeking model was established.The model was used to seek the pollutant source by using the arsenic data in the surface soil sample of a city.展开更多
This study was designed to screen and characterize antibiotic producing bacteria and fungi from soil samples from a waste dump site in Enugu. The molecular characterization of the isolates was performed by using Zymo ...This study was designed to screen and characterize antibiotic producing bacteria and fungi from soil samples from a waste dump site in Enugu. The molecular characterization of the isolates was performed by using Zymo Research Quick-DNA fungi/bacteria miniprep kit. The bacteria isolates were <i>Providencia stuartii</i>, <i>Providencia alcalifaciens.</i> <i>Bacillus sp.</i>, <i>Streptococcus sp.</i>, <i>Micrococcus sp.</i>, and <i>Staphylococcus sp</i> while <i>Aspergillus fumigatus</i> and <i>Aspergillus niger</i> were fungal isolates. The efficacy of the Crude Extract (CE) of the antibiotics produced was tested against species of <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> and <i>Escherichia coli</i>. The CE of antibiotics when compared with a conventional antibiotic (Ciprofloxacin) showed lower antimicrobial activity. The minimum inhibitory concentration of the crude extracts ranged between 12.5% and 25% concentrations while the minimum bactericidal concentration ranged from 25% and 50% concentrations. The findings suggest that these organisms have the potential to produce antibiotics and could be harnessed by pharmaceutical industries for the production of newer antibiotics.展开更多
Soil disturbance includes the change of stress state and the damage of soil structure.The field testing indices reflect the combined effect of both changes and it is difficult to identify the soil structure disturbanc...Soil disturbance includes the change of stress state and the damage of soil structure.The field testing indices reflect the combined effect of both changes and it is difficult to identify the soil structure disturbance directly from these indices.In the present study,the small-strain shear modulus is used to characterize soil structure disturbance by normalizing the effective stress and void ratio based on Hardin equation.The procedure for evaluating soil sampling disturbance in the field and the further disturbance during the subsequent consolidation process in laboratory test is proposed,and then validated by a case study of soft clay ground.Downhole seismic testing in the field,portable piezoelectric bender elements for the drilled sample and bender elements in triaxial apparatus for the consolidated sample were used to monitor the shear wave velocity of the soil from intact to disturbed and even remolded states.It is found that soil sampling disturbance degree by conventional thin-wall sampler is about 30%according to the proposed procedure,which is slightly higher than that from the modified volume compression method proposed by Hong and Onitsuka(1998).And the additional soil disturbance induced by consolidation in laboratory could reach about 50%when the consolidation pressure is far beyond the structural yield stress,and it follows the plastic volumetric strain quite well.展开更多
The Soil Land Inference Model(SoLIM) was primarily proposed by Zhu et al.(Zhu A X, Band L, Vertessy R, Dutton B. 1997. Derivation of soil properties using a soil land inference model(SoLIM). Soil Sci Soc Am J. 61: 523...The Soil Land Inference Model(SoLIM) was primarily proposed by Zhu et al.(Zhu A X, Band L, Vertessy R, Dutton B. 1997. Derivation of soil properties using a soil land inference model(SoLIM). Soil Sci Soc Am J. 61: 523–533.) and was based on the Third Law of Geography. Based on the assumption that the soil property value at a location of interest will be more similar to that of a given soil sample when the environmental condition at the location of interest is more similar to that at the location from which the sample was taken, SoLIM estimates the soil property value of the location of interest using the soil property values of known samples weighted by the similarity between those samples and the location of interest in terms of an attribute domain of environmental conditions. However, the current SoLIM method ignores information about the spatial distances between the location of interest and those of the sample. In this study, we proposed a new method of soil property mapping, So LIM-IDW, which incorporates spatial distance information into the SoLIM method by means of inverse distance weighting(IDW). The proposed method is based on the assumption that the soil property value at a location of interest will be more similar to that of a known sample both when the environmental conditions are more similar and when the distance between the location of interest and the sample location is shorter. Our evaluation experiments on A-horizon soil organic matter mapping in two study areas with independent evaluation samples showed that the proposed SoLIM-IDW method can obtain lower prediction errors than the original SoLIM method, multiple linear regression, geographically weighted regression, and regression-kriging with the same modeling points. Future work mainly includes the determination of optimal power parameter values and the appropriate setting of the parameter under different application contexts.展开更多
Geochemical subsoil data obtained from China and European laboratories have been compared in this study. 787 C horizon subsoil samples from FOREGS (Forum of European Geological Surveys) geochemical baselines mapping...Geochemical subsoil data obtained from China and European laboratories have been compared in this study. 787 C horizon subsoil samples from FOREGS (Forum of European Geological Surveys) geochemical baselines mapping project were sent to China's IGGE (Institute of Geophysical and Geochemical Exploration) laboratory and composited to 190 samples according to the 160 kin x 160 km GNT (Global Terrestrial Network) cells. In addition to the FOREGS elemental analysis package, Au, Pt, Pd, B, Ge, Br, CI, Se, N, Li and F were also analyzed by using the IGGE's 76 element analytical scheme. Geochemical data statistics, scatter plotting, and geochemical map compilation tech- niques have been employed to investigate differences between FOREGS and IGGE analytical results. The results of two datasets, the IGGE's analysis data for composited samples, and the FOREGS average data of samples in each GNT cell, agree extremely well lor about 23 elements, viz: SiO2, St, Al2O3, Zr, Ba, Fe2O3, Ti, Rb, Mn, Gd, CaO, Ga, MgO, P, Pb, Na2O, Y, Th, As, U Sc, Cr, and Co. There are slight differences between-laboratory biases shown as proportional errors between the datasets for Ni, K2O, Tb, Tl, Cu, S, Sin, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Eu, Ho, Er, Tin, Yb, Lu, Ta, Nb, HE and Dy. For Cd, Cs, Be, Sb, In, Mo, I, Sn, and Te, the correlation of the two datasets and the similarity of the geochemical maps are fairly good, but obvious biases exist between the two datasets at values near detection limits.展开更多
Twenty five surface (0—20 cm) soil samples were collected from different locations in Egypt representing non polluted, moderately and highly polluted soils. The aim of this study was to evaluate total Co content ...Twenty five surface (0—20 cm) soil samples were collected from different locations in Egypt representing non polluted, moderately and highly polluted soils. The aim of this study was to evaluate total Co content in alluvial soils of Delta in Egypt using the delayed neturen activation analysis technique (DNAA). The two prominent gamma ray lines at 1173 2 and 1332 5 keV was efficiently used for 60 Co determination. Co content in non polluted soil samples ranged between 13 12 to 23 20 ppm Co with an average of 18 16±4.38 ppm. Cobalt content in moderately polluted soils ranged between 26 5 to 30 00 ppm with an average of 28 3±1.3 ppm. The highest Co levels (ranged from 36 to 64 69 ppm with an average of 51 9±9.5); were observed in soil samples collected from, either highly polluted agricultural soils due to prolonged irrigation with industrial wastewater or surface soil samples from industrial sites.展开更多
The aim of this work was to examine the emission of N 2O from soils following addition of nitrogen fertilizer with a nitrification inhibitor(+inh) or without the nitrification inhibitor(-inh) at different soil water ...The aim of this work was to examine the emission of N 2O from soils following addition of nitrogen fertilizer with a nitrification inhibitor(+inh) or without the nitrification inhibitor(-inh) at different soil water regime. Higher soil moisture contents increased the total N 2O emissions in all treatments with total emissions being 7 times larger for the CK and >20 times larger for the fertilizer treatments at 85% WFPS(soil water filled pore space) than at 40% WFPS. The rates of N 2O emissions at 40% WFPS under all treatments were small. The maximum emission rate at 55% WFPS without the nitrification inhibitor(-inh) occurred later (day 11) than those of 70% WFPS (-inh) samples (day 8). The inhibition period was 4—22 d for 55% WFPS and 1—15 d for 70% WFPS comparing the rates of N 2O emissions treated (+inh) with (-inh). The maximum emission rates at 85% WFPS were higher than those at the other levels of soil water content for all treatments. The samples(+inh) released less N 2O than (-inh) samples at the early stage. Nevertheless, N 2O emissions from (+inh) samples lasted longer than in the (-inh) treatment. Changes in mineral N at 55%, 70% and 85% WFPS followed the same pattern. NH + 4-N concentrations decreased while NO - 3-N concentrations increased from the beginning of incubation. NH + 4-N concentrations from 40% WFPS treatment declined more slowly than those of the other three levels of soil water content. Nitrification was faster in the (-inh) samples with 100% NH + 4-N nitrified after 22 d(50% WFPS) and 15 d(70% and 85% WFPS). N 2O emissions increased with soil water content. Adding N-fertilizer increased emissions of N 2O. The application of the nitrification inhibitor significantly reduced total N 2O emissions from 30.5%(at 85%WFPS) to 43.6%(at 55% WFPS).展开更多
Monitoring and assessment of agricultural land degradation is of vital importance for better land and water management planning and reclamation. It requires setting baseline information and basic analysis at specific ...Monitoring and assessment of agricultural land degradation is of vital importance for better land and water management planning and reclamation. It requires setting baseline information and basic analysis at specific time and space. About 33 geo-referenced soil sampling spots were selected in two agricultural production locations in the Kingdom of Bahrain to assess the status and preliminary causes of land degradation. Soil samples were taken from 13 sites in Diraz location while 19 samples were taken from Budayyi location. The samples were taken to 90 cm depth at 30 cm intervals. Standard procedures were followed to determine soil physiochemical properties. In addition, field observations on farm condition, distance from the sea, method of irrigation and irrigation water source were taken. Some of the soil samples were deliberately taken from outside the irrigated basins among trees compared with samples taken from inside the actively growing area for comparison. The results indicated that the salinity level was significantly (P 〈 0.001) higher at the 0-30 cm soil depth compared with 30-60 cm or 60-90 cm depths in both locations. The distance from the sea did not show clear correlation with surface soil salinity in Budayyi area compared with Diraz. Both locations showed significantly higher salinity levels on samples taken outside the actively growing areas compared with those taken from within. The effect is more prominent at the 0-30 cm depth. The observed variability on salinity levels may be attributed to farm management practices and deteriorating quality of ground water. Thus, agricultural land degradation in Bahrain cannot be attributed to ground water deterioration alone. The use of tertiary treated sewage water (TSE) may ease the pressure on ground water, but the pH of the TSE should be carefully monitored and managed with proper studies on leaching requirements to avoid further salinity complications.展开更多
In this study, the impact of soil-cement stabilization on the index properties of the subgrade of roads was investigated. Efforts were on the means of improving the bearing capacity of the subgrade of a flexible pavem...In this study, the impact of soil-cement stabilization on the index properties of the subgrade of roads was investigated. Efforts were on the means of improving the bearing capacity of the subgrade of a flexible pavement structure. Three selected roads (Ogbia-Nembe, section of the East-West Road and section of Port Harcourt-Aba Road) in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria were examined to determine the effect of sand-cement stabilization on the compaction index property of their undisturbed subgrade and the optimal ratio of soil-cement on the expansive soils at which the California Bearing Ratio (CBR) is optimized. Disturbed soil samples were collected from twenty trial pits on each of the three study roads using a hand ulger and tested for their respective compaction index properties. It was discovered that their California Bearing Ratio (CBR) was very low. Some of the collected specimen materials were stabilized with varying percentages of soil-cement contents ranging from 6% - 14% in order to ascertain its effects on the compaction index properties of the sample soils. Results of the various stabilization test procedures show that: Stabilization of the soil using Soil-Cement Stabilization affected the Compaction Index properties of the soil and further improved the California Bearing Ratio (CBR). On the Ogbia-Nembe Road;Soil-Cement stabilization improved the CBR and is optimized at a 10% sand-cement ratio with optimum moisture content ranging from 6.2% - 14%, maximum dry density ranges from 1700 - 1780 kg/m<sup>3</sup>, yielding an average CBR of 42.7% for soaked samples. On the section of East-West Road from Eleme Junction to Etteh Junction;Soil-Cement stabilization improved the CBR and is optimized at a 14% sand-cement ratio with optimum moisture content ranging from 6.2% - 14.2%, maximum dry density ranges from 1660 - 1800 kg/m<sup>3</sup>, yielding an average CBR of 43.9% for soaked samples. On the section of Port Harcourt-Aba Express Road from Eleme Junction to Osisioma Junction;Soil-Cement stabilization improved the CBR and is optimized at a 12% sand-cement ratio having an optimum moisture content ranging from 5.4% - 17.3%, maximum dry density ranges from 1610 - 1740 kg/m<sup>3</sup>, and an average California Bearing Ratio for soaked samples at 40%.展开更多
The widespread contamination of soils and aquifers by non-aqueous phase liquids (NAPL), such as crude oil, poses serious environmental and health hazards globally. Understanding the infiltration characteristics of N...The widespread contamination of soils and aquifers by non-aqueous phase liquids (NAPL), such as crude oil, poses serious environmental and health hazards globally. Understanding the infiltration characteristics of NAPL in soil is crucial in mitigating or remediating soil contamination. The infiltration characteristics of crude and diesel oils into undisturbed loessal soil cores, collected in polymethyl methacrylate cylindrical columns, were investigated under a constant fluid head (3 era) of either crude oil or diesel oil. The infiltration rate of both crude and diesel oils decreased exponentially as wetting depth increased with time. Soil core size and bulk density both had significant effects on NAPL infiltration through the undisturbed soil cores; a smaller core size or a greater bulk density could reduce oil penetration to depth. Compacting soil in areas susceptible to oil spills may be an effective stratage to reduce contamination. The infiltration of NAPL into soil cores was spatially anisotropic and heterogeneous, thus recording the data at four points on the soil core is a good stratage to improve the accuracy of experimental results. Our results revealed that crude and diesel oils, rather than their components, have a practical value for remediation of contaminated loessal soils.展开更多
Corrosion products of K60crevice samples which were buried in Ordos area were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction.The result showed that,the corrosion potential decreased differently in the ...Corrosion products of K60crevice samples which were buried in Ordos area were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction.The result showed that,the corrosion potential decreased differently in the crevice and a maximum negative existed at the bottom side;with pH value reduced,the dissolved oxygen was nearly exhausted in the crevice.When the opening side of the coupons was coupled with each other,the crevice corrosion in the crevice might be accelerated and the pH value gradually reduced;however,the oxygen was not completely exhausted.The unbalanced current density between anode and cathode was the main cause of blocked self-catalysis effect in the crevice,and was also the main cause of corrosion of alloys.Lumpy corrosion happened on the surface of metal,and rusty layer was composed of Fe3O4,Fe2O3,FeO,FeOOH and FeS which distributed in the opening of crevice.There were the reddish-brown corrosion products and white matter which distributed in the form of filiform and spotted in the center part of crevice.The analysis showed that the white matter might include oxide of Fe and NaHCO3.展开更多
Efficient soil sampling is essential for effective soil management and research on soil health.Traditional site selection methods are labor-intensive and fail to capture soil variability comprehensively.This study int...Efficient soil sampling is essential for effective soil management and research on soil health.Traditional site selection methods are labor-intensive and fail to capture soil variability comprehensively.This study introduces a deep learning-based tool that automates soil sampling site selection using spectral images.The proposed framework consists of two key components:an extractor and a predictor.The extractor,based on a convolutional neural network(CNN),derives features from spectral images,while the predictor employs self-attention mechanisms to assess feature importance and generate prediction maps.The model is designed to process multiple spectral images and address the class imbalance in soil segmentation.The model was trained on a soil dataset from 20 fields in eastern South Dakota,collected via drone-mounted LiDAR with high-precision GPS.Evaluation on a test set achieved a mean intersection over union(mIoU)of 69.46%and a mean Dice coefficient(mDc)of 80.35%,demonstrating strong segmentation performance.The results highlight the model's effectiveness in automating soil sampling site selection,providing an advanced tool for producers and soil scientists.Compared to existing state-of-the-art methods,the proposed approach improves accuracy and efficiency,optimizing soil sampling processes and enhancing soil research.展开更多
If you are a gold digger you want to find more gold.Therefore,you collect and analyse a maximum amount of,in particular,geological data and information as that would give you the best clues for finding new occurrences...If you are a gold digger you want to find more gold.Therefore,you collect and analyse a maximum amount of,in particular,geological data and information as that would give you the best clues for finding new occurrences.Geological maps are the main communication tools for geologists.Such maps may be quite complex for non-geologists but even for fellow geoscientists as these often cramp a multitude of subsurface information into a 2D frame.Geochemical information ranks high on the list of most wanted information for exploration geologists.Such information normally comes from geochemical analyses of rock or soil samples.For regional inventories often geochemical data sets from stream sedimentsare used.Nation-or even continent-wide geochemical data sets have now become available for many regions on this planet.展开更多
Purpose This study introduces a methodology for correcting self-attenuation effects in γ-ray energy range 59 to 2614 keV.Methods Using simulation techniques,we examine the impact of material characteristics on attenu...Purpose This study introduces a methodology for correcting self-attenuation effects in γ-ray energy range 59 to 2614 keV.Methods Using simulation techniques,we examine the impact of material characteristics on attenuation.A comparative analysis with a reference standard sample of identical geometry but differing matrix and density enables the estimation of correction factors.Peak efficiency calculations include various matrices,including that present in nuclear fuel cycle and environmental field with densities ranging from 1 to 2 g/cm^(3).Results Monte Carlo simulations are employed to calculate peak efficiencies for epoxy reference materials within the same density and energy range.The self-attenuation correction factor is obtained by comparing the peak efficiencies of the assayed materials with those of the reference samples.The study discusses factors influencing self-attenuation correction,emphasizing its significance in accurate radionuclide measurements.Conclusion This method provides a standardized approach for calibrating and analyzing radionuclides in the materials present in the nuclear fuel cycle and environmental or NORM soil samples,detailing considerations for accurate measurement and correction of self-attenuation effects.展开更多
Flooding of Municipal areas is a frequent environmental occurrence in Rivers State that occurs when rainfall runoff meets land surfaces with low water absorbing capacity or when it overwhelms drainage channels.In orde...Flooding of Municipal areas is a frequent environmental occurrence in Rivers State that occurs when rainfall runoff meets land surfaces with low water absorbing capacity or when it overwhelms drainage channels.In order to assess the flood situation in the study area,an integrated method which involves field-measurement,geographic information system(GIS),laboratory analysis of soil samples and topographic studies were employed.Digital elevation model of the study area reveals that the flooded areas are situated in areas with elevations lower than its surrounding,thereby acting as a natural basin to retain flood waters after rainfall.Four holes were drilled to depth of 3 m to obtain soil samples at 1 m sampling interval,from which laboratory analysis was carried out to determine some geotechnical parameters such as soil’s particle size,specific gravity,bulk density,porosity,moisture content,permeability and hydraulic conductivity.Results of the analysis show that permeability,hydraulic conductivity and porosity diminishes with respect to depth.The soil in the flooded areas have high fines content(silt and clay),high bulk density which increase with depth and a specific gravity that is typical of organic rich soils that contain sand mixed with a considerable amount of fines.At Nkpolu,mean permeability rates of 0.003 cm/sec,0.009 cm/sec and 0.033 cm/sec were obtained at 1,2 and 3 m respectively.At Eneka,mean permeability rates of 0.011 cm/sec,0.018 cm/sec and 0.014 cm/sec were obtained at 1,2 and 3m respectively,while at Rukpokwu,mean Permeability rates of 0.021 cm/sec was obtained at 1 m,while 0.006 cm/sec was obtained at 2 and 3 m respectively.The mean hydraulic conductivity for the locations under study is of the order of 10-4 ft/day.This study has shown that the flooded areas are located in low lying urban areas which act as basins,therefore,the top soil is crusted with highly compacted soil horizons beneath.With high and frequent rainfall in the region which generates a lot of runoff,in addition to poor drainage system,flooding in the study area occurs frequently.Therefore,construction and maintenance of efficient drainage channels for an effective solution to urban pluvial flooding in the study area are thereby recommended.展开更多
Soil and geologic evidence has been examined in the FBI Laboratory since 1939,and long admitted into trials,both in the US and abroad.However,to the best our knowledge soil evidence did not undergo a formal admissibil...Soil and geologic evidence has been examined in the FBI Laboratory since 1939,and long admitted into trials,both in the US and abroad.However,to the best our knowledge soil evidence did not undergo a formal admissibility challenge within the US court systems until 29th January 2016.Forensic soil analysis is typically a comparison between two or more samples to see whether they originated from different sources.When soil samples are indistinguishable,the possibility that they originated from a single source cannot be eliminated.The challenge in State of Kansas v.Kyle Flack,13CR104(2016),involved the admissibility of soil comparisons at the trial,as well as the qualifications of the forensic geologist who conducted the examinations.The views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the FBI.Names of commercial manufacturers are provided for identification purposes only,and inclusion does not imply endorsement of the manufacturer or its products or services by the FBI.展开更多
Drill sampling has been widely employed as an effective way to acquire deep samples in extraterrestrial exploration. A novel sampling method, namely, flexible-tube coring, was adopted for the Chang'e mission to acqui...Drill sampling has been widely employed as an effective way to acquire deep samples in extraterrestrial exploration. A novel sampling method, namely, flexible-tube coring, was adopted for the Chang'e mission to acquire drilling cores without damaging stratification information. Since the extraterrestrial environment is uncertain and different from the terrestrial environment, automated drill sampling missions are at risk of failure. The principles of drilling and coring for the lunar subsurface should be fully tested and verified on earth before launch. This paper proposes a test-bed for conducting the aforementioned experiments on earth. The test-bed comprises a rotary-percussive drilling mechanism, penetrating mechanism, drilling medium container, and signal acquisition and control system. For granular soil, coring experiments indicate that the sampling method has a high coring rate greater than 80%. For hard rock, drilling experiments indicate that the percussive frequency greatly affects the drilling efficiency. A multi-layered simulant composed of granular soil and hard rock is built to test the adaptability of drilling and coring. To tackle complex drilling media, an intelligent drilling strategy based on online recognition is proposed to improve the adaptability of the sampling drill. The primary features of this research are the proposal of a scheme for drilling and coring a test-bed for validation on earth and the execution of drilling experiments in complex media.展开更多
Site-specific nutrient management is an important strategy to promote sustainable production of rubber trees in order to obtain high yields of natural rubber. Making effective nutrient management decisions for rubber ...Site-specific nutrient management is an important strategy to promote sustainable production of rubber trees in order to obtain high yields of natural rubber. Making effective nutrient management decisions for rubber trees depend on knowing the spatial variations of soil fertility properties in advance. In this study the Kriging geostatistical method was used to examine the spatial variability of soil total nitrogen(TN), organic matter(OM), available phosphorus(AP) and available potassium(AK) in a typical hilly rubber tree plantation in Hainan, China. The spatial variability of the soils was small for the TN and OM and had medium variability for the AP and AK variables. Anisotropic semivariograms of all soil properties revealed that elevation and building contour ledge can profoundly affect the spatial variability of soil properties in the plantation, except for the AK variable. Soil samples had to be collected in alignment with the direction of elevation and perpendicular to the direction of building contour ledges, which was needed to obtain more reliable information within the study area in the rubber tree plantation. In formulating a sample scheme for AK, the distribution features of the soil’s parent material should be considered as the influence factor in the study field. The Kriging method used to guide the soil sampling for spatial variability dertermination of soil properties was about 2-5 times more efficient than the classic statistical method.展开更多
基金supported by the Ministry of Education and Science of Spain(No.CTM2005-106457-C05-05/TECNO),FPI grant from Ministry of Education and Science of Spain,and FI grant from the Comissionat per a Universitats i Recerca del Departament d'Innovació,Universitats i Empresa de la Generalitat de Catalunya i del Fons Social Europeu
文摘Helicobacter pylori are ubiquitous Gram-negative bacteria with a high estimated level of infection in the world populations, but a majority of the infected persons are asymptomatic. This pathogen has been classified by the World Health Organization as a class I carcinogen and recognized as the causal agent of most peptic ulcers and chronic gastritis that might lead to stomach cancer. Although not all the transmission pathways of these bacteria into humans have been propedy identified, enough data have suggested that the oral-oral or fecal-oral ones are the main infection routes. Helicobacterpylori have been detected in non-treated water and in drinking water, which suggested that water might be an important infection source. As childhood is the critical period of infection, the aim of the present work was to examine the presence of Helicobacterpylori in soil samples from public playing areas of Spanish parks.
基金supported by the German Research Foundation (DFG) (No. SFB 299)
文摘The most important parameter affecting ground-penetrating radar (GPR) measurements is the complex effective relative permittivity εr^*,eff because it controls the propagation velocity and the reflection of GPR pulses. Knowing εr^*,eff of soils passed through by electromagnetic waves increases accuracy in soil thickness and interface identification. Complex effective relative permittivity εr^*,eff= εr^*,eff - jεr^*,effof 25 soil samples with textures ranging from loamy sand to silty clay was measured using the two-electrode parallelplate method. The measurements were conducted at defined water contents for frequencies from 1 MHz to 3 GHz. The results confirm the frequency dependence of εr^*,eff and show that the dielectric behavior of soil-water mixtures is a function of water content. Applying the experimental data of this study with predictions based on the empirical model by Toppet aL (1980), we find that Topp et aL's curve tends to underestimate the real part of εr^*,eff measured. Along with frequency and water content, soil texture and organic matter affect soil permittivity. Moreover, the real part of εr^*,eff increases at higher dry bulk densities. Output from our calibration model enables us to predict εr^*,eff for the soil samples which were tested under the actual in situ soil water content. This results in high accuracy of soil thickness prediction.
文摘Through the analysis on the migratory diffusion process of atmospheric pollutants,we proposed to seek atmospheric pollutant source with surface soil sample of data.Based on Gaussian plume model and deposition model,atmospheric pollutants distribution model was deduced,with which a schema matching source seeking model was established.The model was used to seek the pollutant source by using the arsenic data in the surface soil sample of a city.
文摘This study was designed to screen and characterize antibiotic producing bacteria and fungi from soil samples from a waste dump site in Enugu. The molecular characterization of the isolates was performed by using Zymo Research Quick-DNA fungi/bacteria miniprep kit. The bacteria isolates were <i>Providencia stuartii</i>, <i>Providencia alcalifaciens.</i> <i>Bacillus sp.</i>, <i>Streptococcus sp.</i>, <i>Micrococcus sp.</i>, and <i>Staphylococcus sp</i> while <i>Aspergillus fumigatus</i> and <i>Aspergillus niger</i> were fungal isolates. The efficacy of the Crude Extract (CE) of the antibiotics produced was tested against species of <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> and <i>Escherichia coli</i>. The CE of antibiotics when compared with a conventional antibiotic (Ciprofloxacin) showed lower antimicrobial activity. The minimum inhibitory concentration of the crude extracts ranged between 12.5% and 25% concentrations while the minimum bactericidal concentration ranged from 25% and 50% concentrations. The findings suggest that these organisms have the potential to produce antibiotics and could be harnessed by pharmaceutical industries for the production of newer antibiotics.
基金This study is partly supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.51978613,52278374 and 51988101).All these funding grants are greatly acknowledged.
文摘Soil disturbance includes the change of stress state and the damage of soil structure.The field testing indices reflect the combined effect of both changes and it is difficult to identify the soil structure disturbance directly from these indices.In the present study,the small-strain shear modulus is used to characterize soil structure disturbance by normalizing the effective stress and void ratio based on Hardin equation.The procedure for evaluating soil sampling disturbance in the field and the further disturbance during the subsequent consolidation process in laboratory test is proposed,and then validated by a case study of soft clay ground.Downhole seismic testing in the field,portable piezoelectric bender elements for the drilled sample and bender elements in triaxial apparatus for the consolidated sample were used to monitor the shear wave velocity of the soil from intact to disturbed and even remolded states.It is found that soil sampling disturbance degree by conventional thin-wall sampler is about 30%according to the proposed procedure,which is slightly higher than that from the modified volume compression method proposed by Hong and Onitsuka(1998).And the additional soil disturbance induced by consolidation in laboratory could reach about 50%when the consolidation pressure is far beyond the structural yield stress,and it follows the plastic volumetric strain quite well.
基金funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos.41871300,41422109,and 41431177)the National Basic Research Program of China (No.2015CB954102)+1 种基金the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions,China (No.164320H116)the Outstanding Innovation Team in Colleges and Universities in Jiangsu Province,China the support from the Innovation Project of State Key Laboratory of Resources and Environmental Information System of China (No.O88RA20CYA)。
文摘The Soil Land Inference Model(SoLIM) was primarily proposed by Zhu et al.(Zhu A X, Band L, Vertessy R, Dutton B. 1997. Derivation of soil properties using a soil land inference model(SoLIM). Soil Sci Soc Am J. 61: 523–533.) and was based on the Third Law of Geography. Based on the assumption that the soil property value at a location of interest will be more similar to that of a given soil sample when the environmental condition at the location of interest is more similar to that at the location from which the sample was taken, SoLIM estimates the soil property value of the location of interest using the soil property values of known samples weighted by the similarity between those samples and the location of interest in terms of an attribute domain of environmental conditions. However, the current SoLIM method ignores information about the spatial distances between the location of interest and those of the sample. In this study, we proposed a new method of soil property mapping, So LIM-IDW, which incorporates spatial distance information into the SoLIM method by means of inverse distance weighting(IDW). The proposed method is based on the assumption that the soil property value at a location of interest will be more similar to that of a known sample both when the environmental conditions are more similar and when the distance between the location of interest and the sample location is shorter. Our evaluation experiments on A-horizon soil organic matter mapping in two study areas with independent evaluation samples showed that the proposed SoLIM-IDW method can obtain lower prediction errors than the original SoLIM method, multiple linear regression, geographically weighted regression, and regression-kriging with the same modeling points. Future work mainly includes the determination of optimal power parameter values and the appropriate setting of the parameter under different application contexts.
基金given to the Ministry of Land and Resources and the Ministry of Science and Technology for the research funding of the projects: SinoProbe 04 and 863 Project 2007AA06Z133
文摘Geochemical subsoil data obtained from China and European laboratories have been compared in this study. 787 C horizon subsoil samples from FOREGS (Forum of European Geological Surveys) geochemical baselines mapping project were sent to China's IGGE (Institute of Geophysical and Geochemical Exploration) laboratory and composited to 190 samples according to the 160 kin x 160 km GNT (Global Terrestrial Network) cells. In addition to the FOREGS elemental analysis package, Au, Pt, Pd, B, Ge, Br, CI, Se, N, Li and F were also analyzed by using the IGGE's 76 element analytical scheme. Geochemical data statistics, scatter plotting, and geochemical map compilation tech- niques have been employed to investigate differences between FOREGS and IGGE analytical results. The results of two datasets, the IGGE's analysis data for composited samples, and the FOREGS average data of samples in each GNT cell, agree extremely well lor about 23 elements, viz: SiO2, St, Al2O3, Zr, Ba, Fe2O3, Ti, Rb, Mn, Gd, CaO, Ga, MgO, P, Pb, Na2O, Y, Th, As, U Sc, Cr, and Co. There are slight differences between-laboratory biases shown as proportional errors between the datasets for Ni, K2O, Tb, Tl, Cu, S, Sin, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Eu, Ho, Er, Tin, Yb, Lu, Ta, Nb, HE and Dy. For Cd, Cs, Be, Sb, In, Mo, I, Sn, and Te, the correlation of the two datasets and the similarity of the geochemical maps are fairly good, but obvious biases exist between the two datasets at values near detection limits.
文摘Twenty five surface (0—20 cm) soil samples were collected from different locations in Egypt representing non polluted, moderately and highly polluted soils. The aim of this study was to evaluate total Co content in alluvial soils of Delta in Egypt using the delayed neturen activation analysis technique (DNAA). The two prominent gamma ray lines at 1173 2 and 1332 5 keV was efficiently used for 60 Co determination. Co content in non polluted soil samples ranged between 13 12 to 23 20 ppm Co with an average of 18 16±4.38 ppm. Cobalt content in moderately polluted soils ranged between 26 5 to 30 00 ppm with an average of 28 3±1.3 ppm. The highest Co levels (ranged from 36 to 64 69 ppm with an average of 51 9±9.5); were observed in soil samples collected from, either highly polluted agricultural soils due to prolonged irrigation with industrial wastewater or surface soil samples from industrial sites.
文摘The aim of this work was to examine the emission of N 2O from soils following addition of nitrogen fertilizer with a nitrification inhibitor(+inh) or without the nitrification inhibitor(-inh) at different soil water regime. Higher soil moisture contents increased the total N 2O emissions in all treatments with total emissions being 7 times larger for the CK and >20 times larger for the fertilizer treatments at 85% WFPS(soil water filled pore space) than at 40% WFPS. The rates of N 2O emissions at 40% WFPS under all treatments were small. The maximum emission rate at 55% WFPS without the nitrification inhibitor(-inh) occurred later (day 11) than those of 70% WFPS (-inh) samples (day 8). The inhibition period was 4—22 d for 55% WFPS and 1—15 d for 70% WFPS comparing the rates of N 2O emissions treated (+inh) with (-inh). The maximum emission rates at 85% WFPS were higher than those at the other levels of soil water content for all treatments. The samples(+inh) released less N 2O than (-inh) samples at the early stage. Nevertheless, N 2O emissions from (+inh) samples lasted longer than in the (-inh) treatment. Changes in mineral N at 55%, 70% and 85% WFPS followed the same pattern. NH + 4-N concentrations decreased while NO - 3-N concentrations increased from the beginning of incubation. NH + 4-N concentrations from 40% WFPS treatment declined more slowly than those of the other three levels of soil water content. Nitrification was faster in the (-inh) samples with 100% NH + 4-N nitrified after 22 d(50% WFPS) and 15 d(70% and 85% WFPS). N 2O emissions increased with soil water content. Adding N-fertilizer increased emissions of N 2O. The application of the nitrification inhibitor significantly reduced total N 2O emissions from 30.5%(at 85%WFPS) to 43.6%(at 55% WFPS).
文摘Monitoring and assessment of agricultural land degradation is of vital importance for better land and water management planning and reclamation. It requires setting baseline information and basic analysis at specific time and space. About 33 geo-referenced soil sampling spots were selected in two agricultural production locations in the Kingdom of Bahrain to assess the status and preliminary causes of land degradation. Soil samples were taken from 13 sites in Diraz location while 19 samples were taken from Budayyi location. The samples were taken to 90 cm depth at 30 cm intervals. Standard procedures were followed to determine soil physiochemical properties. In addition, field observations on farm condition, distance from the sea, method of irrigation and irrigation water source were taken. Some of the soil samples were deliberately taken from outside the irrigated basins among trees compared with samples taken from inside the actively growing area for comparison. The results indicated that the salinity level was significantly (P 〈 0.001) higher at the 0-30 cm soil depth compared with 30-60 cm or 60-90 cm depths in both locations. The distance from the sea did not show clear correlation with surface soil salinity in Budayyi area compared with Diraz. Both locations showed significantly higher salinity levels on samples taken outside the actively growing areas compared with those taken from within. The effect is more prominent at the 0-30 cm depth. The observed variability on salinity levels may be attributed to farm management practices and deteriorating quality of ground water. Thus, agricultural land degradation in Bahrain cannot be attributed to ground water deterioration alone. The use of tertiary treated sewage water (TSE) may ease the pressure on ground water, but the pH of the TSE should be carefully monitored and managed with proper studies on leaching requirements to avoid further salinity complications.
文摘In this study, the impact of soil-cement stabilization on the index properties of the subgrade of roads was investigated. Efforts were on the means of improving the bearing capacity of the subgrade of a flexible pavement structure. Three selected roads (Ogbia-Nembe, section of the East-West Road and section of Port Harcourt-Aba Road) in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria were examined to determine the effect of sand-cement stabilization on the compaction index property of their undisturbed subgrade and the optimal ratio of soil-cement on the expansive soils at which the California Bearing Ratio (CBR) is optimized. Disturbed soil samples were collected from twenty trial pits on each of the three study roads using a hand ulger and tested for their respective compaction index properties. It was discovered that their California Bearing Ratio (CBR) was very low. Some of the collected specimen materials were stabilized with varying percentages of soil-cement contents ranging from 6% - 14% in order to ascertain its effects on the compaction index properties of the sample soils. Results of the various stabilization test procedures show that: Stabilization of the soil using Soil-Cement Stabilization affected the Compaction Index properties of the soil and further improved the California Bearing Ratio (CBR). On the Ogbia-Nembe Road;Soil-Cement stabilization improved the CBR and is optimized at a 10% sand-cement ratio with optimum moisture content ranging from 6.2% - 14%, maximum dry density ranges from 1700 - 1780 kg/m<sup>3</sup>, yielding an average CBR of 42.7% for soaked samples. On the section of East-West Road from Eleme Junction to Etteh Junction;Soil-Cement stabilization improved the CBR and is optimized at a 14% sand-cement ratio with optimum moisture content ranging from 6.2% - 14.2%, maximum dry density ranges from 1660 - 1800 kg/m<sup>3</sup>, yielding an average CBR of 43.9% for soaked samples. On the section of Port Harcourt-Aba Express Road from Eleme Junction to Osisioma Junction;Soil-Cement stabilization improved the CBR and is optimized at a 12% sand-cement ratio having an optimum moisture content ranging from 5.4% - 17.3%, maximum dry density ranges from 1610 - 1740 kg/m<sup>3</sup>, and an average California Bearing Ratio for soaked samples at 40%.
基金supported by the Innovation Team Pro-gram of Chinese Academy of Sciencesthe Program for Innovative Research Team in University (No IRT0749)
文摘The widespread contamination of soils and aquifers by non-aqueous phase liquids (NAPL), such as crude oil, poses serious environmental and health hazards globally. Understanding the infiltration characteristics of NAPL in soil is crucial in mitigating or remediating soil contamination. The infiltration characteristics of crude and diesel oils into undisturbed loessal soil cores, collected in polymethyl methacrylate cylindrical columns, were investigated under a constant fluid head (3 era) of either crude oil or diesel oil. The infiltration rate of both crude and diesel oils decreased exponentially as wetting depth increased with time. Soil core size and bulk density both had significant effects on NAPL infiltration through the undisturbed soil cores; a smaller core size or a greater bulk density could reduce oil penetration to depth. Compacting soil in areas susceptible to oil spills may be an effective stratage to reduce contamination. The infiltration of NAPL into soil cores was spatially anisotropic and heterogeneous, thus recording the data at four points on the soil core is a good stratage to improve the accuracy of experimental results. Our results revealed that crude and diesel oils, rather than their components, have a practical value for remediation of contaminated loessal soils.
基金Sponsored by Natural Science Foundation of Inner Mongolia of China(20080404MS0805)
文摘Corrosion products of K60crevice samples which were buried in Ordos area were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction.The result showed that,the corrosion potential decreased differently in the crevice and a maximum negative existed at the bottom side;with pH value reduced,the dissolved oxygen was nearly exhausted in the crevice.When the opening side of the coupons was coupled with each other,the crevice corrosion in the crevice might be accelerated and the pH value gradually reduced;however,the oxygen was not completely exhausted.The unbalanced current density between anode and cathode was the main cause of blocked self-catalysis effect in the crevice,and was also the main cause of corrosion of alloys.Lumpy corrosion happened on the surface of metal,and rusty layer was composed of Fe3O4,Fe2O3,FeO,FeOOH and FeS which distributed in the opening of crevice.There were the reddish-brown corrosion products and white matter which distributed in the form of filiform and spotted in the center part of crevice.The analysis showed that the white matter might include oxide of Fe and NaHCO3.
基金supported by USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture grants #2021-67022-38910 and #2022-67021-38911partially supported by NFS grant #2138206.
文摘Efficient soil sampling is essential for effective soil management and research on soil health.Traditional site selection methods are labor-intensive and fail to capture soil variability comprehensively.This study introduces a deep learning-based tool that automates soil sampling site selection using spectral images.The proposed framework consists of two key components:an extractor and a predictor.The extractor,based on a convolutional neural network(CNN),derives features from spectral images,while the predictor employs self-attention mechanisms to assess feature importance and generate prediction maps.The model is designed to process multiple spectral images and address the class imbalance in soil segmentation.The model was trained on a soil dataset from 20 fields in eastern South Dakota,collected via drone-mounted LiDAR with high-precision GPS.Evaluation on a test set achieved a mean intersection over union(mIoU)of 69.46%and a mean Dice coefficient(mDc)of 80.35%,demonstrating strong segmentation performance.The results highlight the model's effectiveness in automating soil sampling site selection,providing an advanced tool for producers and soil scientists.Compared to existing state-of-the-art methods,the proposed approach improves accuracy and efficiency,optimizing soil sampling processes and enhancing soil research.
文摘If you are a gold digger you want to find more gold.Therefore,you collect and analyse a maximum amount of,in particular,geological data and information as that would give you the best clues for finding new occurrences.Geological maps are the main communication tools for geologists.Such maps may be quite complex for non-geologists but even for fellow geoscientists as these often cramp a multitude of subsurface information into a 2D frame.Geochemical information ranks high on the list of most wanted information for exploration geologists.Such information normally comes from geochemical analyses of rock or soil samples.For regional inventories often geochemical data sets from stream sedimentsare used.Nation-or even continent-wide geochemical data sets have now become available for many regions on this planet.
文摘Purpose This study introduces a methodology for correcting self-attenuation effects in γ-ray energy range 59 to 2614 keV.Methods Using simulation techniques,we examine the impact of material characteristics on attenuation.A comparative analysis with a reference standard sample of identical geometry but differing matrix and density enables the estimation of correction factors.Peak efficiency calculations include various matrices,including that present in nuclear fuel cycle and environmental field with densities ranging from 1 to 2 g/cm^(3).Results Monte Carlo simulations are employed to calculate peak efficiencies for epoxy reference materials within the same density and energy range.The self-attenuation correction factor is obtained by comparing the peak efficiencies of the assayed materials with those of the reference samples.The study discusses factors influencing self-attenuation correction,emphasizing its significance in accurate radionuclide measurements.Conclusion This method provides a standardized approach for calibrating and analyzing radionuclides in the materials present in the nuclear fuel cycle and environmental or NORM soil samples,detailing considerations for accurate measurement and correction of self-attenuation effects.
文摘Flooding of Municipal areas is a frequent environmental occurrence in Rivers State that occurs when rainfall runoff meets land surfaces with low water absorbing capacity or when it overwhelms drainage channels.In order to assess the flood situation in the study area,an integrated method which involves field-measurement,geographic information system(GIS),laboratory analysis of soil samples and topographic studies were employed.Digital elevation model of the study area reveals that the flooded areas are situated in areas with elevations lower than its surrounding,thereby acting as a natural basin to retain flood waters after rainfall.Four holes were drilled to depth of 3 m to obtain soil samples at 1 m sampling interval,from which laboratory analysis was carried out to determine some geotechnical parameters such as soil’s particle size,specific gravity,bulk density,porosity,moisture content,permeability and hydraulic conductivity.Results of the analysis show that permeability,hydraulic conductivity and porosity diminishes with respect to depth.The soil in the flooded areas have high fines content(silt and clay),high bulk density which increase with depth and a specific gravity that is typical of organic rich soils that contain sand mixed with a considerable amount of fines.At Nkpolu,mean permeability rates of 0.003 cm/sec,0.009 cm/sec and 0.033 cm/sec were obtained at 1,2 and 3 m respectively.At Eneka,mean permeability rates of 0.011 cm/sec,0.018 cm/sec and 0.014 cm/sec were obtained at 1,2 and 3m respectively,while at Rukpokwu,mean Permeability rates of 0.021 cm/sec was obtained at 1 m,while 0.006 cm/sec was obtained at 2 and 3 m respectively.The mean hydraulic conductivity for the locations under study is of the order of 10-4 ft/day.This study has shown that the flooded areas are located in low lying urban areas which act as basins,therefore,the top soil is crusted with highly compacted soil horizons beneath.With high and frequent rainfall in the region which generates a lot of runoff,in addition to poor drainage system,flooding in the study area occurs frequently.Therefore,construction and maintenance of efficient drainage channels for an effective solution to urban pluvial flooding in the study area are thereby recommended.
文摘Soil and geologic evidence has been examined in the FBI Laboratory since 1939,and long admitted into trials,both in the US and abroad.However,to the best our knowledge soil evidence did not undergo a formal admissibility challenge within the US court systems until 29th January 2016.Forensic soil analysis is typically a comparison between two or more samples to see whether they originated from different sources.When soil samples are indistinguishable,the possibility that they originated from a single source cannot be eliminated.The challenge in State of Kansas v.Kyle Flack,13CR104(2016),involved the admissibility of soil comparisons at the trial,as well as the qualifications of the forensic geologist who conducted the examinations.The views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the FBI.Names of commercial manufacturers are provided for identification purposes only,and inclusion does not imply endorsement of the manufacturer or its products or services by the FBI.
基金Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.51105092)Introducing Talents of Discipline to Universities(111 Program,Grant No.B07018)+1 种基金Heilongjiang Postdoctoral Grant(Grant No.LBHZ11168)China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(Grant No.2012M520722)
文摘Drill sampling has been widely employed as an effective way to acquire deep samples in extraterrestrial exploration. A novel sampling method, namely, flexible-tube coring, was adopted for the Chang'e mission to acquire drilling cores without damaging stratification information. Since the extraterrestrial environment is uncertain and different from the terrestrial environment, automated drill sampling missions are at risk of failure. The principles of drilling and coring for the lunar subsurface should be fully tested and verified on earth before launch. This paper proposes a test-bed for conducting the aforementioned experiments on earth. The test-bed comprises a rotary-percussive drilling mechanism, penetrating mechanism, drilling medium container, and signal acquisition and control system. For granular soil, coring experiments indicate that the sampling method has a high coring rate greater than 80%. For hard rock, drilling experiments indicate that the percussive frequency greatly affects the drilling efficiency. A multi-layered simulant composed of granular soil and hard rock is built to test the adaptability of drilling and coring. To tackle complex drilling media, an intelligent drilling strategy based on online recognition is proposed to improve the adaptability of the sampling drill. The primary features of this research are the proposal of a scheme for drilling and coring a test-bed for validation on earth and the execution of drilling experiments in complex media.
基金National Key Research and Development Program of China(2018YFD0201100)Foundation for China Agriculture Research System(CARS-34)Fundamental Scientific Research Funds for Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences(1630022017007)
文摘Site-specific nutrient management is an important strategy to promote sustainable production of rubber trees in order to obtain high yields of natural rubber. Making effective nutrient management decisions for rubber trees depend on knowing the spatial variations of soil fertility properties in advance. In this study the Kriging geostatistical method was used to examine the spatial variability of soil total nitrogen(TN), organic matter(OM), available phosphorus(AP) and available potassium(AK) in a typical hilly rubber tree plantation in Hainan, China. The spatial variability of the soils was small for the TN and OM and had medium variability for the AP and AK variables. Anisotropic semivariograms of all soil properties revealed that elevation and building contour ledge can profoundly affect the spatial variability of soil properties in the plantation, except for the AK variable. Soil samples had to be collected in alignment with the direction of elevation and perpendicular to the direction of building contour ledges, which was needed to obtain more reliable information within the study area in the rubber tree plantation. In formulating a sample scheme for AK, the distribution features of the soil’s parent material should be considered as the influence factor in the study field. The Kriging method used to guide the soil sampling for spatial variability dertermination of soil properties was about 2-5 times more efficient than the classic statistical method.