Journal Article

FZJ-2018-05079

http://join2-wiki.gsi.de/foswiki/pub/Main/Artwork/join2_logo100x88.png Cosmic Ray Neutron Sensing for Simultaneous Soil Water Content and Biomass Quantification in Drought Conditions

Jakobi, J. (Corresponding author)FZJ* ; Huisman, J. A.FZJ* ; Vereecken, H.FZJ* ; Diekkrüger, B. ; Bogena, H. R.FZJ*

2018
Wiley [New York]

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Please use a persistent id in citations: http://hdl.handle.net/2128/20252  doi:10.1029/2018WR022692

Abstract: Understanding the feedback mechanisms between soil water content (SWC) and biomass production is important for sustainable resources management. Here, we present a new method enabling simultaneous non‐invasive measurements of SWC and biomass dynamics based on cosmic‐ray neutron sensing (CRNS). Recently, it was suggested that the neutron ratio (N_r) between thermal neutron (TN) and fast neutron (FN) intensity contains information on other hydrogen pools like vegetation, canopy interception, and snow. The aim of this study is to evaluate the accuracy of simultaneous measurements of SWC and biomass dynamics during agricultural drought conditions using CRNS probes. To this end, we instrumented an arable field cropped with sugar beet with CRNS probes and a wireless in‐situ SWC sensor network. Below‐ and aboveground biomass were sampled in monthly intervals. We found a linear relationship between N_r and the aboveground biomass that allowed to continuously quantify the dry aboveground biomass development throughout the growing season with a root mean square error (RMSE) from 0.14 to 0.22 kg/m². This information was used together with measured belowground biomass to correct for the effect of biomass on SWC determination with CRNS probes, which increased the accuracy of the SWC estimates considerably as indicated by the decrease of the RMSE from 0.046 to 0.013 cm³/cm³. We anticipate that future research on the N_r can further improve the accuracy of SWC and biomass estimates, and extend the application of CRNS to include canopy interception, ponding water, and snow water equivalent estimation for both stationary and roving CRNS systems.

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Contributing Institute(s):

1. Agrosphäre (IBG-3)

Research Program(s):

1. 255 - Terrestrial Systems: From Observation to Prediction (POF3-255) (POF3-255)

Appears in the scientific report 2018

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Database coverage:
; ; ; Current Contents - Agriculture, Biology and Environmental Sciences ; Current Contents - Engineering, Computing and Technology ; IF < 5 ; JCR ; NCBI Molecular Biology Database ; SCOPUS ; Science Citation Index ; Science Citation Index Expanded ; Thomson Reuters Master Journal List ; Web of Science Core Collection

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