Articles
Historic soil and air temperature records at Klein-Altendorf: orchard soil ca. 1.1°C warmer than air due to climate change – based on 60-year records
Article number
1438_51
Pages
423 – 430
Language
English
Abstract
Background: While the majority of reports concentrate on air and water (sea) temperature, changes brought about by climate change on soils are somewhat neglected.
Soils act as a buffer in times of climate change, similar to oceans.
Soil is also the substrate for the majority of fruit crops and thereby aids in providing food (and energy). Changes in the soil, such as soil temperature, are slow; hence, long-term records are required.
The first data were presented at the IHC in Angers, based on data from Klein-Altendorf.
The question arose as to the comparison between air and soil temperatures and whether the soil temperatures in fruit orchards follow the rise in air temperature and are more /or less pronounced? Hence, the objective was to compare air and soil temperatures in a fruit orchard based on long-term records, with a monthly breakdown, and to interpret the results in relation to tree physiology.
Methods: Soil temperature was measured at Campus Klein-Altendorf (latitude 50°N) in the Eifel foothills near Bonn, Germany, at 20 cm soil depth for 60 years, while air temperature was measured at a height of 2 m.
This experimental station of the University of Bonn is within the Meckenheim fruit growing region.
Air and soil temperatures in the first three decades were recorded manually on filing cards, while those of the last three decades were obtained from an automated weather station.
Results: Air and soil temperatures were digitized and checked for plausibility before further processing.
Two distinct phases were considered, in line with the German Meteorological Office: the first without and the latter with climate change, to achieve a balanced weighted comparison over approximately 60 years.
Based on this unbiased approach, the summer soil temperature increased by 0.9°C compared with a larger increase of 1.2°C in the winter.
A monthly breakdown showed the strongest increase in soil temperature in January, followed by February to April.
The same approach showed a stronger increase in winter (November to April) air temperature, by 1.2°C, compared to the lesser increase during the vegetation period (May to October), of 1.0°C, resulting in an intermediate annual increase of +1.1°C. Conclusions: The results are discussed with respect to biological activity, such as earlier bud break and flowering, due to advanced water uptake via the roots.
Soils act as a buffer in times of climate change, similar to oceans.
Soil is also the substrate for the majority of fruit crops and thereby aids in providing food (and energy). Changes in the soil, such as soil temperature, are slow; hence, long-term records are required.
The first data were presented at the IHC in Angers, based on data from Klein-Altendorf.
The question arose as to the comparison between air and soil temperatures and whether the soil temperatures in fruit orchards follow the rise in air temperature and are more /or less pronounced? Hence, the objective was to compare air and soil temperatures in a fruit orchard based on long-term records, with a monthly breakdown, and to interpret the results in relation to tree physiology.
Methods: Soil temperature was measured at Campus Klein-Altendorf (latitude 50°N) in the Eifel foothills near Bonn, Germany, at 20 cm soil depth for 60 years, while air temperature was measured at a height of 2 m.
This experimental station of the University of Bonn is within the Meckenheim fruit growing region.
Air and soil temperatures in the first three decades were recorded manually on filing cards, while those of the last three decades were obtained from an automated weather station.
Results: Air and soil temperatures were digitized and checked for plausibility before further processing.
Two distinct phases were considered, in line with the German Meteorological Office: the first without and the latter with climate change, to achieve a balanced weighted comparison over approximately 60 years.
Based on this unbiased approach, the summer soil temperature increased by 0.9°C compared with a larger increase of 1.2°C in the winter.
A monthly breakdown showed the strongest increase in soil temperature in January, followed by February to April.
The same approach showed a stronger increase in winter (November to April) air temperature, by 1.2°C, compared to the lesser increase during the vegetation period (May to October), of 1.0°C, resulting in an intermediate annual increase of +1.1°C. Conclusions: The results are discussed with respect to biological activity, such as earlier bud break and flowering, due to advanced water uptake via the roots.
Authors
M. Blanke, A. Kunz
Keywords
bud break, climate change, carbon, flowering advancement, nutrient uptake, resource conservation, soil, soil respiration, soil temperature, sustainability, water uptake
Groups involved
- Division Ornamental Plants
- Division Temperate Tree Fruits
- Division Temperate Tree Nuts
- Division Tropical and Subtropical Fruit and Nuts
- Division Vine and Berry Fruits
- Division Vegetables, Roots and Tubers
- Division Horticulture for Development
- Division Horticulture for Human Health
- Division Landscape and Urban Horticulture
- Division Plant-Environment Interactions in Field Systems
- Division Plant Genetic Resources, Breeding and Biotechnology
- Division Postharvest and Quality Assurance
- Division Precision Horticulture and Engineering
- Division Greenhouse and Indoor Production Horticulture
- Commission Agroecology and Organic Farming Systems
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