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Emission of methane (CH4), a major greenhouse gas, from submerged paddy soils is generally reduced by introducing intermittent drainage in summer, which is a common water management in Japan. However, such a practice is not widely conducted in Hokkaido, a northern region in Japan, to prevent a possible reduction in rice grain yield caused by cold weather. Therefore, the effects of intermittent drainage on CH4 emission and rice grain yield have not been investigated comprehensively in Hokkaido. In this study, we conducted a three-year field experiment in Hokkaido and measured CH4 and nitrous oxide (N2O) fluxes and rice grain yield to elucidate whether the reduction in CH4 emission can be achieved in Hokkaido as well as other regions in Japan. Four experimental treatments, namely, two soil types [soils of light clay (LiC) and heavy clay (HC) textures] and two water management [continuous flood irrigation (CF), and intermittent drainage (ID)], were used, and CH4 and N2O fluxes were measured throughout the rice cultivation periods from 2016 to 2018. Cumulative CH4 emissions in 2016 were markedly low, suggesting an initially low population of methanogens in the soils presumably due to no soil submergence or crop cultivation in the preceding years, which indicates a possible reduction in CH4 emission by introducing paddy-upland crop rotation. Cumulative CH4 emissions in the ID-LiC and ID-HC plots were 21–91% lower than those in the CF-LiC and CF-HC plots, respectively, whereas the cumulative N2O emissions did not significantly differ between the different water managements. The amount of CH4 emission reduction by the intermittent drainage was largest in 2018, with a comparatively long period of the first drainage for 12 days in summer. Rice grain yields did not significantly differ between the different water managements for the entire 3 years, although the percentage of well-formed rice grains was reduced by the intermittent drainage in 2018. These results suggest that CH4 emission from paddy fields can be reduced with no decrease in rice grain yield by the intermittent drainage in Hokkaido. In particular, the first drainage for a long period in summer is expected to reduce CH4 emission markedly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The characteristics of clay soil in the Saga Plain in Japan, as well as the effect of the depositional environment on its engineering properties, have been investigated. While the clay was being deposited there were several large-scale volcanic eruptions in the region. A considerable amount of volcanic ash settled into the clay, which had a marked effect on its engineering properties. The soil is strongly structured and the sedimentation compression curves are well above the sedimentation compression line proposed by Burland, which indicates some degree of cementation. The compression index is high - even for soil samples with in situ vertical effective stresses of 200-300 kPa, the index can be as high as 2·3. The rate of permeability reduction with void ratio is higher than most reported data in the literature. The reason considered is that the compression process involves not only gradual compression of the pores but also breaks down relatively large pores into smaller pores, which can cause rapid reduction of permeability. The stiffness is lower, with results of unconfined compression tests showing that the ratio of undrained shear strength to secant modulus is about 150. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several years after the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident, the surface mineral soil layer is believed to be the main reservoir of radiocesium (137Cs) in forest ecosystems in Japan. Dissolved 137Cs combines with clay minerals in the soil, and hence, it is not expected to easily infiltrate over time. However, previous studies have indicated that 137Cs derived from the older global fallout migrated deeper than that of the Chernobyl accident, and this cannot be explained by only the dissolved 137Cs vertical migration in the soil. Considering the carbon and nutrient dynamics in the forest floor, the 137Cs transfer process in soil via roots may alter its vertical distribution on a decadal scale. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the 137Cs activity concentrations in both roots and soil matrix, by considering four (0–20 cm) or six (0–30 cm) mineral soil layers taken at every 5 cm at seven study sites dominated by one of the six plant species (three coniferous forests, one deciduous forest, two deciduous forests covered by Sasa, and one bamboo forest) in eastern Japan in 2013. Comparing the results of 137Cs activity concentrations between roots and soil matrix taken at the same soil layer, roots at the surface (0–5 cm) layer often showed lower values than the soil matrix. However, roots deeper than 5 cm had higher activity concentrations than the soil matrix, conversely. The 137Cs inventories ratio of roots to soil matrix are about 1% at the 0–5 and 5–10 cm soil layer, and about 2% at the soil layers deeper than 10 cm. These results suggest that decomposition of root litter little affect the short-term vertical migration of 137Cs in the forest soil. However, it indicates that continuous production and mortality of roots with relatively high 137Cs activity concentrations have an important role for changing the vertical distribution of 137Cs on time scale of decades, particularly at deeper soil layers. • We evaluated whether root turnover contribute for changing the vertical distribution of 137Cs in soil matrix. • 137Cs inventory ratio of roots to soil matrix are 1% at shallow soil layer (0–10 cm) and 2% at the layer deeper than 10 cm. • Continuous root turnover can change the vertical distribution of 137Cs in soil on time scale of decades. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]