Chapter 6
Role of Inorganic Soil Constituents
in Selected Topics
Abstract Three topics are introduced to exemplify the important roles of inorganic
soil constituents—the effects of tsunami on soil in Japan in 2011, the dynamics of
radiocesium in the soil environment, and phosphates related to a soil–plant system.
With respect to tsunami inundation into paddy field soils, soil erosion by seawater
flow, sedimentation of soil transported by the seawater flow, precipitation of evaporites, and sodification are discussed. Removal of the deposited sediments and soil
washing by rain and irrigation water were effective for restoration of the salt-affected
farmlands. Radiocesium was effectively trapped by soil, which regulated its transfer
to agricultural products. Among inorganic soil constituents, weathered biotite has a
high fixation capacity for radiocesium. The biotite might have been released from
granitic rock and volcanic ash. Apatite is the key phosphate in both natural and
farmland soils, although it is converted to more soluble forms in the fertilizer
industry. Fixation of phosphate by active Al materials is so high in Andisols that
the recovery of phosphate by agricultural crops is low, and phosphate accumulation
in plow layer soil is continuing. Struvite plays a role in cycling phosphate in the soil–
plant system of farmlands.
6.1 Introduction
The inorganic constituents of soil play important roles in providing ecological
services, as described in Chap. 1. The major inorganic constituents in soil were
outlined in Chaps. 2, 3, 4 and 5. This final chapter is an attempt to exemplify the
functioning of various soil inorganic constituents in different cases. Three topics are
addressed in the chapter: the huge tsunami that occurred in northeastern Japan in
2011 including ion exchange reactions, the behavior of radiocesium in the soil
environment including Cs
+
fixation, and reactions of phosphate with soil inorganic
constituents. Some evaporites and phosphates that were not discussed in the previous
chapters are introduced in relation to these topics.
© The Author(s) 2018
M. Nanzyo, H. Kanno, Inorganic Constituents in Soil,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-1214-4_6
133
Role of Inorganic Soil Constituents
in Selected Topics
Abstract Three topics are introduced to exemplify the important roles of inorganic
soil constituents—the effects of tsunami on soil in Japan in 2011, the dynamics of
radiocesium in the soil environment, and phosphates related to a soil–plant system.
With respect to tsunami inundation into paddy field soils, soil erosion by seawater
flow, sedimentation of soil transported by the seawater flow, precipitation of evaporites, and sodification are discussed. Removal of the deposited sediments and soil
washing by rain and irrigation water were effective for restoration of the salt-affected
farmlands. Radiocesium was effectively trapped by soil, which regulated its transfer
to agricultural products. Among inorganic soil constituents, weathered biotite has a
high fixation capacity for radiocesium. The biotite might have been released from
granitic rock and volcanic ash. Apatite is the key phosphate in both natural and
farmland soils, although it is converted to more soluble forms in the fertilizer
industry. Fixation of phosphate by active Al materials is so high in Andisols that
the recovery of phosphate by agricultural crops is low, and phosphate accumulation
in plow layer soil is continuing. Struvite plays a role in cycling phosphate in the soil–
plant system of farmlands.
6.1 Introduction
The inorganic constituents of soil play important roles in providing ecological
services, as described in Chap. 1. The major inorganic constituents in soil were
outlined in Chaps. 2, 3, 4 and 5. This final chapter is an attempt to exemplify the
functioning of various soil inorganic constituents in different cases. Three topics are
addressed in the chapter: the huge tsunami that occurred in northeastern Japan in
2011 including ion exchange reactions, the behavior of radiocesium in the soil
environment including Cs
+
fixation, and reactions of phosphate with soil inorganic
constituents. Some evaporites and phosphates that were not discussed in the previous
chapters are introduced in relation to these topics.
© The Author(s) 2018
M. Nanzyo, H. Kanno, Inorganic Constituents in Soil,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-1214-4_6
133