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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #104143
Title: AN IMPROVED TEMPERATURE FUNCTION FOR MODELING RESIDUE DECOMPOSITION

Author
item Schomberg, Harry
item FOSTER, G - USDA, RETIRED
item Steiner, Jean
item Stott, Diane

Submitted to: Agronomy Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/10/1999
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation and Revised Wind Erosion Equation simulate temperature effects on crop residue decomposition using monthly climatic data. Averages lose temperature cycle dynamics over an estimation period. Temperature function (TF) values calculated from monthly maximum and minimum or average temperatures were compared to numerically integrated ddaily values using simulated data for 20 US locations. TF values calculated from maximums and minimums were closer to integrated TF values than ones from average temperatures. Differences were more apparent at high and low temperatures because TF is nonlinear. A system of equations to calculate TF from monthly maximum and minimum temperatures was developed to capture temperature dynamics of the numerically integrated daily TF. System TF values were nearly identical to integrated values and required much less estimation time. Using the TF system of equations should improve eresidue decomposition estimates in monthly time step models.