Diane Stott
Soil Scientist (Soil Biochemistry)

Mailing Address

USDA-ARS
National Soil Erosion Research Laboratory
275 S. Russell Street
West Lafayette, IN 47907-2077   USA

Phone: (765) 494-6657
Fax: (765) 494-5948
Email: destott@purdue.edu

 

Diane Stott is a Soil Scientist specializing in Soil Biochemistry. She is with the USDA Agricultural Research Service at the National Soil Erosion Research Laboratory, located on the Purdue University campus in West Lafayette, Indiana. She is also an Adjunct Professor of Soil Science with Purdue's Agronomy Department.

Dr. Stott received her B.S. and M.S. in Microbiology from Oregon State University and her Ph.D. in Soil Science (Soil Microbiology and Biochemistry) from the University of California at Riverside.

Dr. Stott currently leads the NSERL's program on Soil Erosion & Soil Resource Management.

Current Research Interests

·     Source Water Initiative Project (SWPI). Tracking the loss of C from the watersheds to the waterways in the form of soluble compounds as well as with the solid sediment phase.

·     Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP). Monitoring changes in soil quality of the several instrumented watersheds in Indiana, Ohio, and Okalahoma. This work will continue through the implementation of BMPs with the intention of linking this information with the changes in water quality.

·     Greenhouse Gas Reduction through Agricultural Carbon Enhancement network (GRACEnet).  Monitoring trace gas emissions from common tillage practices for corn-soybean rotations on a Mollisol and an Alfisol.  This is a long term study that is part of an ARS network of several locations and is intended to last a minimum of ten years.

·     Cropping Systems. Evaluation of  the impact of crop sequencing on the soil biological and biochemical characteristics of the soil; in cooperation with USDA-ARS personnel in Mandan, ND.

·     Crop Residue Decomposition. Evaluation of the impact of environmental and management factors on crop residue decay. Mass loss is emphasize rather than nutrient loss as  the degree of erosion protection that residues provide are determined on a mass basis.

·      Transport of Carbon with Eroding Sediments.  With the increase interest in C sequestration, there is an interest in understanding the amount and form of C (and N) that is lost during an erosion event. Preliminary investigations indicate a preferential loss of labile C.

·      Soil Quality.  Evaluation of the linkages between soil biochemistry and soil physical parameters related to soil erodibility. Included in this work is the determination of crop and management impacts on C sequestration.

 

Education

1976      B.S. Microbiology; Oregon State University; Honors Program

1978      M.S. Microbiology (Soil Microbiology); Oregon State University

1982      Ph.D. Soil Science (Soil Microbiology & Biochemistry); University of California, Riverside

Professional Experience

1982-1983    Post-Doctoral Research Associate, Iowa State University

1983-1984    Research Associate, Washington State University

1984- Now     Microbiologist (Soils), USDA-ARS
National Soil Erosion Research Laboratory (NSERL), West Lafayette, IN.

1998              Visiting Scientist, Universidade Federal de Lavras, Dep. de Ciência do Solo (Dept. of Soil Science), Lavras, Minas Gerais, Brazil

2003              120-day detail,  Acting Research Leader and Laboratory Director, NSERL

Current           Adjunct Professor of Soil Science, Dept. of Agronomy, Purdue University

Honors and Awards

Elected Member, Sigma Xi, Scientific Research Honorary

Elected Member, Gamma Sigma Delta, Agric. Science Honorary

Elected Fellow, 1997, American Society of Agronomy

Recipient, USDA Certificate of Merit and Cash Awards, 1990, 1991, 1995, 2003, 2005

Performance Awards, USDA-ARS, 1991, 1993, 1994

Interview, 1999, TIME for Kids Magazine, Special Winter Issue: Heroes for the Planet Profiles
  distributed to 4th, 5th, & 6th graders across the country. A portion of the article can be viewed at: 
  http://www.time.com/time/reports/environment/heroes/tfk/0,2967,tfk_stott,00.html

Elected Chair, 2003, Soil Science Society of America Division S-6 (Soil & Water Conservation & Management)

Membership in Professional Societies

American Society of Agronomy (ASA)

Soil Science Society of America (SSSA)

Soil and Water Conservation Society (SWCS)

International Soil Conservation Organization (ISCO)

American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)

Gamma Sigma Delta

Sigma Xi

Committee Assignments - Professional & Honorary Societies (Since 2000):

Chair, 1997-2000. Publications committee for the 10th ISCO Conference

Associate Editor, 1996-2001, Journal of Environmental Quality (ASA & SSSA)

Member, Publications Board, 1994-2000, SWCS

Member, 1998-2002, SSSA Book Series Committee

Member, 1998-2002, Editorial Affairs, Policies, and Practices Committee, ASA

Member, 2001-2003, Location of Meeting Committee, ASA

2nd Vice Chair, 2002-2004, Division 3 (Soil Use and Management) of the International Union of Soil Science (IUSS). Program and scientific committees for the 18th World Congress of Soil Science.

Chair, 1998-2004; Member, 1994-1997, Monograph Committee, ASA-SSSA-CSSA

Chair, 2005, Chair-Elect, 2004; Past Chair, 2006, SSSA Division S06

Accomplishments

Stabilization of crop C in soil humus.  Demonstrated that the more rapid the decomposition rate of various plant residue components and other similar substrates, the relatively greater amount of C flows through the soil microbial biomass.  This information is used in theoretical organic matter cycling models such as the Century Models developed at Colorado State University.

Crop residue decomposition experiments.  Developed one of the first complete data bases for validation of a mechanistic residue decomposition models, and showed that decomposition occurred faster than expected during the cold winter months and the dry summer months.  These results were used to improve equations for predicting residue decomposition.  The new boundary conditions are widely used in erosion prediction and residue management programs, including RUSLE (Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation), which is required by law to be used for determining if U.S. farmers are meeting conservation compliance requirements.  About 70% of the conservation plans include residue management as part of the plan.

Modeling crop residue decomposition and management.  Developed a computer-based Residue Management decision support system (RESMAN) to estimate the quantity of residue on the surface of a field at any time.  The estimates consider over-winter residue decomposition loss and residue burial by tillage and other management operations.  With about 16,000 documented copies of RESMAN distributed, it became a standard for predicting residue cover on a field.  This led to the incorporation of the controlling equations into RUSLE, WEPP (Water Erosion Prediction Project), and WEPS (Wind Erosion Prediction System).  Since residue cover management is a leading erosion control method, accuracy of these equations, especially in RUSLE, are critical for implementing conservation compliance regulations.

Use of organic amendments to control erosion. Polyacrylamides (PAM) are used extensively in furrow irrigation systems in the western states, and is gaining ground in erosion control applications such as construction sites, highway cuts, and for specialized crops. We demonstrated that the relative effectiveness of various PAM formulations changed for different soils. The selection of a particular type of PAM can now be tailored to soil type.

Crop residue management for erosion control. Demonstrated that the two methods used to measure and calculate residue retention after tillage were not equal, thus impacting the predictions used to determine if a farmer was meeting conservation compliance. Demonstrated the effects of chisel plow configuration and coulter gang engagement on surface residue retention.  The determination of the best calculation method for residue retention has improved our ability to accurately predict the surface cover present at any given time, and has been incorporated in WEPP and RUSLE.  The tillage retention information is used to make choices of chisel configurations for residue management in the Corn Belt, and has been incorporated into WEPP, WEPS, and RUSLE databases.

Application of RUSLE to the Kenyan Highlands.  In a set of field experiments in the Embu district of central Kenya, we demonstrated that calliandra and Napier grass hedges could be used to form and maintain natural terraces. We determined erosion rates from hill slopes under natural rainfall during several rainy seasons, with and without these hedges, showing a significant increase in erosion control with the hedges. We adapted RUSLE for the highland areas, determining the typical erodibility, rainfall erosivity, cropping and management practice factors for a catchment area. RUSLE technology was adapted to the area, introduced to personnel working with limited resource farmers. The project was funded by the Rockefeller Foundation.

Soil quality in the Brazilian Cerrado.  Sampled soils over a three state area in the southern part of the Cerrado to develop a baseline for soil quality in the native soil before they come under agricultural production. Specifically we determined the biochemical, chemical and structural status of these soils, while other project members determined the chemical, mineralogical, and physical characteristics. These baselines will allow monitoring of these regional soils as they come under agricultural production, reducing the impact on the Amazon Basin.

 

List of Publications - Last Updated on 20 May 2005.

Recent Publications

Hill, P.R. and D.E. Stott. 2000. Corn residue retention by a combination chisel plow. Soil Science Society of America Journal 64:293-299.

Neuhäusler, U., C. Jacobsen, D.G. Schulze, D.E. Stott and S. Abend. 2000. A specimen chamber for soft x-ray spectromicroscopy on aqueous and liquid samples. Journal of Synchrotron Radiation 7:110-112.

Green, V.S., D.E. Stott, L.D. Norton and J.G. Graveel. 2000. Effect of polyacrylamide molecular weight and charge on infiltration under simulated rainfall. Soil Science Society of America Journal 64:1786-1791.

Angima, S.D., M.K. O’Neill, A.K. Omwega and D.E. Stott. 2000. Use of tree/grass hedges for soil erosion control in the Central Kenyan Highlands. Journal of Soil & Water Conservation 55:478-482.

Stott, D.E., R.H. Mohtar and G.C Steinhardt (eds.) 2001. Sustaining the Global Farm – Selected papers from the 10th International Soil Conservation Organization Meeting, 24-29 May 1999, West Lafayette, IN. International Soil Conservation Organization in cooperation with the USDA and Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN. CD-ROM. USDA-ARS National Soil Erosion Laboratory, West Lafayette, IN. http://topsoil.nserl.purdue.edu/nserlweb/isco99/pdf/ISCOdisc/tableofcontents.htm)

Schomberg, H.H., G.R. Foster, J.L. Steiner, and D.E. Stott. 2002. An Improved Temperature Function for Modeling Crop Residue Decomposition. Transactions of the ASAE 45:1415-1422.

Angima, S.D., D.E. Stott, M.K. O’Neill, C.K. Ong and G.A. Weesies. 2002. Use of calliandra-Napier grass contour hedges to control erosion in central Kenya. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 91:15-23.

Mendonça, E.S. and D.E. Stott. 2003. Characteristics and decomposition pattern of pruning residues from a shaded coffee system in southeastern Brazil. Agroforestry Systems 57:117-125.

Angima, S.D., D.E. Stott, M.K. O’Neill, C.K. Ong and G.A. Weesies. 2003. Soil erosion prediction using RUSLE for central Kenyan Highland conditions. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 97:295-308.

Green, V.S., D.E. Stott, J.G. Graveel, and L.D. Norton. 2004. Stability analysis of soil aggregates treated with anionic polyacrylamides of different molecular formulations. Soil Science 169:573-581.

Green, V.S., D.E. Stott, and M. Diack. 2005. Assay for fluorescein diacetate hydrolytic activity: Optimization for soil samples. Soil Biology & Biochemistry ACCEPTED 27 MAY 2005

Additional Items of Interest

Soil Science Society of America,
          Division S3:  Soil Biology and Biochemistry
          Division S6:  Soil & Water Management & Conservation

To locate the NSERL on the campus map, click here. We are the building labeled SOIL.