scholarly journals Effects of rock fragments on the water infiltration and hydraulic conductivity in the soils of the desert steppes of Inner Mongolia, China

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaolong Wu ◽  
Zhongju Meng ◽  
Xiaohong Dang ◽  
Ji Wang
Keyword(s):  
Soil Water ◽  
Water Infiltration ◽  
Rock Fragment ◽  
Rock Fragments ◽  
Infiltration Rates ◽  
Soil Water Infiltration ◽  
Desert Steppes ◽  
Semi Arid ◽  
Infiltration Processes ◽  
Rock Fragment Content

Soils that contain rock fragments (particles &gt; 2 mm in diameter) are distributed all over the world. The presence of these small rock fragments can have a great impact on soil water retention properties, as well as on the soil-water infiltration and vegetation restoration in semi-arid regions. To quantitatively describe the transport of water in stony soils, repacked soil cores were used to determine the infiltration rates for different rock fragment contents (0%, 10%, 20%, 30%, and 40%) and rock fragment sizes (2–5, 5–8, 8–11, and 2–11 mm). The results showed that both the content and size of the rock fragments and their interaction significantly affected the infiltration process. The infiltration rates over time and the saturated hydraulic conductivity (K<sub>s</sub>) decreased with an increasing rock fragment content to an observed minimum value for a 40% rock fragment content. The soil-water infiltration processes were accurately described by the Kostiakov model. The measured and calculated K<sub>s</sub> values decreased with an increasing rock fragment content, which was in accordance with the published data and in accordance with the K<sub>s</sub> obtained by five empirical methods. The variations in the measured K<sub>s</sub> were likely due to the variations in the soil properties caused by the soil sample repacking. The results of this study may improve the understanding of the effects of the rock fragment content and size on the infiltration processes in arid and semi-arid desert steppes.

scholarly journals Managing grazing lands to improve soils and promote climate change adaptation and mitigation: a global synthesis

2017 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 267-278 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcia DeLonge ◽  
Andrea Basche
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Soil Carbon ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Water Infiltration ◽  
Grazing Management ◽  
Mean Annual Precipitation ◽  
Management Options ◽  
Infiltration Rates ◽  
Soil Water Infiltration ◽  
Stocking Rates

AbstractThe potential to improve soils to help farmers and ranchers adapt to and mitigate climate change has generated significant enthusiasm. Within this discussion, grasslands have surfaced as being particularly important, due to their geographic range, their capacity to store substantial quantities of carbon relative to cultivated croplands and their potential role in mitigating droughts and floods. However, leveraging grasslands for climate change mitigation and adaptation will require a better understanding of how farmers and ranchers who rely on them for their livelihoods can improve management and related outcomes. To investigate opportunities for such improvements, we conducted a meta-analysis of field experiments that investigated how soil water infiltration rates are affected by a range of management options: adding complexity to grazing patterns, reducing stocking rates or extended rest from grazing. Further, to explore the relationships between observed changes in soil water infiltration and soil carbon, we identified papers that reported data on both metrics. We found that in 81.9% of all cases, responses of infiltration rates to identified management treatments (response ratios) were above zero, with infiltration rates increasing by 59.3 ± 7.3%. Mean response ratios from unique management categories were not significantly different, although the effect of extended rest (67.9 ± 8.5%, n = 140 from 31 experiments) was slightly higher than from reducing stocking rates (42.0 ± 10.8%; n = 63 from 17 experiments) or adding complexity (34.0 ± 14.1%, n = 17 from 11 experiments). We did not find a significant effect of several other variables, including treatment duration, mean annual precipitation or soil texture; however, analysis of aridity indices suggested that grazing management may have a slightly larger effect in more humid environments. Within our database, we found that 42% of complexity studies, 41% of stocking rate studies and 29% of extended rest studies also reported at least some measure of soil carbon. Within the subset of cases where both infiltration rates and carbon were reported, response ratios were largely positive for both variables (at least 64% of cases had positive mean response ratios in all management categories). Overall, our findings reveal that a variety of management strategies have the potential to improve soil water infiltration rates, with possible benefits for soil carbon as well. However, we identified a shortage of well-replicated and detailed experiments in all grazing management categories, and call for additional research of both soil water and soil carbon properties for these critical agroecosystems.

scholarly journals Water infiltration rate in the soil under different uses and covers in the Poxim River basin, Sergipe, Brazil

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (11) ◽  
pp. 321-339
Author(s):  
Lucas dos Santos Batista ◽  
Raimundo Rodrigues Gomes Filho ◽  
Clayton Moura de Carvalho ◽  
Alceu Pedrotti ◽  
Igor Leonardo Nascimento Santos ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Groundwater Recharge ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
River Basin ◽  
Hydrological Cycle ◽  
Infiltration Rate ◽  
Water Dynamics ◽  
Water Infiltration ◽  
Infiltration Rates ◽  
No Till ◽  
Soil Water Infiltration

Watersheds are units of planning and environmental management having a great importance in the management of water resources and their use. To this end, knowledge about the soil's physical and water attributes is of paramount importance in the context of water dynamics in aquifer recharge areas. Water infiltration rate into the soil is considered an important variable in the hydrological cycle, as the increase in this process can lead to a reduction in erosion and consequently greater groundwater recharge. Thus, the present work aimed to evaluate the soil water infiltration rate in the phytophysiognomy of the Poxim River basin in the State of Sergipe, in the agriculture, eucalyptus and forest areas, and to observe the effect of the infiltration water rate in areas of no-till, minimum and conventional cultivation. The soil water infiltration rate was obtained through the use of double cylinder infiltrometer and estimated through the mathematical models of Kostiakov, Kostiakov-Lewis, Horton and Philip. When making comparisons between the models for estimating of soil water infiltration rates, the Horton model showed a better fit compared to the other models used, and the type of soil cover that obtained the highest infiltration rate was the forest. No-till areas provided higher water infiltration rates in the soil, contributing to greater groundwater recharge.

scholarly journals Preferential water flow through decayed root channels enhances soil water infiltration: Evaluation in distinct vegetation types under semi-arid conditions

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gao-Lin Wu ◽  
Manuel López‐Vicente ◽  
Ze Huang ◽  
Zeng Cui ◽  
Yu Liu
Keyword(s):  
Soil Water ◽  
Water Flow ◽  
Fruit Tree ◽  
Water Infiltration ◽  
Vegetation Types ◽  
Tree Plantation ◽  
Infiltration Rates ◽  
Caragana Korshinskii ◽  
Flow Through ◽  
Semi Arid

Abstract. Topsoil desiccation alters soil physical characteristics and seriously limits plant growth in semi-arid and arid areas. The phenomenon of dried soil layer has generated increasing attention, but the process of preferential flow through decayed root channels – when the plants decompose after death – and its benefits on soil water supply in the soil dry layers are rarely evaluated. This study examines the effects of root channels on soil infiltrability in three contrasted vegetation types developed in a loessial soil, namely: Scrubland (Caragana korshinskii), fruit tree plantation (Armeniaca vulgaris) and grassland (Medicago sativa; using data from a previous study); setting bare land as control. The infiltration rates of the alive and decayed specimens were measured using a double-ring infiltrometer, and methylene blue allowed us to trace the pathways of water flow. Results indicated that scrubland species had the highest steady infiltration rates, which were about 23 % and 83 % higher than those rates measured in the fruit tree plantation and grasslands, respectively. Regarding root geometry, the steady infiltration rates were significantly and positively correlated with the average root channel diameter (ARCD) and area (RCA). Under the same root diameter conditions, soil water infiltrability significantly improved in the decayed root plots and compared with the alive root plots. Our findings contribute to a better understanding of the effects of root channels of different degraded vegetation types on soil moisture and infiltrability, which are conductive to provide knowledge base in the research of hydrological processes in degraded soils in water-scarce regions.

Research on the infiltration processes of lawn soils of the Babao River in the Qilian Mountain

2014 ◽  
Vol 70 (4) ◽  
pp. 577-585 ◽  
Author(s):  
GuangWen Li ◽  
Qi Feng ◽  
FuPing Zhang ◽  
AiFang Cheng
Keyword(s):  
Water Infiltration ◽  
Coefficient Of Determination ◽  
Qilian Mountain ◽  
Infiltration Process ◽  
Infiltration Rates ◽  
Soil Water Infiltration ◽  
Model Efficiency ◽  
Three Stages ◽  
Guelph Permeameter ◽  
Infiltration Processes

Using a Guelph Permeameter, the soil water infiltration processes were analyzed in the Babao River of the Qilian Mountain in China. The results showed that the average soil initial infiltration and the steady infiltration rates in the upstream reaches of the Babao River are 1.93 and 0.99 cm/min, whereas those of the middle area are 0.48 cm/min and 0.21 cm/min, respectively. The infiltration processes can be divided into three stages: the rapidly changing stage (0–10 min), the slowly changing stage (10–30 min) and the stabilization stage (after 30 min). We used field data collected from lawn soils and evaluated the performances of the infiltration models of Philip, Kostiakov and Horton with the sum of squared error, the root mean square error, the coefficient of determination, the mean error, the model efficiency and Willmott's index of agreement. The results indicated that the Kostiakov model was most suitable for studying the infiltration process in the alpine lawn soils.

Comparative study of the impact of two mechanical perforation densities on the behavior of a sandy soil

2012 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-48
Author(s):  
S. Chehaibi ◽  
K. Abrougui ◽  
F. Haouala
Keyword(s):  
Soil Water ◽  
Sandy Soil ◽  
Water Infiltration ◽  
Cone Penetration ◽  
Initial State ◽  
Soil Water Infiltration ◽  
Good Improvement ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Positive Effect ◽  
Resistance To Penetration

The effects of mechanical perforation densities by extracting soil cores through an aerator Vertidrain with a working width of 1.6 m and equipped with hollow tines spaced of 65 mm, were studied on a sandy soil of a grassy sward in the Golf Course El Kantaoui in Sousse (Tunisia). The mechanical aeration was performed at two densities: 250 and 350 holes/m2. The cone penetration resistance and soil water infiltration were measured. These parameters were performed at initial state before aeration (E0) and then on the 10th, 20th and 30th day after aeration. These results showed that perforation density of 350 holes/m2 had a positive effect on the soil by reducing its cone resistance to penetration compared to the initial state (Rp = 14.8 daN/cm2). At 5 cm depth the decrease in resistance to penetration was 34% and 43% on the 10th and 20th day after aeration, respectively. However, on the 30th day after aeration the soil resistance to penetration tended to grow and its value compared to the initial state decreased only by 21 and 26%, respectively, at 5 and 15 cm of depth only by 10% and 9% with 250 holes/m2 density. The soil water infiltration made a good improvement after aeration compared to the initial state. This parameter increased from 4.8 cm/h to 8.3, 10.9 and 13.1 cm/h with 250 holes/m2 density and to 10, 12.9 and 14.8 cm/h with 350 holes/m2 density on the 10th, 20th and 30th day following the aeration.

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