scholarly journals Variability of water repellency in sandy forest soils under broadleaves and conifers in north-western Jutland/Denmark

2008 ◽  
Vol 3 (Special Issue No. 1) ◽  
pp. S155-S164 ◽  
Author(s):  
N.A Wahl
Keyword(s):  
Soil Water ◽  
Preferential Flow ◽  
Water Drop ◽  
Water Repellency ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Tree Age ◽  
Critical Surface ◽  
Soil Water Repellency ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
North Western

Soil water repellency has important consequences for ecological and hydrological properties of soils and usually retards infiltration capacity and induces preferential flow. This phenomenon has been known to occur on a wide range of sites under a variety of climatic conditions. The objective of this study was to investigate and characterize soil water repellency on forest sites with identical substrate and climatic conditions, differing in tree age and species. In the Vester Torup Klitplantage, an area comprising a conifer dominated forest plantation stocking on sandy deposits in a coastal setting near the Jammer Bay in north-western Jutland/Denmark, four different forest plots were investigated for water repellency effects four times in 2005. To measure soil water repellency, the water drop penetration time test and the critical surface tension test were carried out. Both tests revealed a seasonal variability in water repellency, exhibiting the highest water repellency for the upper 10 cm of the soil during the summer months, whereas the variability between the different plots seems to be less significant. There was no coherence between humus forms, thickness of litter layer and water repellency.

scholarly journals The effect of soil surfactants on soil hydrological behavior, the plant growth environment, irrigation efficiency and water conservation

2010 ◽  
Vol 58 (3) ◽  
pp. 142-148 ◽  
Author(s):  
Demie Moore ◽  
Stanley Kostka ◽  
Thomas Boerth ◽  
Mica Franklin ◽  
Coen Ritsema ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plant Growth ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
Preferential Flow ◽  
Water Repellency ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Irrigation Efficiency ◽  
Soil Water Repellency ◽  
Growth Environment ◽  
Growing Conditions

The effect of soil surfactants on soil hydrological behavior, the plant growth environment, irrigation efficiency and water conservationSoil water repellency causes at least temporal changes in the hydrological properties of a soil which result in, among other things, suboptimal growing conditions and increased irrigation requirements. Water repellency in soil is more widespread than previously thought and has been identified in many soil types under a wide array of climatic conditions worldwide. Consequences of soil water repellency include loss of wettability, increased runoff and preferential flow, reduced access to water for plants, reduced irrigation efficiency, increased requirement for water and other inputs, and increased potential for non-point source pollution. Research indicates that certain soil surfactants can be used to manage soil water repellency by modifying the flow dynamics of water and restoring soil wettability. This results in improved hydrological behavior of those soils. Consequently, the plant growth environment is also improved and significant water conservation is possible through more efficient functioning of the soil.

Soil water repellency persistence after recurrent forest fires on Mount Carmel, Israel

2013 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 515 ◽  
Author(s):  
Naama Tessler ◽  
Lea Wittenberg ◽  
Noam Greenbaum
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Forest Fires ◽  
Water Drop ◽  
Chemical Properties ◽  
Water Repellency ◽  
Mediterranean Ecosystem ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Soil Water Repellency ◽  
Chemical Properties Of Soils

Variations in forest fires regime affect: (1) the natural patterns of community structure and vegetation; (2) the physico-chemical properties of soils and consequently (3) runoff, erosion and sediment yield. In recent decades the Mediterranean ecosystem of Mount Carmel, north-western Israel, is subjected to an increasing number of forest fires, thus, the objectives of the study were to evaluate the long-term effects of single and recurrent fires on soil water repellency (WR) and organic matter (OM) content. Water repellency was studied by applying water drop penetration time (WDPT) tests at sites burnt by single-fire, two fires, three fires and unburnt control sites. Water repellency in the burnt sites was significantly lower than in the unburnt control sites, and the soil maintained its wettability for more than 2 decades, whereas after recurrent fires, the rehabilitation was more complicated and protracted. The OM content was significantly lower after recurrent than after a single fire, causing a clear proportional decrease in WR. The rehabilitation of WR to natural values is highly dependent on restoration of organic matter and revegetation. Recurrent fires may cause a delay in recovery and reduced productivity of the soil for a long period.

scholarly journals Spatially variable soil water repellency enhances soil respiration rates (CO<sub>2</sub> efflux)

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emilia Urbanek ◽  
Stefan H. Doerr
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Soil Respiration ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Water Distribution ◽  
Preferential Flow ◽  
Water Repellency ◽  
Water Repellent ◽  
Co2 Efflux ◽  
Soil Co2 ◽  
Soil Water Repellency

Abstract. Soil CO2 emissions are strongly dependent on water distribution in soil pores, which in turn can be affected by soil water repellency (SWR; hydrophobicity). SWR restricts infiltration and movement of water, affecting soil hydrology as well as biological and chemical processes. Effects of SWR on soil carbon dynamics and specifically on soil respiration (CO2 efflux) have been studied in a few laboratory experiments but they remain poorly understood. Existing studies suggest that soil respiration is reduced in water repellent soils, but the responses of soil CO2 efflux to varying water distribution created by SWR are not yet known. Here we report on the first field-based study that tests whether soil water repellency indeed reduces soil respiration, based on in situ field measurements carried out over three consecutive years at a grassland and pine forest site under the humid temperate climate of the UK. CO2 efflux was reduced on occasions when soil exhibited consistently high SWR and low soil moisture following long dry spells. However, the highest respiration rates occurred not when SWR was absent, but when SWR, and thus soil moisture, was spatially patchy, a pattern observed for the majority of the measurement period. This somewhat surprising phenomenon can be explained by SWR-induced preferential flow, directing water and nutrients to microorganisms decomposing organic matter concentrated in hot spots near preferential flow paths. Water repellent zones provide air-filled pathways through the soil, which facilitate soil-atmosphere O2 and CO2 exchanges. This study demonstrates that SWR have contrasting effects on CO2 fluxes and, when spatially-variable, can enhance CO2 efflux. Spatial variability in SWR and associated soil moisture distribution needs to be considered when evaluating the effects of SWR on soil carbon dynamics under current and predicted future climatic conditions.

Induced uneven spatial distribution of agrochemicals due to preferential flow in water repellent soils and its remediation by surfactant

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Felix Abayomi Ogunmokun ◽  
Rony Wallach
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Distribution ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Soil Profile ◽  
Preferential Flow ◽  
Sandy Soils ◽  
Water Repellency ◽  
Treated Wastewater ◽  
Water Repellent ◽  
Soil Water Repellency ◽  
Mediterranean Countries

&lt;p&gt;Soil water repellency is a common feature of dry soils under permanent vegetation and drought conditions. Soil-water hydrology is markedly affected by soil-water repellency as it hinders infiltration, leading to enhanced surface runoff and soil erosion. Although this phenomenon was primarily ascribed to sandy soils, it has been observed in loam, clay, and peat soils in dry and humid regions. One detrimental effect of soil water repellency on plants is the reduction of soil water availability that stems from the non-uniform water retention and flow in preferential pathways (gravity-induced fingers) with relatively dry soil volume among these paths. It was recently discovered that prolonged irrigation with treated wastewater, a widely used alternative in Israel and other Mediterranean countries due to the limited freshwater, triggers soil water repellency which invariably resulted in preferential flow development in the field. Due to climate change events, the use of treated wastewater for irrigation as a means of freshwater conservation is expected to widen, including in countries that are not considered dry.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;While a vast amount of research has been devoted to characterizing the preferential flow in water repellent soils, the effect of this flow regime on the spatial distribution of salt and fertilizers in the root zone was barely investigated. Results from a commercial citrus orchard irrigated with treated wastewater that includes the spatial and temporal distribution of preferential flow in the soil profile measured by ERT will be demonstrated. The associated spatial distribution of salinity, nitrate, phosphate, and SAR in the soil profile will be shown as well.&amp;#160; We investigated the efficacy of two nonionic surfactants application to remediate hydrophobic sandy soils both in the laboratory and field. The effect of the surfactant application to the water repellent soils in the orchards on the spatial distribution of soil moisture and the associated agrochemicals will be presented and discussed.&lt;/p&gt;

scholarly journals Evaluation of Direct Application of Enzymes to Remediate Soil Water Repellency

HortScience ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 49 (5) ◽  
pp. 662-666
Author(s):  
Lusheng Zeng ◽  
Jiayang Liu ◽  
Robert N. Carrow ◽  
Paul L. Raymer ◽  
Qingguo Huang
Keyword(s):  
Water Management ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Water Drop ◽  
Water Repellency ◽  
Direct Application ◽  
Water Control ◽  
Soil Water Repellency ◽  
Incubation Study ◽  
Logarithmic Relationship

Organic coatings on sand particles can cause soil water repellency (SWR) where a soil does not spontaneously wet; this leads to challenges in water management and crop production. In laboratory studies, we evaluated a novel approach using direct application of 10 enzymes at three (low, medium, high) dosages to remediate SWR on two sand turfgrass soils in a 3-day incubation study and a second study at high dosage with 1-day incubation. A soil:solution ratio of 1:1 (10 g soil and 10 mL solution) was used and a deionized water control included. For Soil 7, a very strongly hydrophobic soil from a localized dry spot turfgrass area with a water drop penetration time (WDPT) of 7440 seconds (untreated) and 332 to 338 seconds (water-treated), the high dosage rates of laccase, chitinase, and protease at 1 and 3 days incubation resulted in WDPT of less than 60 seconds (i.e., hydrophilic soil). Pectinase exhibited similar results only in the 3-day incubation study. On the strongly hydrophobic Soil 21 (WDPT of 655 seconds untreated; 94 to 133 water-treated) from the dry area of a fairy ring-affected area on a turfgrass site, high dosages of chitinase, laccase, pectinase, and protease reduced WDPT to less than 60 seconds in both studies; and medium dosage rates were also effective for all but protease in the 3-day incubation study. Each of the four most effective enzymes for reducing WDPT, noted previously, demonstrated a significant exponential or logarithmic relationship between decreasing WDPT and increasing enzyme dosage. Further studies in field situations will be required to determine enzyme effectiveness on SWR and water management.

scholarly journals Does drought alter hydrological functions in forest soils?

2016 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 1301-1317 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katharina F. Gimbel ◽  
Heike Puhlmann ◽  
Markus Weiler
Keyword(s):  
Forest Soils ◽  
Preferential Flow ◽  
Water Drop ◽  
Coniferous Forest ◽  
Water Repellency ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Antecedent Soil Moisture ◽  
Dye Tracer ◽  
Infiltration Behavior ◽  
Tracer Experiments

Abstract. Climate change is expected to impact the water cycle and severely affect precipitation patterns across central Europe and in other parts of the world, leading to more frequent and severe droughts. Usually when projecting drought impacts on hydrological systems, it is assumed that system properties, like soil properties, remain stable and will not be affected by drought events. To study if this assumption is appropriate, we address the effects of drought on the infiltration behavior of forest soils using dye tracer experiments on six sites in three regions across Germany, which were forced into drought conditions. The sites cover clayey-, loamy- and sandy-textured soils. In each region, we compared a deciduous and a coniferous forest stand to address differences between the main tree species. The results of the dye tracer experiments show clear evidence for changes in infiltration behavior at the sites. The infiltration changed at the clayey plots from regular and homogeneous flow to fast preferential flow. Similar behavior was observed at the loamy plots, where large areas in the upper layers remained dry, displaying signs of strong water repellency. This was confirmed by water drop penetration time (WDPT) tests, which revealed, in all except one plot, moderate to severe water repellency. Water repellency was also accountable for the change of regular infiltration to fingered flow in the sandy soils. The results of this study suggest that the drought history or, more generally, the climatic conditions of a soil in the past are more important than the actual antecedent soil moisture status regarding hydrophobicity and infiltration behavior; furthermore, drought effects on infiltration need to be considered in hydrological models to obtain realistic predictions concerning water quality and quantity in runoff and groundwater recharge.

The impact of heating on the hydraulic properties of soils sampled under different plant cover

Biologia ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 64 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Viliam Novák ◽  
Ľubomír Lichner ◽  
Bin Zhang ◽  
Karol Kňava
Keyword(s):  
Hydraulic Conductivity ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Water Retention ◽  
Water Drop ◽  
Sampling Site ◽  
Water Repellency ◽  
Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity ◽  
Soil Water Repellency ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Penetration Time

AbstractThe impact of heating on the peristence of water repellency, saturated hydraulic conductivity, and water retention characteristics was examined on soils from both forest and meadow sites in southwest Slovakia shortly after a wet spell. The top 5 cm of meadow soils had an initial water drop penetration time WDPT at 20°C of 457 s, whereas WDPT in the pine forest was 315 s for the top 5 cm and 982 s if only the top 1 cm was measured. Heating soils at selected temperatures of 50, 100, 150, 200, 250 and 300°C caused a marked drop in water drop penetration time WDPT from the initial value at 20°C. However, samples collected in different years and following an imposed cycle of wetting and drying showed much different trends, with WDPT sometimes initially increasing with temperature, followed by a drop after 200–300°C. The impact of heating temperature on the saturated hydraulic conductivity of soil was small. It was found for both the drying and wetting branches of soil water retention curves that an increase in soil water repellency resulted in a drop in soil water content at the same matric potential. The persistence of soil water repellency was strongly influenced by both the sampling site and time of sampling, as it was characterized by the results of WDPT tests.

A quick fix for modeling infiltration in water-repellent soils

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryan Stewart ◽  
Majdi R. Abou Najm ◽  
Simone Di Prima ◽  
Laurent Lassabatere
Keyword(s):  
Soil Water ◽  
Wide Spectrum ◽  
Correction Term ◽  
Water Repellency ◽  
Infiltration Rate ◽  
Water Repellent ◽  
Soil Water Repellency ◽  
Simple Method ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Infiltration Models

&lt;p&gt;Water repellency occurs in soils under a wide spectrum of conditions. Soil water repellency can originate from the deposition of resinous materials and exudates from vegetation, vaporization and condensation of organic compounds during fires, or the presence of anthropogenic-derived chemicals like petroleum products, wastewater or other urban contaminants. Its effects on soils range from mild to severe, and it often leads to hydrophobic conditions that can significantly impact the infiltration response with effects extending to the watershed-scale. Those effects are often time-dependent, making it a challenge to simulate infiltration behaviors of water-repellent soils using standard infiltration models. Here, we introduce a single rate-constant parameter (&amp;#945;&lt;sub&gt;WR&lt;/sub&gt;) and propose a simple correction term (1-e&lt;sup&gt;-&amp;#945;WRt&lt;/sup&gt;) to modify models for infiltration rate. This term starts with a value of zero at the beginning of the infiltration experiment (t = 0) and asymptotically approaches 1 as time increases, thus simulating a decreasing effect of soil water repellency through time. The correction term can be added to any infiltration model (one- two- or three-dimensional) and will account for the water repellency effect. Results from 165 infiltration experiments from different ecosystems and wide range of water repellency effects validated the effectiveness of this simple method to characterize water repellency in infiltration models. Tested with the simple two-term infiltration equation developed by Philip, we obtained consistent and substantial error reductions, particularly for more repellent soils. Furthermore, results revealed that soils that were burned during a wildfire had smaller &amp;#945;&lt;sub&gt;WR&lt;/sub&gt;&amp;#160;values compared to unburned controls, thus indicating that the magnitude of &amp;#945;&lt;sub&gt;WR&lt;/sub&gt;&amp;#160;may have a physical basis.&lt;/p&gt;

scholarly journals Intensity and Persistence of Soil Water Repellency in Pine Forest Soil in a Temperate Continental Climate under Drought Conditions

Water ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 1121 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edyta Hewelke ◽  
Lidia Oktaba ◽  
Dariusz Gozdowski ◽  
Marek Kondras ◽  
Izabella Olejniczak ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Water ◽  
Water Drop ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Water Repellency ◽  
Natural Phenomenon ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Surface Layers ◽  
Soil Water Repellency ◽  
Pine Forest Soil ◽  
Continental Climate

Although soil water repellency (SWR) has been reported under different soils, climates, and vegetation types of the world, especially in forest land and following wildfires, the understanding of this variable continues to be rather limited. This study presented the characterization of SWR from wild fire measurements in a Scots pine Peucedano-Pinetum forest in the Kampinos National Park (central Poland), which is characterized by a temperate continental climate. The main objectives were: [i] To evaluate the potential occurrence, intensity, and persistence of soil water repellency in the surface layers of podzolized rusty soils during a dry summer; [ii] to determine whether a wildfire increased SWR, compared to the unburnt condition of soil; and [iii] to identify changes in hydrophobicity 13 months after a fire. The Water Drop Penetration Time (WDPT) test was used to assess persistence and intensity of soil SWR. Hydrophobicity is a natural phenomenon during periods of drought in temperate continental climates. The extreme class of SWR was observed in surface layers of up to 20 cm. A higher hydrophobicity was noted in the older habitats of the Peucedano-Pinetum forest. Maximum WDPT values (10,800 s) were found for an older ecosystem cover, during a dry summer. SWR in fire-affected soils is dependent on the intensity of the fire, as well as displaying spatial and seasonal variability. Thirteen months after a fire, the highest variability in the occurrence of non-wettability, was recorded in the surface layers of areas affected by a weak fire. A positive relationship between soil pH and WDPT values was determined to a 20 cm depth. Prolonged dry periods resulting from global climate change, may enhance the effects of increasing SWR; it therefore seems reasonable for future research on biosphere–climate interactions, to take the presence of hydrophobicity into account.

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