scholarly journals A Case Study of Soil Moisture and Infiltration after an Urban Fire

Fire ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 22
Author(s):  
Quinn Alkin ◽  
Alicia M. Kinoshita
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Moisture Content ◽  
Soil Moisture Content ◽  
Anthropogenic Activity ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Variability ◽  
Rainfall Runoff ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Urban Fire ◽  
Increased Risk

There is an increased risk of future fire disturbances due to climate change and anthropogenic activity. These disturbances can impact soil moisture content and infiltration, which are important antecedent conditions for predicting rainfall–runoff processes in semi-arid regions. Yet these conditions are not well documented. This case study provides critical field measurements and information, which are needed to improve our understanding of mechanisms such as precipitation and temperature that lead to the variability of soil properties and processes in urban and burned landscapes. In June 2018, a fire burned a portion of the riparian zone in Alvarado Creek, an urban tributary of the San Diego River in California, United States. This fire provided an opportunity to observe soil moisture content and infiltration for one year after the fire. Three transects (one burned and two unburned) were monitored periodically to evaluate the complex spatial and temporal dynamics of soil moisture and infiltration patterns. Average dry season soil moisture content was less than five percent volume water content (%VWC) for all transects, and the burned transect exhibited the lowest %VWC during the wet season. Infiltration rates displayed a high degree of spatial and temporal variability. However, the location with the highest burn severity had the lowest average infiltration rate. The observed differences between the burned and unburned transects indicate that the fire altered hydrologic processes of the landscape and reduced the ability of the soil to retain water during the wet season. This research provides the first high-resolution soil moisture and infiltration field analysis of an urban fire-disturbed stream in southern California and a method to characterize post-fire hydrologic conditions for rainfall–runoff processes.

scholarly journals Spatial and temporal variation of methane emissions in drained eutrophic peat agro-ecosystems: drainage ditches as emission hotspots

2008 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 1237-1261 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. P. Schrier-Uijl ◽  
E. M. Veenendaal ◽  
P. A. Leffelaar ◽  
J. C. van Huissteden ◽  
F. Berendse
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Moisture Content ◽  
Water Table ◽  
Soil Moisture Content ◽  
Explanatory Variable ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Variation ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Variability ◽  
Ch4 Emissions ◽  
Intensively Managed ◽  
Moisture Conditions

Abstract. Our research investigates the spatial and temporal variability of methane (CH4) emissions in two drained eutrophic peat areas (one intensively managed and the other less intensively managed) and the correlation between CH4 emissions and soil temperature, air temperature, soil moisture content and water table. We stratified the landscape into landscape elements that represent different conditions in terms of topography and therefore differ in moisture conditions. There was great spatial variability in the fluxes in both areas; the ditches and ditch edges (together 27% of the landscape) were methane hotspots whereas the dry fields had the smallest fluxes. In the intensively managed site the fluxes were significantly higher by comparison with the less intensively managed site. In all the landscape element elements the best explanatory variable for CH4 emission was temperature. Neither soil moisture content nor water table correlated significantly with CH4 emissions, except in April, where soil moisture was the best explanatory variable.

scholarly journals The Influences of Organic Mulches on Soil Moisture Content and Temperatures : A Case Study of Tapioca Wastes Application

2008 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Komariah ◽  
Kengo Ito ◽  
Masateru Senge ◽  
John Tawiah Adomako ◽  
Afandi
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Moisture Content ◽  
Soil Moisture Content

Sensitivity of microwave measurements to vegetation biomass and soil moisture content: a case study

1992 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 750-756 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Ferrazzoli ◽  
S. Paloscia ◽  
P. Pampaloni ◽  
G. Schiavon ◽  
D. Solimini ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Moisture Content ◽  
Soil Moisture Content ◽  
Microwave Measurements ◽  
Vegetation Biomass

scholarly journals Expansive Soils: The Effect Of Changing Soil Moisture Content On Residential and Light Commercial Structures

1991 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
James E. Byrn
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Moisture Content ◽  
Soil Moisture Content ◽  
Expansive Soils ◽  
Soil Movement ◽  
Common Causes ◽  
Areas Of Interest ◽  
Repair Techniques

The problems discussed in this paper are those that result from soil movement beneath residential and light commercial structures built upon expansive soils. The following areas of interest are discussed: 1. Business implication for forensic engineers, 2. Characteristics of expansive soils, 3. Common causes of changes in soil moisture content, 4. The effect that changing soil moisture content has on foundations and structures, 5. Common post-construction repair techniques. A case study of an investigation of a home damaged by expanding soils is also presented

scholarly journals Estimation of soil moisture content from L- and P-band AirSAR data: A case study in Jeju, Korea

2002 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 331-339 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Y. Kwon ◽  
S. E. Park ◽  
W. M. Moon ◽  
K. K. Lee
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Moisture Content ◽  
Soil Moisture Content

scholarly journals Comparing the Normalized Difference Infrared Index (NDII) with root zone storage in a lumped conceptual model

2016 ◽  
Vol 20 (8) ◽  
pp. 3361-3377 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nutchanart Sriwongsitanon ◽  
Hongkai Gao ◽  
Hubert H. G. Savenije ◽  
Ekkarin Maekan ◽  
Sirikanya Saengsawang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Moisture Content ◽  
Conceptual Model ◽  
Soil Moisture Content ◽  
Root Zone ◽  
Moisture Stress ◽  
Hydrological Models ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Catchment Scale ◽  
Moisture Deficit

Abstract. With remote sensing we can readily observe the Earth's surface, but direct observation of the sub-surface remains a challenge. In hydrology, but also in related disciplines such as agricultural and atmospheric sciences, knowledge of the dynamics of soil moisture in the root zone of vegetation is essential, as this part of the vadose zone is the core component controlling the partitioning of water into evaporative fluxes, drainage, recharge, and runoff. In this paper, we compared the catchment-scale soil moisture content in the root zone of vegetation, computed by a lumped conceptual model, with the remotely sensed Normalized Difference Infrared Index (NDII) in the Upper Ping River basin (UPRB) in northern Thailand. The NDII is widely used to monitor the equivalent water thickness (EWT) of leaves and canopy. Satellite data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) were used to determine the NDII over an 8-day period, covering the study area from 2001 to 2013. The results show that NDII values decrease sharply at the end of the wet season in October and reach lowest values near the end of the dry season in March. The values then increase abruptly after rains have started, but vary in an insignificant manner from the middle to the late rainy season. This paper investigates if the NDII can be used as a proxy for moisture deficit and hence for the amount of moisture stored in the root zone of vegetation, which is a crucial component of hydrological models. During periods of moisture stress, the 8-day average NDII values were found to correlate well with the 8-day average soil moisture content (Su) simulated by the lumped conceptual hydrological rainfall–runoff model FLEX for eight sub-catchments in the Upper Ping basin. Even the deseasonalized Su and NDII (after subtracting the dominant seasonal signal) showed good correlation during periods of moisture stress. The results illustrate the potential of the NDII as a proxy for catchment-scale root zone moisture deficit and as a potentially valuable constraint for the internal dynamics of hydrological models. In dry periods, when plants are exposed to water stress, the EWT (reflecting leaf water deficit) decreases steadily, as moisture stress in the leaves is connected to moisture deficits in the root zone. Subsequently, when the soil moisture is replenished as a result of rainfall, the EWT increases without delay. Once leaf water is close to saturation – mostly during the heart of the wet season – leaf characteristics and NDII values are not well correlated. However, for both hydrological modelling and water management, the stress periods are most important, which is why this product has the potential of becoming a highly efficient model constraint, particularly in ungauged basins.

scholarly journals Soil moisture in forest island and adjacent ecosystems in Sub-Saharan Region

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (9) ◽  
pp. 3323-3340
Author(s):  
Amelie B. Bougma ◽  
Korodjouma Ouattara ◽  
Halidou Compaore ◽  
Hassan B. Nacro
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Moisture Content ◽  
Soil Moisture Content ◽  
Seasonal Pattern ◽  
Vegetation Pattern ◽  
Anthropogenic Activity ◽  
Land Use Patterns ◽  
Direct Outcome ◽  
Forest Island ◽  
Forest Islands

Forest islands are widely distributed throughout West Africa savanna landscape. Stated as direct outcome of anthropogenic activity, these mosaics are often found around villages and are known for their unique and luxuriant characteristics of tropical rainforest. Althought significant studies focus on their ecology, works on edaphic factors that govern their establishment are very scare. The objective of the current study was to evaluate soil moisture dynamics in forest islands compared to that of surrounding savannas and farmlands at five sites located along a precipation gradient in Burkina Faso. For two years, from 2016 to 2017, soil moisture was monitored at a depth of 0-80 cm using a neutron probe. The results highlighted a seasonal pattern ranging from 42±2% during the heavy rainy month (August) to 16±1% during the dry season (October-November). Significant differences in soil moisture content soil water profile and water stock at depth 0 to 80 cm were recorded between locations and land use patterns. In general, soil moisture was on average 58% less in forest island than in croplands across sites. Soil moisture content was lower in topsoil (0-20 cm) compared to deeper soil (40-80 cm). The Study demonstrated evident link of soil moisture dynamic with rainfall and the vegetation pattern.

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