scholarly journals Variations in Soil Water Content, Infiltration and Potential Recharge at Three Sites in a Mediterranean Mountainous Region of Baja California, Mexico

Water ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 1844 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francisco Del Toro-Guerrero ◽  
Enrique Vivoni ◽  
Thomas Kretzschmar ◽  
Stephen Bullock Runquist ◽  
Rogelio Vázquez-González
Keyword(s):  
Water Content ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Soil Water Content ◽  
Soil Profile ◽  
Baja California ◽  
Soil Depth ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Soil Conditions ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Potential Recharge

In this research, we examined temporal variations in soil water content (θ), infiltration patterns, and potential recharge at three sites with different mountain block positions in a semiarid Mediterranean climate in Baja California, Mexico: two located on opposing aspects (south- (SFS) and north-facing slopes (NFS)) and one located in a flat valley. At each site, we measured daily θ between 0.1 and 1 m depths from May 2014 to September 2016 in four hydrological seasons: wet season (winter), dry season (summer) and two transition seasons. The temporal evolution of θ and soil water storage (SWS) shows a strong variability that is associated mainly with high precipitation (P) pulses and soil profile depth at hillslope sites. Results shows that during high-intensity P events sites with opposing aspects reveal an increase of θ at the soil–bedrock interface suggesting lateral subsurface fluxes, while vertical soil infiltration decreases noticeably, signifying the production of surface runoff. We found that the dry soil conditions are reset annually at hillslope sites, and water is not available until the next wet season. Potential recharge occurred only in the winter season with P events greater than 50 mm/month at the SFS site and greater than 120 mm/month at the NFS site, indicating that soil depth and lack of vegetation cover play a critical role in the transport water towards the soil–bedrock interface. We also calculate that, on average, around 9.5% (~34.5 mm) of the accumulated precipitation may contribute to the recharge of the aquifer at the hillslope sites. Information about θ in a mountain block is essential for describing the dynamics and movement of water into the thin soil profile and its relation to potential groundwater recharge.

scholarly journals Estimating Seasonal Changes in Volumetric Soil Water Content at Landscape Scales in a Savanna Ecosystem Using Two-Dimensional Resistivity Profiling

2008 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diana C. Garcia-Montiel ◽  
Michael T. Coe ◽  
Meyr P. Cruz ◽  
Joice N. Ferreira ◽  
Euzebio M. da Silva ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Content ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Soil Water Content ◽  
Soil Depth ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
Ecosystem Structure ◽  
Two Dimensional ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Short Period ◽  
2D Resistivity

Abstract Water distributed in deep soil reservoirs is an important factor determining the ecosystem structure of water-limited environments, such as the seasonal tropical savannas of South America. In this study a two-dimensional (2D) geoelectrical profiling technique was employed to estimate seasonal dynamics of soil water content to 10-m depth along transects of 275 m in savanna vegetation during the period between 2002 and 2006. Methods were developed to convert resistivity values along these 2D resistivity profiles into volumetric water content (VWC) by soil depth. The 2D resistivity profiles revealed the following soil and aquifer structure characterizing the underground environment: 0–4 m of permanently unsaturated and seasonally droughty soil, less severely dry unsaturated soil at about 4–7 m, nearly permanently saturated soil between 7 and 10 m, mostly impermeable saprolite interspaced with fresh bedrock of parent material at about 10–30 m, and a region of highly conductive water-saturated material at 30 m and below. Considerable spatial variation of these relative depths is clearly demonstrated along the transects. Temporal dynamics in VWC indicate that the active zone of water uptake is predominantly at 0–7 m, and follows the seasonal cycles of precipitation and evapotranspiration. Uptake from below 7 m may have been critical for a short period near the beginning of the rainy season, although the seasonal variations in VWC in the 7–10-m layer are relatively small and lag the surface water recharge for about 6 months. Calculations using a simple 1-box water balance model indicate that average total runoff was 15–25 mm month−1 in the wet season and about 6–9 mm month−1 in the dry season. Modeled ET was about 75–85 mm month−1 in the wet season and 20–25 mm month−1 in the dry season. Variation in basal area and tree density along one transect was positively correlated with VWC of the 0–3-m and 0–7-m soil depths, respectively, during the wettest months. These multitemporal measurements demonstrate that the along-transect spatial differences in soil moisture are quasi-permanent and influence vegetation structure at the scale of tens to hundreds of meters.

Effects of Superabsorbent Polymer on Soil Water Content and Sugarcane Germination and Early Growth in Sandy Soil Conditions

Sugar Tech ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 444-450 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenta Watanabe ◽  
Samran Saensupo ◽  
Yanischa Na-iam ◽  
Peeraya Klomsa-ard ◽  
Klanarong Sriroth
Keyword(s):  
Water Content ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Soil Water Content ◽  
Sandy Soil ◽  
Early Growth ◽  
Soil Conditions ◽  
Superabsorbent Polymer

scholarly journals Multimodel assessment of climate change-induced hydrologic impacts for a Mediterranean catchment

2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (7) ◽  
pp. 4125-4143 ◽  
Author(s):  
Enrica Perra ◽  
Monica Piras ◽  
Roberto Deidda ◽  
Claudio Paniconi ◽  
Giuseppe Mascaro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Water Content ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Soil Water Content ◽  
Climate Models ◽  
Actual Evapotranspiration ◽  
Soil Conditions ◽  
Hydrologic Models ◽  
The Future ◽  
The Mediterranean

Abstract. This work addresses the impact of climate change on the hydrology of a catchment in the Mediterranean, a region that is highly susceptible to variations in rainfall and other components of the water budget. The assessment is based on a comparison of responses obtained from five hydrologic models implemented for the Rio Mannu catchment in southern Sardinia (Italy). The examined models – CATchment HYdrology (CATHY), Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT), TOPographic Kinematic APproximation and Integration (TOPKAPI), TIN-based Real time Integrated Basin Simulator (tRIBS), and WAter balance SImulation Model (WASIM) – are all distributed hydrologic models but differ greatly in their representation of terrain features and physical processes and in their numerical complexity. After calibration and validation, the models were forced with bias-corrected, downscaled outputs of four combinations of global and regional climate models in a reference (1971–2000) and future (2041–2070) period under a single emission scenario. Climate forcing variations and the structure of the hydrologic models influence the different components of the catchment response. Three water availability response variables – discharge, soil water content, and actual evapotranspiration – are analyzed. Simulation results from all five hydrologic models show for the future period decreasing mean annual streamflow and soil water content at 1 m depth. Actual evapotranspiration in the future will diminish according to four of the five models due to drier soil conditions. Despite their significant differences, the five hydrologic models responded similarly to the reduced precipitation and increased temperatures predicted by the climate models, and lend strong support to a future scenario of increased water shortages for this region of the Mediterranean basin. The multimodel framework adopted for this study allows estimation of the agreement between the five hydrologic models and between the four climate models. Pairwise comparison of the climate and hydrologic models is shown for the reference and future periods using a recently proposed metric that scales the Pearson correlation coefficient with a factor that accounts for systematic differences between datasets. The results from this analysis reflect the key structural differences between the hydrologic models, such as a representation of both vertical and lateral subsurface flow (CATHY, TOPKAPI, and tRIBS) and a detailed treatment of vegetation processes (SWAT and WASIM).

scholarly journals SURFACE RESIDUES: EFFECTS ON SOIL MOISTURE AND TEMPERATURE1

2021 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 887-894
Author(s):  
GUSTAVO HADDAD SOUZA VIEIRA ◽  
ARILDO SEBASTIÃO SILVA ◽  
ARUN DILIPKUMAR JANI ◽  
LUSINERIO PREZOTTI ◽  
PAOLA ALFONSA VIEIRA LO MONACO
Keyword(s):  
Soil Temperature ◽  
Water Content ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Soil Water Content ◽  
Soil Depth ◽  
Block Design ◽  
Soil Disturbance ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
Depth Range ◽  
Sunn Hemp

ABSTRACT This study aimed to determine how crop residue placement and composition would affect soil water content and temperature during the dry season in the central region of Espírito Santo state, Brazil. A 19-week field study was conducted from April to August 2017. A 2 x 4 factorial study with four replications was implemented using a randomized complete block design. Factors were soil management [conventional tillage (CT) and no soil disturbance (ND)] and residue amendment [maize (Zea mays L.), sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea L.), a maize-sunn hemp mixture, and a no amendment control]. Soil water content and temperature were measured weekly at predetermined soil depth intervals. Soil water content was higher in ND plots amended with surface residues than under all other treatments in the 0 to 0.05 m depth range. All residue amendments in this range were equally effective in conserving soil water. Surface residues reduced soil temperature by up to 8.4 °C relative to the control in ND plots. Incorporating residue amendments by CT cancelled all temperature-moderating benefits provided by surface residues. These results indicate that surface residues from cereals, legumes, or cereal/legume mixtures are equally effective in conserving soil water and moderating soil temperature during the dry season. Additional research is needed to determine how improved soil environmental conditions, generated by surface residues, would affect nutrient acquisition and crop performance.

scholarly journals Effects of different biomass materials as a salt-isolation layer on water and salt migration in coastal saline soil

PeerJ ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. e11766
Author(s):  
Mao Yang ◽  
Runya Yang ◽  
Yanni Li ◽  
Yinghua Pan ◽  
Junna Sun ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Content ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Soil Water Content ◽  
Salt Concentration ◽  
Saline Soil ◽  
Soil Depth ◽  
Soil Layer ◽  
Thick Layer ◽  
Peat Layer ◽  
Salt Accumulation

The aim of this study was to find a material suited for the prevention of evaporative water loss and salt accumulation in coastal saline soils. One-dimensional vertical water infiltration and phreatic evaporation experiments were conducted using a silty loam saline soil. A 3-cm-thick layer of corn straw, biochar, and peat was buried at the soil depth of 20 cm, and a 6-cm-thick layer of peat was also buried at the same soil depth for comparison. The presence of the biochar layer increased the upper soil water content, but its ability to inhibit salt accumulation was poor, leading to a high salt concentration in the surface soil. The 3-cm-thick straw and 6-cm-thick peat layers were most effective to inhibit salt accumulation, which reduced the upper soil salt concentration by 96% and 93%, respectively. However, the straw layer strongly inhibited phreatic evaporation and resulted in low water content in the upper soil layer. Compared with the straw layer, the peat layer increased the upper soil water content. Thus, burying a 6-cm-thick peat layer in the coastal saline soil is the optimal strategy to retain water in the upper soil layer and intercept salt in the deeper soil layer.

scholarly journals Monitoring water content changes in a soil profile with TDR-probes at just three depths - How well does it work?

RBRH ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jens Hagenau ◽  
Vander Kaufmann ◽  
Heinz Borg
Keyword(s):  
Time Delay ◽  
Water Content ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Soil Water Content ◽  
High Precision ◽  
Soil Profile ◽  
Reliable Data ◽  
Short Term ◽  
True Values ◽  
Daily Changes

ABSTRACT TDR-probes are widely used to monitor water content changes in a soil profile (ΔW). Frequently, probes are placed at just three depths. This raises the question how well such a setup can trace the true ΔW. To answer it we used a 2 m deep high precision weighing lysimeter in which TDR-probes are installed horizontally at 20, 60 and 120 cm depth (one per depth). ΔW-data collected by weighing the lysimeter vessel were taken as the true values to which ΔW-data determined with the TDR-probes were compared. We obtained the following results: There is a time delay in the response of the TDR-probes to precipitation, evaporation, transpiration or drainage, because a wetting or drying front must first reach them. Also, the TDR-data are more or less point measurements which are then extrapolated to a larger soil volume. This frequently leads to errors. For these reasons TDR-probes at just three depths cannot provide reliable data on short term (e.g. daily) changes in soil water content due to the above processes. For longer periods (e.g. a week) the data are better, but still not accurate enough for serious scientific studies.

scholarly journals Relationship between Very Fine Root Distribution and Soil Water Content in Pre- and Post-Harvest Areas of Two Coniferous Tree Species

Forests ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 1227
Author(s):  
Moein Farahnak ◽  
Keiji Mitsuyasu ◽  
Takuo Hishi ◽  
Ayumi Katayama ◽  
Masaaki Chiwa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Content ◽  
Root System ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Soil Water Content ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Fine Roots ◽  
Fine Root ◽  
Soil Depth ◽  
Tree Cutting ◽  
Coniferous Tree Species

Tree root system development alters forest soil properties, and differences in root diameter frequency and root length per soil volume reflect differences in root system function. In this study, the relationship between vertical distribution of very fine root and soil water content was investigated in intact tree and cut tree areas. The vertical distribution of root density with different diameter classes (very fine <0.5 mm and fine 0.5–2.0 mm) and soil water content were examined along a slope with two coniferous tree species, Cryptomeria japonica (L.f.) D. Don and Chamaecyparis obtusa (Siebold et Zucc.) Endl. The root biomass and length density of very fine roots at soil depth of 0–5 cm were higher in the Ch. obtusa intact tree plot than in the Cr. japonica intact plot. Tree cutting caused a reduction in the biomass and length of very fine roots at 0–5 cm soil depth, and an increment in soil water content at 5–30 cm soil depth of the Ch. obtusa cut tree plot one year after cutting. However, very fine root density of the Cr. japonica intact tree plot was quite low and the soil water content in post-harvest areas did not change. The increase in soil water content at 5–30 cm soil depth of the Ch. obtusa cut tree plot could be caused by the decrease in very fine roots at 0–5 cm soil depth. These results suggest that the distribution of soil water content was changed after tree cutting of Ch. obtusa by the channels generated by the decay of very fine roots. It was also shown that differences in root system characteristics among different tree species affect soil water properties after cutting.

The effect of chisel ploughing and inter-row cultivation on soil water content and yield of bulrush millet (Pennisetum typhoides) at Katherine, N.T

1966 ◽  
Vol 6 (20) ◽  
pp. 48
Author(s):  
LJ Phillips ◽  
MJT Norman
Keyword(s):  
Water Content ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Soil Water Content ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Dry Matter Yield ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Pennisetum Typhoides ◽  
Nitrogen Yield ◽  
Multifactorial Experiment

A multifactorial experiment comprising combinations of three pre-wet-season chisel ploughing treatments, three wet-season chisel ploughing treatments, and three inter-row cultivation treatments was carried out on bulrush millet (Pennisetum typhoides S. & H.) at Katherine, N.T., in 1963-64, and was repeated in 1964-65. Pre-wet-season ploughing throughout the growth of the nitrogen yield of millet when treatments had very little effect on the dry matter or nitrogen yield of millet crop. Increasing the depth of wet-season ploughing increased the dry matter and sampled at 7 and 12 weeks after sowing, but at the final sampling, 18 weeks after sowing, only the differences in dry matter yield were maintained. Responses in dry matter and nitrogen yield were obtained to one inter-row cultivation, but not to a second. Differences in dry matter yield due to wetseason ploughing and inter-row cultivation were associated with differences in soil water content measured in the 1-4 feet profile in 1964-65.

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