Quantifying the effect of post-wildfire soil water repellency on runoff

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rose Shillito ◽  
Markus Berli ◽  
Ian Floyd ◽  
Li Chen ◽  
Teamrat Ghezzehei
Keyword(s):  
Soil Water ◽  
Water Repellency ◽  
Silica Sand ◽  
Watershed Model ◽  
Soil Water Repellency ◽  
Physically Based Model ◽  
San Gabriel Mountains ◽  
Physically Based ◽  
Dry Soil ◽  
Moisture Conditions

<p>Several factors are believed to contribute to post-wildfire flooding and debris flows. One contributing factor—the occurrence of post-wildfire soil water repellency—lacks a quantitative mechanism to incorporate the effects in physically-based runoff models. For this study, a physically-based model was developed linking the contact angle (degree of water repellency) to sorptivity. The model was verified in laboratory experiments using a silica sand proxy. The effects of water repellency on infiltration were illustrated. Further, the effect of water repellency on runoff was simulated using the AGWA-KINEROS2 watershed model with data from rainfall following the 2009 Station fire in the San Gabriel Mountains of southern California, USA. Results show water repellency has a quantifiable effect on runoff production, an effect enhanced by the dry soil moisture conditions common after wildfires.</p>

Temporal fluctuations in soil water repellency following wildfire in chaparral steeplands, southern California

2005 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 439 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. R. Hubbert ◽  
V. Oriol
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Water Repellency ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Antecedent Rainfall ◽  
Soil Water Repellency ◽  
Soil Wetness ◽  
Moisture Conditions ◽  
East West ◽  
Seasonal Weather

Soil water repellency is particularly common in unburned chaparral, and its degree and duration can be influenced by seasonal weather conditions. Water repellency tends to increase in dry soils, while it decreases or vanishes following precipitation or extended periods of soil moisture. The 15 426 ha Williams Fire provided an opportunity to investigate post-fire fluctuations in water repellency over a 1-year period. Soil water repellency was measured at the surface, and at 2-cm and 4-cm depths along six east–west-positioned transects located within the chaparral-dominated San Dimas Experimental Forest. During the winter and spring, seasonal variation in the degree of surface water repellency appeared to be inversely proportional to antecedent rainfall and soil moisture conditions. Precipitation through December reduced the proportion of surface ‘moderate or higher repellency’ from 49 to 4% as soil wetness increased to 12%. Throughout the summer, soil wetness remained below 2%; however, surface soils remained ‘wettable’, with the proportion of surface ‘moderate or higher repellency’ never returning to the early post-fire amount of 47%. Interestingly, at the 4-cm depth, the proportion of ‘moderate or higher repellency’ remained at levels >25% throughout the summer dry season.

Soil water repellency in sandy soil depends on the soil drying method, incubation temperature and specific surface area

Geoderma ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 402 ◽  
pp. 115264
Author(s):  
Enoch V.S. Wong ◽  
Philip R. Ward ◽  
Daniel V. Murphy ◽  
Matthias Leopold ◽  
Louise Barton
Keyword(s):  
Specific Surface ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Surface Area ◽  
Specific Surface Area ◽  
Sandy Soil ◽  
Incubation Temperature ◽  
Water Repellency ◽  
Soil Drying ◽  
Drying Method ◽  
Soil Water Repellency

The use of visible and near-infrared spectroscopy for the analysis of soil water repellency

2014 ◽  
Vol 65 (3) ◽  
pp. 360-368 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. Kim ◽  
R. R. Pullanagari ◽  
M. Deurer ◽  
R. Singh ◽  
K. Y. Huh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Infrared Spectroscopy ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Near Infrared Spectroscopy ◽  
Near Infrared ◽  
Water Repellency ◽  
Soil Water Repellency

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.

Organic Matter Fractions Controlling Soil Water Repellency in Sandy Soils From the Doñana National Park (Southwestern Spain)

2014 ◽  
Vol 27 (5) ◽  
pp. 1413-1423 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicasio T. Jiménez‐Morillo ◽  
José A. González‐Pérez ◽  
Antonio Jordán ◽  
Lorena M. Zavala ◽  
José María Rosa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
National Park ◽  
Sandy Soils ◽  
Water Repellency ◽  
Soil Water Repellency ◽  
Doñana National Park ◽  
Organic Matter Fractions

Effect of Irrigated Crop Rotation and Phosphorus Fertilizer-Manure on Soil Water Repellency of a Clay Loam Soil in Southern Alberta

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jim J. Miller ◽  
Mallory Owen ◽  
Ben Ellert ◽  
Xueming Yang ◽  
Craig F. Drury ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Water ◽  
Water Repellency ◽  
Fertilizer Application ◽  
Clay Loam ◽  
P Fertilization ◽  
Soil Water Repellency ◽  
Hydrophobic Coatings ◽  
Southern Alberta ◽  
P Fertilizer ◽  
Loam Soil

Soil water repellency (SWR) was measured for a 28 yr field study under irrigation on a clay loam Dark Brown soil in southern Alberta. The objectives were to study the effect of legume-cereal crop rotations, feedlot manure, and phosphorus (P) fertilizer application on soil hydrophobicity (SH) and soil water repellency index (RI) under irrigation. Mean SH and RI were similar (P > 0.05) for a legume-cereal and cereal rotation, and were unaffected by P fertilization. However, P fertilization shifted the RI classification from slight to sub-critical. In contrast, SH was significantly greater for manured than non-manured treatments, while RI was unaffected. Soil organic carbon (SOC) concentration was significantly (P ≤ 0.05) correlated with SH (r=0.74), but not with RI (r=-0.17). This suggested a closer association between the quantity of SOC and quantity of hydrophobic compounds (SH method) compared to the hydrophobic coatings inhibiting infiltration of water (RI method). No significant correlation between SH and RI (r=-0.09) suggests that SH is not a good predictor of SWR using the RI method. Overall, manure application increased SH and P fertilization shifted the RI classification from slight to sub-critical. In contrast, legume-cereal rotations had no influence on SH and SWR using RI method compared to continuous cereal.

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