Field quantification of wetting-drying cycles to predict temporal changes of soil pore size distribution.

Soil & Tillage Research
G BodnerH-P Kaul

Abstract

Wetting-drying (WD) cycles substantially influence structure related soil properties and processes. Most studies on WD effects are based on controlled cycles under laboratory conditions. Our objective was the quantification of WD cycles from field water content measurements and the analysis of their relation to the temporal drift in the soil pore size distribution. Parameters of the Kosugi hydraulic property model (rm,Kosugi, σKosugi) were derived by inverse optimization from tension infiltrometer measurements. Spectral analysis was used to calculate WD cycle intensity, number and duration from water content time series. WD cycle intensity was the best predictor (r2 = 0.53-0.57) for the temporal drift in median pore radius (rm,Kosugi) and pore radius standard deviation (σKosugi). At lower soil moisture conditions the effect of cycle intensity was reduced. A bivariate regression model was derived with WD intensity and a meteorological indicator for drying periods (ET0, climatic water balance deficit) as predictor variables. This model showed that WD enhanced macroporosity (higher rm,Kosugi) while decreasing pore heterogeneity (lower σKosugi). A drying period with high cumulative values of ET0 or a strong climatic water balance d...Continue Reading

Software Mentioned

HYDRUS
SAS
MATLAB
STAT
Rosetta
IRENE

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