Effect of subcritical hydrophobicity in a sandy soil on water infiltration and mobile water content

Recent research shows that most soils are more or less water repellent. Already subcritical water repellency may cause incomplete soil wetting and preferential flow. Both processes potentially reduce the residence time of water and solutes in the vadose zone, resulting in an enhanced risk of groundw...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of plant nutrition and soil science 2006-02, Vol.169 (1), p.38-46
Main Authors: Lamparter, A, Deurer, M, Bachmann, J, Duijnisveld, W.H.M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions
Biological and medical sciences
Br-tracer
bulk density
capillary-rise method
clay soils
contact angle
equations
ethanol infiltration
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
General agronomy. Plant production
hydraulic conductivity
hydrophobicity
mathematical models
sandy soils
silty soils
soil depth
soil horizons
Soil science
soil water movement
Soil-plant relationships. Soil fertility
Soil-plant relationships. Soil fertility. Fertilization. Amendments
spatial variation
tension infiltrometer
Wilhelmy plate method
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Summary:Recent research shows that most soils are more or less water repellent. Already subcritical water repellency may cause incomplete soil wetting and preferential flow. Both processes potentially reduce the residence time of water and solutes in the vadose zone, resulting in an enhanced risk of groundwater contamination. The objective of the present paper is, therefore, to evaluate the impact of reduced soil wettability on the soil water infiltration rate and to investigate the tendency towards preferential flow with the analysis of the immobile water content in the infiltration zone. In november 2002, a field experiment was done in a coniferous forest, 30 km N of Hannover, Germany. Soil hydrophobicity was quantified by measuring the contact angles. The hydraulic conductivity of the podsolic sandy soil was measured depth‐dependent with a double‐ring tension infiltrometer in three soil horizons. To quantify possible preferential‐flow effects, a LiBr‐Tracer was added to the infiltrating water to evaluate the mobile water‐content fraction after infiltration. Additionally, infiltration rates of water were compared with infiltration rates of ethanol which were determined after water infiltration at the same locations. Results show that the actual water repellency of field‐moist soil was mainly subcritical (contact angle
ISSN:1436-8730
1522-2624
DOI:10.1002/jpln.200521743