scholarly journals Topsoil Moisture Depletion and Recharge below Young Norway Spruce, White Birch and Treeless Gaps at a Mountain-Summit Site

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 828
Author(s):  
Ondřej Špulák ◽  
František Šach ◽  
Dušan Kacálek
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Water Content ◽  
Norway Spruce ◽  
Forest Type ◽  
Water Infiltration ◽  
Seasonal Effects ◽  
Rooting Depth ◽  
Stand Age ◽  
Root Penetration ◽  
White Birch

Background and Objectives: Mineral topsoil moisture is a very important component of the hydrological balance in forests. The moisture is closely related to the forest type, its woody species composition, stand age, and structure through interception and evapotranspiration. We aimed to investigate the topsoil moisture response to precipitation in three treatments: under young Norway spruce, white birch, and a grass-dominated treeless gap at an acidic mountain site in the Jizerské hory Mts., Czech Republic. The study was conducted in 18- to 21-year-old stands during four growing seasons. Materials and Methods: The analyzed parameters were: rainfall amounts measured by an on-site automated station, root penetration using a root auger, and soil moisture measured continuously using electric sensors, as well as derived parameters such as interception. Results and Conclusions: Even within small patches of the three treatments, soil water content was found to be higher under the gap vegetation compared to both tree species. In addition, the topsoil under spruce was significantly more saturated than under birch. The average growing-season interception capacity of birch, spruce, and the gap treatment ranged from 1.4 to 2.2 mm, 2.1 to 2.6 mm, and 1.2 to 2.2 mm, respectively. Soil moisture mostly decreased during periods of flushing and stabilized during the transitions from the growing to the dormant seasons. The seasonal effects were particularly obvious under the birch stand. The crucial factors decreasing topsoil water content under birch included both rooting depth and density, which may predispose preferential pathways for water infiltration. This validated white birch’s capability to decrease topsoil water content, which can be beneficial at secondary-waterlogged sites.

Soil water contents and displacements monitoring, integrated into a Hydrological-Geotechnical Model for the evaluation of large-scale susceptibility to landslides triggered by rainfalls

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roberto Passalacqua ◽  
Rossella Bovolenta ◽  
Bianca Federici ◽  
Alessandro Iacopino
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Water Content ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Soil Water Content ◽  
Ground Level ◽  
Water Infiltration ◽  
Landslide Monitoring ◽  
Simple Relationship ◽  
Capacitive Sensors ◽  
Different Depths

<p>Soil water content is often a landslide’s trigger factor, in particular the shallow ones. Although there is no simple relationship between the water content into the soil and the hydraulic conditions of the slopes at the depths at which the landslides develop, the knowledge of the actual soil moisture is fundamental for the study of landslides, thus, it should be monitored.<br>The LAMP (LAndslide Monitoring and Predicting) system is employed in the INTERREG-ALCOTRA project called AD-VITAM. LAMP (Bovolenta et al., 2016) was yet formulated for the analysis and forecasting of landslides triggered by rain. It adopts a physically based Integrated Hydrological Geotechnical (IHG) model (Passalacqua et al., 2016) and is implemented in GIS. In this Project, the IHG model is fed by data measured using a Wireless Sensor Network (WSN), this formed by low-cost and self-sufficient sensors. The WSN may gather rainfall, temperature, surface’s displacement data (these by mass-market GNSS receivers in RTK) and, in this case, soil water content (by capacitive sensors).<br>The WaterScout SM100 capacitive sensors were lab-analyzed then, recognized as satisfactory, installed on-site together with their related equipment. These sensors connect to a “Sensor Pup”, which has four available channels; therefore, four sensors are installed at each node, at different depths from ground-level, in order to achieve a vertical soil-moisture profile and the rate of infiltration.<br>The selection of the most suitable spots for the water content soil-sensors’ installations depends on the presence of shallow soil layers and of the radio signal emission-reception’s too.<br>The sensors may be set up both in vertical or horizontal direction. In general, the vertical installation is preferable. This implies the creation of small adjacent vertical holes, each one reaching a different depth, where the sensors are singularly pushed. Alternatively, the horizontal one may be adopted, by the opening of a small trench where the sensors are manually inserted at different depths, along a quasi-vertical vertical line. The full contact between the soil and the sensors is always verified, immediately after the installation, using a directly connected FieldScout reader to any single sensor. Furthermore, it is necessary to protect the emerging cables and to avoid preferential ways for water infiltration along the wiring lines.<br>The monitoring networks, installed at the two Italian sites of Mendatica and Ceriana, are currently providing informations in real-time. The data acquired at five nodes, distributed at each of these two sites (40 sensors in total), are currently relayed on a specific web-portal by a GSM connected Retriever-Modem, marking the evolutions of soil moisture profiles at depths between 10 and 85 cm from ground level: these continuous data allow the analysis of the infiltration and evapotranspiration phenomena. Moreover, a correlation between the soil moisture contents and the local displacements is made possible. Finally, a specific calibration of the SM100 sensors’ in relation to the on-site soil types is in progress.</p>

Soil Water Measurement as Basis to Optimize Irrigation Scheduling: A Review

HortScience ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 553f-554
Author(s):  
A.K. Alva ◽  
A. Fares
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Water Content ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Soil Water Content ◽  
Root Zone ◽  
Soil Water Potential ◽  
Irrigation Scheduling ◽  
Rooting Depth ◽  
The Impact

Supplemental irrigation is often necessary for high economic returns for most cropping conditions even in humid areas. As irrigation costs continue to increase more efforts should be exerted to minimize these costs. Real time estimation and/or measurement of available soil water content in the crop root zone is one of the several methods used to help growers in making the right decision regarding timing and quantity of irrigation. The gravimetric method of soil water content determination is laborious and doesn't suite for frequent sampling from the same location because it requires destructive soil sampling. Tensiometers, which measure soil water potential that can be converted into soil water content using soil moisture release curves, have been used for irrigation scheduling. However, in extreme sandy soils the working interval of tensiometer is reduced, hence it may be difficult to detect small changes in soil moisture content. Capacitance probes which operate on the principle of apparent dielectric constant of the soil-water-air mixture are extremely sensitive to small changes in the soil water content at short time intervals. These probes can be placed at various depths within and below the effective rooting depth for a real time monitoring of the water content. Based on this continuous monitoring of the soil water content, irrigation is scheduled to replenish the water deficit within the rooting depth while leaching below the root zone is minimized. These are important management practices aimed to increase irrigation efficiency, and nutrient uptake efficiency for optimal crop production, while minimizing the impact of agricultural non-point source pollutants on the groundwater quality.

Sapwood moisture in Douglas-fir boles and seasonal changes in soil water

2007 ◽  
Vol 37 (7) ◽  
pp. 1263-1271 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter A. Beedlow ◽  
David T. Tingey ◽  
E. Henry Lee ◽  
Donald L. Phillips ◽  
Christian P. Andersen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Water Content ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Seasonal Changes ◽  
Douglas Fir ◽  
Stand Age ◽  
Summer Drought ◽  
Water Capacity ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Relative Water

Large conifers, such as Douglas-fir ( Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco var. menziesii), purportedly draw on water stored in their boles during periods of summer drought. The relation of seasonal changes in soil moisture to sapwood water content was evaluated in four forest stands dominated by mature Douglas-fir along a transect from the Pacific Coast to 1200 m in the western Cascade Mountains of Oregon, USA. The sites varied in stand age, elevation, topography, and soil characteristics, including available soil water capacity. At two sites, gravimetric measures of sapwood relative water content (SRWC) were taken approximately every 4 weeks from May 2002 through July 2004; two additional sites were similarly measured from February 2003 through July 2004. Automated meteorological stations located on the sites and in adjacent open areas continuously monitored weather and soil moisture. Plant-available soil water (ASW) in the upper 0.6 m of soil reached minimum values during the summer drought and rewetted during fall and winter. Large seasonal changes in ASW did not result in corresponding changes in SRWC. Minimum SRWC was lower at sites with higher ASW. At all sites, Douglas-fir trees apparently regulate water loss to maintain consistent (±10%) bole water content throughout the year despite large changes in soil moisture.

Soil water content sensors from laboratory calibration to field monitoring: discrepancies and uncertainties

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angela Gabriela Morales Santos ◽  
Reinhard Nolz
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Water Content ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Root Zone ◽  
Sandy Loam ◽  
Irrigation Scheduling ◽  
Water Monitoring ◽  
Rooting Depth ◽  
Water Fraction ◽  
Laboratory Calibration

<p>Monitoring soil water status is one key option to optimise water use in agriculture. Soil moisture sensors are widely used for investigating available soil water to optimally adapt irrigation scheduling to crop water requirements. Although reliable measurements are subject to proper soil-specific calibration of sensors, meaningful calibration functions are not always available. Another question is the plausibility of soil water monitoring under field conditions. The objective of this study was to calibrate four multi-sensor capacitance probes in the laboratory and  to evaluate the calibrated water content readings under natural conditions in an irrigated field by means of a modelling approach.</p><p>The multi-sensor capacitance probes (SM1 by ADCON Telemetry) were of 90 cm length and contained nine sensors (S1 to S9) at 10 cm spacing. The digital output values were given in scaled frequency units (SFU). The laboratory calibration was carried out on sandy loam and sand. Measurements were undertaken by placing the probes inside a PVC tube backfilled with soil at different water contents. Soil samples were collected using metallic cylinders of 250 cm<sup>3</sup>, from which volumetric water content (θ) was determined gravimetrically. The sensor readings in soil were normalised by using sensor readings in air and water as lower and upper limit, respectively. The pairs of measured θ and normalised SFU were related to each other by curve fitting. For each soil type, eight sensor-specific calibration functions were developed that allowed the calculation of θ in cm<sup>3</sup> cm<sup>−</sup><sup>3</sup> from SM1 readings.</p><p>After calibration, the SM1 probes were installed in a field in Obersiebenbrunn, Lower Austria, where sandy loam is the main soil. Three of the probes monitored irrigated plots and the fourth a rainfed plot. To obtain reference values, one HydraProbe soil moisture sensor (Stevens Water Monitoring Systems) was installed in 20 cm depth, near each SM1. The average daily θ-values from the S2 (20 cm depth) contained in each SM1 probe were compared to the water fraction collected with the corresponding HydraProbe. Moreover, the SM1 θ-values were used to determine the daily soil water depletion in the root zone (Dr) for a rooting depth of 1 m. The obtained Dr datasets were compared to Dr simulated using CROPWAT 8.0 by FAO.</p><p>The field results showed that the SM1 probes were able to reproduce the HydraProbe dynamics of wetting and drying periods during the crop season. Nevertheless, a considerable difference was noted between the sensor measurements. The SM1 overestimated θ in the irrigated plots, whereas it underestimated θ in the rainfed plot. The discrepancies can be attributed mainly to the different physical mechanisms behind the sensors and to the unfeasible reproduction of field bulk density and soil structure in the laboratory. Furthermore, the operational frequency and permittivity response of the SM1 probes should be revised for future versions. The simulation results showed that the observed Dr values were more consistent with CROPWAT Dr results at the end of the simulation period, suggesting that the SM1 required several weeks to consolidate and give representative θ-values for the soil profile.</p>

scholarly journals Interception and soil water relation in Norway spruce stands of different age during the contrasting vegetation seasons of 2017 and 2018

2019 ◽  
Vol 65 (No. 2) ◽  
pp. 51-60 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vít Šrámek ◽  
Kateřina Neudertová Hellebrandová ◽  
Věra Fadrhonsová
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Water Potential ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Norway Spruce ◽  
Soil Water Potential ◽  
Soil Horizon ◽  
Stand Age ◽  
Substantial Part ◽  
Vegetation Season ◽  
Spruce Stands

Interception, soil moisture and soil water potential were observed in four Norway spruce stands of different age in two subsequent vegetation seasons 2017 and 2018. Vegetation season 2018 can be characterized as being abnormally hot and dry with only 66% of precipitation in comparison with normal conditions. The interception of spruce increased with the stand age and its dimensions, ranging between 16 and 48% in 2017 and in the majority of stands even increasing in 2018. The soil moisture significantly decreased during the vegetation season 2018, with soil water potential close to the permanent wilting point (–1.5 MPa) for a substantial part of the monitored period. Differences between individual stands were observed in terms of the soil water potential (SWP) development which does not follow the interception patterns suggesting that the stand transpiration is a driving factor responsible for the soil water budget. In all stands, with the exception of the oldest one, the SWP of the upper soil horizon was less than 1.5 MPa for more than 80 days. In such extreme conditions the drought would negatively influence any Norway spruce stand regardless of its age or structure.

scholarly journals Mullahingamise sesoonne dünaamika kuusikute aegreas / Seasonal dynamics of soil respiration in a chronosequence of the Norway spruce stands

2011 ◽  
Vol 54 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mai Kukumägi ◽  
Veiko Uri ◽  
Olevi Kull
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Soil Respiration ◽  
Soil Temperature ◽  
Norway Spruce ◽  
Respiration Rate ◽  
Stand Age ◽  
Exponential Relationship ◽  
Climate Conditions ◽  
Dry Conditions ◽  
The Individual

Abstract. Soil respiration resulting from microbial and root respiration is a major component of the forest carbon cycle. The response of soil respiration to varying environmental factors (soil temperature and soil moisture) was studied in a Norway spruce chronosequence composed of four age classes (4, 27, 36, and 84 year old) on Gleyic Podzol. Soil respiration was measured monthly with closed dynamic chamber system, soil temperature and soil moisture were measured simultaneously. Mean soil respiration rate averaged over three years was 3.3 μmol CO2 m-2s-1, ranging from 0.6 to 5.4 μmol CO2 m-2s-1, with the maximum occurring in August and the minimum in December. Stand age had a significant effect on soil respiration: the highest respiration rate was found in 27-year-old stand. Over three years an exponential relationship between soil respiration and soil temperature accounted for 68-81% of the seasonal variation, Q10 (the factor by which the respiration rate differs for a temperature interval of 10 °C) for the individual stands ranged between 4.4 and 5.4. The influence of soil moisture content on soil respiration was weak and revealed in dry conditions only. The results of this study can be used to help understand and predict the effect of harvest on soil respiration and how the respiration might respond to changing climate conditions.

scholarly journals Can Leaf Water Content Be Estimated Using Multispectral Terrestrial Laser Scanning? A Case Study With Norway Spruce Seedlings

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuli Junttila ◽  
Junko Sugano ◽  
Mikko Vastaranta ◽  
Riikka Linnakoski ◽  
Harri Kaartinen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Content ◽  
Norway Spruce ◽  
Laser Scanning ◽  
Terrestrial Laser Scanning ◽  
Leaf Water ◽  
Leaf Water Content

EFFECT OF DEFICIT IRRIGATION ON YIELD, RELATIVE LEAF WATER CONTENT, LEAF PROLINE ACCUMULATION AND CHLOROPHYLL STABILITY INDEX OF COTTON–MAIZE CROPPING SEQUENCE

2013 ◽  
Vol 50 (3) ◽  
pp. 407-425 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. SAMPATHKUMAR ◽  
B. J. PANDIAN ◽  
P. JEYAKUMAR ◽  
P. MANICKASUNDARAM
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Water Stress ◽  
Water Content ◽  
Deficit Irrigation ◽  
Stability Index ◽  
Moisture Gradient ◽  
Proline Content ◽  
Leaf Water Content ◽  
Chlorophyll Stability Index ◽  
Soil Moisture Gradient

SUMMARYWater stress induces some physiological changes in plants and has cumulative effects on crop growth and yield. Field experiments were conducted to study the effect of deficit irrigation (DI) on yield and some physiological parameters in cotton and maize in a sequential cropping system. Creation of soil moisture gradient is indispensable to explore the beneficial effects of partial root zone drying (PRD) irrigation and it could be possible only through alternate deficit irrigation (ADI) practice in paired row system of drip layout that is commonly practiced in India. In the present study, PRD and DI concepts (creation of soil moisture gradient) were implemented through ADI at two levels of irrigation using drip system. Maize was sown after cotton under no till condition without disturbing the raised bed and drip layout. Relative leaf water content (RLWC) and chlorophyll stability index (CSI) of cotton and maize were reduced under water stress. A higher level of leaf proline content was observed under severe water-stressed treatments in cotton and maize. RLWC and CSI were highest and leaf proline content was lowest in mild water deficit (ADI at 100% crop evapotranspiration once in three days) irrigation in cotton and maize. The same treatments registered higher values for crop yields, net income and benefit cost ratio for both the crops.

Soil moisture variation drives canopy water content dynamics across the western U.S.

2021 ◽  
Vol 253 ◽  
pp. 112233
Author(s):  
Drew S. Lyons ◽  
Solomon Z. Dobrowski ◽  
Zachary A. Holden ◽  
Marco P. Maneta ◽  
Anna Sala
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Water Content ◽  
Moisture Variation ◽  
Canopy Water ◽  
Soil Moisture Variation
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