scholarly journals Soil Water Dynamics in a Rainfed Mediterranean Agricultural System

Water ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 799 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiménez-de-Santiago ◽  
Lidón ◽  
Bosch-Serra
Keyword(s):  
Soil Water ◽  
Nitrate Leaching ◽  
Field Capacity ◽  
Water Dynamics ◽  
Agricultural System ◽  
Residual Soil ◽  
Soil Water Dynamics ◽  
Deep Drainage ◽  
Winter Cereal ◽  
Disturbed Soil

Rainfed Mediterranean agriculture is characterized by low water input and by soil water content below its field capacity during most of the year. However, erratic rainfall distribution can lead to deep drainage. The understanding of soil-water dynamics is essential to prevent collateral impacts in subsuperficial waters by leached pollutants and to implement suitable soil management (e.g., agronomic measures to avoid nitrate leaching). Soil water dynamics during two fallow years and three barley crop seasons was evaluated using the Leaching estimation and chemistry model in a semiarid Mediterranean agricultural system. Model calibration was carried out using soil moisture data from disturbed soil samples and from capacitance probes installed at three depths. Drainage of water from the plots occurred in the fall and winter periods. The yearly low drainage values obtained (<15 mm) indicate that the estimated annual nitrate leaching is also small, regardless of the nature of the fertilizer applied (slurries or minerals). In fallow periods, there is a water recharge in the soil, which does not occur under barley cropping. However, annual fallow included in a winter cereal rotation, high nitrate residual soil concentrations (~80 mg NO3−-N L−1) and a period with substantial autumn-winter rains (70–90 mm) can enhance nitrate leaching, despite the semiarid climate.

scholarly journals Linking Soil Water Changes to Soil Physical Quality in Sugarcane Expansion Areas in Brazil

Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 3156
Author(s):  
Felipe Bonini da Luz ◽  
Martha Lustosa Carvalho ◽  
Daniel Aquino de Borba ◽  
Bruna Emanuele Schiebelbein ◽  
Renato Paiva de Lima ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Water ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Clayey Soil ◽  
Field Capacity ◽  
Conventional Tillage ◽  
Water Dynamics ◽  
Native Vegetation ◽  
Soil Water Dynamics ◽  
Physical Quality ◽  
Soil Physical Quality

Brazil is the world’s largest sugarcane producer with projections for expanding the current area by 30% in the coming years, mainly in areas previously occupied by pastures. We assess soil water changes induced by land-use change (LUC) for sugarcane expansion in the central-south region of Brazil. For that purpose, soil samples were collected in a typical LUC sequence (native vegetation–pasture–sugarcane) in two contrasting soil textures (i.e., sandy and clayey). Soil hydro-physical properties such as pores size distribution, bulk density, soil water content, water tension, and drainage time at field capacity, plant-available water, and S-index were analyzed. Our data showed that long-term LUC from native vegetation to extensive pasture induced severe degradation in soil physical quality and soil water dynamics. However, conventional tillage used during conversion from pasture to sugarcane did not cause additional degradation on soil structure and soil water dynamics. Over time, sugarcane cultivation slightly impaired soil water and physical conditions, but only in the 10–20 cm layer in both soils. Therefore, we highlight that sustainable management practices to enhance soil physical quality and water dynamics in sugarcane fields are needed to prevent limiting conditions to plant growth and contribute to delivering other ecosystem services.

scholarly journals Soil Water Dynamics and Nitrate Leaching Under Corn-Soybean Rotation, Continuous Corn, and Kura Clover

2017 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 170028 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tyson E. Ochsner ◽  
Todd W. Schumacher ◽  
Rodney T. Venterea ◽  
Gary W. Feyereisen ◽  
John M. Baker
Keyword(s):  
Soil Water ◽  
Nitrate Leaching ◽  
Water Dynamics ◽  
Soil Water Dynamics ◽  
Kura Clover ◽  
Continuous Corn

scholarly journals Soil-water dynamics and unsaturated storage during snowmelt following wildfire

2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 441-483
Author(s):  
B. A. Ebel ◽  
E. S. Hinckley ◽  
D. A. Martin
Keyword(s):  
Water Content ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Soil Water Content ◽  
Water Storage ◽  
Field Capacity ◽  
Water Dynamics ◽  
Soil Water Storage ◽  
Soil Water Dynamics ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Snowmelt Period

Abstract. Many forested watersheds with a substantial fraction of precipitation delivered as snow have the potential for landscape disturbance by wildfire. Little is known about the immediate effects of wildfire on snowmelt and near-surface hydrologic responses, including soil-water storage. Montane systems at the rain-snow transition have soil-water dynamics that are further complicated during the snowmelt period by strong aspect controls on snowmelt and soil thawing. Here we present data and analysis from field measurements of snow hydrology and subsurface hydrologic and temperature responses during the first winter and spring after the September 2010 Fourmile Canyon Fire in Colorado, USA. Our observations of soil-water content and soil temperature show sharp contrasts in hydrologic and thermal conditions between north- and south-facing slopes. South-facing burned soils were ~1–2 °C warmer on average than north-facing burned soils and ~1.5 °C warmer than south-facing unburned soils, which affected soil thawing during the snowmelt period. Soil-water dynamics also differed by aspect: in response to soil thawing, soil-water content increased approximately one month earlier on south-facing burned slopes than on north-facing burned slopes. While aspect and wildfire affect soil-water dynamics during snowmelt, soil-water storage at the end of the snowmelt period reached the value at field capacity for each plot, suggesting that post-snowmelt unsaturated storage was not substantially influenced by aspect in wildfire-affected areas. Our data and analysis indicate that snowmelt-driven groundwater recharge may be larger in wildfire-impacted areas, especially on south-facing slopes, because of earlier soil thaw and longer durations of soil-water contents above field capacity in those areas.

scholarly journals Soil-water dynamics and unsaturated storage during snowmelt following wildfire

2012 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. 1401-1417 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. A. Ebel ◽  
E. S. Hinckley ◽  
D. A. Martin
Keyword(s):  
Water Content ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Soil Water Content ◽  
Water Storage ◽  
Field Capacity ◽  
Water Dynamics ◽  
Soil Water Storage ◽  
Soil Water Dynamics ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Snowmelt Period

Abstract. Many forested watersheds with a substantial fraction of precipitation delivered as snow have the potential for landscape disturbance by wildfire. Little is known about the immediate effects of wildfire on snowmelt and near-surface hydrologic responses, including soil-water storage. Montane systems at the rain-snow transition have soil-water dynamics that are further complicated during the snowmelt period by strong aspect controls on snowmelt and soil thawing. Here we present data from field measurements of snow hydrology and subsurface hydrologic and temperature responses during the first winter and spring after the September 2010 Fourmile Canyon Fire in Colorado, USA. Our observations of soil-water content and soil temperature show sharp contrasts in hydrologic and thermal conditions between north- and south-facing slopes. South-facing burned soils were ∼1–2 °C warmer on average than north-facing burned soils and ∼1.5 °C warmer than south-facing unburned soils, which affected soil thawing during the snowmelt period. Soil-water dynamics also differed by aspect: in response to soil thawing, soil-water content increased approximately one month earlier on south-facing burned slopes than on north-facing burned slopes. While aspect and wildfire affect soil-water dynamics during snowmelt, soil-water storage at the end of the snowmelt period reached the value at field capacity for each plot, suggesting that post-snowmelt unsaturated storage was not substantially influenced by aspect in wildfire-affected areas. Our data and analysis indicate that the amount of snowmelt-driven groundwater recharge may be larger in wildfire-impacted areas, especially on south-facing slopes, because of earlier soil thaw and longer durations of soil-water contents above field capacity in those areas.

scholarly journals Testing the EPIC Richards submodel for simulating soil water dynamics under different bottom boundary conditions

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matteo Longo ◽  
Curtis Dinnen Jones ◽  
Roberto César Izaurralde ◽  
Miguel L. Cabrera ◽  
Nicola Dal Ferro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Conditions ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Water Dynamics ◽  
Soil Water Dynamics ◽  
Bottom Boundary

Numerical routine for soil water dynamics from trickle irrigation

2020 ◽  
Vol 83 ◽  
pp. 371-385 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ángel del Vigo ◽  
Sergio Zubelzu ◽  
Luis Juana
Keyword(s):  
Soil Water ◽  
Water Dynamics ◽  
Trickle Irrigation ◽  
Soil Water Dynamics

scholarly journals Analysis of Soil Water Response to Grass Transpiration

2013 ◽  
Vol 1 (No. 3) ◽  
pp. 85-98
Author(s):  
Dohnal Michal ◽  
Dušek Jaromír ◽  
Vogel Tomáš ◽  
Herza Jiří
Keyword(s):  
Soil Water ◽  
Water Uptake ◽  
Preferential Flow ◽  
Water Movement ◽  
Control Volume ◽  
Water Pressure ◽  
Lower Boundary ◽  
Root Water Uptake ◽  
Water Dynamics ◽  
Soil Water Dynamics

This paper focuses on numerical modelling of soil water movement in response to the root water uptake that is driven by transpiration. The flow of water in a lysimeter, installed at a grass covered hillslope site in a small headwater catchment, is analysed by means of numerical simulation. The lysimeter system provides a well defined control volume with boundary fluxes measured and soil water pressure continuously monitored. The evapotranspiration intensity is estimated by the Penman-Monteith method and compared with the measured lysimeter soil water loss and the simulated root water uptake. Variably saturated flow of water in the lysimeter is simulated using one-dimensional dual-permeability model based on the numerical solution of the Richards&rsquo; equation. The availability of water for the root water uptake is determined by the evaluation of the plant water stress function, integrated in the soil water flow model. Different lower boundary conditions are tested to compare the soil water dynamics inside and outside the lysimeter. Special attention is paid to the possible influence of the preferential flow effects on the lysimeter soil water balance. The adopted modelling approach provides a useful and flexible framework for numerical analysis of soil water dynamics in response to the plant transpiration.

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