Soil water content temporal-spatial variability of the surface layer of a Loess Plateau hillside in China

Authors

  • Wei Hu School of the Chinese Academy of Sciences
  • Ming An Shao Northwest A & F University; Chinese Academy of Sciences & Ministry of Water Resource; Institute of Soil and Water Conservation
  • Quan Jiu Wang Northwest A & F University; Chinese Academy of Sciences & Ministry of Water Resource; Institute of Soil and Water Conservation
  • Klaus Reichardt USP; CENA; Lab. de Física do Solo

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1590/S0103-90162008000300008

Keywords:

surface soil moisture, coefficient of variation, correlation length, temporal stability

Abstract

Surface soil moisture exhibits an important variability in terms of spatial and temporal domains, which may result in critical uncertainties for agricultural water management. The purposes of this study were (i) to characterize the temporal dynamics and stability of the spatial variability of the surface 0-6 cm soil water content θon a hill-slope; (ii) to investigate issues related to soil moisture conditions including dominating factors on soil moisture and to the estimation of the mean θ. During a period of more than one month θwas measured on thirteen days by Frequency Domain Reflectometry using a 10 x 10 m grid of measurement points covering a 60 x 280 m domain within a hill-slope of the Loess Plateau in China. Soil water content exhibited a moderate variability for each measurement date, and the correlation length (l) for θranged from 8.4 to 27.7 m. With the soil becoming drier, l decreased, the CV% and the sampling number for accurate mean θestimation increased. Aspect, elevation, organic matter content, clay content, and bulk density were the main influencing factors, whose extent of influence weakened with decreasing θ. Based on time stability analysis and on the correlation of mean relative difference of θwith the relative difference of dominating factors, mean q values were well estimated, with a better accuracy under wetter conditions.

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Published

2008-01-01

Issue

Section

Soils and Plant Nutrition

How to Cite

Soil water content temporal-spatial variability of the surface layer of a Loess Plateau hillside in China . (2008). Scientia Agricola, 65(3), 277-289. https://doi.org/10.1590/S0103-90162008000300008