Investigating the Role of Slope Gradient and Soil Properties in the Variations of Soil Water Content in Rainfed Lands of Semi-Arid Regions, Northwest of Iran

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 MSc. student, Soil Physics and Conservation Engineering, Department of Soil Science Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zanjan.

2 Associate Professor of Soil Physics and Conservation Engineering, Department of Soil Science Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zanjan.

Abstract

Soil water content (SWC) plays an important role in plant growth, particularly in rainfed lands in arid and semi-arid regions. Knowledge of the variability of SWC is critical for understanding a range of hydrological processes including infiltration, runoff, and evapotranspiration. It is an integrative state variable affected by climate, soil properties, land cover, and topography. In this study, the variability of SWC was investigated in seven wheat rainfed lands with 4%, 8%, 11%, 15%, 18%, 20%, and 24% slope under fallow conditions in west of Zanjan province. The SWC was measured at a depth of 20 cm in three plots (1.5 m×2.5 m) with 5-day interval during the growing period of winter wheat from 2014 to 2015. The SWC showed a large variation during the study period which was associated with the monthly variation of precipitation. Significant (P< 0.01) difference in the SWC was found among the lands. The SWC steadily decreased from 4% to 11% slope and showed a negligible decline in higher slopes (15-24%). Decrease in the SWC in the lands was attributed to increases in the surface runoff. Correlation matrix (r) for determining the effects of land characteristics (slope gradient and soil properties) showed that the SWC was significantly correlated with slope gradient, sand, clay, organic matter contents, and soil infiltrability. Multiple regression analysis indicated the SWC was significantly (R2= 0.78, P< 0.01) related to slope gradient and sand content. The SWC in the semi-arid rainfed lands can be reliably estimated using the slope gradient and sand content in the soil.
 

Keywords

References

  1. رئوف، م .، س، ع، اشرف صدرالدینی.، ا، ح، ناظمی.، و ص، معروفی. 1390. بررسی تأثیر شیب زمین روی میزان نفوذ و برخی از مشخصه‌های فیزیکی خاک مجله دانش آب‌وخاک. جلد 2، شماره 1، ص 68 -57.
  2. ظریف، م، س.، س، ح، ر، صادقی.، و س، خ، میرنیا. 1388. بررسی تغییرات رواناب و رسوب در دو شیب مختلف در حوزه آبخیز جنگلی کجور. پنجمین همایش ملّی علوم و مهندسی آبخیزداری ایران، گرگان، 2 و 3 اردیبهشت 212:1388.

3.                  Angers, D. A., and G. R. Mehuys. 1993.  Aggregate stability to water. In Cartner, M. R. (ed.) Soil Sampling and Methods of Analysis. Lewis Publishers, Boca Raton. pp 651–657.

4.                  Assouline, S., and M. Ben-Hur. 2006. Effect of rainfall intensity and slope gradient on the dynamics of interrill erosion during soil Surface sealing. Catena, 66(3): 211-220.

5.                  Bell, A. M., and H. van Keulen. 1995. Soil pedotransfer functions for four Mexican soils. Soil Science Society of America Journal, 59: 865–871.

6.                  Bodhinayake, W., B. C. Si., and C. Xiao. 2004. New method for determining water-conducting macroand mesoporosity from tension infiltrometer, Soil Science Society of America Journal, 68(3): 760–769.

7.                  Brady, N. C., and R. R. Weil. 1999. The nature and properties of soils 12th ed.

8.                  Carroll, C., L. Merton., and P. Burger. 2000. Impact of vegetative cover and slope on runoff, erosion, and water quality for field plots on a range of soil and spoil materials on central Queensland coal mines. Soil Research, 3(2):313-327.

9.                  Cheng, Q., W. Ma., and Q. Cai. 2008. The relative importance of soil crust and slope angle in runoff and soil loss: a case study in the hilly areas of the Loess Plateau, north China. GeoJournal, 71(2-3):117-125.

10.              Danalatos, N. G., C. S. Kosmas., P. M. Driessen., and N. Yassoglou. 1994. Estimation of the draining soil moisture characteristics from standard data as recorded in soil surveys. Geoderma, 64:155– 165.

11.              Dong-Sheng, Y. U., S. Xue-Zheng., W. Hong-Jie., Z. Xiang-Yan., and D. C. Weindorf. 2000. Function of soils in regulating rainwater in southern china: impacts of land uses and soils. Pedosphere, 18(6): 717–730.

12.              Ekwu, E. I., and Harrilal, A. 2010. Effect of soil type, peat, slope, compaction effort and their interactions on infiltration, runoff and raindrop erosion of some Trinidadian soils. Biosystems Engineering, 105(1):112-118.

13.              El Kateb, H., H. Zhang., P. Zhang., and R. Mosandl. 2013. Soil erosion and surface runoff on different vegetation covers and slope gradients: A field experiment in Southern Shaanxi Province, China. Catena, 105:1–10.

14.              Gardner, W. R. 1970. Field measurement of soil water diffusivity. Soil Science Society of American Proceeding, 34(5): 832- 833.

15.              Gee, G. W., and J. W. Bauder. 1986. Particle Size Analysis.p. 383-411. In: Klute A. (Ed.) Methods of Soil Analysis. Part 1 .2nd ed. Agron.Monogr, 9.ASA,SSSA, Madison, WI.

16.              Grayson, R. B., A. W. Western., F. H. S. Chiew., and G. Bloschl. 1997. Preferred states in spatial soil moisture patterns: local and nonlocal controls. Water Resource Research,33:2897–2908.

17.              Gupta, S., and W. E. Larson. 1979. Estimating soil water retention characteristics from particle size distribution, organic matter percent, and bulk density. Water Resources Research, 15(6): 1633-1635.

18.              Haise, H. R., W. W. Donnan., j. T. Phelan., L. F. Lawhon., and D. G. Shockley. 1956. The use of cylinder infiltrometers to determine the intake characteristics of irrigated soils. Publ ARS41 USDA. Agricultueral Resarch Service and Soil conservation Service. Washington D.C

19.              Hussein, M. H., T. H. Kariem., and A. K. Othman. 2007. Predicting soil erodibility in northern Iraq using natural runoff data. Soil and Tillage Research, 94(1): 220-228.

20.              Hwang, S., K. P. Lee., D. S. Lee., and S. E. Powers. 2002. Models for estimating soil particle-size distributions. Soil Science Society of America Journal,  l66:1143-1150.

21.              IPCC. 2008. Climate change and water, intergovernmental panel on climate change Technical Report IV.

22.              Joel, A., and I. Messing. 2000. Application of two methods to determine hydraulic conductivity with disc permeameters on sloping land. European Journal of Soil Science, 51(1): 93-98.

23.              Jones, E. P. 2001. Circulation in the arctic ocean. Polar Research, 20( 2): 139-146.

24.              Kosmas, C., S. Gerontidis., M. Marathianou., B. Detsisa., T. Zafiriou., W. Van Muysen., G. Govers., T. A. Quine., and K. Vanoost. 2001. The effects of tillage displaced soil on soil properties and wheat biomass. Soil and Tillage Research, 58(1): 31–44.

25.              Lado, M., A. Paz., and M. Ben-Hur. 2004. Organic matter and aggregate size interactions in infiltration, seal formation, and soil loss. Soil Science Society of American Journal, 68(3): 935-942.

26.              Liu, Y., S. Q. Li., F. Chen., S. J. Yang., and X. P. Chen. 2010. Soil water dynamics and water use efficiency in spring maize (Zea mays L.) fields subjected to different water management practices on the Loess Plateau, China. Agricultural Water Management, 97(5): 769–775.

27.              Marshall, T. J., J. W. Holmes., and W. C. Rose. 1996. Soil Physics. Cambridge University Press. Cambridge, UK, pp 274-307.

28.              McBride, R. A., and E. E. Mackintosh. 1984. Soil survey interpretations from water retention data: Development and validation of a water retention model. Soil Science Society of America Journal, 48(6): 1338– 1343.

29.              Molina, A. J., J. Latron, C. M., Rubio, F. Gallart, F., and P. Llorens. 2014. Spatio-temporal variability of soil water content on the local scale in a Mediterranean mountain area (Vallcebre, North Eastern Spain). How different spatio-temporal scales reflect mean soil water content. Journal of Hydrology, 516(3): 182–192.

30.              Nelson, D. W., and L. Sommers. 1982. Total carbon, organic carbon, and organic matter. Methods of soil analysis. Part 2. Chemical and microbiological properties, (methods of soilan 2). pp 539-579.

31.              Nyssen, J., and D. Vermeersch. 2010. Slope aspect affects geomorphic dynamics of coal mining spoil heaps in Belgium. Geomorphology, 123(1): 109-121.

32.              Pachepsky, Y. A., D. J. Timlin., and W. J. Rawls. 2001. Soil water retention as related to topographic variables. Soil Science Society of America Journal, 65(6): 1787-1795.

33.              Rawls, W. J., Y. A. Pachepsky., J. C. Ritchie., T. M. Sobecki., and H. Bloodworth. 2003. Effect of soil organic carbon on soil water retention. Geoderma, 116(1): 61-76.

34.              Rawls, W.J., T.J. Gish and D.L. Brakensiek. 1993. Estimating Soil Water Retention from Soil Physical Properties and Characteristics. In Advances in Soil Science, 16: 213-234.

35.              Reichert, J. M., J. A. Albuquerque., D. R. Kaiser., D. J. Reinert., F. L. Urach., and R. Carlesso. 2009. Estimation of water retention and availability in soils of Rio Grande do Sul. Brazilian Society of Soil Science, 33(6): 1547-1560.

36.              Rezaei, S., and R. Gilkes. 2005. The effects of landscape attributes and plantcommunity on soil physical properties in rangelands. Geoderma, 125(1): 167-176.

37.              Sande, L., and X. Chu. 2012. Laboratory experiments on the effect of microtopography on soil-water movement: Spatial variability in wetting front movement. Applied and Environmental Soil Science.

38.              Silvente, S., A. P. Sobolev., and M. Lara. 2012. Metabolite Adjustments in Drought Tolerant and Sensitive Soybean Genotypes in Response to Water Stress. Plos One, 7(6): 38554.

39.              Tan, K. H. 2005. Soil sampling preparation and Analysis. CRC press, Boca Raton.

40.              Too, V. K., C. T. Omuto., E. K. Biamah., and J. P. Obiero. 2014. Review of Soil Water Retention Characteristic (SWRC) Models between Saturation and Oven Dryness. Open Journal of Modern Hydrology, 4(04): 173.

41.              Vaezi, A.R. 2014. Modeling runoff from semi-arid gricultural lands in northwest Iran. Pedosphere, 24(5): 595–604.

42.              Vereecken, H., T. Kamai., T. Harter., R. Kasteel., J. Hopmans., and J. Vanderborght. 2007. Explaining soil moisture variability as a function of mean soil moisture: astochastic unsaturated flow perspective. Geophysical Research Letters, 34(22): 22402.

43.              Western, A. W., and R. B. Grayson. 1998. The Tarrawarra data set: soil moisture patterns, soil characteristics, and hydrological flux measurements. Water Resources Research, 34(10): 2765–2768.

44.              Williams, C. J., J. P. McNamara., and D. G. Chandler. 2009. Controls on the temporal and spatial variability of soil moisture in a mountainous landscape: the signature of snow and complex terrain. Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, 13(7): 1325-1336.

Journal of Water Research in Agriculture
Volume 31, Issue 2
September 2017
Pages 245-257

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics