Comparison of the Temporal Heterogeneity of Soil Moisture of Different Ecosystems at Red Soil Hillside Fields

Abstract

This paper investigates the differences in the temporal heterogeneity of soil moisture between natural restoration ecosystem without disturbance (named as eco-1), restoration ecosystem with disturbance (named as eco-2) and shrubs ecosystem (named as eco-3) in red soil hillside fields. The probe soil moisture measured at 20 and 40 cm below the soil surface Hydrosense Portable Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR) system. The results showed that: (1) Daily measurements during a growing season showed significantly temporal interactions between vegetation and water. Soils under eco-2 (restoration ecosystem with disturbance) and eco-3 (shrubs ecosystem) were wettest at the start of the growing season but dries at the end; (2) The coefficient of variation of soil moisture content over time during the growing season was significantly higher in eco-2 than in eco-1, and at two depths beneath the soil surface (20 and 40 cm).