Abstract
ABSTRACT The functions of soil water retention and hydraulic conductivity are indispensable for the characterization and modeling of the infiltration and water transfer processes in the vadose zone. In the case of the Brazilian semi-arid region, characterized by the scarcity of water resources, there is a lack of information on the hydrodynamic properties of the soil. Also, these properties have numerous factors of variability, requiring the characterization of their magnitude and distribution in space. This research presents an analysis of the infiltration process and the hydrodynamic properties of the soil under native Caatinga forest, observing its spatial distribution. This vegetation is typical of the Brazilian semi-arid region. One developed a 48-point grid in an area of approximately 875 m2, and applied on it the Beerkan methodology. The analyzes were performed based on the application of the BEST-Slope algorithm and statistical measures of the position, dispersion, and adherence tests. The results showed medium to high variability indices for the hydrodynamic properties, with random spatial distribution, despite the verification of a homogeneous texture in the area. Thus, it was found that the soil structure was predominant in the processes of water infiltration.
Highlights
The analyses of the hydrodynamic properties of the soil are essential to the conception of water management models, especially in regions with a historical water shortage (Coutinho et al, 2016; Abaker et al, 2018; Bouslihim et al, 2019)
The soil water retention function describes the relationship between the soil water content and the matrix energy state
Regarding the θS, this study presented an average value of 0.39 cm3.cm-3, a medium variation (CV = 18.98%), and a low asymmetry in its distribution (> 0.5)
Summary
The analyses of the hydrodynamic properties of the soil are essential to the conception of water management models, especially in regions with a historical water shortage (Coutinho et al, 2016; Abaker et al, 2018; Bouslihim et al, 2019). In this context are included semiarid regions, that have shallow soils (Santos et al, 2012b; Paula Filho et al, 2019), low and irregular annual rainfall (Cirilo, 2008; Souza et al, 2016), and high evapotranspiration rates (Jha & Srivastava, 2018; Mutti et al, 2019), resulting in constant drought periods (Han et al, 2018; Habibi et al, 2018) and the susceptibility to desertification (Joseph et al, 2018; Barros et al, 2018). These properties are crucial for modeling the movement of water into the soil (Nasta et al, 2013)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
