Measured Ks Values Research Articles

Field- and Laboratory-Determined Hydraulic Conductivities Considering Anisotropy and Core Surface Area

The influence of the measurement method on the values of the mean and standard deviation of saturated hydraulic conductivities, Ks, has not been extensively studied. This study examines the dependence of these statistical characteristics of Ks on the sampled soil volume. Statistical characteristics of Ks for a sandy loam soil determined by field and laboratory techniques differed greatly. However, if anisotropy in hydraulic conductivity induced by soil structure and macropores is considered, the mean of field vertical Ks (Kvs) approaches that of laboratory Ks. Furthermore, geostatistical variograms of log(Ks) and the regression analysis (field/laboratory) demonstrate the spatial independence of Ks. Thus, when generating Ks values for larger soil cores, standard deviation approaches field Kvs. When the investigated areas are the same for both methods, mean and scattering of field-and laboratory-measured values become closer. These results show that the method as well as the measurement area greatly affect the representativeness of measured Ks values and their scattering.

A COMPARISON OF THREE FIELD METHODS FOR MEASURING SATURATED HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY

The saturated hydraulic conductivity, Ks, was measured on a loamy sand, a fine sandy loam, a silt loam and a clay at four 100-m2-area sites in southern Ontario. Twenty measurements of Ks were obtained by each of three different measurement techniques at each of the four sites. The techniques included: (1) the air-entry permeameter method; (2) the constant head well permeameter method using the Guelph Permeameter; and (3) the falling-head permeameter method applied to small soil cores. The Ks data were found to be better described by the log-normal frequency distribution than by the normal frequency distribution. Statistical comparison of the mean Ks values [Formula: see text] indicated significant differences between some or all of the methods within each site. This site-method interaction was interpreted in terms of the influence of macropores and air entrapment on each of the measurement techniques. The measured Ks values ranged over an order of magnitude on the sand, one to two orders of magnitude on the loams, and three orders of magnitude on the clay. The [Formula: see text] estimates averaged over the three methods were: 3 × 10−5 m∙s−1 for the sand; 2 × 10−6 m∙s−1 for the loams and 1 × 10−7 m∙s−1 for the clay. Although all techniques were able to discriminate between the three soil types, the best choice of method for any particular situation appears dependent on the required type and accuracy of the Ks measurement, soil type, and the various practical constraints on the investigation. Key words: Air-entry permeameter, Guelph Permeameter, falling-head permeameter, spatial variability, macropores, entrapped air

Sapwood water storage: its contribution to transpiration and effect upon water conductance through the stems of old‐growth Douglas‐fir

Abstract Enough water is stored in the sapwood of large Douglas‐fir to significantly contribute to transpiration. Sapwood water content falls through the season, causing the wood's conductivity to fall. This leads to low leafwater potentials, stomatal closure, and reduced photosynthesis by the trees.The amount of water stored in the sapwood of Douglasfir 50‐60 m tall, growing in the Cascade Mountains of Oregon, was estimated periodically over two seasons from measurements of sapwood relative water content (Rs). The relationship between Rs and volume of water contained in the sapwood was determined in the laboratory, and an equation describing the variation of relative conductivity (K) with Rs was derived from the literature. Stomatal conductance (ks) and leaf water potentials were measured in the field.The relative conductivity of the sapwood was calculated from estimates of the flow rate through the tree and differences in water potential between dawn and the time of comparison. Flow rate was assumed to equal transpiration rate, calculated from the Penman‐Monteith equation using measured ks values. A sixfold decrease in K during the summer was attributed to changes in Rs. The maximum observed diurnal variation in K would require a change in RS estimated at 25%.About 270 m3 ha−1 (27 mm) of water were stored in sapwood, and 75% of that was in the stemwood. Withdrawal from this store reached 1.7 mm day−1 on clear days after cloudy or rainy weather. Recharge could be almost as fast (up to 1.6 mm day−1) after rain, but was very slow if the foliage remained wet.