Work

Analysis of Soil Water-Holding Capacity and Hydraulic Conductivity of Alpine Meadow Soil Based on Soil Pore Curvature

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: Soil’s water-holding and conducting properties are crucial for studying soil-water relations. This research explores how soil pore structure affects water-holding capacity and hydraulic conductivity in alpine meadow soils of the central Tibetan Plateau. The study critiques the Campbell formula for inaccurately predicting these factors, citing a lack of consideration for specific soil properties and contexts. Incorporating soil pore curvature, a revised method enhances the accuracy of the Campbell formula. During the growing season, independent pores in alpine meadow soils often interconnect, featuring large surface areas but small volumes. These soils, with higher clay content than loamy and sandy soils, demonstrate a high water-holding capacity. However, in the growing season, this capacity diminishes, and hydraulic conductivity rises due to reduced pore curvature in these cold alpine meadows.

Source: Polish Journal of Environmental Studies

DOI: 10.15244/pjoes/187134

Authors: Yuhang Zhang, Baisha Weng, Denghua Yan, Wenwen Li, Zhaoyu Dong

Institutions: China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, Capital Normal University

Language: English

Topic: Soil and Unsaturated Flow

Subfield: Civil and Structural Engineering

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Life on land

Open Access status: diamond

Funder: National Natural Science Foundation of China