TY - JOUR
T1 - Flow dynamics in vadose zones with and without vegetation in an arid region
AU - Wang, Wenke
AU - Zhang, Zaiyong
AU - Yeh, Tian chyi Jim
AU - Qiao, Gang
AU - Wang, Wenmin
AU - Duan, Lei
AU - Huang, Shao Yang
AU - Wen, Jet Chau
N1 - Funding Information:
This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 41230314, U1603243). The analysis was also partially supported by the program for Changjiang Scholars and Innovative Research Team of the Chinese Ministry of Education (IRT0811) and Shaanxi Science and Technology Research and Development Project (2014K15-01-02). The second author is grateful to the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (310829175006) and Chinese Scholarship Council (Project number: 201606560014) for providing an opportunity to be a Visiting Research Student at the University of Arizona, USA. The third author acknowledges the support by the Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP) (grant ER-1365) and Environmental Security and Technology Certification Program (ESTCP) (grant ER201212) and by the NSF EAR (grant 1014594). The third author also acknowledges the Outstanding Oversea Professorship award through Jilin University from Department of Education, China as well as the Global Expert award through Tianjin Normal University from the Thousand Talents Plan of Tianjin City. J.-C. Wen would like to acknowledge the research support from NSC 101-2221-E-224-050, NSC 102-2221-E-224-050, MOST 103-2221-E-224-054, and MOST 104-2221-E-224-039, by the Minister of Science and Technology, Taiwan.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2017
PY - 2017/8
Y1 - 2017/8
N2 - Flow dynamics in a thick vadose zone in an arid region, China was investigated using a field experiment at plots with bare soils and vegetated soils. Detailed pressure head profile along a depth of 8 m, groundwater level, soil moisture content at surface, air temperature, and precipitation were observed over one year's time span. The temporal and spatial variations of pressure heads and hydraulic gradients over the time span elucidate the role of air temperature, precipitation, and soil stratification, the growth of vegetation, on the flow dynamics in the vadose zone. The dynamics includes freezing and thawing of surface soils, infiltration, evapotranspiration, distribution of moisture, and groundwater recharge. Estimated hydraulic gradients based on the observed pressure heads suggest that vegetation affected flow dynamics even at 3 m below land surface during its growth seasons. The pressure head distributions at the vadose zone over the time span were found correlated well with soil stratification or heterogeneity. Afterward, we estimated the land-atmosphere interface flux, water uptake rate by the plants, and we then discussed the relationship between seasonal variation of temperature, precipitation, evaporation, plant growth, soil stratification (heterogeneity) and the flow dynamics in the vadose zone of the region.
AB - Flow dynamics in a thick vadose zone in an arid region, China was investigated using a field experiment at plots with bare soils and vegetated soils. Detailed pressure head profile along a depth of 8 m, groundwater level, soil moisture content at surface, air temperature, and precipitation were observed over one year's time span. The temporal and spatial variations of pressure heads and hydraulic gradients over the time span elucidate the role of air temperature, precipitation, and soil stratification, the growth of vegetation, on the flow dynamics in the vadose zone. The dynamics includes freezing and thawing of surface soils, infiltration, evapotranspiration, distribution of moisture, and groundwater recharge. Estimated hydraulic gradients based on the observed pressure heads suggest that vegetation affected flow dynamics even at 3 m below land surface during its growth seasons. The pressure head distributions at the vadose zone over the time span were found correlated well with soil stratification or heterogeneity. Afterward, we estimated the land-atmosphere interface flux, water uptake rate by the plants, and we then discussed the relationship between seasonal variation of temperature, precipitation, evaporation, plant growth, soil stratification (heterogeneity) and the flow dynamics in the vadose zone of the region.
KW - Evapotranspiration
KW - Flow dynamics
KW - Heterogeneity
KW - Root uptake
KW - Temperature
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U2 - 10.1016/j.advwatres.2017.03.011
DO - 10.1016/j.advwatres.2017.03.011
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85017529126
VL - 106
SP - 68
EP - 79
JO - Advances in Water Resources
JF - Advances in Water Resources
SN - 0309-1708
ER -