TY - JOUR
T1 - Macropores and Macropore Transport: Relating Basic Soil Properties to Macropore Density and Soil Hydraulic Properties
AU - Iversen, Bo Vangsø
AU - Lamande, Mathieu André Maurice
AU - Torp, Søren Bent
AU - Greve, Mogens Humlekrog
AU - Heckrath, Goswin Johann
AU - de Jonge, Lis Wollesen
AU - Møldrup, Per
AU - Jacobsen, Ole Hørbye
PY - 2012/9
Y1 - 2012/9
N2 - Preferential transport of water through soil macropores is a governing process in the facilitated transport of strongly sorbing compounds. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships between macropore density and the hydraulic conductivity of the soil and to test the sampling representativeness of soil columns for the measurement of saturated hydraulic conductivity. Macropore density was determined in three horizons in four typical Danish soil types (third year of pasture), and saturated hydraulic conductivity and near-saturated hydraulic conductivity were measured in the laboratory on undisturbed soil columns (6,280 cm(3)) in the same three horizons. A strong relationship between macropore density and the mean particle diameter was found in the B and C horizons. A poor relationship was found between macropore density and the hydraulic conductivity at a matric potential of - 10 hPa, whereas a stronger relationship was found at saturation. Results of the test of the number of soil columns needed for a representative distribution of macropores for the measurement of saturated hydraulic conductivity indicated that approximately six soil columns were enough. Our work suggests that integrating knowledge of the abundance of macropores in relation to soil type and land use will increase the performance of pedotransfer functions in predicting saturated hydraulic conductivity
AB - Preferential transport of water through soil macropores is a governing process in the facilitated transport of strongly sorbing compounds. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships between macropore density and the hydraulic conductivity of the soil and to test the sampling representativeness of soil columns for the measurement of saturated hydraulic conductivity. Macropore density was determined in three horizons in four typical Danish soil types (third year of pasture), and saturated hydraulic conductivity and near-saturated hydraulic conductivity were measured in the laboratory on undisturbed soil columns (6,280 cm(3)) in the same three horizons. A strong relationship between macropore density and the mean particle diameter was found in the B and C horizons. A poor relationship was found between macropore density and the hydraulic conductivity at a matric potential of - 10 hPa, whereas a stronger relationship was found at saturation. Results of the test of the number of soil columns needed for a representative distribution of macropores for the measurement of saturated hydraulic conductivity indicated that approximately six soil columns were enough. Our work suggests that integrating knowledge of the abundance of macropores in relation to soil type and land use will increase the performance of pedotransfer functions in predicting saturated hydraulic conductivity
KW - WATER-FLOW
KW - CYLINDRICAL MACROPORES
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84866849895&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1097/SS.0b013e31826dd155
DO - 10.1097/SS.0b013e31826dd155
M3 - Journal article
SN - 0038-075X
VL - 177
SP - 535
EP - 542
JO - Soil Science
JF - Soil Science
IS - 9
ER -