Linking Unsaturated Air Permeability to Saturated Hydraulic Permeability to Characterize Functional Soil Structure.

Description

Linking unsaturated air permeability to saturated hydraulic permeability to characterize functional soil structure. Previous studies showed that the unsaturated air permeability (k_a) and the saturated hydraulic permeability (k_s) are linked to soil functional structure. Combining the two measured may lead to better characterization of the soil structure. k_a and k_s were measured on four differently textured Danish agricultural top-soils. Furthermore, k_a was measured for different water potentials (psi) ranging from -50 to -1000 cm water column. Form the k_a measurements the air-filled pore network complexity factor (A) could be derived. The determination of the pecolation threshold (e_cr, air filled porosity at which k_a = 1 micrometer2), the air filled pore network complexity factor and the air filled porosity at which k_a = k_s, and relating those parameters to the dry bulk density enables to determine how soil structure reacts to soil compaction.

Period	13 Nov 2019
Held at	Soil Science Society of America, United States
Degree of Recognition	International