Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Ying Liu, Yinghu Zhang, Lumeng Xie, Shiqiang Zhao, Liyi Dai, Zhenming Zhang
Summary: Wetland ecosystems play a vital role in the global ecosystem due to their natural resources and ecological functions. Preferential flow, a common form of water and solute transport in soils, has significant effects on nutrient transport and environmental pollution. This study identified two types of preferential flow in a wetland ecosystem through dye tracing experiments and found a strong correlation between soil water content and preferential flow intensity data. This research aims to provide guidance and foundational data for future studies on preferential flow in wetlands.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
John R. Nimmo, Paige R. Voss
Summary: Because tension infiltrometers apply water through a disk of finite size, the infiltrated water moves laterally as well as downward. Some commonly used formulas correct for the multidimensional effects by subtracting an estimate of the laterally spreading flow, but these subtractive formulas lose accuracy for disks smaller than about 200 mm in diameter. We developed a new formula that uses a multiplicative factor instead of a subtracted term to achieve a more reliable calculation of hydraulic conductivity (K) for small disks.
WATER RESOURCES RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Geological
Jia-Ming Zhang, Yi Luo, Zhi Zhou, Lily Chong, Chikhotkin Victor, Yu-Fei Zhang
Summary: Desiccation cracks on soil slopes can lead to increased permeability, reduced shear strength, and potential landslides. A study conducted full-scale model tests on a cracked soil slope under rainfall-evaporation cycles, revealing dynamic variations in crack patterns and preferential flow induced by the cracks during rainfall. The findings suggest the failure process of the cracked slope can be separated into three stages based on crack patterns and failure modes, highlighting the importance of considering dynamic changes within desiccation cracks when simulating seepage and stability, and implementing specific treatment measures to prevent slope failure at different stages.
ENGINEERING GEOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Soil Science
Jie Zhang, Quan Sun, Na Wen, Robert Horton, Gang Liu
Summary: Preferential flow is an important factor in soil water infiltration, but there is a lack of widely accepted methods to quantify it. This study used a new dual infiltration method to quantify preferential flow and found that wormholes were an important factor in preferential flow generation.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Yi Luo, Jiaming Zhang, Zhi Zhou, Juan P. Aguilar-Lopez, Roberto Greco, Thom Bogaard
Summary: This work presents an experimental and numerical study of preferential flow induced by desiccation cracks (PF-DC) considering the dynamic changes of cracks. Experimental results showed that the maximum crack ratio and aperture decreased with higher evaporation intensity, and self-closure phenomenon of cracks was observed during low-evaporation periods. Simulation results showed that the dynamic dual-permeability preferential flow model (DPMDy) better described crack evolution and hydrological response compared to the single-domain model (SDM) and rigid dual-permeability model (DPM) with fixed crack ratio and hydraulic conductivity.
HYDROLOGY AND EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ziteng Luo, Jianzhi Niu, Shuqin He, Linus Zhang, Xiongwen Chen, Bo Tan, Di Wang, Ronny Berndtsson
Summary: This study aimed to explore the distribution of soil water content in the presence of root-enhanced preferential flow and analyze the correlations between root traits and preferential flow features. The results showed that tree species with different root distribution patterns have varied impacts on soil moisture redistribution, and the effects of root traits are more apparent under lower rainfall amount.
JOURNAL OF SOILS AND SEDIMENTS
(2023)
Article
Soil Science
Qi Hu, Xianyue Li, Haibin Shi, Ning Chen, Yuehong Zhang
Summary: Plastic-film mulching (PFM) is beneficial for agricultural productivity in arid and semi-arid regions, but the residual plastic film (RPF) has become a concern due to its negative impact on soil water flow. This study investigated the effects of RPF on soil properties and examined its influence on infiltration uniformity and preferential flow. The results showed that increasing RPF amounts decreased soil density and hydraulic conductivity, but increased porosity and water content in the RPF layer. RPF accumulation promoted preferential flow in deeper soil layers, leading to reduced dye-stained coverage and infiltration depth, and increased variability and preferential flow fraction.
SOIL & TILLAGE RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Soil Science
Laura B. Kenny, Daniel Gimenez, Joshua S. Caplan, Ali Al-Sarraji, Mohson AlHello, Mark G. Robson, William Meyer, Carey A. Williams
Summary: Livestock population growth has led to increased negative impacts on grassland soils worldwide. This study compared the effects of rotational grazing and continuous grazing on water infiltration rates, saturated hydraulic conductivity, and bulk density. The results showed that rotational grazing allowed for a larger macropore system, reducing water deficits and contributing to the sustainability of grazed ecosystems.
SOIL & TILLAGE RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Aaron A. Mohammed, Edwin E. Cey, Masaki Hayashi, Michael Callaghan, Young-Jin Park, Killian L. Miller, Steven K. Frey
Summary: The infiltrability of frozen soils is influenced by freeze-thaw and preferential flow dynamics, highlighting the significant impact of water freezing in macropores on infiltration and runoff characteristics. This study provides a physically based description linking infiltration behavior to the hydraulic and thermal properties of structured soils, demonstrating the importance of macropore hydraulic conductivity and heat exchange in controlling preferential flow dynamics in frozen soils.
VADOSE ZONE JOURNAL
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Civil
Jiaying Li, Peng Cui, Yanzhou Yin
Summary: Plant roots potentially affect slope stability by redistributing infiltrating water in soil unevenly. The relationship between preferential flow pathways and root characteristics is quantified, and the influence of fluid pressure difference, wall contact angle, and pore throat size on vapor-liquid interface movement is visually described. Findings provide insights into the depth of water infiltration and the physical mechanism of root system's effect on rainwater redistribution.
JOURNAL OF HYDROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Fang Hou, Jinhua H. H. Cheng, Ning Guan
Summary: This study investigated the effects of soil cracks on preferential flow in karst areas in Southwest China. The results showed that the properties of crack inclusions, crack width, and configuration significantly influenced preferential flow.
LAND DEGRADATION & DEVELOPMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Minseok Kim, Till H. M. Volkmann, Yadi Wang, Antonio A. Meira Neto, Katarena Matos, Ciaran J. Harman, Peter A. Troch
Summary: This study presents the time-variable transit time distributions and StorAge Selection (SAS) functions for understanding the water transport dynamics at the hillslope scale. It reveals that older water is preferentially discharged than younger water, which can be explained by the relative importance of advective and diffusive water dynamics and the geomorphologic structure of the hillslopes.
WATER RESOURCES RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Erwin Zehe, Ralf Loritz, Yaniv Edery, Brian Berkowitz
Summary: Patterns of distinct preferential pathways for fluid flow and solute transport are common in heterogeneous porous media. Simulations show that with an increase in the variance of the hydraulic conductivity field, stronger transversal concentration gradients emerge, leading to stronger macroscale self-organization of transport pathways. This phenomenon is related to the need for work to establish transversal concentration gradients in line with the second law of thermodynamics.
HYDROLOGY AND EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Jiang Liu, Lei Zhao, Kun Kong, Mahmoud A. Abdelhafiz, Shanyi Tian, Tao Jiang, Bo Meng, Xinbin Feng
Summary: This study investigated the geochemical fractionation of newly deposited mercury (Hg) in paddy soils during the rice-growing period using a stable Hg isotope tracing technique. The results showed that the coupling of autochthonous dissolved organic matter and poorly crystalline Fe (oxyhydr)oxides played a predominant role in controlling the redistribution of the newly deposited Hg among geochemical fractions. This study is important for evaluating the environmental risks of Hg from atmospheric depositions.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Soil Science
Yi Luo, Jiaming Zhang, Zhi Zhou, Chikhotkin Victor
Summary: This study presents comparative numerical studies on different models for simulating the water flux, hydrological response, and crack evolution induced by preferential flow induced by desiccation cracks (PF-DC). The results show that the effective dynamic dual-permeability model (DDPM) has higher accuracy and substitutability compared to other models in simulating PF-DC.
Review
Soil Science
Zhongbin Zhang, Xinhua Peng
Summary: Bio-tillage is a method of improving soil structure and promoting crop growth by using plant roots, cover crops with thick and deep roots can effectively enhance soil structure and water and air conductivity, timely planting and elimination of cover crops can benefit the implementation of bio-tillage.
SOIL & TILLAGE RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Soil Science
Y. K. Wang, Z. B. Zhang, F. H. Jiang, Z. C. Guo, X. H. Peng
Summary: Tillage management has a significant and complex impact on SPQ in Vertisols, with LLWR and WLP identified as suitable indicators for assessing SPQ in wheat and maize seasons, respectively, more conveniently in Vertisols.
SOIL & TILLAGE RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
M. Halder, S. Liu, Z. B. Zhang, Z. C. Guo, X. H. Peng
Summary: The study found that the dilution rate of organic matter has no impact on soil respiration and aggregate stability except for nitrogen content. Residue decomposition was positively affected by soluble sugars but negatively impacted by lignin and cellulose. Organic residue input increased the GRSP level, with the order being manure > straw > vetch.
Article
Agronomy
Renjie Ruan, Zhongbin Zhang, Renfeng Tu, Yuekai Wang, Peng Xiong, Wei Li, Huan Chen
Summary: This study found that long-term organic fertilization can improve macroporosity in Vertisol, while long-term inorganic fertilization has a detrimental effect on soil macropore connectivity.
INTERNATIONAL AGROPHYSICS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Peng Xiong, Zhongbin Zhang, Yuekai Wang, Xinhua Peng
Summary: This study investigated the effects of biopores on the behavior and nitrogen uptake of maize roots in compacted soil. The results showed that the number of biopores colonized by roots was higher in compacted soil compared to noncompacted soil. However, the presence of 2 mm diameter biopores did not significantly improve maize growth and nitrogen uptake at the seedling stage.
JOURNAL OF SOILS AND SEDIMENTS
(2022)
Article
Soil Science
Zhongbin Zhang, Lei Yan, Yuekai Wang, Renjie Ruan, Peng Xiong, Xinhua Peng
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the effects of different cover crops on soil physical properties and maize growth. The results showed that cover crops did not influence soil bulk density but reduced soil water content. The alfalfa treatment improved soil hydraulic conductivity and air permeability. The three cover crop treatments increased maize root biomass and root length density. The mixture of radish and hairy vetch in 2018 and oilseed rape in 2019 significantly enhanced maize yield in compacted soil. Therefore, bio-tillage using cover crops can effectively alleviate soil compaction.
SOIL SCIENCE SOCIETY OF AMERICA JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Agronomy
Renjie Ruan, Zhongbin Zhang, Yuekai Wang, Zichun Guo, Hu Zhou, Renfeng Tu, Keke Hua, Daozhong Wang, Xinhua Peng
Summary: This study assessed the effect of different long-term fertilization treatments on LLWR in a Vertisol. The results showed that manure treatments increased soil organic carbon content, while straw treatments increased water stable aggregates. Additionally, manure treatments increased soil water content at field capacity, while straw treatments reduced water content at soil penetration resistance.
AGRICULTURAL WATER MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Soil Science
Peng Xiong, Zhongbin Zhang, Zichun Guo, Xinhua Peng
Summary: This study investigated the effects of macropore characteristics on maize growth and nitrogen uptake in compacted soils. The results showed that the presence of 0.5 or 1 mm macropores enhanced maize growth and nitrogen uptake, while the presence of 2 mm macropores did not. Macropore density had a significant impact on maize growth and nitrogen uptake under the same macropore diameter and wall surface area conditions.
SOIL & TILLAGE RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Soil Science
Y. M. Chen, Z. B. Zhang, Z. C. Guo, L. Gao, X. H. Peng
Summary: This study found that increasing the content of calcareous concretions (CC) significantly reduced the saturated void ratio, coefficient of linear extensibility, and shrinkage index of the soil, while the size of CC did not have a significant effect. A new numerical equation was proposed to illustrate the relationship among void ratio, moisture ratio, and solid volume of CC in the soil.
Review
Agronomy
Peng Xiong, Zhongbin Zhang, Xinhua Peng
Summary: This article reviews the effects of root-biopore interactions on soil structure, plant growth, and nutrient uptake. It introduces the concept of a biopore sheath to indicate the soil influenced by roots and resulting biopores. Biopores provide channels with low mechanical resistance for crop roots to access subsoil and improve water and nutrient absorption. However, the impact of biopores on crop growth depends on their size, and further research is needed.
JOURNAL OF PLANT NUTRITION AND SOIL SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Soil Science
Zichun Guo, Wei Li, Mahbub Ul Islam, Yuekai Wang, Zhongbin Zhang, Xinhua Peng
Summary: Long-term N fertilization can degrade soil aggregation due to increases in monovalent ions and decreases in microbial biomass carbon during soil acidification. However, straw incorporation treatment can improve soil aggregation.
Article
Soil Science
Yuekai Wang, Zhongbin Zhang, Zichun Guo, Peng Xiong, Xinhua Peng
Summary: An equation of AFP associated with soil shrinkage was established, and it was found that AFP significantly decreased when soil shrinkage was considered. Non-rigid soils are more prone to water and air stress caused by shrinkage. Deep tillage treatments can improve soil aeration.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOIL SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Soil Science
M. Halder, S. Liu, Z. B. Zhang, Z. C. Guo, X. H. Peng
Summary: Organic materials play a crucial role in soil aggregate formation and turnover processes. The study found that the addition of organic materials can significantly reduce aggregate turnover time, with different effects on various aggregate fractions. Nutrient stoichiometry, biochemical features, and carbon functional groups impact aggregate formation but have minimal effects on the turnover time of soil aggregates.
Article
Soil Science
S. Liu, J. Six, H. X. Zhang, Z. B. Zhang, X. H. Peng
Summary: The formation, stabilization, and breakdown of soil aggregates play a crucial role in the sequestration of soil organic carbon (SOC). This study reveals that residue addition decreases the turnover time of soil aggregates and affects the transfer rate between different types of aggregates. The interactions between SOC changes and soil aggregate dynamics are further influenced by residue features and soil texture.
Article
Soil Science
Yuekai Wang, Zhongbin Zhang, Zhengchao Tian, Yili Lu, Tusheng Ren, Xinhua Peng
Summary: Commercial sensors and thermal grease can be used to measure soil water content and thermal properties to estimate soil bulk density dynamics in Vertisols effectively.
