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Soil physical characteristics of peat soils
Author(s) -
Schwärzel Kai,
Renger Manfred,
Sauerbrey Robert,
Wessolek Gerd
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
journal of plant nutrition and soil science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.644
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 1522-2624
pISSN - 1436-8730
DOI - 10.1002/1522-2624(200208)165:4<479::aid-jpln479>3.0.co;2-8
Subject(s) - soil water , hydraulic conductivity , peat , wetting , water retention curve , drainage , chemistry , field capacity , water balance , soil science , environmental science , geology , geotechnical engineering , geography , ecology , physics , thermodynamics , archaeology , biology
Drainage and intensive use of fens lead to alterations in the physical characteristics of peat soils. This was demonstrated using parameters of water balance (available water capacity) and the evaluated unsaturated hydraulic conductivity. Deriving the distribution of the pore size from the water retention curve was flawed because of shrinkage due to drainage, especially at high soil water potentials. These errors became greater as the peat was less influenced by soil‐genetic processes. The water retention curves (desorption) evaluated in the field and the laboratory satisfactorily corresponded. However, the wetting‐ and drainage‐curves obtained in the field differed up to 30 vol.‐% water content at same soil water potentials. These differences were largely due to a wetting inhibition.