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Field evidence of a negative correlation between saturated hydraulic conductivity and soil carbon in a sandy soil
Author(s) -
Wang Tiejun,
Wedin David,
Zlotnik Vitaly A.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
water resources research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.863
H-Index - 217
eISSN - 1944-7973
pISSN - 0043-1397
DOI - 10.1029/2008wr006865
Subject(s) - pedotransfer function , soil water , hydraulic conductivity , soil science , soil carbon , environmental science , soil organic matter , total organic carbon , environmental chemistry , chemistry
Soil organic matter (SOM) is generally assumed to be positively correlated with saturated hydraulic conductivity ( K S ). However, recent studies of pedotransfer functions suggest a possible negative K S ‐SOM relationship that still needs independent verification. Our field K S study of sandy soils in a semiarid region provides such in situ evidence of a negative K S ‐SOM relationship, which is nonlinear and is strongest at the lowest levels of soil carbon (<0.1%). A regression analysis also shows that soil carbon is an important factor for explaining K S in those soils. The likely reason for the observed negative K S ‐SOM relationship is a reduced wettability caused by SOM, which is believed to outweigh the impacts of any increase in K S caused by soil aggregation. The low SOM content and large particle size of sand may explain the limited effect of SOM on soil aggregation processes in the examined soils.