Characterizing Preferential Flow Paths in Texturally Similar Soils under Different Land Uses by Combining Drainage and Dye-Staining Methods
Preferential flow paths have been widely characterized by many visualization methods. However, the differences in preferential flow paths under various land uses and their relationships to hydraulic properties remain uncertain. The objectives of this study are to (1) characterize preferential flow p...
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MDPI AG
2021-01-01
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| author | Youyan Zhang Zhe Cao Fang Hou Jinhua Cheng |
| author_facet | Youyan Zhang Zhe Cao Fang Hou Jinhua Cheng |
| author_sort | Youyan Zhang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Preferential flow paths have been widely characterized by many visualization methods. However, the differences in preferential flow paths under various land uses and their relationships to hydraulic properties remain uncertain. The objectives of this study are to (1) characterize preferential flow paths under various land uses (forest and orchard) by combining drainage and dye-staining methods and to (2) build a connection between preferential flow paths and hydraulic-related parameters and extract the proportion of preferential flow paths from the compounding effects of matrix flow and preferential flow. The dye-staining experiments were conducted in five sandy soils and one sandy clay loam in situ, including four soils from forest and two soils from orchards. A total of 47 soil cores, 4 cm in height and 9 cm in diameter, were collected in each layer of the dye-stained soils for drainage experiments in the laboratory. Dye coverage and hydraulically equivalent macropore parameters (macroporosity, pore size distribution, and number of macropores) and their relationships were analyzed. The results show that the volume of preferential flow is partly affected by the total macropore volume. The effect of macropores on preferential flow varies by macropore size distribution. Dye coverage exhibited a significant (<i>P</i> < 0.01) correlation with macroporosity (correlation coefficient 0.83). Based on the value of macroporosity or steady effluent rates, the part of the dye coverage that was due to preferential flow on the surface dye-stained soil (resulting from both matrix and preferential flow) could be identified in this study. Compared with orchards, forestland has more preferential flow paths in both surface soil and subsoil. Further studies are needed to quantify the 3-D preferential flow paths and build a connection between preferential flow paths and hydraulic properties. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T04:24:56Z |
| format | Article |
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| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4441 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T04:24:56Z |
| publishDate | 2021-01-01 |
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| series | Water |
| spelling | doaj.art-8116973616ee4b978977ae08fc10750a2023-12-03T13:41:36ZengMDPI AGWater2073-44412021-01-0113221910.3390/w13020219Characterizing Preferential Flow Paths in Texturally Similar Soils under Different Land Uses by Combining Drainage and Dye-Staining MethodsYouyan Zhang0Zhe Cao1Fang Hou2Jinhua Cheng3Institute of Desertification Studies, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, ChinaBureau of Soil and Water Conservation, Water Resources Department of Gansu Province, Lanzhou 730000, ChinaCollege of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, ChinaCollege of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, ChinaPreferential flow paths have been widely characterized by many visualization methods. However, the differences in preferential flow paths under various land uses and their relationships to hydraulic properties remain uncertain. The objectives of this study are to (1) characterize preferential flow paths under various land uses (forest and orchard) by combining drainage and dye-staining methods and to (2) build a connection between preferential flow paths and hydraulic-related parameters and extract the proportion of preferential flow paths from the compounding effects of matrix flow and preferential flow. The dye-staining experiments were conducted in five sandy soils and one sandy clay loam in situ, including four soils from forest and two soils from orchards. A total of 47 soil cores, 4 cm in height and 9 cm in diameter, were collected in each layer of the dye-stained soils for drainage experiments in the laboratory. Dye coverage and hydraulically equivalent macropore parameters (macroporosity, pore size distribution, and number of macropores) and their relationships were analyzed. The results show that the volume of preferential flow is partly affected by the total macropore volume. The effect of macropores on preferential flow varies by macropore size distribution. Dye coverage exhibited a significant (<i>P</i> < 0.01) correlation with macroporosity (correlation coefficient 0.83). Based on the value of macroporosity or steady effluent rates, the part of the dye coverage that was due to preferential flow on the surface dye-stained soil (resulting from both matrix and preferential flow) could be identified in this study. Compared with orchards, forestland has more preferential flow paths in both surface soil and subsoil. Further studies are needed to quantify the 3-D preferential flow paths and build a connection between preferential flow paths and hydraulic properties.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/13/2/219dye tracerdrainage experimentmacropore size distributionnumber of macroporesland use |
| spellingShingle | Youyan Zhang Zhe Cao Fang Hou Jinhua Cheng Characterizing Preferential Flow Paths in Texturally Similar Soils under Different Land Uses by Combining Drainage and Dye-Staining Methods Water dye tracer drainage experiment macropore size distribution number of macropores land use |
| title | Characterizing Preferential Flow Paths in Texturally Similar Soils under Different Land Uses by Combining Drainage and Dye-Staining Methods |
| title_full | Characterizing Preferential Flow Paths in Texturally Similar Soils under Different Land Uses by Combining Drainage and Dye-Staining Methods |
| title_fullStr | Characterizing Preferential Flow Paths in Texturally Similar Soils under Different Land Uses by Combining Drainage and Dye-Staining Methods |
| title_full_unstemmed | Characterizing Preferential Flow Paths in Texturally Similar Soils under Different Land Uses by Combining Drainage and Dye-Staining Methods |
| title_short | Characterizing Preferential Flow Paths in Texturally Similar Soils under Different Land Uses by Combining Drainage and Dye-Staining Methods |
| title_sort | characterizing preferential flow paths in texturally similar soils under different land uses by combining drainage and dye staining methods |
| topic | dye tracer drainage experiment macropore size distribution number of macropores land use |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/13/2/219 |
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