SOIL MOISTURE VARIABILITY: IMPLICATIONS FOR THE HYDROLOGY, EROSION AND MANAGEMENT OF GULLIED CATCHMENTS IN CENTRAL SPAIN
type: CreativeWork
description: In semi-arid environments, the combination of a non-uniform distribution of vegetation, an often highly irregular terrain and complex geological, pedological and management histories have frequently given rise to considerable spatial variability in the physical and hydrological properties of soils. Heterogeneity within the soil's physical and hydrological properties can result in pronounced differences in infiltration and soil moisture. The hydrological response of semi-arid landscapes to rainfall events may therefore be spatially non-uniform. Quantifying the spatial pattern of hydrological response is important for identifying those areas within the landscape which arc vulnerable to runoff and erosion. Since soil moisture is considered to be a key factor in determining hydrological response and its spatial distribution is a function of the soil's physical and hydrological properties, the spatial and temporal measurement of soil moisture may be used to identify contrasting areas of hydrological response. In a badlands environment located approximately 70 km north of Madrid, central Spain, an experiment was established to describe the temporal and spatial variability in soil moisture at three scales, with the primary aim of furthering the understanding of the hydrological and geomorphological processes operating in semi-arid landscapes. At each measurement scale, the macroscale (25m sampling interval), the mesoscale (gully catchments, 5m sampling interval) and the microscale (1 m sampling interval), two distinct groups of soil moisture conditions emerged related to dry and wet weather conditions. At each measurement scale the maximum variability in soil moisture is similar (>20% volumetric content difference between immediately adjacent sampling points). At the meso and microscale the spatial pattern of soil moisture could be described as a mosaic pattern which during the dry period was more fragmented and variable than during the wet period. The spatial pattern of s…
abstract: In semi-arid environments, the combination of a non-uniform distribution of vegetation, an often highly irregular terrain and complex geological, pedological and management histories have frequently given rise to considerable spatial variability in the physical and hydrological properties of soils. Heterogeneity within the soil's physical and hydrological properties can result in pronounced differences in infiltration and soil moisture. The hydrological response of semi-arid landscapes to rainfall events may therefore be spatially non-uniform. Quantifying the spatial pattern of hydrological response is important for identifying those areas within the landscape which arc vulnerable to runoff and erosion. Since soil moisture is considered to be a key factor in determining hydrological response and its spatial distribution is a function of the soil's physical and hydrological properties, the spatial and temporal measurement of soil moisture may be used to identify contrasting areas of hydrological response. In a badlands environment located approximately 70 km north of Madrid, central Spain, an experiment was established to describe the temporal and spatial variability in soil moisture at three scales, with the primary aim of furthering the understanding of the hydrological and geomorphological processes operating in semi-arid landscapes. At each measurement scale, the macroscale (25m sampling interval), the mesoscale (gully catchments, 5m sampling interval) and the microscale (1 m sampling interval), two distinct groups of soil moisture conditions emerged related to dry and wet weather conditions. At each measurement scale the maximum variability in soil moisture is similar (>20% volumetric content difference between immediately adjacent sampling points). At the meso and microscale the spatial pattern of soil moisture could be described as a mosaic pattern which during the dry period was more fragmented and variable than during the wet period. The spatial pattern of s…
author: FITZJOHN, CHRISTOPHER
language: eng
date published: 1999-01-01T08:00:00Z
date modified: 2026-07-24T03:48:35Z
provider: University of Plymouth
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: University of Plymouth