Ecohydrology and the Critical Zone: Processes and Patterns Across Scales

Moore, Georgianne W.; McGuire, K. J.; Troch, P. A.; Barron‐Gafford, Greg A.

doi:10.1016/b978-0-444-63369-9.00008-2

Cited by 11 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 123 publications

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“…[Colour figure can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com] the south-facing slopes, counter to expectations based on environmental variables and the observation of higher NDVI (and denser vegetation) on the north-facing slope. This suggests that, in contrast to recent models and observations elsewhere (Moore et al, 2015;Klos et al, 2018), the thicker regolith in this catchment does not correlate with denser vegetation, possibly because rooting depths are too shallow to access any water stored in the deep regolith. (Vegetation at the site is dominantly Ponderosa pine and Douglas fir, which have shallow rooting systems [maximum density at depths < 1m; e.g.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 91%

Strong slope‐aspect control of regolith thickness by bedrock foliation

Leone

Holbrook

Riebe

et al. 2020

Earth Surf Processes Landf

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The porous near‐surface layer of the Earth's crust – the critical zone – constitutes a vital reservoir of water for ecosystems, provides baseflow to streams, guides recharge to deep aquifers, filters contaminants from groundwater, and regulates the long‐term evolution of landscapes. Recent work suggests that the controls on regolith thickness include climate, tectonics, lithology, and vegetation. However, the relative paucity of observations of regolith structure and properties at landscape scales means that theoretical models of critical zone structure are incompletely tested. Here we present seismic refraction and electrical resistivity surveys that thoroughly characterize subsurface structure in a small catchment in the Santa Catalina Mountains, Arizona, USA, where slope‐aspect effects on regolith structure are expected based on differences in vegetation. Our results show a stark contrast in physical properties and inferred regolith thickness on opposing slopes, but in the opposite sense of that expected from environmental models and observed vegetation patterns. Although vegetation (as expressed by normalized difference vegetation index [NDVI]) is denser on the north‐facing slope, regolith on the south‐facing slope is four times thicker (as indicated by lower seismic velocities and resistivities). This contrast cannot be explained by variations in topographic stress or conventional hillslope morphology models. Instead, regolith thickness appears to be controlled by metamorphic foliation: regolith is thicker where foliation dips into the topography, and thinner where foliation is nearly parallel to the surface. We hypothesize that, in this catchment, hydraulic conductivity and infiltration capacity control weathering: infiltration is hindered and regolith is thin where foliation is parallel to the surface topography, whereas water infiltrates deeper and regolith is thicker where foliation intersects topography at a substantial angle. These results suggest that bedrock foliation, and perhaps by extension sedimentary layering, can control regolith thickness and must be accounted for in models of critical zone development. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 91%

Strong slope‐aspect control of regolith thickness by bedrock foliation

Leone

Holbrook

Riebe

et al. 2020

Earth Surf Processes Landf

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“…Additionally, papers evaluating impacts on biodiversity, sustainable palm oil certification, biomass and carbon budget, and nutrient uptake and cycling were excluded. While we acknowledge the relevance of carbon and nutrient cycling in ecohydrological processes as they relate to plant growth and development, our review is centered on water and energy fluxes and the variables influencing these processes following the scope of the definition found in Nuttle (2002) and detailed further in Moore et al (2015). To help with the analysis and to select the relevant papers, we defined a scale of relevance between 1 and 5.…”

Section: Exclusion Criteria and Appraisalmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecohydrological impacts of oil palm expansion: a systematic review

Gómez

Parra

Pavelsky

et al. 2023

Environ. Res. Lett.

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Global demand for vegetable oil and high oil palm yield have driven the rapid expansion of oil palm plantations in tropical countries. The research literature widely recognizes the effects of forest cover conversion into oil palm on biodiversity, deforestation, and carbon dynamics. However, research on the ecohydrological impacts of oil palm plantations is sparse, despite studies indicating that oil palm development may reshape land-water interactions and the availability and movement of water at different spatial and temporal scales. We address this gap by conducting a systematic literature review on oil palm development and its relation to ecohydrological processes. We found 139 relevant papers up to the year 2021, addressing different ecohydrological processes related to oil palm. We reviewed their spatiotemporal scales, geographic distribution, oil palm species and age, and the effects of land conversion from forest, cropland, and pastures. We also incorporated societal aspects regarding community perceptions of water. Our review highlights the effects of oil palm plantations on three main components of the water cycle: i) land-atmosphere, ii) fluvial systems, and iii) soils and groundwater. Most studies include analyses of the Indo-Malayan and Australasian biogeographical regions (113), followed by the Neotropics (49) and the Afrotropics (15). Compared to rainforests, oil palm monocultures are warmer and drier. They have higher evapotranspiration rates, lower runoff regulation and infiltration capacity, and lower soil organic carbon. Although less often implemented, alternative oil palm management practices, including oil palm agroforestry, can help to mitigate some of these effects. Forest to oil palm conversion is the most studied land transition, while conversions from croplands, pastures, and grasslands are less studied. Overall, we identify gaps in understanding the long-term effects of management on ecohydrological processes under different land conversions, especially in the Neotropics and the Afrotropics, precluding research-informed policy to manage impacts of this expanding crop.

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“…The influence of soil hydrology on chemical weathering rates has mostly been assessed through proxy variables, like soil water availability or soil moisture (Daly and Porporato, 2005;Moore et al, 2015;White et al, 2005). Soil water availability can be approached using the ratio of mean annual rainfall to potential evapotranspiration, as illustrated in studies of soil development along climatic gradients (Chadwick et al, 2003;Dixon et al, 2016;Schoonejans et al, 2016) and even at the global scale (Calabrese and Porporato, 2020).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Soil-vegetation-water interactions controlling solute flow and transport in volcanic ash soils of the high Andes

Páez‐Bimos

Molina

Calispa

et al. 2022

Preprint

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Abstract. Vegetation plays a key role in the hydrological and biogeochemical cycles. It can influence soil water fluxes and transport which are critical for chemical weathering and soil development. In this study, we investigated soil water balance and solute fluxes in two soil profiles with different vegetation types (cushion-forming plants vs. tussock grasses) by measuring soil water content, flux, and solute concentrations and by modeling soil hydrology. We also analyzed the role of soil water balance in soil chemical weathering. The influence of vegetation on soil water balance and solute fluxes is restricted to the A horizon. Evapotranspiration is 1.7 times higher and deep drainage is 3 times lower under cushion-forming plants than under tussock grass. Likewise, cushions transmit almost threefold less water from the A to lower horizons. This is attributed to the vertical distribution of soil properties associated with the root systems. Under cushion-forming plants, DOC and metals (Al, Fe) are mobilized in the A horizon. Solute fluxes that can be related to plant nutrient uptake (Mg, Ca, K) decline with depth as expected from bio-cycling of plant nutrients. Dissolved silica and bicarbonate are minimally influenced by vegetation and represent the largest contributions of solute fluxes. Soil chemical weathering is higher and constant with depth below tussock grasses; while lower and declining with depth under cushion-forming plants. This difference in soil weathering is attributed mainly to the water fluxes. Our findings reveal that vegetation can modify soil properties in the uppermost horizon altering the water balance, solute fluxes, and chemical weathering throughout the soil profile.

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Ecohydrology and the Critical Zone: Processes and Patterns Across Scales

Cited by 11 publications

References 123 publications

Strong slope‐aspect control of regolith thickness by bedrock foliation

Strong slope‐aspect control of regolith thickness by bedrock foliation

Ecohydrological impacts of oil palm expansion: a systematic review

Soil-vegetation-water interactions controlling solute flow and transport in volcanic ash soils of the high Andes

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