Modeling Capillary Rise in Clinoptilolite Zeolite and Riparian Soils to Sustain Vegetation in Water-Scarce Areas

Piñón-Villarreal, Aldo R.; Bawazir, A. Salim; Shukla, Manoj K.; Samani, Zohrab; King, James P.

doi:10.1061/(asce)ir.1943-4774.0001235

Cited by 2 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…Dung et al [13] showed that CZ could be used as a wicking material to raise water to 1.5 m and as an amendment to sandy soils to improve their water retention properties. Piñon-Villarreal et al [14] also tested the capillary rise of CZ and riparian soils in a field experiment and compared it with a simulation model using Hydrus-1D. The simulation coincided with field measurements and indicated that the application of CZ as wicking material could be used for sustaining native vegetation in dry environments, so long as the depth to groundwater table (DGW) remained shallow (<3 m).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 88%

“…Although there is vegetation in riparian areas where the groundwater table is deep and capillary rise is insufficient, they can be susceptible to desiccation. A method has been proposed using clinoptilolite zeolite's (CZ) hydraulic properties as a wicking material to grow plants [12][13][14]. However, the alleviation of water stress in riparian plants using zeolite as a wicking material to grow plants is not well understood.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Using the Hydraulic Properties of Zeolite to Grow Desert Willow—A Case Study to Rehabilitate Riparian Areas of Semi-Arid Environments

Solis,

Bawazir,

Piñon-Villarreal

2024

Water

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Plants in riparian areas are well known for their beneficial functions such as providing biodiverse habitats, maintaining water quality, and stabilizing streambanks. However, riparian plants are declining in semi-arid environments due to long-term drought, a decline in groundwater table, and an increase in soil salinity. A new technique using clinoptilolite zeolite (CZ) as a wicking material with minimum artificial irrigation to grow desert willow [Chilopsis linearis (Cav.) Sweet] under field conditions is introduced; desert willow is native to riparian regions of the southwestern United States. For this study’s experiment, desert willow seedlings were planted in boreholes filled with clinoptilolite zeolite (CZ) as a substrate and in situ riparian sandy loam soil (RS) as a control. The boreholes extended to the groundwater table at two distinctive depths, shallow (avg. depth = 1.21 m) and deep (avg. depth = 2.14 m). The plants’ viability was then assessed by measuring their midday water potential (Ψmd) as an indicator of water stress. There was no significant difference in Ψmd (p > 0.05) between the plants grown in CZ and RS (mean Ψmd = −0.91 vs. −0.81 MPa) where the groundwater was shallow and a significant difference (mean Ψmd = −0.75 vs. −2.03 MPa) where the groundwater was deep. The proposed method is promising as an alternative method for growing desert willow or other plants for riparian rehabilitation with no artificial irrigation. However, its effectiveness depends on groundwater being accessible at the base of the boreholes used for planting.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 88%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using the Hydraulic Properties of Zeolite to Grow Desert Willow—A Case Study to Rehabilitate Riparian Areas of Semi-Arid Environments

Solis,

Bawazir,

Piñon-Villarreal

2024

Water

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“…Investigations show that the application of mineral amendments for crop production allows water usage to be reduced. However, in the last decade, a few critical studies about their possible harmfulness for soil and the environment were published [38][39][40].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Influence of a Water Absorbing Geocomposite on Soil Water Retention and Soil Matric Potential

Śpitalniak

Lejcuś

Dąbrowska

et al. 2019

Water

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Climate change induces droughts that are becoming more intensive and more frequent than ever before. Most of the available forecast tools predict a further significant increase in the risk of drought, which indicates the need to prepare solutions to mitigate its effects. Growing water scarcity is now one of the world’s leading challenges. In agriculture and environmental engineering, in order to increase soil water retention, soil additives are used. In this study, the influence of a newly developed water absorbing geocomposite (WAG) on soil water retention and soil matric potential was analyzed. WAG is a special element made from geotextile which is wrapped around a synthetic skeleton with a superabsorbent polymer placed inside. To describe WAG’s influence on soil water retention and soil matric potential, coarse sand, loamy sand, and sandy loam soils were used. WAG in the form of a mat was used in the study as a treatment. Three kinds of samples were prepared for every soil type. Control samples and samples with WAG treatment placed at depths of 10 cm and 20 cm were examined in a test container of 105 × 70 × 50 cm dimensions. The samples had been watered and drained, and afterwards, the soil surface was heated by lamps of 1100 W total power constantly for 72 h. Soil matric potential was measured by Irrometer field tensiometers at three depths. Soil moisture content was recorded at six depths: of 5, 9, 15, 19, 25, and 30 cm under the top of the soil surface with time-domain reflectometry (TDR) measurement devices. The values of soil moisture content and soil matric potential were collected in one-minute steps, and analyzed in 24-h-long time steps: 24, 48, and 72 h. The samples with the WAG treatment lost more water than the control samples. Similarly, lower soil matric potential was noted in the samples with the WAG than in the control samples. However, after taking into account the water retained in the WAG, it appeared that the samples with the WAG had more water easily available for plants than the control samples. It was found that the mechanism of a capillary barrier affected higher water loss from soil layers above those where the WAG had been placed. The obtained results of water loss depend on the soil type used in the profile.

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Modeling Capillary Rise in Clinoptilolite Zeolite and Riparian Soils to Sustain Vegetation in Water-Scarce Areas

Cited by 2 publications

References 27 publications

Using the Hydraulic Properties of Zeolite to Grow Desert Willow—A Case Study to Rehabilitate Riparian Areas of Semi-Arid Environments

Using the Hydraulic Properties of Zeolite to Grow Desert Willow—A Case Study to Rehabilitate Riparian Areas of Semi-Arid Environments

The Influence of a Water Absorbing Geocomposite on Soil Water Retention and Soil Matric Potential

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