Water infiltration and hydraulic conductivity in sandy cambisols: impacts of forest transformation on soil hydrological properties

Abstract

Soil hydrological properties like infiltration capacity and hydraulic conductivity have important consequences for hydrological properties of soils in river catchments and for flood risk prevention. They are dynamic properties due to varying land use management practices. The objective of this study was to characterize the variation of infiltration capacity, hydraulic conductivity and soil organoprofile development on forest sites with comparable geological substrate, soil type and climatic conditions, but different stand ages and tree species in terms of the effects of forest transformation upon soil hydrological properties. The Kahlenberg forest area (50 km northeast of Berlin in the German northeastern lowlands) under investigation contains stands of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) and European beech (Fagus sylvatica) of different age structures forming a transformation chronosequence from pure Scots pine stands towards pure European beech stands. The water infiltration capacity and hydraulic conductivity (K) of the investigated sandy-textured soils are low and very few macropores exist. Additionally these pores are marked by poor connectivity and therefore do not have any significant effect on water infiltration rate. Moreover, water infiltration in these soils is impeded by their hydrophobic properties. Along the experimental chronosequence of forest transformation, the thickness of the forest floor layer decreases due to enhanced decomposition and humification intensities. By contrast, the thickness of the humous topsoil increases. Presumably, changes in soil organic matter storage and quality caused by the management practice of forest transformation affect the persistence and degree of water repellency in the soil, which in turn influences the hydraulic properties of the experimental soils. The results indicate clearly that soils play a crucial role for water retention and therefore, in overland flow prevention. There is a need to have more awareness on the intimate link between the land use and soil properties and their possible effects on flooding.

Variability of water repellency in sandy forest soils under broadleaves and conifers in north-western Jutland/Denmark

“…These findings are also reported from forests situated in a more continental dry climate (e.g. Fischer et al 2002;Bens et al 2007). Furthermore, the seasonal variation might be influenced by the wetting and drying history of the samples prior to sampling and experiments as well as temperature (e.g.…”

“…However, soil hydrological investigations carried out during the past years in the eastern part of Germany indicate that water repellency is a major concern also for forest sites on non-mining soils (e.g. Wahl et al 2003Wahl et al , 2005Bens et al 2007).…”

Infiltración y grupos hidrológicos de suelos en las laderas de los páramos (Valladolid)

“…Por todo ello, y a pesar de las numerosas publicaciones sobre el tema, el conocimiento de este componente del ciclo hidrológico no es aún óptimo. Esto es más patente en terrenos forestales, en los que, no obstante, se han llevado a cabo numerosas experiencias como las de Molina (1993), Madrid et al (2006), Buczko et al (2006), Bens et al (2007), Ilstedt et al (2007), Zapata y Manzano (2008), Yaseef et al (2008), Valeron y Meixner (2010), Bonell et al (2010), Huang et al (2010) y Alaoui et al (2011), entre otros. Todos estos trabajos han sido realizados en condiciones ambientales notablemente diferentes a las del presente estudio y ponen de manifiesto el elevado número de factores que intervienen en la infiltración.…”

Greater abundance of Fagus sylvatica in coniferous flood protection forests due to climate change: impact of modified root densities on infiltration

“…The thickness of the forest floor layer declined during a Pinus sylvestris to F. sylvatica transformation in Germany, but the humus topsoil increased (Bens et al 2007). Organic layers have high water storage capacities (Guevara-Escobar et al 2007), but may also reduce infiltration capacity as they are water repellent (e.g.…”