Journal of Ecology and Rural Environment ›› 2012, Vol. 28 ›› Issue (2): 120-127.doi:

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Spatial Distribution of Soil Water Content and Its Influential Factors in Transition Zone Along the Treeline of Luya Mountain,Shanxi Province

YANG  Yan-Gang, JIANG  Yuan, ZHANG  Wen-Tao, LI  Xue-Fei   

  1. Research Institute of Highway Ministry of Transport
  • Received:2011-11-09 Revised:2011-12-01 Online:2012-03-25 Published:2012-03-27
  • Contact: JIANG Yuan State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology,Beijing Normal University E-mail:jiangy@bnu.edu.cn

Abstract: The objectives of this study are to investigate spatial distribution of soil moisture during the tree growing season,and analyze its influencing factors.Water contents in soil profiles were measured and its environmental and topographic factors analyzed in July and August 2008.The 18 monitored points were divided into 6 sections,where spatial distribution of soil moisture,relationship between soil water content and vegetation,topographic factors and initial soil moisture were analyzed.Soil moistures were measured using frequency domain reflectometry(FDR),air temperatures and raninfalls were measured using the automatic weather stations,the topographic wetness index(ITW)and slope were woked out from DEM.The data were analyzed using SPPS 13.0 software.Soil water content increased with increasing soil depth in the 10-30 cm soil layer in the forest section,and decreased in soils at 40 cm in depth,and an opposite trent was found in the meadow section.The soil water contents in soils at 10 and 40 cm in depthe were relatively stable and at 20 and 30 cm in depth quite active.The soil water contents in soils at 20,30 and 40 cm in depth were higher in the forest section than in the meadow section,with the maximum difference being 40.47%,whereas at 10 cm in it was higher in the meadow section than in forest section.Soil mosture in all the sections was significantly affected by rainfall,peaking in 1-2 d after the rainfall event.The largest increase in soil moisture was found on the top of shady slopes and in the 10 cm soil layer,and a larger increase in soil moisture on sunny meadow slopes and in the 20-40 cm soil layer.The variation of soil moisture during the observation period was significantly related to slope in the 10-30 cm soil layer and negatively related to ITW in soils at 30 and 40 cm in depthe,and negatively related with initial soil moisture in soils at 20 and 30 cm in depth.The findings show that,the temporal and spatial variation of soil water content was significantly affected by vegetation and rainfall.In some areas the variation of soil water content was affected not only by rainfall and vegetation,but also by initial soil moisture,slope and ITW.  

Key words: treeline, soil water content, Luya mountain, environmental factor

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