Impact of wildfires on surface water repellency in soils of northwest Spain

Soil water repellency (hydrophobicity) is a naturally occurring phenomenon that can be intensified by soil heating during fires. Fire‐induced water repellency, together with the loss of plant cover, is reportedly the principal source of increased surface runoff and accelerated erosion in burned soils. In this study, the surface water repellency of several soils affected by summer forest fires in northwest Spain was studied and compared with that of adjacent unburned soils. Soil water repellency was determined using the ethanol percentage test (MED). Most of the unburned soil samples exhibited water repellency that ranged from strong to very strong; only four of the unburned soil samples were non‐repellent. Water repellency in the unburned soils was significantly correlated with the organic carbon content (r = 0·64, p < 0·05). Overall, fires increased the surface water repellency in soils with previously low degrees of water repellency and caused little change in that of originally strongly hydrophobic soils. In order to examine in detail the changes in water repellency with temperature, three unburned soil samples were subjected to a controlled heating program. Water repellency increased between 25 and 220 °C, water repellency peaked between 220 and 240 °C and disappeared above 260–280 °C. Extrapolation of the results of the heating tests to field conditions suggested that the intensity of fire (temperature and time of residence) reached by most soils during fires is not too high. Based on the results, the determination of water repellency could be used as a simple test for the indirect estimation of the intensity levels reached on the soil surface during a fire. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Fire severity and surface rock fragments cause patchy distribution of soil water repellency and infiltration rates after burning

Although fire‐induced soil water repellency (SWR) and its effects on soil hydrology and geomorphology have been studied in detail, very few studies have considered the effect of rock fragments resting on the soil surface or partly embedded in soil. In this research, we have studied the effect of rock fragments on the strength and spatial distribution of fire‐induced SWR at different fire severities. A fire‐affected area was selected for this experiment and classified into different zones according to fire severity (unburned, low, moderate and high) and rock fragment cover (low, <20% and high, >60%). During 7 days after fire, SWR and infiltration rates were assessed in the soil surface covered by individual rock fragments and in the midpoint between two adjacent rock fragments (with maximum spacing of 20 cm). SWR increased with fire severity. Rock fragments resting on the soil surface increased the heterogeneity of the spatial distribution of fire‐induced SWR. SWR increased significantly with rock fragment cover in bare areas under moderate and high fire severity, but quantitatively important changes were only observed under high fire severity. In areas with a low rock fragment cover, water repellency from soil surfaces covered by rock fragments increased relative to bare soil surfaces, with increasing SWR. In areas with a high rock fragment cover, SWR increased significantly from non‐covered to covered soil surfaces only after low‐severity burning. Rock fragment cover did not affect infiltration rates, although it decreased significantly in soil surfaces after high‐severity burning in areas under low and high rock fragment cover. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Temporal fluctuations of water repellency in forest soils of Galicia,NW Spain. Do soil samples dried at laboratory reflect the potential soil water repellency?

Water repellency is a widespread property of Pinus pinaster and Eucalyptus globulus forest soils in NW Spain and is particularly severe during the summer dry conditions. The aim of this work was to compare actual water repellency at field‐moist samples with potential water repellency after drying at 25 and 105 °C in samples collected at different times of year under four forest soils. Also, we investigated whether drying at 25 or 105 °C led to repellency values comparable to the highest levels reached under field conditions in the summer with a view to developing an appropriate sampling protocol towards estimating the maximum possible water repellency of a given soil as a key to establishing its environmental effects. The actual and potential water repellency was determined by using the water drop penetration time (WDPT) and molarity of an ethanol drop (MED) tests. Clear seasonal patterns of water repellency were observed from the results for the four forest soils, peaking in the dry period and disappearing after prolonged wet periods. Water repellency lasts longer in sandy loam soils than in more finely textured soils, and also under eucalyptus than under pine forests. Drying soil samples at 25 or 105 °C increased water repellency, as measured with the WDPT method, in the four soils, but especially in the non‐repellent samples collected during the wet period. The increase was more marked in the sandy loam soils than in the more finely textured soils, and also after drying at 105 °C than at 25 °C. MED measurements exposed a common trait in the four soils; thus, the water repellency values obtained under field conditions in summer invariably exceeded those obtained after drying at 25 or 105 °C. In addition, the repellency values for dried samples collected in the wet period were never comparable to the maximum levels observed under field conditions in the summer. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Does fire alter soil water repellency in subtropical coastal sandy environments?

Irregular wetting, water repellency, and preferential flow are well‐documented properties of coastal sandy podzols, though little is known about the effect of fire on unsaturated zone processes in this environment. This study investigates water repellency at and below the soil surface in two coastal sandy podzols following bushfire. Water drop penetration time tests were applied to burned and unburned soils at a high dune field site in South East Queensland, Australia. It was found that the mean water drop penetration time of the burned soil was four times that of the unburned soil, but both soils were largely non‐repellent. Post‐fire repellency peaked below the surface in a patchy layer, in contrast to the laterally extensive layer reported in other studies, and high organic matter content in the soil did not appear to significantly influence repellency post‐burn. Non‐parametric statistics were used to quantify the high spatial variability in water repellency, which was ultimately insufficiently captured by atypically large (n = 1000 drop) datasets. This study confirms the presence of naturally occurring repellency and patchy infiltration in sandy soils while demonstrating that conclusively describing the influence of fire is challenging in a soil with heterogeneous infiltration characteristics. With respect to this uncertainty, it appears that fire does not increase soil water repellency such that infiltration and runoff processes due to fire‐induced water repellency would differ post‐burn.     

Spatial and temporal variability of surface water repellency in sandy loam soils of NW Spain under Pinus pinaster and Eucalyptus globulus plantations

This work was undertaken for two main purposes. One was to examine spatial and temporal variability in surface water repellency under field conditions in sandy loam forest soils of NW Spain, and its relationship to weather and soil moisture conditions. The other purpose was to get further inside in the dynamics of soil water repellency by studying a wetting–drying cycle under controlled laboratory conditions. Both for the field and laboratory study, water repellency was determined using the Water Drop Penetration Time test. Soil water repellency under field conditions was found to exhibit a seasonal pattern, i.e. it peaked during the summer and was absent between November and May. The time required for repellency to become re‐established during the spring was shorter under eucalyptus than under pine. Spatial variability peaked at an early stage of soil drying and was minimal during the wet period when soils were hydrophilic as well as at the end of the summer, when repellency was strongest. Spatial and temporal variability in water repellency was found to be negatively correlated with soil moisture and, to a lesser extent, with antecedent rainfall. The moisture range of the so‐called transition zone (below which the soil is hydrophobic and also above which it is hydrophobic) differed for the pine (21–50%) and eucalyptus plantations (17–36%). The lower and upper bounds of the transition zone agreed well with the soil moisture contents at the permanent wilting point and at field capacity, respectively. The laboratory results with samples in the wetting phase confirmed those of the field tests. Water repellency increased slightly during the drying phase, but not so much as in the field. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Freeze–thaw processes degrade post-fire water repellency in wet soils

Wildfires are a cause of soil water repellency (hydrophobicity), which reduces infiltration whilst increasing erosion and flooding from post-fire rainfall. Post-fire soil water repellency degrades over time, often in response to repeated wetting and drying of the soil. However, in mountainous fire-prone forests such as those in the Western USA, the fire season often terminates in a cold and wet winter, during which soils not only wet and dry, but also freeze and thaw. Little is known about the effect of repeated freezing and thawing of soil on the breakdown of post-fire hydrophobicity. This study characterized the changes in hydrophobicity of Sierra Nevada mountain soils exposed to different combinations of wet–dry and freeze–thaw cycling. Following each cycle, hydrophobicity was measured using the Molarity of Ethanol test. Hydrophobicity declined similarly across all experiments that included a wetting cycle. Repeated freezing and thawing of dry soil did not degrade soil water repellency, but freeze–thaw cycles decreased hydrophobicity in wet soils. Total soil organic matter content was not different between soils of contrasting hydrophobicity. Macroscopic changes such as fissures and cracks were observed to form as soil hydrophobicity decayed. Microscopic changes revealed by scanning electron microscope imagery suggest different levels of soil aggregation occurred in samples with distinct hydrophobicities, although the size of aggregates was not clearly correlated to the change in water repellency due to wet–dry and freeze–thaw cycling. A 9-year climate and soil moisture record from Providence Critical Zone Observatory was combined with the laboratory results to estimate that hydrophobicity would persist an average of 144 days post-fire at this well-characterized, typical mid-elevation Sierra Nevada site. Most of the breakdown in soil water repellency (79%) under these climate conditions would be attributable to freeze–thaw cycling, underscoring the importance of this process in soil recovery from fire in the Sierra Nevada.     

Fire‐induced changes in soil water repellency increased fingered flow and runoff rates following the 2004 Huelva wildfire

Water repellency (WR) from fire‐affected soils can affect infiltration processes and increase runoff rates. We investigated the effects of fire‐induced changes in soil WR and the related soil hydrological response after one of the largest wildfires in Spain in recent years. The vertical distribution of WR in soil profiles was studied under oak and pine forests and the wetting pattern was analysed after rainfall simulations (85 mm h^?1 during 60 min). After burning, the persistence of WR in soils under oaks increased in the upper 0–5 cm of soil in comparison with pre‐fire WR, but no significant changes were observed under pines. After a fire, WR was stronger and the thickness of the water‐repellent layer increased in soils under pines in the upper 0–16 cm of soil. The hydrophobic layer was thinner under oaks, where no strong to extremely water‐repellent samples were observed below 12 (in burnt soils) and 8 cm (in unburnt soils). Uniform wetting was observed through soil depth in burnt and unburnt soils under oaks, as a consequence of the prevailing matrix flux infiltration. Water was mostly stored in the upper few centimetres and soil became rapidly saturated, favouring a continuous rise in the runoff rate during the experiments. Moisture profiles under pines showed a heterogeneous wetting pattern, with highly irregular wetting fronts, as a result of wettable and water‐repellent three‐dimensional soil patches. In this case, runoff rates on burnt plots increased in relation to unburnt plots, but runoff generation reached a steady state after 25–30 min of simulated rainfall at an intensity of 85 mm h^?1. Rainfall water infiltrated over a small part of the ponded area, where the vertical pressure of the water column overcame the WR. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Spatial and temporal variations of actual soil water repellency and their influence on surface runoff

The increase of surface runoff at the plot scale caused by soil water repellency is a generally accepted phenomenon. However, to improve the understanding of the effect of water repellency on runoff at the catchment scale, spatio‐temporal dynamics of water repellency have to be analysed in more detail. The experimental setup of this study allowed the investigation of the relationship between water repellency and runoff generation on Quaternary and Tertiary sandy substrates while ensuring similar conditions in terms of terrain characteristics, meteorological and vegetation‐free conditions on both areas. Measurements of water drop penetration time and contact angle were carried out over a period from September 2003 to December 2005. Spatial variability of actual soil water repellency was related to heterogeneity of substrate and geomorphologic units, variations in time were related with the seasons and their meteorological conditions. To relate variable degrees of actual water repellency to surface runoff generation, both variables were measured in parallel at the plot scale (1 m × 1 m) and at the hillslope scale from September 2004 to December 2005. Soil water repellency of the Tertiary sands showed a temporal variability depending on the season, with the highest degree during summer and autumn. Variation of hydrophobicity between the seasons caused higher runoff coefficients in summer and autumn. Spatial heterogeneity of the soil water repellency revealed lower values in fine‐textured erosion rills and higher values for interrills and top areas. The measured runoff coefficients decreased from the scale of microplots to the hillslope scale due to infiltration in hydrophilic rills on the hillslope. The results suggest that improved hydrological modelling approaches on water‐repellent soils can be based on a geomorphological subdivision of the catchment area and seasonally varying infiltration parameters. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Assessing burn severity and comparing soil water repellency,Hayman Fire,Colorado

An important element of evaluating a large wildfire is to assess its effects on the soil in order to predict the potential watershed response. After the 55 000 ha Hayman Fire on the Colorado Front Range, 24 soil and vegetation variables were measured to determine the key variables that could be used for a rapid field assessment of burn severity. The percentage of exposed mineral soil and litter cover proved to be the best predictors of burn severity in this environment. Two burn severity classifications, one from a statistical classification tree and the other a Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) burn severity map, were compared with measured ‘ground truth’ burn severity at 183 plots and were 56% and 69% accurate, respectively. This study also compared water repellency measurements made with the water drop penetration time (WDPT) test and a mini‐disk infiltrometer (MDI) test. At the soil surface, the moderate and highly burned sites had the strongest water repellency, yet were not significantly different from each other. Areas burned at moderate severity had 1·5 times more plots that were strongly water repellent at the surface than the areas burned at high severity. However, the high severity plots most likely had a deeper water repellent layer that was not detected with our surface tests. The WDPT and MDI values had an overall correlation of r = ?0·64(p < 0·0001) and appeared to be compatible methods for assessing soil water repellency in the field. Both tests represent point measurements of a soil characteristic that has large spatial variability; hence, results from both tests reflect that variability, accounting for much of the remaining variance. The MDI is easier to use, takes about 1 min to assess a strongly water repellent soil and provides two indicators of water repellency: the time to start of infiltration and a relative infiltration rate. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Increased colluvial hollow discharge and subsequent recovery after a low intensity wildfire in the Blue Ridge Mountains,USA

Wildfires in mountainous regions have been documented to enhance water repellent soils which can increase runoff, erosion, and sedimentation during subsequent rain events. However, the extent of soil hydrophobicity and water repellency varies significantly with burn severity and between ecosystems, and the southern Appalachians remain an understudied region. Here we examine the impact of the low severity Chestnut Knob Fire, which occurred in the fall 2016, on soil properties and runoff in South Mountains State Park. To examine these impacts, we installed crest-stage gauges in burned (n = 10) and unburned (n = 8) colluvial hollows to compare peak runoff. Results from the 2017 field season indicated that burned locations produced significantly higher peak discharges than unburned sites. From July 2019 to January 2020, we repeated the experiment and found that burned areas produced runoff comparable to unburned areas. Examination of soil profiles during the summer of 2017 found high variability in hydrophobicity in both the burned (n = 10) and unburned (n = 2) soils. Further, we found that burned soils had significantly deflated organic surface horizons compared with unburned soils. We interpret the differences in runoff in 2017 to be the result of a combination of increased hydrophobicity and decreased soil moisture storage capacity in organic rich surface soils. While the recovery we observed here was relatively fast, it is important to understand that increased runoff immediately after a fire likely increases the chances of sediment mobilization and debris flow occurrence.     

Synergistic effects of water repellency and macropore flow on the hydraulic conductivity of a burned forest soil,south‐east Australia

Research shows that water repellency is a key hydraulic property that results in reduced infiltration rates in burned soils. However, more work is required in order to link the hydrological behaviour of water repellent soils to observed runoff responses at the plot and hillslope scale. This study used 5 M ethanol and water in disc infiltrometers to quantify the role of macropore flow and water repellency on spatial and temporal infiltration patterns in a burned soil at plot (<10 m²) scale in a wet eucalypt forest in south‐east Australia. In the first summer and winter after wildfire, an average of 70% and 60%, respectively, of the plot area was water repellent and did not contribute to infiltration. Macropores (r > 0·5 mm), comprising just 5·5% of the soil volume, contributed to 70% and 95%, respectively, of the field‐saturated and ponded hydraulic conductivity (K_p). Because flow occurred almost entirely via macropores in non‐repellent areas, this meant that less than 2·5% of the soil surface effectively contributed to infiltration. The hydraulic conductivity increased by a factor of up to 2·5 as the hydraulic head increased from 0 to 5 mm. Due to the synergistic effect of macropore flow and water repellency, the coefficient of variation (CV) in K_p was three times higher in the water‐repellent soil (CV = 175%) than under the simulated non‐repellent conditions (CV = 66%). The high spatial variability in K_p would act to reduce the effective infiltration rate during runoff generation at plot scale. Ponding, which tend to increase with increasing scale, activates flow through macropores and would raise the effective infiltration rates at larger scales. Field experiments designed to provide representative measurements of infiltration after fire in these systems must therefore consider both the inherent variability in hydraulic conductivity and the variability in infiltration caused by interactions between surface runoff and hydraulic conductivity. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Infiltration,runoff and soil loss in Andisols affected by forest fire (Canary Islands,Spain)

Depending on the severity of the fire, forest fires may modify infiltration and soil erosion processes. Rainfall simulations were used to determine the hydrological effects of fire on Andisols in a pine forest burned by a wildfire in 2007. Six burned zones with different fire severities were compared with unburned zones. Infiltration, runoff and soil loss were analysed on slopes of 10% and 30%. Forest floor and soil properties were evaluated. Unburned zones exhibited relatively low infiltration (23 and 16 mm h^?1 on 10% and 30% slope angles, respectively) and high average runoff/rainfall ratios (43% and 50% on 10% and 30% slope angles, respectively), which were associated with the extreme water repellency of the forest floor. Nonetheless, this layer seems to provide protection against raindrop impact and soil losses were found to be low (8 and 16 g m^?2 h^?1 for 10% and 30% slope angles, respectively). Soil cover, soil structure and water repellency were the main properties affected by the fire. The fire reduced forest floor and soil repellency, allowing rapid infiltration. Moreover, a significant decrease was noted in soil aggregate stabilities in the burned zones, which limited the infiltration rates. Consequently, no significant differences in infiltration and runoff were found between the burned and the unburned zones. The decrease in post‐fire soil cover and soil stability resulted in order‐of‐magnitude increases in erosion. Sediment rates were 15 and 31 g m^?2 h^?1 on the 10% and 30% slope angles, respectively, in zones affected by light fire severity. In the moderate fire severity zones, these values reached 65 and 260 g m^?2 h^?1 for the 10% and 30% slope angles, respectively. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Soil moisture states,lateral flow,and streamflow generation in a semi‐arid,snowmelt‐driven catchment

Hydraulic connectivity on hillslopes and the existence of preferred soil moisture states in a catchment have important controls on runoff generation. In this study we investigate the relationships between soil moisture patterns, lateral hillslope flow, and streamflow generation in a semi‐arid, snowmelt‐driven catchment. We identify five soil moisture conditions that occur during a year and present a conceptual model based on field studies and computer simulations of how streamflow is generated with respect to the soil moisture conditions. The five soil moisture conditions are (1) a summer dry period, (2) a transitional fall wetting period, (3) a winter wet, low‐flux period, (4) a spring wet, high‐flux period, and (5) a transitional late‐spring drying period. Transitions between the periods are driven by changes in the water balance between rain, snow, snowmelt and evapotranspiration. Low rates of water input to the soil during the winter allow dry soil regions to persist at the soil–bedrock interface, which act as barriers to lateral flow. Once the dry‐soil flow barriers are wetted, whole‐slope hydraulic connectivity is established, lateral flow can occur, and upland soils are in direct connection with the near‐stream soil moisture. This whole‐slope connectivity can alter near‐stream hydraulics and modify the delivery of water, pressure, and solutes to the stream. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Influence of climate,water content and leaching on seasonal variations in potential water repellence

Seasonal variation in potential water repellence has not been widely reported in the literature, and little is known of the processes that cause changes in potential water repellence. In this study, the severity and stability of potential water repellence varied seasonally from being weakly hydrophobic in July 2009 (water drop penetration time, 0.19 min; water entry potential, 0.0 cm) to severely hydrophobic (water drop penetration time, 54 min; water entry potential, 14.3 cm) in May 2009. Seasonal variation in the stability of potential water repellence was significantly correlated with cumulative rainfall, air temperature and soil water deficit, which indicated that the accumulation of water‐repellent compounds, presumably polar waxes, resulted from microbial or plant inputs to the soil. Laboratory experiments demonstrated that saturating and mixing the soil resulted in a two to three order of magnitude reduction in the stability of potential water repellence, even after oven drying at 40 °C and 60 °C. Repeated leaching resulted in sequential reduction in both the stability and severity of water repellence. The significant correlation between soil water repellence and dissolved organic carbon content of the leachate, together with pedological evidence of organic staining of ped faces in the clay subsoil indicate that seasonal rainfall leached soluble water‐repellent compounds from the topsoil. The reestablishment of water repellence after saturation and leaching required the input of new water‐repellent compounds. These findings suggest that the use of surfactants before sowing may assist to leach water‐repellent compounds from the topsoil, allowing improved infiltration and reduced runoff through the remainder of the cropping season. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Water condition control of in situ soil water repellency: an observational study from a hillslope in a Japanese humid‐temperate forest

To evaluate the relationship between the moisture conditions and the water repellency of soil surfaces in situ, we periodically conducted field surveys for more than a year in a humid‐temperate forest in Japan. Measurements were made in four plots with varying soil physicochemical properties and under different topographic conditions across a hillslope. Each plot contained permanent quadrats with measurement points in a grid pattern. At each point, we measured the volumetric water content at 0‐ to 5‐cm depths and the water repellency at soil surfaces approximately twice a month. The repeated measurements enabled us to estimate the critical water content (CWC) below which soils repelled water at each point. We defined the representative CWC (RCWC) of a plot as the median of all CWCs in a plot and estimated the representative critical water potential (RCWP) on the basis of the RCWC using the water retention curve. The RCWC values differed among plots, but the corresponding RCWP values were similar (pF = 3.5–3.9). The relationship of the areal fraction showing water repellency against soil water potentials was similar across plots, but the relationship differed among plots against the soil moisture content. These results suggest that soil water potential is more indicative of the spatial occurrence of water repellency than moisture content on a hillslope where soil physicochemical properties vary. Plots located on ridge crests frequently exhibited lower water potentials and showed a higher areal fraction of water repellency, implying a greater chance of generating surface runoff by rainfall events. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Soil saturation index of salt marshes subjected to spring‐neap tides: a new variable for describing marsh soil aeration condition

Organized spatial distribution of plants (plant zonation) in salt marshes has been linked to the soil aeration condition in the rhizosphere through simplistic tidal inundation parameters. Here, a soil saturation index (ratio of saturation period to tidal period at a soil depth) is introduced to describe the soil aeration condition. This new index captures the effects of not only the tidal inundation period and frequency but also the flow dynamics of groundwater in the marsh soil. One‐dimensional numerical models based on saturated flow with the Boussinesq approximations and a two‐dimensional variably saturated flow model were developed to explore the behaviour of this new soil aeration variable under the influence of spring‐neap tides. Simulations revealed two characteristic zones of soil aeration across the salt marsh: a relatively well aerated near‐creek zone and a poorly aerated interior zone. In the near‐creek zone, soils undergo periodic wetting and drying as the groundwater table fluctuates throughout the spring‐neap cycle. In the interior, the soil remains largely water saturated except for neap tide periods when limited drainage occurs. Although such a change of soil aeration condition has been observed in previous numerical simulations, the soil saturation index provides a clear delineation of the zones that are separated by an ‘inflexion point’ on the averaged index curve. The results show how the saturation index represents the effects of soil properties, tidal parameters and marsh platform elevation on marsh soil aeration. Simulations of these combined effects have not been possible with traditional tidal inundation parameters. The saturation index can be easily derived using relatively simple models based on five non‐dimensional variables. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Water repellency as run‐off and soil detachment controlling factor in a dry‐Mediterranean hillslope (South of Spain)

This study examines the effect of water repellency on controlling temporal variability of runoff generation mechanisms and soil detachment on metamorphic derived soils under dry‐Mediterranean climate. The research is carried out in an unburnt Mediterranean hillslope in souther Spain characterized by a patchy vegetation pattern and shallow soils. The Water Drop Penetration Time test (WDPT) is applied to measure water repellency at the end of summer (Sep‐2008), mid autumn (Nov‐2008) and mid winter (Feb‐2009). Rainfall simulations were used to obtain runoff generation and soil detachment in the same periods of time. The main shrub specie is Cistus monspeliensis which leaves a load of litter during the summer due to the lack of water. This great amount of organic material is accumulated under the shrubs triggering an extreme water repellence (WDPT > 6,000 s) that limits infiltration processes. This process is enforced due to the low soil water content at the end of dry season. Certain water repellency (WDPT > 1,500 s) is also observed on bare soil as consequence of their sandier texture and the accumulation of annual plants which die at the end of the wet season. Soil moisture increases during the autumn and water repellency disappears in both shrub and bare soil at the middle of the wet season (WDPT < 5 s). The main consequence is that the temporal trend of water repellency controls the mechanism and frequency of runoff generation and, hence, soil detachment. At the end of the summer, Hortonian mechanisms predominates when water repellency is extreme, even in soils under Cistus monspeliensis where runoff generation can reach higher peaks of overland flow and sediment concentration. Conversely, only the saturation of soil could generate runoff during the wet season being this quite less frequent in bare soil and absent in shrub. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Relevant effects of vegetal cover and litter on the soil hydrological response of two contrasting Mediterranean hillslopes at the end of the dry season (south of Spain)

In Mediterranean regions, hillslopes are generally considered to be a mosaic of sink and source areas that control runoff generation and water erosion processes. These hillslopes used to be characterized by a complex hydrological and erosive response combining Hortonian and saturation excess overland flows. The hydrological response of soils is highly dependent on the soil surface components (e.g. vegetation patches, bare soil, rock fragment cover, crusts), which each one of them is dominated by a certain hydrological process. One of these soil surface components, not widely considered in studies of soil hydrology under Mediterranean conditions, is the accumulation of litter beneath shrubs enhancing water repellency in soils. This study investigates the influence of soil surface components, especially the litter accumulated beneath Cistus spp., in the hydrological and erosive responses of soils on two Mediterranean hillslopes having different exposures. The study was performed by means of rainfall simulation experiments and the Water Drop Penetration Time for measuring water repellency of soils, both techniques being carried out at the end of summer (September 2010) with very dry soils. The results indicate that (i) soil surface components from the north facing hillslope are characterized by a more uniform hydrological and erosive response than those from the south‐facing ones; (ii) the water repellency is more influential on the hydrological response of the north‐facing hillslope due to a greater accumulation of organic rest on the soils as the vegetation cover is also higher; (iii) the south‐facing hillslope seemed to follow the fertility island theory with very degraded bare soil areas, which are the most generated areas of runoff and mobilized sediments; (iv) the experimental area can be considered as a threshold area between the semiarid and subhumid Mediterranean environments, with the south‐facing hillslope being comparable with the former and the north facing one with the latter. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

南阳膨胀土在受荷的湿干循环过程中细观结构演化规律研究

为了研究浅层膨胀土的细观结构在湿干循环过程中的演化规律,研制了可以进行CT扫描的CT-固结仪。在不同压力作用下对南阳膨胀土的原状样及其重塑土样进行多组多次湿干循环试验,并对每次烘干和增湿稳定后的试样进行CT扫描,跟踪观察湿干循环过程中试样的细观结构变化。结果表明:在湿干循环中,土样的膨胀量和收缩量都比较大,经历三次湿干循环之后,相同饱和度下土样体积基本不再变化;增湿和干燥都能使原状膨胀土及其重塑土的结构损伤,第一次烘干之后,土样即产生明显裂隙;随着湿干循环次数的增加,土样裂隙继续开展,土样结构损伤发生累积;上部荷载对裂隙开展有一定抑制作用,并影响裂隙的发育和裂隙网络的形状;原状膨胀土的裂隙围绕第一次形成的主裂隙发育,而重塑膨胀土的裂隙呈龟背状或辐射状;原状膨胀土及其重塑土在湿态(饱和度S_r=85%)时的CT数M_E值均较干态(饱和度S_r=25%)时的M_E值大;湿态和干态的ME值均随湿干循环次数呈近似线性变化,前者的坡度比较平缓,后者则较陡;基于CT数据定义了膨胀土的细观结构参数,提出定量描述湿干循环过程中膨胀土细观结构参数与试样饱和度、湿干循环次数及所受荷载的数学表达式,预测结果与试验资料比较接近。