Soil frost effects on soil water and runoff dynamics along a boreal forest transect: 1. Field investigations

To determine how soil frost changes flowpaths of runoff water along a hillslope, a transect consisting of four soil profiles directed towards a small stream in a mature forest stand was investigated at Svartberget, near Vindeln in northern Sweden. Soil temperature, unfrozen water content, groundwater level and snow depth were investigated along the transect, which started at the riparian peat, and extended 30 m upslope into mineral soils. The two, more organic‐rich profiles closest to the stream had higher water retention and wetter autumn conditions than the sandy mineral soils further upslope. The organic content of the soil influenced the variation in frost along the transect. The first winter (1995–96) had abnormally low snow precipitation, which gave a deep frost down to 40–80 cm, whereas the two following winters had frost depths of 5–20 cm. During winter 1995–96, the two organic profiles close to the stream had a shallower frost depth than the mineral soil profile higher upslope, but a considerably larger amount of frozen water. The fraction of water that did not freeze despite several minus degrees in the soil was 5–7 vol.% in the mineral soil and 10–15 vol.% in the organic soil. From the measurements there were no signs of perched water tables during any of the three snowmelt periods, which would have been strong evidence for changed water flowpaths due to soil frost. When shallow soil layers became saturated during snowmelt, especially in 1997 and 1998, it was because of rising groundwater levels. Several rain on frozen ground events during spring 1996 resulted in little runoff, since most of the rain either froze in the soil or filled up the soil water storage. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Snowmelt runoff and soil moisture dynamics on steep subalpine hillslopes

Snowmelt water supplies streamflow and growing season soil moisture in mountain regions, yet pathways of snowmelt water and their effects on moisture patterns are still largely unknown. This study examined how flow processes during snowmelt runoff affected spatial patterns of soil moisture on two steep sub‐alpine hillslope transects in Rocky Mountain National Park, CO, USA. The transects have northeast‐facing and east‐facing aspects, and both extend from high‐elevation bedrock outcrops down to streams in valley bottoms. Spatial patterns of both snow depth and near‐surface soil moisture were surveyed along these transects in the snowmelt and summer seasons of 2008–2010. To link these patterns to flow processes, soil moisture was measured continuously on both transects and compared with the timing of discharge in nearby streams. Results indicate that both slopes generated shallow lateral subsurface flow during snowmelt through near‐surface soil, colluvium and bedrock fractures. On the northeast‐facing transect, this shallow subsurface flow emerged through mid‐slope seepage zones, in some cases producing saturation overland flow, whereas the east‐facing slope had no seepage zones or overland flow. At the hillslope scale, earlier snowmelt timing on the east‐facing slope led to drier average soil moisture conditions than on the northeast‐facing slope, but within hillslopes, snow patterns had little relation to soil moisture patterns except in areas with persistent snow drifts. Results suggest that lateral flow and exfiltration processes are key controls on soil moisture spatial patterns in this steep sub‐alpine location. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Soil frost effects on streamflow recessions in a subarctic catchment

The Arctic is warming rapidly. Changing seasonal freezing and thawing cycles of the soil are expected to affect river run‐off substantially, but how soil frost influences river run‐off at catchment scales is still largely unknown. We hypothesize that soil frost alters flow paths and therefore affects storage–discharge relations in subarctic catchments. To test this hypothesis, we used an approach that combines meteorological records and recession analysis. We studied streamflow data (1986–2015) of Abiskojokka, a river that drains a mountainous catchment (560 km²) in the north of Sweden (68° latitude). Recessions were separated into frost periods (spring) and no‐frost periods (summer) and then compared. We observed a significant difference between recessions of the two periods: During spring, discharge was linearly related to storage, whereas storage–discharge relationships in summer were less linear. An analysis of explanatory factors showed that after winters with cold soil temperatures and low snowpack, storage–discharge relations approached linearity. On the other hand, relatively warm winter soil conditions resulted in storage–discharge relationships that were less linear. Even in summer, relatively cold antecedent winter soils and low snowpack levels had a propagating effect on streamflow. This could be an indication that soil frost controls recharge of deep groundwater flow paths, which affects storage–discharge relationships in summer. We interpret these findings as evidence for soil frost to have an important control over river run‐off dynamics. To our knowledge, this is the first study showing significant catchment‐integrated effects of soil frost on this spatiotemporal scale.     

Hydrologic flowpaths during snowmelt in forested headwater catchments under differing winter climatic and soil frost regimes

Changes in hydrologic flowpaths have important impacts on the timing, magnitude and hydrochemistry of run‐off during snowmelt in forested catchments, but how flowpaths are affected by variation in winter climate and the irregular presence of soil frost remains poorly understood. The depth and extent of soil frost may be expected to increase as snowpack decreases or develops later because of climate change. In this study, we used end‐member mixing analysis to determine daily contributions of snow, forest floor soil water and groundwater to stream run‐off during snowmelt under different soil frost regimes resulting from interannual and elevational variation at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest in New Hampshire, USA. We observed greater routing of run‐off through forest floor flowpaths during early snowmelt in 2011, when the snowpack was deep and soil frost was minimal, compared with the early snowmelt in 2012 under conditions of deep and extensive soil frost. The results indicate that widespread soil frost that penetrated the depth of the forest floor decreased the flow signal through the shallowest subsurface flowpaths, but did not reduce overall infiltration of melt waters, as the contribution from the snow‐precipitation end‐member was similar under both conditions. These results are consistent with development of granular soil frost which permits vertical infiltration of melt waters, but either reduces lateral flow in the forest floor or prevents the solute exchange that would produce the typical chemical signature of shallow subsurface flowpaths in streamwater. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A soil water and heat transfer model including changes in soil frost and thaw fronts

Freeze-thaw processes in soils,including changes in frost and thaw fronts(FTFs),are important physical processes.The movement of FTFs affects soil hydrothermal characteristics,as well as energy and water exchanges between the land surface and the atmosphere and hydrothermal processes in the land surface.This paper reduces the issue of soil freezing and thawing to a multiple moving-boundary problem and develops a soil water and heat transfer model which considers the effects of FTF on soil hydrothermal processes.A local adaptive variable-grid method is used to discretize the model.Sensitivity tests based on the hierarchical structure of the Community Land Model(CLM)show that multiple FTFs can be continuously tracked,which overcomes the difficulties of isotherms that cannot simultaneously simulate multiple FTFs in the same soil layer.The local adaptive variable-grid method is stable and offers computational efficiency several times greater than the high-resolution case.The simulated FTF depths,soil temperatures,and soil moisture values fit well with the observed data,which further demonstrates the potential application of this simulation to the land-surface process model.     

Hydrological and catchment controls on event-scale dissolved organic carbon dynamics in boreal headwater streams

Hydrological events transport large proportions of annual or seasonal dissolved organic carbon (DOC) loads from catchments to streams. The timing, magnitude and intensity of these events are very sensitive to changes in temperature and precipitation patterns, particularly across the boreal region where snowpacks are declining and summer droughts are increasing. It is important to understand how landscape characteristics modulate event-scale DOC dynamics in order to scale up predictions from sites across regions, and to understand how climatic changes will influence DOC dynamics across the boreal forest. The goal of this study was to assess variability in DOC concentrations in boreal headwater streams across catchments with varying physiographic characteristics (e.g., size, proportion of wetland) during a range of hydrological events (e.g., spring snowmelt, summer/fall storm events). From 2016 to 2017, continuous discharge and sub-daily chemistry grab samples were collected from three adjacent study catchments located at the International Institute for Sustainable Development-Experimental Lakes Area in northwestern Ontario, Canada. Catchment differences were more apparent in summer and fall events and less apparent during early spring melt events. Hysteresis analysis suggested that DOC sources were proximal to the stream for all events at a catchment dominated by a large wetland near the outlet, but distal from the stream at the catchments that lacked significant wetland coverage during the summer and fall. Wetland coverage also influenced responses of DOC export to antecedent moisture; at the wetland-dominated catchment, there were consistent negative relationships between DOC concentrations and antecedent moisture, while at the catchments without large wetlands, the relationships were positive or not significant. These results emphasize the utility of sub-daily sampling for inferring catchment DOC transport processes, and the importance of considering catchment-specific factors when predicting event-scale DOC behaviour.     

Soil partitioning and surface store controls on spring runoff from a boreal forest peatland basin in north‐central Manitoba,Canada

The mid‐ to high‐boreal forest in Canada occupies the discontinuous permafrost zone, and is often underlain by glaciolacustrine sediments mantled by a highly porous organic mat. The result is a poorly drained landscape dominated by wetlands. Frost‐table dynamics and surface storage conditions help to control runoff contributions from various landscape elements, hydrological linkages between these elements, and basin streamflow during spring snowmelt. Runoff components and pathways in a forested peatland basin were assessed during two spring snowmelts with contrasting input and basin conditions. Runoff from relatively intense melt (up to 16 mm day^?1) on slopes with limited soil thawing combined with large pre‐melt storage in surface depressions to produce high flows composed primarily of meltwater (78% of the 0·29 m³ s^?1 peak discharge) routed over wetland surfaces and through permeable upper peat layers. Melt intensity was less in the subsequent year (maximum of 10 mm day^?1) and active layer development was relatively greater (0·2 m deeper at the end of spring melt), resulting in less slope runoff. Coupling of reduced slope contributions with lower storage levels in basin wetlands led to relatively subdued streamflows dominated by older water (73% of the 0·09 m³ s^?1 peak discharge) routed through less‐permeable deeper peat layers and mineral soil. Interannual differences in runoff conditions provide important insight for the development of distributed hydrological models for boreal forest basins and into potential influences on biogeochemical cycling in this landscape under a warming climate. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Direct and indirect effects of rainfall and vegetation coverage on runoff,soil loss,and nutrient loss in a semi-humid climate

Soil and nutrient loss play a vital role in eutrophication of water bodies. Several simulated rainfall experiments have been conducted to investigate the effects of a single controlling factor on soil and nutrient loss. However, the role of precipitation and vegetation coverage in quantifying soil and nutrient loss is still unclear. We monitored runoff, soil loss, and soil nutrient loss under natural rainfall conditions from 2004 to 2015 for 50–100 m² runoff plots around Beijing. Results showed that soil erosion was significantly reduced when vegetation coverage reached 20% and 60%. At levels below 30%, nutrient loss did not differ among different vegetation cover levels. Minimum soil N and P losses were observed at cover levels above 60%. Irrespective of the management measure, soil nutrient losses were higher at high-intensity rainfall (Imax30>15 mm/h) events compared to low-intensity events (p < 0.05). We applied structural equation modelling (SEM) to systematically analyze the relative effects of rainfall characteristics and environmental factors on runoff, soil loss, and soil nutrient loss. At high-intensity rainfall events, neither vegetation cover nor antecedent soil moisture content (ASMC) affected runoff and soil loss. After log-transformation, soil nutrient loss was significantly linearly correlated with runoff and soil loss (p < 0.01). In addition, we identified the direct and indirect relationships among the influencing factors of soil nutrient loss on runoff plots and constructed a structural diagram of these relationships. The factors positively impacting soil nutrient loss were runoff (44%–48%), maximum rainfall intensity over a 30-min period (18%–29%), rainfall depth (20%–27%), and soil loss (10%–14%). Studying the effects of rainfall and vegetation coverage factors on runoff, soil loss, and nutrient loss can improve our understanding of the underlying mechanism of slope non-point source pollution.     

Effects of frozen soil and snow cover on cold‐season soil water dynamics in Tokachi,Japan

Despite the potential impact of winter soil water movements in cold regions, relatively few field studies have investigated cold‐season hydrological processes that occur before spring‐onset of snowmelt infiltration. The contribution of soil water fluxes in winter to the annual water balance was evaluated over 5 years of field observations at an agricultural field in Tokachi, Hokkaido, Japan. In two of the winters, soil frost reached a maximum depth of 0·2 m (‘frozen’ winters), whereas soil frost was mostly absent during the remaining three winters (‘unfrozen’ winters). Significant infiltration of winter snowmelt water, to a depth exceeding 1·0 m, occurred during both frozen and unfrozen winters. Such infiltration ranged between 126 and 255 mm, representing 28–51% of total annual soil water fluxes. During frozen winters, a substantial quantity of water (ca 40 mm) was drawn from deeper layers into the 0–0·2 m topsoil layer when this froze. Under such conditions, the progression and regression of the freezing front, regulated by the thickness of snow cover, controlled the quantity of soil water flux below the frozen layer. During unfrozen winters, 13–62 mm of water infiltrated to a depth of 0·2 m, before the spring snowmelt. These results indicate the importance of correctly evaluating winter soil water movement in cold regions. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Hillslope‐scale probabilistic characterization of soil moisture dynamics and average water balance

Probabilistic water balance modelling provides a useful framework for investigating the interactions between soil, vegetation, and the atmosphere. It has been used to estimate temporal soil moisture dynamics and ecohydrological responses at a point. This study combines a nonlinear rainfall–runoff theory with probabilistic water balance model to represent varied source area runoff as a function of rainfall depth and a runoff coefficient at hillslope scale. Analytical solutions of the soil‐moisture probability density function and average water balance model are then developed. Based on a sensitivity analysis of soil moisture dynamics, we show that when varied source area runoff is incorporated, mean soil moisture is always lower and total runoff higher, compared with the original probabilistic water balance model. The increased runoff from the inclusion of varied source area runoff is mainly because of a reduction in leakage when the index of dryness is less than one and evapotranspiration when the index of dryness is greater than one. Inclusion of varied source area runoff in the model means that the actual evapotranspiration is limited by less available water (i.e. water limit), which is stricter than Budyko’s and Milly’s water limit. Application of the model to a catchment located in Western Australia showed that the method can predict annual value of actual evapotranspiration and streamflow accurately. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Atmospheric and soil moisture controls on evapotranspiration from above and within a Western Boreal Plain aspen forest

The Western Boreal Plain of North Central Alberta comprises a mosaic of wetlands and aspen (Populus tremuloides) dominated uplands where precipitation (P) is normally exceeded by evapotranspiration (ET). As such these systems are highly susceptible to the climatic variability that may upset the balance between P and ET. Above canopy evapotranspiration (ET_C) and understory evapotranspiration (ET_B) were examined using the eddy covariance technique situated at 25.5 m (7.5 m above tree crown) and 4.0 m above the ground surface, respectively. During the peak period of the growing seasons (green periods), ET_C averaged 3.08 mm d^?1 and 3.45 mm d^?1 in 2005 and 2006, respectively, while ET_B averaged 1.56 mm d^?1 and 1.95 mm d^?1. Early in the growing season, ET_B was equal to or greater than ET_C once understory development had occurred. However, upon tree crown growth, ET_B was lessened due to a reduction in available energy. ET_B ranged from 42 to 56% of ET_C over the remainder of the snow‐free seasons. Vapour pressure deficit (VPD) and soil moisture (θ) displayed strong controls on both ET_C and ET_B. ET_C responded to precipitation events as the developed tree crown intercepted and held available water which contributed to peak ET_C following precipitation events >10 mm. While both ET_C and ET_B were shown to respond to VPD, soil moisture in the rooting zone is shown to be the strongest control regardless of atmospheric demand. Further, soil moisture and tension data suggest that rooting zone soil moisture is controlled by the redistribution of soil water by the aspen root system. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Simulated soil water storage effects on streamflow generation in a mountainous snowmelt environment,Idaho, USA

Although soil processes affect the timing and amount of streamflow generated from snowmelt, they are often overlooked in estimations of snowmelt‐generated streamflow in the western USA. The use of a soil water balance modelling approach to incorporate the effects of soil processes, in particular soil water storage, on the timing and amount of snowmelt generated streamflow, was investigated. The study was conducted in the Reynolds Mountain East (RME) watershed, a 38 ha, snowmelt‐dominated watershed in southwest Idaho. Snowmelt or rainfall inputs to the soil were determined using a well established snow accumulation and melt model (Isnobal). The soil water balance model was first evaluated at a point scale, using periodic soil water content measurements made over two years at 14 sites. In general, the simulated soil water profiles were in agreement with measurements (P < 0·05) as further indicated by high R² values (mostly > 0·85), y‐intercept values near 0, slopes near 1 and low average differences between measured and modelled values. In addition, observed soil water dynamics were generally consistent with critical model assumptions. Spatially distributed simulations over the watershed for the same two years indicate that streamflow initiation and cessation are closely linked to the overall watershed soil water storage capacity, which acts as a threshold. When soil water storage was below the threshold, streamflow was insensitive to snowmelt inputs, but once the threshold was crossed, the streamflow response was very rapid. At these times there was a relatively high degree of spatial continuity of satiated soils within the watershed. Incorporation of soil water storage effects may improve estimation of the timing and amount of streamflow generated from mountainous watersheds dominated by snowmelt. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Influence of grass soil cover on water runoff and soil detachment under rainfall simulation in a sub‐humid South African degraded rangeland

In most regions of the world overgrazing plays a major role in land degradation and thus creates a major threat to natural ecosystems. Several feedbacks exist between overgrazing, vegetation, soil infiltration by water and soil erosion that need to be better understood. In this study of a sub‐humid overgrazed rangeland in South Africa, the main objective was to evaluate the impact of grass cover on soil infiltration by water and soil detachment. Artificial rains of 30 and 60 mm h^?1 were applied for 30 min on 1 m² micro‐plots showing similar sandy‐loam Acrisols with different proportions of soil surface coverage by grass (Class A: 75–100%; B: 75–50%; C: 50–25%; D: 25–5%; E: 5–0% with an outcropping A horizon; F: 0% with an outcropping B horizon) to evaluate pre‐runoff rainfall (Pr), steady state water infiltration (I), sediment concentration (SC) and soil losses (SL). Whatever the class of vegetal cover and the rainfall intensity, with the exception of two plots probably affected by biological activity, I decreased regularly to a steady rate <2 mm h^?1 after 15 min rain. There was no significant correlation between I and Pr with vegetal cover. The average SC computed from the two rains increased from 0·16 g L^?1 (class A) to 48·5 g L^?1 (class F) while SL was varied between 4 g m^?2 h^?1 for A and 1883 g m^?2 h^?1 for F. SL increased significantly with decreasing vegetal cover with an exponential increase while the removal of the A horizon increased SC and SL by a factor of 4. The results support the belief that soil vegetation cover and overgrazing plays a major role in soil infiltration by water but also suggest that the interrill erosion process is self‐increasing. Abandoned cultivated lands and animal preferred pathways are more vulnerable to erosive processes than simply overgrazed rangelands. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Increasing water losses from snow captured in the canopy of boreal forests: A case study using a 30 year data set

Water losses from snow intercepted by forest canopy can significantly influence the hydrological cycle in seasonally snow‐covered regions, yet how snow interception losses (SIL) are influenced by a changing climate are poorly understood. In this study, we used a unique 30 year record (1986–2015) of snow accumulation and snow water equivalent measurements in a mature mixed coniferous (Picea abies and Pinus sylvestris ) forest stand and an adjacent open area to assess how changes in weather conditions influence SIL. Given little change in canopy cover during this study, the 20% increase in SIL was likely the result of changes in winter weather conditions. However, there was no significant change in average wintertime precipitation and temperature during the study period. Instead, mean monthly temperature values increased during the early winter months (i.e., November and December), whereas there was a significant decrease in precipitation in March. We also assessed how daily variation in meteorological variables influenced SIL and found that about 50% of the variation in SIL was correlated to the amount of precipitation that occurred when temperatures were lower than ?3 °C and to the proportion of days with mean daily temperatures higher than +0.4 °C. Taken together, this study highlights the importance of understanding the appropriate time scale and thresholds in which weather conditions influence SIL in order to better predict how projected climate change will influence snow accumulation and hydrology in boreal forests in the future.     

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.     

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.     

Scale effects of Hortonian overland flow and rainfall–runoff dynamics in a West African catena landscape

Hortonian runoff was measured from plots with lengths of 1·25 and 12 m, and at watershed level for rainstorms during the 1996 rainy season in cental Côte d'Ivoire, Africa. A clear reduction in runoff coefficients was found with increasing slope lengths, giving order of magnitude differences between runoff measurements at point level (1 m²: 30–50% of total rain) and watershed level (130 ha: 4% of total rain). Runoff reduction from 1·25 and 12 m slopes was reproduced for each major runoff‐producing rainstorm at two different sets of plots, but the reduction was erratic for rainfall events which produced little runoff. In addition, runoff reduction varied wildly from one rainstorm to the next. In the analysis, we show that the spatial variability of runoff parameters causes the erratic behaviour during rainstorms with little runoff. During the more important, larger runoff‐producing events, which give 78% of total runoff, the temporal dynamics of the rainfall–runoff process determine the reduction of runoff coefficients from longer slopes. A simple infiltration/runoff model was used to simulate the field results, thereby confirming the importance of rainfall dynamics as an explanatory factor for measured reduction of runoff coefficients. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synergistic effect of vegetation and air temperature changes on soil water content in alpine frost meadow soil in the permafrost region of Qinghai‐Tibet

Seasonal changes over 2 years (2004–2006) in soil moisture content (θ_v) of frozen alpine frost meadow soils of the Qinghai‐Tibet plateau permafrost region under three different levels of vegetation cover were investigated. Vegetation cover and air temperature changes had significant effects (synergistic effect) on θ_v and its distribution in the soil profile. During periods of soil freezing or thawing, the less the vegetation cover, the quicker the temperature drop or rise of soil water, and the shorter the duration of the soil water freeze–thaw response in the active soil layer. Under 30% and 65% vegetation cover the amplitude of variation in θ_v during the freezing period was 20–26% greater than that under 93% cover, while during the thawing period, it was 1·5‐ to 40·5‐fold greater. The freezing temperature of the surface soil layer, ^fT_s, was 1·6 °C lower under 30% vegetation cover than under 93% vegetation cover. Changes in vegetation cover of the alpine frost meadow affected θ_v and its distribution, as well as the relationship between θ_v and soil temperature (T_s). As vegetation cover decreased, soil water circulation in the active layer increased, and the response to temperature of the water distribution across the soil profile was heightened. The quantity of transitional soil phase water at different depths significantly increased as vegetation cover decreased. The influence of vegetation cover and soil temperature distribution led to a relatively dry soil layer in the middle of the profile (0·70–0·80 m) under high vegetation cover. Alpine meadow θ_v and its pattern of distribution in the permafrost region were the result of the synergistic effect of air temperature and vegetation cover. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.