<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

The presence of biocrusts changes water infiltration in the Mu Us Desert. Knowledge of the hydraulic properties of biocrusts and parameterization of soil hydraulic properties are important to improve simulation of infiltration and soil water dynamics in vegetation-soil-water models. In this study, four treatments, including bare land with sporadic cyanobacterial biocrusts (BL), lichen-dominated biocrusts (LB), early-successional moss biocrusts (EMB), and late-successional moss biocrusts (LMB), were established to evaluate the effects of biocrust development on soil water infiltration in the Mu Us Desert, northwest of China. Moreover, a combined Wooding inverse approach was used for the estimation of soil hydraulic parameters. The results showed that infiltration rate followed the pattern BL > LB > EMB > LMB. Moreover, the LB, EMB, and LMB treatments had significantly lower infiltration rates than the BL treatment. The saturated soil moisture (<italic>θs</italic>) and shape parameter (<italic>α</italic>VG) for the EMB and LMB treatments were higher than that for the BL and LB treatments, although the difference among four treatments was insignificant. Water retention increased with biocrust development at high-pressure heads, whereas the opposite was observed at low-pressure heads. The development of biocrusts influences van Genuchten parameters, subsequently affects the water retention curve, and thereby alters available water in the biocrust layer. The findings regarding the parameterization of soil hydraulic properties have important implications for the simulation of eco-hydrological processes in dryland ecosystems.
</abstract>

The presence of biocrusts changes water infiltration in the Mu Us Desert. Knowledge of the hydraulic properties of biocrusts and parameterization of soil hydraulic properties are important to improve simulation of infiltration and soil water dynamics in vegetation-soil-water models. In this study, four treatments, including bare land with sporadic cyanobacterial biocrusts (BL), lichen-dominated biocrusts (LB), early-successional moss biocrusts (EMB), and late-successional moss biocrusts (LMB), were established to evaluate the effects of biocrust development on soil water infiltration in the Mu Us Desert, northwest of China. Moreover, a combined Wooding inverse approach was used for the estimation of soil hydraulic parameters. The results showed that infiltration rate followed the pattern BL > LB > EMB > LMB. Moreover, the LB, EMB, and LMB treatments had significantly lower infiltration rates than the BL treatment. The saturated soil moisture (θs) and shape parameter (αVG) for the EMB and LMB treatments were higher than that for the BL and LB treatments, although the difference among four treatments was insignificant. Water retention increased with biocrust development at high-pressure heads, whereas the opposite was observed at low-pressure heads. The development of biocrusts influences van Genuchten parameters, subsequently affects the water retention curve, and thereby alters available water in the biocrust layer. The findings regarding the parameterization of soil hydraulic properties have important implications for the simulation of eco-hydrological processes in dryland ecosystems.

Biocrust effects on soil infiltrability in the Mu Us Desert: Soil hydraulic properties analysis and modeling

Key Laboratory of State Forestry Administration on Soil and Water Conservation

State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology

Journal of Hydrology and Hydromechanics

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

The presence of biocrusts changes water infiltration in the Mu Us Desert. Knowledge of the hydraulic properties of biocrusts and parameterization of soil...

Biocrust effects on soil infiltrability in the Mu Us Desert: Soil hydraulic properties analysis and modeling

Published Online: Nov 15, 2021

Page range: 378 - 386

Received: Jun 28, 2021

Accepted: Aug 18, 2021

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/johh-2021-0026

Keywords
Cyanobacteria, Lichen, Moss, Infiltration, Inverse approach, Hydraulic parameter

© 2021 Hongjie Guan et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Biocrust effects on soil infiltrability in the Mu Us Desert: Soil hydraulic properties analysis and modeling

Published Online: Nov 15, 2021

Page range: 378 - 386

Received: Jun 28, 2021

Accepted: Aug 18, 2021

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/johh-2021-0026

KeywordsCyanobacteria, Lichen, Moss, Infiltration, Inverse approach, Hydraulic parameter

© 2021 Hongjie Guan et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
Cyanobacteria, Lichen, Moss, Infiltration, Inverse approach, Hydraulic parameter