EFFECTS OF SOIL MORPHOLOGY ON SOIL WATER RETENTION

Authors: Rawls, Walter; PACHEPSKY, YAKOV - DUKE UNIVERSITY; LIN, H - UNIV WISC-STEVENS POINT

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/28/1999
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: None.

Technical Abstract: Soil water retention is critical to: (1) simulation models which simulate to movement of water and chemicals in the soil profile; (2) evaluation of soil quality; and (3) evaluation of agricultural management practices. Soil physical properties used to predict soil water retention can be grouped into four categories: (1) soil particle size properties; (2) hydraulic characteristics; (3) morphological properties; and (4) chemical properties. Soil water retention prediction procedures primarily relate basic soil properties such as percent sand or clay, organic matter, bulk density, etc., which are measured on a routine basis. Procedures have been developed to operate with various levels of information; however, soil survey qualitative structure class information has never been incorporated. Using a national database, we will investigate the usefulness of grouping soils according to taxonomy, climate regimes, and textural classes on the prediction of water retained at -33 kPa and -1500 kPa matric potential. Also, the effect of the grade, size, and type of soil structure, and soil texture classes on the prediction of water retained at -60 kPa, -102 kPa, -333 kPa, and -1500 kPa matric potential were determined and evaluated against procedures using quantitative information such as percent sand or clay, organic matter, and bulk density.