Spatial and Temporal Variations in Soil Moisture for a Tamarisk Stand under Groundwater Control in a Hyper-Arid Region
Xiaobo Yi,
Ji Luo,
Pengyan Wang,
Xiao Guo,
Yuanjie Deng,
Tao Du,
Haijun Wang,
Cuicui Jiao,
Guofu Yuan,
Mingan Shao
Affiliations
Xiaobo Yi
Research Center of Agricultural Economy, School of Economics, Sichuan University of Science & Engineering, Zigong 643000, China
Ji Luo
Research Center of Agricultural Economy, School of Economics, Sichuan University of Science & Engineering, Zigong 643000, China
Pengyan Wang
Research Center of Agricultural Economy, School of Economics, Sichuan University of Science & Engineering, Zigong 643000, China
Xiao Guo
Research Center of Agricultural Economy, School of Economics, Sichuan University of Science & Engineering, Zigong 643000, China
Yuanjie Deng
Research Center of Agricultural Economy, School of Economics, Sichuan University of Science & Engineering, Zigong 643000, China
Tao Du
Hainan Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Haikou 571126, China
Haijun Wang
Research Center of Agricultural Economy, School of Economics, Sichuan University of Science & Engineering, Zigong 643000, China
Cuicui Jiao
Research Center of Agricultural Economy, School of Economics, Sichuan University of Science & Engineering, Zigong 643000, China
Guofu Yuan
Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
Mingan Shao
Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
In hyper-arid regions, soil moisture’s role in ecohydrological processes can differ significantly from that in arid or semi-arid ecosystems. We investigated the spatial–temporal dynamics of soil moisture and its relationship with groundwater depths in a 200 m × 300 m phreatophytic tamarisk stand in the lower basin of the Tarim River, a hyper-arid zone in China. Soil moisture profiles, from the surface to the water table, were derived using drilling and oven-drying techniques. Over a three-year period, the soil moisture at multiple depths was continuously monitored in a specific plot using nine frequency domain reflectometry (FDR) sensors. Our results indicate a correlation between horizontal variations in soil moisture and groundwater depths (GWDs). Nevertheless, anomalies in this correlation were observed. Variations in horizontal soil moisture were strongly influenced by the clay content in the soil, with finer soils retaining more moisture. Despite varying GWDs, soil moisture profiles remained consistent, with no distinct correlation between them. Soil moisture exhibited stability across layers, with noticeable changes only adjacent to the water table. These results imply that in hyper-arid environments, soil texture primarily governs soil moisture distribution. However, the limited spatial and temporal scopes in our dataset, constrained by the region’s inhospitable conditions, necessitate further investigation. Future work should prioritize amalgamating diverse data sources to devise a region-specific soil moisture model for in-depth analysis of hyper-arid regions.
