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FOR 536 P8: Impact of grazing on hydraulic, thermal and mechanical soil properties of grassland soils in the steppe ecosystem of the Xilin River Basin (Inner Mongolia)
Project
Project code: DFG FOR 536
Contract period: 01.01.2004
- 01.01.2016
Purpose of research: Basic research
Based on the obtained results during the first period the monitoring of the soil physical properties: water content and the temperature profiles on the ungrazed and wintergrazed plots (UG 79 and WG) with Leymus chinensis will be continued as well as the corresponding sites under Stipa grandis added because Stipa dominates especially drier areas of the steppe ecosystem in the Xilin river catchment. The grid measurements will be continued to determine the spatial distribution of shear resistance, water drop penetration test, infiltration rate, water content as a function of time and treatment. Investigations of freeze/thaw processes as a function of treatment, which are of main importance for water and heat fluxes and for the strength properties will be added to the working program. Consequences of soil freezing and thawing for hydraulic and mechanical properties and thus soil functions will be analysed in order to characterize the soil resilience capacity. Finally we will test how far the extrapolation of the precompression stress and shear strength data (plot scale) to the regional scale (geostatistical approach) can be achieved by plate bearing tests under simultaneous analysis of the horizontal and vertical stresses in 2 depths. The obtained data will then be linked to changes in the bulk density, heat transfer and infiltration rate to determine a functional relationship between mechanical, thermal and hydraulic soil parameters. These interrelations will be also the basis for the explanation of the particle erodibility (P9), changes in organic matter (P1) and groundwater recharge (P7) HYDRUS II-D modelling of the water and heat balances will be interlinked with regional scale models used by P7 and P6.
Section overview
Subjects
- Soil science
