Soil Profile Gravel Layers: I. Effect on Water Storage, Distribution, and Evaporation

Abstract

Abstract Soil water distribution and evaporation following water application were affected by a gravel layer placed on or 5, 15, or 25 cm below the soil surface. Soil above gravel retained more water than soil at similar depths in uniform columns. Evaporation from soil with gravel on the surface or at 5 cm was slower than from the check, while evaporation from soil with gravel at 15 or 25 cm generally was more rapid than from the check. The water content of soil near the surface of field plots was markedly influenced by rainfall or duration of rain‐free periods. For the entire soil mass sampled, gravel on or at 5 cm below the surface increased the water content of plots as compared with both the check plots and treatments with gravel at 15 or 25 cm during periods of relatively frequent precipitation (spring and early summer). All treatments, however, permitted considerable water losses during extended dry periods (late summer, fall, and winter).