Hydrological changes of fens sites in the course of soil development

Authors:
Uwe Schindler, Lothar Müller, Frank Eulenstein and Axel Behrendt

Book:
Proceedings of the 15th International Peat Congress

Venue:
Kuching

Keywords:
fen, hydrological-properties, soil-development

Documentfile:
ipc16p62-67a399schindler.mueller.etal_.pdf

Summary:

SUMMARY

This study deals with the change and evaluation of soil hydrological properties of peat soils (FAO: Terric Histosols) in the course of soil development. For 84 fen sites in 19 fen regions in NorthEast Germany, besides ash content, unit water content and dry bulk density, the unsaturated hydraulic conductivity, the water retention function and the wetting properties were measured. The porosity decrease. Opposed to that, the macro pore space and the capillary rise increased. With the start of consolidation processes and the development of segregation structure, first of all a noticeable reduction of the macro pores and the unsaturated hydraulic conductivity began. In the course of further soil development and decreasing aggregate size, these processes reversed. Both parameters increased…