Water repellency (hydrophobicity) is a phenomenon observed on many natural, biological and manmade surfaces. Although the sources of hydrophobic material may differ at various surfaces, the principal purpose and the implications of water repellency for soils, root-soil interface, or in manufacturing may not be very different. Water repellency in soils is known to have effects on preferential flow, runoff, erosion, plant germination etc. Hydrophobic plant or man-made surfaces are used for cleaning and water preservation. Interaction with scientists from different fields but working on the same phenomenon will bring more holistic approach to the understanding of water repellency as a whole.
Current techniques for the assessment of water repellency range from molecule-scales to remote sensing approaches at the landscape-scale, but despite intensive research the knowledge is still incomplete. The spatial and temporal changes in the occurrence and severity of water repellency at different scales needs better explanation and integration into the modelling approaches.
This session aims to bring together the scientists studying water repellency of different natural materials including: soils, root-soil interface, biofilms and engineered materials. We welcome contributions studying the origin, principles and implications of water repellency at different scales and environments, its impact on the physical and hydrological soil properties, soil erosion, and the effect of wildfires as well as research into amelioration techniques and strategies for restoration of arable soils or natural areas.