EGU22-13331, updated on 28 Mar 2022
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu22-13331
EGU General Assembly 2022
© Author(s) 2022. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Impact of wetting-drying cycles on the hydro-mechanical behaviour of vegetated soil

Floriana Anselmucci1, Hongyang Cheng1, Yijian Zeng2, Xinyan Fan3, and Vanessa Magnanimo1
Floriana Anselmucci et al.
  • 1Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering Technology, University of Twente, P.O. Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede, The Netherlands
  • 2Department of Water Resources, Faculty of Geo-information Science and Earth Observation, University of Twente P.O. Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede, the Netherlands
  • 3Department of Natural Resources, Faculty of Geo-information Science and Earth Observation, University of Twente P.O. Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede, the Netherlands

Climate change strongly affects the hydro-mechanical properties of soil. Due to drought and heavy rains
the soil is subjected to severe hydro-mechanical loads, that, in turn, alter the microstructure of the soil.
The most affected area is the so-called vadose zone, the layer of soil situated between the ground surface and
the water table. Here the presence of vegetation has a strong impact, related to the elongation/expansion
of the root architecture and the hydro-mechanical interactions with soil. Additionally, the presence of plant
roots facilitate the evapotranspiration process from deeper soil layers.
The research presents an experimental investigation, aimed to reproduce the typical hydro-mechanical
conditions as found in the vadose zone in controlled laboratory conditions. Drying-wetting cycles are induced
in soils samples, where maize plants are free to sprout and develop as well as in reference non-vegetated
samples. The water content and distribution within the soil matrix are studied through 4D (3D+time)
in-vivo x-ray computed tomography and effects on the soil-root microstructure are quantified with 3D
image analysis. Those are correlated with above ground measurements such as fluorescence (through a
spectroradiometer) that, in turn, provides leaf water potential, and the stomatal conductance that controls
the evapotranspiration.

How to cite: Anselmucci, F., Cheng, H., Zeng, Y., Fan, X., and Magnanimo, V.: Impact of wetting-drying cycles on the hydro-mechanical behaviour of vegetated soil, EGU General Assembly 2022, Vienna, Austria, 23–27 May 2022, EGU22-13331, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu22-13331, 2022.