Hydraulic Properties in the Complete Moisture Range of Hydric Soil in
Peatlands of the Earth's Third Pole
Abstract
The hydraulic properties of hydric soils in Tibet’s peatlands
significantly influence hydrological processes and play a substantial
role in carbon cycle. Soil hydraulic studies on the peatlands remain
strikingly limited. By the comparison of six hydraulic parameterizations
using either van Genuchten-Mualem (vGM) or Kosugi saturation function,
the results indicate that the PDI (Peter-Durner-Iden) model remains an
excellent choice for these multi-disperse systems composed of mixed
components, despite substantial discrepancies in the micrometer-scale
morphology of structure and composition of partially decomposed Sphagnum
and vascular tissues and mineral particles. The bi-modal scheme does not
adapt well in the later stages of the Evaporation Experiment (EE), as of
the bi-modal scheme deviates in the dry range of the water retention
curve (WRC). Nonetheless, Irrespective of the saturation functions, the
bi-modal with PDI yields satisfactory results for the WRC and the
hydraulic conductivity curve (HCC). We attribute this to the
complementary effects of two uni-modals. But for bi-modal PDI scheme,
vGM demonstrates better performance than the Kosugi in high clay content
samples. These clay-rich samples exhibit a broader and more
heterogeneous feature in the equivalent Pore Size Distribution (PSD),
while other samples generally show a broad and relatively homogeneous
feature. Therefore, we conclude that the WRC and HCC are jointly
determined by structures and compositions of mixed components of
lignocellulosic, humin and mineral materials. Intricate nature of these
components underscore the necessity for extensive comprehensive field
sampling and laboratory analyses to accurately capture the hydraulic
characteristics in the peatlands of Tibet.