Principles of Soil and Plant Water Relations

519 Pages·2004·12.52 MB·English

by  M.B. Kirkham

PRINCIPLES
OF SOIL AND PLANT
WATER RELATIONS
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PRINCIPLES
OF SOIL AND PLANT
WATER RELATIONS
M.B. KIRKHAM
Kansas State University
AMSTERDAM • BOSTON • HEIDELBERG • LONDON
NEW YORK • OXFORD • PARIS • SAN DIEGO
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Kirkham, M. B.
Principles of soil and plant water relations / M. B. Kirkham.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1. Plant-water relationships. 2. Plant-soil relationships. 3. Ground water flow.
I. Title
QK870.K57 2004
572′.5392—dc22
2004019470
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN: 0-12-409751-0
For all information on all Elsevier Academic Press publications
visit our Web site at www.books.elsevier.com
Printed in the United States of America
04 05 06 07 08 09 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
To my family
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Contents
Preface xv
1
Introduction 1
I. Why Study Soil-Plant-Water Relations? 1
II. Plant Growth Curves 6
III. Appendix: Biography of John Napier 11
2
Definitions of Physical Units and the
International System 15
I. Definitions 15
II. Le Système International d’Unités 20
III. Example: Applying Units of Work and Pressure
to a Root 23
IV. Appendix: Biography of Isaac Newton 24
3
Structure and Properties of Water 27
I. Structure of Water 27
II. Forces That Bind Water Molecules Together 28
III. Properties of Water 30
IV. Appendix: Biography of Johannes van der Waals 39
vii
viii CONTENTS
4
Tensiometers 41
I. Description of a Tensiometer 41
II. Types of Tensiometers 45
III. Temperature Effects on Tensiometers 50
IV. Applications of Tensiometers 51
V. Appendix: Biography of L.A. Richards 52
5
Soil-Water Terminology and Applications 55
I. Water Content 55
II. Water Potential 55
III. Heads in a Column of Soil 60
IV. Movement of Water Between Tensiometers 63
V. Appendix: Biography of William L. Powers 64
6
Static Water in Soil 67
I. Surface Tension 67
II. Examples of Surface Tension 73
III. Rise and Fall of Water in Soil Pores 75
IV. Appendix: History of Surface Tension 79
V. Appendix: Biography of Marquis de Laplace 82
7
Water Movement in Saturated Soil 85
I. Darcy’s Law 85
II. Hydraulic Conductivity 87
III. Laplace’s Equation 88
IV. Ellipse Equation 88
V. Linear Flow Laws 93
VI. Appendix: Biography of Apollonius of Perga 96
VII. Appendix: Biography of Henry Darcy 97
8
Field Capacity, Wilting Point, Available Water, and the
Non-Limiting Water Range 101
I. Field Capacity 101
II. Wilting Point 104
III. Available Water 107
IV. Non-Limiting Water Range 108
V. Biographies of Briggs and Shantz 110
9
Penetrometer Measurements 117
I. Definition, Types of Penetrometers, and Uses 117
II. Types of Tests 118
CONTENTS ix
III. What Penetrometer Measurements Depend Upon 119
IV. Cone Penetrometer 121
V. Appendix: Biography of Champ Tanner 124
10
Measurement of Oxygen Diffusion Rate 129
I. The Oxygen Diffusion Rate Method 129
II. Electrolysis 131
III. Model and Principles of the ODR Method 134
IV. Method 137
V. Appendix: Biography of Michael Faraday 141
11
Infiltration 145
I. Definition of Infiltration 145
II. Four Models of One-Dimensional Infiltration 147
III. Two- and Three-Dimensional Infiltration 150
IV. Redistribution 150
V. Tension Infiltrometer or Disc Permeameter 151
VI. Minidisk Infiltrometer 154
VII. Measurement of Unsaturated Hydraulic Conductivity
and Sorptivity with the Tension Infiltrometer 155
VIII. Measurement of Repellency with the Tension Infiltrometer 160
IX. Measurement of Mobility with the Tension Infiltrometer 161
X. Ellipsoidal Description of Water Flow into Soil from
a Surface Disc 166
XI. Appendix: Biography of John Philip 168
12
Pore Volume 173
I. Definitions 173
II. Illustration of Breakthrough Curves and Pore Volumes 175
III. Mathematical Analysis of Pore Volume 175
IV. Calculation of a Pore Volume 179
V. Pore Volumes Based on Length Units 181
VI. Miscible Displacement 183
VII. Relation Between Mobile Water Content and
Pore Volume 183
VIII. Appendix: Biography of Donald Nielsen 183
13
Time Domain Reflectometry to Measure Volumetric
SoilWater Content 187
I. Definitions 187
II. Dielectric Constant, Frequency Domain, and
Time Domain 189