1. Lab 9 - Soil Water Gravimetric Water Content Volumetric Water Content
Mass of water (g) per mass of soil (g)
g (g/g) = Mass water (g) / Mass Oven dry soil (g)
Volumetric Water Content
Volume of water (cm3) per volume of soil (cm3)
v (cm3/cm3) = g (g/g) x BD (g/cm3)
Water Depth
Depth of water = v x Depth of soil
Dw (cm) = v x Ds (cm)

2. SAT = Saturation FC = Field Capacity WP = Wilting Point AD = Air Dry
The water content when the pores are completely filled with water.
Saturation corresponds to pressure potentials of zero, and above (positive pressure).
This is the same as saying p  0,   0
At saturation, the volumetric water content equals the porosity.
FC = Field Capacity
The water content held after rapid gravitational drainage has occurred.
Field capacity is sometimes described as the amount of water a soil can hold against gravity.
This is not completely true, however, as water continues to drain slowly by gravity at pressures below field capacity.
The tensions associated with field capacity are between  = 0.1 and 0.3 bars, equal to 100 to 300 cm.
WP = Wilting Point
The amount of water held when plant roots can no longer extract water from the soil.
This tension is usually assumed to be  =15 bars, but different plants have different wilting points. Xeriphytes (dry-loving plant) can go down to  = 75 bars. Phreatophytes (water-loving plants) can only go down to  = 5 bars.
AD = Air Dry
The amount of water held by soil when it is exposed to the atmosphere.
Related to the relative humidity. Soils left in moist air are wetter than soils left in dry air. Soils in caves and greenhouses are moist. Soils in the desert are dry
 varies from 75 to over 1000 bars depending on the RH
OD = Oven Dry
The amount of water held once the soil has been dried in a 105°C oven for 48 hours.
 is about 10,000 bars in the oven.

3. Capillary Rise The wicking effect caused by small pores h = 0.15 / r
h is the height of rise in tube, cm
r is the radius of tube, cm
The height of rise (tension!) is higher in:
clays than silts
silts than sands
sands than gravels

4. Soil Tension
A negative pressure that accounts for moisture held in the soil by capillary forces
A small tension means water is not bound tightly
A large tension means that water is bound tightly
We use the symbol  (psi) to represent the tension:
 = - p
A negative pressure!!
Remember this: it’s negative...

8. Moisture Characteristic Curve A plot of water content, , vs soil tension, .

10. Air- and Oven-Dry Air-Dry mass on beaker label
AD water = (ADm – ODm) / ODm
Plot measured 1,000 bar
Plot OD = 10,000 bar

11. Saturated Water Content (0 bars)
Weigh cup and glass stir rod
Add 25g soil (nearest 0.01g)
Add water slowly
Reweigh
Gravimetric content at SAT
SAT = Mass water / mass dry soil

12. Field Capacity (0.1 bars)
100 cm3 of air-dry soil in graduated cylinder
Pipette 10 cm3 water slowly
Parafilm over the top (ALREADY DONE!)
BD = Ms / Vs (g/cm3)
Ms wetted (g)
= Vs wetted (cm3) x BD (g/cm3)
FC (g/g) = Mw (g) / Ms wetted (g)

13. Plant Available Water = PAW = FC - WP
The water in the soil between field capacity,  = 0.1 bar, and the wilting point,  = 15 bars:
The water bound less tightly than the field capacity is termed gravitational water because gravity easily drains this water before the plants can get it.
Water bound beyond the wilting point is unavailable, because plant roots can not pull hard enough to overcome absorption of the water to the soil

14. Time Domain Reflectometer
Soil Tensiometer Used to measure soil tension (negative pressure) A pressure gage is connected to a water column A porous ceramic cup lets water move, but not air
Time Domain Reflectometer
Used to measure soil moisture
An electrical pulse is sent down the rod
The pulse bounces off the end and returns to the source
The wetter the soil, the longer the delay in returning