Articles | Volume 27, issue 23
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-4247-2023
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-4247-2023
Research article
 | 
01 Dec 2023
Research article |  | 01 Dec 2023

Biocrust-reduced soil water retention and soil infiltration in an alpine Kobresia meadow

Licong Dai, Ruiyu Fu, Xiaowei Guo, Yangong Du, Guangmin Cao, Huakun Zhou, and Zhongmin Hu

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Cited articles

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Chamizo, S., Cantón, Y., Lázaro, R., Solé-Benet, A., and Domingo, F.: Crust Composition and Disturbance Drive Infiltration Through Biological Soil Crusts in Semiarid Ecosystems, Ecosystems, 15, 148–161, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-011-9499-6, 2012b. 
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We found that, in the 0–30 cm soil layer, soil water retention and soil water content in normal Kobresia meadow (NM) were higher than those in biocrust meadow (BM), whereas the 30–40 cm layer's soil water retention and soil water content in NM were lower than those in BM. The topsoil infiltration rate in BM was lower than that in NM. Our findings revealed that the establishment of biocrust did not improve soil water retention and infiltration.
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