• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.41 no.11
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• pp.302-309
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• 2017

Background: Large-scale land-use change is being caused by various socioeconomic problems. Land-use change is necessarily accompanied by changes in the regional carbon balance in terrestrial ecosystems and affects climate change. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the correlation between environmental factors altered by land-use change and the carbon balance. To address this issue, we studied the characteristics of soil carbon flux and soil moisture content related to rainfall events in mountain pastures converted from deciduous forest in Korea. Results: The average soil moisture contents (SMC) during the study period were 23.1% in the soil respiration (SR) plot and 25.2% in the heterotrophic respiration (HR) plot. The average SMC was increased to 2.1 and 1.1% in the SR and HR plots after rainfall events, respectively. In addition, saturated water content was 29.36% in this grassland. The soil water content was saturated under the consistent rainfall of more than $5mm\;h^{-1}$ rather than short-term heavy rainfall event. The average SR was increased to 28.4% after a rainfall event, but the average HR was decreased to 70. 1%. The correlation between soil carbon flux rates and rainfall was lower than other environmental factors. The correlation between SMC and soil carbon flux rates was low. However, HR exhibited a tendency to be decreased when SMC was 24.5%. In addition, the correlation between soil temperature and respiration rate was significant. Conclusions: In a mountain pasture ecosystem, rainfall induced the important change of soil moisture content related to respiration in soil. SR and HR were very sensitive to change of SMC in soil surface layer about 0-10-cm depth. SR was increased by elevation of SMC due to a rainfall event, and the result was assumed from maintaining moderate soil moisture content for respiration in microorganism and plant root. However, HR was decreased in long-time saturated condition of soil moisture content. Root has obviously contributed to high respiration in heavy rainfall, but it was affected to quick depression in respiration under low rainfall. The difference of SMC due to rainfall event was causative of a highly fluctuated soil respiration rate in the same soil temperature condition. Therefore, rainfall factor or SMC are to be considered in predicting the soil carbon flux of grassland ecosystems for future climate change.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.331-342
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• 2013

The major factors that control the performance of reinforced soil structures is the interaction between the soil and the reinforcement. Thus it is necessary to obtain the accurate bond parameters to be used in the design of these structures. To evaluate the behavior of flyash + clay soil reinforced with a woven geotextile, 36 Unconsolidated-Undrained (UU) and 12 reinforced Consolidated-Undrainrained (CU) triaxial compression tests were conducted. The moisture content of soil during remolding, confining pressures and arrangement of geotextile layers were all varied so that the behavior of the sample could be examined. The stress strain patterns, drainage, modulus of deformation, effect of confinement pressures, effects of moisture content have been evaluated. The impact of moisture content in flyash + clay backfills on critical shear parameters was also studied to recommend placement moisture for compaction to MDD. The results indicate that geotextile reinforced flyash + clay backfill might be a viable alternative in reinforced soil structures if good-quality granular backfill material is not readily available.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
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• v.11 no.6
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• pp.81-90
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• 2008

Recently, geofiber(polyester) reinforced soil was added on soil-seed mixture spray to control erosion and to improve vegetation growth on rocky slope sites. This research was conducted to compare vegetation effects and soil hardness on three types of soil-seed mixture spray on stone gabion river bank [A type : soil-seed mixture spray underlying 30cm thick sand with geofiber(geofiber reinforced soil system), B type : soil-seed mixture spray underlying 30cm thick sand without geofiber, C type : soil-seed mixture spray]. Evaluation were made concerning vegetation coverage, soil hardness and moisture content. The results of this study showed that A type system was effective for the growth of vegetation and soil hardness when compareed to B type and C type. A type and B type showed higher covering rate than C type on stone gabion river bank, and especially A type showed the highest covering rate. Soil hardness and water content were high on A type vegetation system compared to B type and C type. We noted that high soil hardness and high moisture content with geofiber(geofiber reinforced soil system) were effective both to control erosion from water current impact and to be high coverage and species of vegetation on stone gabion river bank.

• The Journal of Engineering Geology
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.483-498
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• 2022

Soil moisture is defined as water in the pores of the soil's unsaturated zone, and it is closely related to various hydrological processes. This study aims to provide meaningful data by identifying factors affecting soil moisture through comparing soil moisture content and soil permeability in a study area covering six different land use types in an agricultural region that is highly dependent on groundwater. We conduct auto-correlation analysis, spectral density analysis, and cross-correlation analysis using time-series data. Soil moisture content shows to have weak auto-correlation and memory effects, and precipitation appears to have a substantial influence on soil moisture content. Saturation hydraulic conductivity does not vary markedly with changing land use, and instead appears to be affected by the inhomogenous soil structure.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.127-134
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• 2012

Microwave remote sensing can help monitor the land surface water cycle, crop growth and soil moisture. A ground-based polarimetric scatterometer has an advantage for continuous crop using multi-polarization and multi-frequencies and various incident angles have been used extensively in a frequency range expanding from L-band to Ka-band. In this study, we analyzed the relationships between L-, C- and X-band signatures and soil moisture content over the whole soybean growth period. Polarimetric backscatter data at L-, C- and X-bands were acquired every 10 minutes. L-band backscattering coefficients were higher than those observed using C- or X-band over the period. Backscattering coefficients for all frequencies and polarizations increased until Day Of Year (DOY) 271 and then decreased until harvesting stage (DOY 294). Time serious of soil moisture content was not a corresponding with backscattering over the whole growth stage, although it increased relatively until early August (R2, DOY 224). We conducted the relationship between the backscattering coefficients of each band and soil moisture content. Backscattering coefficients for all frequencies were not correlated with soil moisture content when considered over the entire stage ($r{\leq}0.50$). However, we found that L-band HH polarization was correlated with soil moisture content (r=0.90) when Leaf Area Index (LAI)<2. Retrieval equations were developed for estimating soil moisture content using L-band HH polarization. Relation between L-HH and soil moisture shows exponential pattern and highly related with soil moisture content ($R^2=0.92$). Results from this study show that backscattering coefficients of radar scatterometer appear effective to estimate soil moisture content.

• Magazine of the Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.123-131
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• 1994

Experimental studies were conducted to make clear the soil moisture environment under the condition of paddy-upland rotational fields by investigating water-table depths and soil moisture contents during growing season of crops in two kinds of soil. The following results were obtained. 1.Although water-table depths fluctuated with the amount of rainfall in the experimental field, it seemed that the variation of vater4able depths in the paddy-upland rotational, field was strongly affected by the condition of locations on paddy fields. 2.It is recognized that the concept of sum of excess water depth(SEWxx) and sum of excess water day(SEDxx) can be used to represent the soil moisture stress index due to the fluctuation of water-table depths. 3.The results of this study clearly indicate that drainage in paddy-upland rotational field to maintain an optimum soil moisture content must be made by introducing the concept of block drainage which needs both subsurface drainage and intercept drainage around a field. 4.Soil moisture contents were affected by both the amount of rainfall and water-table depths, however, the moisture content for top soil showed higher correlation with the amount of rainfall while that for subsoil with water-table depths.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.762-769
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• 2022

Growth characters and ingredient contents of two-year-old bellflower (Platycodon grandiflorum) roots were investigated under both control and soil moisture treatment condition using soil moisture control system including soil sensing and automatic water supply chain in this study. Root diameter, fine root number, root length, fresh weight and dry weight of the plant were significantly influenced by the automatic water treatment, 20%, 30%, 40% and 50%, respectively. Ingredient contents of the two-year-old roots in bellflower plants were detected in the 20% and 50% of controlled soil moisture content. Contents of amino acids were decreased by the soil moisture treatment, meanwhile, contents of minerals were not showed significant decrease except for phosphorus content. Showing no difference in proline and tyrosine, fourteen of the amino acid contents were gradually decreased by the increased soil moisture contents, with significant decrease in serine, glycine, alanine, leucine, lysine and histidine at 20% treatment.

• Magazine of the Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.81-103
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• 1979

The weathered granite soil involves problems in its stability in soil structures depending upon the reduction of soil strength due to the water absorption, crushability, and content of colored mineral and feldspar. As an attemt to solve the problems associated with soil stability, the crushability of weathered granite soil was investigated by conducting tests such as compaction test, CBR test, unconfined compression test, direct shear test, triaxial compression test, and permeability test on the five soil samples different in weathering and mineral compositions. The experimental results are summarized as follows: The ratio of increasing dry density in the weathered granite soil was high as the compaction energy was low, while it was low as the compaction energy was increased. The unconfined compressive strength. and CBR value were highest in the dry side rather than in the soil with the optimum moisture content, when the soil was compacted by adjusting water content. However, the unconfined compressive strength of smples, which were compacted and oven dried, were highest in the wet side rather than in soil with the optimum moisture content. As the soil becomes coarse grain, the ratio of specific surface area increased due to increased crushability, and the increasing ratio of the specific surface area decreased as the compaction energy was increased. The highest ratio of grain crushability was attained in the wet side rather than in the soil with the optimum moisture content. Such tendency was transforming to the dry side as the compaction energy was increased. The effect of water on the grain crushability of soil was high in the coarse grained soil. The specific surface area of WK soil sample, when compacted under the condition of air dried and under the optimum moisture content, was constant regardless of the compaction energy. When the weathered granite soil and river sand with the same grain size were compacted with low compaction energy, the weathered granite soil with crushability had higher dry density than river sand. However, when the compaction energy reached to certain point over limitation, the river sand had higher dry density than the weathered granite soil. The coefficient of permeability was lowest in the wet side rather than in the optimum moisture content, when the soil was compacted by adjusting soil water content. The reduction of permeability of soil due to the compaction was more apparent in the weathered granite soil than in the river sand. The highly significant correlation coefficient was obtained between the amount of particle breakage and dry density of the compacted soil.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.41 no.10
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• pp.281-289
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• 2017

Background: In this study, the growth and reproductive response of seedlings, grown in plastic pots with sand, to moisture and nutrients were analyzed in order to study the environmental conditions required to create an alternative habitat for Epilobium hirsutum L., an endangered plant. Results: Vegetative and reproductive growths of Epilobium hirsutum L. are accelerated with increase in moisture and organic matter content in the soil. Among vegetative organs, the number of runners related to asexual reproduction was the highest when the moisture content was over 25% and nutrient content between 7 and 14% in the soil. But the number of flowers related to flowering responses, among reproductive organs, was the highest when the moisture content was maintained at 75% and when nutrient content was 21% in the soil. The number of seeds, related to sexual reproduction, was the highest when the moisture content was over 25% and nutrient content between 14 and 21%. Conclusions: The study results show that a place with high moisture and nutrient content in the soil is advantageous to asexual and sexual reproduction of Epilobium hirsutum L. Therefore, we must serve periodically nutrient and seeds to sustain population in in situ conservation. Furthermore, it is advisable to create in riverside where abundant nutrient content have, making alternative habitat of Epilobium hirsutum L. Also, we must find species that have high contribution degree index through vegetation survey.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.261-273
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• 2020

This paper presents an efficient method utilizing user-defined computer functional codes to determine the reliability of an embankment slope with spatially varying soil properties in real time. The soils' mechanical properties varied with the soil layers that had different degrees of compaction and moisture content levels. The Latin Hypercube Sampling (LHS) for the degree of compaction and Kriging simulation of moisture content variation were adopted and programmed to predict their spatial distributions, respectively, that were subsequently used to characterize the spatial distribution of the soil shear strengths. The shear strength parameters were then integrated into the Geostudio command file to determine the safety factor of the embankment slope. An explicit metamodal for the performance function, using the Kriging method, was established and coded to efficiently compute the failure probability of slope with varying moisture contents. Sensitivity analysis showed that the proposed method significantly reduced the computational time compared to Monte Carlo simulation. About 300 times LHS Geostudio computations were needed to optimize precision and efficiency in determining the failure probability. The results also revealed that an embankment slope is prone to high failure risk if the degree of compaction is low and the moisture content is high.