We use geostatistical and pedotrasnfer functions to estimate the three-dimensional distributions of soil types and hydraulic properties in a relatively large volume of vadose zone underlying the Maricopa Agriculture Center near Phoenix, Arizona. Soil texture and bulk density data from the site are analyzed geostatistically to reveal the underlying stratigraphy as well as finer features of their three-dimensional variability in space. Such fine features are revealed by cokriging soil texture and water content measured prior to large-scale long-term infiltration experiments. Resultant estimates of soil texture and bulk density data across the site are then used as input into a pedotransfer function to produce estimates of soil hydraulic parameter (saturated and residual water content θs and θr, saturated hydraulic conductivity Ks, van Genuchten parameters αand n) distributions across the site in three dimensions. We compare these estimates with laboratory-measured values of these same hydraulic parameters and find the estimated parameters match the measured well for θs, n and Ks but not well for θr nor α, while some measured extreme values are not captured. Finally the estimated soil hydraulic parameters are put into a numerical simulator to test the reliability of the models. Resultant simulated water contents do not agree well with those observed, indicating inverse calibration is required to improve the modeling performance. The results of this research conform to a previous work by Wang et al. at 2003. Also this research covers the gaps of Wang’s work in sense of generating 3-D heterogeneous fields of soil texture and bulk density by cokriging and providing comparisons between estimated and measured soil hydraulic parameters with new field and laboratory measurements of water retentions datasets.

Characterization of heterogeneous soil hydraulic parameters of deep vadose zones is often difficult and expensive, making it necessary to rely on other sources of information. Pedotransfer functions (PTFs) based on soil texture data constitute a simple alternative to inverse hydraulic parameter estimation, but their accuracy is often modest. Inverse modeling entails a compromise between detailed description of subsurface heterogeneity and the need to restrict the number of parameters. We propose two methods of parameterizing vadose zone hydraulic properties using a combination of k-means clustering of kriged soil texture data, PTFs, and model inversion. One approach entails homogeneous and the other heterogeneous clusters. Clusters may include subdomains of the computational grid that need not be contiguous in space. The first approach homogenizes within-cluster variability into initial hydraulic parameter estimates that are subsequently optimized by inversion. The second approach maintains heterogeneity through multiplication of each spatially varying initial hydraulic parameter by a scale factor, estimated a posteriori through inversion. This allows preserving heterogeneity without introducing a large number of adjustable parameters. We use each approach to simulate a 95 day infiltration experiment in unsaturated layered sediments at a semiarid site near Phoenix, Arizona, over an area of 50 x 50 m(2) down to a depth of 14.5 m. Results show that both clustering approaches improve simulated moisture contents considerably in comparison to those based solely on PTF estimates. Our calibrated models are validated against data from a subsequent 295 day infiltration experiment at the site.

Pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R.Br.] production under subsistence farmer management on the sandy soils of southwestern Niger is faced with many challenges, including declining soil fertility, highly variable and scarce rainfall and poor resource base of the peasant farmers in the region. This study was conducted to evaluate the potential of management to increase yield and water use efficiency of pearl millet grown on two farmers’ fields in Niger during two growing seasons, 2003 and 2004. The management practices tested were: 1) Five manure treatments (no manure, transported manure, current corralling, a year after corralling, and two years after corralling); 2) The microdose technology (20 kg di-ammonium phosphate ha-1, and 20 kg di-ammonium phosphate ha-1 + 10 kg urea ha-1); and lastly, 3) Three different pearl millet cultivars (Heini Kirei, Zatib, and ICMV IS 89305). In both growing seasons, manure had the greatest effect on the yield and water use of pearl millet at both sites. In 2003 grain yields were 389 kg ha-1 in the NM treatment and 1495 kg ha-1 in the C0 treatment at Banizoumbou whereas at Bagoua, the NM treatment had 423 kg ha-1 vs. 995 kg ha-1 in the C0 treatment. In 2004, the NM treatment at Banizoumbou had 123 kg ha-1 grain yield and the C0 treatment had 957 kg ha-1 whereas at Bagoua the NM treatment had 506 kg ha-1 vs. 1152 kg ha-1 in the C0 treatment. Residual effects of manure led to grain yields in the C1 and C2 treatments which were more than twice as high as in the NM treatment. The improved cultivars were generally superior for grain yields, whereas the local landrace was superior for straw yields at both sites. Root zone drainage was decreased by between 50 to 100 mm, and water use increased by the same amount in the current corrals at the two sites during the two growing seasons. Increased water use under corralling and presence of residual profile moisture at the end of each of the two seasons suggested that water did not limit pearl millet production at the two sites.

Thesis (MScAgric)--Stellenbosch University, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Increased pressure on groundwater sources due to increased population size and threats of climate change is driving research to better understand the process of aquifer recharge. Soil pattern is of interest as it serves to partition rainwater into different flowpaths destined for surface runoff, evapotranspiration and deep percolation. The challenges inherent to studying these flowpaths are almost universal as uncertainties concerning spatial and temporal heterogeneity in catchments make the upscaling of models complex. This research addresses these challenges as it aims to improve the catchment scale hydrological models of two aquifer systems: One a fractured bedrock system at the Kogelberg Nature Reserve, Kleinmond, and the other a cover sand system in Riverlands Nature Reserve, Malmesbury. This study focussed on strengthening the link between what is known about a given soil form and the hydrological assumptions that can be drawn from that classification, and formulating the results so that they may ultimately be used to calibrate the recharge prediction models for the respective catchments. The research was done in two parts: The first phase was to conduct soil surveys in both reserves during which soils were classified according to South African Soil Classification. Samples were collected at representative observation points which provided textural data for use in pedotransfer functions (PTFs). These PTFs were used to estimate plant available water (PAW) and hydraulic conductivity (K) for the observed profiles. Infiltration experiments were subsequently done to investigate the infiltration patterns of distinctly different soil forms at two sites from each reserve. The experiments included double ring and mini disc infiltration, volumetric water content determination and flow path visualisation using a staining dye. A statistical comparison between the hydrological properties (K and PAW) of the different soil forms suggest that hydraulic properties differed between the deep sandy soil forms (Fernwood, Pinegrove and Witfontein in Kogelberg and Witfontein, Concordia and Lamotte in Riverlands) and the shallow rocky soil forms (Cartref and Glenrosa in Kogelberg). Thus grouping of hydrological similar units (HSUs) could be done on the basis of the soil forms present within the given catchments. The infiltration study showed that shallow, rocky soils that grade into bedrock would have infiltration rates far greater than those estimated using PTFs in Kogelberg. This is due to the prevalence of continuous preferential flow (PF) of water between coarse fragments in these profiles. Recharge estimates would thus be inaccurate in such soils and calibration using locally derived data is recommended. On the contrary, PTFs produced accurate infiltration estimates relative to measured infiltration rates in deep sandy soils in Kogelberg and Riverlands. The Lamotte soil form is an example of such a soil form. It should however be noted that an increase in PF in these soils had subsequently higher K values than estimated, thus illustrating the link between PF and accelerated infiltration rates. These results confirm that using soil survey information, in the form of a soil map, and calibrated hydrological properties, one can delineate HSUs that encompass a large degree of heterogeneity in a given catchment. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Verhoogde druk op grondwaterhulpbronne weens die groeiende bevolking en klimaatsverandering dryf tans navorsing om akwifeer hervulling beter te verstaan. Die grondlaag is van belang sienend dat dit reënwater verdeel in oppervlak afloop, evapotranspirasie en diep dreinering. Die uitdagings in hidrologiese navorsing is universeel as gevolg van onsekerhede oor ruimtelike en tydelike variasie wat lei tot komplekse grondwatermodelle. Diè navorsing mik om die tekortkominge in akwifeer hervulling aan te vul deur groundwatermodelle van twee akwifeersisteme te verbeter: Die een is 'n gebroke rots sisteem in die Kogelberg Natuur Reservaat, Kleinmond, en die ander is 'n sand-bedekde sisteem in Riverlands Natuur Reservaat, Malmesbury. Die navorsing streef om die verhouding tussen 'n spesifieke grondvorm en sy hidroliese vloeipaaie te bestudeer en om die gevolgtrekkings so te formuleer dat dit kan gebruik word om die onderskeie grondwatermodelle te kalibreer. Die eerste fase van die navorsing was om 'n grondopname van die onderskeie reservate te doen waartydens die gronde geklassifiseer was volgens die Suid Afrikaanse Grondklassifikasie Sisteem. Grondmonsters is by verteenwoordigende observasiepunte geneem en geanaliseer om tekstuurdata vir pedo-oordraagbare-funksies (PTFs) te kry. Die PTFs was gebruik om plant beskikbare water (PBW) en hidrouliese geleiding (K) te voorspel vir die verskeie observasiepunte. Infiltrasie eksperimente was daarna gedoen om die infiltrasie patroon van twee verskillende grondvorms van elke reservaat te bestudeer. Die eksperimente sluit dubbel- en minidisk-infiltrasie, volumetriese waterinhoud bepaling en vloeipad visualisering met die gebruik van 'n kleurstof in. Die statistiese vergelyking van die hidrouliese eienskappe (K en PBW) en grondvorm dui aan dat die hidrouliese eienskappe verskil tussen die diep, grondvorms met 'n oorwegende sand tekstuur (Fernwood, Pinegrove en Witfontein in Kogelberg en Witfontein, Concordia en Lamotte in Riverlands) en die vlakker, klipperige grondvorms (Cartref en Glenrosa in Kogelberg). Groepering van hidrologies soortgelyke eenhede (HSE's) kan dus op die basis van die teenwoordige grondvorms in 'n opvangsgebied gedoen word. Die infiltrasie studie het bewys dat vlak, klipperige gronde wat tot die rotsbodem gradueer 'n baie hoër infiltratsie tempo sal hê as die PTF voorspelde waardes. Dit is as gevolg van die voorkoms van aaneenlopende voorkeurvloei (VV) van water tussen die growwe materiaal in die profiele, veral die gebroke rots ondergorond. Voorspellings van akwifeer hervulling sal dus onakkuraat wees en kalibrasie met plaaslike data word dus aanbeveel. In teendeel met die begenoemde, het die PTFs akkurate voorspellings gemaak relatief tot die gemete infiltrasie tempo's in die diep sanderige grondvorms in Kogelberg en Riverlands. Dit was duidelik met metings dat 'n toename in aaneenlopende VV hoër gemete K waardes getoon as die voorspelde waardes. Die verband tussen VV en verhoogde infiltrasie tempo word dus hiermee geillustreer. Die resultate bevestig dus dat grondopname data, in die vorm van 'n grondkaart en gekalibreerde hidrouliese eienskappe gebruik kan word om hidrologies soortgelyke eenhede uiteen te sit wat die meerderheid van die variasie in 'n gegewe opvangsgebied insluit. Die HSE's kan gebruik word om grondwatermodelle meer akkuraat te laat funksioneer en dus beter voorspellings te genereer.

Both empirical and process-simulation models are useful for evaluating the effects of management practices on environmental quality and crop yield. The use of these models is limited, however, because they need many soil property values as input. The first step towards modelling is the collection of input data. Soil properties can be highly variable spatially and temporally, and measuring them is time-consuming and expensive. Efficient methods, which consider the uncertainty and cost of measurements, for estimating soil hydraulic properties form the main thrust of this study. Hydraulic properties are affected by other soil physical, and chemical properties, therefore it is possible to develop empirical relations to predict them. This idea quantified is called a pedotransfer function. Such functions may be global or restricted to a country or region. The different classification of particle-size fractions used in Australia compared with other countries presents a problem for the immediate adoption of exotic pedotransfer functions. A database of Australian soil hydraulic properties has been compiled. Pedotransfer functions for estimating water-retention and saturated hydraulic conductivity from particle size and bulk density for Australian soil are presented. Different approaches for deriving hydraulic transfer functions have been presented and compared. Published pedotransfer functions were also evaluated, generally they provide a satisfactory estimation of water retention and saturated hydraulic conductivity depending on the spatial scale and accuracy of prediction. Several pedotransfer functions were developed in this study to predict water retention and hydraulic conductivity. The pedotransfer functions developed here may predict adequately in large areas but for site-specific applications local calibration is needed. There is much uncertainty in the input data, and consequently the transfer functions can produce varied outputs. Uncertainty analysis is therefore needed. A general approach to quantifying uncertainty is to use Monte Carlo methods. By sampling repeatedly from the assumed probability distributions of the input variables and evaluating the response of the model the statistical distribution of the outputs can be estimated. A modified Latin hypercube method is presented for sampling joint multivariate probability distributions. This method is applied to quantify the uncertainties in pedotransfer functions of soil hydraulic properties. Hydraulic properties predicted using pedotransfer functions developed in this study are also used in a field soil-water model to analyze the uncertainties in the prediction of dynamic soil-water regimes. The use of the disc permeameter in the field conventionally requires the placement of a layer of sand in order to provide good contact between the soil surface and disc supply membrane. The effect of sand on water infiltration into the soil and on the estimate of sorptivity was investigated. A numerical study and a field experiment on heavy clay were conducted. Placement of sand significantly increased the cumulative infiltration but showed small differences in the infiltration rate. Estimation of sorptivity based on the Philip's two term algebraic model using different methods was also examined. The field experiment revealed that the error in infiltration measurement was proportional to the cumulative infiltration curve. Infiltration without placement of sand was considerably smaller because of the poor contact between the disc and soil surface. An inverse method for predicting soil hydraulic parameters from disc permeameter data has been developed. A numerical study showed that the inverse method is quite robust in identifying the hydraulic parameters. However application to field data showed that the estimated water retention curve is generally smaller than the one obtained in laboratory measurements. Nevertheless the estimated near-saturated hydraulic conductivity matched the analytical solution quite well. Th author believes that the inverse method can give a reasonable estimate of soil hydraulic parameters. Some experimental and theoretical problems were identified and discussed. A formal analysis was carried out to evaluate the efficiency of the different methods in predicting water retention and hydraulic conductivity. The analysis identified the contribution of individual source of measurement errors to the overall uncertainty. For single measurements, the inverse disc-permeameter analysis is economically more efficient than using pedotransfer functions or measuring hydraulic properties in the laboratory. However, given the large amount of spatial variation of soil hydraulic properties it is perhaps not surprising that lots of cheap and imprecise measurements, e.g. by hand texturing, are more efficient than a few expensive precise ones.

Both empirical and process-simulation models are useful for evaluating the effects of management practices on environmental quality and crop yield. The use of these models is limited, however, because they need many soil property values as input. The first step towards modelling is the collection of input data. Soil properties can be highly variable spatially and temporally, and measuring them is time-consuming and expensive. Efficient methods, which consider the uncertainty and cost of measurements, for estimating soil hydraulic properties form the main thrust of this study. Hydraulic properties are affected by other soil physical, and chemical properties, therefore it is possible to develop empirical relations to predict them. This idea quantified is called a pedotransfer function. Such functions may be global or restricted to a country or region. The different classification of particle-size fractions used in Australia compared with other countries presents a problem for the immediate adoption of exotic pedotransfer functions. A database of Australian soil hydraulic properties has been compiled. Pedotransfer functions for estimating water-retention and saturated hydraulic conductivity from particle size and bulk density for Australian soil are presented. Different approaches for deriving hydraulic transfer functions have been presented and compared. Published pedotransfer functions were also evaluated, generally they provide a satisfactory estimation of water retention and saturated hydraulic conductivity depending on the spatial scale and accuracy of prediction. Several pedotransfer functions were developed in this study to predict water retention and hydraulic conductivity. The pedotransfer functions developed here may predict adequately in large areas but for site-specific applications local calibration is needed. There is much uncertainty in the input data, and consequently the transfer functions can produce varied outputs. Uncertainty analysis is therefore needed. A general approach to quantifying uncertainty is to use Monte Carlo methods. By sampling repeatedly from the assumed probability distributions of the input variables and evaluating the response of the model the statistical distribution of the outputs can be estimated. A modified Latin hypercube method is presented for sampling joint multivariate probability distributions. This method is applied to quantify the uncertainties in pedotransfer functions of soil hydraulic properties. Hydraulic properties predicted using pedotransfer functions developed in this study are also used in a field soil-water model to analyze the uncertainties in the prediction of dynamic soil-water regimes. The use of the disc permeameter in the field conventionally requires the placement of a layer of sand in order to provide good contact between the soil surface and disc supply membrane. The effect of sand on water infiltration into the soil and on the estimate of sorptivity was investigated. A numerical study and a field experiment on heavy clay were conducted. Placement of sand significantly increased the cumulative infiltration but showed small differences in the infiltration rate. Estimation of sorptivity based on the Philip's two term algebraic model using different methods was also examined. The field experiment revealed that the error in infiltration measurement was proportional to the cumulative infiltration curve. Infiltration without placement of sand was considerably smaller because of the poor contact between the disc and soil surface. An inverse method for predicting soil hydraulic parameters from disc permeameter data has been developed. A numerical study showed that the inverse method is quite robust in identifying the hydraulic parameters. However application to field data showed that the estimated water retention curve is generally smaller than the one obtained in laboratory measurements. Nevertheless the estimated near-saturated hydraulic conductivity matched the analytical solution quite well. Th author believes that the inverse method can give a reasonable estimate of soil hydraulic parameters. Some experimental and theoretical problems were identified and discussed. A formal analysis was carried out to evaluate the efficiency of the different methods in predicting water retention and hydraulic conductivity. The analysis identified the contribution of individual source of measurement errors to the overall uncertainty. For single measurements, the inverse disc-permeameter analysis is economically more efficient than using pedotransfer functions or measuring hydraulic properties in the laboratory. However, given the large amount of spatial variation of soil hydraulic properties it is perhaps not surprising that lots of cheap and imprecise measurements, e.g. by hand texturing, are more efficient than a few expensive precise ones.

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / The soil management systems involve changes in soil physico-hydrical properties. The objective of this study was (i) characterize the soil physico-hydrical properties in the layer 0-5 cm for different soil management systems in the Cândido Brum watershed, (ii) build a map with the spatial variability of soil saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks), (iii) estimate the Ks from other soil physico-hydrical properties and (iv) test the reliability of others pedotransfer functions for Ks found in the literature. The study was conducted in the watershed Cândido Brum, Brazil, which predominate the soil management systems native pasture, native forest, conventional tillage, minimum tillage and no-tillage. Orthogonal contrasts were performed between groups of soil management systems, which compared the effect of soil cultivation, the type of vegetation and bovine trampling, conservation practice and permanent soil cover. Determinations of soil bulk density, porosity, size particles, organic carbon, degree of flocculation, aggregate stability, Ks, air permeability, retention and availability of water and shear stress of the soil were made. Besides being used for the comparison of management systems, the water-physical properties used as input variables for the development of pedotransfer functions for Ks, which used the stepwise method in the selection of variables, and to test the reliability of pedotransfer functions found in the literature. The map of spatial variability of Ks was constructed from data interpolation using kriging. The soils of the watershed under crops had degraded structure, with low organic matter and low aggregates stability. Soil with native pasture had reduced the macroporosity, the Ks and air permeability in relation to other soil management systems. Conservation practices were effective in increasing the retention and vailability of soil water in relation to conventional tillage. The variables that represent the structure of the soil were more accurate in estimating the Ks that the size particle variables. The pedotransfer functions found in the literature, usually developed for soils of temperate climate, were not reliable in the estimation of Ks of soils watershed. The range of spatial dependence of the values of Ks was 141 m. The map of spatial variability allowed the visualization of areas that need management practices and conservation of soil and water. / Os sistemas de manejo do solo implicam em mudanças nas suas propriedades físico-hídricas. O objetivo do estudo foi (i) caracterizar as propriedades físico-hídricas do solo na camada 0-5 cm para diferentes sistemas de manejo da microbacia hidrográfica Cândido Brum, (ii) construir um mapa com a variabilidade espacial da condutividade hidráulica do solo saturado (Ks), (iii) estimar a Ks a partir de outras propriedades físicohídricas do solo e (iv) testar a confiabilidade de funções de pedotransferência para a Ks encontradas na literatura. O estudo foi conduzido na microbacia Cândido Brum, em Arvorezinha-RS, em que predominam os sistemas de manejo campo nativo, mata nativa, preparo convencional, plantio direto e preparo mínimo. Foram realizados contrastes ortogonais entre grupos de sistemas de manejo do solo, em que se comparou o efeito do cultivo, do tipo de vegetação natural e pisoteio animal, das práticas conservacionistas e da cobertura permanente do solo. Foram realizadas determinações de densidade do solo, porosidade, granulometria, carbono orgânico, grau de floculação, estabilidade de agregados, Ks, permeabilidade ao ar, retenção e disponibilidade de água e tensão de cisalhamento do solo. As propriedades físico-hídricas serviram também como variáveis de entrada para a elaboração de funções de pedotransferência para a Ks e para testes de confiabilidade de funções de pedotransferência encontradas na literatura. O mapa de variabilidade espacial da Ks foi construído a partir da interpolação dos dados com o método da krigagem. Os solos cultivados da microbacia apresentaram estrutura degradada, com pouca matéria orgânica e baixa estabilidade de agregados. O uso com campo nativo reduziu a macroporosidade, a Ks e a permeabilidade ao ar em relação aos outros sistemas de manejo do solo. As práticas conservacionistas foram eficientes em aumentar a retenção e a disponibilidade de água no solo em relação ao preparo convencional. As variáveis que representam a estrutura do solo foram mais precisas em estimar a Ks que as variáveis granulométricas. As funções de pedotransferência encontradas na literatura, geralmente elaboradas para solos de clima temperado, não foram confiáveis na estimativa da Ks da microbacia. O alcance da dependência espacial dos valores de Ks foi de 141 m. O mapa de variabilidade espacial possibilitou a visualização de áreas que necessitam de práticas de manejo e conservação do solo e da água.

Cette thèse a été effectuée dans le cadre du projet ANCRES. Son rôle est d'assurer la compréhension physique du milieu récepteur, le sol, alors qu'une autre équipe étudie l'impact physico-chimique des eaux usées traitées sur le sol. Pour cela, il faut connaître ses propriétés texturales et structurales contrôlant ses fonctions d'épuration et d'évacuation. La problématique est donc de comprendre le processus de l'infiltration imposée par un dispositif d'ANC dans un sol caillouteux. D'abord, suite au positionnement du site pilote d'ANC au pied d'un versant au cœur du plateau portlandien dans le département de l'Yonne en France, on a identifié là un type de sol hétérogène et complexe, caillouteux, une colluvion qui n'était pas cartographiée sur la carte géologique BRGM de cette région et sur laquelle on focalise la thèse. Ensuite, dans le sol complexe du site pilote, on a d'abord mesuré la conductivité hydraulique du sol par l'appareil Guelph sur 15 m² de la fouille de l'ANC à une profondeur de 120 cm : au total, on a fait 15 essais d'infiltration. De plus, on a récupéré 15 échantillons du sol accompagnant ses essais de Guelph pour la caractérisation physique au laboratoire. On a mesuré la texture, l'humidité résiduelle (HR), la teneur en cailloux (Rw) et la matière organique (MO) des échantillons au laboratoire. Ensuite, pour l'étude du processus d'infiltration, on a instrumenté ce site par un dispositif de surveillance hydrique (tensiométrie, teneur en eau, piézométrie) et de prélèvement d'eau interstitielle du sol. De plus, la masse volumique (densité) apparente d'un sol hétérogène a été déterminée. Parmi les paramètres mesurés, certains sont choisis comme indicateurs pour caractériser un sol comme milieu récepteur potentiel des eaux usées traitées en ANC. Puis, en utilisant la MO et la texture des échantillons, on a estimé la masse volumique apparente de la matrice du sol du site piloteau moyen de fonctions de pédotransfert appelées BD-FPTs et on a testé la relation entre la conductivité hydraulique à saturation Ks et la texture de ce sol complexe. Pour cela, une méthodologie en quatre phases a été développée pour évaluer la capacité prédictive des fonctions Ks-FPTs. Cette méthodologie de sélection n'a pas été trouvée dans la littérature mais est élaborée pour les besoins de la thèse. On a déduit les meilleures Ks-FPTs pour ce type de sol. Enfin, avec les données d'humidité volumique et du potentiel matriciel du sol, acquises par une centrale d'acquisition des données, le régime hydrodynamique du sol sous le massif filtrant de l'ANC a été étudié et on a mis en évidence l'écoulement préférentiel dans un sol caillouteux. Les résultats ont montré que dans la colluvion, bien que la matrice du sol soit fine, la conductivité hydraulique mesurée est plus élevée qu'attendu. Cela démontre que la fraction des cailloux dans le sol joue un rôle essentiel en accélérant l'évacuation des eaux usées traitées et aussi l'eau pluviale vers les couches sous-jacentes, et finalement vers la nappe. Cette propriété serait un point fort pour la fonction de transfert du sol et on peut en déduire une méthode pour améliorer la capacité de transfert de l'eau des sols lourds dans les projets d'aménagement urbain ou périurbain : l'ajout de graviers et graves calcaires par mélange au sol en place. On conclut que cette expérimentation, unique en son genre, a été utile pour évaluer la fonction de rétention / transfert de l'eau dans le sol recevant les eaux usées traitées. On a identifié les paramètres prédicteurs pertinents et les relations empiriques qui permettent de faire l'économie de nombreux essais in situ d'eau / The soil is an essential compartment in hydrologic cycle of water in the nature. Therefore, it is clear that taking into account the properties and organization of the soil is essential to the understanding and management of flows involved in the development of the quality of groundwater and surface water. The on-site sanitation (ANC) is a management method of domestic wastewater, by which the water is sent into the soil after settling and filtration liquefaction / aerobic degradation. The second step was often provided by the top soil in place himself, and this continues to this day on many plots of on-site sanitation.This thesis was carried out under ANCRES project. Its role was to ensure the physical understanding of the receptor medium, soil, while another research team was investigating the physico-chemical impact of treated wastewater on the sol. To ensure it, we have to understand its textural and structural properties controlling its purifying power and hydrodynamic processes. So, the problematic is to understand the process of infiltration imposed by an ANC in a heterogeneous stony soil. At first, due to the positioning of the pilot ANC site, at the foot of a slope in the Yonne department in France, a type of complex and heterogeneous soil, a colluvion, was identified. This soil has not been mapped on the BRGM (Bureau de recherches géologiques et minières) geological map of the area. So, the thesis was focalised on this soil. Then, in this soil complex at a depth of the 120 cm of the excavation of the ANC, the soil hydraulic conductivity was first measured by a Guelph apparatus on 15 m². We totally made 15 infiltration tests. Furthermore, we have collected 15 soil samples with each Guelph test for physics laboratory physical characterization. Then, in order to study the soil functions, this site was instrumented by the water monitoring devices (tensiometers, water content probes, and piezometer) and the interstitial water sampling device from the soil. In addition, the bulk of this heterogeneous soil was determined. Among the measured parameters, a series of indicators chosen to characterize the soil as a potential receptor medium of treated wastewater of the ANC. Then, the bulk density of the soil matrix using pedotransfer functions called BD-FPTs was estimated and the relationship between saturated hydraulic conductivity Ks and the texture of the soil complex (by Ks-FPT function) was tested. For this aim, a four-phase methodology was developed to assess the predictive ability of Ks- FPTs functions. This methodology in four phases is not found in the literature but was prepared for the purposes of the thesis. We concluded the best Ks- FPTS for this type of soil. Finally, with the volumetric water content and soil matrix potential data acquired by a the data loggers, the hydrodynamic regime of the soil under the sand pack of the ANC has been studied and demonstrated the preferential flow in a stony soil was demonstrated. The results showed that in the colluvion, although the soil matrix is fine, the measured hydraulic conductivity is higher than expected. This shows that the stone fraction in the soil plays an important role in accelerating the evacuation of treated wastewater and also rainwater to the underlying layers, and finally to the water table. This property would be a strong point for the transfer function of the soil and we can deduce a method to improve the transfer function of heavy soils in urban or peri-urban development projects. This could be possible by adding the gravel and -limestone to soil matrix and mixing them. It has been concluded that this experiment, unique in its kind, has been useful in evaluating the function of retention / transfer of water in the soil receiving treated wastewater. In addition, the relevant predictor parameters and empirical relationships that make the economy of many water tests were identified

Due to climate change there is a growing concern for soil organic carbon reservoires. The soil is the largest terrestrial pool of organic carbon and its balance is being increasingly disturbed by conversion of natural to managed ecosystem (for agriculture, forestry and urbanization). There are still large uncertainities with estimating real amount of organic carbon sequestrated in soils. Therefore a number of regional and national soil inventories and monitoring networks are currently established or tested to verify soil carbon changes. Thesis is focused on estimation of soil organic carbon pools in the area of Czech basic map Beroun 12-41-08. It evaluates available soil data and restrictions of their use. Especially is focused on comprehensive soil survey undertaken between 1961 and 1970, on soil properties change in time and how to get missing bulk densities of the soil, particularly through pedotransfer functions. Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)

Modeling the seedling recruitment microsite involves characterization of the soil environment of the shallow profile from which weed seedlings recruit. Understanding the environment of the seedling recruitment microsite is the prelude to weed emergence studies. Because of spatial and temporal heterogeneity of the recruitment microsite, sufficient measurements are often not feasible. An experiment was established in 2003 and 2004 across topography within an annually cropped field in south-central Manitoba to determine the effect that hillslope aspect and position, and soil residue and depth would have on microsite environment within the shallow seedling recruitment zone. Microclimatic, topographic, soil surface and soil properties were assessed in the context of the weed recruitment microsite. The soil water retention characteristic was measured by pressure plate to determine water availability to germinating seeds at the various topographic positions. The soil water characteristic was evaluated across topography and soil depth. Evaluation of the soil water characteristic by pedotransfer function indicated that a single soil water characteristic is representative of the recruitment zone. Field and laboratory experimental measurements were used as parameterization for the simultaneous heat and water (SHAW) model to generate continuous water and temperature profiles for the recruitment zone. Soil temperature and temperature fluctuation decreased with depth in the recruitment zone. Despite differences of texture, bulk density, and organic matter across topography and soil depth, the soil water characteristic differed only across topography. Soil water potential fluctuated considerably at the soil surface due to numerous precipitation events and direct evaporation. Implications for germinating seeds is that the seedling recruitment zone is influenced by spatial effects of topography and the vertical location of the seed microsite. Physical process based modeling used in this study to predict temperature and water within the seedling recruitment zone enables better understanding of interactions between above-ground microclimate and the recruitment microsite. Such interactions enable linkage between atmospheric models and recruitment models that can enhance our ability to evaluate crop management decisions.