Experimental study on the effect of temperature and flux conditions on moisture distribution in vadose zone soil

Moisture distribution in vadose zone soil is the most important parameter for land productivity and vegetation status of ecological systems, and is sensitive to temperature variation. In this study, laboratory scale tests were conducted to determine the effect of temperature on variation in moisture distribution in covered and uncovered conditions. The results indicated that soil moisture from 2.65 to 20 cm was positively correlated with temperature and temperature gradient, and the top 2.65 to 5 cm was dramatically influenced by temperature changes in both covered and uncovered conditions. The moisture content when temperature was increasing was higher than that when temperature was decreasing for the same temperature, when the film covered the top of the soil column. In contrast, the moisture content when temperature was increasing was lower than when the temperature was decreasing for the uncovered soil column. The difference between treatments was not maintained as soil depth increased.