Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Assessing hydrological connectivity inside a soil by fast-field-cycling nuclear magnetic resonance relaxometry and its link to sediment delivery processes

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Environmental Earth Sciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Connectivity is a general concept used to represent the processes involving a transfer of matter among the elements of an environmental system. The expression “hydrological connectivity inside the soil” has been used here to indicate how spatial patterns inside the soil (i.e., the structural connectivity) interact with physical and chemical processes (i.e., the functional connectivity) in order to determine the subsurface flow (i.e., the water transfer), thereby explaining how sediment transport due to surface runoff (i.e., the soil particle transfer) can be affected. This paper explores the hydrological connectivity inside the soil (HCS) and its link to sediment delivery processes at the plot scale. Soils sampled at the upstream- and downstream-end of three different length plots were collected together with sediments from the storage tanks at the end of each plot. All the samples were analyzed by traditional soil analyses (i.e., texture, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy with attenuated total reflectance, C and N elemental contents) and fast-field-cycling (FFC) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) relaxometry. Results revealed that selective erosion phenomena and sediment transport are responsible for the particle size homogeneity in the sediment samples as compared to the upstream- and downstream-end soils. Moreover, while structural connectivity is more efficient in the upstream-end soil samples, functional connectivity appeared more efficient in the downstream-end and sediment samples. Further studies are needed in order to quantitatively assess FFC NMR relaxometry for HCS evaluation.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Aksoy H, Kavvas ML (2005) A review of hillslope and watershed scale erosion and sediment transport models. Catena 64:247–271

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Asadi H, Moussavi A, Ghadiri H, Rose CW (2011) Flow-driven soil erosion processes and the size selectivity of sediment. J Hydrol 406:73–81

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baartman EM, Masselink R, Keesstra SD, Temme AJAM (2013) Linking landscape morphological complexity and sediment connectivity. Earth Surf Proc Land 38:1457–1471

    Google Scholar 

  • Bagarello V, Ferro V (1998) Calibrating storage tanks for soil erosion measurement from plots. Earth Surf Proc Land 23:1151–1170

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bagarello V, Ferro V (2004) Plot-scale measurement of soil erosion at the experimental area of Sparacia (Southern Italy). Hydrol Proc 18:141–157

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bagarello V, Di Piazza GV, Ferro V (2008) Predicting unit plot soil loss in Sicily, South Italy. Hydrol Proc 22:586–595

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baronti S, Vaccari FP, Miglietta F, Calzolari C, Lugato E, Orlandini S, Pini R, Zulian C, Genesio L (2014) The biochar option to improve plant yields: first results from some field and pot experiments in Italy. Eur J Agron 53:38–44

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bracken LJ, Croke J (2007) The concept of hydrological connectivity and its contribution to understanding runoff-dominated geomorphic systems. Hydrol Proc 21:1749–1763

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bracken LJ, Wainwright J, Ali GA, Tetzlaff D, Smith MW, Reaney SM, Roy AG (2013) Concepts of hydrological connectivity: research approaches, pathways and future agendas. Earth Sci Rev 119:17–34

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Caporale AG, Pigna M, Sommella A, Conte P (2014) Effect of pruning-derived biochar on heavy metals removal and water dynamics. Biol Fertil Soils 50:1211–1222

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cogo NP, Moldenhauer WC, Foster GR (1983) Effect of crop residue, tillage-induced roughness, and runoff velocity on size distribution of eroded soil aggregates. Soil Sci Soc Am J 47:1005–1008

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Conte P, Alonzo G (2013) Environmental NMR: fast-field-cycling relaxometry. eMagRes 2:389–398

    Google Scholar 

  • Conte P, Nestle N (2015) Water dynamics in different biochar fractions. Magn Reson Chem 53:726–734

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Conte P, Marsala V, De Pasquale C, Bubici S, Valagussa M, Pozzi A, Alonzo G (2013) Nature of water–biochar interface interactions. GCB Bioenergy 5:116–121

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Di Stefano C, Ferro V (2002) Linking clay enrichment and sediment delivery processes. Biosyst Eng 81:465–479

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Di Stefano C, Ferro V, Palazzolo E, Panno M (2000) Sediment delivery processes and agricultural non-point pollution in a Sicilian basin. J Agric Eng Res 77:103–112

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Di Stefano C, Ferro V, Palazzolo E, Panno M (2005) Sediment delivery processes and chemical transport in a small forested basin. J Hydrol Sci 50:697–712

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Djomgoue P, Njopwouo D (2013) FT-IR spectroscopy applied for surface clays characterization. J Surf Eng Mater Adv Technol 3:275–282

    Google Scholar 

  • Ferro V (1997) Further remarks on a distributed approach to sediment delivery. Hydrol Sci J 42:633–648

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ferro V (1998) Evaluating overland flow sediment transport capacity. Hydrol Proc 12:1895–1910

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ferro V, Minacapilli M (1995) Sediment delivery processes at basin scale. Hydrol Sci J 40:703–717

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ferro V, Porto P (2000) A sediment delivery distributed (SEDD) model. J Hydrol Eng ASCE 5:411–422

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gee GW, Bauder JW (1986) Particle-size analysis. In: Klute A (ed) Methods of soil analysis. Part 1, 2nd edn. ASA and SSSA, Madison, pp 383–411

    Google Scholar 

  • Gratchev I, Towhata I (2013) Stress–strain characteristics of two natural soils subjected to long-term acidic contamination. Soils Found 53:469–476

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harmon WC, Meyer LD, Alonso CV (1989) A new method for evaluating particle size distribution and aggregated portion of eroded sediment. Trans ASAE 32:89–96

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hu Y, Kuhn NJ (2014) Aggregates reduce transport distance of soil organic carbon: are our balances correct? Biogeosciences 11:6209–6219

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Laudicina VA, De Pasquale C, Conte P, Badalucco L, Alonzo G, Palazzolo E (2012) Effects of afforestation with four unmixed plant species on the soil–water interactions in a semiarid Mediterranean region (Sicily, Italy). J Soil Sediment 12:1222–1230

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Le Bissonnais Y (1990) Experimental study and modelling of soil surface crusting processes. Catena Suppl 17:13–28

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marchamalo M, Hooke JM, Sandercock PJ (2016) Flow and sediment connectivity in semi-arid landscapes in SE Spain: patterns and control. Land Degrad Dev 27:1032–1044

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Martínez-Mena M, Castillo V, Albaladejio J (2002) Relations between interrill erosion processes and sediment particle size distribution in a semiarid Mediterranean area of SE of Spain. Geomorphology 45:261–275

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Meyer LD, Foster GR, Nikolov S (1975) Effect of flow rate and canopy on rill erosion. Trans ASAE 18:905–911

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morgan RPC, Nearing MA (2000) Soil erosion models: present and future. In: Rubio JL, Asins S, Andreu V, de Paz JM, Gimeno E (eds) Proceedings, third international congress of the European society for soil conservation, 28 March–1 April, Valencia, Key notes volume, pp 145–164

  • Müller-Nedebock D, Chaplot V (2015) Soil carbon losses by sheet erosion: a potentially critical contribution to the global carbon cycle. Earth Surf Proc Land 40:1803–1813

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Müller-Nedebock D, Chivenge P, Chaplot V (2016) Selective organic carbon losses from soils by sheet erosion and main controls. Earth Surf Proc Land 41:1399–1408

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Noburo H, Katsuya N (2008) Breakdown process of aggregates with non-swelling and swelling clays as affected by electrolyte concentration and air condition. Clay Sci 14:33–42

    Google Scholar 

  • Novotny V, Chesters G (1989) Delivery of sediment and pollutants from nonpoint sources: a water quality perspective. J Soil Water Conserv 44:568–576

    Google Scholar 

  • Peel MC, Finlayson BL, McMahon TA (2007) Updated world map of the Köppen-Geiger climate classification. Hydrol Earth Syst Sci 11:1633–1644

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pohlmeier A, Haber-Pohlmeier S, Stapf S (2009) A fast field cycling nuclear magnetic resonance relaxometry study of natural soils. Vadose Zone J 8:735–742

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pringle C (2003) What is hydrologic connectivity and why is it ecologically important? Hydrol Proc 17:2685–2689

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rhoton FE, Meyer LD, Whisler FD (1982) A laboratory method for predicting the size distribution of sediment eroded from surface soils. Soil Sci Soc Am J 46:1259–1263

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shi ZH, Fang NF, Wu FZ, Wang L, Yue BJ, Wu GL (2012) Soil erosion processes and sediment sorting associated with transport mechanisms on steep slopes. J Hydrol 454–455:123–130

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Slattery MC, Burt TP (1997) Particle size characteristics of suspended sediment in hillslope runoff and streamflow. Earth Surf Proc Land 22:705–719

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stevenson FJ (1994) Humus chemistry: genesis, composition, reactions, 2nd edn. Wiley, Hoboken

    Google Scholar 

  • Wainwright J, Turnbull L, Ibrahim TG, Lexartza-Artza I, Thornton SF, Brazier R (2011) Linking environmental regimes, space and time: interpretations of structural and functional connectivity. Geomorphology 126:387–404

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wainwright J, Parsons AJ, Cooper JR, Gao P, Gillies JA, Mao L, Orford JD, Knight PG (2015) The concept of transport capacity in geomorphology. Rev Geophys 53:1–48

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Walling DE (1983) The sediment delivery problem. J Hydrol 65:209–237

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang L, Shi ZH (2015) Size selectivity of eroded sediment associated with soil texture on steep slopes. Soil Sci Soc Am J 79:917–929

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wendt RC, Alberts EE, Hjelmfelt AT Jr (1986) Variability of runoff and soil loss from fallow experimental plots. Soil Sci Soc Am J 50:730–736

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Williams DE (1948) A rapid manometer method for the determination of carbonate in soils. Soil Sci Soc Am Proc 13:127–129

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wischmeier WH, Smith DD (1978) Predicting rainfall-erosion losses—a guide to conservation farming. US Dept of Agric, Agr Handbook no. 537

  • Zhang XC, Nearing M, Miller WP, West LT (1998) Modeling interrill sediment delivery. Soil Sci Soc Am J 62:438–444

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author contributions

All authors set up the research and equally contributed to both analyzing the data and writing the manuscript.

Author information

Author notes

  1. Vito Ferro

    Present address: Department of Earth and Marine Sciences, University of Palermo, Via Archirafi 20, 90133, Palermo, Italy

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Agricultural, Food and Forest Sciences, University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, Building 4, 90128, Palermo, Italy

    Pellegrino Conte, Costanza Di Stefano, Vito Ferro, Vito Armando Laudicina & Eristanna Palazzolo

Authors
  1. Pellegrino Conte
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Costanza Di Stefano
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Vito Ferro
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Vito Armando Laudicina
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Eristanna Palazzolo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Vito Armando Laudicina.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Conte, P., Di Stefano, C., Ferro, V. et al. Assessing hydrological connectivity inside a soil by fast-field-cycling nuclear magnetic resonance relaxometry and its link to sediment delivery processes. Environ Earth Sci 76, 526 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-017-6861-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-017-6861-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation