277:
120:). Spaces of different shapes and sizes exist within and between these soil aggregates. The larger spaces between aggregates are called macropores. Macropores can be formed under the influence of physical processes such as wet/dry and freeze/thaw cycles, which result in cracks and fissures of soils. They can also be formed under biological processes where
149:, macropores are vital to the provision of many soil ecosystem services. They allow free movement of water and air, influence transport of chemicals and provide habitats for soil organisms. Therefore, understanding the importance of soil macropore is also critical to achieving sustainable management of our soil resources.
349:
224:. For instance, while preferential flow paths consist of macropores enhance the drainage of soil water, the dissolved nutrients can be carried away rapidly and lead to an uneven distribution of water as well as chemicals in the soils. When excess chemicals or pollutants are released into groundwater, they can cause
324:
378:
Soil macropores are a vital part of soil structure and their conservation is critical to sustainable management of our soil resources. This is particularly true to soils that are constantly subject to human disturbance, such as tilled agricultural fields where the shape and size of macropores can be
340:
For example, higher continuousness of macropores can result in higher gas exchange between soil and the atmosphere while lead to better soil aeration. Continued connection of macropores will also provide extended spaces that plants can easily grow their roots into, without sacrificing aboveground
369:
is basically a ratio between the actual path length and the shortest distance between two points. In essence, tortuosity of macropore paths indicates their resistance to water flow. The more sinuous the paths, the higher the resistance. This will then affect the speed of water movement and
165:. Water also tends to move along paths of the least resistance. Connected macropores create these paths and result in the so-called preferential flows in soils. Such attributes of macropores will allow fast movement of water into and across soils, that can significantly improve soil
336:
Interconnected soil macropores may not create continuous paths, especially across the soil boundaries. The existence of dead-end pores can block or slow down water and air movement. Therefore, the continuity of soil macropores is also an influential factor in soil processes.
292:. When connected together, they form specific networks in soils. Therefore, the characteristics of these macropore networks can have significant influences on their functions in soils, especially in relation to water movement, aeration, and plant root growth.
137:, contributes to the formation of macropores with their movement and activities in soils. In general, the formation of macropore is negatively related to soil depth as these physical and biological processes diminish with depth.
215:
As macropores facilitate water movement in soils, they also inevitably influence the transport of chemicals which are dissolved in water. As a result, macropores can play a significant role in affecting the cycling of
723:
268:. Consequently, these pores, with various residing soil organisms such as earthworms and larvae, also become important locations of soil bio-chemical processes that affect the overall soil quality.
128:
play an important role in their formation. Macropores created by biological activities are also called biopores. For example, plant roots create large spaces between soil aggregates with their growth and decay.
918:
674:
Hussain, Syed I.; Frey, Steven K.; Blowes, David W.; Ptacek, Carol J.; Wilson, David; Mayer, K. Ulrich; Su, Danyang; Gottschall, Natalie; Edwards, Mark; Lapen, David R. (January 2019).
541:
184:
On the other hand, these pores will be filled with air when they do not hold water. An extended network of macropores helps to improve gas exchange between soil and the
650:
196:. Oxygen is essential to the growth of plant roots and soil organisms while the release of carbon dioxide through respiration is an integral part of the global
203:
Optimal water and air movement through soils not only provide essential elements to sustain life but are also fundamental to various soil processes such as
264:
Being large pores in soils, macropores allow easy movement of water and air that they provide favourable spaces for plant root growth and habitats for
256:
can be washed into groundwater under heavy rainfall or irrigation. Subsequently, a high level of nitrate in drinking water can cause health concerns.
316:
into soils and replenishment of groundwater. The connectivity of soil macropores influences the vertical and lateral movement of both water and
676:"Reactive Transport of Manure-Derived Nitrogen in the Vadose Zone: Consideration of Macropore Connectivity to Subsurface Receptors"
361:
While soil macropore can be connected continuously to form long channels between two points in a soil, these channels are mostly
747:
405:
897:
628:
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520:
441:
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The interconnectedness of soil macropores affects the capability of soil to conduct water and thus controls its water
383:
173:. These in turn can help to reduce surface runoff, soil erosion and prevent flooding. It also contributes to
81:. Macropores can also be found in soil between larger individual mineral particles such as sand or gravel.
770:"The concept, approach, and future research of hydrological connectivity and its assessment at multiscales"
877:
608:
566:
500:
17:
116:) in soil are bound together by various agents and under different processes to form soil aggregates (
396:
can be incorporated into disturbed soils to improve their macro-porosity and related soil functions
161:
in soil macropores when compared to micropores (much smaller pores in soils) where water is held by
313:
301:
166:
55:
837:"Soil Macropores Affect the Plant Biomass of Alpine Grassland on the Northeastern Tibetan Plateau"
458:
305:
51:
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170:
781:
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253:
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8:
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185:
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390:, usually have a low macropore proportion (macro-porosity) with impeded water movement.
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by allocating resources for their roots to search for new spaces in discontinued areas.
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812:
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620:
512:
481:
312:. Connection of macropores with soil surface and groundwater also contributes to water
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such as agricultural activities, as it leads to issues regarding the effectiveness of
84:
Macropores may be defined differently in other contexts. Within the context of porous
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858:
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768:
Zhang, Yinghu; Huang, Chenyang; Zhang, Wenqi; Chen, Jinhong; Wang, Lu (2021-10-01).
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Zheng, Ying; Chen, Ning; Zhang, Can-kun; Dong, Xiao-xue; Zhao, Chang-ming (2021).
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to move relatively rapidly via lateral flow. In soil, macropores are created by
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308:. Higher connectivity of soil macropores is usually associated with higher
35:
323:
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63:
724:"Nitrate data & assessment - Washington State Department of Ecology"
96:
chemists define macropores as cavities that are larger than 50 nm.
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366:
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130:
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34:
are defined as cavities that are larger than 75 Ξm. Functionally,
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188:, especially when these macropores are connected to soil surface.
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67:
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Reference Module in Earth
Systems and Environmental Sciences
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such as carbon dioxide and oxygen are important elements of
459:"Recommendations for the characterization of porous solids"
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113:
109:
105:
70:
39:
748:"Soil Quality Physical Indicator Information Sheet Series"
117:
78:
673:
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Soil macropores are not uniform but have an irregular
649:
Canada, Environment and
Climate Change (2007-01-09).
876:Hillel, Daniel (2003-01-01), Hillel, Daniel (ed.),
767:
607:Hillel, Daniel (2003-01-01), Hillel, Daniel (ed.),
834:
210:
964:
884:, Burlington: Academic Press, pp. 127â148,
615:, Burlington: Academic Press, pp. 201â212,
436:. Madison, WI: Soil Science Society of America.
140:
99:
430:Soil Science Glossary Terms Committee (2008).
259:
88:(i.e., not porous aggregations such as soil),
919:"The science of soil compaction: Page 2 of 5"
499:Jarvis, Nicholas; Larsbo, Mats (2022-01-01),
157:Water can move freely under the influence of
774:Environmental Science and Pollution Research
573:, Oxford: Academic Press, pp. 766â777,
498:
456:
77:, and by aggregation of soil particles into
755:USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
232:. This can be a concern especially to some
882:Introduction to Environmental Soil Physics
613:Introduction to Environmental Soil Physics
327:Soil macropore connectivity and continuity
852:
811:
793:
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152:
347:
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943:"The importance of soil organic matter"
382:Soil macropores are easily affected by
288:. They vary in shapes, sizes, and even
133:, especially burrowing species such as
14:
965:
875:
648:
606:
406:Characterisation of pore space in soil
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280:Irregular geometry of soil macropores
42:solution flow and rapid transport of
272:Characteristics of macropore network
244:as well as impacts of environmental
450:
433:Glossary of Soil Science Terms 2008
24:
878:"7 - Water Flow in Saturated Soil"
841:Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution
761:
513:10.1016/b978-0-12-822974-3.00098-7
457:J. Rouquerol; et al. (1994).
386:. Compacted soils, for example in
27:Cavities in soil larger than 75 Ξm
25:
994:
890:10.1016/b978-012348655-4/50008-3
621:10.1016/b978-012348655-4/50012-5
609:"11 - Gas Movement and Exchange"
579:10.1016/b978-012370626-3.00014-4
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501:"Macropores and macropore flow"
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38:of this size host preferential
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370:distribution in soils.
211:Solute and pollutant transport
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1:
571:Encyclopedia of Inland Waters
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373:
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352:Tortuosity of soil macropores
331:
141:Importance of soil macropores
569:, in Likens, Gene E. (ed.),
100:Formation of soil macropores
7:
651:"Groundwater contamination"
565:Nimmo, J. R. (2009-01-01),
399:
260:Habitats for soil organisms
54:of soil, allowing water to
10:
999:
795:10.1007/s11356-021-16148-8
50:. Macropores increase the
248:. For example, excessive
854:10.3389/fevo.2021.678186
220:and the distribution of
145:As an important part of
701:10.2136/vzj2019.01.0002
478:10.1351/pac199466081739
365:rather than straight.
353:
328:
306:hydraulic conductivity
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153:Water and air movement
52:hydraulic conductivity
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326:
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62:quickly, and shallow
546:www.ctahr.hawaii.edu
411:Nanoporous materials
379:altered by tillage.
254:nitrogen fertilizers
175:groundwater recharge
923:www.agric.wa.gov.au
786:2021ESPR...2852724Z
780:(38): 52724â52743.
692:2019VZJ....18....2H
680:Vadose Zone Journal
104:Primary particles (
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329:
282:
899:978-0-12-348655-4
630:978-0-12-348655-4
588:978-0-12-370626-3
542:"Soil Management"
522:978-0-12-409548-9
443:978-0-89118-851-3
310:soil permeability
290:surface roughness
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384:soil compaction
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314:infiltration
302:infiltration
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296:Connectivity
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230:water bodies
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167:infiltration
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686:(1): 1â18.
122:plant roots
64:groundwater
967:Categories
952:2023-04-12
928:2023-04-14
905:2023-04-14
733:2023-04-13
660:2023-04-14
636:2023-04-14
594:2023-04-12
551:2023-04-14
528:2023-04-12
417:References
374:Management
367:Tortuosity
357:Tortuosity
332:Continuity
320:in soils.
238:irrigation
190:Soil gases
186:atmosphere
135:earthworms
131:Soil fauna
75:soil fauna
56:infiltrate
32:macropores
18:Macropores
973:Hydrology
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234:land uses
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286:geometry
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818:PMID
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517:ISBN
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304:and
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