Implications of heat-induced alterations on water repellency and aggregate stability of tropical and temperate soils 

Heiyanthuduge Thilini Madushika Perera (H.T.M. Perera)
Thesis Abstract

Soil water repellency (SWR) is the resistance of soil to spontaneous wetting when water is placed on the surface. Soil becomes water repellent due to the presence of organic compounds in soil as  organic coatings on individual soil mineral grains and/or intermixed materials in the soil matrix.  SWR is a global phenomenon that is commonly observed under plant species that produce high amounts of waxy and resinous litter materials such as Eucalyptus, Casuarina, Japanese Cedar, Japanese Cypress, and Pine. Due to the waxy nature, these plant species are highly prone to wildfires. The heat generated during these wildfires modifies soil characteristics, including SWR characteristics and water stability of aggregates (WSA), which are known to be interrelated. Information reported in available literature regarding these effects are highly insufficient. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the effects of heat on SWR, aggregate characteristics,  their interrelations, and moisture-dependent repellency (MDR) in tropical and temperate water repellent soils. The study used Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus grandis) and Pine (Pinus caribaea) forest soils in Sri Lanka representing tropical soils, and Japanese Cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) and  Japanese Cypress (Chamaecyparis obtuse) forest soils in Japan, representing temperate soil.  Water-repellent aggregates with 3-5 mm diameter and sieved soil samples (

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Implications of heat-induced alterations on water repellency and aggregate stability of tropical and temperate soils