The impact of Precipitation and Grassland Vegetation on Soil Moisture Dynamics

The primary objective of this study was to assess the impact of grassland vegetation and precipitation (defined by the temporal pattern of water deposition and cumulative rainfall) on near-surface hydrology. Using a randomized block design experiment in a greenhouse, we monitored soil-moisture dynamics in mesocosms planted with three types of grassland vegetation found in California (mixed California grassland, avena grass monoculture, and erodium forb monoculture). We observed that above ground biomass production was strongly influenced by rainfall amount, with most productivity in the mid-level rainfall treatment. Soil moisture content (SMC) was best predicted by rainfall, stage of plant growth, and the interaction between these two parameters. Surprisingly, SMC did not depend on species composition of the grassland. The role of ET in drying the soil was influenced by the interaction between growth stage and rainfall, and to a lesser extend by the interaction between vegetation type and growth stage. When combined, seasonal precipitation and vegetation influenced the near-surface hydrology in ways that cannot be predicted from manipulation of a single variable. These results emphasize the importance of the interactive effects of precipitation and vegetation on soil moisture dynamics, and the potential for feedbacks since soil moisture affects vegetation. This study was supported by the Program for Ecosystem Research, Office of Science, U.S. Department of Energy under Contract No. DE-AC02-05CH11231.