title: [Soil moisture characteristics of apple-planting subarea in Weibei dry highland, Shaanxi Province].
abstract: Based on the data of regional scale and located field measurement, this paper investigated the soil moisture characteristics of the apple-planting subarea in Weibei dry highland, Shanxi Province. The results showed that the soil moisture characteristics in this subarea were affected by precipitation and evapotranspiration. At regional scale, the apple-land evapotranspiration in east Weibei area was the largest, and that in tableland gully and in west Weibei area was the medium and the smallest, respectively. Soil water deficit phenomenon was observed in three type areas. In east Weibei area, the mean water deficit amount was about 390.9 mm, the maximum was 674.6 mm, and the minimum value was 186.3 mm. In tableland gully area, the average and maximum values were 264.4 and 441.2 mm, respectively, and sometimes water surplus occurred. As a whole, soil moisture in west Weibei area was deficit, but the phenomena of water surplus were more prevalent than those in tableland gully area, and the maximum value was 151.8 mm. Soil moisture storage amount existed spatial and temporal variations in 3 different areas. The value of 2 m profile in apple growth season in west Weibei area was the largest, and that in Weibei tableland gully area and in Weibei east area was the medium and the smallest, respectively. The characteristics of soil moisture storage depended mainly on precipitation and its spatial-temporal distribution, as well as its consumed amount by apple trees. Water consumption in east Weibei area was the largest, the second was in gully area, and that in west Weibei area was the smallest. During apple growth season, the water consumption in dry year was less than that in wet year. In dry year, except for available precipitation, a considerable part of water used by apple trees came from deep (exceeded 3 m) soil moisture storage, which resulted in a dried soil layer and would affected the sustainable development of fruit production.
authors.affiliation: College of Geography and Resource Management, Yantai Normal University, Yantai 264025, China. xianzhaoliu@sina.com
authors.forename: Xianzhao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Huapeng
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yi
authors.forename: Shitai
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D002681:China; D017753:Ecosystem; D027845:Malus / Q000254:growth & development*; D011891:Rain; D012987:Soil / Q000032:analysis*; D014867:Water / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D012987:Soil; D014867:Water