Peculiarities of Infiltration Measurements in Water-Repellent Forest Soil

The paper deals with measurements of water infiltration carried out on a well-developed forest floor formed by needle-leaf litter Norway spruce. Three field methods (tension disk permeameter, single-ring infiltrometer and Guelph permeameter) were used to determine the soil hydraulic conductivity. results strongly influenced repellency at interface between O- A-horizons. This was severely repellent during hot dry summer season, regardless generally humid mountain climate High Tatras foothill. method paradoxically provided lower conductivity (3.2 × 10−4 ± 1.3 10−4) compared tension permeameter (8.5 3.3 due presence water-repellent O/A-interface. effect also observed method, which gave lowest value (5.6 10−5 4.3 10−5). Abrupt retardation may generate shallow subsurface runoff (as proved irrigation experiment) or splash extreme rainfall events promote flow deeper horizons through preferential pathways. effects will depend seasonal variability repellency. Although is source hydrophobic substances that cause O/A-interface can trigger generation, same time its cohesive duff layer protects from erosion.