Influence of the membranes on water retention in saturated homogeneous sand columns

In arid and semi-arid regions, water is a major limited factor to vegetation and environment. To study the influence of membranes on water retention, three homogeneous sand columns with membranes were installed. Keep the height of free water at 5cm above the soil surface of those columns for 3 hours. Experiments results showed that membranes have strong influence on water retention in saturated sand columns. The membranes could slower water movements through the columns and reduce water dynamic parameters such as hydraulic conductivity. So it has an important role in water retention in sand soils, especially in arid and semi-arid regions.