Use of Infiltration Equation Coefficients as an Aid in Defining Hydrologic Impacts of Range Management Schemes

Abstract

Based on infiltrometer data from 13 pinyon-juniper sites in Utah, the relationship of selected rangeland vegetation characteristics and soil physical properties to the various infiltration coefficients contained in three well-known algebraic infiltration equations was determined. Coefficients in Kostiakov's equation were related more to vegetation factors than to soil factors while coefficients in Philip's equation were more related to soil factors than to vegetation factors. The single coefficient in Horton's equation was somewhat intermediate, representing both vegetation and soil influences. It is conceivable that changes in rangeland use activities or intensity of use may be detected through changes encountered in infiltration coefficients, with emphasis on either vegetation or soil factors or both, depending on the equation or model used.