Spatial Variability of Surface Soil Moisture in a Depression Area of Karst Region.

The article examines the variations of surface soil moisture content in a karst depression area in southwest China during the dry and rainy seasons in 2005. It finds that the variability of surface soil moisture was relatively higher in the dry season than in the rainy season, while on the other hand, the mean soil moisture content was higher during the rainy season, especially after heavy rainfall. It also identifies land use types, bare-rock ratio, and soil organic matter as major factors affecting soil moisture variability in the karst ecosystem.