The discussion on soil moisture distributional diversity in hilly Loess Plateau region

Based on the analysis of multi-sits survey date of soil moisture in 1999~2001, authors had summarized soil moisture distribution characteristics both in regional scale and plot types, and the causes of the soil moisture diversity too. The study shows that precipitation character is the leading cause of regional difference of soil moisture, which led to the increasing of soil moisture alone with North to South orientation. For plot types that topography, vegetation and landform account for differs in soil moisture in micro-scale. The study indicated that soil moisture increasing from the top to the bottom of slops, and from positive slope to negative slope. The slope-terrace land had high soil moisture comparing with the terrace land. Spatial otherness of soil moisture also can be caused by land uses such as the types of vegetation. For the plot scale the causes of soil moisture diversity may be very complicated. Therefore we need pay much attention to the soil moisture space characters in order to full use the soil water in rehabilitating the region’s vegetation.