Thermal Conductivity Characterization of Vegetated and Bare Soils for Enhanced Soil–Vegetation–Atmosphere Interaction Modelling in Landslide-Prone Regions

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4. Thermal Conductivity Characterization of Vegetated and Bare Soils for Enhanced Soil–Vegetation–Atmosphere Interaction Modelling in Landslide-Prone Regions

Soil thermal properties play a pivotal role in controlling the energy fluxes within the SoilVegetationAtmos-phere, SVA, domain, since they concur to determine the evapotranspiration fluxes which have key relevance with reference to climate-induced landslide activity. The study investigates the topsoil thermal behaviour, in a field test located in the South-eastern Apennines of Italy (the Pisciolo hillslope), which represents a prototype of the landslide mechanisms often occurring in that area. The field test consists of two different areas: one vegetated, seeded and cultivated in 2019 as part of a nature-based solution (NBS) for mitigating landslide risk and one defined as a bare area. Temperature measurements were collected at multiple depths, along with heat flux data. The in-situ thermal conductivity was estimated through the extended Fouriers law of heat conduction, allowing for a comparison between rooted (vegetated) and non-rooted (bare) topsoil under varying volumetric water content and temperature. To complement the investigation, laboratory thermal conductivity tests with a custom-needle probe were also conducted. Field and laboratory data were cross analyzed to assess the impact of root systems and moisture variation on the heat transfer processes. The findings contribute to the improved parameterization of SVA models by integrating soil- and vegetation-specific thermal behaviours. This knowledge is essential for predicting the energy and water balances under climate variability and can inform the design of NBS strategies for sustainable and resilient landslide risk mitigation.

3rd International Workshop on Soil-Vegetation-Atmosphere Interaction (RootS2025)

1a. Experimental characterisation of thermo-hydraulic properties of the rooted soils