Abstract Surface water infiltration is an important process to meet plant water needs and an important part of the hydrological cycle via groundwater recharge, with special relevance in semi-arid regions. This study evaluated the relationships between grassland plant root morphological characteristics and soil water infiltration rates (IR: initial, steady and average). For this purpose, five artificial homogeneous grasslands (Melilotus suaveolens, Medicago sativa, Panicum virgatum, Bromus inermis and Miscanthus sinensis) without irrigation or fertilization were studied in the Loess Plateau. The observed steady IR were significantly different between the 1-year grasslands: M. suaveolens > M. sativa > P. virgatum > B. inermis > M. sinensis. The root length density and root surface area were negatively correlated with the average, initial and steady IR at different soil depths (p

中文翻译：

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半干旱人工草地土壤根系形态特征及土壤水分入渗能力

摘要 地表水入渗是满足植物需水需求的重要过程，是地下水补给水文循环的重要组成部分，对半干旱地区尤为重要。本研究评估了草地植物根系形态特征与土壤水分入渗率（IR：初始、稳定和平均）之间的关系。为此，在黄土高原研究了 5 个没有灌溉或施肥的人工均质草地（Melilotus suaveolens、Medicago sativa、Panicum virgatum、Bromus inermis 和 Miscanthus sinensis）。观察到的稳定 IR 在 1 年草地之间存在显着差异：M. suaveolens > M. sativa > P. virgatum > B. inermis > M. sinensis。根长密度和根表面积与平均值呈负相关，