This review discusses the causes and consequences of ‘non‐equilibrium’ water flow and solute transport in large structural pores or macropores (root and earthworm channels, fissures and interaggregate voids). The experimental evidence suggests that pores larger than c. 0.3 mm in equivalent cylindrical diameter allow rapid non‐equilibrium flow. Apart from their large size and continuity, this is also due to the presence of impermeable linings and coatings that restrict lateral mass exchange. Macropores also represent microsites in soil that are more biologically active, and often more chemically reactive than the bulk soil. However, sorption retardation during transport through such pores is weaker than in the bulk soil, due to their small surface areas and significant kinetic effects, especially in larger macropores. The potential for non‐equilibrium water flow and solute transport at any site depends on the nature of the macropore network, which is determined by the factors of structure formation and degradation, including the abundance and activity of soil biota such as earthworms, soil properties (e.g. clay content), site factors (e.g. slope position, drying intensity, vegetation) and management (e.g. cropping, tillage, traffic). A conceptual model is proposed that summarizes these effects of site factors on the inherent potential for non‐equilibrium water flow and solute transport in macropores. Initial and boundary conditions determine the extent to which this potential is realized. High rain intensities clearly increase the strength of non‐equilibrium flow in macropores, but the effects of initial water content seem complex, due to the confounding effects of soil shrinkage and water repellency. The impacts of macropore flow on water quality are most significant for relatively immobile solutes that are foreign to the soil and whose effects on ecosystem and human health are pronounced even at small leached fractions (e.g. pesticides). The review concludes with a discussion of topics where process understanding is still lacking, and also suggests some potential applications of the considerable knowledge that has accumulated in recent decades.

中文翻译：

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土壤大孔中非平衡水流和溶质运移的回顾：水质的原理，控制因素和后果

这篇综述讨论了大结构孔隙或大孔（根和earth的通道，裂隙和聚集的空隙）中“非平衡”水流和溶质运移的原因和后果。实验证据表明毛孔大于c。0.3 mm的等效圆柱直径可实现快速的非平衡流动。除了其较大的尺寸和连续性以外，这还归因于存在不可渗透的衬里和涂层，从而限制了侧向质量交换。大孔还代表了土壤中比整体土壤更具生物活性和化学反应性的微场所。然而，由于它们的表面积小和明显的动力学作用，特别是在较大的大孔中，通过这些孔的运输过程中的吸附阻滞作用比散装土壤弱。在任何地点发生非平衡的水流和溶质运移的可能性取决于大孔网络的性质，该性质取决于结构形成和降解的因素，包括soil等土壤生物的丰度和活性，土壤特性（例如 粘土含量），场地因素（例如斜坡位置，干燥强度，植被）和管理（例如耕种，耕种，交通）。提出了一个概念模型，总结了场地因素对大孔非平衡水流和溶质运移固有潜力的影响。初始条件和边界条件决定了这种潜力的实现程度。高降雨强度明显增加了大孔中非平衡流的强度，但是由于土壤收缩和憎水的混杂效应，初始含水量的影响似乎很复杂。大孔流量对水质的影响对于土壤中相对不可移动的相对固定的溶质最为重要，即使在少量淋滤（例如农药）中，其对生态系统和人类健康的影响也很明显。