CONDUCTIVIDAD HIDRáULICA EN MONOLITOS DE SUELO DE CHILE CENTRAL

four monoliths with contrasting textural classes (sc, scl, ssl and sls) from soils (fluventic haploxerolls and typic xerochrepts) of central chile were used to obtain soil hydraulic conductivity at different slope gradients (0%, 15%, 20% and 25%) with tension infiltrometer, under laboratory conditions. a total of 13 supply pressure heads (ψs between -140 and -20 mm) were used to obtain the unsaturated hydraulic conductivity (kψ). paired data [in(kψ) y ψs] were adjusted by two-linear models that assumed a continuous exponential function in a macroporous and mesoporous system, which considered a boundary supply pressure head. extrapolating to zero supply pressure head, field saturated hydraulic conductivity (k∫s) was estimated. in all soils, when a gravitational adjustment to supply pressure heads was used, k∫s values were strongly negatively correlated to slope gradient. it is attributed to a refraction of water flow, which considered the greater frictional or viscous resistance generated by inclination.