Effects of Different Vegetation Types on Soil Water Content and Use in Hugou Watershed

From 2007 to 2020, observation and determinations were carried out on response of different vegetation types (crop, arbor, economic tree, shrub and grass) on soil water dynamics in Hugou watershed of Xongxian county, Henan province. The results showed that soil water storage decreased at both the beginning and the ending of growing seasons in different vegetation types. The soil water content in shrub decreased significantly slower than in the other vegetation types, while that in arbor and grass decreased quicker. The ratios of total evaporation (ET) to potential evaporation (ETP) showed a decreasing trend in tested types of vegetation, among them, that of shrub were the highest, followed by grass, crop, economic tree and arbor. Lower ET/ETP ratios in arbor were mainly caused by decreasing of soil water content, leading to soil compaction and increasing of surface runoff. The ratios of total evaporation to precipitation (ET/P ) of different vegetation types were greater than 1 in 2007, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2017 and 2019. The order of ET/P ratios of different vegetation types were shrub>grall>crop>economic tree>aobor . The soil water content at the beginning of growing season was the most important factor in determining the ET/ETP ratios.