TRANSPORTATION CORRIDORS AND THEIR IMPACT ON SOIL INFILTRATION

Human activities in both industrial and residential areas cause changes within the natural environment. Soil infiltration rates have slowly decreased through time because of compaction due to such land use. This difference in soil infiltration rates can be observed by using a double-ring infiltrometer. The site being tested is in Northampton Park (NY) on Hubbell Road. Using the road as a center point and moving outward, distance versus infiltration rates were expected to increase simultaneously. At each point, four 15 minute tests were completed with the outlier being dismissed. Both West and East sides of the road contained 19 data points to accumulate to 38 points altogether. Root density was also a factor that was believed to alter infiltration rates. Over this testing area, there were four main variances in root systems: gravel next to the road, mowed grass, tall undisturbed grass, and shrubbery. Infiltration rates differed when there were varying root systems and land use. The area next to the road and the mowed grass generally had low infiltration rates. These tended to be between 0 mm/min and 10 mm/min. The root systems were thin and very close to the surface, not going any farther than 4 cm in depth. The natural vegetation (the tall grass and shrubbery) generally had large infiltration rates. These varied greatly from 13 mm/min to 73 mm/min. The root systems here were thicker and more prevalent, reaching depths farther than 14 cm. Infiltration did not increase from the road as first suggested, but between varying land use and root systems. Using the difference of what the infiltration rate of the soil type should be, it is been determined how much compaction has affected the area.