tends to stimulate runoff due to its low infiltration rate, desert pavement surfaces protect the soft, friable soil underneath from erosion by wind and water (Davidson and Fox 1974). if disturbed, the protection afforded the desert pavement is for all practical purposes destroyed due to its slow rate of formation. Destruction and continued disturbance of desert pavement surfaces from construction activities and vehicles could thus lead to subsequent high erosion rates. These factors, together with deep, irreversible structure changes from compaction, illustrate the desirability of using areas with little or no slope and coarse textured soils for future large solar conversion units. Soil Moisture Infiltration of water into the soil is inversely related to the runoff. Compaction and above-ground destruction of vegetation will tend to cause a decrease in infiltration rate, and thus decrease soil moisture. A possible exception would be that destruction of desert pavement could result in higher infiltration rates. In addition to runoff changes, compaction will alter soil water conditions dependent on soil structural changes. Increases in bulk density of disturbed soils, with the resulting decrease in macropore space, probably decreases the amount of water that the soil can hold and the rate at which water can flow through the soil (Davidson and Fox 1974). The importance of texture in examining compaction effects is important due to its effect on soil moisture conditions. In fine textured soils, compaction results in a lower soil water potential and increased field capacity (Lutz 1945, Singh and Singh 1971). Effects of compaction on coarser textured soils are not as pronounced, with moderate compaction even improving water availability in some soils (Hill and Sumner 1967, Liddle and Greig-Smith 1975). However, severe compaction, which is readily achieved in sandy loams (Hill and Sumner 1967) will result in a decrease in moisture content at constant matric suction. Although the possibility exists for short-term soil moisture increases in areas of disrupted desert pavement, serious compaction and above-ground
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