FOREST AREAS AND SOIE WATER 
151 
to produce rapid run-oi¥ except as the precipitation was absorbed 
into the ground. 
TABLE E. MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM SOIL MOISTURE CON- 
TENT IN PER CENT OF DRY WEIGHT OF SOIL FOR OPEN 
AND TIMBERED SLOPES 
Location 
OE 
Station 
Soil 
Depth 
Timbered Slope 
Open Slope 
Moisture 
Content 
Diee. 
Moisture 
Content 
Diee. 
Top of 
Slope 
Surface 
Maximum 
Minimum 
27.40 
a 70 
18.70 
14.75 
3.25 
11.50 
Subsurface 
Maximum 
Minimum 
28.30 
11.00 
17.30 
27.85 
5.05 
22.80 
Subsoil 
Maximum 
Minimum 
19.45 
9.65 
9.80 
31.60 
11.45 
20.15 
Middle 
of Slope 
Surface 
Maximum 
Minimum 
26.05 
6.40 
19.65 
19.85 
1.55 
18.30 
Subsurface 
Maximum 
Minimum 
25.00 
8.00 
17.00 
16.50 
3.35 
13.15 
Subsoil 
Maximum 
Minimum 
20.10 
7.60 
12.50 
31.55 
8.55 
23.00 
Bottom 
of Slope 
Surface 
Maximum 
Minimum 
24.80 
9.95 
14.85 
25.15 
1.70 
23.45 
Subsurface 
Maximum 
Minimum 
29.00 
9.45 
19.55 
21.90 
1.85 
20.05 
Subsoil 
Maximum 
Minimum 
23.50 
8.25 
15.25 
28.25 
11.30 
16.95 
Response or Moisture Content to Precipitation 
Following the more or less clearly defined periods of precipi- 
tation it is possible to trace a rather definite response in the 
various soils. 
After the showers of July 21, on the open slope there is no rise 
in the curves for the soils at the top. In all probability this is 
due to the high evaporation between the time of precipitation 
and the time of taking the soil samples on July 23, the effect of 
which would be the greatest at these stations. On the timber 
slope, however, there is apparent at the top a rise in the subsurface 
and subsoils. At the middle of the slopes no rise appears in either 
timber or open. At the foot the response is evident in the subsur- 
face and subsoils of the timber slope but not of the open. 
The rainfall of July 27 and 28 produced a general increase 
throughout the soils at the top of the slopes, this being the more 
marked in the timber. In the open at the middle and foot the 
increase is apparent in all the soils except the middle subsoil. In 
the timber, on the other hand, the curves remain approximately 
