3.3. Soil temperature
Soil temperature of 5 cm depth at each of the four slope
positions exhibited a general decreasing trend over time
corresponding to cooler air temperatures later in the growing
season. All four slope positions showed the same daily soil
temperature
fluctuations tracking daily changes in mean air
temperature (Fig. 2b). The soil temperature at summit was
always the greatest during the entire 47 day measurement
period; soil temperature for the toe-slope was the lowest, and
soil temperature for shoulder and back-slope was intermedi-
ate. Differences in soil temperature among the lower three
slope positions were generally not significant (Fig. 2b, Table 2).
The maximum difference in mean temperature among the four
slope positions in the initial 27 days and the last 20 days was
0.3 C and 0.2 C, respectively. The difference in mean soil
temperature at 5 cm depth among four positions in the initial
27 days was greater than in the last 20 days (Table 2).