Differences in soil water movement between the dip and anti-dip slopes of a karst trough valley

[Display omitted] •The soil water movement of dip/anti-dip karst slopes is revealed by water isotopes.•Precipitation drives the seasonal variations of soil water isotopes.•Preferential flow is dominant in the upper soil layers on dip and anti-dip slopes.•Preferential flow is deeper on anti-dip versus dip karst slopes.•Soil texture and structure regulate the spatial movement of soil water. Exploring temporal and spatial variations in soil water processes is crucial for identifying the ecological water supply capacity of soil and understanding hydrologic cycles within karst catchments. However, the existing body of knowledge related to soil water dynamics across dip and anti-dip slopes in karst landscapes remains limited. To address this gap, this study investigated soil water dynamics in a karst trough valley (KTV) in southwest China, using stable isotopes (δD and δ18O) from eight sampling sites and precipitation data from April 2017 to November 2018. Our findings suggest that seasonal variations in soil water isotopes are primarily influenced by climatic factors, with soil water lagging behind rainwater isotopes by one to four months due to differences in the residence time of precipitation in different soil layers. Spatially, our results reveal the coexistence of diffuse and preferential flows on both dip and anti-dip slopes. Specifically, on the dip slope, preferential flow dominates above 20 cm, while diffuse flow prevails below this depth. In contrast, on the anti-dip slope, preferential flow is prominent above 40 cm depth, while diffuse flow dominates beneath this threshold. These spatial patterns not only impact the ecological water and nutrient supply capacity of soil but they also contribute to distinct patterns in vegetative growth on both slopes. In turn, vegetation growth facilitates preferential flow pathways, establishing a positive feedback loop between soil water movement and vegetative cover. These findings may lead to a deeper understanding of soil water processes on the dip and anti-dip slopes of KTVs and provide crucial insights into the relationship between soil water and vegetative growth in similar karst landforms.