The study looked at how soil moisture levels in forests and vegetable plots in the Taihu Basin change in response to rainfall. They found that surface soil moisture fluctuates more in vegetable plots than in forests, and that the response of soil moisture to rainfall depends on the initial soil condition. In vegetable plots, a less permeable soil layer at 40cm depth can lead to perched water tables. In forests, small rainfall events have little impact on soil moisture due to interception by ground litter, while larger rainfall events can recharge soil layers from the bottom up through preferential flow pathways.