Hydraulic conductivity, symbolically represented as
, is a property of
vascular plants, soils and rocks, that describes the ease with which a fluid (usually water) can move through pore spaces or fractures. It depends on the
intrinsic permeability of the material, the degree of
saturation, and on the
density and
viscosity of the fluid. Saturated hydraulic conductivity,
Ksat, describes water movement through saturated media.