Hydropedology: Synergistic integration of pedology and hydrology

TLDR

Landscape water flux encompasses source, storage, flux, pathway, residence time, availability, and spatiotemporal distribution of water in root and deep vadose zones. The paper envisions hydropedology—integrating pedology and hydrology—using landscape water flux as a unifying concept, proposes strategies to realize this vision, and aims to guide collaborative data acquisition, knowledge integration, and model‑based prediction for future hydrologic science. The authors propose five scientific hypotheses and interlinked strategies, centering on landscape water flux as a unifying precept, to guide the synergistic integration of pedology and hydrology and improve prediction of landscape water flux.

Abstract

This paper presents a vision that advocates hydropedology as an advantageous integration of pedology and hydrology for studying the intimate relationships between soil, landscape, and hydrology. Landscape water flux is suggested as a unifying precept for hydropedology, through which pedologic and hydrologic expertise can be better integrated. Landscape water flux here encompasses the source, storage, flux, pathway, residence time, availability, and spatiotemporal distribution of water in the root and deep vadose zones within the landscape. After illustrating multiple knowledge gaps that can be addressed by the synergistic integration of pedology and hydrology, we suggest five scientific hypotheses that are critical to advancing hydropedology and enhancing the prediction of landscape water flux. We then present interlinked strategies for achieving the stated vision. It is our hope that by working together, hydrologists and pedologists, along with scientists in related disciplines, can better guide data acquisition, knowledge integration, and model‐based prediction so as to advance the hydrologic sciences in the next decade and beyond.