Publication Details

Category Text Publication
Reference Category Journals
DOI 10.1002/2017RG000581
Title (Primary) Pedotransfer functions in Earth system science: challenges and perspectives
Author Van Looy, K.; Bouma, J.; Herbst, M.; Koestel, J.; Minasny, B.; Mishra, U.; Montzka, C.; Nemes, A.; Pachepsky, Y.A.; Padarian, J.; Schaap, M.C.; Tóth, B.; Verhoef, A.; Vanderborght, J.; van der Ploeg, M.J.; Weihermüller, L.; Zacharias, S.; Zhang, Y.; Vereecken, H.
Source Titel Reviews of Geophysics
Year 2017
Department MET
Volume 55
Issue 4
Page From 1199
Page To 1256
Language englisch
Data and Software links https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.870605
https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.878889
Keywords land surface model; soil properties; hydraulic properties; heat flow; biogeochemical processes; extrapolation
UFZ wide themes TERENO; RU5;
Abstract Soil, through its various functions, plays a vital role in the Earth's ecosystems and provides multiple ecosystem services to humanity. Pedotransfer functions (PTFs) are simple to complex knowledge rules that relate available soil information to soil properties and variables that are needed to parameterize soil processes. In this paper, we review the existing PTFs and document the new generation of PTFs developed in the different disciplines of Earth system science. To meet the methodological challenges for a successful application in Earth system modeling, we emphasize that PTF development has to go hand in hand with suitable extrapolation and upscaling techniques such that the PTFs correctly represent the spatial heterogeneity of soils. PTFs should encompass the variability of the estimated soil property or process, in such a way that the estimation of parameters allows for validation and can also confidently provide for extrapolation and upscaling purposes capturing the spatial variation in soils. Most actively pursued recent developments are related to parameterizations of solute transport, heat exchange, soil respiration, and organic carbon content, root density, and vegetation water uptake. Further challenges are to be addressed in parameterization of soil erosivity and land use change impacts at multiple scales. We argue that a comprehensive set of PTFs can be applied throughout a wide range of disciplines of Earth system science, with emphasis on land surface models. Novel sensing techniques provide a true breakthrough for this, yet further improvements are necessary for methods to deal with uncertainty and to validate applications at global scale.
Persistent UFZ Identifier https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=19782
Van Looy, K., Bouma, J., Herbst, M., Koestel, J., Minasny, B., Mishra, U., Montzka, C., Nemes, A., Pachepsky, Y.A., Padarian, J., Schaap, M.C., Tóth, B., Verhoef, A., Vanderborght, J., van der Ploeg, M.J., Weihermüller, L., Zacharias, S., Zhang, Y., Vereecken, H. (2017):
Pedotransfer functions in Earth system science: challenges and perspectives
Rev. Geophys. 55 (4), 1199 - 1256 10.1002/2017RG000581