Linking Global Land Use/Land Cover to Hydrologic Soil Groups From 850 to 2015

Abstract

The characteristics of soils in part determine human‐induced land use and land cover (LULC) change, and together, soil properties and LULC directly impact global water, energy, and biogeochemical cycles. Plant health and the exchange of energy, water, and biogeochemical components at the surface interface are partly controlled by soil properties. Different soil types modify vegetation responses to existing climate forcings, and each soil type also responds differently to the same land‐use practice. Currently, Earth system models often use single soil columns with averaged properties. This leads to uncertainties in assessing LULC impacts. To improve the estimates of land surface change in Earth System Models, we link an existing LULC data set to four hydrologic soil groups from 850 to 2015, based on demonstrated soil preferences for eight LULCs under current conditions. We conclude that humans prefer hydrologic soil groups in order from B, D, C, to A. This ranking was applied to construct the history of LULC on each soil type at the 0.5° grid resolution. Results primarily distribute croplands to hydrologic soil group B in 850, while hydrologic soil group A has the most undisturbed area. Over time, good soils (hydrologic soil groups B and D) experience increased use for cropland areas, while poor soils (hydrologic soil groups C and A) are occupied predominantly by increasing areas in grazing land and secondary nonforests. The results provide better land surface characteristics to improve Earth systems modeling.

Advances in Land Surface Modelling

“…Most models use a single set of PTFs for their global modelling, but it is becoming apparent that this is not adequate and regional PTFs may be needed. It may also become important to include the way that soil properties change with time [138]. Farming practices and changes to permafrost regions will alter the soil organic matter, impacting the hydraulic properties of the soil.…”

“…Capturing the impacts of agricultural management on soils is a priority and requires improved representation of plantsoil-microbial interactions (as discussed in Section 5) and the impacts of agricultural management on these interactions, such as the long-term impacts of agricultural management (including pastureland and rangeland management) on soil degradation and/or loss [138]. More realistic treatment of changes in soil health would allow, for example, for study of the potential impacts of agricultural practices on flood risk.…”

Application of Spatial Model for Potential Flood Hazard Susceptibility at Trumon Area, South Aceh Regency of Indonesia

“…In the tropical watershed, weathering process and soil erosion immensely contribute to the land cover and the soil properties. The hydrologic soil properties control rainfall excess over the watershed's morphological terrain by controlling the water infiltration, water holding capacity, and storage of water in soils [26], [27]. Therefore, in the present study, we consider more the importance of soil type than the geology factor, since the soils have different rate of permeability, thus, control the rate of surface runoff, infiltration, soil erodibility and flood retainment.…”

Assessment of Hydrological Processes in an Ungauged Catchment in Eritrea

“…These quantities are employed to identify the hydrological group. This information is in turn employed to obtain curve number estimates, upon considering the classical USDA soil texture triangle [27]. The soil texture and the corresponding hydrological soil group are listed in Table 3 for each soil category.…”