On the uncertainty induced by pedotransfer functions in terrestrial biosphere modeling
Author(s)
Paschalis, Athanasios
Bonetti, Sara
Guo, Yanran
Fatichi, Simone
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Hydrological, ecohydrological, and terrestrial biosphere models depend on pedotransfer functions for computing soil hydraulic parameters based on easily measurable variables, such as soil textural and physical properties. Several pedotransfer functions have been derived in the last few decades, providing divergent estimates of soil hydraulic parameters. In this study, we quantify how uncertainties embedded in using different pedotransfer functions propagate to ecosystem dynamics, including simulated hydrological fluxes and vegetation response to water availability. Using a state-of-the-art ecohydrological model applied at 79 sites worldwide, we show that uncertainties related to pedotransfer functions can affect both hydrological and vegetation dynamics. Uncertainties in evapotranspiration, plant productivity, and vegetation structure, quantified as leaf area, are in the order of ∼10% at annual time scales. Runoff and groundwater recharge uncertainties are one order of magnitude larger. All uncertainties are largely amplified when small-scale topography is taken into account in a distributed domain, especially for water-limited ecosystems with low permeability soils. Overall, pedotransfer function related uncertainties for a given soil type are higher than uncertainties across soil types in both hydrological and ecosystem dynamics. The magnitude of uncertainties is climate-dependent but not soil type-dependent. Evapotranspiration, vegetation structure, and plant productivity uncertainties are higher in water-limited semiarid climates, whereas groundwater recharge uncertainties are higher in climates where potential evapotranspiration is comparable to precipitation.
Date Issued
2022-09
Date Acceptance
2022-08-15
Citation
Water Resources Research, 2022, 58 (9), pp.1-18
ISSN
0043-1397
Publisher
American Geophysical Union (AGU)
Start Page
1
End Page
18
Journal / Book Title
Water Resources Research
Volume
58
Issue
9
Copyright Statement
© 2022. The Authors.
This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
License URL
Sponsor
Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)
Identifier
https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2021WR031871
Grant Number
NE/S003495/1
Subjects
Environmental Engineering
0406 Physical Geography and Environmental Geoscience
0905 Civil Engineering
0907 Environmental Engineering
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2022-08-25