A new meta-analysis of 466 studies shows that climate is linked to soil water permeability, challenging the dominant explanation. At the same time, the researchers suspect that there is another explanation hidden behind the data. - 'If we can understand the factors that influence soil water permeability, it could help society to better manage large amounts of rainfall,' says John Koestel, researcher at SLU and Agroscope in Switzerland.
In a new study, researchers from SLU and Agroscope have analyzed large amounts of data from cultivated and non-cultivated soils throughout the world. Specifically, they have studied the water permeability of water-saturated soil and soil that is almost water-saturated.
The results show a clear connection between climate and soil water permeability. Thus, it appears that climate affects how well the soil can absorb, hold, and conduct water. However, according to the study, there is no causal relationship between climate and soil water permeability.
- We believe that roots and organisms living in the soil, such as earthworms and ants, are behind the connection. So, it is likely that the climate affects how the structure of the soil develops, and which organisms live there, says John Koestel.
The researchers believe that activities performed by soil organisms, such as burrowing tunnels in the soil, build soil structure and foster water permeability. They also believe that soil use and soil type play a role in explaining the connection. The data was not sufficient to answer these questions, but they hope to explore this shortly.
- With climate change, extreme weather will become more frequent. When we have heavy and dense rainfall such as in the summer of 2023, we need to understand if and how we can prepare the soil to handle the amount of water in the most risk-free way possible, says John Koestel.
Scientific Article
Impacts of soil management and climate on saturated and near-saturated hydraulic conductivity: analyses of the Open Tension-disk Infiltrometer Meta-database (OTIM)
