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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Logan, Utah » Forage and Range Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #416294
Research Project: Improved Plant Genetic Resources and Methods to ensure Resilient and Productive Rangelands, Pastures, and Turf Landscapes

Location: Forage and Range Research

Title: A scoping review on soil moisture dynamics monitoring in semi-arid ecosystems: methods, techniques and tools applying at different scales

Author
item DUARTE, EFRAIN - ARS Postdoctoral Research Associate
item Hernandez, Alexander

Submitted to: Applied Sciences
Publication Type: Review Article
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/22/2024
Publication Date: 8/30/2024
Citation: Duarte, E., Hernandez, A.J. 2024. A scoping review on soil moisture dynamics monitoring in semi-arid ecosystems: methods, techniques and tools applying at different scales. Applied Sciences. https://doi.org/10.3390/app14177677.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/app14177677

Interpretive Summary: Measuring soil moisture is vital because it influences water evaporation and photosynthesis, making it a key indicator for monitoring vegetation in semi-arid ecosystems. In these areas, vegetation heavily depends on soil water availability, and changes in soil moisture can significantly impact its health and growth. Various technologies are used to measure and map soil moisture. Satellites provide extensive and continuous data from space. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) offer detailed observations at a local level and machine learning models help interpret large volumes of data and improve predictions. Additionally, in situ measurements, conducted directly in the field, are essential for validating and complementing the data obtained through these technologies. Given the importance of soil moisture, an extensive review of scientific literature has been conducted. This review identifies current knowledge gaps and highlights areas that require further research, providing a foundation for future scientific studies and improving monitoring strategies in semi-arid ecosystems.

Technical Abstract: Soil moisture (SM) plays a crucial role in land-atmosphere interaction systems, directly influencing evapotranspiration, photosynthesis, and the surface water cycle. Invariably, SM is negatively impacted by disturbances such as fires which are becoming more frequent across semi-arid landscapes. Different ecological restauration activities have been implemented to mitigate the impacts of disturbance which when left untreated can worsen the effects of recurrent droughts and accelerate desertification, and land degradation processes. To measure and monitor the dynamics of SM, advanced techniques and tools have been developed that integrate remote sensing and in-situ measurement. The review encompasses various themes on the application of remote sensing for measuring and monitoring SM dynamics in semiarid regions at different scales. We focused our analysis on the western United States region and applied a scoping review in the following topics: a) the different data sources (e.g. satellite, unmanned aerial vehicles), b) field-based data and approaches used to measure SM, and c) algorithms and techniques used to model this variable at different scales. We summarize our findings by emphasizing repeatable approaches for the transparent estimation of this variable, identifying current data gaps, and highlighting future trends to fulfill the expanding demand for SM monitoring strategies.