Abstract:

As an important component of the earth surface system and the core of hydrological cycle, soil water controls the most basic terrestrial ecosystem patterns and processes, which is key for the healthy operation of the terrestrial ecosystem. Soil moisture dynamics is an indispensable part of the research on the interactions and feedbacks between hydrological processes and terrestrial ecosystem processes, which is the result of non-linear interactions among a series of hydrological, climatic, and ecological processes. Consequently, soil moisture dynamics needs to be studied by stochastic methods, which can reasonably describe the characteristics of soil moisture dynamics including the pulse, erratic, and random processes. In this article, we systematically review the development of stochastic modeling of soil water content based on the principle of soil water balance, and focus on the classification and application of these models. This review could supply some useful reference for quantitative studies of stochastic soil moisture dynamic processes and be beneficial to the research on ecohydrology in China. This review also could promote a better understanding of interactions between hydrological cycle and the terrestrial ecosystem, and ultimately contribute to the knowledge base on the sustainable management of water resources and ecosystems.

Key words: terrestrial ecosystem, ecohydrology, soil water balance, soil moisture dynamics, stochastic modeling, research progress