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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Ames, Iowa » National Laboratory for Agriculture and The Environment » Agroecosystems Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #378794
Research Project: Sustainable and Resilient Cropping Systems for Midwestern Landscapes

Location: Agroecosystems Management Research

Title: Climate fluctuations and soil hydrology

Author
item HATFIELD, JERRY - Retired ARS Employee
item O'Brien, Peter
item WACHA, KENNETH - Orise Fellow

Submitted to: Book Chapter
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/20/2020
Publication Date: 11/6/2022
Citation: Hatfield, J.L., O'Brien, P.L., Wacha, K.M. 2022. Climate fluctuations and soil hydrology. In: Blanco, H., Kumar, S., Anderson, S.H., editors. Soil Hydrology in a Changing Climate. Clayton, Autralia: CSIRO Publishing. p.19-38.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Soil hydrology informs the sustainability and resiliency of agroecosystems worldwide, as it describes the capacity of a system for capture, storage, and movement of soil water. Climate change is already affecting the different components of soil hydrology due to changing annual precipitation and temperature trends, as well as increasing intensity and frequency of extreme events. Overall trends indicate that average annual temperatures and annual precipitation will continue to increase, though the increases are not uniform. The seasonality of precipitation is also shifting so that a greater proportion of precipitation comes in the spring, with summer events decreasing and becoming more variable. In addition to these general trends, climate change is expected to result in greater frequency and higher intensity of extreme weather events, including rainstorms, droughts, and heat waves. These aspects of climate change will alter soil hydrology by affecting both the inputs and losses of soil water. Increased annual temperatures and extended growing seasons will create the potential for more soil water evaporation, especially early in the season. The shifts in seasonality and intensity of precipitation are likely to increase water losses by creating conditions where precipitation exceeds the infiltration rate and/or the soil water storage capacity, increasing losses due to runoff and drainage, respectively. Additionally, the changes in temperature will affect the rate of plant development, thus affecting both the water losses via transpiration and plant water demand. Both the cumulative and event-based changes need to be considered when managing agroecosystems to be resilient in the face of climate change. We suggest three management practices that may help to capture, store, and efficiently use water under a variety of weather conditions, including maintaining soil surface cover throughout the year, diversifying water uptake regimes, and maximizing soil water storage. Opportunities exist to better refine management practices to perform these roles in adapting to climate fluctuations and more efficiently using our water resources.