A comprehensive review on coupled processes and mechanisms of soil-vegetation-hydrology, and recent research advances

Research on the coupling of soil, vegetation, and hydrological processes is not only a research hotspot in disciplines such as pedology, ecohydrology Earth system science but also important for achieving sustainable development. However, scientists from different usually study mechanism soil-vegetation-hydrological at very space time scales, mechanistic connections between scales are quite few. This article reviewed advances coupled spatial scales—from leaf stomata to watershed regional scales—and summarized upscaling methods modeling approaches processes. We identify summarize following processes: (1) carbon-water exchange root-soil interface; (2) changes soil aggregates profile hydraulic properties caused by plant roots water movement; (3) precipitation moisture redistribution canopy root; (4) interactions vegetation patches local process; (5) links community succession development; (6) watershed/regional budget phenology production. Meanwhile, limitations knowledge gaps observations, mechanisms, scaling methods, were analyzed. To achieve deep integration various across spatiotemporal future work should strengthen multiscale, multifactor multiprocess soil-vegetation-hydrology observations studies, develop new feedback pathways, take time-variable behavior into account during modeling.