Available water capacity from a multidisciplinary and multiscale viewpoint. A review

Abstract Soil–plant–atmosphere models and certain land surface usually require information about the ability of soils to store release water. Thus, a critical soil parameter for such reservoir-like is available water capacity (AWC), which recognized as most influential when modeling transfer. AWC does not have single definition despite its wide use by scientists in research models, regional managers land-management tools farmers decision-aid tools. Methods used estimate are also diverse, including laboratory measurements samples, field monitoring, pedotransfer functions, inverse soil-vegetation models. However, resulting estimates differ and, depending on method scale, may high uncertainty. Here, we review many definitions AWC, well soil–plant approaches it from local larger spatial scales. We focus especially limits uncertainties each method. demonstrate that science, represents capacity—the size reservoir plants can use—whereas agronomy, an ability—the quantity plant withdraw soil. claim two should be hybridized improve AWC. recommend future directions: (i) adapt functions provide plants, (ii) integrate newly mapping inverse-modeling applications, (iii) model-inversion results into methods digital mapping.