Spectral Characteristics of Hydromorphic Soils: A Review

Résumé fourni par la source

Hydromorphic soils play a key role in the terrestrial carbon cycle, regulating the water cycle, and sustaining various ecosystem services; therefore, they are of major importance to the functioning of terrestrial ecosystems. The importance of investigating hydromorphic soils has become increasingly pronounced as climate change, rising temperatures, decreasing precipitation and groundwater levels, and the progressive loss of wetlands contribute to the reduction in the spatial extent of these soils. However, their classification can be challenging, as hydromorphic morphological features, such as gley patterns, are not always readily distinguishable, and their interpretation may depend to some extent on the expertise and judgment of the soil surveyor. Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy offers a fast, cost-effective, and environment-friendly alternative in the visible (VIS), near-infrared (NIR), and mid-infrared (MIR) ranges for the simultaneous determination of the physical, chemical, and mineralogical properties of soil. The spectral behavior of hydromorphic soils is primarily determined by changes in soil moisture, the accumulation of organic matter, and the oxidation and reduction processes of iron, which result in characteristic spectral signatures. These spectral characteristics carry integrated information about soil formation processes and can contribute to a more objective identification of water-saturated soils. This study aims to review the spectral characteristics of hydromorphic soils and to present how VIS–NIR and MIR reflectance spectroscopy can be applied to support the identification and classification of hydromorphic soils.

Ce résumé expose les affirmations des auteurs. BNTIC ne l’interprète pas comme une validation indépendante des résultats.