Articles | Volume 29, issue 20
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-5493-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-5493-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
21 Oct 2025
Research article |
| 21 Oct 2025
| 21 Oct 2025
Controls on spatial and temporal variability of soil moisture across a heterogeneous boreal forest landscape
Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, 90183, Sweden
Bolin Centre for Climate Research, Stockholm University, Stockholm, 10691, Sweden
William Lidberg
Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, 90183, Sweden
Caroline Greiser
Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, 90183, Sweden
Bolin Centre for Climate Research, Stockholm University, Stockholm, 10691, Sweden
Department of Physical Geography, Stockholm University, Stockholm, 10691, Sweden
Johannes Larson
Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, 90183, Sweden
Raúl Hoffrén
Department of Geography and Land Management, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, 50009, Spain
Anneli M. Ågren
Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, 90183, Sweden
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Marian Schönauer, Anneli M. Ågren, Klaus Katzensteiner, Florian Hartsch, Paul Arp, Simon Drollinger, and Dirk Jaeger
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 28, 2617–2633, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-2617-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-2617-2024, 2024
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This work employs innovative spatiotemporal modeling to predict soil moisture, with implications for sustainable forest management. By correlating predicted soil moisture with rut depth, it addresses a critical concern of soil damage and ecological impact – and its prevention through adequate planning of forest operations.
Anneli M. Ågren, Eliza Maher Hasselquist, Johan Stendahl, Mats B. Nilsson, and Siddhartho S. Paul
SOIL, 8, 733–749, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-8-733-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-8-733-2022, 2022
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Historically, many peatlands in the boreal region have been drained for timber production. Given the prospects of a drier future due to climate change, wetland restorations are now increasing. Better maps hold the key to insights into restoration targets and land-use management policies, and maps are often the number one decision-support tool. We use an AI-developed soil moisture map based on laser scanning data to illustrate how the mapping of peatlands can be improved across an entire nation.
Johannes Larson, William Lidberg, Anneli M. Ågren, and Hjalmar Laudon
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 26, 4837–4851, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-4837-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-4837-2022, 2022
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Terrain indices constitute a good candidate for modelling the spatial variation of soil moisture conditions in many landscapes. In this study, we evaluate nine terrain indices on varying DEM resolution and user-defined thresholds with validation using an extensive field soil moisture class inventory. We demonstrate the importance of field validation for selecting the appropriate DEM resolution and user-defined thresholds and that failing to do so can result in ambiguous and incorrect results.
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Short summary
We investigated the factors influencing spatial and temporal variations in soil moisture across a boreal forest catchment in northern Sweden. We found that soil moisture is shaped by topography, soil properties, vegetation characteristics, and weather conditions. The insights presented in this study will help improve models that predict soil moisture over space and time, which is crucial for forest management and nature conservation in the face of climate change and biodiversity loss.
We investigated the factors influencing spatial and temporal variations in soil moisture across...
