[{"article_processing_charge":"No","abstract":[{"lang":"eng","text":"<jats:p>Abstract. Hydro-pedotransfer functions (PTFs) relate easy-to-measure and readily available soil information to soil hydraulic properties (SHPs) for applications in a wide range of process-based and empirical models, thereby enabling the assessment of soil hydraulic effects on hydrological, biogeochemical, and ecological processes. At least more than 4 decades of research have been invested to derive such relationships. However, while models, methods, data storage capacity, and computational efficiency have advanced, there are fundamental concerns related to the scope and adequacy of current PTFs, particularly when applied to parameterise models used at the field scale and beyond. Most of the PTF development process has focused on refining and advancing the regression methods, while fundamental aspects have remained largely unconsidered. Most soil systems are not represented in PTFs, which have been built mostly for agricultural soils in temperate climates. Thus, existing PTFs largely ignore how parent material, vegetation, land use, and climate affect processes that shape SHPs. The PTFs used to parameterise the Richards–Richardson equation are mostly limited to predicting parameters of the van Genuchten–Mualem soil hydraulic functions, despite sufficient evidence demonstrating their shortcomings. Another fundamental issue relates to the diverging scales of derivation and application, whereby PTFs are derived based on laboratory measurements while often being applied at the field to regional scales. Scaling, modulation, and constraining strategies exist to alleviate some of these shortcomings in the mismatch between scales. These aspects are addressed here in a joint effort by the members of the International Soil Modelling Consortium (ISMC) Pedotransfer Functions Working Group with the aim of systematising PTF research and providing a roadmap guiding both PTF development and use. We close with a 10-point catalogue for funders and researchers to guide review processes and research.</jats:p>"}],"extern":"1","doi":"10.5194/hess-28-3391-2024","author":[{"full_name":"Weber, Tobias Karl David","last_name":"Weber","first_name":"Tobias Karl David"},{"full_name":"Weihermüller, Lutz","first_name":"Lutz","last_name":"Weihermüller"},{"full_name":"Nemes, Attila","first_name":"Attila","last_name":"Nemes"},{"last_name":"Bechtold","first_name":"Michel","full_name":"Bechtold, Michel"},{"last_name":"Degré","first_name":"Aurore","full_name":"Degré, Aurore"},{"full_name":"Diamantopoulos, Efstathios","first_name":"Efstathios","last_name":"Diamantopoulos"},{"full_name":"Fatichi, Simone","id":"cf8e546b-a9b0-11f0-a43b-aa89ed1b56d6","first_name":"Simone","last_name":"Fatichi"},{"first_name":"Vilim","last_name":"Filipović","full_name":"Filipović, Vilim"},{"first_name":"Surya","last_name":"Gupta","full_name":"Gupta, Surya"},{"full_name":"Hohenbrink, Tobias L.","first_name":"Tobias L.","last_name":"Hohenbrink"},{"full_name":"Hirmas, Daniel R.","first_name":"Daniel R.","last_name":"Hirmas"},{"full_name":"Jackisch, Conrad","last_name":"Jackisch","first_name":"Conrad"},{"last_name":"de Jong van Lier","first_name":"Quirijn","full_name":"de Jong van Lier, Quirijn"},{"last_name":"Koestel","first_name":"John","full_name":"Koestel, John"},{"full_name":"Lehmann, Peter","first_name":"Peter","last_name":"Lehmann"},{"first_name":"Toby R.","last_name":"Marthews","full_name":"Marthews, Toby R."},{"last_name":"Minasny","first_name":"Budiman","full_name":"Minasny, Budiman"},{"last_name":"Pagel","first_name":"Holger","full_name":"Pagel, Holger"},{"full_name":"van der Ploeg, Martine","first_name":"Martine","last_name":"van der Ploeg"},{"last_name":"Shojaeezadeh","first_name":"Shahab Aldin","full_name":"Shojaeezadeh, Shahab Aldin"},{"first_name":"Simon Fiil","last_name":"Svane","full_name":"Svane, Simon Fiil"},{"full_name":"Szabó, Brigitta","first_name":"Brigitta","last_name":"Szabó"},{"first_name":"Harry","last_name":"Vereecken","full_name":"Vereecken, Harry"},{"full_name":"Verhoef, Anne","last_name":"Verhoef","first_name":"Anne"},{"last_name":"Young","first_name":"Michael","full_name":"Young, Michael"},{"full_name":"Zeng, Yijian","first_name":"Yijian","last_name":"Zeng"},{"last_name":"Zhang","first_name":"Yonggen","full_name":"Zhang, Yonggen"},{"full_name":"Bonetti, Sara","last_name":"Bonetti","first_name":"Sara"}],"page":"3391-3433","_id":"22444","issue":"14","ddc":["550"],"has_accepted_license":"1","intvolume":"        28","oa":1,"das_tickbox":"1","language":[{"iso":"eng"}],"date_updated":"2026-07-30T11:43:29Z","main_file_link":[{"url":"https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-3391-2024","open_access":"1"}],"fulldoi":"https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-3391-2024","year":"2024","publisher":"Copernicus Publications","month":"07","volume":28,"date_published":"2024-07-29T00:00:00Z","oa_version":"Published Version","title":"Hydro-pedotransfer functions: A roadmap for future development","quality_controlled":"1","PlanS_conform":"1","publication_identifier":{"issn":["1027-5606"],"eissn":["1607-7938"]},"user_id":"2DF688A6-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87","publication_status":"published","publication":"Hydrology and Earth System Sciences","status":"public","OA_place":"publisher","OA_type":"gold","citation":{"mla":"Weber, Tobias Karl David, et al. “Hydro-Pedotransfer Functions: A Roadmap for Future Development.” <i>Hydrology and Earth System Sciences</i>, vol. 28, no. 14, Copernicus Publications, 2024, pp. 3391–433, doi:<a href=\"https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-3391-2024\">10.5194/hess-28-3391-2024</a>.","chicago":"Weber, Tobias Karl David, Lutz Weihermüller, Attila Nemes, Michel Bechtold, Aurore Degré, Efstathios Diamantopoulos, Simone Fatichi, et al. “Hydro-Pedotransfer Functions: A Roadmap for Future Development.” <i>Hydrology and Earth System Sciences</i>. Copernicus Publications, 2024. <a href=\"https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-3391-2024\">https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-3391-2024</a>.","ama":"Weber TKD, Weihermüller L, Nemes A, et al. Hydro-pedotransfer functions: A roadmap for future development. <i>Hydrology and Earth System Sciences</i>. 2024;28(14):3391-3433. doi:<a href=\"https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-3391-2024\">10.5194/hess-28-3391-2024</a>","ista":"Weber TKD, Weihermüller L, Nemes A, Bechtold M, Degré A, Diamantopoulos E, Fatichi S, Filipović V, Gupta S, Hohenbrink TL, Hirmas DR, Jackisch C, de Jong van Lier Q, Koestel J, Lehmann P, Marthews TR, Minasny B, Pagel H, van der Ploeg M, Shojaeezadeh SA, Svane SF, Szabó B, Vereecken H, Verhoef A, Young M, Zeng Y, Zhang Y, Bonetti S. 2024. Hydro-pedotransfer functions: A roadmap for future development. Hydrology and Earth System Sciences. 28(14), 3391–3433.","ieee":"T. K. D. Weber <i>et al.</i>, “Hydro-pedotransfer functions: A roadmap for future development,” <i>Hydrology and Earth System Sciences</i>, vol. 28, no. 14. Copernicus Publications, pp. 3391–3433, 2024.","apa":"Weber, T. K. D., Weihermüller, L., Nemes, A., Bechtold, M., Degré, A., Diamantopoulos, E., … Bonetti, S. (2024). Hydro-pedotransfer functions: A roadmap for future development. <i>Hydrology and Earth System Sciences</i>. Copernicus Publications. <a href=\"https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-3391-2024\">https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-3391-2024</a>","short":"T.K.D. Weber, L. Weihermüller, A. Nemes, M. Bechtold, A. Degré, E. Diamantopoulos, S. Fatichi, V. Filipović, S. Gupta, T.L. Hohenbrink, D.R. Hirmas, C. Jackisch, Q. de Jong van Lier, J. Koestel, P. Lehmann, T.R. Marthews, B. Minasny, H. Pagel, M. van der Ploeg, S.A. Shojaeezadeh, S.F. Svane, B. Szabó, H. Vereecken, A. Verhoef, M. Young, Y. Zeng, Y. Zhang, S. Bonetti, Hydrology and Earth System Sciences 28 (2024) 3391–3433."},"DOAJ_listed":"1","license":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/","type":"journal_article","tmp":{"name":"Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Public License (CC-BY 4.0)","image":"/images/cc_by.png","legal_code_url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode","short":"CC BY (4.0)"},"scopus_import":"1","day":"29","date_created":"2026-07-27T12:30:23Z","article_type":"original"}]