Land surface processes such as the soil moisture

The gap

Evidence profile

Sourced from the stated research gap and stated challenges and abstract of the source papers, classified as general, drawn from work published between 2012 and 2026, spanning 5 journals. Those papers have been cited 228 times in total.

Supporting evidence — 8 representative gaps

• Contrasting roles of climate change and land-use change on runoff dynamics in a semi-humid monsoon watershed of China (2026) · Scientific Reports · doi

  The study identifies a gap in understanding the separate and combined effects of climate variability and land-use change on runoff dynamics. The study notes that prior work has focused on the individual effects of climate change and land-use change, but has not quantified their combined effects.

  generalstated research gap
  Keywords: study identifies gap understanding separate combined effects climate
• Future global water scarcity partially moderated by vegetation responses to rising CO 2 (2026) · Hydrology and Earth System Sciences · doi

  Most studies of future water scarcity rely on hydrological models that neglect vegetation responses to rising CO2. There is a need to investigate the influence of vegetation responses on water scarcity projections. The impact of CO2-induced stomatal and structural responses on the water cycle is not well represented in current hydrological models.

  generalstated research gapevidence 5/5
  Keywords: studies future water scarcity rely hydrological models neglect
• Assessment of Climate Variability and Associated Health Implications under Cyclonic and Anticyclonic Atmospheric Conditions in Ado-Ekiti, Southwestern Nigeria (2026) · Nigerian Journal of Applied Physics · doi

  There is a need to understand the mechanisms responsible for climatic fluctuations and their impacts on environmental conditions and human populations. The study aims to address the gap in knowledge on the atmospheric mechanisms governing rainfall variability in upland environments.

  generalstated research gapevidence 5/5
  Keywords: there need understand mechanisms responsible climatic fluctuations impacts
• Atmospheric moisture transport anomalies and vegetation response in arid coastal ecosystems: insights from the 2017 coastal El Niño in northern Peru (2026) · Frontiers in Plant Science · doi

  Arid and semi-arid coastal ecosystems are vulnerable to climate variability. Vegetation growth and recovery in these regions are tightly constrained by limited water supply. Atmospheric moisture transport is a complex process that is difficult to model and predict.

  generalstated challengesevidence 5/5
  Keywords: arid semi-arid coastal ecosystems vulnerable climate variability vegetation
• Hydrological implications of vegetation-associated precipitation recycling during peak growing season over the Loess Plateau (2026) · Hydrology and Earth System Sciences · doi

  The extent to which enhanced moisture recycling can alleviate regional water limitation remains insufficiently understood. The hydrological implications of vegetation-associated precipitation recycling during the peak growing season over the Loess Plateau are not well understood.

  generalstated research gapevidence 5/5
  Keywords: extent enhanced moisture recycling alleviate regional water limitation
• GRACE satellite observed hydrological controls on interannual and seasonal variability in surface greenness over mainland Australia (2014) · Journal of Geophysical Research Biogeosciences · cited 139× · doi

  Because climate change is predicted to markedly alter current hydroclimatic conditions later this century, a better hydrological indicator of ecosystem performance is warranted to improve understanding of hydrological controls on vegetation and to predict changes in the future.

  generalabstractevidence 4/5
  Keywords: hydrological climate change predicted markedly alter current hydroclimatic conditions later century better indicator ecosystem performance
• Extreme precipitation patterns and reductions of terrestrial ecosystem production across biomes (2012) · Journal of Geophysical Research Biogeosciences · cited 89× · doi

  Precipitation regimes are predicted to shift to more extreme patterns that are characterized by more heavy rainfall events and longer dry intervals, yet their ecological impacts on vegetation production remain uncertain across biomes in natural climatic conditions.

  generalabstractevidence 4/5
  Keywords: precipitation regimes predicted shift extreme patterns characterized heavy rainfall events longer intervals ecological impacts vegetation
• Atmospheric moisture transport anomalies and vegetation response in arid coastal ecosystems: insights from the 2017 coastal El Niño in northern Peru (2026) · Frontiers in Plant Science · doi

  The role of atmospheric moisture transport in regulating vegetation activity is poorly understood. Prior work has focused on precipitation as the dominant control on vegetation dynamics, but atmospheric moisture availability also plays an important role.

  generalstated research gapevidence 3/5
  Keywords: role atmospheric moisture transport regulating vegetation activity poorly

Questions about this gap