Abstract:

Under the context of global change, the spatiotemporal scope of eco-hydrological research has expanded significantly. Eco-hydrology studies originally focused on the mutual feedback between water and living organisms, which now encompass the interactions and evolutionary mechanisms of water, non-living elements (e.g., atmosphere, soil, and rocks), and human activities. Based on the concept of Earth system science, and considering current research gaps and paradigm shifts, this paper reviews eco-hydrological processes from multiple dimensions including the Soil-Plant-Atmosphere Continuum (SPAC), the Earth’s Critical Zone, and watersheds. It first discusses the mechanisms of water, energy, and matter transfer and exchange between bedrock, soil, vegetation, and atmospheric interfaces. The paper then elucides the co-evolution of bedrock weathering, soil formation, and eco-hydrological processes under the influence of climate change and human activities, and their impacts on the hydrological cycle and material balance. It also highlights the importance of watersheds as crucial intermediate units connecting global and local scales. In response to the water and ecological resources sustainability, the paper disscusses potential breakthroughs for eco-hydrological research in the context of artificial intelligence, including multi-source data fusion, modeling methods that integrate physical processes with machine learning, and interdisciplinary collaborative research paradigms. As such, this paper aims to shed lights into the synergistic development of ecology, hydrology, and society, which may enhance the ecosystem quality and promoting green socio-economic development.

Key words: ecohydrology, water resources, Earth system science, global change