Transdisciplinary contributions and opportunities in soil physical hydrology

Abstract

Abstract As in many other soil science disciplines, in soil physics and hydrology, we have arrived at a point where substantial gains in knowledge depend to a large extent on reaching out to related disciplines. The purpose of this special section on “Transdisciplinary Contributions and Opportunities in Soil Physical Hydrology” is to honor Professor Emeritus Jan W. Hopmans, University of California Davis, CA, as one of the pioneers in transdisciplinary research. In this introduction, the 12 articles collected for this special section are summarized, and their relationship to Hopmans’ work during his productive career is emphasized. The contributions reflect the depth and width of soil physics and hydrology and are aimed to stimulate transdisciplinary science to meet the existing challenges in agriculture and the environment.