Potential of constructing all-encompassing soil-plant-atmosphere-continuum (SPAC) stations and datasets from meteorological, flux, soil moisture station networks and plant-relevant observations

The establishment of SPAC (Soil-Plant-Atmosphere Continuum) stations is essential for comprehensive monitoring of land-atmosphere interactions and ecological and hydrological processes. This paper introduced the current limitations of existing observation networks, which often rely on single-aspect observations, leading to insufficient data for a holistic understanding of SPAC dynamics. We recommend leveraging machine learning, remote sensing, and other technologies to upgrade current weather and soil moisture stations into quasi-SPAC sites with estimated carbon and water flux data. Additionally, new SPAC sites should be strategically located in regions sensitive to future climate change and climate risks, as projected by models such as CMIP6. These enhancements will improve the robustness of observational data in better constraining process-based models, and in enhancing the accuracy of data-driven methods, ultimately advancing global ecological and hydrological studies.