[Translated from Spanish] The Unsaturated Soil Zone (USZ) is the space between the ground surface and the upper limit of the saturated zone. Within it, the solid, liquid, and gaseous phases of soil coexist, making it an essential domain for life and for ecosystem balance. The USZ acts simultaneously as a storage and transit zone for water, air, and solutes, and plays a decisive role in aquifer recharge, carbon and nutrient dynamics, soil fertility, and contaminant filtration. It also hosts a rich microbial community that drives numerous biochemical processes. Against a backdrop of growing scarcity of water and agricultural resources, and environmental pressure linked to climate change and the intensification of land use, understanding the processes that take place in this domain has become a scientific, technological, and social priority.
See the full study:
https://academica-e.unavarra.es/entities/publication/8911e845-4cc8-40e6-86d5-3d3384436f32