Comparison of soil hydraulic properties estimated from steady-state experiments and transient field observations through simulating soil moisture in regenerated Sphagnum moss

•Parameter estimates with direct curve fitting underestimated field-scale soil moisture.•Parameters from inverse modeling represented moisture well within the calibration range.•Model residuals were non-random; additional processes and properties may be required. Growing Sphagnum moss for peatland restoration and fibre farming requires the proper moisture regime be maintained; thus, there is a desire to optimize growth by creating ideal hydrological conditions. However, it is uncertain which parameterization method is most suitable to describe field-scale processes and which soil water retention model and hydraulic conductivity curve (approach) is the most acceptable to use. Parameterizations of the van Genuchten – Mualem (VGM) equation were done using RETC, curve fitting to direct measurements of the water retention and unsaturated hydraulic conductivity curves; and Hydrus-1D, inverse modelling to field observations of soil moisture. The acceptability of each parameterization was tested by comparing soil moisture estimates based on forward simulations to observed soil moisture in two regenerated moss profiles, established in 1970 and 2006 cases, respectively. The transient field model simulated soil moisture well, and had an RMSE of 0.05 and 0.06 for 1970 and 2006, respectively. The most error occurred during the wettest and driest periods of the simulations. Simulated soil moisture was consistently drier than the observed soil moisture, in the steady-state laboratory simulation, and had markedly higher RMSE, 0.14 and 0.27 for the 1970 and 2006 profiles, respectively. The estimate of the VGM α parameter, an approximately the inverse of the air-entry pressure, fit to direct measurements of the retention and unsaturated hydraulic conductivity curves was an order of magnitude higher than that fit to field observation. The results of the simulation suggest that inverse modelling to field soil moisture should be used to estimate VGM parameters to more accurately represent field-scale soil moisture dynamics.