What is the impact of land cover on subsoil hydraulic and physical properties?

Land cover changes put increasing pressure on soils, altering their physical and hydraulic properties. While impacts on erosion, compaction, and microbial activity in the topsoil (first 30 cm) are well documented, their persistence into the subsoil remains unclear. This study examines how soil structure and hydraulic properties vary with depth across cropland, grassland, and forest for similar textures. Using the EU‑HYDI database (6,014 profiles, 18,000 samples across Europe, 36% with LUCAS land cover), horizons were grouped by texture classes (modified HYPRES triangle) and land cover. Generalized additive models (GAMs) were fitted with depth for each land cover × texture combination, including random effects on data source. Results show significant differences in bulk density and θsat up to 60 cm (cropland > grassland > forest for bulk density; cropland < grassland < forest for θsat), and differences in Ksat up to 30 cm. Findings highlight subsoil impacts and the need for harmonized protocols.