v6.0.0

Breaking changes

• SOILWAT2 updated to v7.0.0
• This version produces nearly identical simulation output
  as the previous release under default values.
  Small deviations arise due to
  1. a fix in the handling of soil moisture values
     between field capacity and saturation;
  2. a fix in the calculation of potential natural vegetation; and
  3. a fix in the calculation of climate variables (if used).

New features

• New method sw_upgrade() upgrades objects with
  outdated rSOILWAT2 S4 classes to the current version;
  new upgrade_weatherHistory() upgrades outdated weather history objects.

• New get_soilmoisture() to consistently extract soil moisture content,
  volumetric water content (bulk soil), or
  volumetric water content for the matric component.
  The function calculates the requested type if not stored in the output
  from those that are available.

• Derived output functions get_XXX() gain new argument keep_time;
  if keep_time is requested (TRUE), then year and sub-year time step values
  are added as first one or two columns to the returned matrix.

• New time_columns() returns the output column indices with time information.

• New nrow_output() returns the number of time steps in output.

• Daily weather inputs, in addition to the previous variables
  maximum air temperature, minimum air temperature, and precipitation amount,
  can now process the following variables (issue #229; @dschlaep, @N1ckP3rsl3y):

  • Cloud cover (can be replaced by shortwave radiation)
  • Wind speed (can be replaced by wind components)
  • Wind speed eastward component (optional)
  • Wind speed northward component (optional)
  • Relative humidity (can be replaced by max/min humidity, specific humidity
    dew point temperature, or vapor pressure)
  • Maximum relative humidity (optional)
  • Minimum relative humidity (optional)
  • Specific humidity (optional)
  • Dew point temperature (optional)
  • Actual vapor pressure (optional)
  • Downward surface shortwave radiation (optional)

• This version now handles a variety of soil water retention curves SWRC
  and pedotransfer functions PTF (issue #207, @dschlaep).

  • New inputs are required to select a SWRC and PTF as well as to provide
    parameter values of the selected SWRC for each soil layer.
    Default values are backwards compatible, i.e.,
    default SWRC is "Campbell1974" and
    default PTF is "Cosby1984AndOthers".
  • If these new inputs are missing in an rSOILWAT2 swInputData object,
    then they are automatically set to their default values.
  • New functionality for working with SWRCs and PTFs include
    • check_SWRC_vs_PTF()
      checks if PTF and SWRC are compatible and implemented.
    • check_ptf_availability() checks availability of PTFs.
    • list_matched_swrcs_ptfs() lists matching pairs of
      implemented SWRCs and PTFs.
    • ptf_estimate() estimates SWRC parameters from soil texture
      with a pedotransfer function.
    • ptf_names() lists pedotransfer functions PTFs.
    • swrc_conversion(), swrc_swp_to_vwc(), and swrc_vwc_to_swp()
      convert between bulk soil water content and soil water potential.
    • swrc_names() lists soil water retention curves SWRCs.
  • Documentation for code developers can be found in comment sections
    "Notes for implementing a new PTF" and
    "Notes for implementing a new SWRC".

• Soil density inputs can now represent either matric or bulk density
  (issue #280; @dschlaep).

  • Automatic conversion by SOILWAT2 between matric and bulk density
    as needed using the new slot "SoilDensityInputType".

• calc_SiteClimate() is now implemented via SOILWAT2
  (issue #205; @N1ckP3rsl3y, @dschlaep).
  The old implementation in R is still available as non-exported and deprecated
  calc_SiteClimate_old().

  • This version fixes issues from the previous R version:
    • Mean annual temperature is now the mean across years of
      means across days within year of mean daily temperature.
    • Years at locations in the southern hemisphere are now adjusted to start
      on July 1 of the previous calendar year.
    • The cheatgrass-related variables, i.e., Month7th_PPT_mm,
      MeanTemp_ofDriestQuarter_C, and MinTemp_of2ndMonth_C,
      are now adjusted for location by hemisphere.

• estimate_PotNatVeg_composition() is now implemented via SOILWAT2
  (issues #206, #218, #219; @N1ckP3rsl3y, @dschlaep).
  The old implementation in R is still available as non-exported and deprecated
  estimate_PotNatVeg_composition_old().

  • This version fixes issues from the previous R version:
    • The C4 grass correction based on Teeri & Stowe 1976 is now applied
      as documented (issue #218).
    • The sum of all grass components, if fixed, is now incorporated into
      the total sum of all fixed components (issue #219).

Changes to interface

• Class swSite gains new slots "swrc_flags" and "has_swrcp" and associated
  methods swSite_SWRCflags() and swSite_hasSWRCp()
  for names of selected SWRC and PTF as well as indicating
  whether SWRC parameters are provided as inputs or to be calculated
  at run time (issue #207, @dschlaep).
• Class swSoils gains new slot "SWRCp" and associated methods
  swSoils_SWRCp() for SWRC parameters by soil layer (issue #207, @dschlaep).
• Class swFiles gains a new file name for the SWRC parameter input file and
  associated methods swFiles_SWRCp() (issue #207, @dschlaep).
• Class swSite gains new slot "SoilDensityInputType" and associated
  methods swSite_SoilDensityInputType() (issue #209, @dschlaep).
  This encodes whether soil density inputs represent
  matric soil or bulk soil values.
• Class swProd gains new slot "veg_method" (issue #206, @N1ckP3rsl3y).
  This encodes if land cover is estimated at run-time by SOILWAT2 via
  estimatePotNatVegComposition() (value 1) or if land cover values are passed
  as inputs (value 0, as previously).
• SWPtoVWC() and VWCtoSWP() are deprecated in favor of
  swrc_swp_to_vwc() and swrc_vwc_to_swp() respectively.
• Class swWeather gains new slots (issue #229)
  • "use_cloudCoverMonthly", "use_windSpeedMonthly", and
    "use_humidityMonthly" which determine whether mean monthly values
    (from swCloud) or daily values (from swWeatherData) are utilized;
  • "dailyInputFlags" which indicates which of the 14 possible daily
    weather variables are present in the inputs;
  • "desc_rsds" which describes units of input shortwave radiation.
• Class swWeatherData gains new columns in slot "data" that accommodate
  all 14 possible daily weather variables (issue #229).

Full Changelog: v5.4.1...v6.0.0