Towards an open soil-plant digital twin based on STEMMUS-SCOPE model following open science

Droughts and heatwaves jeopardize terrestrial ecosystem services. The development of an open digital twin of the soil-plant system can help monitor and predict the impact of these extreme events on ecosystem functioning. We illustrate how our recently developed STEMMUS-SCOPE model—STEMMUS, Simultaneous Transfer of Energy, Mass and Momentum in Unsaturated Soil; SCOPE, Soil Canopy Observation of Photosynthesis and Energy fluxes—links soil-plant processes to novel satellite observables (e.g. solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence), contributing to such a digital twin. This soil-plant digital twin allows a mechanistic window for tracking above- and below-ground ecophysiological processes with remote sensing observations. Following Open Science and FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) principles, both for data and research software, we present the building blocks of the soil-plant digital twin. It emphasizes the importance of FAIR-enabling digital technologies to translate research needs and developments into reproducible and reusable data, software and knowledge.