Objective This study aims to investigate the influence of terrace side wall on soil water content distribution in the Loess Tableland and evaluates the applicability of machine learning methods for predicting soil water content in terraced fields, thereby providing a new approach for such predictions. Methods Soil sampling was carried out at different positions of typical artificial terraces (terrace wall height: 5 m) in the Loess Tableland, and soil water content was measured at depths of 0—300 cm and horizontal distances of 0—600 cm from the side wall. Eight machine learning algorithms were used to construct soil water content prediction models. Feature importance analysis and partial dependence plots were employed to reveal the key factors affecting soil water content distribution in terraces, and changes in soil water content were predicted in combination with climatic conditions. Results (1) As the distance from the side wall and soil depth increased, the soil water content increased from 0.01 g/g to 0.20 g/g. (2) The K-nearest neighbors model showed the highest prediction accuracy (R2=0.832), with distance from the side wall (contribution rate: 34.8%) and soil depth (contribution rate: 29.7%) being the main controlling factors affecting soil water content distribution. Conclusion The K-nearest neighbors model among machine learning methods is the most applicable for predicting soil water content in terraced fields in this region, and the edge effect of terrace side wall directly affects a range of 200 cm.
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