Covering plant species primarily influences soil water repellency and its markers.
Single long-chain soil water repellency (SWR)-markers positively correlate to SWR.
Root-derived ω-hydroxy fatty acids and α,ω-dicarboxylic acids predict SWR well.
The corresponding biomarkers of the SWR predictors are abundant in grass roots.
Grass roots mainly contribute to the organic matter in topsoils leading to strong SWR.