Abstract: Film mulching cultivation technology operates as an agricultural method that regulates the microenvironment of the crop root zone, altering the distribution of light, heat, water, and gas between the soil and the atmosphere. The microenvironment encompasses soil temperature, moisture levels, and the concentration of gases such as carbon dioxide. The application of this technology depends on the heat and mass transfer characteristics of the mulching film materials. Currently, agricultural practices are transitioning from the use of traditional plastic films, such as polyethylene, which are difficult to degrade and cause white pollution, to biodegradable materials. These biodegradable materials include polylactic acid and polybutylene adipate terephthalate. Research concerning the mechanisms of heat and mass transfer within the film mulching cultivation system remains insufficient. This condition restricts the optimization of material design and the upgrading of agronomic technologies. Furthermore, existing theoretical studies primarily focus on short-term effects, with less attention given to the dynamic physical changes of film materials over the crop growth cycle and their subsequent long-term impacts on the soil environment. The performance metrics of film materials, such as light transmittance and thermal conductivity, determine their heat and mass transfer characteristics in the field, which dictate their functions in temperature regulation and moisture conservation. This review compares the differences in heat and mass transfer performance among various typical mulching film materials. The materials analyzed include polyethylene films, polylactic acid films, polybutylene adipate terephthalate films, plant fiber films, and liquid films. The evaluated properties include light transmittance, thermal conductivity, oxygen permeability, and water vapor permeability. The study elaborates on the primary theories and mathematical models of heat and mass transfer within film-mulched cultivation systems. It tracks the evolution of these theories from early static coefficient models based on Fourier's, Fick's, and Darcy's laws to dynamic coupled models incorporating Richards' equation and the Philip and de Vries theory. The study examines models ranging from those unifying liquid water and water vapor migration to multi-physics coupling models that integrate thermal, hydraulic, and mechanical fields. The review categorizes the current modeling approaches into rigorous numerical solvers for partial differential equations, soil-water-atmosphere-plant system coupling models, and empirical or semi-empirical models. Additionally, the research analyzes specific instances where these models are applied to optimize the physical design of mulching films and to evaluate agricultural application modes, such as irrigation and nitrogen fertilizer scheduling. The analysis indicated that the heat and mass transfer capabilities of different film materials were determined by their microscopic physical structures, including crystallinity, molecular free volume, and chemical polarity. Polyethylene films demonstrated moisture retention and light transmittance due to their specific crystalline arrangements. Biodegradable materials like polybutylene adipate terephthalate exhibited higher water vapor permeability because their looser molecular chains and ester bonds were susceptible to hydrolysis and degradation in the field. For example, the light transmittance of pure polylactic acid films reached 93%, and its thermal conductivity was approximately 0.23 W/(m·K). Plant fiber films, possessing porous structures, displayed lower thermal conductivity ranging from 0.042 to 0.11 W/(m·K) and lower light transmittance. The lack of unified national standards for testing optical and mass transfer parameters, such as the measurement of light transmittance using different wavelength ranges or weighting functions, led to data incomparability across independent studies. In theoretical development, soil heat and mass transfer models evolved from static coefficients to dynamic, multi-field coupled formulations. However, early theoretical frameworks treated the mulching film as a homogeneous barrier and neglected phase-change processes, such as condensation and evaporation, as well as convective flows within the sub-film microenvironment. In practical simulation applications, numerical solvers like HYDRUS and management models like SWAP and DNDC quantified the effects of film mulching on soil temperature gradients, moisture conservation, and crop yields. Models such as the CropSMPAC model quantified the influence of film color, coverage ratio, and soil-mulch contact degree on soil heat flux. Their widespread application was restricted because they required high computational resources, necessitated site-specific calibration, and lacked standardized material parameters. The traditional computational methods produced larger errors when analyzing the smaller scale of the sub-film microenvironment.Future research needs to establish a standardized performance database and a unified evaluation indicator system that encompasses optical, thermal, mass transfer, and biological degradation metrics for all types of mulching films. This system aims to reflect the dynamic changes in material performance during field use and provide data support for the research and design of new films. It is necessary to study the fundamental theoretical understanding of the sub-film microenvironment by integrating the physical transport processes with the biological activities of crops and soil microorganisms. Future theoretical models should delineate the dynamic coupling mechanisms within the microenvironment, including air convection driven by temperature and pressure gradients. Researchers must integrate physical mechanisms with data-driven methods, such as machine learning algorithms, to improve model prediction accuracy and calculation efficiency while retaining physical meaning. Future efforts aim to standardize model components and build shared parameter libraries to support the directed design of novel mulching films, optimize regional agricultural coverage strategies, and assess ecological environmental effects