Group Terrestrial Ecohydrology

Tree crowns in the Hainich National Park

Image: Janett Filipzik

The group applies modeling and field research to investigate the feedbacks between vegetation and the water cycle from the top of the canopy to the bottom of the rooting zone. Our main focus lies on interaction processes that have a capacity to tip the overall system behaviour, and we seek to understand the related mechanisms in order to better represent them in environmental models. We investigate canopy processes, vegetation induced spatial patterns of soil hydrologic properties and soil moisture as well as the process of root water uptake.

The group was in fall 2018 formed based on a joint professorship between the Friedrich Schiller University Jena and the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZExternal link in Leipzig. We belong both to the Institute for GeosciencesExternal link at the FSU and the Department Computational HydrosystemsExternal link at UFZ.

Group Terrestrial Ecohydrology (Office)

Institute of Geoscience, Room H206
Burgweg 11
07749 Jena Google Maps site planExternal link

Opening hours:
Montag 09:00-12:00
Mittwoch 09:00-12:00
Donnerstag 09:00-12:00

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News from the group

Graphic: Anke Hildebrandt, Johanna Metzger

Paper on influence of canopy redistribution on soil waterExternal link We had this a long time coming. This publication is based on the high-resolution dataset on canopy fluxes, soil water content and soil properties in the Hainich CZE of AquaDiva. Here we ask whether thoughfall patterns actually show up in the soil after precipitation ends. The answer: No as much as we thought! First, soil water increase shows the patterns much more than soil water content, because precipitation small compared to the soik water storage. But also, we see strong signs of preferential flow dampening the soil moistening patterns. Have a look!
Image: Gökben Demir

PhD defense Gökben Demir (middle) successfully defended her PhD thesis with the title "The Role of Canopy Induced Heterogeneity in Subsurface Hydrological Processes" supervised by Anke Hildebrandt (right) and Beate Michalzik (left). Congratulations!!
Image: Ruth Magh

Field installations Kick-off for the 3rd phase of #AquaDiva's B02 subproject. Installing unwalled lysimeters to monitor water and matter fluxes in the subsurface influenced by aboveground vegetation structure (here installed in a Scots pine stand).