| Session Details | |
| Section | HS - Hydrological Sciences |
| Session Title | Water-ecosystem Interactions at Different Spatial and Temporal Scales |
| Main Convener | Dr. Edoardo Daly (Monash University, Australia) |
| Co-convener(s) | Dr. Patricia Saco (University of Newcastle, Australia) |
| Session Description | The understanding and modelling of the complex relationships between soil water resources and vegetation water use remains one of the key challenges in ecohydrology. The importance of water-ecosystem interactions spans across several fields and applications. In arid and semi-arid ecosystems, water use by vegetation might switch between soil moisture to groundwater depending on water availability, dictated by unpredictable, intermittent rainfall events. The spatial organisation of vegetation is often driven by water availability, which is in turn affected by spatial patterns of root water uptake and topography. The sustainable management of soil water resources, aimed at natural ecosystem preservation, calls for a better understanding of these processes linking water and vegetation. In agriculture, water-yield relationships are pivotal for a sustainable food production. Cities are increasingly seeing the inclusion of green spaces within the urban landscape; water use and requirement of urban ecosystems differ from natural ecosystems because of fertilization, higher pollutant concentrations in stormwater and space constraints. This session welcome experimental and modelling studies on general issues related to water-vegetation interactions in different ecosystems (natural, rural and urban) across different spatial (global, catchment, and plot) and temporal scales. Possible contributions can be related to groundwater-dependent ecosystems, water-induced vegetation patterns, sustainable agriculture, urban green spaces. |