Ecohydrology: Plants and the Water Cycle

In this course we will examine how plants shape the hydrologic cycle and climate across spatial scales. Using field measurements, laboratory experiments, numerical models, and literature, students investigate plant effects on infiltration and soil-water movement, plant hydraulics, transpiration, and water transport through the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum. We will measure vegetation effects on surface energy balance and microclimate, then scale these processes to landscapes to ask how plant-driven changes in energy and atmospheric moisture influence temperature and precipitation. Our investigations will integrate ecophysiological and biophysical perspectives. Field observations will be tested against models and research. Students will apply ideas in community-engaged projects on urban and agricultural microclimates and climate adaptation. (BIOL 0140)