Selected publications

Since the 1980s mean discharge has declined by around 50% and - without aquatic vegetation – also the water level. Dense stands of aquatic plants have kept the water level high in recent summers despite lowered discharge. Most water was retained in adjacent floodplain aquifers rather than in the river channel.

The authors combined in situ monitoring of stable isotopes and ecohydrological monitoring in different urban vegetation in Berlin. They provide novel insights on plant physiology and hydrological functioning through high-resolution isotope data to capture sub-daily plant water uptake and internal water cycling. 

Blue-green infrastructure is a critical tool for improving stormwater quality, but the removal of dissolved, hydrophilic contaminants remains a major challenge. The authors propose a tiered conceptual framework of progressively more complex, costly, and resource-intensive interventions to remove dissolved, hydrophilic contaminants and thus minimize risks to ecosystems and drinking water sources.

Lowlands and plains provide important ecosystem services such as agricultural and forestry production, groundwater recharge, streamflow generation and drinking water supply. This Special Issue collects scientific papers advancing understanding of the mechanisms underlying the movement and storage of water in lowland and plain environments.