Field Methods in Watershed Ecohydrology

Catalog description

The fields of watershed hydrology and ecohydrology, and the careful management of forested watershed and their water resources, rely heavily on observations and accurate time series data. The collection of reliable data is a career unto itself, and the proper understanding of field methods is equally important in the prudent use of ecohydrological data. This course is intended for upper-level undergraduate students and will give a detailed introduction to and experience with field methods and calculations of important fluxes in watershed ecohydrology. Topics will span the hydrologic cycle from evapotranspiration to the partitioning of precipitation, groundwater, and streamflow, as well as water quality. Detailed units will include measurements of rainfall, evapotranspiration, and streamflow, pipe flow through culverts on forest roads, water quality sampling as well as a host of tree-soil-water fluxes including canopy throughfall, stemflow, and sapflow.