Soil-Vegetation-Atmosphere

Course content

Stable water isotopes (2H - deuterium and 18O - oxygen 18) make it possible to follow the movement of water through the complete water cycle (e.g. from precipitation via soil and plant back into the atmosphere) and are becoming increasingly popular due to advances in measurement technology. 

The course aims to provide in-depth knowledge of the important interfaces between soil, plant and atmosphere in the water cycle and to highlight the need for an integrated approach to these systems. 

To begin with, the course will reinforce important concepts on the following topics:  - Water movement in the unsaturated zone and interaction with plants - The role of plants in the water cycle and the regulatory function of vegetation - Groundwater recharge and the influence of vegetation on it Subsequently, there is a focus on basics and techniques based on isotopes (in particular stable water isotopes) to study the soil-plant-atmosphere system:  - Fundamentals of stable isotopes (basics and theoretical basis, basic concepts and processes, application exercises) - Water isotopes: making the invisible visible (soil-plant-atmosphere) - Investigating root water uptake depths and determining evapotranspiration with isotopes - Determining groundwater recharge with water isotopes - Isoscapes - Tracer methods -

Excursus: N-isotopy and multitracer approaches The course is a combination of lecture and exercise, practical sessions are also planned. Furthermore, current examples from international research projects will be integrated into this course.