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Mountain Forest Hydrology
Last Updated: 2026-02-05 16:15:12
Abstract
This course presents a process-based view of the hydrology, biogeochemistry, and geomorphology of mountain streams. Students learn how to integrate process knowledge, data, and models to understand how landscapes regulate the fluxes of water, sediment, nutrients, and pollutants in streams, and to anticipate how streams will respond to changes in land use, water use, and climate.
Objective
Main learning objective: Describe the main elements and processes and their interlinkages in the water cycle in mountain catchments and analyze their characteristics and changes. Objective 1: Identify and describe the important components of the water cycle and their influencing factors and discuss how changes in these influencing factors may affect different parts of the hydrological cycle. Objective 2: Analyse, visualize, and interpret climate and hydrological time series data. Objective 3: Explain how hydrological data are collected, how hydrological models work, how they are calibrated, and how they are evaluated.
Content
Streams are integrated monitors of the health and functioning of their surrounding landscapes. Streams integrate the fluxes of water, solutes, and sediment from their contributing catchment area; thus they reflect the spatially integrated hydrological, ecophysiological, biogeochemical, and geomorphological processes in the surrounding landscape. At a practical level, there is a significant public interest in managing forested upland landscapes to provide a reliable supply of high-quality surface water and to minimize the risk of catastrophic flooding and debris flows, but the scientific background for such management advice is still evolving. Using a combination of lectures, field exercises, and data analysis, we explore the processes controlling the delivery of water, solutes, and sediment to streams, and how those processes are affected by changes in land cover, land use, and climate. We review the connections between process understanding and predictive modeling in these complex environmental systems. Practical problems to be considered include the effects of land use and climate on streamflow and water quality, illustrated with data from experimental watersheds in North America and Europe.
Resources
Lecture Notes
Handouts will be available through moodle.
Literature
Recommended and required reading will be specified at the first class session (with possible modifications as the semester proceeds).
General Information
- Language
- English
- Levels
- MSC , NDS
- Frequency
- Yearly recurring
Examination
- Type
- graded semester performance
Course Components
| Type | Title | Time & Place | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| lecture with exercise |
Mountain Forest Hydrology
In addition, one field trip with data collection.
|
|
3 h weekly |
Offered In
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MAS in Sustainable Water Resources (The Master of Advanced Studies in Sustainable Water Resources is a 12 month full time postgraduate diploma programme. The focus of the programme is on issues of sustainability and water resources in Latin America, with special attention given to the impacts of development and climate change on water resources. The programme combines multidisciplinary coursework with high level research. Sample research topics include: water quality, water quantity, water for agriculture, water for the environment, adaptation to climate change, and integrated water resource management. Language: English. Credit hours: 66 ECTS. For further information please visit: )
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Elective Courses (Electives: 6 credits has to be achieved.)
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