Hydrologie CONTRAST (CONtrasting TRibutary Aquatic Source Types)
Hydrology of small watercourses and the influence of raised bogs
Small headwater catchments in low mountain ranges are key study areas in experimental hydrology. As they are often still largely extant in their natural state, they allow for the study of hydrological processes as well as water cycles and water chemistry under comparatively low anthropogenic influence. The runoff dynamics and physicochemical properties of spring-fed streams are largely determined by the origin of the spring water. These dynamics and properties, in turn, influence water chemistry, aquatic ecology, and the water balance of downstream watercourses. Raised bogs represent a hydrologically distinct type of spring water, which exhibits characteristic chemical signatures due to near-surface runoff processes and intensive biogeochemical transformations.
Since 2022, we have been investigating the hydrological dynamics of small streams and the processes that govern them in the high elevations of the northern Black Forest. In the cool and very rainy Kaltenbronn area, there are two raised bogs that feed the outflows of several streams. In our field studies, we document the characteristics of these streams and compare their hydrological behaviour with that of neighbouring groundwater-fed watercourses. In the upper Eyach Valley, we operate a fully instrumented climate station in an open area. Our ongoing monitoring activities also include measuring discharge at three river gauges, conducting in-situ assessments of the water bodies under study to ascertain the chemical status, and operating several soil moisture monitoring plots. Through student fieldwork and thesis projects, we offer our students insights into this diverse research program.
