Monitoring framework for paired experiments to assess the changes in the water balance in urban forests and grass-covered plots

Herceg, András (author), Orosz, Kamilla (author), Kalicz, Péter (author), Zabret, Katarina (author), Alivio, Mark Bryan (author)

Understanding the water balance-modifying effects of urban forests is important for mitigating the impacts of climate change and urbanization. We established a paired plot-based hydrological research area in the Botanical Garden of the University of Sopron as part of a Slovenian–Hungarian OTKA project. The research area is designed for a paired plot examination of water balance (interception, transpiration, groundwater dynamics, infiltration, and runoff) with a forested plot and a grass-covered (control) parcel. Since the plots are located in the university's botanical garden, the proximity allows for diverse and frequent data collection and continuous monitoring. Long-term hydrological measurements offer significant opportunities for studying the water balance in forested areas (as is required for assessing the regime). The monitoring results based on only two years as the observational period can illustrate peculiarities and indicate the significant variability that must be captured, along with the factors required when designing such monitoring. The study presents a monitoring framework that provides insights into the complex water dynamics under the black pine canopy and compares the soil moisture and groundwater dynamics between grass and forest plots.

• Language: English
• Keywords: water balance, precipitation, throughfall, interception, soil moisture, ground water level, urban forest, pine trees
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FGG - Faculty of Civil and Geodetic Engineering
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2025
• Number of pages: Str. 39-52
• Numbering: Vol. 38, no. 68
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-171327
• UDC: 58:069.029(497.4)(439)
• ISSN on article: 0352-3551
• DOI: 10.15292/acta.hydro.2025.04
• COBISS.SI-ID: 246379011
• Publication date in RUL: 22.08.2025

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Acta hydrotechnica
• Publisher: Fakulteta za gradbeništvo in geodezijo
• ISSN: 0352-3551
• COBISS.SI-ID: 3664386

Licences

• License: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/
• Description: A Creative Commons license that bans commercial use and requires the user to release any modified works under this license.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Predlog meritev na parnih ploskvah za potrebe ocene razlik v vodni bilanci urbanega gozda in travnatih površin

Abstract

Razumevanje učinkov, ki jih imajo drevesa na spremembe padavin, je pomembno za ublažitev posledic podnebnih sprememb in urbanizacije. V okviru slovensko-madžarskega projekta OTKA smo v botaničnem vrtu Univerze v Šopronu vzpostavili hidrološko raziskovalno območje na parnih ploskvah. Raziskovalna ploskev je zasnovana za primerjavo vodne bilance (prestrezanje, transpiracija, dinamika podzemne vode, infiltracija in odtok) med površino v gozdu in površino na travniku (kontrola). Ker se ploskvi nahajata v botaničnem vrtu univerze, bližina omogoča raznoliko in pogosto zbiranje podatkov ter stalno spremljanje. Dolgoročne hidrološke meritve ponujajo pomembne možnosti za preučevanje vodne bilance v gozdovih, ki so pomembne za oceno stanja. Predhodni rezultati, ki temeljijo na dveh letih meritev, lahko ponazorijo posebnosti in nakazujejo na precejšnjo spremenljivost, ki jo je treba zajeti, ter potrebne dejavnike pri načrtovanju spremljanja parnih ploskev. Predstavljene meritve ponujajo izhodišče za zasnovo meritev, ki omogočajo vpogled v kompleksno dinamiko vode pod krošnjami črnega bora ter primerjavo dinamike vlage v tleh in podtalnice med travnatimi in gozdnimi površinami.

• Keywords: vodna bilanca, padavine, prepuščene padavine, prestrezanje, vlaga v tleh, nivo podzemne vode, urbani gozd, borovci