Focus on water shortages: New study revolutionizes forest management!

Focus on water shortages: New study revolutionizes forest management!

A current study by the University of Göttingen in cooperation with the Mendel University illuminates the water availability in the forest floor and its importance for soil management. The results of this research were published in the journal Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies . During the course of a year, the research team examined the soil moisture in a beech forest near Göttingen and generated over 1.4 million individual measurements, which represent a comprehensive data set for soil moisture in Central European forests. This data suggests inadequate accuracy of previous topographical models for the soil moisture.

dr. Marian Schönauer, one of the main authors of the study, emphasizes that weather and season have a stronger influence on the soil moisture than the exact location in the field. In order to grasp the soil moisture more precisely, the team combined manual measurements at 236 points with automated sensors in 53 positions and ERA5-country remote exploration data. This combination has proven to be effective, since the ERA5 country data match the locally measured values ​​and offer a reliable addition to the field measurements that are necessary for a climate-adapted forest management.

National water information system

Another important project in Germany is the water resource information system Germany (WIS-D), which is led by Andreas Marx. The project duration extends from February 2021 to January 2025 and aims to develop a national water information system. This system is intended to provide robust water balance information in order to react to crisis situations such as drought time and to facilitate preventive measures. WIS-D comprises various components such as monitoring, prediction and climate congregations and offers up-to-date information on water availability in various areas such as land surface, floor, groundwater and surface waters.

The system aims to support companies and authorities in the water sector and to enable short -term management in extreme situations, for example in times of extreme dryness or falling groundwater level. In addition, the project also includes sub-seasonal predictions and long-term climate consequences that are derived from the Helmholtz climate climitiative HI-CAM.

climate change and water availability

The Federal Environment Agency examines the effects of climate change on various water resources in the project "Effecting Climate Change on Water Availability - Adaptation to Delivery and Dürre in Germany" (Wadklim). The aim of this project is to record the current water balance and to analyze the future development of water availability under climate change conditions. In addition, existing and potential water usage conflicts are examined in order to develop solution strategies that can avoid usage conflicts.

Together, these research projects and data analyzes contribute to better understanding the challenges of water management in the context of climate change and take adequate measures to adapt. The combination of new technologies and comprehensive data analyzes is crucial for the sustainable management of water resources in Germany.

Further information on the above studies and projects are on the websites of the University Göttingen , UFZ and des Environmental Federal Agency Available.