Articles | Volume 30, issue 10
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-30-3313-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-30-3313-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
28 May 2026
Research article |
| 28 May 2026
| 28 May 2026
Isotopic insights into the dynamics of soil water pools along an elevation gradient
Institute of Hydrology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, 160 00, Czech Republic
Department of Physical Geography and Geoecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, 128 00, Czech Republic
Kristyna Falatkova
Institute of Hydrology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, 160 00, Czech Republic
Vaclav Sipek
Institute of Hydrology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, 160 00, Czech Republic
Karel Patek
Institute of Hydrology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, 160 00, Czech Republic
Department of Water Resources and Environmental Modeling, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, 165 00, Czech Republic
Jan Haidl
Institute of Hydrology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, 160 00, Czech Republic
Ondrej Gebousky
Institute of Hydrology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, 160 00, Czech Republic
Jan Hnilica
Institute of Hydrology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, 160 00, Czech Republic
Michal Jenicek
Department of Physical Geography and Geoecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, 128 00, Czech Republic
Martin Sanda
Department of Landscape Water Conservation, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, Prague, 166 29, Czech Republic
Lukas Trakal
Department of Environmental Geosciences, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, 165 00, Czech Republic
Lukas Vlcek
Institute of Hydrology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, 160 00, Czech Republic
Related authors
Marco M. Lehmann, Josie Geris, Ilja van Meerveld, Daniele Penna, Youri Rothfuss, Matteo Verdone, Pertti Ala-Aho, Matyas Arvai, Alise Babre, Philippe Balandier, Fabian Bernhard, Lukrecija Butorac, Simon D. Carrière, Natalie C. Ceperley, Zuosinan Chen, Alicia Correa, Haoyu Diao, David Dubbert, Maren Dubbert, Fabio Ercoli, Marius G. Floriancic, Alligin Ghazoul, Teresa E. Gimeno, Damien Gounelle, Frank Hagedorn, Christophe Hissler, Frédéric Huneau, Alberto Iraheta, Tamara Jakovljević, Nerantzis Kazakis, Zoltan Kern, Laura Kinzinger, Karl Knaebel, Johannes Kobler, Jiri Kocum, Charlotte Koeber, Gerbrand Koren, Angelika Kübert, Dawid Kupka, Samuel Le Gall, Aleksi Lehtonen, Thomas Leydier, Philippe Malagoli, Francesca Sofia Manca di Villahermosa, Chiara Marchina, Núria Martínez-Carreras, Nicolas Martin-StPaul, Hannu Marttila, Aline Meyer Oliveira, Gael Monvoisin, Natalie Orlowski, Kadi Palmik-Das, Aurel Persoiu, Andrei Popa, Egor Prikaziuk, Cécile Quantin, Katja T. Rinne-Garmston, Clara Rohde, Martin Sanda, Matthias Saurer, Daniel Schulz, Michael P. Stockinger, Christine Stumpp, Jean-Stéphane Vénisse, Lukas Vlcek, Stylianos Voudouris, Björn Weeser, Mark E. Wilkinson, Giulia Zuecco, and Katrin Meusburger
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 17, 6129–6147, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-17-6129-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-17-6129-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
This study describes a unique large-scale isotope dataset to study water dynamics in European forests. Researchers collected data from 40 beech and spruce forest sites in spring and summer 2023, using a standardized method to ensure consistency. The results show that water sources for trees change between seasons and vary by tree species. This large dataset offers valuable information for understanding plant water use, improving ecohydrological models, and mapping water cycles across Europe.
Nikol Zelíková, Jitka Toušková, Jiří Kocum, Lukáš Vlček, Miroslav Tesař, Martin Bouda, and Václav Šípek
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 29, 6003–6021, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-6003-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-6003-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Climate change in Central Europe results in the gradual replacement of spruce trees with beech. To model its potential impact, we used 22-year data of soil moisture under both tree species. The drier the summer season, the greater the difference between the two: the main reason was the higher transpiration of beech canopy compared to spruce. An accelerating transition of the Central European montane forest water balance from a fully energy-limited state towards water-limitation was documented.
Jiri Kocum, Jan Haidl, Ondrej Gebousky, Kristyna Falatkova, Vaclav Sipek, Martin Sanda, Natalie Orlowski, and Lukas Vlcek
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 29, 2863–2880, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-2863-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-2863-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
We present a novel method for soil water extraction – circulating-air soil water extraction – together with a newly developed apparatus specifically designed for its purposes. The method has been tested across a range of soil types, demonstrating an accuracy level that matches or surpasses that of conventional extraction techniques. The apparatus is optimized for small-scale, high-precision studies in which an unambiguous determination of the water origin is required.
Marco M. Lehmann, Josie Geris, Ilja van Meerveld, Daniele Penna, Youri Rothfuss, Matteo Verdone, Pertti Ala-Aho, Matyas Arvai, Alise Babre, Philippe Balandier, Fabian Bernhard, Lukrecija Butorac, Simon D. Carrière, Natalie C. Ceperley, Zuosinan Chen, Alicia Correa, Haoyu Diao, David Dubbert, Maren Dubbert, Fabio Ercoli, Marius G. Floriancic, Alligin Ghazoul, Teresa E. Gimeno, Damien Gounelle, Frank Hagedorn, Christophe Hissler, Frédéric Huneau, Alberto Iraheta, Tamara Jakovljević, Nerantzis Kazakis, Zoltan Kern, Laura Kinzinger, Karl Knaebel, Johannes Kobler, Jiri Kocum, Charlotte Koeber, Gerbrand Koren, Angelika Kübert, Dawid Kupka, Samuel Le Gall, Aleksi Lehtonen, Thomas Leydier, Philippe Malagoli, Francesca Sofia Manca di Villahermosa, Chiara Marchina, Núria Martínez-Carreras, Nicolas Martin-StPaul, Hannu Marttila, Aline Meyer Oliveira, Gael Monvoisin, Natalie Orlowski, Kadi Palmik-Das, Aurel Persoiu, Andrei Popa, Egor Prikaziuk, Cécile Quantin, Katja T. Rinne-Garmston, Clara Rohde, Martin Sanda, Matthias Saurer, Daniel Schulz, Michael P. Stockinger, Christine Stumpp, Jean-Stéphane Vénisse, Lukas Vlcek, Stylianos Voudouris, Björn Weeser, Mark E. Wilkinson, Giulia Zuecco, and Katrin Meusburger
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 17, 6129–6147, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-17-6129-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-17-6129-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
This study describes a unique large-scale isotope dataset to study water dynamics in European forests. Researchers collected data from 40 beech and spruce forest sites in spring and summer 2023, using a standardized method to ensure consistency. The results show that water sources for trees change between seasons and vary by tree species. This large dataset offers valuable information for understanding plant water use, improving ecohydrological models, and mapping water cycles across Europe.
Nikol Zelíková, Jitka Toušková, Jiří Kocum, Lukáš Vlček, Miroslav Tesař, Martin Bouda, and Václav Šípek
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 29, 6003–6021, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-6003-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-6003-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Climate change in Central Europe results in the gradual replacement of spruce trees with beech. To model its potential impact, we used 22-year data of soil moisture under both tree species. The drier the summer season, the greater the difference between the two: the main reason was the higher transpiration of beech canopy compared to spruce. An accelerating transition of the Central European montane forest water balance from a fully energy-limited state towards water-limitation was documented.
Ondrej Hotovy, Ondrej Nedelcev, Jan Seibert, and Michal Jenicek
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 29, 4199–4217, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-4199-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-4199-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Rain falling on snow (RoS) can accelerate snowmelt and affect runoff, potentially causing severe flooding. We assessed the regional and seasonal variations in the occurrence of RoS in mountainous catchments in central Europe under different perturbations of future climate. Our results showed that RoS changes driven by climate change vary greatly among regions, across elevations, and within the cold season. However, most projections suggested a decrease in RoS events and RoS-driven runoff.
Ondřej Nedělčev, Michael Matějka, Kamil Láska, Zbyněk Engel, Jan Kavan, and Michal Jenicek
The Cryosphere, 19, 2457–2473, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-2457-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-2457-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
The annual variability of runoff has not been analysed in the maritime Antarctic. Thus, we simulated and analysed rain, snow and glacier contributions to runoff related to climate variability in a small catchment over 11 years. The majority of the runoff came from snowmelt. Inter-annual variability in total runoff was associated with large variability in glacier runoff. Between October and May, 92 % of the runoff occurred, with significant runoff events outside the usual measurement season.
Jiri Kocum, Jan Haidl, Ondrej Gebousky, Kristyna Falatkova, Vaclav Sipek, Martin Sanda, Natalie Orlowski, and Lukas Vlcek
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 29, 2863–2880, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-2863-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-2863-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
We present a novel method for soil water extraction – circulating-air soil water extraction – together with a newly developed apparatus specifically designed for its purposes. The method has been tested across a range of soil types, demonstrating an accuracy level that matches or surpasses that of conventional extraction techniques. The apparatus is optimized for small-scale, high-precision studies in which an unambiguous determination of the water origin is required.
Mijael Rodrigo Vargas Godoy, Yannis Markonis, Oldrich Rakovec, Michal Jenicek, Riya Dutta, Rajani Kumar Pradhan, Zuzana Bešťáková, Jan Kyselý, Roman Juras, Simon Michael Papalexiou, and Martin Hanel
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 28, 1–19, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-1-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-1-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
The study introduces a novel benchmarking method based on the water cycle budget for hydroclimate data fusion. Using this method and multiple state-of-the-art datasets to assess the spatiotemporal patterns of water cycle changes in Czechia, we found that differences in water availability distribution are dominated by evapotranspiration. Furthermore, while the most significant temporal changes in Czechia occur during spring, the median spatial patterns stem from summer changes in the water cycle.
Cited articles
Allen, S. T., Kirchner, J. W., Braun, S., Siegwolf, R. T. W., and Goldsmith, G. R.: Seasonal origins of soil water used by trees, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 23, 1199–1210, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-23-1199-2019, 2019.
Araguás-Araguás, L., Rozanski, K., Gonfiantini, R., and Louvat, D.: Isotope effects accompanying vacuum extraction of soil water for stable isotope analyses, J. Hydrol., 168, 159–171, https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-1694(94)02636-P, 1995.
ARCDATA PRAHA, s.r.o.: Digital Vector Database of the Czech Republic ArcČR®, version 4.3, Prague, Czech Republic, https://www.arcdata.cz/produkty/geograficka-data/arccr-500 (last access: 19 May 2026), 2024.
Barbeta, A., Jones, S. P., Clavé, L., Wingate, L., Gimeno, T. E., Fréjaville, B., Wohl, S., and Ogée, J.: Unexplained hydrogen isotope offsets complicate the identification and quantification of tree water sources in a riparian forest, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 23, 2129–2146, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-23-2129-2019, 2019.
Barbeta, A., Gimeno, T. E., Clavé, L., Fréjaville, B., Jones, S. P., Delvigne, C., Wingate, L., and Ogée, J.: An explanation for the isotopic offset between soil and stem water in a temperate tree species, New Phytologist, 227, 766–779, https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.16564, 2020.
Barnes, C. J. and Allison, G. B.: Tracing of water movement in the unsaturated zone using stable isotopes of hydrogen and oxygen, J. Hydrol., 100, 143–176, https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-1694(88)90184-9, 1988.
Bates, C. G.: First results in the streamflow experiment, Wagon Wheel Gap, Colorado, J. Forest., 19, 402–408, 1921.
Benettin, P., Volkmann, T. H. M., von Freyberg, J., Frentress, J., Penna, D., Dawson, T. E., and Kirchner, J. W.: Effects of climatic seasonality on the isotopic composition of evaporating soil waters, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 22, 2881–2890, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-2881-2018, 2018.
Benettin, P., Tagliavini, M., Adreotti, C., di Villahermosa F. S. M., Verdone, M., Dani, A., and Penna, D.: Ecohydrological Dynamics and Temporal Water Origin in a European Mediterranean Vineyard, Ecohydrology, 18, e2711, https://doi.org/10.1002/eco.2711, 2024.
Berry, Z. C., Evaristo, J., Moore, G., Poca, M., Steppe, K., Verrot, L., Asbjornsen, H., Borma, L. S., Bretfeld, M., Hervé-Fernández, P., Seyfried, M., Schwendenmann, L., Sinacore, K., De Wispelaere, L., and McDonell, J. J.: The two water worlds hypothesis: Addressing multiple working hypotheses and proposing a way forward, Ecohydrology, 11, e1843, https://doi.org/10.1002/eco.1843, 2017.
Bond, B. J., Jones, J. A., Moore, G., Phillips, N., Post, D., and McDonell, J. J.: The zone of vegetation influence on baseflow revealed by diel patterns of streamflow and vegetation water use in a headwater basin, Hydrol. Process., 16, 1671–1677, https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.5022, 2002.
Bowers, W. H., Mercer, J. J., Pleasants, M. S., and Williams, D. G.: A combination of soil water extraction methods quantifies the isotopic mixing of waters held at separate tensions in soil, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 24, 4045–4060, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-4045-2020, 2020.
Bowling, D. R., Schulze, E. S., and Hall, S. J.: Revisiting streamside trees that do not use stream water: can the two water worlds hypothesis and snowpack isotopic effects explain a missing water source?, Ecohydrology, 10, e1771, https://doi.org/10.1002/eco.1771, 2017.
Brighenti, S., Obojes, N., Bertoldi, G., Zuecco, G., Censini, M., Cassiani, G., Penna, D., and Francesco, C.: Snowmelt and subsurface heterogeneity control tree water sources in a subalpine forest, Ecohydrology, 17, e2695, https://doi.org/10.1002/eco.2695, 2024.
Brooks, J., Barnard, H., Coulombe, R., and McDonell, J. J.: Ecohydrologic separation of water between trees and streams in a Mediterranean climate, Nat. Geosci., 3, 100–104, https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo722, 2010.
Büntgen, U., Urban, O., Krusic, P. J., Rybníček, M., Kolář, T., Kyncl, T., Ač, A., Koňasová, E., Čáslavský, J., Esper, J., Wagner, S., Saurer, M., Tegel, W., Dobrovolný, P., Cherubini, P., Reining, F., and Trnka, M.: Recent European drought extremes beyond Common Era background variability, Nat. Geosci., 14, 190–196, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-021-00698-0, 2021.
Craig, H.: Standard for reporting concentrations of deuterium and oxygen-18 in natural waters, Science, 133, 1833–1834, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.133.3467.1833, 1961.
Dalton, F. N.: Plant root water extraction studies using stable isotopes, Plant Soil, 111, 217–221, https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02139942, 1988.
Dawson, T. E. and Ehleringer, J. R.: Streamside trees that do not use stream water, Nature, 350, 335–337, https://doi.org/10.1038/350335a0, 1991.
Dubbert, M., Caldeira, M. C., Dubbert, D., and Werner, C.: A pool-weighted perspective on the two-water-worlds hypothesis, New Phytologist, 222, 1271–1283, https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.15670, 2019.
Evaristo, J., Kim, M., van Haren, J., Pangle, L. A., Harman, C. J., Troch, P. A., and McDonell, J. J.: Characterizing the fluxes and age distribution of soil water, plant water and deep percolation in a model tropical ecosystem, Water Resour. Res., 55, 3307–3327, https://doi.org/10.1029/2018WR023265, 2019.
Evaristo, J., Jasechko, S., and McDonell, J. J.: Global separation of plant transpiration from groundwater and streamflow, Nature, 525, 91–94, https://doi.org/10.1038/nature14983, 2015.
Floriancic, M. G., Allen, S. T., and Kirchner, J. W.: Isotopic evidence for seasonal water sources in tree xylem and forest soils, Ecohydrology, 17, e2641, https://doi.org/10.1002/eco.2641, 2024.
Gebrechorkos, S. H., Sheffield, J., Vicente-Serrano, S. M., Funk, C., Miralles, D. G., Peng, J., Dyer, E., Talib, J., Beck, H. E., Singer, M. B., and Dadson, S. J.: Warming accelerates global drought severity, Nature, 642, 628–635, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-09047-2, 2025.
Geris, J., Tetzlaff, D., McDonell, J. J., Anderson, J., Paton, G., and Soulsby, C.: Ecohydrological separation in wet, low energy northern environments? A preliminary assessment using different soil water extraction techniques, Hydrol. Process., 15, 5139–5152, https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.10603, 2015.
Goldsmith, G., Allen, S., Braun, S., Engbersen, N., González-Quijano, C. R., Kirchner, J. W., and Siegwolf, R. T. W.: Spatial variation in throughfall, soil, and plant water isotopes in a temperate forest, Ecohydrology, 12, 1–11, https://doi.org/10.1002/eco.2059, 2019.
Goldsmith, G. R., Muñoz-Villers, L. E., Holwerda, F., McDonell, J. J., Asbjornsen, H., and Dawson, T. E.: Stable isotopes reveal linkages among ecoHydrol. Process. in a seasonally dry tropical montane cloud forest, Ecohydrology, 5, 779–790, https://doi.org/10.1002/eco.268, 2012.
Gradmann, H.: Untersuchungen über die Wasserverhältnisse des Bodens als Grundlage des Pflanzenwachstums, Jahrbücher für wissenschaftliche Botanik, 69, 1–100, 1928.
Haagsma, M., Finkenbiner, C. E., None, D. C., Bowen, G. J., Still, C., Fiorella, R. P., and Good, S. P.: Using an Isotope Enabled Mass Balance to Evaluate Existing Land Surface Models, Water Resour. Res., 60, e2024WR037530, https://doi.org/10.1029/2024WR037530, 2024.
Hackmann, C. A., Paligi, S. S., Mund, M., Hölscher, D., Leuschner, C., Pietig, K., and Ammer, C.: Root water uptake depth in temperate forest trees: species-specific patterns shaped by neighbourhood and environment, Plant Biol., 28, 872–887, https://doi.org/10.1111/plb.70058, 2026.
Haig, H. A., Hayes, N. M., Simpson, G. L., Yi, Y., Wissel, B., Hodder, K. R., and Leavitt, P. R.: Comparison of isotopic mass balance and instrumental techniques as estimates of basin hydrology in seven connected lakes over 12 years, J. Hydrol., 6, 100046, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hydroa.2019.100046, 2020.
Harper, W. V.: Reduced Major Axis Regression: Teaching Alternatives to Least Squares, Wiley StatsRef: Statistics Reference Online, https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118445112.stat07912, 2016.
Harpold, A. A., Kaplan, M. L., Klos, P. Z., Link, T., McNamara, J. P., Rajagopal, S., Schumer, R., and Steele, C. M.: Rain or snow: hydrologic processes, observations, prediction, and research needs, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 21, 1–22, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-21-1-2017, 2017.
Hendry, M. J., Schmeling, E., Wassenaar, L. I., Barbour, S. L., and Pratt, D.: Determining the stable isotope composition of pore water from saturated and unsaturated zone core: improvements to the direct vapour equilibration laser spectrometry method, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 19, 4427–4440, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-19-4427-2015, 2015.
Hervé-Fernández, P., Oyarzún, C., Brumbt, C., Bodé, H. S., Verhoest, N. E. C., and Boeckx, P.: Assessing the `two water worlds` hypothesis and water sources for native and exotic evergreen species in south central Chile, Hydrol. Process., 15, 4227–4241, https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.10984, 2016.
Jenicek, M. and Ledvinka, O.: Importance of snowmelt contribution to seasonal runoff and summer low flows in Czechia, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 24, 3475–3491, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-3475-2020, 2020.
Jenicek, M., Seibert, J., and Staudinger, M.: Modeling of Future Changes in Seasonal Snowpack and Impacts on Summer Low Flows in Alpine Catchments, Water Resour. Res., 54, 538–556, https://doi.org/10.1002/2017WR021648, 2018.
Jenicek, M., Hnilica, J., Nedelcev, O., Sipek, V.: Future changes in snowpack will impact seasonal runoff and low flows in Czechia, J. Hydrol.: Regional Studies, 37, 100899, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejrh.2021.100899, 2021.
Jiao, W., Wang, L., Smith, W. K., Chang, Q., Wang, H., and D'Odorico, P.: Observed increasing water constraint on vegetation growth over the last three decades, Nat. Commun., 12, 3777, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-24016-9, 2021.
Kirchner, J. W.: Aggregation in environmental systems – Part 1: Seasonal tracer cycles quantify young water fractions, but not mean transit times, in spatially heterogeneous catchments, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 20, 279–297, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-279-2016, 2016.
Kleine, L., Tetzlaff, D., Smith, A., Wang, H., and Soulsby, C.: Using water stable isotopes to understand evaporation, moisture stress, and re-wetting in catchment forest and grassland soils of the summer drought of 2018, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 24, 3737–3752, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-3737-2020, 2020.
Kocum, J.: Isotopic composition of soil and precipitation water from experimental watersheds in 2022-2023, ASEP CAS Repository [data set], https://doi.org/10.57680/asep.0649409, 2026.
Kocum, J., Haidl, J., Gebousky, O., Falatkova, K., Sipek, V., Sanda, M., Orlowski, N., and Vlcek, L.: Technical note: A new laboratory approach to extract soil water for stable isotope analysis from large soil samples, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 29, 2863–2880, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-2863-2025, 2025.
Landwehr, J. M. and Coplen, T. B.: Line-condition excess: A new method for characterizing stable hydrogen and oxygen isotope ratios in hydrologic systems, Isotopes in Environmental Studies, Edition: 1, IAEA, ISBN 92-0-111305-X, 2006.
Leaney, F. W., Smettem, K. R. J., and Chittleborough, D. J.: Estimating the contribution of preferential flow to subsurface runoff from a hillslope using deuterium and chloride, J. Hydrol., 147, 83–103, https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-1694(93)90076-L, 1993.
Lehmann, M. M., Geris, J., van Meerveld, I., Penna, D., Rothfuss, Y., Verdone, M., Ala-Aho, P., Arvai, M., Babre, A., Balandier, P., Bernhard, F., Butorac, L., Carrière, S. D., Ceperley, N. C., Chen, Z., Correa, A., Diao, H., Dubbert, D., Dubbert, M., Ercoli, F., Floriancic, M. G., Ghazoul, A., Gimeno, T. E., Gounelle, D., Hagedorn, F., Hissler, C., Huneau, F., Iraheta, A., Jakovljević, T., Kazakis, N., Kern, Z., Kinzinger, L., Knaebel, K., Kobler, J., Kocum, J., Koeber, C., Koren, G., Kübert, A., Kupka, D., Le Gall, S., Lehtonen, A., Leydier, T., Malagoli, P., Manca di Villahermosa, F. S., Marchina, C., Martínez-Carreras, N., Martin-StPaul, N., Marttila, H., Meyer Oliveira, A., Monvoisin, G., Orlowski, N., Palmik-Das, K., Persoiu, A., Popa, A., Prikaziuk, E., Quantin, C., Rinne-Garmston, K. T., Rohde, C., Sanda, M., Saurer, M., Schulz, D., Stockinger, M. P., Stumpp, C., Vénisse, J.-S., Vlcek, L., Voudouris, S., Weeser, B., Wilkinson, M. E., Zuecco, G., and Meusburger, K.: Soil and tree stem xylem water isotope data from two pan-European sampling campaigns, Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 17, 6129–6147, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-17-6129-2025, 2025.
Liu, J., Si, Z., Wu, L., Chen, J., Gao, Y., and Duan, A.: Using stable isotopes to quantify root water uptake under a new planting pattern of high-low seed beds cultivation in winter wheat, Soil Till. Res., 205, 104816, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.still.2020.104816, 2021.
Mankin, J. S., Seager, R., Smerdon, J. E., Cook, B. I., and Williams, A. P.: Mid-latitude freshwater availability reduced by projected vegetation responses to climate change, Nat. Geosci., 12, 983–988, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-019-0480-x, 2019.
Martín-Gómez, P., Barbeta, A., Voltas, J., Peñuelas, J., Dennis, K., Palacio, S., Dawson, T. E., and Ferrio, J. P.: Isotope-ratio infrared spectroscopy: a reliable tool for the investigation of plant-water sources?, New Phytologist, 207, 914–927, https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.13376, 2015.
Marty, C., Tilg, A. M., and Jonas, T.: Recent Evidence of Large-Scale Receding Snow Water Equivalents in the European Alps, J. Hydrometeorol., 18, 1021–1031, https://doi.org/10.1175/JHM-D-16-0188.1, 2017.
McDonell, J. J.: The two water worlds hypothesis: ecohydrological separation of water between streams and trees?, WIREs Water, 1, 323–329, https://doi.org/10.1002/wat2.1027, 2014.
Meißner, M., Köhler, M., Schwendenmann, L., Hölscher, D., and Dyckmans, J.: Soil water uptake by trees using water stable isotopes (δ2H and δ18O)-a method test regarding soil moisture, texture and carbonate, Plant Soil, 376, 327–335, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-013-1970-z, 2014.
Meunier, F., Rothfuss, Y., Bariac, T., Biron, P., Richard, P., Durand, J. L., Couvreur, V., Vanderborght, J., and Javaux, M.: Measuring and Modeling Hydraulic Lift of Lolium multiflorum Using Stable Water Isotopes, Vadose Zone J., 17, 1–15, https://doi.org/10.2136/vzj2016.12.0134, 2017.
Molz, J. F.: Models of water transport in the soil-plant system: A review, Water Resour. Res., 17, 1245–1260, https://doi.org/10.1029/WR017i005p01245, 1981.
Muhic, F., Ala-Aho, P., Sprenger, M., Klöve, B., and Marttila, H.: Snowmelt-mediated isotopic homogenization of shallow till soil, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 28, 4861–4881, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-4861-2024, 2024.
Muñoz-Villers, L. E. and McDonell, J. J.: Runoff generation in a steep, tropical montane cloud forest catchment on permeable volcanic substrate, Water Resour. Res., 48, https://doi.org/10.1029/2011WR011316, 2012.
Musselman, K. N., Clark, M. P., Liu, C., Ikeda, K., and Rasmussen, R.: Slower snowmelt in a warmer world, Nat. Clim. Change, 7, 214–219, https://doi.org/10.1038/nclimate3225, 2017.
Oerter, E., Finstad, K., Schaefer, J., Goldsmith, G. R., Dawson, T., and Amundson, R.: Oxygen isotope fractionation effects in soil water via interaction with cations (Mg, Ca, K, Na) adsorbed to phyllosilicate clay minerals, J. Hydrol., 515, 1–9, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2014.04.029, 2014.
Oerter, E. J. and Bowen, G.: In situ monitoring of H and O stable isotopes in soil water reveals ecohydrologic dynamics in managed soil systems, Ecohydrology, 10, e1841, https://doi.org/10.1002/eco.1841, 2017.
Oerter, E. J. and Bowen, G.: Spatio-temporal heterogeneity in soil water stable isotopic composition and its ecohydrologic implications in semiarid ecosystems, Hydrol. Process., 33, 1724–1738, https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.13434, 2019.
Oliveira, A. M., Floriancic, M., Gianasi, F. M., Herbstritt, B., Pompeu, P. V., Araújo, F. C., Silva-Sene, A. M., Reis, M. G., Farrapo, C. L., Ferreira, L. A. S., dos Santos, R. M., and van Meerveld, I.: Isotopic Composition of Soil and Xylem Water Across Six Seasonal Floodplain Forests in Southeastern Brazil, Ecohydrology, 18, e70076, https://doi.org/10.1002/eco.70076, 2025.
Orlowski, N. and Breuer, L.: Sampling soil water along pF curve for δ2H and δ18O analysis, Hydrol. Process., 34, 4959–4972, https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.13916, 2020.
Orlowski, N., Breuer, L., and McDonell, J. J.: Critical issues with cryogenic extraction of soil water for stable isotope analysis, Ecohydrology, 9, 3–10, https://doi.org/10.1002/eco.1722, 2016.
Orlowski, N., Breuer, L., Angeli, N., Boeckx, P., Brumbt, C., Cook, C. S., Dubbert, M., Dyckmans, J., Gallagher, B., Gralher, B., Herbstritt, B., Hervé-Fernández, P., Hissler, C., Koeniger, P., Legout, A., Macdonald, C. J., Oyarzún, C., Redelstein, R., Seidler, C., Siegwolf, R., Stumpp, C., Thomsen, S., Weiler, M., Werner, C., and McDonnell, J. J.: Inter-laboratory comparison of cryogenic water extraction systems for stable isotope analysis of soil water, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 22, 3619–3637, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-3619-2018, 2018.
Qin, Y., Abatzoglou, J. T., Siebert, S., Huning, L. S., AghaKouchak, A., Mankin, J. S., Hong, C., Tong, D., Davis, S. J., and Mueller, N. D.: Agricultural risks from changing snowmelt, Nat. Clim. Change, 10, 459–465, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-020-0746-8, 2020.
Qiu, X., Zhang, M., Wang, S., Meng, H., and Che, C.: Comparison of stable isotope mixing models for examining plant root water uptake, PLOS ONE, 20, e0318771, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0318771, 2025.
Revesz, K. and Woods, P. H.: A method to extract soil water for stable isotope analysis, J. Hydrol., 115, 397–406, https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-1694(90)90217-L, 1990.
Safeeq, M., Shukla, S., Arismendi, I., Grant, G. E., Lewis, S. L., and Nolin, A.: Influence of winter season climate variability on snow-precipitation ratio in the western United States, Int. J. Climatol., 36, 3175–3190, https://doi.org/10.1002/joc.4545, 2016.
Samaniego, L., Thober, S., Kumar, R., Wanders, N., Rakovec, O., Pan, M., Zink, M., Sheffield, J., Wood, E. F., and Marx, A.: Anthropogenic warming exacerbates European soil moisture droughts, Nat. Clim. Change, 8, 421–426, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-018-0138-5, 2018.
Scrimgeour, C. M.: Measurement of plant and soil water isotope composition by direct equilibration methods, J. Hydrol., 172, 261–274, https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-1694(95)02716-3, 1995.
Seyedsadr, S., Šípek, V., Jačka, L., Sněhota, M., Beesley, L., Pohořelý, M., Kovář, M., and Trakal, L.: Biochar considerably increases the easily available water and nutrient content in low-organic soils amended with compost and manure, Chemosphere, 293, 133586, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.133586, 2022.
Šípek, V., Jačka, L., Seyedsadr, S., and Trakal, L.: Manifestation of spatial and temporal variability of soil hydraulic properties in the uncultivated Fluvisol and performance of hydrological model, Catena, 182, 104119, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2019.104119, 2019.
Šípek, V., Jenicek, M., Hnilica, J., and Zelíková, N.: Catchment Storage and its Influence on Summer Low Flows in Central European Mountainous Catchments, Water Resour. Manage., 35, 2829–2843, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11269-021-02871-x, 2021.
Sprenger, M., Herbstritt, B., and Weiler, M.: Established methods and new opportunities for pore water stable isotope analysis, Hydrol. Process., 29, 5174–5192, https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.10643, 2015.
Sprenger, M., Leistert, H. Gumbel, K., and Weiler, M.: Illuminating Hydrol. Process. at the soil-vegetation-atmosphere interface with water stable isotopes, Rev. Geophys., 54, 674–704, https://doi.org/10.1002/2015RG000515, 2016.
Sprenger, M., Tetzlaff, D., and Soulsby, C.: Soil water stable isotopes reveal evaporation dynamics at the soil–plant–atmosphere interface of the critical zone, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 21, 3839–3858, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-21-3839-2017, 2017.
Sprenger, M., Tetzlaff, D., Buttle, J., Laudon, H., Leistert, H., Mitchell, C. P. J., Snelgrove, J., Weiler, M., and Soulsby, C.: Measuring and Modeling Stable Isotopes of Mobile and Bulk Soil Water, Vadose Zone J., 17, 1–18, https://doi.org/10.2136/vzj2017.08.0149, 2018.
Tinker, P. B.: Transport of water to plant root in soil, Philos. T. R. Soc. Lond., 273, 445–461, https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.1976.0024, 1976.
Tolasz, R., Míková, T., Valeriánová, A., and Voženílek, V.: Climate atlas of Czechia. 1. vyd., 255s., Praha: Český hydrometeorologický ústav; Olomouc: Univerzita Palackého v Olomouci. ISBN 978-80-86690-26-1, 2007.
van den Honert, T. H.: Water transport in plats as a catenary process, Faraday Soc. Discuss., 3, 146–153, https://doi.org/10.1039/DF9480300146, 1948.
Vargas, A. I., Schaffer, B., Yuhong, L., and Sternberg, L. S. L.: Testing plant use of mobile vs immobile soil water sources using stable isotope experiments, New Phytologist, 215, 582–594, https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.14616, 2017.
Vlček, L., Šípek, V., Kofroňová, J., Kocum, J., Doležal, T., and Janský, B.: Runoff formation in a catchment with Peat bog and Podzol hillslopes, J. Hydrol., 593, 125633, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2020.125633, 2021.
Wassenaar, L. I., Hendry, M. J., Chostner, V. L., and Lis, G. P.: High Resolution Pore Water δ2H and δ18O Measurements by H2O(liquid)-H2O(vapor) Equilibration Laser Spectroscopy, Environ. Sci. Technol., 42, 9262–9267, https://doi.org/10.1021/es802065s, 2008.
Weatherley, P. E.: Introduction: Water movement through plants, Philos. T. R. Soc. Lond., 273, 435–444, https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.1976.0023, 1976.
Willibald, F., Kotlarski, S., Grêt-Regamey, A., and Ludwig, R.: Anthropogenic climate change versus internal climate variability: impacts on snow cover in the Swiss Alps, The Cryosphere, 14, 2909–2924, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-2909-2020, 2020.
Xue, D., Tian, J., Zhang, B., Kang, W., Zhou, Y., and He, C.: Effects of vegetation types on soil wetting pattern and preferential flow in arid mountainous areas of northwest China, J. Hydrol., 642, 131849, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2024.131849, 2024.
Yang, B., Dossa, G. G. O., Hu, Y. H., Liu, L. L., Meng, X. J., Du, Y. Y., Li, J. Y., Zhu, X. A., Zhang, Y. J., Singh, A. K., Yuan, X., Wu, J. E., Zakari, S., Liu, W. J., and Song, L.: Uncorrected soil water isotopes through cryogenic vacuum distillation may lead to a false estimation on plant water sources, Methods Ecol. Evol., 14, 1443–1456, https://doi.org/10.1111/2041-210X.14107, 2023.
Zapater, M., Hossann, C., Bréda, N., Bréchet, C., Bonal, D., and Granier, A.: Evidence of hydraulic lift in a young beech and oak mixed forest using 18O soil water labelling, Trees, 25, 885–894, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00468-011-0563-9, 2011.
Zelíková, N., Toušková, J., Kocum, J., Vlček, L., Tesar, M., Bouda, M., and Šípek, V.: Divergent water balance trajectories under two dominant tree species in montane forest catchment shifting from energy- to water-limitation, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 29, 6003–6021, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-6003-2025, 2025.
Zhao, Y. and Wang, L.: Insights into the isotopic mismatch between bulk soil water and Salix matsudana Koidz trunk water from root water stable isotope measurements, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 25, 3975–3989, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-3975-2021, 2021.
Short summary
This study investigates soil water dynamics along an elevation gradient and distinguishes individual soil water pools (mobile vs. tightly bound water). Varying persistence of winter-derived soil water was documented, with longer residence times in lowland areas despite the absence of snow cover. A new method for direct extraction of tightly bound soil water, together with a correction procedure, also revealed distinct seasonal behavior of soil water pools, particularly during spring and autumn.
This study investigates soil water dynamics along an elevation gradient and distinguishes...
