Articles | Volume 30, issue 12
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-30-3715-2026
© 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-30-3715-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
22 Jun 2026
Research article |
| 22 Jun 2026
| 22 Jun 2026
Exploring impacts of forest management strategies on water partitioning in a drought-sensitive catchment using a tracer-aided ecohydrological framework
Department of Ecohydrology and Biogeochemistry, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Berlin, Germany
Doerthe Tetzlaff
Department of Ecohydrology and Biogeochemistry, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Berlin, Germany
Department of Geography, Humboldt University Berlin, Berlin, Germany
Northern Rivers Institute, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
Songjun Wu
Department of Ecohydrology and Biogeochemistry, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Berlin, Germany
Christian Birkel
Department of Ecohydrology and Biogeochemistry, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Berlin, Germany
Department of Geography, University of Costa Rica, San Pedro, Costa Rica
Hjalmar Laudon
Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Science (SLU), Umeå, Sweden
Chris Soulsby
Department of Ecohydrology and Biogeochemistry, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Berlin, Germany
Northern Rivers Institute, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Science (SLU), Umeå, Sweden
Chair of Water Resources Management and Modeling of Hydrosystems, Technical University Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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infiltration hotspotscreated by runoff from sealed onto vegetated surfaces can enhance both evapotranspiration and groundwater recharge.
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Short summary
We used a modelling approach supported by stable water isotopes to explore how forest management – such as conifer, broadleaf, and mixed tree–crop systems – affects water partitioning and drought resilience in a drought-sensitive region of Germany. By representing forest type, forest density, and rooting depth, the model helps quantify and show how land use choices affect water availability and ecohydrological resilience, thereby supporting improved land and water management decisions.
We used a modelling approach supported by stable water isotopes to explore how forest management...
