WaldLab Forest Experimental Site
The Forest Lab site aims to monitor water dynamics across the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum. We particularly focus on plant water use (respiration and transpiration) within a beech and spruce tree stand near the ETH Hönggerberg Campus.
Dates: 2020-
Funding: ETH Grants, LUIW
Site manager: Dr Marius Floriancic
PhD Students: Stefano Martinetti (2021-2025)
The Forest Lab site is designed for monitoring of
- hydrological fluxes - precipitation, throughfall, stemflow,
- soil water fluxes - matric potential and shallow groundwater;
- water chemistry - isotopes in xylem and soil water, and litter and dead wood, underneath a selection of young and mature beech and spruce trees.
The Forest Site monitoring setup also includes targeted measurements of plant physiological processes, for example
- sapflow velocities and dendrometers;
- manual measurements of stomatal conductance;
- photographic assessment of leaf area index;
- leaf water potential, and others.
The concurrent high resolution measurements aim to identify plant conditions and adaptation in times of water stress, and also to serve as an educational platform for students in environmental sensing. The Forest Lab site leader is Dr Marius Floriancic.
The site is intended to be used in collaborative ETH projects, where sensors and ideas can be tested. Please contact Forest Lab site leader for details.