@article{ZimmermannZimmermannLarketal.2010, author = {Zimmermann, Beate and Zimmermann, Alexander and Lark, Richard M. and Elsenbeer, Helmut}, title = {Sampling procedures for throughfall monitoring : a simulation study}, issn = {0043-1397}, doi = {10.1029/2009wr007776}, year = {2010}, abstract = {What is the most appropriate sampling scheme to estimate event-based average throughfall? A satisfactory answer to this seemingly simple question has yet to be found, a failure which we attribute to previous efforts' dependence on empirical studies. Here we try to answer this question by simulating stochastic throughfall fields based on parameters for statistical models of large monitoring data sets. We subsequently sampled these fields with different sampling designs and variable sample supports. We evaluated the performance of a particular sampling scheme with respect to the uncertainty of possible estimated means of throughfall volumes. Even for a relative error limit of 20\%, an impractically large number of small, funnel-type collectors would be required to estimate mean throughfall, particularly for small events. While stratification of the target area is not superior to simple random sampling, cluster random sampling involves the risk of being less efficient. A larger sample support, e.g., the use of trough-type collectors, considerably reduces the necessary sample sizes and eliminates the sensitivity of the mean to outliers. Since the gain in time associated with the manual handling of troughs versus funnels depends on the local precipitation regime, the employment of automatically recording clusters of long troughs emerges as the most promising sampling scheme. Even so, a relative error of less than 5\% appears out of reach for throughfall under heterogeneous canopies. We therefore suspect a considerable uncertainty of input parameters for interception models derived from measured throughfall, in particular, for those requiring data of small throughfall events.}, language = {en} } @article{ZimmermannZimmermannElsenbeer2009, author = {Zimmermann, Alexander and Zimmermann, Beate and Elsenbeer, Helmut}, title = {Rainfall redistribution in a tropical forest : spatial and temporal patterns}, issn = {0043-1397}, doi = {10.1029/2008WR007470}, year = {2009}, abstract = {The investigation of throughfall patterns has received considerable interest over the last decades. And yet, the geographical bias of pertinent previous studies and their methodologies and approaches to data analysis cast a doubt on the general validity of claims regarding spatial and temporal patterns of throughfall. We employed 220 collectors in a 1-ha plot of semideciduous tropical rain forest in Panama and sampled throughfall during a period of 14 months. Our analysis of spatial patterns is based on 60 data sets, whereas the temporal analysis comprises 91 events. Both data sets show skewed frequency distributions. When skewness arises from large outliers, the classical, nonrobust variogram estimator overestimates the sill variance and, in some cases, even induces spurious autocorrelation structures. In these situations, robust variogram estimation techniques offer a solution. Throughfall in our plot typically displayed no or only weak spatial autocorrelations. In contrast, temporal correlations were strong, that is, wet and dry locations persisted over consecutive wet seasons. Interestingly, seasonality and hence deciduousness had no influence on spatial and temporal patterns. We argue that if throughfall patterns are to have any explanatory power with respect to patterns of near-surface processes, data analytical artifacts must be ruled out lest spurious correlation be confounded with causality; furthermore, temporal stability over the domain of interest is essential.}, language = {en} } @article{ZimmermannSchinnFranckeetal.2013, author = {Zimmermann, Alexander and Schinn, Dustin S. and Francke, Till and Elsenbeer, Helmut and Zimmermann, Beate}, title = {Uncovering patterns of near-surface saturated hydraulic conductivity in an overland flow-controlled landscape}, series = {Geoderma : an international journal of soil science}, volume = {195}, journal = {Geoderma : an international journal of soil science}, number = {169}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {Amsterdam}, issn = {0016-7061}, doi = {10.1016/j.geoderma.2012.11.002}, pages = {1 -- 11}, year = {2013}, abstract = {Saturated hydraulic conductivity (K-s) is an important soil characteristic affecting soil water storage, runoff generation and erosion processes. In some areas where high-intensity rainfall coincides with low K-s values at shallow soil depths, frequent overland flow entails dense drainage networks. Consequently, linear structures such as flowlines alternate with inter-flowline areas. So far, investigations of the spatial variability of K-s mainly relied on isotropic covariance models which are unsuitable to reveal patterns resulting from linear structures. In the present study, we applied two sampling approaches so as to adequately characterize K-s spatial variability in a tropical forest catchment that features a high density of flowlines: A classical nested sampling survey and a purposive sampling strategy adapted to the presence of flowlines. The nested sampling approach revealed the dominance of small-scale variability, which is in line with previous findings. Our purposive sampling, however, detected a strong spatial gradient: surface K-s increased substantially as a function of distance to flowline; 10 m off flowlines, values were similar to the spatial mean of K-s. This deterministic trend can be included as a fixed effect in a linear mixed modeling framework to obtain realistic spatial fields of K-s. In a next step we used probability maps based on those fields and prevailing rainfall intensities to assess the hydrological relevance of the detected pattern. This approach suggests a particularly good agreement between the probability statements of K-s exceedance and observed overland flow occurrence during wet stages of the rainy season.}, language = {en} } @article{ZimmermannZimmermannTurneretal.2014, author = {Zimmermann, Beate and Zimmermann, Alexander and Turner, Benjamin L. and Francke, Till and Elsenbeer, Helmut}, title = {Connectivity of overland flow by drainage network expansion in a rain forest catchment}, series = {Water resources research}, volume = {50}, journal = {Water resources research}, number = {2}, publisher = {American Geophysical Union}, address = {Washington}, issn = {0043-1397}, doi = {10.1002/2012WR012660}, pages = {1457 -- 1473}, year = {2014}, abstract = {Soils in various places of the Panama Canal Watershed feature a low saturated hydraulic conductivity (K-s) at shallow depth, which promotes overland-flow generation and associated flashy catchment responses. In undisturbed forests of these areas, overland flow is concentrated in flow lines that extend the channel network and provide hydrological connectivity between hillslopes and streams. To understand the dynamics of overland-flow connectivity, as well as the impact of connectivity on catchment response, we studied an undisturbed headwater catchment by monitoring overland-flow occurrence in all flow lines and discharge, suspended sediment, and total phosphorus at the catchment outlet. We find that connectivity is strongly influenced by seasonal variation in antecedent wetness and can develop even under light rainfall conditions. Connectivity increased rapidly as rainfall frequency increased, eventually leading to full connectivity and surficial drainage of entire hillslopes. Connectivity was nonlinearly related to catchment response. However, additional information on factors such as overland-flow volume would be required to constrain relationships between connectivity, stormflow, and the export of suspended sediment and phosphorus. The effort to monitor those factors would be substantial, so we advocate applying the established links between rain event characteristics, drainage network expansion by flow lines, and catchment response for predictive modeling and catchment classification in forests of the Panama Canal Watershed and in similar regions elsewhere.}, language = {en} } @article{ZimmermannWilckeElsenbeer2007, author = {Zimmermann, Alexander and Wilcke, Wolfgang and Elsenbeer, Helmut}, title = {Spatial and temporal patterns of throughfall quantity and quality in a tropical montane forest in Ecuador}, issn = {0022-1694}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhydrol.2007.06.012}, year = {2007}, language = {en} } @article{BartholdTurnerElsenbeeretal.2017, author = {Barthold, Frauke Katrin and Turner, Benjamin L. and Elsenbeer, Helmut and Zimmermann, Alexander}, title = {A hydrochemical approach to quantify the role of return flow in a surface flow-dominated catchment}, series = {Hydrological processes}, volume = {31}, journal = {Hydrological processes}, number = {5}, publisher = {Wiley}, address = {Hoboken}, issn = {0885-6087}, doi = {10.1002/hyp.11083}, pages = {1018 -- 1033}, year = {2017}, abstract = {Stormflow generation in headwater catchments dominated by subsurface flow has been studied extensively, yet catchments dominated by surface flow have received less attention. We addressed this by testing whether stormflow chemistry is controlled by either (a) the event-water signature of overland flow, or (b) the pre-event water signature of return flow. We used a high-resolution hydrochemical data set of stormflow and end-members of multiple storms in an end-member mixing analysis to determine the number of end-members needed to explain stormflow, characterize and identify potential end-members, calculate their contributions to stormflow, and develop a conceptual model of stormflow. The arrangement and relative positioning of end-members in stormflow mixing space suggest that saturation excess overland flow (26-48\%) and return flow from two different subsurface storage pools (17-53\%) are both similarly important for stormflow. These results suggest that pipes and fractures are important flow paths to rapidly release stored water and highlight the value of within-event resolution hydrochemical data to assess the full range and dynamics of flow paths.}, language = {en} } @article{ZimmermannGermerNeilletal.2008, author = {Zimmermann, Alexander and Germer, Sonja and Neill, Christopher and Krusche, Alex V. and Elsenbeer, Helmut}, title = {Spatio-temporal patterns of throughfall and solute deposition in an open tropical rain forest}, issn = {0022-1694}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhydrol.2008.07.028}, year = {2008}, language = {en} } @article{GermerZimmermannNeilletal.2012, author = {Germer, Sonja and Zimmermann, Alexander and Neill, Christopher and Krusche, Alex V. and Elsenbeer, Helmut}, title = {Disproportionate single-species contribution to canopy-soil nutrient flux in an Amazonian rainforest}, series = {Forest ecology and management}, volume = {267}, journal = {Forest ecology and management}, number = {2}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {Amsterdam}, issn = {0378-1127}, doi = {10.1016/j.foreco.2011.11.041}, pages = {40 -- 49}, year = {2012}, abstract = {Rainfall, throughfall and stemflow were monitored on an event basis in an undisturbed open tropical rainforest with a large number of palm trees located in the southwestern Amazon basin of Brazil. Stemflow samples were collected from 24 trees with a diameter at breast height (DBH) > 5 cm, as well as eight young and four full-grown babassu palms (Attalea speciosa Mart.) for 5 weeks during the peak of the wet season. We calculated rainfall, throughfall and stemflow concentrations and fluxes of Na+, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+,, Cl-, SO42-, NO3- and H+ and stemflow volume-weighted mean concentrations and fluxes for three size classes of broadleaf trees and three size classes of palms. The concentrations of most solutes were higher in stemflow than in rainfall and increased with increasing tree and palm size. Concentration enrichments from rainfall to stemflow and throughfall were particularly high (81-fold) for NO3-. Stemflow fluxes of NO3- and H+ exceeded throughfall fluxes but stemflow fluxes of other solutes were less than throughfall fluxes. Stemflow solute fluxes to the forest soil were dominated by fluxes on babassu palms, which represented only 4\% of total stem number and 10\% of total basal area. For NO3-, stemflow contributed 51\% of the total mass of nitrogen delivered to the forest floor (stemflow + throughfall) and represented more than a 2000-fold increase in NO3- flux compared what would have been delivered by rainfall alone on the equivalent area. Because these highly localized fluxes of both water and NO3- persist in time and space, they have the potential to affect patterns of soil moisture, microbial populations and other features of soil biogeochemistry conducive to the creation of hotspots for nitrogen leaching and denitrification, which could amount to an important fraction of total ecosystem fluxes. Because these hotspots occur over very small areas, they have likely gone undetected in previous studies and need to be considered as an important feature of the biogeochemistry of palm-rich tropical forest.}, language = {en} } @article{AichZimmermannElsenbeer2014, author = {Aich, Valentin and Zimmermann, Alexander and Elsenbeer, Helmut}, title = {Quantification and interpretation of suspended-sediment discharge hysteresis patterns: How much data do we need?}, series = {Catena : an interdisciplinary journal of soil science, hydrology, geomorphology focusing on geoecology and landscape evolution}, volume = {122}, journal = {Catena : an interdisciplinary journal of soil science, hydrology, geomorphology focusing on geoecology and landscape evolution}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {Amsterdam}, issn = {0341-8162}, doi = {10.1016/j.catena.2014.06.020}, pages = {120 -- 129}, year = {2014}, abstract = {Sediment-discharge hysteresis loops are frequently analyzed to facilitate the understanding of sediment transport processes. Hysteresis patterns, however, are often complex and their interpretation can be complicated. Particularly, quantifying hysteresis patterns remains a problematic issue. Moreover, it is currently unknown how much data is required for analyzing sediment-discharge hysteresis loops in a given area. These open questions and challenges motivated us to develop a new method for quantifying suspended-sediment hysteresis. Subsequently, we applied the new hysteresis index to three suspended-sediment and discharge datasets from a small tropical rainforest catchment. The datasets comprised a different number of events and sampling sites. Our analyses show three main findings: (1) datasets restricted to only few events, which is typical for rapid assessment surveys, were always sufficient to identify the dominating hysteresis pattern in our research area. Furthermore, some of these small datasets contained multiple-peak events that allowed identifying intra-event exhaustion effects and hence, limitations in sediment supply. (2) Datasets comprising complete hydrological years were particularly useful for analyzing seasonal dynamics of hysteresis. These analyses revealed an exhaustion of hysteresis on the inter-event scale which also points to a limited sediment supply. (3) Datasets comprising measurements from two consecutive gauges installed at the catchment outlet and on a slope within that catchment allowed analyzing the change of hysteresis patterns along the flowpath. On the slope, multiple-peak events showed a stronger intra-event exhaustion of hysteresis than at the catchment outlet. Furthermore, exhaustion of hysteresis on the inter-event scale was not evident on the slope but occurred at the catchment outlet. Our results indicate that even small sediment datasets can provide valuable insights into sediment transport processes of small catchments. Furthermore, our results may serve as a first guideline on what to expect from an analysis of hysteresis patterns for datasets of varying quality and quantity. (c) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.}, language = {en} } @article{ZimmermannFranckeElsenbeer2012, author = {Zimmermann, Alexander and Francke, Till and Elsenbeer, Helmut}, title = {Forests and erosion: Insights from a study of suspended-sediment dynamics in an overland flow-prone rainforest catchment}, series = {Journal of hydrology}, volume = {428}, journal = {Journal of hydrology}, number = {7}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {Amsterdam}, issn = {0022-1694}, doi = {10.1016/j.jhydrol.2012.01.039}, pages = {170 -- 181}, year = {2012}, abstract = {Forests seem to represent low-erosion systems, according to most, but not all, studies of suspended-sediment yield. We surmised that this impression reflects an accidental bias in the selection of monitoring sites towards those with prevailing vertical hydrological flowpaths, rather than a tight causal link between vegetation cover and erosion alone. To evaluate this conjecture, we monitored, over a 2-year period, a 3.3 ha old-growth rainforest catchment prone to frequent and widespread overland flow. We sampled stream flow at two and overland flow at three sites in a nested arrangement on a within-event basis, and monitored the spatial and temporal frequency of overland flow. Suspended-sediment concentrations were modeled with Random Forest and Quantile Regression Forest to be able to estimate the annual yields for the 2 years, which amounted to 1 t ha(-1) and 2 t ha(-1) in a year with below-average and with average precipitation, respectively. These estimates place our monitoring site near the high end of reported suspended-sediment yields and lend credence to the notion that low yields reflect primarily the dominance of vertical flowpaths and not necessarily and exclusively the kind of vegetative cover. Undisturbed forest and surface erosion are certainly no contradiction in terms even in the absence of mass movements.}, language = {en} }