Research is located in the Kananaskis region of Alberta, within the Rocky Mountains. The watersheds studied will provide the basis for understanding the importance of forest and wetland ecohydrological processes to mountain stream generation and freshwater supplies. Specifically the focus is on understanding the micrometeorological and boundary-layer influences on evapotranspiration and water use efficiency, and upslope surficial geological and soil conditions on hydrological connections between wetlands and forests, and sources of water to forest stands. Recent developments include understanding the importance of alpine wetlands and their involvment within mountain hydrological cycles. 

 

Many types of data are collected for this research including: stream discharge, water quality, precipitation/snowfall and longer term weather/climate information in the local watersheds within the Kananaskis, Alberta region. This research will look at larger scale climatic influences on forest evapotranspiration and the associated feedbacks with plant canopy dynamics. Of specific interest in this area are influences of Chinook Winds and edge-effects on evapotranspiration and water and energy availability in mountain environments. Research is done in collaboration with Dr. J. Pomeroy (University of Saskatchewan) and Dr. S. Carey (McMaster University), and in partnership with Alberta Sustainable Resource and Development, National Water Research Institute, Cold Water Laboratory, the Alberta Ingenuity Fund – Water Resources and is also supported by the Global Water Futures program, Mountain Water Futures. 

 

Global Water Futures can be followed here on twitter; Mountain Water Futures can be followed here on twitter

 

The team uses the University of Calgary Biogeoscience Intitute as a home base for summer research stints, providing accomodations, lab and equiptment storage to help facilitate succesful field seasons in a semi-remote location.

University of Calgary Biogeoscience Institute Anual Report 2016, with Hydromet group highlight on page 55!