Resources and tools
TEACHING
Principles of environmental hydrology (BAEN 460/BAEN 672)
This is our introductory hydrology course. We begin with an overview of the water cycle and then study in detail the stream network, water movement in soils, and the transformation of rainfall into runoff and streamflow. We also present statistical tools to analyze hydrologic time-series, including rainfall and runoff extremes. This course is offered in the Fall.
Hydrology and environmental modeling (BAEN 673)
We study and model the interaction between the water cycle (hydrology) and the ecosystem, from the soil water balance to the entire soil-water-atmosphere continuum. The course provides students with quantitative tools to tackle pressing sustainability challenges. This course is offered in the Spring.
RESEARCH
We use and develop a variety of eco-hydrological models, often in the form of dynamical systems, to simulate hydrological, vegetation, and biogeochemical dynamics across environmental conditions (e.g., rainfall gradients) and human activities (e.g., agricultural practices). We use these simulation models in our classes and in most of our research projects, and they are always freely available.
Below, you will find some examples of ecohydrological models written Python and that can be run using Google Colab with zero setups in your computer!
Soil water balance
The soil water balance is often at the center of our research, as it is a key driver of ecological and biogeochemical dynamics at the pedon to ecosystem scale. In this Jupyter notebook, you can quickly simulate the water balance for different rainfall regimes and soil properties. For example, you can simulate the water balance in a desert climate with a sandy soil, or try a temperate climate with clay soils. Just adjust the frequency and mean depth of precipitation and choose soil parameters following the attached table. Enjoy!
A simple crop growth model
The availability of soil water is a key driver of plant and crop growth. Based on the soil moisture balance in the previous resource (see above), here you can simulate crop growth by modeling the dynamics of the canopy cover. The model is based on AcquaCrop by FAO and can be readily extended to include nutrient dynamics as well. Have fun!