Understanding the feedbacks between canopy structure and hydrologic flow paths

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Vegetation canopies directly influence the quantity and quality of water reaching the forest floor. Past research in forests have clearly demonstrated a link between tree canopy structure and the flow paths of water to the soil surface. However, less work has focused on the feedbacks between different vegetation canopies (trees, shrubs and grasses), epiphytes and hydrology. Different plant species alter both the quantity and quality of water, thereby altering the spatial distribution of water and nutrients in the canopy and soil. The changing hydrology will then impact the distribution of epiphytes and soil microorganisms. This may result in a feedback that alters the spatial distribution of species in the canopy and belowground, which subsequently alters the canopy hydrology.The next 5 years will lay the groundwork for investigating the interaction between vegetation canopy structure and hydrology, by focusing on the following objectives: 1. Assess how water movement through the plant canopy and soil changes with changing vegetation;2. Quantify the impact of the vegetation canopy on the biogeochemistry of throughfall and the feedback between the spatial distribution of organisms in the canopy and belowground and hydrology; and3. Quantify how snow pack distribution and melt vary under different vegetation types.For many years the hydrologic flow paths in vegetation canopies and soil has been treated as a black box. My research will shed some light into the black box by providing new insights into how canopy structure affects hydrologic flow paths. In addition, my research will allow for a deeper understanding of the feedbacks between organisms in the canopy/soil and canopy structure. This will allow for improved understanding of how management activities that alter canopy structure and biology will affect the hydrology of the system.My long-term goal is to improve our understanding of how vegetation alters, and is altered by, the path of water through the atmosphere-plant-soil continuum. Future research will focus on the impact of land management on canopy hydrology and the subsequent shift in hydrologic flow paths to and from the soil. By better understanding the link between canopy structure and hydrology, we can better predict the impact of changing vegetation types on the hydrology of an ecosystem at both small (plot) and large scales (watershed). In turn, this will help enlighten our understanding of the link between the spatial distribution of vegetation communities and hydrologic flow paths.My research at Thompson Rivers University (TRU) will train both graduate and undergraduate students. I strongly believe the role of the supervisor is to educate students in ethical and sound science, data analysis/writing, and to mentor the students towards success in their chosen careers. Over the next 5 years, I will focus on training 5-6 undergraduate, 2 MSc and 3 PhD students.