Recent extreme droughts in Europe have highlighted the urgent need to quantify their effects on ecohydrological fluxes (evapotranspiration, groundwater recharge) and water storage (mainly soil moisture) in the landscape. In response, we combined process-based (EcH2O-iso) and machine learning (NARX) models to estimate the enduring effects of long-term drought on water fluxes and storage and to project future short-term groundwater levels and recovery potential under various precipitation scenarios. The work was undertaken at the Demnitz Mill Creek (DMC), a 70 km2 mixed land use (arable crops and forestry) catchment in northern Germany. Our simulations indicated that the extreme drought years of 2018 and 2022 had the most marked impacts, leading to substantial declines in groundwater recharge (>40 %), evapotranspiration (up to 16 %) and soil moisture (up to 6 %). Simulations indicated that groundwater levels may not recover in the next 15 years if recent precipitation anomalies persist. These findings underscore the urgent requirement for enhancing resilience and promoting integrated strategies in managing land and water resources to optimise water retention in landscapes and to better respond to drought.

Continuing negative rainfall anomalies, coupled with climate change projections of increased drought severity and frequency, drive an urgent need to increase resilience and integration in land and water management strategies in many regions of the world. However, complex interactions between land cover change, ecohydrological partitioning and water availability are difficult to quantify, especially at different temporal and spatial scales. In conjunction with local stakeholders, we developed plausible, alternative land use scenarios (including forest diversification and agroforestry schemes) based on the existing four primary land use types (i.e., conifer and broadleaved forests, arable agriculture, and pasture) in a 66 km2 drought-sensitive catchment in northern Germany. We used modelling to evaluate spatial and temporal changes in water flux partitioning, storage and ages. The spatially-distributed, tracer-aided ecohydrological model, EcH2O-iso, calibrated using hydrometric, ecohydrological and isotopic data at daily time steps from 2007 to 2019 was used in this assessment. The results showed that replacing conifer forests with uneven-aged mixed forests with younger broad-leaved trees had the greatest potential for reducing total evapotranspiration and increasing groundwater recharge. For coniferous forests, a 50% increase in the proportion of broad-leaved trees was projected to result in an 11% increase in groundwater recharge across the catchment. The mixed-forest management alternatives also reduced groundwater turnover times, which would support more rapid recovery of soil moisture and groundwater stores following droughts. This study demonstrates that such an ecohydrological modelling approach has the potential to contribute useful science-based evidence for policy makers allowing quantitative assessment of potential land use effects on water availability and effective communication with stakeholders. Uneven-aged mixed forests of conifer and broadleaved trees had the greatest impact on reducing evapotranspiration and increasing water storage in the catchment. image

Increased urbanization, coupled with the projected impacts of climatic change, mandates further evaluation of the impact of urban development on water flow paths to guide sustainable land use planning. Though the general urbanization impacts of increased storm runoff peaks and reduced baseflows are well known; how the complex, non-stationary interaction of the dominant water fluxes within dynamic urban water stores sustain streamflow regimes over longer periods of time are less well quantified. In particular, there is a challenge in how hydrological modelling should integrate the juxtaposition of rapid and slower flow pathways of the urban ‘karst’ landscape and different approaches need evaluation. In this context, we utilized hydrological and water stable isotope datasets within a modelling framework that combined the commonly used HEC urban runoff model along with a simple hydrological tracer module and transit time modelling to evaluate the spatial and temporal variation of water flow paths and ages within a heavily urbanized 217km catchment in Berlin, Germany. Deeper groundwater was the primary flow component within less urbanized regions of the catchments, with increased direct runoff and shallow subsurface contributions in more urbanized areas near the catchment outlet. The addition of wastewater effluent in the mid-reaches of the catchment was the dominant water supply to the lower stream, and sustained baseflows during the summer months. Water ages from each modelling approach imitated flow contributions and opportunity for mixing with subsurface storage; with older water and lower young water contributions in less urbanized sub-catchments and younger water and higher young water contributions in more urbanized regions. The results form a first step towards more integrated modelling tools for similar peri-urban catchments, given the potential limitations of more simple model frameworks. The results have broader implications for assessing the uncertainty in evaluating urban impacts on hydrological function under environmental change.

Calibrating distributed hydrological models often leads to equifinality due to complex model structures, which can be further exacerbated in wetlands due to spatio-temporal heterogeneity in ecohydrological processes. Here, step-wise calibrations of the physically-based distributed model EcH(2)O-iso was conducted in a data-rich wetland by minimizing a weighted average of the errors on discharge, stream isotopes, groundwater (GW) isotopes, and soil moisture. Results showed multi-criteria calibration outperformed single-criterion calibration as it strongly increased the overall performance, yet only marginally degraded performance of each calibration target. Isotopes were highlighted as appropriate auxiliary data as they effectively constrained the model with relatively small weights (0.1). However, those parameter sets that minimize the errors could still lead to physically implausible simulations of uncalibrated internal states or fluxes. This was further demonstrated by an approach developed to check internal fluxes based on soft data (transpiration and lateral flow), suggesting 54% of optimized models gave "right answers for the wrong reasons." By excluding those models against soft data, such an approach further constrained equifinality, and unraveled potential inconsistencies between observations and calibration. Modeling represented the wetland as a slow-draining system mainly fed by GW, but also influenced by near-surface flow during winter or summer convectional events. Further, heterogeneity in hydrological functioning was partly attributed to distinct evapotranspiration patterns between contrasting vegetation communities. Therefore, this study not only provided insights into wetland functioning, but also revealed potential equifinality even with abundant data for calibration, and potential solutions based on the integration of isotopes and soft data.

Data from long-term experimental catchments are the foundation of hydrological sciences and are crucial for benchmarking process understanding, observing trends and natural cycles, and being prerequisites for testing predictive models. Integrated data sets which capture all compartments of our landscapes are particularly important in times of land use and climate change. Here, we present ecohydrological data measured at multiple spatial scales which allow differentiation of “blue” water fluxes (which maintain streamflow generation and groundwater recharge) and “green” water fluxes (which sustain vegetation growth). There are two particular unique aspects to this data set: (a) we measured water stable isotopes in the different landscape compartments (i.e. in precipitation, surface water, soil, groundwater, and plant water), and (b) we conducted this monitoring during the extreme drought of 2018 in central Europe. Stable water isotopes are so useful in hydrology as they provide “fingerprints” of the pathways water took when moving through a catchment. Thus, isotopes allow one to evaluate the dynamic relationships between water storage changes and fluxes, which is fundamental to understanding how catchments respond to hydroclimate perturbations or abrupt land use conversion. Second, as we provide the data until 2020, one can also investigate recovery of water stores and fluxes after extreme droughts. Last but not least, lowland headwaters are often understudied systems despite them providing important ecosystem services such as groundwater and drinking water provision and management for forestry and agriculture. The data are available at https://doi.org/10.18728/igb-fred-826.3 (Dämpfling, 2023).

Urban green space is increasingly viewed as essential infrastructure to build resilience to climate change by retaining water in the city landscape and balancing ecohydrological partitioning into evapotranspiration for cooling and groundwater recharge. Quantifying how different vegetation types affect water partitioning is essential for future management, but paucity of data and the complex heterogeneity of urban areas make water balance estimates challenging. Here, we provide a preliminary assessment of water partitioning from different sized patches of trees and grass as well as from sealed surfaces. To do this, we used limited field observations together with an advanced, process-based tracer-aided ecohydrological model at a meso-scale (5 km(2)) in central Berlin, Germany. Transpiration was the dominant green water flux accounting for over 50% of evapotranspiration in the modelled area. Green water fluxes were in general greater from trees compared with grass, but grass in large parks transpired more water compared with grass in small parks that were intensively used for recreation. Interception evaporation was larger for trees compared with grass, but soil water evaporation was greater for grass compared with trees. We also show that evapotranspiration from tree-covered areas comprise almost 80% of the total evapotranspiration from the whole model domain while making up less than 30% of the surface cover. The results form an important stepping-stone towards further upscaling over larger areas and highlights the importance of continuous high-resolution hydrological measurements in the urban landscape, as well as the need for improvements to ecohydrological models to capture important urban processes.

The partitioning of water fluxes in the critical zone is of great interest due to the implications for understanding water cycling and quantifying water availability for various ecosystem services. We used the tracer-aided ecohydrological model EcH2O-iso to use stable water isotopes to help evaluate water, energy, and biomass dynamics at an intensively monitored study plot under two willow trees, a riparian species, in Berlin, Germany. Importantly, we assessed the value of in situ soil and plant water isotope data in helping to quantify xylem water sources and transit times, with coupled estimates of the temporal dynamics and ages of soil and root uptake water. The willows showed high water use through evapotranspiration, with limited percolation of summer precipitation to deeper soil layers due to the dominance of shallow root uptake (>80 % in the upper 10 cm, 70 %–78 % transpiration/evapotranspiration). Lower evapotranspiration under grass (52 %–55 % transpiration/evapotranspiration) resulted in higher soil moisture storage, greater soil evaporation, and more percolation of soil water. Biomass allocation was predominantly foliage growth (57 % in grass and 78 % in willow). Shallow soil water age under grass was estimated to be similar to under willows (15–17 d). Considering potential xylem transit times showed a substantial improvement in the model's capability to simulate xylem isotopic composition and water ages and demonstrates the potential value of using in situ data to aid ecohydrological modelling. Root water uptake was predominately derived from summer precipitation events (56 %) and had an average age of 35 d, with xylem transport times taking at least 6.2–8.1 d. By evaluating isotope mass balances along with water partitioning, energy budgets, and biomass allocation, the EcH2O-iso model proved a useful tool for assessing water cycling within the critical zone at high temporal resolution, particularly xylem water sources and transport, which are all necessary for short- and long-term assessment of water availability for plant growth.

Root water uptake (RWU) is an important critical zone process, as plants can tap various water sources and transpire these back into the atmosphere. However, knowledge about the spatial and temporal dynamics of RWU and associated water sources at both high temporal resolution (e.g. daily) and over longer time periods (e.g. seasonal) is still limited. We used cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CRDS) for continuous in situ monitoring of stable water isotopes in soil and xylem water for two riparian willow (Salix alba) trees over the growing season (May to October) of 2020. This was complemented by isotopic sampling of local precipitation, groundwater, and stream water in order to help constrain the potential sources of RWU. A local eddy flux tower, together with sap flow monitoring, soil moisture measurements, and dendrometry, was also used to provide the hydroclimatic and ecohydrological contexts for in situ isotope monitoring. In addition, respective bulk and twig samples of soil water and xylem water were collected to corroborate the continuous in situ data. The monitoring period was characterised by frequent inputs of precipitation, interspersed by warm dry periods, which resulted in variable moisture storage in the upper 20 cm of the soil profile and dynamic isotope signatures. This variability was greatly damped at 40 cm, and the isotopic composition of the subsoil and groundwater was relatively stable. The isotopic composition and dynamics of xylem water were very similar to those of the upper soil, and analysis using a Bayesian mixing model inferred that overall ∼90 % of RWU was derived from the upper soil profile. However, while for the soil water signatures, the direct equilibrium method showed good comparability with in situ results, for xylem water, the cryogenic extractions signatures were only moderately or not at all comparable. Sap flow and dendrometry data indicated that soil water availability did not seriously limit transpiration during the study period, though it seemed that deeper (>40 cm) soil water provided a higher proportion of RWU (∼30 %) in a drier period in the late summer. The study demonstrates the utility of prolonged real-time monitoring of natural stable isotope abundance in soil–vegetation systems, which has great potential for the further understanding of ecohydrological partitioning under changing hydroclimatic conditions.

Recent studies have highlighted the importance of understanding ecohydrological drought feedbacks to secure water resources under a changing climate and increasing anthropogenic impacts. In this study, we monitored and modelled feedbacks in the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum to the European drought summer 2018 and the following 2 years. The physically based, isotope-aided model EcH(2)O-iso was applied to generic vegetation plots (forest and grassland) in the lowland, groundwater-dominated research catchment Demnitzer Millcreek (NE Germany; 66 km(2)). We included, inter alia, soil water isotope data in the model calibration and quantified changing "blue" (groundwater recharge) and "green" (evapotranspiration) water fluxes and ages under each land use as the drought progressed. Novel plant xylem isotope data were excluded from calibration but were compared with simulated root uptake signatures in model validation. Results indicated inter-site differences in the dynamics of soil water storage and fluxes with contrasting water age both during the drought and the subsequent 2 years. Forest vegetation consistently showed a greater moisture stress, more rapid recovery and higher variability in root water uptake depths from a generally younger soil water storage. In contrast, the grassland site, which had more water-retentive soils, showed higher and older soil water storage and groundwater recharge fluxes. The damped storage and flux dynamics under grassland led to a slower return to younger water ages at depth. Such evidence-based and quantitative differences in ecohydrological feedbacks to drought stress in contrasting soil-vegetation units provide important insights into Critical Zone water cycling. This can help inform future progress in the monitoring, modelling and development of climate mitigation strategies in drought-sensitive lowlands.

We compared stable isotopes of water in plant stem (xylem) water and soil collected over a complete growing season from five well‐known long‐term study sites in northern/cold regions. These spanned a decreasing temperature gradient from Bruntland Burn (Scotland), Dorset (Canadian Shield), Dry Creek (USA), Krycklan (Sweden), to Wolf Creek (northern Canada). Xylem water was isotopically depleted compared to soil waters, most notably for deuterium. The degree to which potential soil water sources could explain the isotopic composition of xylem water was assessed quantitatively using overlapping polygons to enclose respective data sets when plotted in dual isotope space. At most sites isotopes in xylem water from angiosperms showed a strong overlap with soil water; this was not the case for gymnosperms. In most cases, xylem water composition on a given sampling day could be better explained if soil water composition was considered over longer antecedent periods spanning many months. Xylem water at most sites was usually most dissimilar to soil water in drier summer months, although sites differed in the sequence of change. Open questions remain on why a significant proportion of isotopically depleted water in plant xylem cannot be explained by soil water sources, particularly for gymnosperms. It is recommended that future research focuses on the potential for fractionation to affect water uptake at the soil‐root interface, both through effects of exchange between the vapour and liquid phases of soil water and the effects of mycorrhizal interactions. Additionally, in cold regions, evaporation and diffusion of xylem water in winter may be an important process.

The acceleration of urbanization requires sustainable, adaptive management strategies for land and water use in cities. Although the effects of buildings and sealed surfaces on urban runoff generation and local climate are well known, much less is known about the role of water partitioning in urban green spaces. In particular, little is quantitatively known about how different vegetation types of urban green spaces (lawns, parks, woodland, etc.) regulate partitioning of precipitation into evaporation, transpiration and groundwater recharge and how this partitioning is affected by sealed surfaces. Here, we integrated field observations with advanced, isotope-based ecohydrological modelling at a plot-scale site in Berlin, Germany. Soil moisture and sap flow, together with stable isotopes in precipitation, soil water and groundwater recharge, were measured over the course of one growing season under three generic types of urban green space: trees, shrub and grass. Additionally, an eddy flux tower at the site continuously collected hydroclimate data. These data have been used as input and for calibration of the process-based ecohydrological model EcH2O-iso. The model tracks stable isotope ratios and water ages in various stores (e.g. soils and groundwater) and fluxes (evaporation, transpiration and recharge). Green water fluxes in evapotranspiration increased in the order shrub (381±1mm)<grass(434±21mm)<trees(489±30 mm), mainly driven by higher interception and transpiration. Similarly, ages of stored water and fluxes were generally older under trees than shrub or grass. The model also showed how the interface between sealed surfaces and green space creates edge effects in the form of “infiltration hotspots”. These can both enhance evapotranspiration and increase groundwater recharge. For example, in our model, transpiration from trees increased by ∼ 50 % when run-on from an adjacent sealed surface was present and led to groundwater recharge even during the growing season, which was not the case under trees without run-on. The results form an important basis for future upscaling studies by showing that vegetation management needs to be considered within sustainable water and land use planning in urban areas to build resilience in cities to climatic and other environmental change.

Quantifying how vegetation mediates water partitioning at different spatial and temporal scales in complex, managed catchments is fundamental for long-term sustainable land and water management. Estimations from ecohydrological models conceptualising how vegetation regulates the interrelationships between evapotranspiration losses, catchment water storage dynamics, and recharge and runoff fluxes are needed to assess water availability for a range of ecosystem services and evaluate how these might change under increasing extreme events, such as droughts. Currently, the feedback mechanisms between water and mosaics of different vegetation and land cover are not well understood across spatial scales, and the effects of different scales on the skill of ecohydrological models needs to be clarified. We used the tracer-aided ecohydrological model EcH2O-iso in an intensively monitored 66 km2 mixed land use catchment in northeastern Germany to quantify water flux–storage–age interactions at four model grid resolutions (250, 500, 750, and 1000 m). This used a fusion of field (including precipitation, soil water, groundwater, and stream isotopes) and remote sensing data in the calibration. Multicriteria calibration across the catchment at each resolution revealed some differences in the estimation of fluxes, storages, and water ages. In general, model sensitivity decreased and uncertainty increased with coarser model resolutions. Larger grids were unable to replicate observed streamflow and distributed isotope dynamics in the way smaller pixels could. However, using isotope data in the calibration still helped constrain the estimation of fluxes, storage, and water ages at coarser resolutions. Despite using the same data and parameterisation for calibration at different grid resolutions, the modelled proportion of fluxes differed slightly at each resolution, with coarse models simulating higher evapotranspiration, lower relative transpiration, increased overland flow, and slower groundwater movement. Although the coarser resolutions also revealed higher uncertainty and lower overall model performance, the overall results were broadly similar. The study shows that tracers provide effective calibration constraints on larger resolution ecohydrological modelling and help us understand the influence of grid resolution on the simulation of vegetation–soil interactions. This is essential in interpreting associated uncertainty in estimating land use influence on large-scale “blue” (ground and surface water) and “green” (vegetation and evaporated water) fluxes, particularly for future environmental change.

In cities around the world, urban green spaces provide a range of benefits and ecosystem services. However, recent years have shown how prolonged warm and dry periods can affect urban water resources and lead to water stress in vegetation in urban green spaces, even in temperate regions. Consequently, quantitative knowledge about ecohydrological partitioning in different types of urban green space is crucial for balancing sustainable water needs in cities during future challenges of increasing urbanization and climate warming. Using isotopic tracers in precipitation and soil water, along with conventional hydrometric measurements in a plot-scale study in Berlin, Germany, we investigated water partitioning under different generic types of urban vegetation (grassland, shrub and trees). This allowed for the assessment of urban vegetation effects on evapotranspiration, subsurface flow paths and storage during a prolonged drought period with episodic rainfall. Despite higher soil evaporation losses under urban grassland, higher interception and transpiration likely contributed to slower turnover of soil water and older groundwater recharge under urban trees. Shrub vegetation seemed to be most resilient to prolonged drought periods, with lower evapotranspiration losses. Our results contribute to a better understanding of ecohydrological partitioning under mixed urban vegetation communities and an evidence base for better adaptive management of urban water and irrigation strategies to sustainably meet the water demands of urban green spaces in the future.

High spatial heterogeneity of catchment properties enhances the variability of ecohydrological responses to changing natural and anthropogenic conditions, like the European-wide droughts in 2018-2019. Based on new adaptations of a tracer-aided, process-based ecohydrological model (EcH(2)O-iso), we investigated drought-induced nonstationary ecohydrological behavior in a small agricultural headwater catchment (1.44 km(2)) in central Germany. Multiple environmental time-series helped inform various aspects of catchment functioning that have been impacted by agricultural activity and changing climate conditions and helped to further constrain model calibration. Multi-criteria calibration showed that data collected during drought years were highly informative in reproducing the changes in stream water dynamics. Further, inclusion of delta 2H and delta 18O data was valuable for reducing model uncertainty and increasing confidence in simulations of green- and blue-water flux partitioning and storage-flux-age interactions. Using the best-performing calibrations, we further analyzed the high spatiotemporal variability of internal ecohydrological processes and the varying responses of fluxes and associated water ages to prolonged drought stress. Under drought conditions, modeled stream runoff contributed from deeper, older storages increased significantly after a particularly wet season, resulting in a sharp increase in stream water age. Unlike relatively minor changes in soil evaporation, seasonally typical transpiration fluxes were initially maintained in April-June but dramatically decreased as the drought further developed in July-September. Importantly, the tracer-based transpired water age was much older after April, providing a potential indicator of drought impacts and the need for precautionary management responses. Our findings are important for similar agricultural headwater ecosystems in other drought-sensitive regions.

The Demnitzer Millcreek catchment (DMC), is a 66 km(2) long-term experimental catchment located 50 km SE of Berlin. Monitoring over the past 30 years has focused on hydrological and biogeochemical changes associated with de-intensification of farming and riparian restoration in the low-lying landscape dominated by rain-fed farming and forestry. However, the hydrological function of the catchment, which is closely linked to nutrient fluxes and highly sensitive to climatic variability, is still poorly understood. In the last 3 years, a prolonged drought period with below-average rainfall and above-average temperatures has resulted in marked hydrological change. This caused low soil moisture storage in the growing season, agricultural yield losses, reduced groundwater recharge, and intermittent streamflows in parts of an increasingly disconnected channel network. This paper focuses on a two-year long isotope study that sought to understand how different parts of the catchment affect ecohydrological partitioning, hydrological connectivity and streamflow generation during drought conditions. The work has shown the critical importance of groundwater storage in sustaining flows, basic in-stream ecosystem services and the dominant influence of vegetation on groundwater recharge. Recharge was much lower and occurred during a shorter window of time in winter under forests compared to grasslands. Conversely, groundwater recharge was locally enhanced by the restoration of riparian wetlands and storage-dependent water losses from the stream to the subsurface. The isotopic variability displayed complex emerging spatio-temporal patterns of stream connectivity and flow duration during droughts that may have implications for in-stream solute transport and future ecohydrological interactions between landscapes and riverscapes. Given climate projections for drier and warmer summers, reduced and increasingly intermittent streamflows are very likely not just in the study region, but in similar lowland areas across Europe. An integrated land and water management strategy will be essential to sustaining catchment ecosystem services in such catchment systems in future.

The continued global acceleration of urbanisation increasingly requires sustainable, adaptive management strategies for land and water use in cities. Although the effects of buildings and sealed surfaces on urban runoff generation (via storm drains) and local climate (through the urban heat island effect) are well known, much less is known about how these artificial influences integrate with water partitioning in more natural urban green spaces. In particular, little is quantitatively known about how different types of urban green spaces (lawns, parks, woodland etc.) regulate the partitioning of evaporation, transpiration and groundwater recharge. To address this crucial issue, we integrated field observations with advanced, isotope-based ecohydrological modelling at the plot scale in the urban area of Berlin, Germany. Measurements of soil moisture, sap flow, and stable isotopes in precipitation, soil water and groundwater have been made over the course of one growing season. Additionally, an eddy flux tower at the site Rothenburgstraße in Berlin-Steglitz continuously collects hydroclimate data by measuring temperature, precipitation, radiation, humidity and wind speed at high temporal resolution. These data (30-min averages) have been used as input to, and for calibration of, the process-based ecohydrological model EcH2O-iso. The model also tracks stable isotope ratios and water ages in various stores (e.g. soils and groundwater) and fluxes (evaporation, transpiration and recharge). EcH2O-iso has successfully been used to describe the effects of vegetation cover on water partitioning in a number of studies but this is the first implementation in an urban setting. It shows that ecohydrological water use by vegetation type increases in the order forests > shrubs > grass, mainly through higher interception and transpiration. Accordingly, trees can reduce groundwater recharge by >50%, but provide cooling latent heat transfers to the atmosphere. Similarly, ages of stored water and fluxes are generally greater under trees than grass. The results, which form the basis for future upscaling, show that urban green spaces play an important role in urban hydrology and in Berlin there is a trade-off between moderating the urban heat island effect and maintaining groundwater recharge. Consequently, it is clear that vegetation management needs to be considered in sustainable water and land use planning in urban areas to build resilience in cities to climatic and other environmental change.

Root water uptake (RWU) by vegetation influences the partitioning of water between transpiration, evaporation, percolation, and surface runoff. Measurements of stable isotopes in water have facilitated estimates of the depth distribution of RWU for various tree species through methodologies based on end member mixing analysis (EMMA). EMMA often assumes that the isotopic composition of tree-stored xylem water (delta(XYLEM)) is representative of the isotopic composition of RWU (delta(RWU)). We tested this assumption within the framework of EcH(2)O-iso, a process-based distributed tracer-aided ecohydrologic model, applied to a small temperate catchment with a vegetation cover of coniferous eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) and deciduous American beech (Fagus grandifolia). We simulated three scenarios for tree water storage and mixing: (a) zero storage (ZS), (b) storage with a well-mixed reservoir (WM), and (c) storage with piston flow (PF). Simulating tree storage (WM and PF) improved the fit to delta(XYLEM) observations over ZS in the summer and fall seasons and substantially altered calibrated RWU depths and stomatal conductance. Our results suggest that there are likely to be advantages to considering tree storage and internal mixing when attempting to interpret delta(XYLEM) in the estimation of RWU depths and critical zone water residence times, particularly during periods of low transpiration. Improved representations of tree water dynamics could yield more accurate ecohydrologic and earth system model representations of the critical zone.

Quantifying the catchment water balance and the characterization of its water quality changes are effective tools for establishing the response of catchments to shifting land management practices. Here we assess long-term hydrological partitioning and stream water chemistry over a 30-year period in a rural mixed land use catchment in northern Germany undergoing riparian wetlands and widespread re-colonization by beavers (Castor fiber) along the river network. We used long-term spatially distributed stream discharge, groundwater levels and surface water quality data with a simple monthly water balance model, changes in the variability in discharge measurements, and statistical analysis of spatio-temporal changes in stream water quality to assess long-term changes. Water balance estimates indicated high proportions of evapotranspiration loss (~90% of total precipitation) and relatively low groundwater recharge (<5% of total precipitation) prior to riparian rehabilitation in 2000. Increasing groundwater levels from 2000 to 2017 and the relatively linear nature of the catchment storage – discharge relationship, indicate a gradual increase in groundwater recharge (buts still <10% of total precipitation). Wetland rehabilitation, greatly enhanced by increasing beaver populations, resulted in longer water transit times in the stream network, less linear storage-discharge relationship and a loss of daily stream variability, increased DOC concentrations, isotopic evaporative enrichment downstream, and moderated stream temperatures. There was limited long-term water quality improvements from wetland rehabilitation on either nitrate or total phosphorus concentrations, with unchanged seasonal summer and winter peak concentrations for phosphorus and nitrate, respectively. This likely reflects the long-term legacy of fertilizer use on nutrient reservoirs in the catchment's soils, aquifers, and stream network. These long-term changes in hydrology and stream chemistry resulting from riparian rehabilitation and changes in agricultural management practices provide invaluable insights into catchment functioning and an evidence base for future planning in relation to long-term climatic changes.

Abstract. Permafrost strongly controls hydrological processes in cold regions, and our understanding of how changes in seasonal and perennial frozen ground disposition and linked storage dynamics affects runoff generation processes remains limited. Storage dynamics and water redistribution are influenced by the seasonal variability and spatial heterogeneity of frozen ground, snow accumulation and melt. Stable isotopes provide a potentially useful technique to quantify the dynamics of water sources, flow paths and ages; yet few studies have employed isotope data in permafrost-influenced catchments. Here, we applied the conceptual model STARR (Spatially distributed Tracer-Aided Rainfall-Runoff model), which facilitates fully distributed simulations of hydrological storage dynamics and runoff processes, isotopic composition and water ages. We adapted this model to a subarctic catchment in Yukon Territory, Canada, with a time-variable implementation of field capacity to include the influence of thaw dynamics. A multi-criteria calibration based on stream flow, snow water equivalent and isotopes was applied to three years of data. The integration of isotope data in the spatially distributed model provided the basis to quantify spatio-temporal dynamics of water storage and ages, emphasizing the importance of thaw layer dynamics in mixing and damping the melt signal. By using the model conceptualisation of spatially and temporally variant storage, this study demonstrates the ability of tracer-aided modelling to capture thaw layer dynamics that cause mixing and damping of the isotopic melt signal.

Ecohydrological models are powerful tools to quantify the effects that independent fluxes may have on catchment storage dynamics. Here, we adapted the tracer-aided ecohydrological model, EcH2O-iso, for cold regions with the explicit conceptualization of dynamic soil freeze–thaw processes. We tested the model at the data-rich Krycklan site in northern Sweden with multi-criterion calibration using discharge, stream isotopes and soil moisture in three nested catchments. We utilized the model's incorporation of ecohydrological partitioning to evaluate the effect of soil frost on evaporation and transpiration water ages, and thereby the age of source waters. The simulation of stream discharge, isotopes, and soil moisture variability captured the seasonal dynamics at all three stream sites and both soil sites, with notable reductions in discharge and soil moisture during the winter months due to the development of the frost front. Stream isotope simulations reproduced the response to the isotopically depleted pulse of spring snowmelt. The soil frost dynamics adequately captured the spatial differences in the freezing front throughout the winter period, despite no direct calibration of soil frost to measured soil temperature. The simulated soil frost indicated a maximum freeze depth of 0.25 m below forest vegetation. Water ages of evaporation and transpiration reflect the influence of snowmelt inputs, with a high proclivity of old water (pre-winter storage) at the beginning of the growing season and a mix of snowmelt and precipitation (young water) toward the end of the summer. Soil frost had an early season influence of the transpiration water ages, with water pre-dating the snowpack mainly sustaining vegetation at the start of the growing season. Given the long-term expected change in the energy balance of northern climates, the approach presented provides a framework for quantifying the interactions of ecohydrological fluxes and waters stored in the soil and understanding how these may be impacted in future.