The geophysical toolbox applied to forest ecosystems - A review.

Studying the forest subsurface is a challenge because of its heterogeneous nature and difficult access. Traditional approaches used by ecologists to characterize the subsurface have a low spatial representativity. This review article illustrates how geophysical techniques can and have been used to get new insights into forest ecology.

Hydrogeophysical monitoring of intense rainfall infiltration in the karst critical zone: A unique electrical resistivity tomography data set.

The common hydrogeological concepts assume that water mostly enters and flows in fractured and karstified media through preferential pathways related to discontinuities. But it is difficult to locate discontinuities and even more to relate those to possible or effective water routes, particularly when soil or scree covers near surface features. When and where does water flow underground? How fast? Are we able to monitor the infiltration processes? A unique large scale Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) surface based time-lapse experiment was carried out in fractured and karstified carbonate rock during a typical Mediterranean autumn rainy episode (230mm of rain over 17 days).

Tree xylem water isotope analysis by Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry and laser spectrometry: A dataset to explore tree response to drought.

Water isotopes from plant xylem and surrounding environment are increasingly used in eco-hydrological studies. Carrière et al. [1] analyzed a dataset of water isotopes in (i) the xylem of three different tree species, (ii) the surrounding soil and drainage water and (iii) the underlying karst groundwater, to understand tree water uptake during drought in two different Mediterranean forests on karst setting.

Karst recharge-discharge semi distributed model to assess spatial variability of flows.

Aquifer recharge assessment is a key factor for sustainable groundwater resource management. Although main factors of the spatial and temporal variability of recharge are known, taking them into account in a distributed or semi-distributed model is still a challenging task. This difficulty is increased in karst environments.

The role of deep vadose zone water in tree transpiration during drought periods in karst settings - Insights from isotopic tracing and leaf water potential.

Karst environments are unusual because their dry, stony and shallow soils seem to be unfavorable to vegetation, and yet they are often covered with forests. How can trees survive in these environments? Where do they find the water that allows them to survive? This study uses midday and predawn water potentials and xylem water isotopes of branches to assess tree water status and the origin of transpired water. Monitoring was conducted during the summers of 2014 and 2015 in two dissimilar plots of Mediterranean forest located in karst environments.