Our team has expertise in forest ecology, vegetation dynamics and plant–water interactions, with a particular focus on long-term responses of forest ecosystems to environmental and hydrological change. We combine historical permanent-plot resurveys with high-frequency monitoring of tree responses using automatic dendrometers, vegetation surveys and environmental measurements.
For the Water4All call, we are particularly interested in water-dependent forest ecosystems, including peatland and floodplain forests, and in linking long-term vegetation changes with high-resolution tree responses to groundwater and soil-water availability. We can contribute unique long-term vegetation datasets and established permanent plots in Central European forest ecosystems, together with expertise in dendrometer-based monitoring of tree growth and stem-water dynamics.
Topic 1. Integrated Monitoring and Assessment for Sustainable Water Management
Topic 2. Nature-Based Approaches for Resilient Water Management at Hydrological and Hydrogeological System Scale
We are developing a proposal for Water4All 2026 – Topic 2: Nature-Based Approaches for Resilient Water Management focused on the ecohydrological resilience of water-dependent forest ecosystems.
The project will investigate how changes in groundwater availability, soil moisture and flooding regimes affect forest ecosystems across different temporal scales. We plan to combine long-term vegetation records and resurveys of historical permanent plots with high-frequency automatic dendrometer monitoring, groundwater and soil-moisture measurements, and bryophyte and vascular-plant surveys. Our Czech study systems include peatland forests and potentially floodplain forests, providing long-term datasets and established research sites.
The aim is to identify hydrological thresholds of ecosystem stress and recovery and translate them into practical recommendations for nature-based restoration and sustainable water management.
We are looking for international partners who can contribute complementary peatland, wetland or floodplain forest study systems, particularly partners with expertise in hydrology/ecohydrology, groundwater–vegetation interactions, hydrological monitoring or modelling. We are especially interested in developing a common monitoring framework across countries to test the transferability of hydrological thresholds and restoration approaches under contrasting climatic and hydrological conditions.