My name is Zuosinan Chen, a forest ecohydrologist from the Snow Hydrology and Modelling research group at the University of Oulu. Thanks to WATSON and the STSM programme, I had the opportunity to visit Prof. Daniele Penna’s group at the University of Florence. The fruitful and sunny week started from visiting the Re della Pietra catchment located in Tuscany. Prof. D Penna introduced the comprehensive hydrological and ecohydrological experimental set-up there. It includes measurements of water isotopes and fluxes in throughfall, stem flow, soil moisture, and xylem water, and stream water. At the forested hillslope site, I worked closely with the visiting doctoral researcher, Clara Rohde, and the group members. The field work was part of the collaborative field campaign aimed at comparing tree water use strategies across different forested hillslopes in different countries. I learned, practiced, and helped with isotope sampling of phloem flow and tree cores, as well as installing heat-pulse sap flow sensors and point dendrometers. The wonderful experience I gained under the beech canopy in Tuscany could be immediately helpful when I build up the boreal forest ecohydrology set-up at Oulanka Research Station (Finland) in summer 2024, which highly relies on in-situ and high-frequency water isotope and water flux measurements along the tree water uptake pathway (seasonal source – soil – roots – trunk). Back indoors, I presented my and SHaM group’s ongoing projects related to isotope-based ecohydrology research. Prof D Penna and the group members further explained/introduced their research and sites in more detail. Several ideas and
collaboration possibilities focusing on tree water uptake were developed for the short and medium term future.
Zuosinan Chen is the recipient of a Short term scientific missions grant
