Unlike hydraulic engineers, we address ecohydraulics from an ecological perspective and attempt to understand fundamental coupled physical, chemical and biological processes in stream ecosystems. This is relevant to better understand and predict the response of life and ecological processes in streams to global change and to climate change. To untangle the complexity of coupled processes, we experimented with a variety of experimental approaches ranging from 40-meters long streamside flumes to bench-top flumes and various bioreactors.
Further reading
1. Singer, G.A., Besemer, K., Schmitt-Kopplin, P., Hödl, I.-A. & TJ Battin (2010) Physical heterogeneity increases biofilm resource use and its molecular diversity in stream mesocosms. PLoS ONE 5(4): e9988. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0009988.
2. Ceola S, I Hödl, M Adlboller, GA Singer, E Bertuzzo, L Mari, G Botter, TJ Battin & A Rinaldo. (2013) Hydrologic variability enhances stream biofilm grazing by invertebrates. PlosONE doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0060629.
3. Hall EK, K. Besemer, L. Kohl, C. Preiler, K. Riedel, T. Schneider,W. Wanek & TJ Battin. (2012) Effects of resource chemistry on the composition and function of stream hyporheic biofilms. Frontiers in Aquatic Microbiology. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2012.00035.
4. Wagner K, MM Bengtsson,K Besemer,A Sieczko,NR Burns,ER Herberg & TJ Battin(2014)Functional and structural responses of hyporheic biofilms to varying sources of dissolved organic matter. Applied and Environmental Microbiology. doi:10.1128/AEM.01128-14
5. Ceola S, E. Bertuzzo, G. Singer, T.J. Battin, A. Montanari & A. Rinaldo (2014) Hydrologic controls on basin-scale distribution of benthic macroinvertebrates. Water Resources Research 50, doi:10.1002/2013WR015112..