Project Grant 2305616

This two-year, $180,000 Project Grant from the National Science Foundation's Geosciences program (CFDA 47.050) will fund research into the influence of critical zone water storage on forest drought vulnerability and transpiration fluxes across complex mountainous terrain in Colorado. The grantee will employ field investigations using seismic surveys and electrical resistivity tomography to gather data on belowground structure and water storage along hillslope transects in the Boulder Creek watershed. Information on subsurface water storage dynamics will be combined with tree ecophysiological measurements to improve understanding of how critical zone water storage regulates water fluxes and influences forest drought stress. The research aims to advance mechanistic knowledge of how climatic conditions and subsurface features govern water movement across mountain environments. Outcomes will inform scientists and forest managers seeking to bolster forest drought resilience and sustainable water resource management amid increasing climatic pressures.