Topics

Contributions are solicited addressing the interaction between and interdependence of ecology and groundwater. Contributions should relate to the importance of groundwater and(or) groundwater/surface water and hyporheic zone interaction to the ecological systems and ecological processes of concern.

The following sessions are planned:

• Session A: Interactions between surface water, hyporheic zone, saturated and unsaturated groundwater
• Session B: Connections between ecology and groundwater recharge and evapotranspiration
• Session C: Plant-groundwater interactions
• Session D: Links between hydrology and biogeochemistry in groundwater
• Session E: Modelling surface-water-groundwater systems
• Session F: Modelling interactions between hydrology and ecology
• Session G: Management, legal and regulatory issues
• Session H: Bio-indicators of groundwater and surface water quality
• Session I: Land use implications (including restoration and ecohydrology)

• Session K: Global change (human activity, natural changes): from noises to trends
  This session includes attention to, among others:
  - long term series;
  - pertinent scales of appraisal of changes;
  - indicators of changes;
  - the importance of combining ecology and hydrology to define new sensitive tools to measure changes;
  - revisiting the current monitoring strategies/policies;
  - modelling;
  - dealing with uncertainties.

• Session S: Special Session “Landscape versus local controls on water quality in small streams”

The Special Session S aims to evaluate the respective role of landscape scale versus local scale processes/structures in controlling water quality in small streams.

The Special Session S will be chaired by Dr Gilles Pinay, Chair Professor of Hydroecology, School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, UK.

When you submit an abstract through the Abstract Submission web page, in its subpage 'Select Topic ID Numbers' you can indicate there (check box) that you intend to contribute to this Special Session S.

• Session S-WFD: Special Session “Upscaling from individual ecosystems to groundwater bodies in the light of the Water Framework Directive implementation“

Interactions between groundwater and associated groundwater-dependent aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems have to be considered in the context of status classification, monitoring and achievement under the Water Framework Directive (WFD). However, lack of scientific insight is often given as reason for not fully investigating these interactions and taking existing knowledge into account within the WFD River Basin Management Plans of different EU member states.

The Special Session S-WFD aims to:
a) organize a science-policy interfacing debate between scientists and policymakers about interactions between groundwater and groundwater-dependent terrestrial ecosystems and surface waters under the Water Framework Directive and identify the main implementation drawbacks;

b) challenge scientists to outline and demonstrate how their research outcomes could be used in implementing this part of the WFD;

c) evaluate those ideas by a panel of policy makers and the participants of the session. The best ideas will be rewarded and communicated to EU groundwater experts and policy makers (CIS WFD working group on groundwater and DG Environment).

The Special Session S-WFD will be chaired by:
- Philippe Quevauviller, Scientific Officer at European Commission and Associate Professor at Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium, and
- Michiel Zijp, National Institute of Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), the Netherlands.

When you submit an abstract through the Abstract Submission web page, in its subpage 'Select Topic ID Numbers' you can indicate there (check box) that you intend to contribute to this Special Session S-WFD.

For questions about this Special Session S-WFD please contact Mr Michiel Zijp (michiel.zijp@rivm.nl).

CLICK HERE to download a summary of the obligations of the WFD and the problems EU member states experience in implementing the issue considered in this Special Session S-WFD.

Appropriate topics, by way of example, include the following:

• [1] Ecology-information requirements for groundwater/surface-water related systems and problems. What do ecologists wish/expect from hydrologists? Can hydrologists use ecological information? Do hydrologists and ecologists understand each other properly?
• [2] Measurements and descriptors of the groundwater system important to ecologists
• [3] Monitoring of groundwater (saturated, unsaturated, shallow, deep) and its application for ecological purposes
• [5] Integrated approaches for design and management
• [10] Legal/regulatory setting/framework (e.g. EU's Water Framework Directive ecological requirements)
• [20] Interaction of ecology and groundwater recharge, chemistry, and biology
• [21] Relationships between environmental conditions (soil moisture, pH, etc.) and occurrence of groundwater-dependent species (plants etc.), and groundwater modelling for these abiotic factors
• [30] Integrated modelling of saturated-unsaturated and surface-water systems, with applications for ecology-related studies (wetlands, riverine systems, etc.)
• [31] Catchment modelling, with applications for ecology-related studies
• [32] Modelling of groundwater seepage (quantity, chemistry, dynamics, etc.) to surficial ecosystems, with applications for ecology-related studies
• [40] Role of subsurface organisms in purifying groundwater, including relation to groundwater flow and the simulation of groundwater flow
• [43] Ecosystem disturbances such as land use change, wildfires and permafrost melting and resulting changes in groundwater recharge, flow, and chemistry
• [45] Wetland ecology and the role of groundwater –mapping, vegetation, processes, restoration, etc.
• [46] Riverine (riparian) ecology and the role of groundwater –mapping, vegetation, processes, restoration, etc.
• [47] Estuary ecology and the role of groundwater –mapping, vegetation, processes, restoration, etc.
• [50] Biogeochemical cycles such as carbon and nitrogen as affected by the interaction of groundwater and ecology
• [51] Nitrogen removal from groundwater or water by ecological processes
• [55] Groundwater contamination effects on ecological systems and processes
• [70] Interactions and feedbacks between groundwater, vegetation and precipitation
• [80] Restoration of groundwater-dependent ecosystems, as a joint effort of ecologists and hydrologists
• [91] Case studies
• [--] Other subjects

The numbers between brackets are so-called "topic identification numbers" relating to your abstract. You will have to select the numbers best describing your work before you submit your abstract.