Master Project Example - Hydrological Impacts of Woody Plant Uptake of Water from Bedrock

A recent study (McCormick et al., 2021) quantified the extent to which woody plants use water from pores and fractures in bedrock. This process has important implications for local hydrology, as it may reduce surface runoff, alter evapotranspiration rates, and influence snowmelt dynamics. This can result in changes in flood peaks and discharge timing. These effects of the uptake of water by woody plants of water from bedrock still need to be quantified. Therefore, this masters project will aim to investigate the role of vegetation on bedrock is within the hydrological cycle. In order to achieve this, different areas with and without vegetation will need to be analyzed using hydrological parameters such as run-off, snow melt, floods and evaporation. The analysis will focus on sites in Norway, where large, publicly available environmental and hydrological datasets are accessible. The analyses will be conducted using Python and GIS software (QGIS/ArcGIS). ReferenceMcCormick, E.L., Dralle, D.N., Hahm, W.J. et al. Widespread woody plant use of water stored in bedrock