The planet’s future may depend on building a deeper understanding of ecohydrology—the study of the connections between living things and water—in the Amazon.

In the early 2000s a massive drought hit the Amazon basin. Researchers expected the forest canopy to shut down—but they found the opposite. While some species did pull back to conserve water, others got greener even through the driest period.

Understanding the science behind the rainforest could help researchers predict future global impacts due to climate change and seek solutions.

Meet Valeriy Ivanov

Valeriy Ivanov, PhD, is Associate Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at University of Michigan.

 

Field Site K67

K67 (named by locals for its proximity to kilometer 67 on highway BR-163) is an Amazon rainforest field site located in the Tapajós National Forest in Brazil.

The site provides equipment such as the 200’ tall AmeriFlux tower, which focuses measurements on carbon dioxide, as well as below ground sensors for soil water content.

 

Field Equipment

Ivanov installs and monitors sap flow sensors and stem psychrometers to measure water flow within the tree.

Measurements such as canopy structure or photosynthesis are taken by colleagues who specialize in plant physiology.

The collected data from K67 allows for an integrated view of how trees function in the rainforest, and allows Ivanov to create better predictive models.

 

Plant Strategies

Tyeen Taylor works closely with Ivanov at field site K67 and is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Michigan, specializing in plant interactions with the atmosphere.

Diverse species of trees have different survival strategies. These different “bets” help the Amazon rainforest survive and thrive.

 

 

Power of the Model

Ivanov creates predictive models that help us understand the future of the Amazon. But how do you accurately, yet efficiently, represent 16,000 species of trees in a computer model?

 

 

Working in a Rainforest

Field work in the Amazon comes with many trials, errors, and challenges.

 

 

Collaborators

Back at base camp, U-M researchers and local collaborators forge friendships and discover shared curiosities that make doing science in the Amazon possible.

 

Brazil field footage and specimen photos courtesy of Joseph Xu and Tyeen Taylor, University of Michigan College of Engineering.

 

 

 

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