Controls on soil moisture & hydro. response a Mediterr. catchment

Controls on soil moisture variability and hydrological response to extreme events in a small Mediterranean catchment

The functioning and hydrological response of Mediterranean catchments depend on the strong meteorological seasonality typical of this region. Extreme hydrometeorological events, such as droughts and floods, superimpose such seasonality, enhancing and complicating the (eco)hydrological response of Mediterranean catchments. Understanding how catchments react to these events is a fundamental step towards a more detailed analysis of water storage and release processes and, ultimately, sustaining water resources management.
In this presentation, I will show hydrometeorological data collected between 2021 and 2024 in the 2 km2 “Re della Pietra” experimental catchment, Tuscany, Central Italy. The site is a densely forested headwater catchment in the Apennine Mountain range, with mean annual precipitation of 1121 mm and mean annual temperature of 11.3 °C (2019-2023).