Biohydrology 2009 is the second international conference to discuss exclusively the interactions between hydrological and biological processes in soil under conditions of changing climate. It will provide an ideal opportunity for hydrologists, biologists and soil scientists to discuss recent research developments. Key-note lectures from internationally renowned scientists, combined with volunteered papers and posters, will examine the wide range of processes that drive soil biology/hydrology interactions from the micro- to regional-scale.

Conference topics

1. The measurement and modelling of hydrological processes influenced by biology at various scales

Conveners: Dr. P.D. Hallett, Dr. V. Novak

Key-note speakers: Prof. H. Czachor, Prof. G.H. de Rooij,  Dr. H.H. Gerke

Session Information

From bacterial exudates altering the wetting properties of soil particles to forests influencing larger scale water balances, biology has a massive impact on soil hydrological processes. Over the past decade considerable advancement has been made in measuring and modelling the interactions between biology and hydrology in soil from the micrometre to the kilometre, but bridging these scales has presented a considerable challenge. This session will present state-of-the-art advances in measuring hydrological processes at different scales, quantitative studies of the impact of biology, and the development of descriptive and predictive models.

1.1. Modeling of hydrological processes influenced by biology at various scales
Convener: Prof. J. Simunek

2. Biology and soil hydrology interactions with climate

Conveners: Dr. A. Kleidon, Dr. M. Sir

Key-note speakers: Dr. E.L. Davin, Prof. J. Eitzinger, Prof. M. Lapin

Session Information

Soil biological processes and terrestrial vegetation interact and shape environmental conditions as well as the fluxes of energy, water and carbon at the land surface. Through these interactions, biology affects the climatic conditions on land, resulting in positive and negative feedback loops. This session seeks contributions from observational, modelling and theoretical studies, which focus on interactions and feedbacks between soil hydrology, biology and climate, and how these may change under anticipated future climatic change.

3. Interaction between agriculture and soil hydrology

Conveners: Prof. G.E. Schaumann, Dr. K. Rajkai

Key-note speakers: Dr. L. Duester, Prof. M. Kitano, Dr. A. Pierret

Session Information

Land use, farming systems, and agricultural practices may strongly affect water flow, groundwater formation and soil erosion potential. In the light of climate change, where an increase in duration of dry periods as well as strong precipitation events is expected in many areas of the world, we envisage an increasing risk for preferential flow and soil erosion. The objective of this session is to critically review and discuss common agricultural practices like tillage, fertilization, irrigation and other with respect to their effects and potential risks in different land use forms and farming systems. We welcome contributions from applied researches as well as fundamental studies on possible interactions and mechanisms linking agricultural practices and changes in soil chemical, physicochemical and physical properties leading to changes in soil hydrology.

4. Influence of biology on soil hydrological processes in natural systems

Conveners: Prof. A. Cerda, Dr. M. Tesar

Key-note speakers: Dr. L.H. Cammeraat, Prof. J. Cermak, Dr. S. De Baets

Session Information

The biological activity affects the soil hydrological processes such as the infiltration, water redistribution, surface and subsurface runoff, transpiration and evaporation, and groundwater recharge. The hydrological cycle is highly modified by plants and animals at the soil interface. Within the last decades, an increasing interest by the scientific community on the interactions of plants/animals with non-disturbed soil hydrological processes contributed with a broad knowledge advance. This session will review those findings and will show the new improvements. As all the participants will be interested on the biological influence on soil hydrology, future research challenges will be examined and scientific project proposals will be discussed. This will be a unique opportunity for joining other research groups and plan future research proposals. This session welcomes fundamental and applied contributions that explore the biologic influence on soil hydrology through experimentation, observation, and theoretical approaches (or a combination of them), ranging from pore to basin scales. 

5. Managing soils to improve interactions between biology and hydrology

Conveners: Prof. S.H. Doerr, Dr. L. Lichner

Key-note speakers: Dr. S.J. Kostka, Prof. E.V. Shein, Dr. A.G. Williams

Session Information

Biological factors such as biopores, bioturbation, allelopathy, water repellency and organic matter decomposition processes can have major repercussions for soil hydrological processes and resulting plant growth and soil erosion. Their effects can be positive or detrimental, with careful land management aiming to provide the desired balance. This session will examine (i) how land management can reduce detrimental impacts related to biohydrological processes, such as, for example, poor wettability, preferential flow, accelerated leaching of agricultural chemicals and poor water retention, but will also consider (ii) positive effects such as soil stabilisation, aggregation and land restoration. This session welcomes fundamental and applied contributions relevant to any of the above areas.

5.1. Using the wetting agents in mitigation of soil water repellency
Convener: Dr. S.J. Kostka

 

Plenary session

Convener: Prof. C.J. Ritsema

Key-note speakers: Prof. J. Bachmann, Prof. P. Baveye, Prof. W.E.H. Blum, Prof. A.D. Ferreira, Prof. R. Horn, Prof. N. Jarvis, Prof. G.P. Matthews, Prof. J. Nieber, Prof. J. Simunek, Prof. K.R.J. Smettem, Prof. T.S. Steenhuis, Prof. R. Wallach

Key-note speakers

Prof. Joerg Bachmann, University of Hannover, Hannover, Germany 
Prof. Philippe Baveye, SIMBIOS Centre, Abertay University, Dundee, UK 
Prof. Winfried E.H. Blum, University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
Dr. Erik L.H. Cammeraat, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Prof. Jan Cermak, Mendel University of Agriculture and Forestry, Brno, Czech Republic
Prof. Henryk Czachor, Institute of Agrophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Lublin, Poland
Dr. Edouard L. Davin, Institute for Atmospheric and Climate Science, ETH, Zurich, Switzerland
Dr. Sarah De Baets, Katholieke Universiteit, Leuven, Belgium 
Prof. Gerrit H. de Rooij, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
Dr. Lars Duester, University Koblenz-Landau, Landau, Germany
Prof. Josef Eitzinger, University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria 
Prof. Antonio D. Ferreira, Escola Superior Agraria de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
Dr. Horst H. Gerke, Leibniz-Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF), Muencheberg, Germany
Prof. Rainer Horn, Christian-Albrechts-University, Kiel, Germany
Prof. Nick Jarvis, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
Prof. Masaharu Kitano, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan 
Dr. Stanley J. Kostka, Aquatrols Corporation of America, Paulsboro, NJ, USA 
Prof. Milan Lapin, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia
Prof. John Nieber, University of Minnesota, St Paul, USA
Dr. Alain Pierret, International Water Management Institute, Vientiane, Lao PDR 
Prof. Evgeny V. Shein, Moscow State University named M.V.Lomonosov, Moscow, Russia
Prof. Jirka Simunek, University of California Riverside, Riverside, USA
Prof. Tammo S. Steenhuis, Cornell University, Ithaca, USA
Prof. Rony Wallach, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
Dr. Andrew G. Williams, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, UK 

Conference chairmen

Dr. Paul D. Hallett, Scottish Crop Research Institute, Invergowrie, Dundee, UK

Prof. Coen J. Ritsema, ALTERRA Green World Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands

Steering committee

Dr. Lubomir Lichner, Institute of Hydrology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia (chairman) 

Prof. Artemi Cerda, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain

Prof. Stefan H. Doerr, Swansea University, Swansea, UK

Dr. Paul D. Hallett, Scottish Crop Research Institute, Invergowrie, Dundee, UK

Dr. Axel Kleidon, Max-Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Jena, Germany

Dr. Viliam Novak, Institute of Hydrology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia

Dr. Kalman Rajkai, Research Institute for Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary

Prof. Gabriele E. Schaumann, University Koblenz-Landau, Koblenz, Germany

Dr. Miloslav Sir, Institute of Hydrodynamics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic

Dr. Vlasta Stekauerova, Institute of Hydrology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia

Dr. Miroslav Tesar, Institute of Hydrodynamics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic

Organized by:

Institute of Hydrology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia		Institute of Hydrodynamics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague, Czech Republic
Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava,  Faculty of Civil Engineering, Bratislava, Slovakia
University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain		Swansea University, Swansea, UK
University Koblenz-Landau, Koblenz, Germany
ALTERRA Green World Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
Scottish Crop Research Institute, Invergowrie, Dundee, UK
Max-Planck-Institut for Biogeochemistry, Jena, Germany
Research Institute for Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary

Organized jointly with:

International Association of  Hydrological Sciences International Commission on Coupled Land-Atmosphere Systems Joint organizer of Session 2	International Hydrological Programme of UNESCO Slovak National Committee for Hydrology Czech National Committee for Hydrology
International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme Slovak National IGBP Committee	International Union of Soil Sciences Commission 2.1 – Soil Physics
Soil Water Repellency Society	Aquatrols Corporation of America  Joint organizer of Session 5
Slovak Bioclimatological Society Joint organizer of Session 2	Czech Bioclimatological Society Joint organizer of Session 2

Important dates

Last day for submission of the registration form and abstract

• for the participants keen to publish in the pre-conference special issue of Biologia: May 31, 2008

• for the participants keen to present a lecture: May 15, 2009

• for the participants keen to present a poster: September 15, 2009

Notification of acceptance of abstract for oral presentation: May 31, 2009

2nd announcement with the time schedule of the conference: June 30, 2009

Registration fee

Regular participant fee is 170 EUR (before February 28, 2009) and 200 EUR (after March 1, 2009). PhD-student fee is 140 EUR (before February 28, 2009) and 170 EUR (after March 1, 2009). The fee includes four lunches, coffee breaks, and ice-breaker party.

Note that the authors of papers in the special issue of Biologia will pay the fee 200 EUR, to cover the costs of printed version.

Payment Details

Bank (Name and full adress): Vseobecna uverova banka a.s., Mlynske Nivy 1, 829 90 Bratislava, Slovakia

Account number: 70000 09429/8180

IBAN: SK71 8180 0000 0070 0000 9429

SWIFT: SUBASKBX

Beneficiary (Name and full adress): Institute of Hydrology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Racianska 75, 831 02 Bratislava, Slovakia

Identification number of organization: 00166600

Message: 21000007 + name of the participant

Contacts

Dr. Lubomir Lichner

Institute of Hydrology

Slovak Academy of Sciences

Racianska 75

831 02 Bratislava

Slovak Republic

tel.: (421)2-49268227

fax: (421)2-44259404

E-mail: lichner@uh.savba.sk

Conference venue

The conference will take place at the SUZA complex (Drotarska cesta 46, 811 04 Bratislava, http://www.suza.sk/index.php?set_lang=english), with a conference hall for 300 participants, restaurant, and **hotel with 60 double rooms. 

Posters

The posters should have maximum 65 cm width and 105 cm height.

Special Issues

Special/Thematic Issues of Biologia, Ecohydrology, International Agrophysics, Journal of Hydrology and Journal of Hydrology and Hydromechanics will be published containing research presented at the conference.

Last updated: 04.11.2009