Harald Grip

The study presents a hydrology concept developed to include lateral water flow in the biogeochemical model ForSAFE. The hydrology concept was evaluated against data collected at Svartberget in the Vindeln Research Forest in Northern Sweden. The results show that the new concept allows simulation of a saturated and an unsaturated zone in the soil as well as water flow that reaches the stream comparable to measurements. The most relevant differences compared to streamflow measurements are that the model simulates a higher base flow in winter and lower flow peaks after snowmelt. These differences are mainly caused by the assumptions made to regulate the percolation at the bottom of the simulated soil columns. The capability for simulating lateral flows and a saturated zone in ForSAFE can greatly improve the simulation of chemical exchange in the soil and export of elements from the soil to watercourses. Such a model can help improve the understanding of how environmental changes in the forest landscape will influence chemical loads to surface waters.

During the last decades of the 19th century, a great worry arose about forest landscape paludification in Northern Sweden. This was the original impetus for forest hydrological research in Sweden, and the Swedish Institute of Experimental Forestry established the first field research site in 1905 at Rokliden, close to Piteå in North Sweden. It comprised 8.64 ha located 2 km down a 3‐km‐long gently sloping (~4%), north facing Norway spruce covered till slope, interspersed with small mires. By 1931, it was concluded that paludification was not spreading across Northern Sweden at an appreciable rate. Within the Rokliden research site, 22 groundwater wells were installed and levels measured weekly until 1926. A map with 0.5 m equidistance, ten vegetation classes, and soil profiles was established. Groundwater flow velocity was estimated by tracing added sodium chloride. Hydraulic conductivity was measured on undisturbed soil cores, while mechanical and chemical analyses were carried out on other samples. Groundwater was collected and analysed for dissolved compounds including oxygen. Hydrology was found important for soil types and vegetation development. The necessary profile drainage for podzol soil development was identified as vein drainage at the bedrock surface. Modern measurements in the re‐established groundwater observation network and re‐analysis of old data confirmed the plausibility of these original conclusions. Partial catchment area could explain rates of both groundwater level rise and recession. Revisiting this field study reveals that many issues in contemporary hillslope hydrology were already established a century ago, even though the provenance of that knowledge is not generally recognized. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.