Zheng et al. (2026) Trade‐Offs in Constraining Evapotranspiration Estimates in Complex Landscapes Using a Tracer‐Aided Ecohydrological Model

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Identification

• Journal: Hydrological Processes
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-06-25
• Authors: Hanwu Zheng, Doerthe Tetzlaff, Christian Birkel, Songjun Wu, Christian Marx, Tobias Goldhammer, Chris Soulsby
• DOI: 10.1002/hyp.70625

Research Groups

• Institute for Hydrology, University of Freiburg
• Department of Water Resources Management, Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg

Short Summary

This study investigates the trade-offs among different observations in estimating evapotranspiration (ET) in a heavily managed catchment, revealing that isotopic data uniquely captures ET partitioning but is limited by trade-offs with other observations.

Objective

• Investigate the linkages between ecohydrological functioning and ET processes in a heavily managed catchment

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Middle Spree catchment (~2800 km^2) in NE Germany, including the Spreewald wetland (~472 km^2)
• Temporal Scale: 20-year period

Methodology and Data

• Models used: STARR (tracer-aided, spatially distributed catchment model)
• Data sources: discharge, stable water isotopes, remote sensing products, groundwater abstraction data

Main Results

• Discharge and temporal ET patterns can constrain water balance volumes, but their influence is modulated by ET-dominated wetlands and human management.
• Incorporating spatial ET patterns and isotopic observations leads to more plausible spatial representations of hydrological processes (i.e., ET and subsurface storage).
• Isotopic data uniquely captures relative contributions of evaporation and transpiration to total ET (ET partitioning).

Contributions

• This study provides richer and more integrated insights into how human management influences ecohydrological functioning in complex ET-dominated catchments.
• The findings highlight the importance of considering trade-offs among different observations when estimating ET.

Funding

• German Research Foundation (DFG) project "Ecohydrological functioning in managed catchments" (grant number: [insert grant number])
• European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No. [insert grant number]

Citation

@article{Zheng2026TradeOffs,
  author = {Zheng, Hanwu and Tetzlaff, Doerthe and Birkel, Christian and Wu, Songjun and Marx, Christian and Goldhammer, Tobias and Soulsby, Chris},
  title = {Trade‐Offs in Constraining Evapotranspiration Estimates in Complex Landscapes Using a Tracer‐Aided Ecohydrological Model},
  journal = {Hydrological Processes},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1002/hyp.70625},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.70625}
}