Groundwater and Ecology

Groundwater is not only a vital water resource for human consumption but there are also intense exchange processes and interconnections with surface waters, terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. The sustainable use and protection of groundwater resources requires intact ecosystems. Aquifers themselves are also ecosystems and harbor a “hidden biodiversity” that should be protected.

Our research focuses on the hydrogeology of groundwater-dependent ecosystems (GDE) and the hydrological, biological and geochemical processes in these systems, with the goal to achieve a better understanding and protection of these unique and diverse ecosystems.

Relations between groundwater flow systems and groundwater-dependent ecosystems (Bertrand, Goldscheider et al. 2012)sdsd