GROUNDWATER ECOLOGY IN GLACIAL FLOOD PLAIN

Diversity and distribution of interstitial communities in a glacial flood plain (Val Roseg): hydrological constraints at the catchment scale: The diversity and spatio-temporal distribution of hyporheic communities are dependent upon a variety of factors which operate at different scales. This project aims to determine the influence of groundwater / surface water interactions at the catchment scale on the distribution in space and time of the hyporheos of a glacial flood plain (Val Roseg, Swiss Alps). Current investigations are determining the role of seasonal shift in water sources and flow paths (i.e. ground water versus glacial water), hydrological connectivity, and expansion / contraction cycle of the channel network on the diversity of hyporheic communities.