Hydrological cycle and tree water use in remnant urban reserves

Natural habitats are increasingly removed to accommodate the rapid expansion of cities. What remains of the natural habitats is often fragmented into small and isolated patches of natural vegetation, which maintain high level of urban biodiversity and provide a collection of ecosystem services essential to the urban dwellers. These areas are often embedded in a highly disturbed environment, thus being subjected to biophysical and ecological conditions different from those prior to urbanization. Combining field experimentation and ecohydrological modeling, this project provides a unique and comprehensive analysis of the water dynamics and tree water use in small natural urban reserves.