We visit our study area (part of the “Waldlabor Zürich”), which is about a 10-minute walk from the Hönggerberg campus and easily accessible via forest paths. Together we go on a one-hour “forest walk” during which we learn about the essential components of the water cycle in the forest and “follow” a raindrop on its journey: Part of the rain is caught in the treetops and evaporates back into the atmosphere, another part is drained along the trunk, and another part of the water is temporarily stored in the litter, in the lying deadwood and in the forest floor itself. Only a small part of all raindrops then reaches the subsoil and is absorbed again by the plants after hours, days, weeks or years and evaporates or ends up as runoff in the stream. Understanding these processes helps us to assess the impact of climate change on the water balance of Swiss forests.

We visit our study area (part of the “Waldlabor Zürich”), which is about a 10-minute walk from the Hönggerberg campus and easily accessible via forest paths. Together we go on a one-hour “forest walk” during which we learn about the essential components of the water cycle in the forest and “follow” a raindrop on its journey: Part of the rain is caught in the treetops and evaporates back into the atmosphere, another part is drained along the trunk, and another part of the water is temporarily stored in the litter, in the lying deadwood and in the forest floor itself. Only a small part of all raindrops then reaches the subsoil and is absorbed again by the plants after hours, days, weeks or years and evaporates or ends up as runoff in the stream. Understanding these processes helps us to assess the impact of climate change on the water balance of Swiss forests.