The modeling of hydrological cycle and its interaction with vegetation in the framework of climate change

Simone Fatichi’s doctoral thesis entitled: “The modeling of hydrological cycle and its interaction with vegetation in the framework of climate change” presents a blueprint methodology for studying climate change impacts as inferred from climate models on eco-hydrological dynamics at the plot and catchment scale. The topic is considered high relevant and quite new because of the demand and the growing interest in extending climate change predictions to catchment-size scales and identify their implications on hydrological and ecological processes. The mechanistic detailed approach adopted to tackle this issue represents a novelty in the field. Many scientific contributions are identifiable in the thesis, accompanied by a thorough literature review. The main contribution is the proposed blueprint and the possibility that such a methodology offers in terms of ecohydrological predictions in a changing climate. Interesting results are discussed for the analyzed case study, but generally the methodology can be the starting point for other researches. In his thesis Simone Fatichi develops new numerical tools, such as a weather generator and a joint hydrological-vegetation dynamic model that represent a noticeable research value in its own that goes beyond the thesis scope.