Shower thoughts: why scientists should spend more time in the rain

Abstract

Stormwater is a vital resource and dynamic driver of terrestrial ecosystem processes. However, processes controlling interactions during and shortly after storms are often poorly seen and poorly sensed when direct observations are substituted with technological ones. We discuss how human observations complement technological ones and the benefits of scientists spending more time in the storm. Human observation can reveal ephemeral storm-related phenomena such as biogeochemical hot moments, organismal responses, and sedimentary processes that can then be explored in greater resolution using sensors and virtual experiments. Storm-related phenomena trigger lasting, oversized impacts on hydrologic and biogeochemical processes, organismal traits or functions, and ecosystem services at all scales. We provide examples of phenomena in forests, across disciplines and scales, that have been overlooked in past research to inspire mindful, holistic observation of ecosystems during storms. We conclude that technological observations alone are insufficient to trace the process complexity and unpredictability of fleeting biogeochemical or ecological events without the shower thoughts produced by scientists’ human sensory and cognitive systems during storms.

A recipe for why and how to set up and sustain an experimental catchment

“…Analogously, at the same time, Burt and McDonnell (2015) promoted a renaissance of field hydrology both at the individual and community level, stating that "hydrology is an outdoor science-where our data come from and our ideas are ultimately tested" (Burt & McDonnell, 2015). More recently, Van Stan et al (2023) invited researchers to spend more time under the rain arguing that "The combination of human experiences in the storm […] with technological tools arguably produce the best odds for scientific advancement." We are now in the digital and virtual era and hydrology is experiencing an unprecedented availability of big data based on remote sensing, machine learning, and a plethora of more or less complex models to investigate surface and subsurface processes at different spatial and temporal scales (Adamala, 2017;Chen & Wang, 2018;van Hateren et al, 2023;Vereecken et al, 2022).…”

“…Especially when it rains (cf. Van Stan et al, 2023)! Finally, as noted by McNamara et al (2018), education and research activities in the field help to develop a "sense of place" (a sense of human emotional attachment to a particular spatial setting, see Leather & Thorsteinsson, 2021) fostering catchments as spaces, that is, unspecific locations, to become places, that is, more local, personal, and storied locations.…”

“…Analogously, at the same time, Burt and McDonnell (2015) promoted a renaissance of field hydrology both at the individual and community level, stating that “hydrology is an outdoor science—where our data come from and our ideas are ultimately tested” (Burt & McDonnell, 2015). More recently, Van Stan et al (2023) invited researchers to spend more time under the rain arguing that “The combination of human experiences in the storm […] with technological tools arguably produce the best odds for scientific advancement.” We are now in the digital and virtual era and hydrology is experiencing an unprecedented availability of big data based on remote sensing, machine learning, and a plethora of more or less complex models to investigate surface and subsurface processes at different spatial and temporal scales (Adamala, 2017; Chen & Wang, 2018; van Hateren et al, 2023; Vereecken et al, 2022). Thus, despite the recommendations reported above, the following questions can arise: As computer power is becoming less expensive, field work more risky, and field data collection increasingly limited by financial and logistical constraints (Burt & McDonnell, 2015; Seibert et al, 2024), does it make sense to keep collecting experimental data, in some cases at high spatial and temporal resolution, that we can hardly analyse, at least during a typical PhD or postdoc time‐span?…”

Inundation dynamics in seasonally dry floodplain forests in southeastern Brazil

“…Very few studies have actually measured the variability in water levels and the duration of surface flooding (i.e., inundation) across floodplains because data acquisition during the flood season is challenging (Van Stan et al, 2023). However, there are some notable exceptions.…”