At the core of ecohydrology, the study of the functional interrelations between hydrology and ecology, is a focus on the need for sustainable (coupled) water resource and ecosystem management. This sub-discipline recognizes the two-way interaction between hydrology and ecology, particularly in terms of the need to assess ecosystem responses to natural and anthropogenically induced water stress.
Water is arguably the most important natural resource in the world. Compared to other resources, water does not have any substitutes for most of its uses. As a result, one of the greatest challenges natural resource managers face is balancing the water needs (quantity and quality) of humans against ecosystems. Recent increases in rural/urban development, resource extraction (e.g., forestry, petro-chemical), and climate change associated natural disturbances (e.g., wildfires, insect infestations) pose a broad range of threats to aquatic ecosystem health, as well as drinking water supplies. Thus, the interests of the Ecohydrology Research Group at TRU are to broadly address questions regarding the effects of increased frequency and severity of natural and anthropogenic disturbances on hydrologic processes, water quantity, water quality, and aquatic ecology.
