The relevance of hydrological research in small catchments – A perspective from long-term monitoring sites in Europe

Abstract

The usefulness of small (<10 km2) catchments has been repeatedly recognized during the recent history of hydrological research. This foreword to the special issue of Cuadernos de Investigación Geográfica – Geographical Research Letters devoted to long term hydrological research in small catchment in Europe highlights the main reasons for promoting the small catchment approach and revises its growing use, starting with the first catchment studies in Switzerland for forest management purposes, and followed by the development of more interdisciplinary research programs that used small catchments as field laboratories, long-term observatories, sites for method and model validation, and places for training young researchers. The volume includes nine contributions concerning studies carried out in long term monitoring sites in several European countries and aims at showing the relevance of the small catchment approach in hydrological research in Europe. © Universidad de La Rioja.