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.

Keywords: climate change; condensation; ecosystem functioning; extreme event biogeochemistry; field and laboratory studies; precipitation; sampling bias.

Figure 1.

Photographs of example storm-related phenomena and indicators in forests observable to the human eye but difficult for remote technological systems to record. Plumes of (a) condensed vapor above a canopy and (b) wind-blown snow being redistributed. (c) Chemically enriched meltwaters can be seen draining down this trunk beneath the ice layer. (d) Drip point where rainfall is concentrated by the up-gradient canopy area. (e) Throughfall droplets gleaming amber, indicating light-absorbing dissolved organic matter. (f) Oil-like sheen produced by iron-oxidizing bacteria. (g) Streamers of elemental sulfur-containing bacteria (Thiothrix sp.) in a small sulfide-rich spring. (h) Green chloroplasts of photosynthesizing cyanobacteria and algae. Leaf surface wetting patterns may range from (i) minimal coverage by small droplets to (j) full coverage by a thin film. Pandanus forsteri’s (k) trough-like leaves and (l) branches that direct rainfall to (m) aerial root tips. (n) Koala drinks stemflow. Photographs: (a) AMJC-G; (b) EDG; (c) image from video at https://imgur.com/hgemi5E; (d) JTVS; (e) JTVS; (f) KEM; (g) J. Cosmidis; (h) CER; (i) JTVS; (j) ZCB; (k–m) MB; (n) VSAM, Koala Clancy Foundation.