Quantifying interactions between topographic variability and forest structure.

Ecology's role in influencing landscape dynamics has been acknowledged since the late 19th century, yet adequately incorporating ecological factors into landscape models has proved elusive. Discrepancies between geomorphic and ecological research have resulted in generalisations of sediment transport processes that do not reflect natural systems. With increased climatic pressures affecting global forests, addressing these gaps in our understanding of forest structure and landscape response is necessary.

Factors such as increasing temperatures, intense droughts, and limited water availability are changing forest functional composition, tree mortality, species composition, and maximum tree height, which in turn influences hillslope stability and soil production rates.

Recent advances in remote sensing technologies and data processing have revolutionised the assessment of above-ground forest structure, functional diversity, and individual tree morphology. Terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) provides highly detailed three-dimensional representations of branch and canopy structures and terrain maps that reveal subtle variations in micro-topography.

This PhD research aims to bridge the gap between geomorphological and ecological research by examining the role of ecosystem functioning in hillslope sediment transport. Using existing ecological TLS datasets from Europe, the relationships between climatic settings and forest functional diversity will be assessed to develop new numerical models of tree throw-induced sediment transport.