Sweden's first forest hydrology field study 1905-1926: contemporary relevance of inherited conclusions and data from the Rokliden Hillslope

During the last decades of the 19th century, a great worry arose about forest landscape paludification in Northern Sweden. This was the original impetus for forest hydrological research in Sweden, and the Swedish Institute of Experimental Forestry established the first field research site in 1905 at Rokliden, close to Pitea in North Sweden. It comprised 8.64ha located 2km down a 3-km-long gently sloping (similar to 4%), north facing Norway spruce covered till slope, interspersed with small mires. By 1931, it was concluded that paludification was not spreading across Northern Sweden at an appreciable rate. Within the Rokliden research site, 22 groundwater wells were installed and levels measured weekly until 1926. A map with 0.5m equidistance, ten vegetation classes, and soil profiles was established. Groundwater flow velocity was estimated by tracing added sodium chloride. Hydraulic conductivity was measured on undisturbed soil cores, while mechanical and chemical analyses were carried out on other samples. Groundwater was collected and analysed for dissolved compounds including oxygen. Hydrology was found important for soil types and vegetation development. The necessary profile drainage for podzol soil development was identified as vein drainage at the bedrock surface. Modern measurements in the re-established groundwater observation network and re-analysis of old data confirmed the plausibility of these original conclusions. Partial catchment area could explain rates of both groundwater level rise and recession. Revisiting this field study reveals that many issues in contemporary hillslope hydrology were already established a century ago, even though the provenance of that knowledge is not generally recognized. Copyright (c) 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.