Christoph Schürz

Dr. Christoph Schürz

Scientist

Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research GmbH - UFZ
Department Computational Landscape Ecology
Working Group Integrated Modelling and Optimization
Permoserstrasse 15, 04318 Leipzig - Germany

christoph.schuerz@ufz.de

Research interests

My research focuses on the representation of agricultural landscapes in eco-hydrological catchment scale model applications (mainly with the Soil and Water Assessment Tool - SWAT). I am currently exploring new approaches to represent the hydrological connectivity of landscape objects in the simulation of runoff processes with SWAT. I am also developing workflows to improve the representation of agricultural practices in model applications and concepts for model setup and uncertainty and sensitivity analysis.

Curriculum Vitae

Since 2021 Department of Computational Landscape Ecology, Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ, Leipzig: Academic Staff
2014 - 2021 Institute for Hydrology und Water Management, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), Vienna, Austria: Academic Staff
2018 Austrian Marshall Plan Scholarship, Research stay at the Blackland Research & Extension Center, Texas A&M University, Temple, TX, USA
2014 - 2020 Doctoral program "Bodenkultur" at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), Vienna, Austria. Dissertation: "Uncertainty and Sensitivity Analysis of Discrete Model Inputs in Eco-Hydrological Modeling" (Supervisor: Univ.Prof. Dipl.Geoökol. Dr.rer.nat. Karsten Schulz)
2011 - 2014 Master's program "Environmental Engineering and Water Management" at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), Vienna, Austria. Master's thesis: "Spatial and Temporal Impacts of Stone Bunds on Soil Physical Properties - A Case Study in the Northern Ethiopian Highlands" (Supervisor: Ao.Univ.Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr.nat.techn. Andreas Klik)
2009 Semester abroad within the Erasmus program at the Technical University Dresden, Dresden, Germany
2007 - 2011 Bachelor's program "Kulturtechnik und Wasserwirtschaft" at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), Vienna, Austria

Peer-reviewed publications

Ghimire U., T. Akhtar, S. Shrestha, P. Paul, C. Schürz, R. Srinivasan, P. Daggupati (in review). A Long-term Global Comparison of IMERG and CFSR with Surface Precipitation Stations, Water Resources Management, doi: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-1650617/v1

Schürz C., K. Schulz (2022). Reply to STOTEN 802 (2022) 149713: The fallacy in the use of the “best-fit” solution in hydrologic modeling, Sci. Total Environ., doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.153402

Wang, C., C. Schürz, O. Zoboli, M. Zessner, K. Schulz, A. Watzinger, G. Bodner, and B. Mehdi-Schulz (2022). N2O Emissions from Two Austrian Agricultural Catchments Simulated with an N2O Submodule Developed for the SWAT Model. Atmosphere, 13(1), 50, doi: 10.3390/atmos13010050

López-Ramírez, S. M., A. Mayer, L. Sáenz, L. E. Muñoz-Villers, F. Holwerda, N. Looker, C. Schürz, Z. C. Berry, R. Manson, H. Asbjornsen, R. Kolka, D. Geissert, and C. Lezama (2021). A comprehensive calibration and validation of SWAT-T using local datasets, evapotranspiration and streamflow in a tropical montane cloud forest area with permeable substrate in central Veracruz, Mexico. Journal of Hydrology, 603, 12678, doi: 10.1016/j.jhydrol.2021.126781

Amann, A., M. Herrnegger, J. Karungi, A. J. Komakech, H. Mwanake, L. Schneider, C. Schürz, G. Stecher, A. Turinawe, M. Zessner, and J. Lederer (2021). Can local nutrient-circularity and erosion control increase yields of resource-constraint smallholder farmers? A case study in Kenya and Uganda. Journal of Cleaner Production, 318, 128510, doi: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.128510

Mehdi B., C. Schürz, B. Grath, and K. Schulz (2021) Storm event impacts on in-stream nitrate concentration and discharge dynamics: A comparison of high resolution in-situ measured data with model simulations, Sci. Total Environ., 755, 143406, doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.143406

Schürz, C., B. Mehdi, J. Kiesel, K. Schulz, and M. Herrnegger (2020) A systematic assessment of uncertainties in large-scale soil loss estimation from different representations of USLE input factors – a case study for Kenya and Uganda, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 24, 4463–4489, doi: 10.5194/hess-24-4463-2020

Schürz, C., B. Hollosi, C. Matulla, A. Pressl, T. Ertl, K. Schulz, and B. Mehdi (2019) A comprehensive sensitivity and uncertainty analysis for discharge and nitrate-nitrogen loads involving multiple discrete model inputs under future changing conditions, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 23, 1211–1244, doi: 10.5194/hess-23-1211-2019

Odusanya, A. E., B. Mehdi, C. Schürz, A. O. Oke, O. S. Awokola, J. A. Awomeso, J. O. Adejuwon, and K. Schulz (2019) Multi-site calibration and validation of SWAT with satellite-based evapotranspiration in a data-sparse catchment in southwestern Nigeria, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 23, 1113–1144, doi: 10.5194/hess-23-1113-2019, 2019

Klik, A., C. Schürz, S. Strohmeier, N. Demelash Melaku, F. Ziadat, A. Schwen, and C. Zucca (2018) Impact of stone bunds on temporal and spatial variability of soil physical properties: A field study from northern Ethiopia. Land Degradation & Development, 29(3), 585-595, doi: 10.1002/ldr.2893


Knowledge transfer

HIGRADE-course, UFZ Leipzig: "Handling spatial data using R" (UFZ Leipzig 2022)

Workshop “SWATplusR: Running SWAT projects in R“ (International SWAT Conference, Vienna, Austria, 2019)

Workshop “Soil Erosion Risk Modeling with R“ (Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda, 2019)

Workshop “Soil Erosion Risk Modeling with R“ (Technical University of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenia, 2019)