Overview
Background
Dr. Vilim Filipović’s area of interest are in environmental soil science and ecohydrology with expertise in soil physical processes, vadose zone hydrology, contaminant/nutrient transport, and numerical modelling. His research explores the complex interactions between soil, water, and contaminants/nutrients, with applications in environmental sustainability, agricultural resilience, and mine rehabilitation. By integrating long-term field monitoring, experimental research, and computational modelling, his work assesses environmental pressures and evaluates management strategies for soil and water resources.
Dr. Filipović obtained his PhD in Environmental Soil Science and Hydrology from the University of Zagreb, Croatia. He has held academic and research positions in Europe and Australia, and still currently holds an Adjunct Associate Professor position at the University of Zagreb. In 2022, he joined The University of Queensland, where he contributes to research and teaching in environmental soil science, vadose zone ecohydrology, and numerical modelling.
With an extensive international network, Dr. Filipović has led numerous national and international research projects on soil-plant-atmosphere interactions, preferential flow, and contaminant fate in soil systems. His research collaborations span institutions in Australia, Europe, and North America, and he has been a visiting scholar at CSIRO (Australia), SLU (Sweden), Penn State University, University of California, University of Florida (USA), BOKU (Austria), and ZALF (Germany), among others.
At UQ, Dr. Filipović plays an active role in undergraduate and postgraduate education, employing a research-led teaching approach in environmental soil science. He coordinates and lectures in key courses, including LAND2003, AGRC7053, LAND3005, and GEOS1100, emphasizing hands-on field and laboratory experiences, active learning methodologies, and the integration of cutting-edge research into student learning.
Dr. Filipović is a recognized leader in his field, serving as an Associate Editor for the Soil Science Society of America Journal, Vadose Zone Journal and Applied Soil Ecology. His contributions have been acknowledged with prestigious awards, including the Soil Science Society of America Early Career Award (2019) Visiting Fellowship at the Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (2021) in Germany and CRC TiME Award winner for Outstanding Research Communication award (2024), among other recognitions.
Dr. Filipović has held significant leadership roles, including Head of Department at the University of Zagreb, leadership of a Critical Zone Observatory, panel membership for national science foundations, curriculum development, and various committee positions. His work continues to contribute to advancing soil science research, education, and environmental management on national and international scale.
Research Interests
- Environmental sciences and agroecology
- Preferential flow and non-equilibrium transport processes in heterogeneous soils
- Fate of contaminants in soil (i.e., nutrients, pesticides, trace metals, pharmaceuticals)
- Vadose (critical) zone processes
- Soil physics and hydrology
- Soil hydraulic properties estimation
Teaching
- LAND2003 The Soil Environment (coordinator)
- LAND3005 Soil Plant Relationships
- AGRC7053 Sustainable Soil Management (coordinator)
- GEOS1100 Environment & Society
Availability
- Dr Vilim Filipović is:
- Available for supervision
Fields of research
Research interests
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Soil Hydraulic Properties and Their Role in Ecosystem Functions
Soil water dynamics influence biogeochemical cycling, plant water uptake, contaminant mobility, and ecosystem resilience. Understanding soil hydraulic properties is essential for predicting water movement in natural and managed landscapes and agroecosystems. Dr. Filipović’s research advances methodologies for estimating soil hydraulic properties using in-field, laboratory, and inverse numerical approaches, with applications in environmental monitoring, land rehabilitation, and ecosystem restoration.
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Transport Processes in the Soil-Plant-Atmosphere Continuum
The vadose zone acts as a critical interface regulating water and solute fluxes across soil, vegetation, and the atmosphere. Dr. Filipović investigates how preferential flow and non-equilibrium transport processes affect water availability, contaminant movement, and ecosystem sustainability. His research employs cutting-edge techniques such as displacement soil cores, lysimeter experiments, CT imaging, and in-situ monitoring to enhance the understanding of water and solute fluxes in structured soils.
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Numerical Modelling of Water Flow and Solute Transport in Heterogeneous Soils
Numerical modelling is an essential tool for predicting the effects of environmental change and land management strategies on soil-water interactions and transport of various contaminants or nutrients. Dr. Filipović applies advanced numerical models (e.g., HYDRUS suite) to simulate water flow and solute transport (i.e., nutrients, pesticides, trace metals, pharmaceuticals) in one-, two-, and three-dimensional porous media. His work emphasizes preferential flow and non-uniform solute transport in structured soils, contributing to improved environmental risk assessments and more sustainable land-use practices.
Research impacts
Soil, particularly the vadose (critical) zone, is a key component of terrestrial ecosystems, regulating water flow, solute transport, and biogeochemical cycling. As global environmental pressures intensify, there is an urgent need to enhance our understanding of soil-water-atmosphere interactions to mitigate pollution, support water security, soil health, and promote ecosystem resilience.
Dr. Filipović’s research is dedicated to understanding the transport processes within the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum, with an emphasis on reducing environmental pressures on soil and water resources. His work integrates advanced soil monitoring techniques and numerical modeling approaches to address key challenges in soil water dynamics, preferential flow, contaminant fate, mine rehabilitation ecohydrology, and ecosystem restoration. His research spans large-scale field experiments, lysimeter studies, glasshouse trials, and laboratory investigations, with a particular focus on numerical modeling of soil-water processes.
Through national and international research initiatives, Dr. Filipović contributes to sustainable environmental management and land-use strategies that minimize contamination risks and support ecosystem services.
Works
Search Professor Vilim Filipović’s works on UQ eSpace
2023
Conference Publication
Soil properties and its heterogeneity impact in mine rehabilitation landscape design: case studies from Victoria
Filipović, Vilim and Baumgartl, Thomas (2023). Soil properties and its heterogeneity impact in mine rehabilitation landscape design: case studies from Victoria. 2023 Soil Science Australia Conference, Darwin, NT, Australia, 25 – 30 June 2023.
2023
Book Chapter
Agricultural soil degradation in Croatia
Bogunovic, Igor, Filipovic, Lana, Filipovic, Vilim and Kisic, Ivica (2023). Agricultural soil degradation in Croatia. Impact of agriculture on soil degradation II: a European perspective. (pp. 1-34) edited by Paulo Pereira, Miriam Muñoz-Rojas, Igor Bogunovic and Wenwu Zhao. Heidelberg, Germany: Springer. doi: 10.1007/698_2022_919
2023
Book Chapter
Critical review of the models used to determine soil water content using TDR-measured apparent permittivity
He, Hailong, Zou, Wenxiu, Jones, Scott B., Robinson, David A., Horton, Robert, Dyck, Miles, Filipović, Vilim, Noborio, Kosuke, Bristow, Keith, Gong, Yuan, Sheng, Wenyi, Wu, Qingbai, Feng, Hao and Liu, Yang (2023). Critical review of the models used to determine soil water content using TDR-measured apparent permittivity. Advances in Agronomy. (pp. 169-219) edited by Donald L. Sparks. Cambridge, MA, United States: Academic Press. doi: 10.1016/bs.agron.2023.06.004
2023
Conference Publication
Influence of less permeable subsurface horizon of Pseudogley on grapevine root distribution
Magdić, Ivan, Filipović, Vilim and Husnjak, Stjepan (2023). Influence of less permeable subsurface horizon of Pseudogley on grapevine root distribution. 58th Croatian and 18th International Symposium on Agriculture, Vodice, Croatia, 18–23 June 2023.
2023
Conference Publication
Quantification of agrochemical transport processes in hillslope vineyard soil
Filipović, Lana, Krevh, Vedran, Defterdarović, Jasmina, Kovač, Zoran and Filipović, Vilim (2023). Quantification of agrochemical transport processes in hillslope vineyard soil. 2023 Soil Science Australia Conference, Darwin, NT, Australia, 25 – 30 June 2023.
2023
Journal Article
Procjena pogodnosti dreniranog poljoprivrednog zemljišta istočne Hrvatske za potrebe navodnjavanja
Mustać, Ivan, Petošić, Dragutin, Bakić Begić, Helena, Filipović, Vilim, Defterdarović, Jasmina, Krevh, Vedran and Filipović, Lana (2023). Procjena pogodnosti dreniranog poljoprivrednog zemljišta istočne Hrvatske za potrebe navodnjavanja. Glasnik Zastite Bilja, 2023 (4), 31-42.
2023
Conference Publication
Quantifying environmental processes and pressures in structured soils
Filipović, Vilim and Filipović, Lana (2023). Quantifying environmental processes and pressures in structured soils. International Symposium on Agro Environmental Quality 2023, Nanjing, China, 16 - 19 October 2023.
2023
Conference Publication
Decoding soil-plant-atmosphere processes by extending in-situ monitoring and experimental data with numerical modelling
Filipović, Vilim, Krevh, Vedran and Baumgartl, Thomas (2023). Decoding soil-plant-atmosphere processes by extending in-situ monitoring and experimental data with numerical modelling. 25th International Congress on Modelling and Simulation, Darwin, NT, Australia, 9 - 14 July 2023.
2023
Conference Publication
Straw mulch effect on soil and water losses in different growth phases of Maize sown on Stagnosols in Croatia
Bogunović, Igor, Hrelja, Iva, Kisić, Ivica, Dugan, Ivan, Krevh, Vedran, Defterdarović, Jasmina, Filipović, Vilim, Filipović, Lana and Pereira, Paulo (2023). Straw mulch effect on soil and water losses in different growth phases of Maize sown on Stagnosols in Croatia. EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 April 2023. doi: 10.5194/egusphere-egu23-5996
2023
Conference Publication
Understanding soil hydrology and climate in a semi-arid environment: Nanya - arid zone research and demonstration site
Baumgartl, Thomas, Barton, Philip, Florentine, Singarayer and Filipovic, Vilim (2023). Understanding soil hydrology and climate in a semi-arid environment: Nanya - arid zone research and demonstration site. 2023 Soil Science Australia Conference, Darwin, NT, Australia, 25–30 June 2023.
2023
Conference Publication
Influence of less permeable subsurface horizon of Pseudogley on grapevine root distribution
Magdić, Ivan, Filipović, Vilim and Husnjak, Stjepan (2023). Influence of less permeable subsurface horizon of Pseudogley on grapevine root distribution. 58th Croatian and 18th International Symposium on Agriculture, Vodice, Croatia, 18–23 June 2023.
2023
Conference Publication
The importance of precise quantification of water balance components in Critical Zone Observatories: European perspective
Filipović, Vilim, Groh, Jannis, Filipović, Lana, Krevh, Vedran, Baumgartl, Thomas, Cuxart, Joan, Martínez Villagrasa, Daniel, Vereecken, Harry and Pütz, Thomas (2023). The importance of precise quantification of water balance components in Critical Zone Observatories: European perspective. 2023 TERN Science Symposium, Brisbane, QLD, Australia, 26 – 27 July 2023.
2023
Conference Publication
Precise estimation of soil physical and Soil WATer Holding Capacity properties in Australian soils using the SOILWATC-H approach
Filipović, Vilim, Grant, Barry and Baumgartl, Thomas (2023). Precise estimation of soil physical and Soil WATer Holding Capacity properties in Australian soils using the SOILWATC-H approach. 2023 Soil Science Australia Conference, Darwin, NT, Australia, 25 – 30 June 2023.
2022
Conference Publication
Soil water origin and dynamics in sloped vineyard SUPREHILL project
Kovač, Zoran, Krevh, Vedran, Filipović, Lana, Defterdarović, Jasmina, Buškulić, Petra, Han, Luka and Filipović, Vilim (2022). Soil water origin and dynamics in sloped vineyard SUPREHILL project. 5th IAH CEG Conference, Rogaška Slatina, Slovenia, 5-7 Oct 2022.
2022
Journal Article
Agriculture management and seasonal impact on soil properties, water, sediment and chemicals transport in a hazelnut orchard (Croatia)
Dugan, Ivan, Pereira, Paulo, Barcelo, Damia, Telak, Leon Josip, Filipovic, Vilim, Filipovic, Lana, Kisic, Ivica and Bogunovic, Igor (2022). Agriculture management and seasonal impact on soil properties, water, sediment and chemicals transport in a hazelnut orchard (Croatia). Science of the Total Environment, 839 156346, 1-12. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.156346
2022
Conference Publication
Comparison of soil hydraulic parameters estimation methods and numerical simulation of water dynamics at the hillslope using HYDRUS-1D
Magdić, Ivan, Husnjak, Stjepan and Filipović, Vilim (2022). Comparison of soil hydraulic parameters estimation methods and numerical simulation of water dynamics at the hillslope using HYDRUS-1D. 14th Congress of the Croatian Society of Soil Science – Soil degradation challenges in agricultural production, Sveti Martin na Muri, Croatia, 12-16 September 2022.
2022
Journal Article
Tracing lateral subsurface flow in layered soils by undisturbed monolith sampling, targeted laboratory experiments, and model-based analysis
Ehrhardt, Annelie, Berger, Kristian, Filipović, Vilim, Wöhling, Thomas, Vogel, Hans-Jörg and Gerke, Horst H. (2022). Tracing lateral subsurface flow in layered soils by undisturbed monolith sampling, targeted laboratory experiments, and model-based analysis. Vadose Zone Journal, 21 (4) e20206, 1-16. doi: 10.1002/vzj2.20206
2022
Conference Publication
Soil water flow evaluation at top middle and bottom position at the vineyard hillslope
Defterdarović, Jasmina, Krevh, Vedran, Filipović, Lana, Han, Luka, Kovač, Zoran and Filipović, Vilim (2022). Soil water flow evaluation at top middle and bottom position at the vineyard hillslope. 57th Croatian and 17th International Symposium on Agriculture, Vodice, Croatia, 19-24 Jun 2022.
2022
Conference Publication
High-resolution weighing lysimeter measurement implementation on a hillslope vineyard first results
Han, Luka, Krevh, Vedran, Defterdarović, Jasmina, Filipović, Vilim, Kovač, Zoran, Šubašić, Sanja Jakuš and Filipović, Lana (2022). High-resolution weighing lysimeter measurement implementation on a hillslope vineyard first results. 57th Croatian and 17th International Symposium on Agriculture, Vodice, Croatia, 19-24 Jun 2022.
2022
Conference Publication
Investigating soil-water electroconductivity using a sensor and lysimeter network in SUPREHILL Hillslope Observatory
Vedran, Krevh, Lana, Filipović, Jasmina, Defterdarović, Zoran, Kovač, Ivan, Bogunović, Toni, Safner and Filipović Vilim (2022). Investigating soil-water electroconductivity using a sensor and lysimeter network in SUPREHILL Hillslope Observatory. 2022 SSSA International Annual Meeting, Baltimore, MD USA, 6-9 May 2022.
Funding
Current funding
Supervision
Availability
- Dr Vilim Filipović is:
- Available for supervision
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Supervision history
Current supervision
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Doctor Philosophy
Impact of Soil Organic Carbon on Nitrogen and Water Dynamics under Rainfed and Irrigated Sweetpotato Production in Papua New Guinea Highlands
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Gunnar Kirchhof
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Doctor Philosophy
Estimation of soil hydraulic properties and related predictive modelling challenges
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Michael Bell, Dr Tim McLaren
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Doctor Philosophy
Wheat responses to different sources of nitrogen as affected by phosphorus in the northern grain region of eastern Australia
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Michael Bell, Dr Mauricio Leite
Media
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