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
2016
Journal Article
Water flow and solute transport model of potentially toxic elements through unsaturated zone at regional wellfield Kosnica
Ružičić, Stanko, Mileusnić, Marta, Posavec, Kristijan, Nakić, Zoran, Durn, Goran and Filipović, Vilim (2016). Water flow and solute transport model of potentially toxic elements through unsaturated zone at regional wellfield Kosnica. Hydrological Processes, 30 (22), 4113-4124. doi: 10.1002/hyp.10914
2016
Conference Publication
Status, Revitalization and Maintenance of Subsurface Drainage Systems on Agricultural Land in Croatia
Petošić, Dragutin, Husnjak, Stjepan, Mustać, Ivan, Begić, Helena Bakić and Filipović, Vilim (2016). Status, Revitalization and Maintenance of Subsurface Drainage Systems on Agricultural Land in Croatia. VII International Scientific Agriculture Symposium “Agrosym 2016”, Lahti, Bosnia and Herzegovina, 6-9 October 2016.
2016
Journal Article
Plastic mulch and nitrogen fertigation in growing vegetables modify soil temperature, water and nitrate dynamics: Experimental results and a modeling study
Filipović, Vilim, Romić, Davor, Romić, Marija, Borošić, Josip, Filipović, Lana, Mallmann, Fábio Joel Kochem and Robinson, David A. (2016). Plastic mulch and nitrogen fertigation in growing vegetables modify soil temperature, water and nitrate dynamics: Experimental results and a modeling study. Agricultural Water Management, 176, 100-110. doi: 10.1016/j.agwat.2016.04.020
2016
Conference Publication
Soil organic matter and salinity modify cadmium mobility in soil
Filipović, Lana, Romić, Marija, Romić, Davor, Ondrašek, Gabrijel and Filipović, Vilim (2016). Soil organic matter and salinity modify cadmium mobility in soil. 18th International Conference on Heavy Metals in the Environment, Ghent, Belgium, 12-15 September 2016.
2016
Book Chapter
Modelling water dynamics, transport processes and biogeochemical reactions in soil vadose zone
Filipović, Vilim, Ondrašek, Gabrijel and Filipović, Lana (2016). Modelling water dynamics, transport processes and biogeochemical reactions in soil vadose zone. Groundwater - contaminant and resource management. (pp. *-*) edited by Muhammad Salik Javaid. London, United Kingdom: InTech. doi: 10.5772/63496
2016
Journal Article
Modeling water and isoproturon dynamics in a heterogeneous soil profile under different urban waste compost applications
Filipović, Vilim, Coquet, Yves, Pot, Valérie, Houot, Sabine and Benoit, Pierre (2016). Modeling water and isoproturon dynamics in a heterogeneous soil profile under different urban waste compost applications. Geoderma, 268, 29-40. doi: 10.1016/j.geoderma.2016.01.009
2016
Conference Publication
Modeling water flow and nitrate dynamics in a plastic mulch vegetable cultivation system using HYDRUS-2D
Filipović, Vilim, Romić, Davor, Romić, Marija, Matijević, Lana, Mallmann, Fabio J. K. and Robinson, David (2016). Modeling water flow and nitrate dynamics in a plastic mulch vegetable cultivation system using HYDRUS-2D. EGU General Assembly 2016, Vienna, Austria, 17–22 April 2016.
2016
Journal Article
Numerical simulations of isoproturon transport in conventional soil cultivation with compost obtained by urban biological waste recycling Numeričke simuiacije pronosa izoproturona pri konvencionalnoj obradi tla uz primjenu komposta dobivenog recikliranjem urbanog bio-otpada
Filipović, Vilim, Coquet, Yves, Pot, Valérie, Matijević, Lana, Cambier, Philippe, Houot, Sabine and Benoit, Pierre (2016). Numerical simulations of isoproturon transport in conventional soil cultivation with compost obtained by urban biological waste recycling Numeričke simuiacije pronosa izoproturona pri konvencionalnoj obradi tla uz primjenu komposta dobivenog recikliranjem urbanog bio-otpada. Hrvatske Vode, 24 (95), 19-28.
2016
Conference Publication
Long-term simulations of water and isoproturon dynamics in a heterogeneous soil receiving different urban waste composts
Filipović, Vilim, Coquet, Yves, Pot, Valerie, Romić, Davor, Houot, Sabine and Benoit, Pierre (2016). Long-term simulations of water and isoproturon dynamics in a heterogeneous soil receiving different urban waste composts. EGU General Assembly 2016, Vienna, Austria, 17–22 April 2016.
2016
Conference Publication
Scaling preferential flow processes in agricultural soils affected by tillage and trafficking at the field scale
Filipović, Vilim and Coquet, Yves (2016). Scaling preferential flow processes in agricultural soils affected by tillage and trafficking at the field scale. EGU General Assembly 2016, Vienna, Austria, 17–22 April 2016.
2016
Conference Publication
Modeling Cd and Cu mobility in soils amended by long-term urban waste compost applications
Filipović, Vilim, Cambier, Philippe, Filipović, Lana, Coquet, Yves, Pot, Valerie, Houot, Sabine and Benoit, Pierre (2016). Modeling Cd and Cu mobility in soils amended by long-term urban waste compost applications. EGU General Assembly 2016, Vienna, Austria, 17–22 April 2016.
2015
Book Chapter
Modeliranje pronosa tvari u nesaturiranoj zoni tla
Filipović, Vilim (2015). Modeliranje pronosa tvari u nesaturiranoj zoni tla. Voda u Agroekosustavima. (pp. 281-305) edited by Ondrašek Gabrijel. Zagreb, Croatia: University of Zagreb.
2015
Book Chapter
Problem suvišnih voda u agroekosustavima
Petošić, Dragutin, Tomić, Frane and Filipović Vilim (2015). Problem suvišnih voda u agroekosustavima. Voda u Agroekosustavima. (pp. 164-255) edited by Ondrašek Gabrijel. Zagreb, Croatia: University opf Zagreb.
2015
Journal Article
Efficiency of maize irrigation scheduling in climate variability and extreme weather events in eastern Croatia
Marković, Monika, Tadić, Vjekoslav, Josipović, Marko, Zebec, Vladimir and Filipović, Vilim (2015). Efficiency of maize irrigation scheduling in climate variability and extreme weather events in eastern Croatia. Journal of Water and Climate Change, 6 (3), 586-595. doi: 10.2166/wcc.2015.042
2015
Journal Article
Modeling water flow and nitrate–nitrogen transport on golf course under turfgrass
Filipović, Vilim, Toor, Gurpal S., Ondrašek, Gabrijel and Kodešová, Radka (2015). Modeling water flow and nitrate–nitrogen transport on golf course under turfgrass. Journal of Soils and Sediments, 15 (8), 1847-1859. doi: 10.1007/s11368-014-0980-7
2015
Journal Article
Evaluation of different soil water potential by field capacity threshold in combination with a triggered irrigation module
Marković, Monika, Filipović, Vilim, Legović, Tarzan, Josipović, Marko and Tadić, Vjekoslav (2015). Evaluation of different soil water potential by field capacity threshold in combination with a triggered irrigation module. Soil and Water Research, 10 (3), 164-171. doi: 10.17221/189/2014-SWR
2014
Journal Article
Modeling the effect of soil structure on water flow and isoproturon dynamics in an agricultural field receiving repeated urban waste compost application
Filipović, Vilim, Coquet, Yves, Pot, Valérie, Houot, Sabine and Benoit, Pierre (2014). Modeling the effect of soil structure on water flow and isoproturon dynamics in an agricultural field receiving repeated urban waste compost application. Science of the Total Environment, 499, 546-559. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.06.010
2014
Journal Article
Soil tillage to reduce surface metal contamination - model development and simulations of zinc and copper concentration profiles in a pig slurry-amended soil
Mallmann, Fábio Joel Kochem, Rheinheimer, Danilo dos Santos, Ceretta, Carlos Alberto, Cella, Cesar, Minella, Jean Paolo Gomes, Guma, Rosana Lamana, Filipović, Vilim, van Oort, Folkert and Šimůnek, Jirka (2014). Soil tillage to reduce surface metal contamination - model development and simulations of zinc and copper concentration profiles in a pig slurry-amended soil. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 196, 59-68. doi: 10.1016/j.agee.2014.06.024
2014
Book Chapter
Land and Water Management Strategies for the Improvement of Crop Production
Ondrasek, Gabrijel, Rengel, Zed, Petosic, Dragutin and Filipovic, Vilim (2014). Land and Water Management Strategies for the Improvement of Crop Production. Emerging Technologies and Management of Crop Stress Tolerance. (pp. 291-313) Elsevier Inc.. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-12-800875-1.00013-2
2014
Conference Publication
Modeling the Effects of Soil Structure and Repeated Urban Waste Compost Application on Water Flow and Isoproturon Dynamics
Filipović, Vilim, Coquet, Yves, Pot, Valerie, Houot, Sabine and Benoit, Pierre (2014). Modeling the Effects of Soil Structure and Repeated Urban Waste Compost Application on Water Flow and Isoproturon Dynamics. GENESIS Final Conference — Integrated Management of Groundwater Resources and Dependent Ecosystems, Prague, Czech Republic, 5-7 March 2014.
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
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
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
Wheat responses to different sources of nitrogen as affected by phosphorus in the northern grain region of eastern Australia
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Michael Bell, Dr Tim McLaren
Media
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