Applying geostatistics to quantify distributions of large woody debris in streams

Abstract

Large woody debris (LWD) strongly influences morphology and aquatic habitat in streams within forested watersheds. Previous studies have used data to describe spatial distributions of LWD in qualitative terms. We used high-resolution spatial data collected from a forested stream in western Oregon to conduct three geostatistical analyses. The data were collected at five time periods prior to and following the addition of LWD into the stream. Each analysis is examined for its potential and shortcomings in quantifying distributions. Our findings indicate that semi-variograms, when used with a raster spatial data structure, can be useful quantitative descriptions of LWD distributions.