Abstract
Purpose Wildfires represent one of the major natural disturbances within forested landscapes and have potential implications for the quality and function of downstream aquatic ecosystems. This study aimed to determine if a wildfire in a mountainous, forested watershed in British Columbia, Canada, caused a change in the dominant sediment source in the immediate 1–2 years following the wildfire, and if the sediment sources changed over the medium term (3–7 years) as the landscape recovered.
Highlights
There is growing interest in how wildfires influence watershed processes (Shakesby and Doerr 2006)
This study aimed to determine if a wildfire in a mountainous, forested watershed in British Columbia, Canada, caused a change in the dominant sediment source in the immediate 1–2 years following the wildfire, and if the sediment sources changed over the medium term (3–7 years) as the landscape recovered
There was a limited response in terms of finegrained sediment sources in the burnt watershed
Summary
There is growing interest in how wildfires influence watershed processes (Shakesby and Doerr 2006). The increased delivery of sediment and associated chemicals (including nutrients) to river channels, with implications for aquatic habitats and water resources, are a major concern (Smith et al 2011a). Most studies have been concerned with monitoring sediment and chemical fluxes, and have focused on either (1) soil erosion and hillslope transport, or (2) fluxes within stream channels Fewer studies have focused on documenting changes in the sources of the material following wildfires, thereby linking hillslope processes to channel impacts. Information on slopechannel impacts over longer timeframes is needed in order to understand the medium- to longer-term responses of landscapes to wildfires, and the subsequent impacts on aquatic systems and water resources
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