Large wood abundance, distribution and mobilization in a third order Coastal mountain range river system, southern Chile

Abstract

Large wood (LW) abundance, longitudinal distribution and mobilization were studied in the Vuelta de la Zorra channel draining a third order catchment located in the Coastal mountain range of southern Chile. Seventy-five percent of the 586.8 ha study catchment area is covered by evergreen native rainforests, 24% by Eucalyptus nitens plantations and the remaining 1% are different sites were native tree and shrub species are regenerating in areas that were prepared for forest replacement in the late 1980s but finally left unplanted. In a segment, 1557 m in length, surveyed between November 2008 and February 2009, a total of 484 pieces representing 181 m 3 of LW were measured. Using bankfull width and length this volume corresponds to 109 m 3 ha −1 or 11.6 m 3 100 m −1. LW was distributed along the channel in correlation with bankfull width. The channel segment was re-surveyed in December 2009 and we found that after one winter season 12% of the LW were transported downstream the river channel and 9 new wood elements were recruited. The LW traveled distance and traveled distance/piece diameter ratio decreased with increasing piece length/mean bankfull ratio. These results contribute to understand the complexity of LW abundance, mobilization and recruitment processes, and their effects on channel morphology, sediment routing and ecology in Chilean catchments.