Abstract
This paper reviews suspended sediment sources and transport in small forest streams in the Pacific Northwest region of North America, particularly in relation to riparian management. Mass movements, roading and yarding practices, and burning can increase the supply of suspended sediment. Sediment yields recovered to pre-harvest levels within one to six years in several paired catchment studies. However, delayed mass movements related to roads and harvesting may produce elevated suspended sediment yield one or more decades after logging. There is mixed evidence for the role of streamside tree throw in riparian buffers in supplying sediment to streams. Harvesting within the riparian zone may not increase suspended sediment yield if near stream soils are not disturbed. Key knowledge gaps relate to the relative roles of increased transport capacity versus sediment supply, the dynamics of fine sediment penetration into bed sediments, and the effects of forest harvesting on suspended sediment at different scales. Future research should involve nested catchments to examine suspended sediment response to forest practices at multiple spatial scales, in combination with process-based field studies.
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