Abstract
Abstract. The Baker Creek watershed (1570 km2), situated in the central interior of British Columbia, Canada, has been severely disturbed by both logging and natural disturbance, particularly by a recent large-scale mountain pine beetle (MPB) infestation (up to 2009, 70.2% of the watershed area had been attacked by MPB) and subsequent salvage logging. The concept of equivalent clear-cut area (ECA) was used to indicate the magnitude of forest disturbance, with consideration of hydrological recovery following various types of disturbance (wildfire, logging and MPB infestation), cumulated over space and time in the watershed. The cumulative ECA peaked at 62.2% in 2009. A combined approach of statistical analysis (i.e. time series analysis) and graphic method (modified double mass curve) was employed to evaluate the impacts of forest disturbance on hydrology. Our results showed that severe forest disturbance significantly increased annual mean flow. The average increment in annual mean flow caused by forest disturbance was 48.4 mm yr−1, while the average decrease in annual mean flow caused by climatic variability during the same disturbance period was 35.5 mm yr−1. The opposite changes in directions and magnitudes clearly suggest an offsetting effect between forest disturbance and climatic variability, with the absolute influential strength of forest disturbance (57.7%) overriding that from climate variability (42.3%). Forest disturbance also produced significant positive effects on low flow and dry season (fall and winter) mean flow. Implications of our findings for future forest and water resources management are discussed in the context of long-term watershed sustainability.
Highlights
Forests play an important role in the water cycle by influencing rainfall interception, evapotranspiration, and soil infiltration and storage
Since watersheds always have the ability to buffer changes caused by disturbances, there must be a theoretical threshold of forest disturbance level, below which significant change on hydrology may not be detected
In the Appalachian Mountains of the United States, only 10 % reduction in forest cover can produce a detectable response in annual mean flow (Swank et al, 1988), while in the Central Plains of the United States, 50 % harvest might be required for a significant change in flow (Stednick, 1996)
Summary
Forests play an important role in the water cycle by influencing rainfall interception, evapotranspiration, and soil infiltration and storage. Forest disturbances such as logging, wildfire, and insect infestation can effect streamflow by altering its regime (i.e. magnitude, frequency, timing, duration and rate of change). A large watershed can be shown to have various types of forest disturbance that are cumulative over both space and time. These disturbances interactively affect watershed hydrology, and their effects tend to be cumulative. The interactive effects of various forest disturbances on hydrology in large watersheds are seldom examined, mainly due to lack of an indicator for representing and integrating various types of forest disturbance, as well as great difficulty in separating
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