Abstract
Headwater streams are the beginnings of fluvial networks and therefore fill a critical role in the development of the Earth’s drainages. Therefore, it is important that we understand the role that disturbances have on these systems and how they translate disturbance downstream. Hurricane Sandy struck the eastern seaboard of the United States in late October 2012 and produced record snowfall in the Appalachian Mountains, which caused widespread destruction of trees and subsequent deposition of large wood (LW; pieces ≥1.0 m × 0.05 m) in many headwater streams throughout the region. We investigated these effects in 25 West Virginia headwater streams and found varying levels (0%–195% change from previous annual data; 0–820 LW pieces·km−1) of new wood additions. When compared with years prior to Sandy, the rate of LW deposition was significant across all size classes and streams (p < 0.0001). We also found a significantly (p < 0.01) negative pattern of LW impact based upon elevation, with higher elevations receiving lower levels of LW deposition. This research provides a unique glimpse at the initial magnitude of natural wood addition on headwater streams following a large disturbance.
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