Research Watershed Research Articles

Impacts of disturbance on soil properties in a dry tropical forest in Southern India

AbstractGrazing, fuelwood extraction and burning are common human activities in Indian forests. These activities can represent forest disturbances that drive the degradation of natural deciduous forest cover to scrub forest, with concurrent impacts on soils. The effects of human forest use on ecosystem functions were investigated in Bandipur National Park (BNP) in Peninsular India. This paper reports the impacts on surface soils. Soils were sampled from 200 locations covering four watersheds within the Park. These samples spanned a degradation gradient measured by a field disturbance index (FDI). Soil physical, nutrient and hydraulic properties were measured. Cation exchange capacity (CEC) and saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks) were analyzed as key response variables describing nutrient availability and infiltration respectively. Effects of cattle and jeep trails on infiltration and bulk density were evaluated by sampling on‐and‐off trails. Trail density in research watersheds was estimated with satellite imagery. Soil nutrient availability is negatively impacted by disturbance, resulting from negative impacts on soil organic carbon (SOC) and clay content. Available water capacity (AWC) and saturated moisture content (SMC) were significantly higher in protected watersheds, attributed to reduced clay content in degraded watersheds. Off trails, high spatial variability in infiltration overwhelmed any meaningful trends with disturbance. However, infiltration was substantially reduced on trails as a result of significant increase in bulk density. The density of trails was considerably higher in degraded watersheds compared to protected watersheds. These results provide ground‐based and remotely sensed evidence that forest disturbance within the Park has negative impacts on soil organic matter, nutrient availability and hydraulic characteristics. These have consequences for related ecological, nutrient cycling and hydrological processes, and the continuation of the services currently enjoyed by local human populations. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

수문생태모형 RHESSys의 평가: 두 복잡지형 유역에서의 모수화와 적용

전지구적인 생태시스템 안에서 탄소와 물의 흐름은 아주 밀접하게 관련되어 있다. 생태계 물질순환과정을 모사해 주는 모형들은 연구자들이 직접 측정하기 어려운 복잡한 생태계에서의 물질순환 과정들의 상호작용과 그 변화를 예측할 수 있는 도구이다. 이 연구에서는 생태수문모형 RHESSys(Regional Hydro Ecological Simulation System)를 광릉시험림 유역에서 모수화한 후, 다른 지형 조건과 기후 및 식생을 가진 점봉산 강선리 유역에 적용함으로써 RHESSys모수화의 다유역으로의 확장가능성과 문제점 등을 조사하였다. RHESSys는 Geographic Information System(GIS)를 바탕으로 공간적인 탄소와 물 및 영양분의 흐름을 모사하는 생태수문모형이다. 모수화는 광릉시험림 유역의 1982-1999년간 일유량과 나이테 자료로 추정한 임목생장량을 사용하였다. 수직 및 수평 방향의 수리전도도에 관련된 중요 모수들과 임목 생장과 관련된 분배 모수들을 Monte-Carlo 접근법을 사용하여 최적화하였다. 모형결과를 광릉연구지의 실측 토양수분과 비교해 본 결과 RHESSys는 토양수분을 다소 과소평가하는 경향이 있으나, 일변화를 유의하게 잘 모사하였으며, 임목생장량의 연변화를 잘 모사하였다. 광릉연구지에서 개발한 모수를 점봉산 강선리 유역에 적용한 결과, 광릉과 마찬가지로 RHESSys는 토양수분을 다소 과소평가하나 여름철의 중요한 시계열 경향을 유의하게 잘 모사하였다. 또한 실측 공극률의 사용이 모형의 토양수분예측력에 중요함을 확인하였다. 반면에 강선리 유역의 임목생장량에 대해선 모형의 예측력이 높지 않았다. 수문과정 모수에 비해 식생성장 및 분배관련 모수의 경우 단일 유역의 모수화를 타 유역으로 확장하는 데에 상당한 불확실성이 있음을 확인하였다. 각 유역의 임목생장 및 분배 특성을 반영하는 독립적인 모수화 과정이 필요하며 이를 뒷받침해 줄 최소한의 현장측정항목을 발굴하는 후속연구가 필요하다. In this study, we examined the flux of carbon and water using an eco-hydrological model, Regional Hydro-Ecologic Simulation System (RHESSys). Our purposes were to develop a set of parameters optimized for a well-designed experimental watershed (Gwangneung Research Watershed, GN) and then, to test suitability of the parameters for predicting carbon and water fluxes of other watershed with different regimes of climate, topography, and vegetation structure (i.e Gangseonry Watershed in Mt. Jumbong, GS). Field datasets of stream flow, soil water content (SWC), and wood biomass product (WBP) were utilized for model parameterization and validation. After laborious parameterization processes, RHESSys was validated with the field observations from the GN watershed. The parameter set identified at the GN watershed was then applied to the GS watershed in Mt. Jumbong, which resulted in good agreement for SWC but poor predictability for WBP. Our study showed that RHESSys simulated reliable SWC at the GS by adjusting site-specific porosity only. In contrast, vegetation productivity would require more rigorous site-specific parameterization and hence, further study is necessary to identify primary field ecophysiological variables for enhancing model parameterization and application to multiple watersheds.

Carbon isotope fractionation of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) due to outgassing of carbon dioxide from a headwater stream

AbstractThe stable isotopic composition of dissolved inorganic carbon (δ13C‐DIC) was investigated as a potential tracer of streamflow generation processes at the Sleepers River Research Watershed, Vermont, USA. Downstream sampling showed δ13C‐DIC increased between 3–5‰ from the stream source to the outlet weir approximately 0·5 km downstream, concomitant with increasing pH and decreasing PCO2. An increase in δ13C‐DIC of 2·4 ± 0·1‰ per log unit decrease of excess PCO2 (stream PCO2 normalized to atmospheric PCO2) was observed from downstream transect data collected during snowmelt. Isotopic fractionation of DIC due to CO2 outgassing rather than exchange with atmospheric CO2 may be the primary cause of increased δ13C‐DIC values downstream when PCO2 of surface freshwater exceeds twice the atmospheric CO2 concentration. Although CO2 outgassing caused a general increase in stream δ13C‐DIC values, points of localized groundwater seepage into the stream were identified by decreases in δ13C‐DIC and increases in DIC concentration of the stream water superimposed upon the general downstream trend. In addition, comparison between snowmelt, early spring and summer seasons showed that DIC is flushed from shallow groundwater flowpaths during snowmelt and is replaced by a greater proportion of DIC derived from soil CO2 during the early spring growing season. Thus, in spite of effects from CO2 outgassing, δ13C of DIC can be a useful indicator of groundwater additions to headwater streams and a tracer of carbon dynamics in catchments. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A Seismic Inversion Experiment to Identify Scatterers in a Granite Outcrop

A scattering inversion experiment was conducted on exposed Panola granite located southeast of Atlanta, Georgia, in the Panola Mountain Research Watershed. The objective was to test a near-surface seismic technique for locating subsurface discontinuities, such as fractures, that can be strong scatterers of seismic waves. Shallow water-productive fractures in the crystalline and metamorphic rocks underlying expanding suburban and urban areas, like those in central Georgia, are important because they have the potential of significantly augmenting surface freshwater supplies. Sixteen vertical [Formula: see text] geophones were placed in an array with aperture of [Formula: see text]. A weight-drop source was deployed around the array at distances of [Formula: see text]. We successfully recorded seismic waves in the frequency range of [Formula: see text] traveling through the unweathered Panola granite. The lack of overburden suppressed the interference from dispersed surface waves and enhanced coupling of the high-frequency energy source to the granite. We calculated semblance coefficients for waves propagating across the array as a function of time, back-azimuth and apparent velocity and used these to locate the source of the scattered waves within a [Formula: see text] area extending [Formula: see text] below the surface. Zones that were strong scatterers of surface waves correlated with topographic irregularities on the rock outcrop and the location of a small creek. Scattered [Formula: see text]- and [Formula: see text]-waves identified a three-dimensional distribution of scatterers which outlines the downward extension of fractures below the stream and the contact of the granite with amphibolite biotite gneiss.

Mercury and Organic Carbon Dynamics During Runoff Episodes from a Northeastern USA Watershed

Mercury and organic carbon concentrations vary dynamically in streamwater at the Sleepers River Research Watershed in Vermont, USA. Total mercury (THg) concentrations ranged from 0.53 to 93.8 ng/L during a 3-year period of study. The highest mercury (Hg) concentrations occurred slightly before peak flows and were associated with the highest organic carbon (OC) concentrations. Dissolved Hg (DHg) was the dominant form in the upland catchments; particulate Hg (PHg) dominated in the lowland catchments. The concentration of hydrophobic acid (HPOA), the major component of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), explained 41–98% of the variability of DHg concentration while DOC flux explained 68–85% of the variability in DHg flux, indicating both quality and quantity of the DOC substantially influenced the transport and fate of DHg. Particulate organic carbon (POC) concentrations explained 50% of the PHg variability, indicating that POC is an important transport mechanism for PHg. Despite available sources of DHg and wetlands in the upland catchments, dissolved methylmercury (DmeHg) concentrations in streamwaters were below detection limit (0.04 ng/L). PHg and particulate methylmercury (PmeHg) had a strong positive correlation (r 2 = 0.84, p < 0.0001), suggesting a common source; likely in-stream or near-stream POC eroded or re-suspended during spring snowmelt and summer storms. Ratios of PmeHg to THg were low and fairly constant despite an apparent higher methylmercury (meHg) production potential in the summer. Methylmercury production in soils and stream sediments was below detection during snowmelt in April and highest in stream sediments (compared to forest and wetland soils) sampled in July. Using the watershed approach, the correlation of the percent of wetland cover to TmeHg concentrations in streamwater indicates that poorly drained wetland soils are a source of meHg and the relatively high concentrations found in stream surface sediments in July indicate these zones are a meHg sink.

Precipitation, soil moisture, and climate database, Little River Experimental Watershed, Georgia, United States

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service Southeast Watershed Research Laboratory (SEWRL) initiated a watershed research program at the Little River Experimental Watershed in 1967. Continuous rainfall measurement across the watershed began at that time. Forty‐six precipitation gauges and three climate stations are currently in operation. Soil moisture measurements were added to 29 of the rainfall sites from 2001 to 2006. The research quantifies critical information related to long‐term and seasonal climatic relationships, hydrologic budgets for the region, water quality studies, and natural resource planning. Rainfall data from the network have been used to evaluate storm characteristics, climatic patterns, and long‐term averages for the region. Soil moisture data have been used to examine large‐scale patterns across the region and for comparison to remotely sensed data. All data are available on the SEWRL anonymous ftp site (ftp://www.tiftonars.org/).

Using DOC to better understand local hydrology in a subarctic watershed

Abstract The goal of this study was to gain a better understanding of the hydrology of a permafrost affected watershed using analyses of DOC. DOC from water samples collected in the Caribou–Poker Creeks Research Watershed (CPCRW) was analyzed by several techniques, including pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (py-GC/MS). Results showed that the ratio of aromatics to nitriles served as a useful indicator of groundwater and runoff contribution to streams. In general, as the conductivity of water samples decreased, the DOC concentration and the ratio of aromatics to nitriles increased. Other analyses showed that as the conductivity increased, labile DOC (LDOC) decreased. The LDOC results were consistent with pyrolysis-GC/MS results. The results showed that organic matter in baseflow can have different aromatic to nitrile ratios, depending on the source and pathway to the stream. In a permafrost watershed were flowpaths are complicated by frozen ground, DOC characteristics proved to be a useful indicator of groundwater entering the watershed from outside the topographic boundary.

Stream discharge database, Little River Experimental Watershed, Georgia, United States

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service Southeast Watershed Research Laboratory (SEWRL) initiated a hydrologic research program on the Little River Experimental Watershed (LREW) in 1967. Long‐term (up to 37 years) research quality streamflow data are currently available for up to eight flow measurement sites within the Gulf‐Atlantic Coastal Plain physiographic region. The LREW stream discharge research program provides fundamental data for research into hydrologic processes, precipitation‐runoff relationships, hydrograph characteristics, water yield, and interactive effects of climate, vegetation, soils, and land use for low‐gradient Coastal Plain streams. All data are available on the SEWRL anonymous ftp site (ftp://www.tiftonars.org/).

Little River Experimental Watershed database

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service Southeast Watershed Research Laboratory (SEWRL) initiated a hydrologic research program on the Little River Experimental Watershed in south‐central Georgia, United States, in 1967. The primary intent of the program was to develop an improved understanding of basic hydrologic and water quality processes on Coastal Plain watersheds and to evaluate the effects of agricultural management practices on the region's natural resources and environment. Long‐term (up to 37 years), research‐quality streamflow data have been collected for up to eight flow measurement sites within the Gulf‐Atlantic Coastal Plain physiographic region, an important agricultural production area in the southeastern United States. Forty‐six precipitation gauges and three climate stations are currently in operation to collect data in support of the hydrologic network. Over the past 20 years, sediment and agrichemical concentrations in streamflow have also been monitored to permit evaluation of the impacts of agriculture on regional surface and groundwater quality. Along with the hydrologic and water quality data, geographic spatial data layers for terrain, soils, geology, vegetation, and land management have also been developed. These databases, described in five accompanying data reports, can be accessed via an ftp site supported by the SEWRL (ftp://www.tiftonars.org/).

A distributed water–heat coupled model for mountainous watershed of an inland river basin in Northwest China (II) using meteorological and hydrological data

A distributed water–heat coupled model (DWHC) is calibrated by using daily precipitation data from 26 hydrological and meteorological stations: daily averaged air temperature data from the 11 stations and daily pan evaporation data (E601) from the 15 stations in 2000. Six tests by using different spatial interpolation methods to calculate the above daily meteorological data in each 1 km × 1 km grid, are designed to simulate the mean daily runoff generated from the research Heihe mountainous watershed in 2000. Due to spatial sparseness and asymmetry of the hydrological and meteorological stations, the results of the six tests have little differences. The interpolation method in 3-D mode considering altitude is not better than those taking no account of altitude, nor are the model results when the daily meteorological data at the two stations far from the research watershed are complemented. At last, a nearest neighbor interpolation method in 2-D mode is used to calibrate the DWHC model, in which the revised Nash-Sutcliffe Efficiency NSE, balance error B, determinate coefficient R2, root mean square error RMSE and average absolute error MAE is about 0.61, 0.08%, 0.73, 25.0 and 15.8 m3s−1, respectively. However, by using the daily data in 1999 to validate the model, the NSE, B, R2, RMSE and MAE are, respectively, 0.63, −2.98%, 0.77, 34.9 and 20.3 m3s−1. The reason that the model result is not favorable is mainly because of the lack of detailed soil information, meteorological data and vegetation data; even worse, the basic equations for runoff generation processes are mainly derived from the research results in other regions and meanwhile, its flow concentration method should be improved too. The water balance of the research watershed in 2000 is also discussed in this paper. Though the runoff simulation results are not favorable, the estimated evapotranspiration and runoff components are in accordance with the usual knowledge qualitatively, parts of which meet with the field measurements. According to the model results, the runoff is mainly generated from the land surfaces and shallow soil layers in this cold mountainous watershed. The alpine meadow has evident water conservation function based on the model results, field investigation and field observation results. The DWHC model also reproduces the formation processes of the thick-layered ground ice to some extent, though it is suppositional due to lack of detailed soil, vegetation and meteorological information.

A distributed water-heat coupled model for mountainous watershed of an inland river basin of Northwest China (I) model structure and equations

It is absolutely necessary to quantify the hydrological processes in earth surface by numerical models in the cold regions where although most Chinese large rivers acquire their headstreams, due to global warming, its glacier, permafrost and snow cover have degraded seriously in the recent 50 years. Especially in an arid inland river basin, where the main water resources come from mountainous watershed, it becomes an urgent case. However, frozen ground’s impact to water cycle is little considered in the distributed hydrological models for a watershed. Took Heihe mountainous watershed with an area of 10,009 km2, as an example, the authors designed a distributed heat-water coupled (DWHC) model by referring to SHAW and COUP. The DWHC model includes meteorological variable interception model, vegetation interception model, snow and glacier melting model, soil water-heat coupled model, evapotransporation model, runoff generation model, infiltration model and flow concentration model. With 1 km DTM grids in daily scale, the DWHC model describes the basic hydrological processes in the research watershed, with 3∼5 soil layers for each of the 18 soil types, 9 vegetation types and 11 landuse types, according to the field measurements, remote sensing data and some previous research results. The model can compute the continuous equation of heat and water flow in the soil and can estimate them continuously, by numerical methods or by some empirical formula, which depends on freezing soil status. However, the model still has some conceptual parameters, and need to be improved in the future. This paper describes only the model structure and basic equations, whereas in the next papers, the model calibration results using the data measured at meteorological stations, together with Mesoscale Model version 5 (MM5) outputs, will be further introduced.

Rainfall threshold for hillslope outflow: an emergent property of flow pathway connectivity

Abstract. Nonlinear relations between rain input and hillslope outflow are common observations in hillslope hydrology field studies. In this paper we use percolation theory to model the threshold relationship between rainfall amount and outflow and show that this nonlinear relationship may arise from simple linear processes at the smaller scale. When the rainfall amount exceeds a threshold value, the underlying elements become connected and water flows out of the base of the hillslope. The percolation approach shows how random variations in storage capacity and connectivity at the small spatial scale cause a threshold relationship between rainstorm amount and hillslope outflow. As a test case, we applied percolation theory to the well characterized experimental hillslope at the Panola Mountain Research Watershed. Analysing the measured rainstorm events and the subsurface stormflow with percolation theory, we could determine the effect of bedrock permeability, spatial distribution of soil properties and initial water content within the hillslope. The measured variation in the relationship between rainstorm amount and subsurface flow could be reproduced by modelling the initial moisture deficit, the loss of free water to the bedrock, the limited size of the system and the connectivity that is a function of bedrock topography and existence of macropores. The values of the model parameters were in agreement with measured values of soil depth distribution and water saturation.

A carbon-based method for estimating the wetness of forest surface soil horizons

The degree of wetness in forest surface soils has an effect on chemical and biological processes but is not easily measured. The high spatial variability in carbon (C) concentration creates high variability in water-holding capacity, and gravimetric water content is not informative. Local hydrology can create patchiness in soil moisture, with saturated soils often found near well-drained ones. When sampling to measure such factors as nitrification potential, it would be advantageous to have a simple metric that reflects the relative wetness of the soil. The relationship between C concentration (range 51.5–520.8 g·kg–1) and gravimetric water content was found to be linear for a set of 113 H- and A-horizon samples assumed to be at field capacity. The wetness ratio is defined as the actual water content of a sample divided by the water content predicted by the least squares regression equation based on C concentration (soil water content (kg·kg–1) = 0.080 + 0.0057 soil C concentration (g·kg–1)). Soil moisture retention curves were developed for a small number of samples in the range of 0 to about –10 kPa and showed that the equation predicted that water would be held at relatively high potential. In samples taken from 10 watersheds in the northeastern USA, wetness ratios between 1.25 and 3.1 were associated with soils identified in the field as ranging from wet to boglike. A median ratio of 0.49 was found in a watershed sampled after an extended dry period. At the Sleepers River Research Watershed, high wetness ratios were associated with a high soil calcium concentration, presumably from enriched groundwater. The ratio should be a useful measurement in watershed studies.

Modeling Stream Channel Characteristics From Drainage‐Enforced DEMs in Puget Sound, Washington, USA1

Abstract: Mapping stream channels and their geomorphic attributes is an important step in many watershed research and management projects. Often insufficient field data exist to map hydromorphologic attributes across entire drainage basins, necessitating the application of hydrologic modeling tools to digital elevation models (DEMs) via a geographic information system (GIS). In this article, we demonstrate methods for deriving synthetic stream networks via GIS across large and diverse basins using drainage‐enforced DEMs, along with techniques for estimating channel widths and gradient on the reach scale. The two‐step drainage enforcement method we used produced synthetic stream networks that displayed a high degree of positional accuracy relative to the input streams. The accuracies of our estimated channel parameters were assessed with field data, and predictions of bankfull width, wetted width and gradient were strongly correlated with measured values (r2 = 0.92, r2 = 0.95, r2 = 0.88, respectively). Classification accuracies of binned channel attributes were also high. Our methodology allows for the relatively rapid mapping of stream channels and associated morphological attributes across large geographic areas. Although initially developed to provide salmon recovery planners with important salmon habitat information, we suggest these methodologies are relevant to a variety of research and management questions.

Studies of Frostfire myxomycetes including a description of a new species of Diderma

The moist chamber culture technique was used to investigate the assemblages of myxomycetes (plasmodial slime moulds or myxogastrids) associated with the microhabitats represented by the bark surface of living black spruce (Picea mariana) trees and forest floor leaf litter in the Caribou–Poker Creek Research Watershed located approximately 50 km north of the city of Fairbanks. This study was carried out in the context of a larger project (Frostfire) that involved an experimental burn of a major portion of this watershed. Our study sites consisted of examples of the two major forest types (black spruce and birch–alder–quaking aspen) found within the watershed. Black spruce trees were sampled at three study sites (two burned sites and one control site), whereas samples of litter were obtained from four study sites (two control and two burned). The acidic bark of black spruce was found to support few myxomycetes, and only five species were recorded from a total of 81 moist chamber cultures prepared with samples of bark. The number of species (16) recorded from the 156 moist chamber cultures prepared with litter was appreciably higher. In general, numbers of species and records for litter and bark were fairly comparable in burned sites versus control sites, with the litter microhabitat of the black spruce forest type the major exception. One of the myxomycetes recovered from litter is a species new to science and is described herein as Diderma boreale.

Effects of local changes in active layer and soil climate on seasonal foliar nitrogen concentrations of three boreal forest shrubs

Caribou Poker Creeks Research Watershed is a boreal forest watershed in Interior Alaska that is susceptible to regional warming and permafrost thaw. We measured seasonal foliar N concentrations of the black spruce understory shrubs, Vaccinium uliginosum L., Vaccinium vitis-idaea L., and Ledum palustre L. on north- and south-facing sides of the watershed. We predicted that the shrubs would respond to small-scale changes in active layer and soil climate, and we expected similar responses according to growth strategy (evergreen or deciduous). Overall, foliar N in shrubs was higher on warmer, drier soils with deep active layers: +7.9% N in V. uliginosum, +11.1% N in V. vitis-idaea, and +9.4% N in L. palustre. Each shrub had species-specific foliar N patterns that could not be categorized by growth strategy and were not well explained by soil climate or active layer. Leaf mineral nutrition is influenced by multiple processes, and foliar N was best explained by the combination of environmental variables operating at the study site. For Caribou Poker Creeks Research Watershed, we can expect increased N status of the black spruce understory along with continued climate warming, but changes cannot be predicted based on growth strategy.

Air Pollution and Watershed Research in the Central Sierra Nevada of California: Nitrogen and Ozone

Maintaining healthy forests is the major objective for the Forest Service scientists and managers working for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Air pollution, specifically ozone (O3) and nitrogenous (N) air pollutants, may severely affect the health of forest ecosystems in the western U.S. Thus, the monitoring of air pollution concentration and deposition levels, as well as studies focused on understanding effects mechanisms, are essential for evaluation of risks associated with their presence. Such information is essential for development of proper management strategies for maintaining clean air, clean water, and healthy ecosystems on land managed by the Forest Service. We report on two years of research in the central Sierra Nevada of California, a semi-arid forest at elevations of 1100–2700 m. Information on O3 and N air pollutants is obtained from a network of 18 passive samplers. We relate the atmospheric N concentration to N concentrations in streams, shallow soil water, and bulk deposition collectors within the Kings River Experimental Watershed. This watershed also contains an intensive site that is part of a recent Forest Service effort to calculate critical loads for N, sulfur, and acidity to forest ecosystems. The passive sampler design allows for extensive spatial measurements while the watershed experiment provides intensive spatial data for future analysis of ecosystem processes.

Watershed Nitrogen and Mercury Geochemical Fluxes Integrate Landscape Factors in Long-term Research Watersheds at Acadia National Park, Maine, USA

This paper is an overview of this special issue devoted to watershed research in Acadia National Park (Acadia NP). The papers address components of an integrated research program on two upland watersheds at Acadia NP, USA (44 degrees 20' N latitude; 68 degrees 15' E longitude). These watersheds were instrumented in 1998 to provide a long-term foundation for regional ecological and watershed research. The research was initiated as part of EPA/NPS PRIMENet (Park Research and Intensive Monitoring of Ecosystems Network), a system of UV-monitoring stations and long-term watershed research sites located in US national parks. The initial goals at Acadia NP were to address research questions about mercury, acid rain, and nitrogen saturation developed from prior research. The project design was based on natural differences in forests and soils induced by an intense wildfire in one watershed in 1947. There is no evidence of fire in the reference watershed for several hundred years. We are testing hypotheses about controls on surface water chemistry, and bioavailability of contaminants in the contrasting watersheds. The unburned 47-ha Hadlock Brook watershed is 70% spruce-fir mature conifer forest. In contrast, burned 32-ha Cadillac Brook watershed, 4 km northeast of the Hadlock watershed, is 20% regenerating mixed northern hardwoods and 60% shrub/rocky balds. Differences in atmospheric deposition are controlled primarily by forest stand composition and age. The watersheds are gauged and have water chemistry stations at 122 m (Cadillac) and 137 m (Hadlock); watershed maximum elevations are 468 and 380 m, respectively. The stream water chemistry patterns reflect, in part, the legacy of the intense fire, which, in turn, controls differences in forest vegetation and soil characteristics. These factors result in higher nitrogen and mercury flux from the unburned watershed, reflecting differences in atmospheric deposition, contrasting ecosystem pools of nitrogen and mercury, and inferred differences in internal cycling and bioavailabilty.

The influence of fire and permafrost on sub‐arctic stream chemistry during storms

AbstractPermafrost and fire are important regulators of hydrochemistry and landscape structure in the discontinuous permafrost region of interior Alaska. We examined the influence of permafrost and a prescribed burn on concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) and other solutes ($NO_{3}^{-}$, Ca2+, K+, Mg2+, Na+) in streams of an experimentally burned watershed and two reference watersheds with varying extents of permafrost in the Caribou–Poker Creeks Research Watershed in interior Alaska. The low‐permafrost watershed has limited permafrost (3%), the high‐permafrost watershed has extensive permafrost (53%), and the burn watershed has intermediate permafrost coverage (18%). A three end‐member mixing model revealed fundamental hydrologic and chemical differences between watersheds due to the presence of permafrost. Stormflow in the low‐permafrost watershed was dominated by precipitation and overland flow, whereas the high‐permafrost watershed was dominated by flow through the active layer. In all watersheds, organic and groundwater flow paths controlled stream chemistry: DOC and DON increased with discharge (organic source) and base cations and $SO_{4}^{2-}$ (from weathering processes) decreased. Thawing of the active layer increased soil water storage in the high‐permafrost watershed from July to September, and attenuated the hydrologic response and solute flux to the stream. The FROSTFIRE prescribed burn, initiated on 8 July 1999, elevated nitrate concentrations for a short period after the first post‐fire storm on 25 July, but there was no increase after a second storm in September. During the July storm, nitrate export lagged behind the storm discharge peak, indicating a flushing of soluble nitrate that likely originated from burned soils. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

Effect of bedrock permeability on subsurface stormflow and the water balance of a trenched hillslope at the Panola Mountain Research Watershed, Georgia, USA

AbstractThe effect of bedrock permeability on subsurface stormflow initiation and the hillslope water balance is poorly understood. Previous hillslope hydrological studies at the Panola Mountain Research Watershed (PMRW), Georgia, USA, have assumed that the bedrock underlying the trenched hillslope is effectively impermeable. This paper presents a series of sprinkling experiments where we test the bedrock impermeability hypothesis at the PMRW. Specifically, we quantify the bedrock permeability effects on hillslope subsurface stormflow generation and the hillslope water balance at the PMRW. Five sprinkling experiments were performed by applying 882–1676 mm of rainfall over a ∼5·5 m × 12 m area on the lower hillslope during ∼8 days. In addition to water input and output captured at the trench, we measured transpiration in 14 trees on the slope to close the water balance. Of the 193 mm day−1 applied during the later part of the sprinkling experiments when soil moisture changes were small, &lt;14 mm day−1 was collected at the trench and &lt;4 mm day−1 was transpired by the trees, with residual bedrock leakage of &gt;175 mm day−1 (91%). Bedrock moisture was measured at three locations downslope of the water collection system in the trench. Bedrock moisture responded quickly to precipitation in early spring. Peak tracer breakthrough in response to natural precipitation in the bedrock downslope from the trench was delayed only 2 days relative to peak tracer arrival in subsurface stormflow at the trench. Leakage to bedrock influences subsurface stormflow at the storm time‐scale and also the water balance of the hillslope. This has important implications for the age and geochemistry of the water and thus how one models this hillslope and watershed. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.