I have been searching aimlessly through the literature for a publication that provides a clear link between the loss of forest canopy cover and an increase in sedimentation in rivers and streams. Any authors/ researchers out there want to share their pubs?
There are several hydrological stations of the US Forest Service that have studied effects of timber harvest and removal on erosion and sediment. These stations are located in various hydrologic, geologic and climatic zones, so it may be best to pick the study area that best meets your conditions. Various Universities and Colleges have undertaken experiments of converting forests to study effects, and actions to minimize them on water quality, habitat, etc. Properly designd and implemented harvest of forest areas can also be done with limited effects to sedimentation, and stable stream types and aquatic habitats are more able to withstand a degree of sediment increase than others. Much sediment research has been conducted in the western USA, due to the effects of fine sediments to salmon, and timber harvesting has typically been an area of study, but there are other sources of sediment including roads, mining, agriculture, irrigation, urbanization, snagging logs from streams, navigation, dredging, wildfires, earthquakes, volcanoes, hydrologic modification, etc. An early study by USFS (Bates and Henry, 1928) found that increasing water yield by clearcutting was impractical due to the excessive increase in sediment at Wagon Wheel Cap (Colorado). Many studies have continued through the decades on other areas at experimental watersheds. Your problem in an internet search may be the body of information. Once in a while you may find a paper on the current state of knowledge that can produce some good references. I am not in my computer, but if I find a few good ones in my remaining files, I will send.
Example provided of study from one of the experimental hydrologicstations that I retained in my files. I also remember there were a few old studies where trees were just clearcut,and left, no road and skidder access for logging, and sediment did not increase. There are also differences in disturbance levels caused by various logging systems (skidder, hi lead, skyline, helicopter) and how logging and skid roads are set up on the land, BMPs used to limit effects, stream buffers, etc. Loggers and foresters, road engineering experienced in BMPs for water quality protection can really make a difference in the level of effects. Site preparation can also add to soil disturbance and contribute to erosion, sediment. Before there were BMPs, many of the national forests in USA hired soil scientists and hydrologists, and in some instances of steep, unstable terrain, geologists who helped helped identify site conditions and develop procedures to avoid poor practices and limit effects from clearcutting and associated activities.
- Badges
- Science topic
- Similar topics
- Agricultural Science
- Agronomy
- Crop Science