Storm Hydrograph Responses to Conversion to White Pine Forest in the Southern Appalachian Mountains
Abstract
Prior research at the Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory in the southern Appalachian Mountains has shown that annual and monthly streamflow levels were reduced in two watersheds (WS 1, WS 17) following their conversion from mixed hardwoods to eastern white pine (Pinus strobus L.) in 1956-1957. We hypothesize that the storm hydrograph characteristics were also affected in these watersheds by the conversion to white pine forest. Storm hydrograph characteristics examined include total quickflow volume, initial flow rate, peakflow rate, storm duration, time to peak, recession time, quickflow volume prior to peak, and quickflow volume after peak. Using a paired watershed approach, with simultaneous storms from nearby reference watersheds (WS 2, WS 18), we calibrated regression equations for pretreatment periods (1935-1956 for WS 1, 1937-1942 for WS 17) for the storm hydrograph characteristics, and then compared the coefficients for regressions on both pre-treatment and post-treatment (1957-2000) periods. Preliminary results, based on over 2000 storms in the post-treatment period for each watershed, indicate that conversion to white pine resulted in a percent decrease in total quickflow volume for a mean storm of 15% for WS 1 and of 22% for WS 17. Further analysis will be reported on changes in other storm hydrograph characteristics. These results have important implications for storm responses on a regional scale, given the widespread use of white pine in plantation forestry in the eastern USA.
- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2009
- Bibcode:
- 2009AGUFM.H13D1019S
- Keywords:
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- 1632 GLOBAL CHANGE / Land cover change;
- 1834 HYDROLOGY / Human impacts;
- 1860 HYDROLOGY / Streamflow;
- 1879 HYDROLOGY / Watershed