Hydrology and related changes after harvesting native forest catchments and establishing pinus radiata plantations. Part 1. Introduction to study

The hydrology of eight small catchments (1.63–8.26 ha) has been monitored in Westland, New Zealand since 1975. Two of these catchments were left in indigenous beech-podocarp-hardwood forest and the rest were subjected to various harvesting and land preparation treatments before being planted with Pinus radiata. This paper introduces a series of papers on the hydrology of the indigenous forest catchments and the changes that occurred after treatment. The catchments, experimental programme, climate of the area and the rainfall regime experienced between 1975 and 1987 are described.     

Hydrology and related changes after harvesting native forest catchments and establishing pinus radiata plantations. Part 3. Stream temperatures

Eight small steep south-west facing catchments (1-63-8-26 ha) have been monitored in Westland, New Zealand since 1974. Two catchments were retained in native mixed evergreen forest and the rest were subjected to various harvesting and land preparation techniques before being planted with Pinus radiata between 1977 and 1980. Stream temperatures were measured in all catchments for 11 years, including up to four years before harvesting. The streamwater temperature regime under the native forest cover has a seasonal cycle, with an annual mean of about 9°C and mean daily temperatures ranging between a winter minimum of about 5.8°C and a summer maximum of 12.S°C. After harvesting, the winter minimum stream temperatures in all trials were unchanged as topography exerts the major control over incoming solar radiation. The largest rises in mean summer stream temperatures, up to 5.5°C, were in the catchments that had been clearcut and burnt before planting. The maximum stream temperature recorded was 22.8°C in a clearcut catchment with no riparian reserve. Summer stream temperatures in this catchment were up to 11°C higher than in an adjacent control catchment. Summer stream temperature rises in catchments with riparian reserves were less than 1.5°C. Seven years after harvesting, stream temperatures were dropping towards pre-treatments levels in only two of the six treated catchments as revegetation of the riparian areas occurred and the plantations became established. As these small headwater streams discharge into streams with flows one or two orders of magnitude larger, the increases in summer stream temperatures will be rapidly dissipated. However, the cumulative impact of harvesting many small headwater catchments that discharge into a larger stream could have a noticeable effect on stream temperature if intact riparian reserves were not retained in both headwater and main streams.     

Streamflow response to Pinus plantation harvesting: Canobolas State forest,southeastern Australia

Streamflows were measured in two Pinus radiata plantation catchments and one native eucalypt forest catchment in Canobolas State forest from 1999 to 2007. In 2002/2003, clearfall harvesting of 43·2 and 40·3% of two plantation catchments occurred, respectively. Water yields increased by 54 mm (52%), 71 mm (35%) and 50 mm (19%) in the first three years post‐harvest in treated catchment A and by 103 mm (118%), 157 mm (82%) and 119 mm (48%) in treated catchment B relative to the native forest control catchment. In the fourth post‐harvest water year annual rainfall was only 488 mm, which resulted in negligible run‐off in all catchments, regardless of forest cover. In both plantation catchments, monthly streamflows increased significantly (p = 0·01, p < 0·001) due to a significant increase in baseflows (p < 0·001) after harvesting. Monthly stormflows were not significantly affected by harvesting. Flow duration curve analyses indicated a variable response between the two plantation catchments. Treated catchment A was converted from an ephemeral stream flowing 42% of the time pre‐harvest to a temporary stream flowing 82% of the time post‐harvest. These changes occurred throughout all seasons of the year but were most pronounced during summer and autumn when baseflows were maintained post‐harvest but were not observed under native forest or mature pine plantations. By contrast, flow duration increased in treated catchment B from 12% of the time pre‐harvest to 38% of the time post‐harvest with the greatest changes measured during the winter and spring months when streamflow would normally occur under native forest conditions. These observations have important implications for the development of models of plantation water use to be utilized in water resource planning in Australia. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Streamflow response to native forest restoration in former Eucalyptus plantations in south central Chile

Global increases in intensive forestry have raised concerns about forest plantation effects on water, but few studies have tested the effects of plantation forest removal and native forest restoration on catchment hydrology. We describe results of a 14-year paired watershed experiment on ecological restoration in south central Chile which documents streamflow response to the early stages of native forest restoration, after clearcutting of plantations of exotic fast-growing Eucalyptus, planting of native trees, and fostering natural regeneration of native temperate rainforest species. Precipitation, streamflow, and vegetation were measured starting in 2006 in four small (3 to 5 ha) catchments with Eucalyptus globulus plantations and native riparian buffers in the Valdivian Coastal Reserve. Mean annual precipitation is 2500 mm, of which 11% occurs in summer. Streamflow increased, and increases persisted, throughout the first 9 years of vigorous native forest regeneration (2011 to 2019). Annual streamflow increased by 40% to >100% in most years and >150% in fall and summer of some years. Streamflow was 50% to 100% lower than before treatment in two dry summers. Base flow increased by 28% to 87% during the restoration period compared to pre-treatment, and remained elevated in later years despite low summer precipitation. Overall, these findings indicate that removal of Eucalyptus plantations immediately increased streamflow, and native forest restoration gradually restored deep soil moisture reservoirs that sustain base flow during dry periods, increasing water ecosystem services. To our knowledge this is the first study to assess catchment streamflow response to native forest restoration in former forest plantations. Therefore, the results of this study are relevant to global efforts to restore native forest ecosystems on land currently intensively managed with fast-growing forest plantations and may inform policy and decision-making in areas experiencing a drying trend associated with climate change.     

Forest operations,tree species composition and decline in rainfall explain runoff changes in the Nacimiento experimental catchments,south central Chile

Few long-term studies have explored how intensively managed short rotation forest plantations interact with climate variability. We examine how prolonged severe drought and forest operations affect runoff in 11 experimental catchments on private corporate forest land near Nacimiento in south central Chile over the period 2008–2019. The catchments (7.7–414 ha) contain forest plantations of exotic fast-growing species (Pinus radiata, Eucalyptus spp.) at various stages of growth in a Mediterranean climate (mean long-term annual rainfall = 1381 mm). Since 2010, a drought, unprecedented in recent history, has reduced rainfall at Nacimiento by 20%, relative to the long-term mean. Pre-drought runoff ratios were <0.2 under 8-year-old Eucalyptus; >0.4 under 21-year-old Radiata pine and >0.8 where herbicide treatments had controlled vegetation for 2 years in 38% of the catchment area. Early in the study period, clearcutting of Radiata pine (85%–95% of catchment area) increased streamflow by 150 mm as compared with the year before harvest, while clearcutting and partial cuts of Eucalyptus did not increase streamflow. During 2008–2019, the combination of emerging drought and forestry treatments (replanting with Eucalyptus after clearcutting of Radiata pine and Eucalyptus) reduced streamflow by 400–500 mm, and regeneration of previously herbicide-treated vegetation combined with growth of Eucalyptus plantations reduced streamflow by 1125 mm (87% of mean annual precipitation 2010–2019). These results from one of the most comprehensive forest catchment studies in the world on private industrial forest land indicate that multiple decades of forest management have reduced deep soil moisture reservoirs. This effect has been exacerbated by drought and conversion from Radiata pine to Eucalyptus, apparently largely eliminating subsurface supply to streamflow. The findings reveal tradeoffs between wood production and water supply, provide lessons for adapting forest management to the projected future drier climate in Chile, and underscore the need for continued experimental work in managed forest plantations.     

The Glendhu experimental catchment study,upland east Otago,New Zealand: 34 years of hydrological observations on the afforestation of tussock grasslands

This paper presents results from 34 years of the Glendhu Experimental Catchment Study, established in 1979 by the former New Zealand Forest Service in upland east Otago in New Zealand's South Island to determine the hydrological consequences of converting indigenous tussock grassland to plantation forestry. A traditional paired catchment approach was adopted; after a 2.5‐year pretreatment period, one catchment (GH2, 310 ha) was planted over two thirds of its area in Pinus radiata, and an adjacent catchment (GH1, 216 ha) was left in tussock as a control. The average annual reduction in water yield from the planted catchment between canopy closure in 1991 and 2013, compared with that in tussock, was 273 mm (33%). Annual water yields from the planted catchment continued to decline relative to the tussock catchment until 2010. Since then, the difference in annual water yields between the two catchments has narrowed. Ripping before planting caused some redistribution of the total streamflow from stormflow to baseflow. Following canopy closure, afforestation has reduced the low flow (Q₉₅) by an average of 26% compared with the tussock catchment. Average peak flows for small events (2–5 L/s/ha) were reduced by 78%, but only by 37% for larger, less frequent storms (>15 L/s/ha), suggesting that peak flows during high magnitude storms are less dependent on the prevailing land cover.     

Quickflow response to forest harvesting and recovery in a northern hardwood forest landscape

Forest harvesting often increases catchment quickflow (QF, water delivered rapidly to the stream channel), a metric of high‐flow events controlling a catchment's solute and sediment export. Nevertheless, our understanding of QF responses to various silvicultural strategies (e.g., clearcutting, selection harvest, and shelterwood harvest) is incomplete. We present a 31‐year examination of QF delivery from treatment (clearcut, selection harvest, and shelterwood harvest) and control catchments in a deciduous forest landscape in central Ontario, Canada. Growing season root‐zone storage capacity was estimated using a water balance approach to evaluate temporal changes in QF response to precipitation (P) for pretreatment and posttreatment periods. Threshold relationships between QF and P were assessed for control and treatment catchments for pretreatment and posttreatment periods using piecewise regression. Root‐zone storage capacity demarcated shifts in the hydrologic regime arising from forest harvesting and subsequent regeneration. This was particularly pronounced for clearcutting where postharvest decline in root‐zone storage capacity was followed by a rise to preharvest values. Similar pretreatment threshold relationships between QF and P, and near‐identical P thresholds for producing significant QF, reflected similar soil and overburden depths in the catchments. Harvesting effects were indicated by increases in QF/P ratios for relative small P and the number of P events that generated QF, thus changing treatment QF vs. P threshold relationships. Prior to harvesting there was no significant increase in QF with P below a threshold P of 35–45 mm; however, there was a significant QF vs. P relationship below this threshold for all treatments postharvest. Clearcutting increased the number of QF events for the entire postharvest period and the first 9‐year postharvest compared to the other treatments; nevertheless, evidence for intertreatment differences in total QF depth delivered from the catchments during the growing season was inconclusive. Our work suggests that changes in threshold relationships between QF and P, coupled with knowledge of the physical processes underlying them, are useful when evaluating hydrologic responses to forest harvesting.     

Understanding changes in annual runoff following land use changes: a systematic data‐based approach

A simple modelling framework for assessing the response of ungauged catchments to land use change in South‐Western Australia is presented. The framework uses knowledge of transpiration losses from native vegetation and pasture and then partitions the ‘excess’ water (resulting from reduced transpiration after land use change) between runoff and deep storage. The simple partitioning is achieved by using soft information (satellite imagery, previous mapping and field assessment) to delimit the spread of the permanently saturated area close to the stream. Runoff is then assumed to increase in proportion to the saturated area, with the residual difference going to deep storage. The model parameters to describe the annual water yield are obtained a priori and no calibration to streamflow is required. We tested the model using gauged records over 25 years from paired catchment experiments in South‐Western Australia. Very good estimates of runoff were obtained from high rainfall (>1100 mm yr⁻¹) catchments (R² > 0·9) and for low rainfall (<900 mm yr⁻¹) catchments after clearing (R² = 0·96) but results were poorer (R² = 0·55) for an uncleared low rainfall catchment, although overall balances were reasonable. In the drier uncleared catchments, the within‐year distributions of rainfall may exert a substantial influence on runoff response that is not completely captured by the presented model. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Comparison of streamflow recession between plantations and native forests in small catchments in Central-Southern Chile

In central Chile, many communities rely on water obtained from small catchments in the coastal mountains. Water security for these communities is most vulnerable during the summer dry season and, from 2010 to 2017, rainfall during the dry season was between 20% and 40% below the long-term average. The rate of decrease in stream flow after a rainfall event is a good measure of the risk of flow decreasing below a critical threshold. This risk of low flow can be quantified using a recession coefficient (α) that is the slope of an exponential decay function relating flow to time since rainfall. A mathematical model was used to estimate the recession coefficient (α) for 142 rainstorm events (64 in summer; 78 in winter) in eight monitored catchments between 2008 and 2017. These catchments all have a similar geology and extend from 35 to 39 degrees of latitude south in the coastal range of south-central Chile. A hierarchical cluster analysis was used to test for differences between the mean value of α for different regions and forest types in winter and summer. The value of α did not differ (p < 0.05) between catchments in winter. Some differences were observed during summer and these were attributed to morphological differences between catchments and, in the northernmost catchments, the effect of land cover (native forest and plantation). Moreover, α for catchments with native forest was similar to those with pine plantations, although there was no difference (p < 0.05) between these and Eucalyptus plantations. The recession constant is a well-established method for understanding the effect of climate and disturbance on low flows and baseflows and can enhance local and regional analyses of hydrological processes. Understanding the recession of flow after rainfall in small headwater catchments, especially during summer, is vital for water resources management in areas where the establishment of plantations has occurred in a drying climate.     

Effects of changes in canopy interception on stream runoff response and recovery following clear-cutting of a Japanese coniferous forest in Fukuroyamasawa Experimental Watershed in Japan

Understanding changes in evapotranspiration during forest regrowth is essential to predict changes of stream runoff and recovery after forest cutting. Canopy interception (Ic) is an important component of evapotranspiration, however Ic changes and the impact on stream runoff during regrowth after cutting remains unclear due to limited observations. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of Ic changes on long-term stream runoff in a regrowth Japanese cedar and Japanese cypress forest following clear-cutting. This study was conducted in two 1-ha paired headwater catchments at Fukuroyamasawa Experimental Watershed in Japan. The catchments were 100% covered by Japanese coniferous plantation forest, one of which was 100% clear-cut in 1999 when the forest was 70 years old. In the treated catchment, annual runoff increased by 301 mm/year (14% of precipitation) the year following clear-cutting, and remained 185 mm/year (7.9% of precipitation) higher in the young regrowth forest for 12–14 years compared to the estimated runoff assuming no clear-cutting. The Ic change was −358 mm/year (17% of precipitation) after cutting and was −168 mm/year (6.7% of precipitation) in the 12–14 years old regrowth forest compared to the observed Ic during the pre-cutting period. Stream runoff increased in all seasons, and the Ic change was the main fraction of evapotranspiration change in all seasons throughout the observation period. These results suggest that the change in Ic accounted for most of the runoff response following forest cutting and the subsequent runoff recovery in this coniferous forest.     

The effects of logging and forest regeneration on water yields in a moist eucalypt forest in New South Wales, Australia

Water yields increased after logging by 150–250 mm per year in small catchments of moist old-growth eucalypt at Karuah in central New South Wales. The magnitude of this initial increase was directly related to the percentage of the catchment logged (29–79%). Where substantial vegetation removal took place in less than 20% of one catchment no increased water yield was observed. Water yields began to decline in all catchments 2–3 years after logging as regrowth eucalypts became established, and the rate of this decline was related to the mean stocking rate of eucalypt regeneration during the next 4 years. This water yield decline exceeded 250 mm in the sixth year after logging in the catchment with the highest stocking of regeneration and the highest regrowth basal area. Water yields in this catchment had declined to levels significantly below pre-logging levels by this time, supporting the notion that regrowth evapotranspiration had begun to exceed that of the old-growth forest. Patterns of declining water yield in the other catchments suggest that yields in some may also decline below pre-logging levels as regrowth evapotranspiration increases in line with increases in the basal area of the regrowth forest. Further study is required to determine the magnitude and duration of water yield reductions in these regrowth catchments, and to quantify the eucalypt growth rates and stand conditions responsible for the reductions. Nevertheless, these early results are consistent with water yield changes observed in mountain ash forest in Victoria, and support the concept of greater water use by a rapidly regenerating forest.     

The solute budget of a forest catchment and solute fluxes within a Pinus radiata and a secondary native forest site,southern Chile

Solute concentrations and fluxes in rainfall, throughfall and stemflow in two forest types, and stream flow in a 90 ha catchment in southern Chile (39°44′S, 73°10′W) were measured. Bulk precipitation pH was 6·1 and conductivity was low. Cation concentrations in rainfall were low (0·58 mg Ca²⁺ l^?1, 0·13 mg K⁺ l^?1, 0·11 mg Mg²⁺ l^?1 and <0·08 mg NH₄–N l^?1), except for sodium (1·10 mg l^?1). Unexpected high levels of nitrate deposition in rainfall (mean concentration 0·38 mg NO₃–N l^?1, total flux 6·3 kg NO₃–N ha^?1) were measured. Concentrations of soluble phosphorous in bulk precipitation and stream flow were below detection limits (<0·09 mg l^?1) for all events. Stream‐flow pH was 6·3 and conductivity was 28·3 μs. Stream‐water chemistry was also dominated by sodium (2·70 mg l^?1) followed by Ca, Mg and K (1·31, 0·70 and 0·36 mg l^?1). The solute budget indicated a net loss of 3·8 kg Na⁺ ha^?1 year^?1, 5·4 kg Mg²⁺ ha^?1 year^?1, 1·5 kg Ca²⁺ ha^?1 year^?1 and 0·9 kg K⁺ ha^?1 year^?1, while 4·9 kg NO₃–N ha^?1 year^?1 was retained by the ecosystem. Stream water is not suitable for domestic use owing to high manganese and, especially, iron concentrations. Throughfall and stemflow chemistry at a pine stand (Pinus radiata D. Don) and a native forest site (Siempreverde type), both located within the catchment, were compared. Nitrate fluxes within both forest sites were similar (1·3 kg NO₃–N ha^?1 year^?1 as throughfall). Cation fluxes in net rainfall (throughfall plus stemflow) at the pine stand generally were higher (34·8 kg Na⁺ ha^?1 year^?1, 21·5 kg K⁺ ha^?1 year^?1, 5·1 kg Mg²⁺ ha^?1 year^?1) compared with the secondary native forest site (24·7 kg Na⁺ ha^?1 year^?1, 18·9 kg K⁺ ha^?1 year^?1 and 4·4 kg Mg²⁺ ha^?1 year^?1). However, calcium deposition beneath the native forest stand was higher (15·9 kg Ca²⁺ ha^?1 year^?1) compared with the pine stand (12·6 kg Ca²⁺ ha^?1 year^?1). Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Jonkershoek: Africa's oldest catchment experiment - 80 years and counting

The Jonkershoek Forestry Research Station was established in the Mediterranean climate region of South Africa in 1935 to implement a multiple catchment experiment to determine the effects of afforestation on water yield. The experiment consists of six neighbouring catchments previously supporting indigenous fynbos shrublands, five of which were sequentially afforested with Pinus radiata plantations every 8 years from 1940 to 1980 and one kept as the control. They conclusively demonstrated a significant impact of afforestation on streamflow. The treatment catchments have seen subsequent plantation rotations since 1980 and rainfall and streamflow observations have been continued to date. Here we describe the site, experimental design, rainfall and streamflow records, instrumentation, and how to access the data. We also provide details of recently installed instrumentation, including full weather stations, fog gauges, and an eddy covariance flux tower. The Jonkershoek catchment experiment was the core of a globally significant interdisciplinary research programme (1935–1992) that shaped most environmental policies and practices relating to biodiversity, forestry, fire and water in South Africa and beyond. The South African Environmental Observation Network (SAEON) inherited the experiment in 2010 and is maintaining it as a long-term eco-hydrological research platform and global change observatory.     

Runoff and peak flow responses to timber harvest and forest age in southern Chile

Runoff and peak flows in three experimental catchments with different forest conditions were analysed in a rainy temperate climate in southern Chile. The hydrological effects of clearcutting a Pinus radiata plantation covering 79·4% of the La Reina catchment were studied by analysing runoff and peak flows in the pre‐ and post‐harvesting periods. Mean annual runoff increased 110% after timber harvesting. Clearcutting generated a 32% mean increase in peak flows. Peak flow and runoff were examined in two adjacent catchments with different forest conditions. The older plantation in Los Ulmos 1 increasingly consumed more water than the younger plantation established at Los Ulmos 2, whereas differences in peak flows between these two catchments were not significant. Runoff and peak flows comparisons not only reflected changes in forest cover, but also the effect of rainfall characteristics during the study periods and the basins' morphologies. Comparisons between pre‐ and post‐harvesting peak discharges must be undertaken with caution, because a previous analysis at La Reina using a partial set of data overestimated changes in peak flows after timber harvesting. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Forestal Arauco experimental research catchments; daily rainfall-runoff for 10 catchments with different forest types in Central-Southern Chile

Forestal Arauco (FA), a global manufacturer of forest products, manages more than 1 million ha of forest plantations and oversees the conservation of more than half a million hectares of native forest and vegetation in Brazil, Argentina and Chile. In 2008, FA responded to local concerns about the effect of plantations on water resources and commenced streamflow monitoring in catchments in the coastal range of central-southern Chile between 35° and 39° of latitude south. This data note presents an overview of daily streamflow and rainfall records for 10 small catchments (18–112 ha) from 2008 to 2018. The catchments are covered by three different forest types, namely native forest (2), pine plantations of different ages (6) and eucalypt plantations (2). All of these catchments share similar metamorphic geology. A 90° V notch weir was built at each catchment outlet and data collected at 5 min interval using a pressure transducer that was calibrated monthly. The dataset is part of a research programme aiming to improve our understanding about the role of forest plantations on water balance at a stand and catchment level. It also includes the rainfall data from these catchments estimated using a combination of local rain gauges and data from the longer term records of the Chilean Directorate of Water. This dataset can be used in hydrological modelling and in a wide range of research questions and water management issues regarding forest plantations in a Mediterranean climate.     

Spatio-temporal changes of hydrological processes and underlying driving forces in Guizhou region, Southwest China

Understanding the changes in streamflow and associated driving forces is crucial for formulating a sustainable regional water resources management strategy in the environmentally fragile karst area of the southwest China. This study investigates the spatio-temporal changes in streamflow of the Guizhou region and their linkage with meteorological influences using the Mann–Kendall trend analysis, singular-spectrum analysis (SSA), Lepage test, and flow duration curves (FDCs). The results demonstrate that: (1) the streamflow in the flood-season (June–August) during 1956–2000 increased significantly (confidence level ≥95%) in most catchments, closely consistent with the distinct increasing trend of annual rainfall over wet-seasons. The timings of abrupt change for streamflow in most catchments are found to occur at 1986; (2) streamflow in the Guizhou region experiences significant seasonal changes prior/posterior to 1986, and in most catchments the coefficient of variation of monthly streamflow increases; (3) spatial changes in streamflow indicate that monthly streamflow in the north-west decreases but increases in other parts; (4) the spatial high- and low-flow map (Q ₅ and Q ₉₅) reveals an increase in the extremely large streamflow in the five eastern catchments but a decrease in the extremely low streamflow in the four eastern catchments and three western catchments during 1987–2000. An increase in streamflow, particularly extreme flows, during the flood season would increase the risk of extreme flood events, while a decrease in streamflow in the dry season is not beneficial to vegetation restoration in this ecologically fragile region.     

Decomposition of litter in a dry sclerophyll eucalypt forest and a Pinus radiata plantation in southeastern Australia

This study of litter decomposition was part of an extensive project examining the partitioning of rainfall, the associated chemistry, and litterfall in a dry sclerophyll eucalypt forest and a Pinus radiata plantation in southeastern Australia. The eucalypt species studied were Eucalyptus rossii, E. mannifera and E. dives. The components tested were Pinus radiata needles, leaves of the three eucalypt species, and the bark of E. rossii and E. mannifera. During the first 16 weeks of the decomposition experiment there was a rapid decrease in the concentrations of potassium, magnesium, sodium and phosphorus; this was attributed to leaching. During this period, concentrations of nitrogen and calcium increased for most components. After this period, decomposition became the dominant process, during which the concentrations of most elements increased. By the end of the experiment there was, compared with the initial values, a marked reduction in concentrations of sodium, magnesium and potassium for all eucalypt and pine litter. Calcium concentrations increased through time, with eucalypt bark showing a mid‐period decline. Phosphorus concentrations decreased for the eucalypt leaves but increased substantially for the pine needles and the eucalypt bark. For all components of both the eucalypts and pines, total nitrogen concentrations rose consistently throughout the decomposition period. This was attributed to the formation of nitrogen‐substituted lignin, which was more resistant to decomposition than the other nitrogen‐containing compounds, as well as some nitrogen being stored in the micro‐organisms responsible for decomposition. Because of loss of fragmented litter from the litter bags after 16 weeks, the weight changes could not be confidently measured after this period. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Impact of forest degradation on streamflow regime and runoff response to rainfall in the Garhwal Himalaya,Northwest India

Baseflows have declined for decades in the Lesser Himalaya but the causes are still debated. This paper compares variations in streamflow response over three years for two similar headwater catchments in northwest India with largely undisturbed (Arnigad) and highly degraded (Bansigad) oak forest. Hydrograph analysis suggested no catchment leakage, thereby allowing meaningful comparisons. The mean annual runoff coefficient for Arnigad was 54% (range 44–61%) against 62% (53–69%) at Bansigad. Despite greater total runoff Q_t (by 250 mm year^–1), baseflow at Bansigad ceased by March, but was perennial at Arnigad (making up 90% of Q_t vs. 51% at Bansigad). Arnigad storm flows, Q_s, were modest (8–11% of Q_t) and occurred mostly during monsoons (78–98%), while Q_s at Bansigad was 49% of Q_t and occurred also during post-monsoon seasons. Our results underscore the importance of maintaining soil water retention capacity after forest removal to maintain baseflow levels.

EDITOR D. Koutsoyiannis; ASSOCIATE EDITOR D. Gerten     

Bedrock geology controls on catchment storage,mixing, and release: A comparative analysis of 16 nested catchments

The bedrock controls on catchment mixing, storage, and release have been actively studied in recent years. However, it has been difficult to find neighbouring catchments with sufficiently different and clean expressions of geology to do comparative analysis. Here, we present new data for 16 nested catchments (0.45 to 410 km²) in the Alzette River basin (Luxembourg) that span a range of clean and mixed expressions of schists, phyllites, sandstones, and quartzites to quantify the relationships between bedrock permeability and metrics of water storage and release. We examined 9 years' worth of precipitation and discharge data, and 6 years of fortnightly stable isotope data in streamflow, to explore how bedrock permeability controls (a) streamflow regime metrics, (b) catchment storage, and (c) isotope response and catchment mean transit time (MTT). We used annual and winter precipitation–run‐off ratios, as well as average summer and winter precipitation–run‐off ratios to characterise the streamflow regime in our 16 study catchments. Catchment storage was then used as a metric for catchment comparison. Water mixing potential of 11 catchments was quantified via the standard deviation in streamflow δD (σδD) and the amplitude ratio (A_S/A_P) of annual cycles of δ¹⁸O in streamflow and precipitation. Catchment MTT values were estimated via both stable isotope signature damping and hydraulic turnover calculations. In our 16 nested catchments, the variance in ratios of summer versus winter average run‐off was best explained by bedrock permeability. Whereas active storage (defined here as a measure of the observed maximum interannual variability in catchment storage) ranged from 107 to 373 mm, total catchment storage (defined as the maximum catchment storage connected to the stream network) extended up to ~1700 mm (±200 mm). Catchment bedrock permeability was strongly correlated with mixing proxies of σδD in streamflow and δ¹⁸O A_S/A_P ratios. Catchment MTT values ranged from 0.5 to 2 years, based on stable isotope signature damping, and from 0.5 to 10 years, based on hydraulic turnover.     

RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN CATCHMENT ATTRIBUTES AND HYDROLOGICAL RESPONSE CHARACTERISTICS IN SMALL AUSTRALIAN MOUNTAIN ASH CATCHMENTS

Sixteen small catchments in the Maroondah region of Victoria, Australia were analysed using rainfall, temperature and streamflow time series with a rainfall–runoff model whose parameters efficiently characterize the hydrological response of a catchment. A set of catchment attributes for each of these catchments was then compared with the associated set of hydrological response characteristics of the catchments as estimated by the model. The time constant governing quickflow recession of streamflow (τ_q) was related to the drainage network and catchment area. The time constant governing slowflow recession of streamflow (τ_s) was related to the slope and shape of the catchment. The parameter governing evapotranspirative losses ( f ) was related to catchment gradient and vegetative water use. Forestry activities in the catchments changed evapotranspirative losses and thus total volume of streamflow, but did not affect the rate of streamflow recession.