CGRG Bibliography of Canadian Geomorphology
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Author : Beckers, J.; and Alila, Y.
Date : 2000.
Title : Role of climate variables in modeling logging impacts on peak streamflows for dominated mountainous catchments.
Publication : American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, December 15-19, 2000. San Francisco, California.
Issue :
Page(s) :
Abstract
Possible connections between forest harvesting and peak streamflows in the snow dominated mountainous catchments of the Pacific Northwest have long been debated in the scientific literature. The debate is complicated by the many factors that contribute to logging impacts on snow accumulation and melt. Physically based modeling provides a useful supplement to information derived from paired watershed experiments and is becoming an increasingly popular tool for investigating the effects of alternative forest management practices. Physically based models require input of an array of climate variables, including temperature, precipitation, relative humidity, incoming short wave and long wave radiation, and wind speed. Meteorological data limitations may therefore be an important drawback hampering the routine application of these models. To address this issue, we investigate to what degree spatial and temporal meteorological variability needs to be captured to accurately simulate logging related changes in peak streamflows, making use of data available for the Redfish Creek experimental watershed (26 km2). Snow accumulation and melt largely control the hydrologic response of this mountainous catchment located in interior British Columbia. The 5-year data set for Redfish Creek includes hourly measurements of all relevant climate variables at 4 stations, hourly streamflow data for the basin outlet, snow course measurements, and air photograph mapping of snow coverage patterns. This data set offers a unique opportunity to test the significance of the individual input climate variables in simulating the various snow processes controlling the basin response through a systematic sensitivity analysis. Important questions concern the degree to which spatial and temporal variability in temperature, precipitation and wind speed needs to be captured, and the accuracy of established temperature based empirical relationships in predicting relative humidity and incoming radiation. The impact of various simplifying assumptions regarding the climate variables on the snow pack mass and energy balance will be investigated and related to changes in predicted peak streamflows under pre- and post-logging conditions.
Bibliography of Canadian Geomorphology