The study of the movement, distribution, and quality of water in forest ecosystems, including the impacts of human activities and climate change.
Watershed concept: A geographic area that contributes runoff to a specific stream or river. Understanding their function and management.
Water cycle: A representation of the movement of water through the earth’s system, including evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and infiltration.
Precipitation: Understanding rainfall and snowfall patterns, their quantities and qualities.
Runoff: Surface water from precipitation that flows over land to rivers, lakes, and oceans.
Infiltration: Movement of precipitation through soils and into groundwater systems.
Streamflow: The amount of water flowing in a river or stream at a given point in time.
Watershed management: The coordination, planning, and implementation of practices to sustain and improve watershed health.
Groundwater management: The sustainable use, protection, and remediation of groundwater resources.
Forest hydrology: Quantifying the forest’s role in the water cycle, including how trees influence infiltration, groundwater recharge, and streamflow.
Biogeochemical cycles: The movement of nutrients and other elements through the environment, including carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus.
Erosion: The detachment and movement of soil particles by the action of water or wind, and how it affects soil fertility and water quality.
Soil hydrology: The study of water movement and distribution in soils, including soil water retention, evapotranspiration, and drainage.
Land use management: The planning, development, and stewardship of land for multiple uses.
Climate change: The impact of climate change on forest hydrology and watershed management.
Water quality: The physical, chemical, and biological properties of water that determine its suitability for various uses.
Stream ecology: The study of the relationships between living organisms and their physical and chemical environment in streams and rivers.
Riparian Zone Management: Vegetation management of the land adjacent to freshwater ecosystems, including stream banks, rivers, and wetlands.
Forest Operations and harvest management: The planning, design, and execution of forest harvest and management activities that affect watershed health.
Water management infrastructures: The structures built for managing water resources like reservoirs, dams, weirs, and levees.
Watershed modeling: Developing mathematical models that can be used to improve decision-making in watershed management including predicting behavior of a watershed under different management scenarios.
Clearcut & Cut-to-Length Logging: In this type of hydrology, the trees are removed from the forest in large sections, leaving large clearings behind.
Shelterwood Logging: This type of hydrology involves the removal of trees from a forest in a controlled manner, allowing new growth to take place while still maintaining some of the original canopy.
Selective Logging: This type of hydrology involves the removal of individual trees from a forest, leaving the majority of the canopy intact.
Strip Logging: This type of hydrology involves the removal of trees from large strips or corridors within the forest, leaving some trees untouched to promote regeneration.
Fire Suppression: This type of hydrology involves the suppression of forest fires, which can help maintain water quality by reducing erosion and maintaining the soil structure.
Controlled Burns: This type of hydrology involves the use of controlled burns to reduce fuel buildup and promote regeneration.
Watershed Management: This type of hydrology involves the management of water resources within a specific watershed, which can include forest management practices such as selective logging and fire suppression.
Forest Roads Management: This type of hydrology involves the management of forest roads, which can impact water quality and quantity by increasing runoff and erosion.
Riparian Buffer Management: This type of hydrology involves the management of riparian buffer zones, which are areas along streams and rivers that are critical for maintaining water quality and supporting aquatic habitats.
Forest Certification: This type of hydrology involves the certification of forest management practices through programs such as the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), which promote environmentally responsible forest management and conservation.
Reforestation and Afforestation: This type of hydrology involves the planting of new trees or the establishment of new forests in areas where they have been previously removed, which can help promote water quality and reduce erosion.
Intensive Forest Management: This type of hydrology involves the use of intensive management practices to produce high-value wood products, which can impact water quality and quantity by altering the forest structure and reducing biodiversity.