Forest Cover and Stream Flow in a Headwater of the Blue Nile: Complementing Observational Data Analysis with Community Perception |
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Authors: | Solomon Gebreyohannis Gebrehiwot Ayele Taye Kevin Bishop |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment, SLU, P.O. Box 7050, 750 07 Uppsala, Sweden;(2) Department of Statistics and Mathematics, Hawassa University, P.O. Box 5, Awassa, Ethiopia |
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Abstract: | This study analyses the relation of forest cover and stream flow on the 266 km2 Koga watershed in a headwater of Blue Nile Basin using both observed hydrological data and community perception. The watershed
declined from 16% forest cover in 1957 to 1% by 1986. The hydrological record did not reveal changes in the flow regime between
1960 and 2002 despite the reduction in forest area. This agrees with the perception of the downstream community living near
the gauging station. The upstream community, however, reported both decreases in low flows and increases in high flows shortly
after the forest cover was reduced. The upstream deforestation effect appeared to have been buffered by a wetland lower in
the watershed. This study concludes that community perception can be a complement to observational data for better understanding
how forest cover influences the flow regime. |
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Keywords: | Blue Nile Basin Community perception Deforestation Ethiopia High flow Low flow |
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