PRECISION OF CHANNEL WIDTH AND POOL AREA MEASUREMENTS1

ABSTRACT: The precision of width and pool area measurements has rarely been considered in relation to downstream or at section hydraulic geometry, fisheries studies, long-term or along a continuum research studies, or agency monitoring techniques. We assessed this precision and related it to other stream morphologic characteristics. Confidence limits (95 percent) around mean estimates with four transects (cross-sections perpendicular to the channel center-line) ranged from ± 0.4 to 1.8 m on streams with a width of only 2.2 m. To avoid autocorrelation, transects should be spaced about three channel widths apart. To avoid stochastic inhomogeneity, reach length should be about 30 channel widths or ten transects to optimize sampling efficiency. Precision of width measurements decreased with decreased depth and increased with stream size. Both observations reflect variability caused by features such as boulders or coarse woody debris. Pool area precision increased with pool area reflecting increased precision for flat, wide streams with regular pool-rime sequences. The least precision occurred on small, steep streams with random, boulder or coarse woody debris formed pools.     

Woody debris in north Iberian streams: influence of geomorphology, vegetation, and management

The effect of stream geomorphology, maturity, and management of riparian forests on abundance, role, and mobility of wood was evaluated in 20 contrasting reaches in the Agüera stream catchment (northern Iberian Peninsula). During 1 year the volume of woody debris exceeding 1 cm in diameter was measured in all reaches. All large woody debris (φ > 5 cm) pieces were tagged, their positions mapped, and their subsequent changes noted. Volume of woody debris was in general low and ranged from 40 to 22,000 cm³ m⁻²; the abundance of debris dams ranged from 0 to 5.5 per 100 m of channel. Wood was especially rare and unstable in downstream reaches, or under harvested forests (both natural or plantations). Results stress that woody debris in north Iberian streams has been severely reduced by forestry and log removal. Because of the important influence of woody debris on structure and function of stream systems, this reduction has likely impacted stream communities. Therefore, efforts to restore north Iberian streams should include in-channel and riparian management practices that promote greater abundance and stability of large woody debris whenever possible.     

Large Woody Debris Input and Its Influence on Channel Structure in Agricultural Lands of Southeast Brazil

Riparian forests are important for the structure and functioning of stream ecosystems, providing structural components such as large woody debris (LWD). Changes in these forests will cause modifications in the LWD input to streams, affecting their structure. In order to assess the influence of riparian forests changes in LWD supply, 15 catchments (third and fourth order) with riparian forests at different conservation levels were selected for sampling. In each catchment we quantified the abundance, volume and diameter of LWD in stream channels; the number, area and volume of pools formed by LWD and basal area and tree diameter of riparian forest. We found that riparian forests were at a secondary successional stage with predominantly young trees (diameter at breast height <10 cm) in all studied streams. Results showed that basal area and diameter of riparian forest differed between the stream groups (forested and non-forested), but tree density did not differ between groups. Differences were also observed in LWD abundance, volume, frequency of LWD pools with subunits and area and volume of LWD pools. LWD diameter, LWD that form pools diameter and frequency of LWD pools without subunits did not differ between stream groups. Regression analyses showed that LWD abundance and volume, and frequency of LWD pools (with and without subunits) were positively related with the proportion of riparian forest. LWD diameter was not correlated to riparian tree diameter. The frequency of LWD pools was correlated to the abundance and volume of LWD, but characteristics of these pools (area and volume) were not correlated to the diameter of LWD that formed the pools. These results show that alterations in riparian forest cause modifications in the LWD abundance and volume in the stream channel, affecting mainly the structural complexity of these ecosystems (reduction in the number and structural characteristics of LWD pools). Our results also demonstrate that riparian forest conservation actions must consider not only its extension, but also successional stage to guarantee the quantity and quality of LWD necessary to enable the structuring of stream channels.     

GEOMORPHOLOGY OF STEEPLAND HEADWATERS: THE TRANSITION FROM HILLSLOPES TO CHANNELS1

Headwater streams comprise 60 to 80 percent of the cumulative length of river networks. In hilly to mountainous terrain, they reflect a mix of hillslope and channel processes because of their close proximity to sediment source areas. Their morphology is an assemblage of residual soils, landslide deposits, wood, boulders, thin patches of poorly sorted alluvium, and stretches of bedrock. Longitudinal profiles of these channels are strongly influenced by steps created by sediment deposits, large wood, and boulders. Due to the combination of small drainage area, stepped shallow gradient, large roughness elements, and cohesive sediments, headwater streams typically transport little sediment or coarse wood debris by fluvial processes. Consequently, headwaters act as sediment reservoirs for periods spanning decades to centuries. The accumulated sediment and wood may be episodically evacuated by debris flows, debris floods, or gully erosion and transported to larger channels. In mountain environments, these processes deliver significant amounts of materials that form riverine habitats in larger channels. In managed steepland forests, accelerated rates of landslides and debris flows resulting from the harvest of headwater forests have the potential to seriously impact the morphology of headwater streams and downstream resources.     

Large Woody Debris and Land Management in California’s Hardwood-Dominated Watersheds

Although large woody debris (LWD) has been studied extensively in conifer-dominated watersheds, relatively little is known about LWD in hardwood-dominated watersheds. Field surveys of 32 hardwood-dominated stream reaches in northern coastal California revealed that levels of LWD varied with land ownership and that living trees strongly influenced debris jam formation. Almost half of the channel-spanning debris jams, which stored the most wood and were most likely to form a pool, were formed behind a key piece that was still living. These living key pieces might provide greater longevity and stability than would otherwise be expected from hardwood LWD. Compared to streams on private land, streams on public land had significantly greater LWD loading and debris-jam frequency. Land management practices that remove wood from streams might be contributing to the degradation of salmonid habitat in Californias hardwood-dominated watersheds.     

SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL DYNAMICS OF WOOD IN HEADWATER STREAMS OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST1

This paper synthesizes information on the spatial and temporal dynamics of wood in small streams in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The literature on this topic is somewhat confused due to a lack of an accepted definition of what constitutes “small” streams and what is the relative size of woody debris contained within the channel. This paper presents a matrix that defines woody debris relative to channel size and then discusses the components of a wood budget. Headwater streams are in close proximity to wood sources and, in steeplands, are often tightly constrained by steep hillslopes. Special consideration is given to ecosystem characteristics and to management practices that affect the wood dynamics in this context. Knowledge gaps and uncertainties that can be used to guide future research are identified. Very little is currently known about the role of mass wasting in wood recruitment and storage relative to other processes, such as bank erosion and mortality, in larger streams. Further, very little work has addressed the relative importance of different wood depletion processes, especially those associated with wood transport. The effect of other ecosystem variables on wood dynamics locally across a watershed (from valley bottom to mountaintop) and regionally across the landscape (from maritime to continental climates) is not addressed. Finally, the scientific community has only begun to deal with the effects of management practices on wood quantity, structure, and movement in small streams.     

CHANNEL RESPONSE FROM SHRUB DOMINATED RIPARIAN COMMUNITIES AND ASSOCIATED EFFECTS ON SALMONTD HABITAT1

ABSTRACT: We surveyed first‐to third‐order streams (channel widths from 1.4 to 10 m) in the southeastern slopes of the Cascade Range of Washington and found two distinct endpoints of riparian vegetation. Where the forest overstory is dominated by park‐like Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa), channels are commonly bordered with a dense scrub‐shrub vegetation community. Where fire suppression and/or lack of active riparian zone management have resulted in dense encroachment of fir forests that create closed forest canopies over the channel, scrub‐shrub vegetation communities are virtually absent near the channel. Other factors being equal, distinct differences in channel morphology exist in streams flowing thru each riparian community. The scrub‐shrub channels have more box‐like cross‐sections, lower width‐to‐depth ratios, more pools, more undercut banks, more common sand‐dominated substrates, and similar amounts of woody debris (despite lower tree density). Temperature comparisons of forest and scrub‐shrub sections of two streams indicate that summer water temperatures are slightly lower in the scrub‐shrub streams. We surmise that these morphology and temperature effects are driven by differences in root density and canopy conditions that alter dynamic channel processes between each riparian community. We suspect that the scrub‐shrub community was more common in the landscape prior to the 20th century and may have been the dominant native riparian community for these stream types. We therefore suggest that managing these streams for dense riparian conifer does not mimic natural conditions, nor does it provide superior in‐stream habitat.     

Effects of Fireplace Use on Forest Vegetation and Amount of Woody Debris in Suburban Forests in Northwestern Switzerland

Urban forests are popular recreation areas in Europe. Several of these temperate broad-leaved forests also have a high conservation value due to sustainable management over many centuries. Recreational activities, particularly the use of fireplaces, can cause extensive damage to soil, ground vegetation, shrubs, and trees. Firewood collection depletes woody debris, leading to a loss of habitat for specialized organisms. We examined the effects of fireplace use on forest vegetation and the amount of woody debris by comparing disturbed and control plots in suburban forests in northwestern Switzerland. At frequently used fireplaces, we found reduced species densities in the ground vegetation and shrub layer and changes in plant species composition due to human trampling within an area of 150–200 m². Picnicking and grilling also reduced the height and changed the age structure of shrubs and young trees. The amount of woody debris was lower in disturbed plots than in control plots. Pieces of wood with a diameter of 0.6–7.6 cm were preferentially collected by fireplace users. The reduction in woody debris volume extended up to a distance of 16 m from the fire ring, covering an area of 800 m² at each picnic site. In order to preserve the ecological integrity of urban forests and to maintain their attractiveness as important recreation areas, we suggest depositing logging residues to be used as firewood and to restrict visitor movements near picnic sites.     

ORGANIC MATTER DYNAMICS IN SMALL STREAMS OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST1

Small streams in forested landscapes are tightly coupled to the vegetation of the surrounding forest, and one of the key drivers of the stream ecosystem is the nature of organic matter supplied to it. This paper is focussed on three questions related to organic matter dynamics in small, forested streams of the conifer dominated Pacific Northwest: (1) How do small streams differ from large streams? (2) How do small streams of the Pacific Northwest differ from those of other regions? and (3) How do forest practices alter organic matter dynamics of small streams in the Pacific Northwest? The organic matter dynamics of small streams in this region differ from temperate deciduous forests in the nature of the organic matter deposited (protective chemicals, hard epidermis, slower loss rates), the timing of inputs (distributed throughout the year), and the transport rates (smaller, hard needles are more easily transported). The large amount and persistence of wood in these streams provides an additional source of organic matter that can be consumed by particular species and contributes to biofilm and fine particulate organic matter (FPOM) production. Logging is commonly practiced in many forests of the region. This practice has been shown to alter the type, amount, and timing of organic matter delivery to small streams and reduce the amount and size of large wood. Changes in channel complexity and water temperature after logging also can contribute to reduced organic matter storage. Many of the processes controlling organic matter dynamics in small streams are well described in other regions. However, the climate, vegetation, and topography of the Pacific Northwest suggest that the rates and nature of some processes affecting stream organic matter may differ considerably from other regions. Further research on small streams of this area will be required to better understand these differences.     

Role of refugia in recovery from disturbances: Modern fragmented and disconnected river systems

Habitats or environmental factors that convey spatial and temporal resistance and/or resilience to biotic communities that have been impacted by biophysical disturbances may be called refugia. Most refugia in rivers are characterized by extensive coupling of the main channel with adjacent streamside forests, floodplain features, and groundwater. These habitats operate at different spatial scales, from localized particles, to channel units such as pools and riffles, to reaches and longer sections, and at the basin level. A spatial hierarchy of different physical components of a drainage network is proposed to provide a context for different refugia. Examples of refugia operating at different spatial scales, such as pools, large woody debris, floodplains, below dams, and catchment basins are discussed. We hope that the geomorphic context proposed for examining refugia habitats will assist in the conservation of pristine areas and attributes of river systems and also allow a better understanding of rehabilitation needs in rivers that have been extensively altered.     

Riparian Zone Management in the Pacific Northwest: Who's Cutting What?

Oncorhynchus sp.), regional governments now restrict timber harvest in riparian forests. I summarize and assess the riparian zone management guidelines of the states of California, Oregon, and Washington (USA) and the province of British Columbia (Canada). Only Oregon and British Columbia protect fish-bearing streams with “no-harvest” zones, and only the wider (20–50 m) no-harvest zones for larger fish-bearing streams in British Columbia are likely to maintain near-natural linkages between riparian and stream ecosystems. All four jurisdictions protect most streams with “management zones” of variable width, in which timber harvest activities are restricted. All the management zone guidelines permit the harvest of the largest conifers from riparian forests and will, if applied over a series of timber harvest rotations (60–80 years), result in the continued removal of potential sources of large woody debris from the region's watersheds. All four jurisdictions require additional protection for streams and watersheds that are severely degraded or (in the United States) contain threatened or endangered species. The governments of the PNW have taken a “manage until degraded, then protect” approach to riparian forest management that is unlikely to maintain or restore the full suite of riparian-stream linkages necessary for lotic ecosystems to function naturally at the stream, watershed, basin, or regional scale.     

Identifying Linkages Between Land Use,Geomorphology, and Aquatic Habitat in a Mixed-Use Watershed

The potential impacts of land use on large woody debris (LWD) were examined in Sourdough Creek Watershed, a rapidly growing area encompassing Bozeman, Montana, USA. We identified six land classes within a 250 m buffer extending on either side of Sourdough Creek and assessed aquatic habitat and geomorphologic variables within each class. All LWD pieces were counted, and we examined 14 other variables, including undercut bank, sinuosity, and substrate composition. LWD numbers were generally low and ranged from 0 to 8.2 pieces per 50 m of stream. Linear regression showed that LWD increased with distance from headwaters, riparian forest width, and sinuosity in four of the six land classes. Statistically significant differences between land classes for many aquatic habitat and geomorphologic variables indicated the impacts of different land uses on stream structure. We also found that practices such as active wood removal played a key role in LWD abundance. This finding suggests that managers should prioritize public education and outreach concerning the importance of in-stream wood, especially in mixed-use watersheds where wood is removed for either aesthetic reasons or to prevent stream flooding.     

LONG-TERM AQUATIC HABITAT RESTORATION: MAHOGANY CREEK,NEVADA, AS A CASE STUDY1

ABSTRACT: We compared the recovery from abusive grazing of aquatic habitat due to different range management on two geomorphically similar rangeland streams in northwest Nevada. Managers excluded livestock from the Mahogany Creek watershed from 1976 to 1990 while allowing rotation of rest grazing on its tributary Summer Camp Creek. Bank stability, defined as the lack of apparent bank erosion or deposition, improved through the study period on both streams, but periodic grazing and flooding decreased stability more on Summer Camp Creek than flooding alone on Mahogany Creek. Pool quantity and quality on each stream decreased because of coarse woody debris removal and sediment deposition during a drought. Fine stream bottom sediments decreased five years after the removal of livestock, but sedimentation increased during low flows in both streams below road crossings. Tree cover increased 35 percent at both streams. Thus, recovery of stability and cover and decreased sedimentation are compatible with rotation of rest grazing on Summer Camp Creek. Width/depth ratio and gravel/cobble percent did not change because they are inherently stable in this stream type. Management activities such as coarse woody debris removal limited pool recover and road crossings increased sedimentation.     

Effects of riparian forest buffers on in-stream nutrient retention in agricultural catchments

In northeastern Austria, marshlands have been turned into the most productive arable land of the country. As a result, most headwater streams show structurally degraded channels, lacking riparian buffer zones, which are heavily loaded with nutrients from the surrounding crop fields. The present study examines whether longitudinally restricted riparian forest buffers can enhance the in-stream nutrient retention in nutrient-enriched headwater streams. We estimated nutrient uptake from pairwise, short-term addition experiments with NH, NH, PO, and NaCl within reaches with riparian forest buffers (RFB) and degraded reaches (DEG) of the same streams. Riparian forest buffers originated from the conservation of the pristine vegetation or from restoration measures. Hydrologic retention was calculated with the model OTIS-P on the basis of conductivity break-through curves from the salt injections. A significant increase in surface transient storage was revealed in pristine and restored RFB reaches compared with DEG reaches due to the longitudinal step-pool pattern and the frequent occurrence of woody debris on the channel bed. Ammonium uptake lengths were significantly shorter in RFB reaches than in DEG reaches, resulting from the higher hydrologic retention. Uptake velocities did not differ significantly between RFB and DEG reaches, indicating that riparian forest buffers did not affect the biochemical nutrient demand. Uptake of NH was mainly driven by autotrophs. Net PO uptake was not affected by riparian forest buffers. The study shows that the physical and biogeochemical effects of riparian forest buffers on the in-stream nutrient retention are limited in the case of highly eutrophic streams.     

COARSE WOODY DEBRIS AND CHANNEL MORPHOLOGY: A FLUME STUDY1

ABSTRACT: In recent years, logs and other structures have been added to streams for the purposes of altering channel morphology to improve fish habitat. This flume study was conducted to evaluate the effects of coarse woody debris on local channel morphology. Wooden dowels were used to simulate the effects of individual logs in a stream, and scour depth and surface area were determined at the end of each test run. The maximum scour depth was significantly correlated (90 percent confidence level) with both the vertical orientation of the dowels and the channel opening ratio; the scour surface area was significantly correlated (90 percent confidence level) with both the flow depth and the vertical orientation. Upstream-oriented dowels caused relatively large streambed scour and also deflected flows toward the streambank. Downstream-oriented dowels generally caused less bed scour and appeared to provide better bank protection because flow was generally deflected from the bank. In conjunction with data from field studies, these results provide information on the effects of orientation, hydraulic function, and relative stability of coarse woody debris in streams.     

Channel adjustments to the removal of log steps: an experiment in a mountain stream

Fallen trees and their large debris often form log steps in small mountain streams, where they are incorporated into the hydraulic geometry. The hypothesis here was that these log steps take the place of gravel bars that otherwise would have been required for channel slope adjustment. In this experiment, the treated as well as the control stream were located in virgin mixed conifer forests and until the study began, no human activity had interfered with the natural developments. All log steps were removed from a stream and the formation of new log steps was prohibited by periodic removal of fallen trees and branches. Five years later, 74% of all removed log steps had been replaced by gravel bars, thus proving the hypothesis that increased bedload movement was required to offset the loss of log steps. Implications are that streamside forests should be managed so that they can provide a steady supply of debris for channel stability.     

Harvesting and climate effects on organic matter characteristics in British Columbia coastal forests

As part of investigations into the effects of harvesting old-growth forest, we characterized carbon in five organic matter pools in eight forest chronosequences of coastal British Columbia. Each chronosequence comprised stands in four seral stages from regeneration (3-8 yr) to old-growth (>250 yr), with second-growth stands mostly of harvest origin. Stands were located in two biogeoclimatic subzones with contrasting climate (wetter, slightly cooler conditions on the west coast of Vancouver Island than on the east). Carbon concentrations in fine woody debris (FWD), forest floor (LFH), fine roots from LFH, and two water-floatable fractions from 10 to 30 cm mineral soil (MIN-ROOT, 2-8 mm and MIN-FLOAT, <2 mm) showed no significant effects due to climate, seral stage, or site. There were some significant differences in N concentrations, but none related to seral stage. Carbon-13 cross-polarization with magic-angle spinning (CPMAS) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra with principal component analysis of relative areas also showed little harvesting effect, but greater variation related to input of coarse woody debris (CWD) vs. roots high in tannin. Overall, there tended to be more spectral features associated with wood and lignin in the west; whereas some MIN-ROOT samples from the drier east side had aromatic intensity attributed to charcoal. The minimal effects of one harvest on organic matter are most likely due to the large legacy effect; however, more intensive management will probably result in less CWD retention, less charcoal input, and less microsite variability in these pools of poorly decomposed organic matter.     

DEBRIS FLOWS THROUGH DIFFERENT FOREST AGE CLASSES IN THE CENTRAL OREGON COAST RANGE1

ABSTRACT: Debris flows in the Pacific Northwest can play a major role in routing sediment and wood stored on hillslopes and in first‐through third‐order channels and delivering it to higher‐order channels. Field surveys following a large regional storm event investigated 53 debris flows in the central Oregon Coast Range to determine relationships among debris flow characteristics and the age class of the surrounding forest. The volume of sediment and wood delivered by debris flows was strongly correlated with runout length. Debris flows that initiated at roads were significantly longer than nonroad related failures, and road related landslides were an order of magnitude larger than nonroad related landslides. Clearcuts and roads tended to have more numerous contributing landslides relative to second growth and mature forests. No statistically significant difference in the average debris flow runout length was detected among the forest age classes, although debris flows initiating in clearcuts and mixed forest and at roads occasionally supported extremely long runout lengths that were outside the range of variability observed in completely forested basins. The size of wood in deposits was not correlated with the size of trees on the adjacent slopes, suggesting that the majority of wood in debris flow deposits was from remobilization of wood previously stored in low order channels.     

Chloride effects on nitrogen dynamics in forested and suburban stream debris dams

Organic debris dams (accumulations of organic material) can function as "hotspots" of nitrogen (N) processing in streams. Suburban streams are often characterized by high flows that prevent the accumulation of organic debris and by elevated concentrations of solutes, especially nitrate (NO(3)(-)) and chloride (Cl(-)). In this study we (1) studied the effects of urbanization on the extent and characteristics of debris dams in large and small streams and (2) evaluated the effects of NO(3)(-) and Cl(-) on rates of N cycle processes in these debris dams. In some suburban streams debris dams were small and rare, but in others factors that reduce the effects of high stream flows fostered the maintenance of debris dams. Ambient denitrification enzyme activity (DEA) in these suburban and forested streams was positively correlated with stream NO(3)(-) concentrations. In laboratory microcosms, DEA in debris dam material from a forested reference stream was increased by NO(3)(-) additions. Chloride additions constrained the response of DEA to NO(3)(-) additions in material from the forested stream, but had no effect on DEA in material from streams with a history of high Cl(-) levels. Chloride additions changed the sign of net N mineralization from negative (consumption of inorganic N) to positive in debris dam material from the forested reference stream, but had no effect on net mineralization in material from streams with a history of exposure to Cl(-). Understanding the factors regulating the maintenance and N cycling activity of organic debris, and incorporating them into urban stream management plans could have important effects on N dynamics in suburban watersheds.     

Trade-Offs Between Forest Protection and Wood Supply in Europe

Forest protection is one of the main measures to prevent loss of biological and landscape diversity. This study aimed to assess to what extent forests are currently protected and how felling restrictions affect the potential annual wood supply within 27 European Union member states, Norway, and Switzerland and to discuss trade-offs between intensified use of forest biomass and forest protection efforts. Protected forests covered 33 million ha (20 % of total forest area) in 2005, of which 16 million ha was protected for biodiversity and the remaining area for landscape diversity. Within the protected areas, on average 48 % of the volume cannot be harvested in forests protected for biodiversity and 40 % in forests protected for landscapes. Consequently, 73 million m³ (10 % of the annual theoretical potential supply from the total forest area) of wood cannot be felled from the protected forests in Europe. Protected forests do not necessarily affect wood supply given the current demand for wood in Europe. However, if demand for wood from European forests for material and energy use significantly increases, the impact of existing protected forest networks may become significant after all. On the other hand, wood harvesting is allowed to a fair extent in many protected areas. Hence, the question could be raised whether biodiversity and landscape diversity within designated areas are sufficiently protected. Careful planning is required to accommodate both the protection of biological and landscape diversity and demand for wood, while not forgetting all other services that forests provide.