Introduction to the legacy forest small streams study : runoff patterns and related biogeochemistry on the western portion of the boreal shield

Abstract

The Forest Watershed and Riparian Disturbance (FORWARD) Project is an ongoing study initiated on the western Boreal Plain (northwestern Alberta) in 2001 to incorporate hydrologic processes into industrial forest management. Data collection and modelling focused on streamflow during the growing season (01 May to 31 October) in eight recently disturbed (>50% by total area) and six reference first- to fourth-order watersheds. In 2003, the Legacy Forest Small Streams (LFSS) study was launched in the western Boreal Shield (northwestern Ontario) to extend the geographical scope of the FORWARD Project. The objectives of my study were to provide a comparable baseline data set on stream flow dynamics for the modelling process within industrial forest management and in the context of a comparative study of storm driven patterns. Long-term intention is to apply controlled disturbance (ie. forest harvest) to a subset of the study watersheds.