Jim Buttle

Cross‐regional prediction of long‐term trajectory of stream water DOC response to climate change

[1]xa0There is no scientific consensus about how dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in surface waters is regulated. Here we combine recent literature data from 49 catchments with detailed stream and catchment process information from nine well established research catchments at mid- to high latitudes to examine the question of how climate controls stream water DOC. We show for the first time that mean annual temperature (MAT) in the range from −3° to +10° C has a strong control over the regional stream water DOC concentration in catchments, with highest concentrations in areas ranging between 0° and +3° C MAT. Although relatively large deviations from this model occur for individual streams, catchment topography appears to explain much of this divergence. These findings suggest that the long-term trajectory of stream water DOC response to climate change may be more predictable than previously thought.

Advances in Canadian forest hydrology, 1995-1998

Approximately 42% of Canada is covered by forests, which in turn can be subdivided into nine distinct forest ecozones. Many forested ecozones are located in northern Canada, where cold winters and cool summers provide forest environments that are less well-understood that those in more temperate locations. A number of major developments in recent years have stressed the need for enhanced understanding of hydrological processes in these forest landscapes. These include an increased emphasis on sustainable forest management in Canada as well as major scientific initiatives (e.g. BOREAS) examining water, carbon and energy fluxes in forest ecosystems, with a particular focus on boreal and subarctic forests. Recent progress in our understanding of forest hydrology across Canada is reviewed. Studies of hydrological processes across the spectrum of forest ecozones are highlighted, as well as work on hydrological responses to forest disturbance and recovery. Links between studies of hydrological processes in Canadas forests and other fields of research are examined, with particular attention paid to ongoing efforts to model hydrological impacts and interactions with the climate, biogeochemistry, geomorphology and ecology of forested landscapes.

Changing forest water yields in response to climate warming: results from long-term experimental watershed sites across North America.

Climate warming is projected to affect forest water yields but the effects are expected to vary. We investigated how forest type and age affect water yield resilience to climate warming. To answer this question, we examined the variability in historical water yields at long-term experimental catchments across Canada and the United States over 5-year cool and warm periods. Using the theoretical framework of the Budyko curve, we calculated the effects of climate warming on the annual partitioning of precipitation (P) into evapotranspiration (ET) and water yield. Deviation (d) was defined as a catchments change in actual ET divided by P [AET/P; evaporative index (EI)] coincident with a shift from a cool to a warm period – a positive d indicates an upward shift in EI and smaller than expected water yields, and a negative d indicates a downward shift in EI and larger than expected water yields. Elasticity was defined as the ratio of interannual variation in potential ET divided by P (PET/P; dryness index) to interannual variation in the EI – high elasticity indicates low d despite large range in drying index (i.e., resilient water yields), low elasticity indicates high d despite small range in drying index (i.e., nonresilient water yields). Although the data needed to fully evaluate ecosystems based on these metrics are limited, we were able to identify some characteristics of response among forest types. Alpine sites showed the greatest sensitivity to climate warming with any warming leading to increased water yields. Conifer forests included catchments with lowest elasticity and stable to larger water yields. Deciduous forests included catchments with intermediate elasticity and stable to smaller water yields. Mixed coniferous/deciduous forests included catchments with highest elasticity and stable water yields. Forest type appeared to influence the resilience of catchment water yields to climate warming, with conifer and deciduous catchments more susceptible to climate warming than the more diverse mixed forest catchments.

Advances in Canadian Forest Hydrology, 2003-2007

Recent research in forest hydrology in Canada is reviewed, with a focus on studies of hydrological and hydrochemical processes in natural and disturbed forest landscapes during the 2003-2007 period. The value of hydrologic classification schemes for understanding these processes and guiding effective forest management practices is highlighted, as are the spatially and temporally extensive hydrologic datasets needed to test these classifications. Studies of hydrologic response to natural and anthropogenic forest disturbance are reviewed, and the strengths and limitations of paired-basin experiments for assessing forest disturbance effects on watershed processes are evaluated. Recent shifts in the context of forest hydrology research in Canada are presented, such as issues of climate warming, the mismatch between experimental and management scales, and the increasing need to address cumulative effects of both natural and anthropogenic forest disturbance.

Hydroclimatic and hydrochemical controls on Plecoptera diversity and distribution in northern freshwater ecosystems

Freshwater ecosystems in the mid- to upper-latitudes of the northern hemisphere are particularly vulnerable to the impact of climate change as slight changes in air temperature can alter the form, timing, and magnitude of precipitation and consequent influence of snowmelt on streamflow dynamics. Here, we examine the effects of hydro-climate, flow regime, and hydrochemistry on Plecoptera (stonefly) alpha (α) diversity and distribution in northern freshwater ecosystems. We characterized the hydroclimatic regime of seven catchments spanning a climatic gradient across the northern temperate region and compared them with estimates of Plecoptera genera richness. By a space-for-time substitution, we assessed how warmer temperatures and altered flow regimes may influence Plecoptera alpha diversity and composition at the genus level. Our results show wide hydroclimatic variability among sites, including differences in temporal streamflow dynamics and temperature response. Principal component analysis showed that Plecoptera genera richness was positively correlated with catchment relief (m), mean and median annual air temperature (°C), and streamflow. These results provide a preliminary insight into how hydroclimatic change, particularly in terms of increased air temperature and altered streamflow regimes, may create future conditions more favorable to some Plecopteras in northern catchments.

Analysis of hydrological seasonality across northern catchments using monthly precipitation–runoff polygon metrics

Abstract Seasonality is an important hydrological signature for catchment comparison. Here, the relevance of monthly precipitation–runoff polygons (defined as scatter points of 12 monthly average precipitation–runoff value pairs connected in the chronological monthly sequence) for characterizing seasonality patterns was investigated to describe the hydrological behaviour of 10 catchments spanning a climatic gradient across the northern temperate region. Specifically, the research objectives were to: (a) discuss the extent to which monthly precipitation–runoff polygons can be used to infer active hydrological processes in contrasting catchments; (b) test the ability of quantitative metrics describing the shape, orientation and surface area of monthly precipitation–runoff polygons to discriminate between different seasonality patterns; and (c) examine the value of precipitation–runoff polygons as a basis for catchment grouping and comparison. This study showed that some polygon metrics were as effective as monthly average runoff coefficients for illustrating differences between the 10 catchments. The use of precipitation–runoff polygons was especially helpful to look at the dynamics prevailing in specific months and better assess the coupling between precipitation and runoff and their relative degree of seasonality. This polygon methodology, linked with a range of quantitative metrics, could therefore provide a new simple tool for understanding and comparing seasonality among catchments. Editor Z.W. Kundzewicz; Associate editor K. Heal Citation Ali, G., Tetzlaff, D., Kruitbos, L., Soulsby, C., Carey, S., McDonnell, J., Buttle, J., Laudon, H., Seibert, J., McGuire, K., and Shanley, J., 2013. Analysis of hydrological seasonality across northern catchments using monthly precipitation–runoff polygon metrics. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 59 (1), 56–72.

Testing a spatially distributed tracer-aided runoff model in a snow-influenced catchment: Effects of multicriteria calibration on streamwater ages

This work was funded by the European Research Council (project GA 335910 VeWa). Dr. Huaxia Yao, Chris McConnell and Tim Field were instrumental to the collection of isotope samples and for many aspects of hydrological data collection.