Paul W. Adams

Wildland watershed management.

WATER, WATERSHEDS AND PEOPLE Water Resources and Water Problems Water Resource Management: Approaches to the Solution of Water Problems Watersheds and People Through Time THE WILDLAND HYDROLOGIC SYSTEM How Runoff Is Generated by a Watershed Atmospheric Moisture and Precipitation Soil Moisture Movement and Storage Energy Exchange Water Losses Snow Accumulation, Melt and Vaporization Erosion and Sediment MANAGING WILDLAND WATERSHEDS Control of Amount and Timing of Streamflow Control of Water Quality Watershed Management Policy and Planning Appendix Index.

Long-term patterns in soil moisture and revegetation after a clearcut of a Douglas-fir forest in Oregon

Adams, P.W., Flint, A.L. and Fredriksen, R.L., 1991. Long-term patterns in soil moisture and revegetation after a clearcut of a Douglas-fir forest in Oregon. For. Ecol..~lanage., 41: 249-263. Soil moisture levels during 1960-1980 were compared for two areas within a 101 ha watershed in the Oregon Cascade Range. In winter 1962-1963, the old-growth Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga rnenziesii (Mirb.) Franco) forest in one area was clearcut. The site was then lightly broadcast-burned in September 1963. An adjacent forested area was left undisturbed as a control. In summer 1963, the upper 120 cm of soil in the clearcut averaged over 10 cm more moisture than that in the forested control. By 1967 these surpluses in the clearcut had declined to become deficits of at least 2 cm less moisture than in the control. These deficits, which were presumably caused by a rapid increase in plant cover after the light slash burn, persisted in the upper 30 cm of soil throughout the rest of the study. The fluctuations in soil moisture in the treated area are extensive enough to influence forest regeneration and watershed hydrology.

Soil conditions in three recent landslides in Southeast Alaska

Abstract Soils in some recent landslides were studied to better understand limitations to revegetation and management. Large areas of the landslides, particularly the scour zones, had limited rooting potential due to exposed rock or large organic debris. Soil bulk density was generally higher in the scour zones than in the deposit areas. Soil chemistry in the landslides was highly variable, probably due to uneven mixing of deposited material and post-landslides was highly variabele, probably debris into scour areas. Soil fertility, however, was generally greater in deposit areas than in scour zones, where fertility was often comparable to mineral horizons of similar undisturbed soils. Although revegetation and plant growth in these and similar landslide units are likely to respond more favorably to soil conditions in the deposit area, they are still expected to be highly variable within a deposit or scour area and among different landslides.

The Oregon Forest Practices Act and Forest Research

The Alsea Watershed Study (AWS) was the first to combine assessment of water quality, stream channel habitat, and fish response to forest management on a watershed basis. It is therefore not surprising that it influenced the initial development of regulations in Oregon to address water quality and fishery concerns in forest operations. The Oregon Forest Practices Act (FPA) was passed in 1971, not long after release of many of the AWS results. The FPA was developed from a long history of forest regulation in Oregon; the earliest laws were enacted in 1864 for fire control on forest operations. In 1941 the state Conservation Act expanded regulation to include sustained-yield forest management concepts, a profound change in an era when most timberland was abandoned after logging. The act emphasized reforestation and fire control. The basis for the 1941 Act was forest practice standards developed by the forest industry to preclude potentially less workable agency regulation (Pacific Northwest Loggers Association 1937). Forestry research results available then apparently had little direct influence on the formation of the State Conservation Act. AlthoughOregon had been regulating certain aspects of forest operations for years, the late 1960s were a time of new ideas about forestry, ecology, and environmental protection. These new ideas challenged the adequacy of existing forest practice regulation. Nationwide, attention and concern were growing about the quality and safety of air and water, stimulated by books like Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring that described environmental hazards of pesticides (Buck 1991). Expanding urban populations were also resulting in greater demands for forest recreation and aesthetic considerations. A new breed of federal legislation was emerging at this time. The 1960 Multiple-Use Sustained-Yield Act, 1969 National Environmental Policy Act

Closing the gaps in knowledge, policy and action to address water issues in forests

Abstract Water issues on forest lands involve many human elements and needs that are not addressed by advanced physical and biological research and technology. Major gaps in our knowledge of important patterns of climate, soils, and terrain can be filled by relatively basic data collection and monitoring programs. Careful analysis of existing data and field experience also can reveal appropriate directions for management. A focus on problem-solving can direct research more effectively towards the resolution of key issues. Despite their impact, resource policies have widely varying scientific foundations. Policy-makers need sound processes for policy development, including timely technical input that is clear, objective, and related to socio-economic considerations. Resource polices should be consistent and include not only regulation, but also research, education, assistance, and incentives. Knowledge and sound policies still may not produce the desired on-the-ground actions, however, because of variable awareness, understanding, skill, or supervision in the field. Education and training programs are important not only for resource technicians, but also for contractors, operators, and other forest workers. Good planning, communication, and field coordination further insure that problems are avoided and new opportunities for effective actions are identified.

Estimating biomass in northern lower Michigan forest stands

Abstract Forest biomass data are now being sought by many forest managers and specialists. These data have been accumulating rapidly in recent years, but numerous gaps remain for various forest types, locations, and site quality levels. This paper illustrates how available information was carefully synthesized to generate biomass data for the evaluation and management of forest stands in northern lower Michigan. The basic approach involved the integration of published specific gravity and biomass distribution data with bolewood volumes predicted from regression equations relating these volumes to stand height and basal area. Preliminary evaluations of the data thus generated indicate that the approach should produce reasonable estimates of stand biomass in this region.