Premium
Wood distribution in neotropical forested headwater streams of La Selva, Costa Rica
Author(s) -
Cadol Daniel,
Wohl Ellen,
Goode Jaime R.,
Jaeger Kristin L.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
earth surface processes and landforms
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.294
H-Index - 127
eISSN - 1096-9837
pISSN - 0197-9337
DOI - 10.1002/esp.1800
Subject(s) - streams , hydrology (agriculture) , channel (broadcasting) , stream power , temperate climate , thalweg , geology , substrate (aquarium) , spatial distribution , range (aeronautics) , environmental science , drainage network , drainage , ecology , geomorphology , geotechnical engineering , biology , erosion , sediment , computer network , oceanography , materials science , remote sensing , engineering , computer science , electrical engineering , composite material
Surveys of wood along 30 forested headwater stream reaches in La Selva Biological Station in north‐eastern Costa Rica represent the first systematic data reported on wood loads in neotropical streams. For streams with drainage areas of 0·1–8·5 km 2 and gradients of 0·2–8%, wood load ranged from 3 to 34·7 m 3 wood/100 m channel and 41–612 m 3 wood/ha channel. These values are within the range reported for temperate streams. The variables wood diameter/flow depth, stream power, the presence of backflooding, and channel width/depth are consistently selected as significant predictors by statistical models for wood load. These variables explain half to two‐thirds of the variability in wood load. These results, along with the spatial distribution of wood with respect to the thalweg, suggest that transport processes exert a greater influence on wood loads than recruitment processes. Wood appears to be more geomorphically effective in altering bed elevations in gravel‐bed reaches than in reaches with coarser or finer substrate. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.