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Isotopic response of run‐off to forest disturbance in small mountain catchments
Author(s) -
Vystavna Yuliya,
Holko Ladislav,
Hejzlar Josef,
Perșoiu Aurel,
Graham Neil D.,
Juras Roman,
Huneau Frederic,
Gibson John
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
hydrological processes
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.222
H-Index - 161
eISSN - 1099-1085
pISSN - 0885-6087
DOI - 10.1002/hyp.13280
Subject(s) - drainage basin , hydrology (agriculture) , snowmelt , environmental science , biogeochemical cycle , precipitation , catchment hydrology , throughfall , streams , soil water , snow , geology , ecology , geography , computer network , cartography , geotechnical engineering , geomorphology , meteorology , soil science , computer science , biology
Abstract Stable water isotopes were applied to trace hydrological processes in an undisturbed (mature spruce forest) and a nearby disturbed (deforested from a bark beetle outbreak) lake catchments in the Czech Republic. Both catchments are situated above 1,000 m a.s.l. within the Šumava National Park and have similar environmental conditions. The isotopic compositions of precipitation, creeks, springs, and lakes were sampled at 3‐week intervals over one hydrological year. Water inputs to catchments were derived from isotopically similar local precipitation, whereas run‐off was found to have different isotopic signatures. Creeks in the undisturbed catchment had ~1‰ and ~7‰ higher δ 18 O and δ 2 H with ~2‰ lower d‐excess than in the disturbed catchment. The d‐excess in creeks of the undisturbed catchment was more pronounced, particularly during snowmelt, and highly heterogeneous as compared with the disturbed catchment. Creeks in the undisturbed catchment were mainly fed by precipitation during the warm period (May–October), whereas creeks in the disturbed catchment were mostly fed by precipitation during the cold period (November–April). Estimated mean transit times of creeks and springs were ~6 months, except for two creeks in the undisturbed catchment, which had residence times of ~1 year. Although evaporation and transpiration fluxes were apparently reduced in the disturbed catchment, transpiration ratios were similar for both catchments. The difference in isotope signatures between catchments was attributed to the altered role of the forest canopy in temporal water distribution, which produced changes in the water cycle, potentially influencing important biogeochemical processes.