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Determining the sources of suspended sediment in a forested catchment in southeastern Australia
Author(s) -
Motha J. A.,
Wallbrink P. J.,
Hairsine P. B.,
Grayson R. B.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
water resources research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.863
H-Index - 217
eISSN - 1944-7973
pISSN - 0043-1397
DOI - 10.1029/2001wr000794
Subject(s) - sediment , hydrology (agriculture) , erosion , environmental science , drainage basin , sedimentary budget , tracer , geology , sediment transport , geomorphology , geography , geotechnical engineering , cartography , physics , nuclear physics
Knowledge is scarce regarding the relative contributions from harvested areas and unsealed roads to sediments in forested catchments. We investigate the source composition of suspended sediment using sediment tracers and an improved multivariate mixing model. Sediment samples were collected during six rainfall events. Geochemical and radiometric tracer properties were corrected for particle size and organic content as well as conservativeness during erosion and sediment delivery. The mixing model incorporates variability of the tracer properties, using a Monte Carlo simulation technique. Mean sediment contribution from the undisturbed forest was 50–70%; harvested areas, gravel‐surfaced roads, and ungravelled roads contributed 5–15%, 6–14%, and 12–25%, respectively. The unsealed roads contribute 20 to 60 times more sediment than the undisturbed forest and about 10 times more sediment than the harvested areas on a per unit area basis. Harvested areas contribute 1 to 5 times greater sediment than the undisturbed forest. These results support other studies that identify unsealed roads as important sediment sources in forested catchments.