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Effects of Ponderosa Pine Treatments on Water Yield in Arizona
Author(s) -
Baker Malchus B.
Publication year - 1986
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/wr022i001p00067
Subject(s) - thinning , watershed , environmental science , herbaceous plant , yield (engineering) , vegetation (pathology) , clearance , water year , hydrology (agriculture) , forestry , agronomy , geology , geography , water resources , ecology , biology , metallurgy , pathology , machine learning , medicine , materials science , geotechnical engineering , computer science , urology
Annual water yields were determined for three levels of overstory removal and three levels of strip cut with thinning applied on ponderosa pine watersheds. Water yield increases from a completely cleared watershed were statistically significant for 7 years, losing significance after recovery and growth of Gambel oak and herbaceous vegetation. Water yield increases were maintained 6 years after a light overstory removal and 10 years following a heavy overstory removal cut. Significant increases were obtained for 3–4 years following two levels of strip cut with thinning, but were then lost on watersheds with a high percentage of southern exposure or low slopes. Water yield increase remained at a 15% level during the first 6 years on a strip‐cut watershed with 60% of its area on northern aspects.