Peak flow responses to strip thinning in a nested, forested headwater catchment

Abstract

We evaluated the effects of 50% strip thinning on peak flow responses in 17‐ha and 9‐ha nested catchments. We observed 117 storm events from April 2010 to December 2013, including 32 events in the pre‐thinning period, 15 events during the thinning operation, and 70 events in the post‐thinning period. Paired‐catchment analysis with multiple pairs of nested gauging stations revealed that changes in peak flow responses varied depending on the location of the nested observation stations. Increases in peak flow during the operation period were significant in gauging stations located at the outlet and the middle of a catchment. Increases in peak flow during the post‐treatment period became significant in all nested catchments, but not in the catchment outlet. Rates of increase in peak flow ranged from 17.7% to 44.4%, which is within the range of previous studies. Different responses for changes in peak flow among nested pairs were associated with changes in internal hydrological flow pathways due to removal of timber and hydrological connectivity via overland flow generated by newly installed and reactivated skid trails. Our findings suggest that the effects of timber harvesting on peak flow are scale‐dependent with respect to drainage areas, hydrological links, and management practices. Selection of gauging locations and process‐based observations within catchments are essential for testing hypotheses related to the effects of timber harvesting with robust hydrological monitoring. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.