Understanding and mitigating the effects of vegetation change on the storage and transport of fine sediment and associated nutrients in forested watersheds

众所周知，野火对林区的植被有深远的影响，但也会对水质产生重大影响。这种影响还可能向下游延伸，并可能影响饮用水水源质量和生态系统健康。这是因为植被是控制关键水文过程的主要因素之一，这些过程影响向河流供应和输送细颗粒泥沙(淤泥和粘土)的速度和数量。在亚高山地区，与野火相关的输送到溪流和储存在溪流中的细小沉积物的增加严重影响了下游河段的水质和敏感的水生栖息地。这种影响通常表现在重金属、生物膜和营养水平的升高上。更好地了解控制与细微沉积物结合的营养物质和污染物的去向和迁移的物理和化学过程，对于制定有效的战略以保护饮用水供应和尽量减少土地利用和植被变化对水质和整个河流生态系统健康的负面影响至关重要。

It is well known that wildfires have a profound effect on vegetation in forested areas, however, they can also significantly impact water quality. That impact can also extend downstream and potentially impact drinking water source quality and ecosystem health. This is because vegetation is one of the primary factors that governs key hydrological processes that impact both the rates and magnitude of fine sediment (silts and clay) supply and delivery to streams. In sub-alpine regions, wildfire-associated increases in fine sediment delivered to and stored in streams has significantly impacted water quality and sensitive aquatic habitat in downstream reaches. This impact is often evident in elevated heavy metal, biofilm, and nutrient levels. An improved understanding of the physical and chemical processes that govern the fate and transport of nutrients and contaminants bound to fine sediment is critical for the development of effective strategies to protect drinking water supplies and minimize the negative impacts of land use and vegetation change on water quality and overall river ecosystem health.