Ecohydrological regulation of forest hillslope and catchment runoff

落基山脉森林地区生产加拿大西部和美国的绝大多数地区供水，气候变化对这些供水的潜在影响是整个北美的一个主要战略问题，因为预计降雨/降雪的变化以及气候对这些森林健康的压力，包括野火、病虫害和风暴破坏造成的自然干扰增加。深山积雪的积累和融化是该区域供水的关键调节因素，降水变化和森林健康对该区域水文学的潜在相互作用目前高度不确定。虽然最近的研究主要集中在了解调节水文对气候变化的敏感性或复原力的因素以及区域间陆地干扰的影响，但落基山脉地区对气候变化和干扰的水文复原力目前尚不清楚。 这项研究的目的是更好地了解森林的林分状况(树种、密度、树冠结构)如何对气候和天气的差异做出反应，并共同调节该地区的水文，以更好地了解和预测从该地区产生的水可能如何受到影响，因为气候变化导致(并已经造成)与气候有关的自然干扰增加(野火、虫害等)。或森林健康的其他变化。 具体研究将考察北面较凉爽或南面较暖的山坡上的不同森林条件如何对雨雪产生不同的水文响应，以及这些响应如何反过来产生对气候变化和土地干扰的水文敏感性的差异。需要这些信息来制定保护和管理这些森林的战略，以帮助减轻气候变化的影响，以帮助确保该区域重要的关键供水的安全。

Forested regions of the Rocky Mountains produce the vast majority regional water supplies in western Canada and the U.S. and potential impacts climate change on these water supplies is a major strategic concern across North America because of both projected changes in rainfall/snowfall and climate pressures on the health of these forests including increasing natural disturbances by wildfire, disease and insect attack, and storm damage. Accumulation and melting of deep mountain snowpacks is a key regulator of water supplies from this region and the potential interacting effects of both changing precipitation and forest health on hydrology of this region are currently highly uncertain. While much recent research is focused on understanding the factors regulating hydrologic sensitivity or resilience to climate change and impacts of land disturbance among regions, the hydrologic resilience to climate change and disturbance in the Rocky Mountain region is presently unclear. The objectives of this research are to improve understanding of how forest stand conditions (tree species, density, canopy structure) of forests respond to differences in climate and weather and collectively regulate the hydrology of this region to better understand and predict how water produced from this region may be affected as shifting climates cause (and are already causing) increased natural disturbances related to climate (wildfire, insect attack, etc.) or other changes in forest health. Specific studies will examine how different forest conditions present on cooler north facing, or warmer south facing slopes produce different hydrologic responses to rain and snow, and how these responses, in turn, produce differences in hydrologic sensitivity to climate change and land disturbance. This information is needed to develop strategies for the protection and management of these forests to help mitigate effects of climate change to help ensure security of important critical water supplies from this region.