Impacts of Forest Disturbance on Hydrology in Large Watersheds

森林干扰对水文的影响一直是一个重要的研究课题，但大多数研究都是在小流域（<100 km 2）进行的，很少有大型流域（> 1000 km 2）的研究。人们普遍认为，小流域的结果很难外推到大流域。大型流域研究受到进行成对流域试验的困难、数据不足、景观复杂性和缺乏公认方法的限制。然而，对大空间尺度信息的需求日益增长，以支持森林和流域管理，突出了对大流域研究的迫切需要。在我的NSERC发现基金（2005-2012）的支持下，我们成功地开发了一种研究方法，用于分离森林干扰和气候变化对大流域水文的相对贡献，该方法的应用已发表在高影响力期刊上（例如，水资源研究）。我的新研究的目标（2013-2018年）包括：（1）在10-15个更大的流域应用我们的方法，以评估森林干扰的累积影响（主要是野火和木材采伐）对水文的影响;（2）量化几个受虫害影响的流域的山松甲虫虫害对水文的影响;（3）综合分析流域特性、森林干扰和气候变化对水文的影响。我的长期目标是建立一个世界级的大流域生态水文研究项目。在不列颠哥伦比亚省内陆，有许多大流域（35-40个）的数据非常好，这为实现我的目标提供了一个难得的机会。

The impact of forest disturbance on hydrology has long been an important research topic, but the majority of this research has been conducted on small watersheds (<100km2) with rare examination of large ones (>1000km2). It is commonly accepted that the results from small watersheds are difficult to extrapolate to large watersheds. Large watershed studies are constrained by the difficulty of conducting paired-watershed experiments, and by insufficient data, landscape complexity and lack of accepted methodologies. However, growing demand for information at large spatial scales to support forest and watershed management highlights a critical need for the research of large watersheds. With the support from my NSERC Discovery Grant (2005-2012), we have successfully developed a research method for separating relative contribution of forest disturbance and climate variability to hydrology in large watersheds, and the applications of the method have been published on the high-impact journals (e.g., Water Resources Research). The objectives of my new research (2013-2018) include: (1) application of our methodology in 10-15 more large watersheds to assess cumulative effects of forest disturbance (mainly wildfire and timber harvesting) on hydrology; (2) quantification of the effects of mountain pine beetle infestation on hydrology in several severely-infected watersheds; and (3) examination of how watershed properties, forest disturbance and climate change interactively influence hydrology using an integrated analysis. My long-term goal is to establish a world-class research program on eco-hydrology research in large watersheds. Availability of numerous large watersheds (35-40) with excellent data in the British Columbia interior provides an exceptional opportunity to achieve my goal.