Sixteen years of data were evaluated to determine the influence of annual weather patterns and a brush conversion project on subsequent runoff from an 86.2-ha watershed. Grassy vegetation released 39% more total runoff than did woody vegetation. Total runoff for each hydrologic year was directly proportional to total precipitation, regardless of vegetative cover. However, runoff as a proportion of total precipitation increased 59% following conversion of woody to grassy vegetation, and most closely correlated with March cover. Unfortunately, brush conversion also drastically increased the number of soil slips and sediment discharged from the watershed. All major landslides occurred in the vicinity of streams when the root systems of woody vegetation along these streams began to decay. Leaving this streambank vegetation intact may have prevented some of the undesirable results of brush conversion on the watershed. This material was digitized as part of a cooperative project between the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries. The Journal of Range Management archives are made available by the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries. Contact lbry-journals@email.arizona.edu for further information. Migrated from OJS platform August 2020
Scholarly peer-reviewed articles published by the Society for Range Management. Access articles on a rolling-window basis from vol. 1, 1948 up to 5 years from the current year. Formerly Journal of Range Management (JRM). More recent content is available by subscription from SRM.