Rangeland Ecology & Management

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HYDROLOGIC INTERACTIONS IN PINON-JUNIPER WOODLANDS
Author
Ochoa, Carlos G.
Fernald, Alexander G.
Cram, Douglas
Almalki, Yasser
Publisher
Society for Range Management
Publication Year
2014
Body

The main objective of our study is to characterize the hydrologic response to overstory removal in piñón-juniper woodlands of the southwestern United States. The relationships between precipitation, soil moisture, and runoff processes is being evaluated in six 1 to 1.3 ha semiarid watersheds near Santa Fe, NM. The ongoing study that began in 2003 includes seven years of baseline data collection in all six watersheds followed by overstory removal in 2010 in three of the watersheds. Data from different parameters including rainfall, soil moisture, and ephemeral stream runoff are being used to assess pre and post treatment hydrologic interactions. In particular, the relationships between soil moisture and runoff generation and the dynamics of rainfall intensity and stream runoff in ephemeral streams are being assessed. Study results indicate that rainfall intensity of 5mm/15min is generally the minimum precipitation required to generate channel runoff. Antecedent soil moisture seems to play an important role in the mechanisms of runoff generation in these semiarid watersheds with ephemeral streams. Overstory and understory vegetation dynamics pre and post treatment are also being documented.

Language
English
Resource Type
Text
Document Type
Conference Proceedings
Conference Name
SRM Orlando, FL