Hydrology and related changes after harvesting native forest catchments and establishing pinus radiata plantations. Part 1. Introduction to study

Abstract

The hydrology of eight small catchments (1.63-8-26 ha) has been monitored in Westland, New Zealand since 1975. Two of these catchments were left in indigenous beech-podocarp-hardwood forest and the rest were subjected to various harvesting and land preparation treatments before being planted with Pinus radiata. This paper introduces a series of papers on the hydrology of the indigenous forest catchments and the changes that occurred after treatment. The catchments, experimental programme, climate of the area and the rainfall regime experienced between 1975 and 1987 are described.

Functional intercomparison of hillslopes and small catchments by examining water source, flowpath and mean residence time

“…Slopes are short (<300 m), steep (average 34°) (Fig. 2), and have local relief ranging from 100 to 150 m. Mean annual precipitation averages 2600 mm, and produces approximately 1550 mm of runoff (Rowe et al, 1994). A moderately weathered, early Pleistocene conglomerate, known as the Old Man Gravels, underlies the Maimai catchments.…”

“…A moderately weathered, early Pleistocene conglomerate, known as the Old Man Gravels, underlies the Maimai catchments. The conglomerate is comprised of clasts of sandstone, granite, and schist in a tight clay-sand matrix and is nearly impermeable, with estimates of seepage losses to deep groundwater of only 100 mm y À1 (Rowe et al, 1994). Soils overlying the Old Man Gravels are classified as Dystrochrepts and Humults .…”

A stream tracer technique employing ionic tracers and specific conductance data applied to the Maimai catchment, New Zealand

“…The Maimai study area consists of multiple research catchments that form the headwaters of the Grey River, located to the east of the Paparoa mountain range on the west coast of the South Island of New Zealand. Much of the hydrological research to date has been directed towards adjacent, similar catchments (<10 ha), sharing similar topographic, geologic and soil characteristics (Mosley, 1979;Pearce et al, 1986;Rowe et al, 1994;McGlynn et al, 2002). Slopes are short (<300 m) and steep (average 34°), with local relief of 100-150 m. The research described in this paper was conducted within the first-order M15 catchment (2Ð6 ha).…”

Constraining dynamic TOPMODEL responses for imprecise water table information using fuzzy rule based performance measures

“…The forest is multi-storied, the understorey consists of dense tree fern and shrubs and has a ground cover of ferns and herbs (Pearce et al 1986). A more detailed physical description of the Maimai M8 catchment can be found in Rowe et al, (1994);McGlynn et al (2002).…”