Myrstener, Maria
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Abstract
Clearcutting increases temperatures of forest streams, and, in temperate zones, the effects can extend far downstream of the clearcut itself. Here, we studied whether similar patterns are found in colder, boreal zones, and if riparian buffers can prevent stream water from heating up. We recorded temperature at 45 locations across nine streams with varying buffer widths. In these streams, we compared upstream (control) reaches with reaches at clearcuts and up to 150 m immediately downstream of the clearcut. In summer, we found daily maximum water temperature increases at clearcuts up to 4.1 degrees C, with the warmest week ranging from 12.0 degrees C to 18.6 degrees C. We further found that warming was sustained 150 m downstream of clearcuts in three out of six streams with buffers
Keywords
water temperature; forestry; stream; catchment; thermal niche; microclimate
Published in
Water Resources Research
2025, volume: 61, number: 3, article number: e2024WR037705
Publisher: AMER GEOPHYSICAL UNION
SLU Authors
Kuglerová, Lenka
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
UKÄ Subject classification
Oceanography, Hydrology, Water Resources
Environmental Sciences
Publication identifier
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1029/2024WR037705
Permanent link to this page (URI)
https://res.slu.se/id/publ/141253