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Research article2009Peer reviewed

Response of Dissolved Organic Carbon following Forest Harvesting in a Boreal Forest

Laudon, Hjalmar; Hedtjärn, Johannes; Schelker, Jakob; Bishop, Kevin; Sörensen, Rasmus; Ågren, Anneli

Abstract

To determine if forestry affects stream water dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations, we conducted high frequency water sampling at a clear-cut catchment experiment in northern Sweden 1 year after harvesting. The overall finding was that harvesting significantly increased stream water DOC in these boreal forest catchments, at least during the growing season. The results indicate a DOC concentration increase of up to 50% during early summer on the two harvested catchments relative to the two control catchments. The analysis supports the hypothesis that a raised groundwater level following harvesting caused the increased DOC concentration during both hydrological episodes and low flow conditions. Harvesting resulted in a 70% increase in DOC export due to the combined effect of runoff and DOC concentration during the June-October study period. Given the extent of forestry activity in the boreal landscape, these results demonstrate that tree harvesting will affect the water quality of the region.

Published in

AMBIO: A Journal of the Human Environment
2009, Volume: 38, number: 7, pages: 381-386
Publisher: SPRINGER