Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to discuss the effects of forests in flood control, and to study the change of streamflow on a clearcut site during a typhoon. The study areas are paired watersheds in central Taiwan: one is a clearcut site and the other is natural hardwood forest. Typhoon Norris in August 1980 brought about 390 mm of rainfall to the study areas, and we analyzed and compared the streamflow hydrographs. Results show that there was a similar hydrologic response between treatment and control watersheds. The reason is probably due to the extreme rainfall intensity. The small amount of disturbance due to logging, the rapid regrowth of vegetation after clearcutting, and the small size and steep slope of the watersheds may also have contributed to their similarity. However, it is apparent that minimizing soil disturbance during cutting operations and maintaining vegetation cover have positive effects in intercepting rainfall, decreasing peak flow, and regulating streamflow. This paper also explains the effects of forests in flood control during intense typhoon rains.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 237-241 |
| Number of pages | 5 |
| Journal | Taiwan Journal of Forest Science |
| Volume | 13 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| Publication status | Published - 1998 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Analysis of rainfall-runoff relationship
- Hydrologic response
- Paired watersheds
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Forestry