Effects of Land Cover Change on the Hydrologic Response of Pacific Northwest Forested Catchments.

摘要

Extraction of natural resources, development of river systems, and conversion of desert-land to agriculture have changed the face of the Pacific Northwest. Quantification of the effects of these changes on the hydrology of the region is an ongoing challenge. Recent development of spatially distributed mathematical models provides a new laboratory for examination of complex interactions within the natural system. A previous assessment of the hydrological effects of land cover change over the Columbia River Basin was made at a coarse spatial resolution of 1/4 degree. While broad patterns of change were identified, interpretation at the catchment scale was not possible. This study investigated the effects of land cover change on the hydrology of four catchments (97 to 1033 square kilometers) within the Columbia River Basin (Mica Creek, Idaho, Swan River, Montana, Entiat River, Washington, and Mores Creek, Idaho). The Distributed Hydrologic Soil Vegetation Model (DHSVM) was applied using high resolution (20-30 m) current land cover data derived primarily from satellite imagery.