Pacific Southwest

Title: A Preliminary Study of Streamside Air Temperatures Within the Coast Redwood Zone 2001 to 2003

Author: Nelson, Tracie; Macedo, Richard; Valentine, Bradley E.

Date: 2007

Source: In: Standiford, Richard B.; Giusti, Gregory A.; Valachovic, Yana; Zielinski, William J.; Furniss, Michael J., technical editors. 2007. Proceedings of the redwood region forest science symposium: What does the future hold? Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-GTR-194. Albany, CA: Pacific Southwest Research Station, Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture; p. 75-84

Station ID: GTR-PSW-194

Description: Timber harvest practices must address potential impacts to aquatic and riparian habitats. Stream shading and cool water temperature regimes are important to protect stream-dwelling organisms. We are examining riparian temperature regimes within the coastal redwood area of Mendocino County. Summer temperature gradients are being characterized along fifteen transects set perpendicular to watercourses within four different watersheds. Data loggers record temperature along each transect at predetermined spatial intervals from the watercourse midpoint. With the exception of a control transect, all watercourses in this study are subject to near-future timber operations. This study is part of a larger program to detect changes in riparian microclimate as a result of timber harvest. Here we examine the relationship between temperature and physiography, and explore different methods of analysis in order to characterize pre-harvest temperature gradients. As with similar studies, we find upslope temperatures increase with distance from the watercourse. The greatest temperature increase per unit distance occurred between the watercourse mid-point station and the 25ft stations on either side. Our analysis indicates the calculated maximum weekly average temperatures (MWAT) may be the best graphical indicator of overall riparian temperature regimes, while the mean maximum weekly temperatures (MMWT) appear more sensitive to physiographic characteristics.

Keywords: microclimate, riparian, temperature, timber harvest

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Citation

Nelson, Tracie; Macedo, Richard; Valentine, Bradley E.  2007.  A Preliminary Study of Streamside Air Temperatures Within the Coast Redwood Zone 2001 to 2003.   In: Standiford, Richard B.; Giusti, Gregory A.; Valachovic, Yana; Zielinski, William J.; Furniss, Michael J., technical editors. 2007. Proceedings of the redwood region forest science symposium: What does the future hold? Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-GTR-194. Albany, CA: Pacific Southwest Research Station, Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture; p. 75-84.