Pacific Southwest

Title: Predicting landslides related to clearcut logging, northwestern California, U.S.A.

Author: Furbish, David J.; Rice, Raymond M.

Date: 1983

Source: Mountain Research and Development 3(3): 253-259.

Description: Abstract - Landslides related to clearcut logging are a significant source of erosion in the mountains of northwestern California. Forest managers, therefore, frequently must include assessments of landslide risk in their land-use plans. A quantitative method is needed to predict such risk over large areas of rugged mountainous terrain. From air photographs, data were collected of conditions associated with a sample of logging-related slides and randomly located stable sites. Discriminant analyses were used to develop an equation that distinguishes the two types of sites-slide and non-slide-with 81 percent accuracy. The equation can be used to provide an assessment of risk for undisturbed terrain. Results showed that post-logging failure is most likely to occur near actively scouring streams, just below major convex breaks of slope and within drainage depressions.

Keywords: PSW4351, landslides, hillslopes, erosion, soils, clearcut logging, northwestern California

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Citation

Furbish, David J.; Rice, Raymond M.  1983.  Predicting landslides related to clearcut logging, northwestern California, U.S.A..   Mountain Research and Development 3(3): 253-259..