Forest Watershed Science

Audio Welcome (mp3)

Welcome to the U.S. Forest Service, Southern Research Station, Forest Watershed Science Area Web page. Hi, I'm Dr. Greg Ruark, an Assistant Director for Research at the Station.

Most forest land in the Southeast is privately held, but increasingly these forests are being converted to other uses at an alarming rate. This results in diminished forest area, increased fragmentation, and the loss of key ecosystem services. Within this same landscape agricultural lands are being farmed intensively, with cropping often extending to the stream’s edge. Riparian forests that once protected water quality and stabilized stream banks have been removed. Layered onto this dynamically changing landscape are population increases, climate variability, episodic natural disturbances, invasive species, and changing markets; all of which can dramatically affect the availability and demand for water resources.

Forest landowners and users are changing as well, bringing a diversity of ideas on what is wanted from forest lands and forest experiences. A wide range of goals from forest ecosystem restoration to intensive forest management are desired by the diversity of private forest landowners and public forest users. In an effort to keep forests in forests, landowners are increasingly looking for alternative revenue sources, such as carbon sequestration, wildlife habitat, agroforestry, and biofuels production.   more...

Forest waters (upland forests, working forest and agricultural lands, functioning wetlands, bottomland forests, and their components) will be increasingly relied upon to provide clean and dependable water to support aquatic ecosystems and satisfy the demands of a rapidly growing human population in the South. Water Science will provide the knowledge and tools required to manage the full range of forest water resources in a dynamic and complex landscape. Complete Charter...