Relationship between watershed health, forests explored in new report

June 28, 2010
June 28, 2010 -- The U.S. Forest Service's Pacific Northwest (PNW) Research Station has published a report about the role of forests in the stewardship of water in a changing climate...

June 28, 2010 -- The U.S. Forest Service's Pacific Northwest (PNW) Research Station has published a report about the role of forests in the stewardship of water in a changing climate. The report is available online at http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/gtr_812.pdf and will be available in print beginning July 9.

Titled Water, Climate Change, and Forests: Watershed Stewardship for a Changing Climate, the publication describes healthy, resilient watersheds as a primary strategy for sustaining ecosystems and the clean, abundant water they provide.

"Water from forested lands supports people, ecosystems, agriculture, industry, and energy production and is immensely valuable and irreplaceable," said Michael Furniss, a hydrologist with the PNW Research Station and lead author of the publication. "With a changing climate, the need for stewardship of forested watersheds to secure high-quality water supplies and healthy aquatic ecosystems is more important than ever."

The report's 13 primary authors and more than 40 contributors and reviewers are Forest Service earth scientists and aquatic biologists who worked for two years to develop the technical details for managing watersheds for resilience and for protecting water.

"We face many serious challenges in managing forested watersheds, and it is notable that the Forest Service has remarkable expertise and experience to do this work," Furniss said. "The Forest Service has over 800 water and aquatic ecosystem specialists posted in hundreds of locations all over the country, a robust research base and capacity, and decades of experience in watershed stewardship."

Printed copies of the report can be requested after July 9 by e-mailing [email protected] and referencing "PNW-GTR-812."

The Forest Service's Pacific Northwest Research Station is headquartered in Portland, Ore., and has 11 laboratories and centers in Alaska, Oregon, and Washington and about 425 employees.

###

Sponsored Recommendations

ArmorBlock 5000: Boost Automation Efficiency

April 25, 2024
Discover the transformative benefits of leveraging a scalable On-Machine I/O to improve flexibility, enhance reliability and streamline operations.

Rising Cyber Threats and the Impact on Risk and Resiliency Operations

April 25, 2024
The world of manufacturing is changing, and Generative AI is one of the many change agents. The 2024 State of Smart Manufacturing Report takes a deep dive into how Generative ...

State of Smart Manufacturing Report Series

April 25, 2024
The world of manufacturing is changing, and Generative AI is one of the many change agents. The 2024 State of Smart Manufacturing Report takes a deep dive into how Generative ...

SmartSights WIN-911 Alarm Notification Software Enables Faster Response

March 15, 2024
Alarm notification software enables faster response for customers, keeping production on track