Thursday, June 7, 2007 - 9:15 AM
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Forest cover on stream banks in the Delaware River Basin – Implications for stream geomorphology and forest litter inputs

Jerry Mead, Ph.D, candidate1, Fredrick N. Scatena, Ph.D1, Yude Pan, Ph.D2, and Richard Birdsey, Ph.D2. (1) Earth and environmental science, University of Pennsylvania, 156 Hayden Hall, 240 South 33rd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6316, (2) Northern Global Change Research Program, USDA Forest Service, 11 Campus Blvd., Suite 200, Newtown Square, PA 19703

We developed a reach-based model of stream channel width, riparian conditions, and litterfall for all streams within the Delaware River basin.  The model was constructed to; a) identify environmental factors that influence river physiognomy and forest litter inputs, and b) recognize areas where forest litter inputs increase the most from riparian plantings.  Active channel width and cross-sectional area were predicted for reaches using models developed with USGS measurements of peak flows and channel widths, combined with environmental variables at both reach and watershed scales.  Forest litter on the stream bank was estimated using maps of forest type and cover, and was then distributed in the channel as function of distance from the bank.  Active channel width was modeled as a function of soil composition, soil water holding capacity, watershed area, and precipitation in the watershed, plus average height of trees on the stream banks.  Cross-sectional area was related to percent sand in the watershed, reach slope and precipitation, and hill-shade and area of watershed.  We found that stream banks in the coastal plain had the least forest cover.  Scenarios of bank cover conditions indicated that reforesting stream banks could increase total forest litter inputs 2.7 times the present conditions.