Is a more vegetated basin more or less sensitive to changes in climate?
Sierra Nevada, US
Reducing canopy cover has the potential to increase snow retention, delaying streamflow timing and increasing peak and late summer flows. In a warmer climate the forests melt the snow faster due to increases in net longwave radiation that are more significant at temperatures higher than 0°C.
These increases contribute to increased midwinter melt under the forest at temperatures above freezing, causing decreases in total accumulation and higher winter and early spring melt rates. This is important for carefully considering the combined impacts of changing forest cover and climate on downstream water supply and mountain ecosystems. More...
Reducing canopy cover has the potential to increase snow retention, delaying streamflow timing and increasing peak and late summer flows. In a warmer climate the forests melt the snow faster due to increases in net longwave radiation that are more significant at temperatures higher than 0°C.
These increases contribute to increased midwinter melt under the forest at temperatures above freezing, causing decreases in total accumulation and higher winter and early spring melt rates. This is important for carefully considering the combined impacts of changing forest cover and climate on downstream water supply and mountain ecosystems. More...