2014 Research Highlights
Climate Change Impacts on National Forest Water Supply and Soil Erosion
Forests are increasingly impacted by population growth, land use change, and climate change. The effects of these stressors on water resources are relatively unknown nationally. Scientists from the Eastern Threat Center used the Water Supply Stress Index (WaSSI) ecosystem services model and other new tools to estimate impacts of global change on river flow quantity and quality in the conterminous United States. Study results benefit forest land and water management across the nation.
The WaSSI model simulates water cycles in watersheds across the lower 48 United States and Mexico. Scientists with the Eastern Threat Center used WaSSI to estimate water yield originating from National Forest System (NFS) lands and providing drinking water in the southeastern US. Researchers linked estimates of water supply from NFS lands to the Environmental Protection Agency Safe Drinking Water Act database of surface water intakes. They used this data to estimate the southeastern population using water from NFS lands. Ongoing study results are highlighting the important role forests play in providing water supply to large population centers in the Southeast, and the need to protect forested lands for future clean, reliable water supplies.
Scientists are also addressing climate change and sediment and stream water temperature – the top water quality concerns in the United States. Researchers developed a novel approach to evaluate future climate change impacts on watershed vulnerable to soil erosion caused by increased precipitation and air temperature. Research indicates that Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Kentucky, and Maryland are among states likely to experience increased soil erosion in the next hundred years. Land managers can evaluate both water quantity and quality under future climate and land use change.
Forest Service Partners/Collaborators: International Programs; Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory; Southern Region
External Partners/Collaborators: US Agency for International Development; University of Minnesota; North Carolina State University; Oregon State University
Contact: Ge Sun, ge.sun@usda.gov
Photo by USDA Forest Service
