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WWRC 86-05x
Effects of Montane Forests and Riparian Woodlands on Water Yield in Wyoming

Abstract

Streamflow is affected significantly by riparian vegetation as well as by upland forests. While manpulation of this vegetation can sometimes be a useful tool for increasing water yield, other resource values must be considered as well and often there is insufficient information for making decisions in specific localities. Ongoing research in the Department of Botany at the University of Wyoming is addressing questions such as: (1) What proportion of the water in annual snowfall is consumed by plants on montane watersheds? (2) How do vegetation cover, snowpack water equivalent, soil waterholding capacity, and climatic conditions interact in determining water yield from specific areas within single watersheds? (3) Under what conditions is water yield from a forest stand reduced to zero? (4) What is the effect of timber harvesting on wafer yield fiom specific sites? and (5) To what degree do different kinds of riparian vegetation affect water flow in streams of different sizes? Answers to these questions depend on many factors and generalizations are difficult. A summary of results for the Medicine Bow Mountains is presented.

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