Abstract
The Nurmes-study has monitored water quality and hydrology of brooks in six basins since 1978. All brooks were investigated in their untreated state for five years and two basins throughout the whole study period. The first stage of clear-cutting and forestry drainage was carried out in 1983, followed by scarification (forest ploughing, hummocking and drainage) in the clear-cut areas in 1986. These standard forestry practices were carried out in two of the basins (Murtopuro and Kivipuro) while the third (Liuhapuro) remained untouched.
The brooks are naturally acid (pH 4.1–6.3) with low temperature (max. 13.5 °C) and conductivity. High amounts of organic matter and iron are typical, as well as a low average concentration of suspended solids.
The reduction of the tree cover caused a significant increase in water temperature. The clear-cutting and subsequent scarification increased the phosphorus (Ptot, PO4-P), nitrogen (Ntot, NO3-N, NH4-N) and iron (Fe) concentrations. The most harmful effects were the noticeable increase in suspended solids, the 3-year mean being 83 tn km-2 a-1, over 200 × that during the pretreatment period (0.4 tn km-2 a-1). After scarification the amounts of dissolved organic matter were diminished. A protective zone along the brook clearly reduced the impacts of clear-cutting and scarification.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Ahtiainen, M., 1988a. Effects of forest clear-cutting and drainage on water quality in the Nurmes-study. In Proceedings of the international symposium on the hydrology of wetlands in temperate and cold regions, Joensuu, Finland, 6–8 June 1988. Publications of the Academy of Finland 4/1988: 206–219.
Ahtiainen, M., 1988b. Avohakkuun ja metsäojituksen vaiku-tukset purovesien laatuun Nurmes-tutkimuksessa. MML-tutkielma. Helsingin yliopisto. Limnologian laitos. 114.
Ahtiainen, M., A-L. Holopainen & P. Huttunen, 1988. General description of the Nurmes-study. In Proceedings of the international symposium on the hydrology of wetlands in temperate and cold regions, Joensuu, Finland, 6–8 June 1988. Publications of the Academy of Finland 4/1988: 107–121.
Bormann, F. H., G. E. Likens, D. W. Fisher & R. S. Pierce, 1968. Nutrient loss accelerated by clear-cutting of a forest ecosystem. Science 159: 882–884.
Grip, H., 1982. Water chemistry and runoff in forest streams at Kloten. Division of Hydrology, Department of Physical Geography, Uppsala University, UNGI Report No. 58: 144.
Heathwaite, A. L., 1990. The effects of drainage on nutrient release from fen peat and its implications for water qualitya laboratory simulation. Water, Air, and Soil Pollution 49: 159–173.
Holopainen, A-L., P. Huttunen & M. Ahtiainen, 1989. Effects of forestry practices on water quality and primary productivity in small forest brooks. Verh. Int. Ver. Limnol. 24: 1760–1766.
Hovi, A., 1988. Organic carbon dynamics in small brooks before and after forest drainage and clear-cutting. In Proceedings of the international symposium on the hydrology of wetlands in temperate and cold regions, Joensuu, Finland, 6-8 June 1988. Publications of the Academy of Finland 4/1988: 220–231.
Huttunen, P., A-L. Holopainen & A. Hovi, 1988. Effects of silvicultural measures on production biology of forest brooks. In Proceedings of the international symposium on the hydrology of wetlands in temperate and cold regions, Joensuu, Finland, 6–8 June 1988. Publications of the Academy of Finland 4/1988: 239–248.
Huttunen, P., A-L. Holopainen & M. Ahtiainen, 1990. Maanmuokkauksen vaikutukset purojen veden laatuun ja vesibiologiaan. Loppuraportti Suomen Akatemian ympäristötieteellisen toimikunnan tutkimushankkeesta 1021021 ‘Metsämaanmuokkauksen vaikutukset veden laatuun ja vesibiologiaan’. Joensuu 29.
Hynninen, P. & P. Sepponen, 1983. Erään suoalueen ojituksen vaikutus purovesien laatuun Kiiminkijoen vesistöalueella, Pohjois-Suomessa. Summary: The effects of drainage on the quality of brook waters in the Kiiminkijoki river basin, northern Finland. Silva Fennica 17: 23–43.
Kauppi, L., 1978. Effect of drainage basin characteristics on the diffuse load of phosphorus and nitrogen. Publications of the Water Research Institute, National Board of Waters, Finland 30: 21–41.
Kenttämies, K., 1987. Metsäojituksen ja metsälannoituksen vaikutus valumaveden ominaisuuksiin. (In Finnish). Helsingin yliopisto, Limnologian laitos, MML-tutkielma, 33.
Kubin, E., 1987. Site preparation and leaching of nutrients. Paper presented in the IUFRO S 1.05-12 symposium northern forest silviculture and management Rovaniemi and Finnish Lapland, 16.-22.8.1987.
Kurimo, H. & A. Uski, 1988. Short-term changes in pine mires after drainage for forestry. In Proceedings of the international symposium on the hydrology of wetlands in temperate and cold regions, Joensuu, Finland, 6–8 June 1988. Publications of the Academy of Finland 4/1988: 256-269.
Latja, A. & H. Kurimo, 1988. Temperature changes in the soil and close to the ground on wetlands drained for forestry. In Proceedings of the international symposium on the hydrology of wetlands in temperate and cold regions, Joensuu, Finland, 6–8 June 1988. Publications of the Academy of Finland 4/1988: 46-51.
Likens, G. E. & F. H. Bormann, 1974. Linkages between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. BioScience 24: 447–456.
Lynch, J. A., E. S. Corbett & W. E. Sopper, 1980. Reevaluation of management practices on the biological and chemical characteristics of streamflow from forested watersheds. Pennsylvania State University. Institute for research on land and water resources. Office of Water Research and technology. 99.
Martin C. W., D. S. Noel & C. A. Fédérer, 1984. Effects of clear-cutting in New England on stream chemistry. J. Envir. Qual. 13: 204–210.
National Board of Waters, 1981. Analytical methods used by the water authority. (In Finnish). Nat. Bd Waters, Report 213: 136.
National Board of Waters, 1984. Water sampling methods used by the water authority. (In Finnish). 2nd edn. Publications of the National Board of Waters 40: 56.
Rekolainen, S., 1989. Phosphorus and nitrogen load from forest and agricultural areas in Finland. Aqua Fenn. 19: 95–107.
Rodhe, A., 1985. Groundwater contribution to streamflow in Lake Gargsjön area. Ecol. Bull. 37: 75–85.
Rosen, K., 1982. Supply, loss and distribution of nutrients in three coniferous forest watersheds in central Sweden. Swedish Univ. Agr. Sci., Dept For. Soils, Rep. in Forest Ecology and Forest Soils Uppsala. 41: 70.
Rosen, K. & A. Lundmark-Thelin, 1986. Hyggesbruket och markvården. Skogshögskolans höstkonferens 3.-4.12.1985, Uppsala, Skogsfakta, konferens nr. 9, 1986. 42-49.
Rosen, K. & A. Lundmark-Thelin, 1987. Increased nitrogen leaching under piles of slash a consequence of modern forest harvesting techniques. Scand. J. For. Res. 2: 21–29.
Sallantaus, T., 1986. Soiden metsä — ja turvetalouden vesis-tövaikutukset — kirjallisuuskatsaus. Helsinki, maa-ja met-sätalousministeriö. Luonnonvarajulkaisuja 11: 203.
Seuna, P., 1982. Influence of forestry draining on the runoff and sediment discharge in the Ylijoki basin, North Finland. Aqua Fenn. 12: 3–16.
Seuna, P., 1988. Hydrological effects of clear-cutting and drainage in the Nurmes-study. In Proceedings of the international symposium on the hydrology of wetlands in temperate and cold regions, Joensuu, Finland, 6-8 June 1988. Publications of the Academy of Finland 4/1988: 122-134.
Tamm, C. O., H. Holmen, B. Popovic & G. Wiklander, 1974. Leaching of plant nutrients from soils as a consequence of forestry operations. Ambio 6: 211–221.
Wiklander, G., 1981. Clearcutting and nitrogen cycle. Heter-ogenous nitrogen leaching after clearcutting. In Clark, F. E. & Rosswall, T. (eds), Terrestrial nitrogen cycles. Stockholm, Swedish natural Science research Council. Ecol. Bull. 33: 311–317.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1992 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
About this paper
Cite this paper
Ahtiainen, M. (1992). The effects of forest clear-cutting and scarification on the water quality of small brooks. In: Ilmavirta, V., Jones, R.I. (eds) The Dynamics and Use of Lacustrine Ecosystems. Developments in Hydrobiology, vol 79. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-2745-5_49
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-2745-5_49
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-010-5218-4
Online ISBN: 978-94-011-2745-5
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive