Temporal accumulation and ablation patterns of the seasonal snowpack in forests in varying stages of growth

The effects that varying forest structures, resulting from timber harvest, have on a snowpack's distribution, its snow water equivalence (SWE) and its ablation rate were examined in order to better understand the potential timing and volume of runoff within a forested watershed. Four plots of varying forest structure were measured for snow depth, snow density, and SWE throughout the snow accumulation and ablation season of 1988-89. Results indicate a good negative correlation existed between canopy density and maximum SWE accumulation (Pearson's coefficient = -.54; p-value = .0000). The pre-harvest water regime, in terms of snow accumulation and the rate of ablation, of a cleared forest may not return until the mean age of the forest approaches 79 years.