A Preliminary Field Investigation on the Impacts of Forest Thinning on Snowpack Accumulation in Ponderosa Pine Type Forests of Northern Arizona

Submitted by Armida on Fri, 02/15/2013 - 09:58
TitleA Preliminary Field Investigation on the Impacts of Forest Thinning on Snowpack Accumulation in Ponderosa Pine Type Forests of Northern Arizona
Publication TypeConference Proceedings
Year of Conference2011
AuthorsHeffelfinger, S., Decker R., Sesnie S., and Lopez S. M.
Conference Name79th Annual Western Snow Conference
Series TitleProceedings of the 79th Annual Western Snow Conference
Date PublishedApril 2011
PublisherWestern Snow Conference
Conference LocationStateline, NV
KeywordsMogollon Rim, canopy interception, canopy cover, Ponderosa pine, snowpack accumulation, sublimation, Ponderosa pine
Abstract

This study compared snowpack accumulation for three anthropogenic forest treatment (mechanized thinning) types with different levels of residual canopy cover representing dense to recently thinned forest conditions in Ponderosa pine forests of the Mogollon Rim country of northern Arizona. Reported here are results for the 2011 winter season's storm and peak snowpack accumulation time history from moderate elevation (300 m) snow courses that traverse three proto-typical ponderosa forest states: 1. Untreated: 45 to 60% canopy cover (Untreated - Dense canopy cover); 2. Thinned about 10 years prior: 30 to 45% canopy cover (Medium Thinning - Medium canopy cover) and 3. Recently thinned: 15 to 30% canopy cover. (Heavily Thinned - Sparse canopy cover )
URLsites/westernsnowconference.org/PDFs/2011Heffelfinger.pdf