Journal of Environmental Hydrology

	Journal of Environmental Hydrology ISSN 1058-3912
	Electronic Journal of the International Association for Environmental Hydrology JEH Volume 17 (2009), Paper 5 Posted February 27, 2009 HYDROLOGIC RESPONSE OF A FORESTED SINKHOLE WETLAND TO DIFFERENT LAND MANAGEMENT SCENARIOS A. Jason Hill¹ Vincent S. Neary² ¹Department of Civil Engineering, West Virginia University Institute of Technology, Montgomery, WV, USA ²Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Tennessee Technological University, Cookeville, TN, USA *ABSTRACT* This study employed the SPAW (Soil-Plant-Atmosphere-Water) model to simulate the hydrology of a forested sinkhole wetland on the Tennessee Highland Rim. Recent development activities have increased awareness of the potential adverse impacts of continued watershed development on the wetland plant community. The SPAW model was used to simulate hydrologic conditions over a 50 year period for two future land management scenarios (LMS’s) with 19.7 % (LMS 2) and 37.9 % (LMS 3) of the watershed converted to impervious surfaces. Published flooding tolerances, reported as an upper limit on growing season inundation, for individual tree species were used to assess the likely response of the existing plant community for each scenario. Dominant tree species at the site are sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua), red maple (Acer rubrum), willow oak (Quercus phellos), blackgum (Nyssa sylvatica), and green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica). Seepage rates during the growing season had a more dominant influence on growing season inundation than increased surface runoff from the future developments. The forested buffer is responsible for maintaining large seepage rates during the growing season and appears to be the most important aspect of future land management. Overall, development with impervious surfaces in the range of 20-25 % is unlikely to appreciably influence the existing plant community. This study demonstrates a simple modeling framework for addressing land management decisions in zero-order watersheds containing depression wetlands. Recommendations for improving performance of the SPAW model are provided. Reference: Hill, A.J., and V.S. Neary. 2009. Hydrologic response of a forested sinkhole wetland to different land management scenarios. Journal of Environmental Hydrology, Vol. 17, Paper 5. CONTACT: A. Jason Hill Department of Civil Engineering West Virginia University Institute of Technology 405 Fayette Pike Montgomery, WV 25136, USA E-mail: andrew.hill@mail.wvu.edu
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