Evan Esfahani Winter Ecology 2014 Mountain Research Station Introduction The relationship between vegetation density and canopy cover influences snowpack and how it accumulatesdepreciates Accumulation of snow under forest canopies will decline with increased canopy cover because of sublimatio ID: 704224
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Slide1
Vegetation Density and Snow Accumulation
Evan EsfahaniWinter Ecology 2014 Mountain Research StationSlide2
Introduction
The relationship between vegetation density and canopy cover influences snowpack and how it accumulates/depreciates.
Accumulation of snow under forest canopies will decline with increased canopy cover because of sublimation and interception in canopy (Pomeroy, 2002).
Will forest density alone determine snow depth?
In Colorado and Wyoming, the lowest density forest plots accumulated the greatest amount of snow (Gary, 1982).
Areas with high forest density and increased canopy cover will display larger snow depths than those areas where solar radiation is increased and forest density in decreased (Veatch, 2009). Slide3
Introduction
Question: How will the vegetation density of three specific species impact snow depth and how will density relate to affect of solar radiation?Hypothesis 1: Change in vegetation density will change snow depth. Null Hypothesis: Differences between vegetation density and snow depth will not be observed. Slide4
Methods
Nine experimental 10x10m plots varying by species (3x Lodgepole pine, 3x Aspen, 3x Willow)
selected randomly. Elevation (m) and aspect remained constant.
Determine density by number of trees/vegetation in each plot.
Average snow depth (cm)
Canopy cover determined by canopy mirror calculation.
Estimation of solar radiation based on canopy mirror value.
ANOVA to determine differences in snow depth per species.
How does canopy cover, solar radiation effect the difference?Slide5
WillowSlide6
LodgepoleSlide7
Aspen
http://nice-cool-pics.com/img-winter-birch-and-aspen-forest,-alaska-4508.htmSlide8
Results
Sample size: 121 Aspen, 102 Lodgepole pines, 131 Willow.Lodgepole-Aspen p value = 0.11Willow-Aspen p value = 0.77Willow-Lodgepole p value = 0.28Slide9
Results
Measurement of canopy cover to determine solar input. Lodgepole = 76.78% coverWillow = 0.52% coverAspen = 13.728% coverSlide10
Discussion
No difference between snow depth and forest density. Retain null hypothesis.
Why?Solar radiation. More important than forest density in snow accumulation (Link, 2012).
Average snow
depth in
Willow
and
Aspen
forest
was similar.
Observed: little to no canopy cover.
Solar fluxes dominate the net transfer of energy (Davis, 2012).
Indirect role:
Canopy cover is
influenced by
forest
density, species specific.
Maximum Snow accumulation in forests with density between 25-40% (Veatch, 2009)
.Slide11
Work Cited
Davis, R E., J P. Hardy, C Woodcock, J C. McKenzie, and Jordan X. Li. "Variation of snow cover ablation in boreal
forest: A sensitivity study on the effects of conifer canopy." Geophysical Research: Atmospheres
102
.D24 (2012). Web. 4 Mar. 2014. <
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
/
doi
/10.1029/97DJ01335/full>
.
Gary, Howard L., and Charles
A.
Troendle
. "Snow Accumulation and Melt Under Various Stand Densities in Lodgepole Pine
in
Wyoming and Colorado." USDA Forest Service: Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station
(
1982). Web. 4 Mar.
2014. <http
://
books.google.com
/books
? hl
=
en&lr
=&id=FtMt4DuwCncC&oi=
fnd&pg
=PA5&dq=
Snow+accumulation+and+
forest
+
density&ots
=HGE3ibbCFO&sig=s_7ftNqHQFZp9_EeDPGJUa3rfnU#v=
onepage&q
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Snow %
20accumulation%20and%
20for>.
Link
, Timothy E., and Danny Marks. "Point Simulation of seasonal snow cover dynamics beneath boreal forest
canopies
." Geophysical Research: Atmospheres 104.D22 (2012). Web. 4 Mar. 2014.
<
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
/
doi
/10.1029/1998JD200121/full>
.
Pomeroy, J W., D M. Gray, N R.
Hedstrom
, and J R.
Janowicz
. "Prediction of seasonal snow accumulation in cold
climate
forests." Hydrological Processes 16.18 (2002). Web. 4 Mar. 2014. <
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
/
doi
/10.1002/hyp.1228/full>.
Veatch
, W, P D. Brooks, J R. Gustafson, and N P.
Molotch
. "‘Quantifying the effects of forest canopy cover on net
snow
accumulation at a continental, mid-latitude site’."
Ecohydrology
2.2 (2009). Web. 28 Feb. 2014.
<
http://
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
/store/10.1002/eco.45/asset/45_ftp.pdf
? v
=1&t=hs7v0twl&s=c4ae69166fb55fb2f152cfd5b885fdd522c7c1ab>
.Slide12
Acknowledgements
Dr. Tim Kittel
Derek Sweeney
Kelly Matheson
Scott
Clingen
(forced his way onto this page)
Collin
Pettinati
University of Colorado Mountain Research Station
University of Colorado Boulder Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology