SYLLABUS
FNR 402 Forest Watershed Management
Fall 2007
Instructor: William L. Hoover
494-3580
whoover@purdue.edu
August 20 to September 21, 2007
8:30 - 9:20 AM, 216 FORS
Course Objective:
Students will understand the importance of watersheds as a basic unit for landscape level management, and the impact of forest management activities on water yield, nutrient levels, and sedimentation. They will be familiar with typical best management practices (BMP’s), and the role of foresters in BMP implementation and watershed management.
Grading:
Three quizzes - 30%
Final examination - 30%
Project - 40%
Class participation - 10%
Research Paper Requirement:
Due Date: September 21, 2007, final class
Length: minimum of 1,200 words
Topic: Describe a typical forested watershed for your forest cover type. The description should include (1) geomorphology and soils, (2) terrain, (3) annual and seasonal precipitation patterns (use graphs), (4) frequency and severity of storm events (use graphs), (5) steam flow patters (include a hydrograph for a storm event if available), (6) stream sedimentation rates with continuous forest cover and with haul roads and skid trails (do literature search), (7) the composition of the forest layers associated with the cover type, including the duff layer, if any. (8) Describe the hydrological impact of removing the tree cover. Base your descriptions on conditions in the vicinity of a weather station with historical data available on-line.
Format: This is a research paper. All factual statements must be based
on published research or a standard reliable source, such as a state weather
station and USGS gauging station.
Number of citations: Use a minimum of six sources of information
appropriately cited. Three of the six citations must be for articles from refereed
scientific journals. In the case of web-based sources cite the url and date
accessed.
Course Reference Materials:
(1) EPA's Watershed Academy http://www.epa.gov/watertrain/
An outstanding overview of all aspects of watersheds and their management.
(2) Forest Hydrology: An Introduction to Water and Forests, Mingteh Chang, 2003, CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.
A textbook for a forest hydrology course.
(3) Woodlot Management: An Introduction to Water in the Forest. On line at http://www.agriculture.purdue.edu/fnr/html/faculty/Hoover/FNR402/woodlotmgmt.pdf
A basic introduction to the concept of watersheds and the realtionship between water and forests. Intended for forest landowners.
(4) Stream Corridor Restoration: Principles, Processes and Practices. U. S. Dept. of Commerce, National Technical Information Service. On-line at http://www.usda.gov/stream_restoration/newgra.html The book can be downloaded by chapter from this site. It provides an outstanding overview of hydrology and all the issues associated with human impacts on streams.
(5) A Landowners Guide to Building
Forest Access Roads. Richard L. Wiest, USDA Forest Service, NA-TP-06-98, on
line at http://www.na.fs.fed.us/spfo/pubs/stewardship/accessroads/accessroads.htm
Intended for landowners.
Course Outline
Period 1, Monday, Aug. 20:
Introduction, Powerpoint presentation (introduction)
Discussion of the concepts of a watershed and watershed management, basic hydrological concepts, and the role of foresters in watershed management.
Period 2, Wednesday, Aug. 22:
Introduction continued, Powerpoint presentation (introduction)
Assignment: Read Why Watersheds at http://www.epa.gov/owow/watershed/why.html
Period 3, Friday,
Aug. 24:
Relationship of Cover Type to Stream Flow,
Powerpoint presentation (vegyield)
Assignment: Read A Century of Forest and Wildland Watershed Lessons, Ch. 1, “Forest and Wildland Watershed Functions.”
Period 4, Monday, Aug. 27:
Relationship of Cover Type to Stream Flow, Powerpoint presentation (vegyield)
Assignment: Read Impacts of Timber Hrvest and Regeneration Systems on Stream Flow and Soils in the Eastern Decidious Region Provided
Read Pate Hollow Water Quality Study This is the only forest hydrology study conducted in Indiana
Period 5, Wednesday, Aug 29:
Management of Water Yield, Powerpoint presentation (wateryield)
Assignment: Read A Century of Forest and Wildland Watershed Lessons, Ch. 2, “A Century of Lessons about Water Resources in Northeastern Forests” Provided
Period 6, Friday, Aug. 31:
Subsurface Water, Powerpoint presentation (hydrology)
Period 7, Wednesday, Sep. 5:
Forest Roads, Powerpoint presentation,
Assignment: Read A
Landowner’s Guide to Building Forest Access Roads
Period 8, Friday, Sep. 7:
Erosion, ,Powerpoint presentation
Assignment: Read A Century of Forest and Wildland Watershed Lessons, Ch.5, “Land Fragmentation and Impacts to Streams and Fish in the Central and Upper Midwest” Provided
Period 9, Monday, Sep. 10:
Riparian Forest Buffers, Powerpoint presentation
Assignment: Read Riparian Forest Buffers: Function and Design for Protection and Enhancement of Water Resources
Period 10, Wednesday, Sep. 12:
Framework for watershed management, Powerpoint presentation
Period 11, Friday, Sep. 14:
Yellowwood State Forest Watershed Project, a case study
Period 12, Monday, Sep. 17:
Stream improvement projects, Powerpoint
presentation and http://www.r6.fws.gov/pfw/montana/mt5b.htm
Period 13, Tuesday, Sep. 19:
Review for test
Assignment: Read "Concepts about Forests and Water," Stuart and Edwards, Northern J. of Applied Forestry, 3(1), March 2006, p. 11-19. Provided
Period 14, Friday, Sep. 21:
Examination