Society of American Foresters
Members Only
About Forestry
About SAF
Career Center
Certified Forester
Education
Meetings
Publications
Policy and Press
Shop The SAF Store
Shop The SAF Store
Working Groups
SAF Home Page


Join / Renew
Contact Us

Free Content The Effectiveness of Different Buffer Widths for Protecting Headwater Stream Temperature in Maine

Authors: Wilkerson, Ethel1; Hagan, John M.1; Siegel, Darlene1; Whitman, Andrew A.1

Source: Forest Science, Volume 52, Number 3, June 2006 , pp. 221-231(11)

Abstract:

We evaluated the effect of timber harvesting on summer water temperature in first-order headwater streams in western Maine. Fifteen streams were assigned to one of five treatments: (1) clearcutting with no stream buffer; (2) clearcutting with 11-m, partially harvested buffers, both sides; (3) clearcutting with 23-m, partially harvested buffers; (4) partial cuts with no designated buffer; and (5) unharvested controls. Over a 3-year period we measured summer water temperature hourly before and after harvesting, above and below the harvest zone. Streams without a buffer showed the greatest increase in mean weekly maximum temperatures following harvesting (1.4-4.4°C). Streams with an 11-m buffer showed minor, but not significant, increases (1.0-1.4°C). Streams with a 23-m buffer, partial-harvest treatment, and control streams showed no changes following harvest. The mean weekly maximum temperatures never exceeded the thermal stress limit for brook trout (25°C) in any treatment group. The mean daily temperature fluctuations for streams without buffers increased from 1.5°C/day to 3.8°C/day, while with 11-m buffers fluctuations increased nonsignificantly by 0.5-0.7°C/day. Water temperatures 100 m below the harvest zone in the no-buffer treatment were elevated above preharvest levels. We concluded that water temperature in small headwater streams is protected from the effects of clearcutting by an 11-m buffer (with >60% canopy retention).

Keywords: Headwater stream; water temperature; riparian buffers; forest practices; buffer width

Document Type: Research article

Affiliations: 1: John M. Hagan, Director, Forest Conservation Program at Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences, 14 Maine St., Brunswick, ME 04011—Phone: (207) 721-9040;-9144; jmhagan@ime.net. Ethel Wilkerson, Stream Project Manager, Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences, 14 Maine St., Brunswick, ME 04011—Phone: (207) 721-9040; Fax: (207) 721-9144; ewilkerson@prexar.com. Darlene Siegel, Fisheries Biologist, Tetra Tech, Inc., 1020 SW Taylor St., Suite 530, Portland, OR 97205—Phone: (503) 223-5388 ext. 226; Darlene.Siegel@tetratech.com. Andrew A. Whitman, Project Director, Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences, 14 Maine St., Brunswick, ME 04011—Phone: (207) 721-9040; awhitman@prexar.com., Fax: (207)-721

* This feature is in beta and some links may initially be displayed as numbers instead of article titles. Clicking on any of the links will take you to the recommended articles, regardless of the display of the link.

Article Access Options

Free content The full text is free.

View now:
download The Effectiveness of Different Buffer Widths for Protecting Headwater Stream Temperature in Maine 96.4kb 
or
download The Effectiveness of Different Buffer Widths for Protecting Headwater Stream Temperature in Maine 662.9kb 

Back to top


Society of American Foresters
5400 Grosvenor Lane, Bethesda, Maryland 20814-2198
P: 301.897.8720   -   Toll Free: 866.897.8720   -   F: 301.897.3690
Email: safweb@safnet.org

Copyright © 2006 - Society of American Foresters