The Forest Watershed and Riparian Disturbance study: a multi-discipline initiative to evaluate and manage watershed disturbance on the Boreal Plain of Canada

The Forest Watershed and Riparian Disturbance (FORWARD) initiative integrates aquatic and soil science, hydrology, and forestry into models that link water quality, water quantity, and disturbance indicators with management of watersheds on the Boreal Plain of western Canada. The impacts of varying patterns and intensities of fire and logging are being evaluated for 16 streams in the Swan Hills, Alberta, with the intention to extend the approach to the eastern portion of the Boreal Plain and into the Boreal Shield. The study uses two comparative approaches: treatment versus reference stream and before versus after disturbance. Models generated will be applied to designated multi-user watersheds in selected forest areas. In addition to yielding transferable technology for forest product industries, the FORWARD study tests hypotheses related to effects of watershed disturbance on soils, hydrology, and water quality on the phosphorus-rich and fire-prone Boreal Forest in western Canada. Key words: watershed disturbance, surface waters, soils, hydrology, modelling, forest management.