Forest Hydrology: An Introduction to Water and Forests

Due to its height, density, and thickness of crown canopy; fluffy forest floor; large root system; and horizontal distribution; forest is the most distinguished type of vegetation on the earth. In the U.S., forests occupy about 30 percent of the total territory. Yet this 30 percent of land area produces about 60 percent of total surface runoff, the major water resource area of the country. Any human activity in forested areas will inevitably disturb forest floors and destroy forest canopies, consequently affecting the quantity, quality, and timing of water resources.

Thoroughly updated and expanded, Forest Hydrology: An Introduction to Water and Forests, Third Edition discusses the concepts, principles, and processes of forest and forest activity impacts on the occurrence, distribution, and circulation of water and the aquatic environment.

• Brings water resources and forest-water relations into a single, comprehensive textbook
• Focuses on the concepts, processes, and general principles in forest hydrology
• Covers functions, properties, and science of water; water distribution; forests and precipitation, vaporization, stream flow, and stream sediment
• Discusses watershed management planning and practical applications of forest hydrology in resource management

In a single textbook, Forest Hydrology: An Introduction to Water and Forests, Third Edition comprehensively covers water and water resources issues, forest characteristics relevant to the environment, forest impacts in the hydrological cycle, watershed research, watershed management planning, and hydrologic measurements. With the addition of new chapters, new issues, and appendices, this new edition is a valuable resource for upper-level undergraduates in forest hydrology courses as well as professionals involved in water resources management and decision-making in forested watersheds.

Mingteh Chang, PhD, is Regents Professor of Forest Hydrology and Professor Emeritus within the Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas.