US Edition
Clear-cutting forests linked to 18-fold increase in frequency and size of floods
NORTH CAROLINA, USA, JUL 17 – Clear-cutting increased flood frequency up to 18 times and doubled largest flood sizes in a north-facing watershed, with effects lasting over 40 years, UBC researchers found.
- Amid rising flood concerns, the study showed that in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains, floods hit up to 18 times more often in the north-facing watershed after clear-cutting, and the most extreme floods more than doubled in size.
- Forest removal fundamentally altered watershed behavior, researchers found, with flood effects persisting over 40 years and climate change amplifying downstream risks.
- We found seemingly minor landscape factors—like slope direction—can make or break a watershed's response to treatment, said Henry Pham, after analyzing two adjacent watersheds.
- Dr. Younes Alila said the findings can be applied to current and future flood disasters, guiding smarter policymaking in British Columbia.
- Looking ahead, the predictive model could estimate parts of British Columbia at higher risk of extreme flooding, and Dr. Alila noted its utility for future flood prediction.
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19 Articles
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Clear-cutting linked to 18-fold rise in extreme floods, UBC study finds - Scientific Inquirer
Clear-cutting can make catastrophic floods 18 times more frequent with effects lasting more than 40 years, according to a new UBC study. In one watershed, these extreme floods also became more than twice as large, turning a once-in-70-years event into something that now happens every nine. “This research challenges conventional thinking about forest management’s impact on flooding,” said senior author Dr. Younes Alila, a hydrologist in the UBC f…
municipalinfonet.com
Education News CanadaUniversity of British Columbia - Clear-cutting linked to 18-fold rise in extreme floods, UBC study finds
Clear-cutting can make catastrophic floods 18 times more frequent with effects lasting more than 40 years, according to a new UBC study.In one watershed, these extreme floods also became more than. . .
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