Current Research Projects
|
|
Disturbance Impacts on Forest Ecohydrological Processes
This large-scale harvesting experiment is investigating how disturbance severity (in the form of forest harvesting) impacts a range of ecohydrological processes. In particular, we are looking at how opening the forest canopy impacts 1) the partitioning of water to different pools, 2) subsurface water movement, and 3) patterns and volumes of water-use in residual trees. This project was established while Dr. Dymond was a postdoc at the USFS and involves collaborators from a variety of institutions. More information can be found here. Project Location: Caspar Creek Experimental Watersheds, Fort Bragg, CA Funding Provided by: USDA Forest Service Pacific Southwest Research Station California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) National Science Foundation - EAR-1807165 |
|
|
Impacts of Beaver Dams on Low Flow Hydrology and Hydraulics
Limiting factors for coldwater fish along the North Shore of Lake Superior include summer high temperatures and low baseflows, with potadromous fish further limited by barrier falls. Rivers lacking barrier falls are actively managed by the Minnesota DNR for fish passage through beaver dam removal, however the impact of this practice on low summer baseflows is unknown. The objectives of this study are to 1) quantify the impact of beaver dams on low-flow hydraulics; (2) analyze stable isotopes of hydrogen and oxygen for use in determining water source and evaporative loss in each of four paired basins; and (3) develop a reduced complexity hydraulics model at the channel reach scale before and after beaver dam removal. Project Location: Knife River Watershed, MN Funding Provided by: Minnesota Sea Grant |
Past Research Projects
|
|
Water Availability and Forest Productivity Dynamics in N. MN
Using a long-term soil moisture dataset from the USFS Marcell Experimental Forest, this project examined how soil moisture in the past 50 years has varied across time, topographic position, cover type, and depth in Northern Minnesota, as well as the relationship between water availability and forest productivity. Project Location: Marcell Experimental Forest, Northern MN, USA Funding Provided By: USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station University of Minnesota Department of Forest Resources Citations: 1. Dymond et al. 2017. Topographic, edaphic, and vegetative controls on plant-available water. Ecohydrology doi: 10.1002/eco.1897 2. Dymond et al. 2016. Growth-climate relationships across topographic gradients in the Northern Great Lakes. Ecohydrology doi: 10.1002/eco.1700 3. Dymond et al. 2014. Long-term soil moisture patterns in a northern Minnesota forest. Soil Science Society of America Journal.78: 208-216. |