This book is a printed edition of the Special Issue "Forest Operations, Engineering and Management" that was published in Forests

Landscapes are characterized by a wide variation, both spatially and temporally, of tolerance and response to natural processes and anthropogenic stress. These tolerances and responses can be analyzed through individual landscape parameters, such as soils, vegetation, water, etc., or holistically through ecosystem or watershed studies. However, such approaches are both time consuming and costly. Soil erosion and landscape evolution modeling provide a simulation environment in which both the short- and long-term consequences of land-use activities and alternative land use strategies can be compared and evaluated. Such models provide the foundation for the development of land management decision support systems. Landscape Erosion and Evolution Modeling is a state-of-the-art, interdisciplinary volume addressing the broad theme of soil erosion and landscape evolution modeling from different philosophical and technical approaches, ranging from those developed from considerations of first-principle soil/water physics and mechanics to those developed empirically according to sets of behavioral or empirical rules deriving from field observations and measurements. The validation and calibration of models through field studies is also included. This volume will be essential reading for researchers in earth, environmental and ecosystem sciences, hydrology, civil engineering, forestry, soil science, agriculture and climate change studies. In addition, it will have direct relevance to the public and private land management communities.

The movement of sediment and associated pollutants over thelandscape and into water bodies is of increasing concern withrespect to pollution control, prevention of muddy floods andenvironmental protection. In addition, the loss of soil on site hasimplications for declining agricultural productivity, loss ofbiodiversity and decreased amenity and landscape value. The fate ofsediment and the conservation of soil are important issues for landmanagers and decision-makers. In developing appropriate policiesand solutions, managers and researchers are making greater use oferosion models to characterise the processes of erosion and theirinteraction with the landscape. A study of erosion requires one to think in terms ofmicroseconds to understand the mechanics of impact of a singleraindrop on a soil surface, while landscapes form over periods ofthousands of years. These processes operate on scales ofmillimetres for single raindrops to mega-metres for continents.Erosion modelling thus covers quite a lot of ground. This bookintroduces the conceptual and mathematical frameworks used toformulate models of soil erosion and uses case studies to show howmodels are applied to a variety of purposes at a range of spatialand temporal scales. The aim is to provide land managers and otherswith the tools required to select a model appropriate to the typeand scale of erosion problem, to show what users can expect interms of accuracy of model predictions and to provide anappreciation of both the advantages and limitations of models.Problems covered include those arising from agriculture, theconstruction industry, pollution and climatic change and range inscale from farms to small and large catchments. The book will alsobe useful to students and research scientists as an up-to-datereview of the state-of-art of erosion modelling and, through aknowledge of how models are used in practice, in highlighting thegaps in knowledge that need to be filled in order to develop evenbetter models.

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.