Forest hydrology in Chile: Past, present, and future

This paper reviews the current knowledge of hydrological processes in Chilean temperate forests which extend along western South America from latitude 29° S to 56 ° S. This geographic region includes a diverse range of natural and planted forests and a broad sweep of vegetation, edaphic, topographic, geologic, and climatic settings which create a unique natural laboratory. Many local communities, endangered freshwater ecosystems, and downstream economic activities in Chile rely on water flows from forested catchments. This review aims to (i) provide a comprehensive overview of Chilean forest hydrology, to (ii) review prior research in forest hydrology in Chile, and to (iii) identify knowledge gaps and provide a vision for future research on forest hydrology in Chile. We reviewed the relation between native forests, commercial plantations, and other land uses on water yield and water quality from the plot to the catchment scale. Much of the global understanding of forests and their relationship with the water cycle is in line with the findings of the studies reviewed here. Streamflow from forested catchments increases after timber harvesting, native forests appear to use less water than plantations, and streams draining native forest yield less sediment than streams draining plantations or grassland/shrublands. We identified 20 key knowledge gaps such as forest groundwater systems, soil–plant-atmosphere interactions, native forest hydrology, and the effect of forest management and restoration on hydrology. Also, we found a paucity of research in the northern geographic areas and forest types (35-36 ° S); most forest hydrology studies in Chile (56 %) have been conducted in the southern area (Los Rios Region around 39-40 ° S). There is limited knowledge of the geology and soils in many forested areas and how surface and groundwater are affected by changes in land cover. There is an opportunity to advance our understanding using process-based investigations linking field studies and modeling. Through the establishment of a forest hydrology science “society” to coordinate efforts, regional and national-scale land use planning might be supported. Our review ends with a vision to advance a cross-scale collaborative effort to use new nation-wide catchment-scale networks Long-term Ecosystem Research (LTER) sites, to promote common and complementary techniques in these studies, and to conduct transdisciplinary research to advance sound and integrated planning of forest lands in Chile

Erosion Processes and Control

This dissertation represents a unique contribution to the Spanish literature of soil erosion. The author of this document has written and published "Procesos y control de la erosion", a textbook about the engineering of soil erosion processes and the design of the most up-to-date methods and products used for erosion control. The text has been presented in Appendix A.Besides the above, the author of this dissertation is an active committee member at the International Erosion Control Association (IECA), specifically the International Development and the SOIL Fund programs. IECA members are drawn from individuals and erosion control business of different sizes. However, there was a lack of knowledge within IECA members about the formation of post-fire water repellent layers. For instance, Appendix B is represented by an article written by the author of this document, published in Environmental Connection (Volume 2, Issue 3), on July of 2008. The article gives a general description of what post-fire water repellency is, how is it formed, what factors affect it, its consequences on soil erosion, and how to control soil erosion on an efficient way when such a layer has been formed as a consequence of fire.Finally, Appendix C is a research paper in process of submission to the International Journal of Wildland Fire, about the formation of post-fire water repellent layers on Chilean Monterrey pine plantations. Since water repellent layers following wildfires have never been documented on Chilean soils, the need for such a publication is urgent, because Chilean land managers have been ignorant of such phenomenon

Hydrology and Erosion Impacts of Mining Derived Coastal Sand Dunes, Chañaral Bay, Chile

From the Proceedings of the 2008 Meetings of the Hydrology Section - Arizona-Nevada Academy of Science - March 29, 2008, Southwestern University, Phoenix, ArizonaThis article is part of the Hydrology and Water Resources in Arizona and the Southwest collections. Digital access to this material is made possible by the Arizona-Nevada Academy of Science and the University of Arizona Libraries. For more information about items in this collection, contact [email protected]

Climate Change Impacts on Municipal, Mining, and Agricultural Water Supplies in Chile

From the Proceedings of the 2008 Meetings of the Hydrology Section - Arizona-Nevada Academy of Science - March 29, 2008, Southwestern University, Phoenix, ArizonaThis article is part of the Hydrology and Water Resources in Arizona and the Southwest collections. Digital access to this material is made possible by the Arizona-Nevada Academy of Science and the University of Arizona Libraries. For more information about items in this collection, contact [email protected]

Morphological characterization of sweet chestnut fruits from forest plantations in central Chile Caracterización morfológica de frutos de castaña provenientes de plantaciones forestales en Chile central

© 2018, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Facultad de Agronomia e Ingenieria Forestal. All rights reserved. The sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.) is one of the most important starchy foods worldwide due to its low fat content and high nutritional value. This study is the first analysis of the sweet chestnut fruit in forest plantations where the morphological properties are characterized, in terms of caliber, size, shape, and internal cracking, damage, and cavities. The study was based in three sites in Chile, Los Rios Region (39°S), where most of the forest chestnut plantations are located. Scott and Knott test of variance and contingency tables were used as statistical methods for site comparisons. In general, no significant differences in size were found among sites. Moreover, the Chilean forest sweet chestnut can be defined as a small-caliber fruit with slight internal cracking and internal damage and almost no cavities. Therefore, due to its morphological characterist

Soil Loss Following the Rodeo-Chediski Wildfire: An Initial Assessment

From the Proceedings of the 2004 Meetings of the Hydrology Section - Arizona-Nevada Academy of Science - April 12, 2004, Midwestern University, Glendale, ArizonaThis article is part of the Hydrology and Water Resources in Arizona and the Southwest collections. Digital access to this material is made possible by the Arizona-Nevada Academy of Science and the University of Arizona Libraries. For more information about items in this collection, contact [email protected]

Urban Drool Water Quality in Denver, Colorado: Pollutant Occurrences and Sources in Dry-Weather Flows

Dry-weather flows in urban channels and streams, often termed “urban drool”, represent an important source of urban surface water impairment, particularly in semi-arid environments. Urban drool is a combination of year-round flows in urban channels, natural streams, and storm-sewer systems (runoff from irrigation return flow, car washes, street cleaning, leakage of groundwater or wastewater into streams or storm sewers, etc.). The purpose of this study was to better understand the extent and sources of urban drool pollution in Denver, Colorado by identifying relationships between urban catchment characteristics and pollutants. Water-quality samples were taken throughout Denver at urban drainage points that were representative of a variety of urban characteristics. Samples were analyzed for total suspended solids (TSS), coliforms, Escherichia Coli (E. coli), nutrients (nitrate, phosphorus, and potassium), dissolved and total organic carbon, and dissolved and total recoverable metals. Results from this study were as follows: (1) most contaminants (nitrate, phosphorus, arsenic, iron, manganese, nickel, selenium, and zinc) were concluded to be primarily loaded from shallow groundwater; (2) anthropogenic effects likely exacerbated groundwater pollutant concentrations and contributions to surface water; (3) nitrate, nickel, and manganese may be partially contributed by industrial inputs; (4) medical marijuana cultivation sites were identified as a potential source of nutrient and zinc pollution; (5) E. coli was a ubiquitous contaminant in all urban waterways; (6) erosion of contaminated urban soils, presumably from construction, was found to significantly increase concentrations of TSS, total phosphorus, and total metals. Increasing urbanization and predicted drier climates suggest that dry-weather flows will become more important to manage; the results from this study provide insight on dry-weather water quality management for the City and County of Denver

Soil Loss Following the Rodeo-Chediski Wildfire: An Initial Assessment

From the Proceedings of the 2004 Meetings of the Hydrology Section - Arizona-Nevada Academy of Science - April 12, 2004, Midwestern University, Glendale, ArizonaThis article is part of the Hydrology and Water Resources in Arizona and the Southwest collections. Digital access to this material is made possible by the Arizona-Nevada Academy of Science and the University of Arizona Libraries. For more information about items in this collection, contact [email protected]

Quantifying the Effects of Residential Infill Redevelopment on Urban Stormwater Quality in Denver, Colorado

Stormwater quality in three urban watersheds in Denver that have been undergoing rapid infill redevelopment for about a decade was evaluated. Sampling was conducted over 18 months, considering 15 storms. Results: (1) The first-flush effect was observed for nutrients and total suspended solids (TSS) but not for total dissolved solids (TDS), conductivity, pH, and fecal indicator bacteria; (2) though no significant differences on event mean concentration (EMC) values were found among the three basins, local-scale EMCs were higher than traditional city-wide standards, particularly some metals and nutrients, most likely because of the significantly higher imperviousness of the studied urban basins compared to city averages; (3) peak rainfall intensity and total rainfall depth showed significant but weak correlations with some nutrients and metals, and TDS; (4) antecedent dry period were not correlated with water quality, except for phosphorus and lead; (5) contrary to what was expected, total coliforms and Escherichia coli were not correlated with TSS; and (6) no significant correlations between water quality and land-use or zoning categories were found. It was concluded that locally focused stormwater monitoring can aid data-driven decision-making by city planners where redevelopment is occurring at local “neighborhood scales”, particularly for the implementation and management related to green infrastructure and water-quality regulations

The Impact of a Lack of Government Strategies for Sustainable Water Management and Land Use Planning on the Hydrology of Water Bodies: Lessons Learned from the Disappearance of the Aculeo Lagoon in Central Chile

Several studies have focused on why the Aculeo Lagoon in central Chile disappeared, with a recent one concluding that a lack of precipitation was the main cause, bringing tremendous political consequences as it supported the argument that the government is not responsible for this environmental, economic, and social disaster. In this study, we evaluated in detail the socio-economic history of the watershed, the past climate and its effects on the lagoon’s water levels (including precipitation recycling effects), anthropogenic modifications to the lagoon’s water balance, the evolution of water rights and demands, and inaccurate estimates of sustainable groundwater extraction volumes from regional aquifers. This analysis has revealed novel and undisputable evidence that this natural body of water disappeared primarily because of anthropogenic factors (mostly river deviations and aquifer pumping) that, combined with the effects of less than a decade with below-normal precipitation, had a severe impact on this natural lagoon–aquifer system