Effect of Rainforest Logging and Clearing on Water Yield and Quality in a High Rainfall Zone of North-east Queensland

Level 1 General description

Purpose:

To determine the effect of rainforest logging and clearing on water yield and quality in a typical lowland rainforest area on the wet tropical coast of Queensland. 

Methods (brief)

Experimental sites were established in 1969 within two small catchments. The sites were instrumented with compound V notch weirs and Leupold Stevens A35 water level recorders. Rising stage samples were established in the stilling pond of each weir to collect stream-water samples. Meteorological data was obtained at a station set up between the two catchments. An analysis of various streamflow parameters was carried out as a comparison by regression analysis.

Key findings (brief)

• Logging caused no detectable changes on water yield and quality, with only a slight increase in peak discharge. The characteristics of rainforest logging contributed to this as it yields a low volume of timber.
• Suspended load carried at high flow doubled with logging.
• Clearing produced a significant change in hydrological performance with an increase in base flow producing a total yield of 293 mm per year (10.2%) in the first 2 years after clearing.

Location

Two small catchments on the wet tropical coast near Babinda

Related studies

N/A

Key references and sources of this data synthesis

These data summaries have been extracted from:

         i.          Gilmour DA. Effect of Rainforest Logging and Clearing on Water Yield and Quality in a High Rainfall Zone of North-east Queensland. Hydrology Symposium, Brisbane 28-30 June 1977.