How does catchment storage mediate wildfire impacts on streamflow in wet forests?
How does catchment storage mediate wildfire impacts on streamflow in wet forests?
Graduate Student Name:
Shannon Duffy
Email Address:
Faculty mentor/Supervisor:
Catalina Segura
Email Address (Faculty mentor/Supervisor):
Department Affiliation:
Forest Engineering Resources & Management
Job Location:
Corvallis- with day trips to the HJ Andrews
Description of project or research opportunity:
This project seeks to understand the vulnerability and resilience of different watersheds to wildfire by investigating 1) streamflow responses to storm events, 2) baseflow recession rates from the end of the wet season through the dry season, and 3) summer low flows. This study leverages long-term streamflow and precipitation data from the HJ Andrews Experimental Forest which burned in the 2020 Holiday Farm Fire and in the 2023 Lookout Fire. To answer these questions, I will use precipitation data from meteorological stations and streamflow data from gauged watersheds but I will also need to collect streamflow data on two ungauged watersheds. I am also using stream electrical conductivity data collected by water quality sondes to determine the sources of water in the stream to see how fire alters how
quickly water reaches the stream. These metrics will be compared across burned watersheds with different amounts of subsurface storage to see how storage may buffer or amplify the response of streams to fire.
Tasks student will perform:
Student will help with downloading data from sensors, measuring streamflow to build a rating curve, and calibrating sensors.
Student may also help with other projects in the Segura lab including water quality grab sampling and synoptic sampling.
If additional hours are desired, student may help with electrofishing, acid washing water sampling bottles, and acidifying samples.
Special skills required:
Ability to work outdoors and comfort working in burned areas (no formal training needed). Minimal walking required unless student participates in synoptic sampling which involves a lot of walking in steep and uneven terrain. If student wants to do acid washing and water sample acidification, they will need to do online lab safety trainings.
Proposed dates of employment (must be between June 19 and September 4):
Tuesday, July 1, 2025 to Thursday, September 4, 2025
Anticipated hours worked per week:
8