Does woodland encroachment impact water?: An ecohydrology study of western juniper (Juniperus occidentalis) and other semi-arid conifers in the western U.S.

Abstract:

Semi-arid conifer species including western juniper (Juniperus occidentalis) among other pinyon and juniper (P-J) species have expanded into grass and shrub-dominated landscapes in the western U.S. Despite the importance of land cover changes to hydrological fluxes in these water-limited systems, there have been few process-based ecohydrology studies of western juniper encroachment. Furthermore, many conclusions about the impact of P-J encroachment on streamflow are limited to several studies in the southwestern U.S. Our objectives are to: a) assess how western juniper will impact above-ground hydrological processes, b) assess how western juniper will alter below-ground hydrological processes, c) assess how changes in P-J cover alters deep drainage across diverse climates of the western U.S. To accomplish these objectives we used a combination of continuous lysimeter and soil moisture measurements, periodic snow surveys, electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) and electromagnetic induction (EMI) surveys, simulations with the Simultaneous Heat and Water (SHAW) model and broad, spatially-coarse simulations with the atmosphere-vegetation-soil component of the HBV model. Juniper trees by both intercepting snow and increasing below-canopy snow melt caused tree wells to form throughout the winter. These tree wells increased snow redistribution to the base of the trees. Soil moisture in the interspace dominated by sagebrush, forbes, and grasses drops early in the season, but late season soil moisture changes are moderated by juniper. There is evidence that junipers continue to transpire soil moisture both late into the summer and at up to 3 meters deep. HBV simulations revealed that the potential for increases in deep drainage with a change from P-J to grass cover is principally controlled by the timing instead of the total precipitation. Simulations confirm previous empirical studies that landscapes in monsoon-dominated climates of the southwestern U.S. show negligible potential for increases in deep drainage. Conversely, landscapes in the northern Great Basin show greater potential for increases in deep drainage with P-J removal. This information will continue to inform land managers how changes in vegetation cover change can alter hydrological processes.