Does Wood Slow Down 'Sludge Dragons': The Interaction Between Riparian Zones and Debris Flows in Mountain Landscapes. Science Findings, Issue Eighty Six, September 2006.

摘要

Conservation measures for aquatic species throughout the Pacific Northwest rely heavily on maintaining forested riparian zones. A key rationale for this strategy is that the presence of standing and downed trees next to streams will provide a continuous source of wood, which is an important structural component of aquatic habitat. Yet little is known about the interactions between wood and debris flows, which are an important way that wood enters streams. Researchers from the PNW Research Station and Oregon State University created a physics-based simulation of debris flow dynamics in a headwater basin within the Oregon Coast Range.