Farahnak et al. (2025) Overland Flow Generation Under Clear-Cut, 40% Thinning, and Control Conditions in a Japanese Cypress Plantation

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Identification

• Journal: Water
• Year: 2025
• Date: 2025-11-27
• Authors: Moein Farahnak, Takahiro Ogura, Nobuaki Tanaka, Toko Suzaki, Koichiro Kuraji
• DOI: 10.3390/w17233385

Research Groups

Information not provided in the given text.

Short Summary

This study investigated overland flow and soil water content in Japanese cypress plantations under clear-cutting, thinning, and control conditions over one year, revealing that increased ground cover in clear-cut plots significantly reduced overland flow and altered its generation mechanism compared to control plots.

Objective

• To analyze the effects of different forest management practices (clear-cutting, 40% thinning, and control) on overland flow rates and soil water content in Japanese cypress plantations.
• To understand how ground cover dynamics following these management practices regulate overland flow generation mechanisms.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Three experimental plots within a Japanese cypress plantation.
• Temporal Scale: One year (2022–2023).

Methodology and Data

• Models used: No explicit models were used; the study was experimental and observational.
• Data sources: In-situ measurements of overland flow (OF) and soil water content (SWC) from experimental plots. Rainfall data (total rainfall, 60 minutes maximum rainfall) were used for correlation analysis.

Main Results

• Soil water content (SWC) was consistently higher in the clear-cut plot than in the thinned and control plots.
• The overland flow (OF) rate was greatest in the control plot (1.97%), intermediate in the 40% thinned plot (1.03%), and lowest in the clear-cut plot (0.58%).
• Ground cover percentages were 5% for the control plot, 5% for the thinned plot, and 35% for the clear-cut plot.
• In the clear-cut plot, OF was significantly correlated with total rainfall (r = 0.597, p = 0.003), suggesting a tendency towards subsurface flow.
• In the control plot, OF was strongly correlated with 60 minutes of maximum rainfall (r = 0.90, p < 0.001), indicating Hortonian flow.
• No significant relationships between OF and rainfall characteristics were observed in the thinned plot.

Contributions

• Provides quantitative evidence of how different forest management practices (clear-cutting, thinning) influence overland flow rates and soil water content in steep, high-rainfall Japanese cypress plantations.
• Demonstrates that increased ground cover, particularly after clear-cutting, can significantly reduce overland flow and shift its generation mechanism from Hortonian to subsurface flow.
• Highlights the critical role of ground cover dynamics in regulating hydrological responses and flood risks in managed forest ecosystems.

Funding

Information not provided in the given text.

Citation

@article{Farahnak2025Overland,
  author = {Farahnak, Moein and Ogura, Takahiro and Tanaka, Nobuaki and Suzaki, Toko and Kuraji, Koichiro},
  title = {Overland Flow Generation Under Clear-Cut, 40% Thinning, and Control Conditions in a Japanese Cypress Plantation},
  journal = {Water},
  year = {2025},
  doi = {10.3390/w17233385},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.3390/w17233385}
}