Logo image
Back
Long-term modelling of landslides for different forest management practices
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Long-term modelling of landslides for different forest management practices

A S Dhakal and Roy C Sidle
Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, Vol.28(8), pp.853-868
2003
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.499
url
https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.499View
Published Version

Abstract

slope stability root strength clearcutting partial cutting safety factor simulation
Long-term effects of different forest management practices on landslide initiation and volume were analysed using a physically based slope stability model. The watershed-based model calculates the effects of multiple harvesting entries on slope stability by accounting for the cumulative impacts of a prior vegetation removal on a more recent removal related to vegetation root strength and tree surcharge. Four sequential clearcuts and partial cuts with variable rotation lengths were simulated with or without leave areas and with or without understorey vegetation in a subwatershed of Carnation Creek, Vancouver Island, British Columbia. The combined infinite slope and distributed hydrologic models used to calculate safety factor revealed that most of the simulated landslides were clustered within a 5 to 17 year period after initial harvesting in cases where sufficient time (c. 50 years) lapsed prior to the next harvesting cycle. Partial cutting produced fewer landslides and reduced landslide volume by 1.4- to 1.6-fold compared to clearcutting. Approximately the same total landslide volume was produced when 100 per cent of the site was initially clearcut compared to harvesting 20 per cent of the area in successive 10 year intervals; a similar finding was obtained for partial cutting. Vegetation leave areas were effective in reducing landsliding by 2- to 3-fold. Retaining vigorous understorey vegetation also reduced landslide volume by 3.8- to 4.8-fold. The combined management strategies of partial cutting, increasing rotation length, provision of leave areas, and retention of viable understorey vegetation offer the best alternative for minimizing landslide occurrence in managed forests. © 2003 John Wiley and Sons, Ltd.

Details

Metrics

726 Record Views
98 Times Cited - Web of Science

InCites Highlights

These are selected metrics from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool, related to this output

Collaboration types
Domestic collaboration
International collaboration
Web Of Science research areas
Geography, Physical
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary

UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This output has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:

#13 Climate Action

Source: InCites

Logo image