For my thesis work, I use a coupled hydrologic-ecologic modeling system (RHESSys) to examine changes in streamflow regime due to interacting effects of forest management and climate change in the Santa Fe Municipal Watershed in Northern New Mexico. While there is an abundance of research on climate warming as it impacts streamflow or forest productivity individually, few studies examine combined impacts and interactions between them. My work demonstrates the critical need for including these coupled vegetation and water dynamics in successfully evaluating water supply vulnerability in semi-arid forest systems like Santa Fe. This research is being conducted in partnership with Los Alamos National Laboratory, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the Western Mountain Initiative.
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- Comparison of modeled and observed leaf area index (LAI) for the Upper Santa Fe Municipal Watershed
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- How climate change impacts streamflow
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- Potential impacts of climate warming on average snowpack and streamflow in the Santa Fe Municipal Watershed
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- Potential impacts of climate warming on low flows and total yields in the Santa Fe Municipal Watershed
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- How forest thinning affects runoff and recharge
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- Potential impacts of forest thinning compared to climate warming on streamflow in the Santa Fe Municipal Watershed
Tague, C.T. & Dugger, A.L., Ecohydrology and Climate Change in the Mountains of the Western USA – A Review of Research and Opportunities, Geography Compass, November 2010.
Research Links:
Tague EcoHydro Lab
RHESSys