Impact of afforestation on hydrological response and sediment production in a small Calabrian catchment

Extensive afforestation using Pinus and Eucalyptus has taken place in Calabria since the early 1960's to control expansion of calanchi and biancane. In 1978 three small catchments were established near Crotone to monitor the effect of afforestation on hydrological response and sediment yield. In 1992, rainfall simulation experiments were carried out on plots in these catchments to determine more precisely the effect of tree and ground vegetation on surface runoff and erosional response. Most experiments were carried out in a logged catchment with slopes ranging from 20 to 30° and aspects from SW to NE. Results showed complex runoff generation and sediment production, reflecting the effect of microclimate and subtle variations in vegetation on infiltration characteristics. On south-facing slopes with little ground vegetation runoff generation was rapid with runoff coefficients from 27 to 37% and peak sediment concentrations reaching 83.7 g · 1-1. On north-facing slopes with good tree cover, little grass, but continuous leaf litter, runoff coefficients reached 21%, but peak sediment concentration was only 3.6 g · 1-1, while on recently logged north-facing slopes with dense grass cover the highest runoff coefficient was only 5.5% runoff coefficient, and there was virtually no sediment production. Implications of results for forest management and soil conservation are discussed.