The 4th International Conference on Forests and Water in a Changing Environment

Forests play a vital role in sustaining water resources and aquatic ecosystems. Forest disturbance, both natural (e.g., wildfire, insects, disease, windstorms, drought) and human (e.g., timber harvesting, land conversion) caused, can have a profound effect on hydrologic, geomorphic and ecologic processes. With climate change, natural disturbances are becoming more frequent and catastrophic. This, together with growing human disturbance, will undoubtedly affect water resources and consequently have significant implications for land managers and policy makers. Our understanding of hydrologic and ecologic response to accelerated environmental and land use change is key to the development of adaptive and mitigating strategies ensuring the continued security of water supplies and ecological values.

Building on the success of past international Forests and Water conferences (Beijing in 2006, Raleigh, NC in 2009, and Fukuoka in 2012), the fourth conference will focus on forest disturbance and hydrological processes in a changing environment. The goal of this conference is to provide a forum for experts specialising in forest hydrology, ecohydrology, geomorphology, watershed management and climate change in forested environments around the world to share research progress, exchange ideas, and develop international research collaborations.

Conference Themes

• Natural and human disturbance, and hydrological processes (water quantity and water quality) in forested watershed at different spatial scales
• Climate variability, forest changes and hydrologic responses
• Ecohydrology at the urban-rural interfaces
• Reforestation and hydrological processes
• Forest carbon and water coupling across different spatial scales
• Applications of new methods, models and technologies
• Integrated watershed assessment and management
• Emerging topics: surface water and groundwater interaction; application of landscape ecology on watershed hydrology in forested watersheds

For more information, visit the conference website.