Reduced forest cover is directly linked to both more frequent extreme flood events and more frequent flooding of all sizes.
At the University of British Columbia, scientists studying the watersheds of the Dedman River and Joe Ross Creek in the Canadian province have concluded that deforestation has a significant impact on the extent and frequency of flooding.
That the loss of forest cover is linked to flooding has been hypothesized by experts before. But it was thought to be limited to small floods. Now scientists are convinced that clear-cutting of forests leads to more serious consequences - floods of any scale, including extreme floods, become more frequent.
For example, cutting 21% of the trees in the Dedman River watershed resulted in a 38% increase in the average flood in that area. The same loss of forest cover in the Joe Ross Creek watershed increased flooding by 84%. Moreover, while major floods occurred once every 10-50 years, they are now more frequent.
The scientists noted that the severity of flooding depends not only on the total amount of forest cover loss, but also on watershed size, topography, sun exposure, presence of lakes, and other specific local conditions.
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