Flux Towers – Measuring our impact in the forest

Join Pepperwood’s Research Technician, Ryan Ferrell, to learn about how we are using a pair of flux towers to monitor the impacts of our forest stewardship activities including forest thinning and prescribed fire – and why this matters.

What is a flux tower? This tower measures the exchange of gases, or flux, between the terrestrial ecosystem and the atmosphere. Weighing in at 200lbs each and standing at 71ft tall, the two flux towers installed at Pepperwood are the newest additions to our Sentinel Site. They each have two sensors: an anemometer which gives wind speed and direction, and an infrared gas analyzer which gives the concentration, or density, of gas (in this case, carbon dioxide and water vapor). Pairing these measurements you can quantify the “flux” or amount of gas flowing into and out of the particular ecosystem being monitored.

Research question: Does our forest stewardship (thinning and burning) positively affect, or enhance streamflow in our creeks and ultimately increase water in our watersheds?

One of the main objectives of our stewardship is to cultivate healthier ecosystems. After several hundred years of fire suppression, our forests have become more dense and overstocked. As a result, the water balance has shifted away from our streams and riparian environments and is dominated by forest water use. This is bad news for species that rely on our creeks, streams, and rivers for food, shelter and water – this includes humans. Overstocked forests are less resilient forests. So what can we do to bring these systems back into balance? Active management and stewardship provide a path forward if we hope to preserve these natural resources and sustain healthy environments.