Water: An Analysis to Support the Southern Forest Outlook

Abstract

The linkages among forests, water, and people have long been recognized by natural resources professionals and policymakers. This report, in support of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station’s Southern Forest Outlook, provides a contemporary assessment of current and future forest and water resource issues in the Southern United States, a region encompassing the 13 Southern States from Virginia to Texas. This report uses a combination of literature review, hydrologic modeling, and data synthesis to address pressing research questions, leveraging scenarios of future climate, land use, and forest conditions developed as part of the 2020 Resources Planning Act Assessment. Results show that climate and land-use change have and will continue to alter streamflow regimes and water quality through the 21st century, with consequences for drinking water treatment costs, flood protection, and other ecosystem services. These impacts will present broad-scale and complex challenges for land and water resources managers. Fortunately, increasing evidence suggests that in many cases, management actions can be effective at helping forests adapt to climate and land-use change, which can ensure the availability and quality of water resources in the future.

Citation

Caldwell, P.V.; Vose, J.M.; Costanza, J.K.; Holmes, T.P.; Lockaby, B.G.; Moore, G.W.; Sun, G. 2024. Water: An Analysis to Support the Southern Forest Outlook. Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS-276. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station. 60 p. https://doi.org/10.2737/SRS-GTR-276.