Managing Forest Water Quantity and Quality under Climate Change

Water is a critical resource of the Southern United States and is intimately linked to other ecosystem and societal values. The South is known for its warm climate, rich water resources (Figure 9.1), and large acreage of forest lands that provide an ideal place for people to live. Indeed, water availability is central to sustaining an economy that relies on irrigation agriculture, forestry, recreation, Figure 9.1 Mean annual runoff (1960-1980) distribution across the subregions of the South industry, power generation, transportation, and most importantly, the long-term future of natural ecosystems and human society (Hossian et al. 2011).