Inferring watershed hydraulics and cold-water habitat persistence using multi-year air and stream temperature signals.

摘要: Abstract Streams strongly influenced by groundwater discharge may serve as “climate refugia” for sensitive species in regions of increasingly marginal thermal conditions. The main goal this study is to develop paired air and stream water annual temperature signal analysis techniques elucidate the relative contribution effective flowpath depth. Groundwater streams attenuates surface signals, attenuation can be diagnostic gaining systems. Additionally, from shallow flowpaths theoretically transfer lagged signals aquifer water. Here we explore concept using multi-year records 120 sites located across 18 mountain watersheds Shenandoah National Park, VA, USA a coastal watershed Massachusetts, USA. Both areas constitute important cold-water habitat native brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis). Observed indicate dominance contrast that has strong, apparently deeper, influence. average phase lag Park 11 d; however, extended lags approximately 1 month were observed subset streams. In contrast, pronounced without notable lag. To better understand these differences characteristics, analytical numerical models are used quantify mixing groundwater. Simulations total heat budget model groundwater-induced likely show greater downstream propagation than related amplitude attenuation. measurement multi-seasonal temperatures offers great promise toward understanding catchment processes informing current management at ecologically-relevant scales.