河流两侧坡面非对称采伐森林对流域暴雨-径流过程的影响

通过模拟实验比较了河流两侧坡面采伐与非采伐森林对流域暴雨径流的影响 ,并建立了模型 .结果表明 ,森林坡面地表径流的出流时间和峰现时间均比采伐坡面迟缓 ,径流历时延长 ,峰值流量和地表径流总量较低 .坡度越大 ,影响越显著 .当雨强 1.98mm·min-1,降雨量 10 8.8mm时 ,15°两侧森林坡面比其采伐坡面峰值流量削减 5 % ,径流总量降低 4% .     

Permafrost conditions in peatlands regulate magnitude,timing, and chemical composition of catchment dissolved organic carbon export

Permafrost thaw in peatlands has the potential to alter catchment export of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and thus influence downstream aquatic C cycling. Subarctic peatlands are often mosaics of different peatland types, where permafrost conditions regulate the hydrological setting of each type. We show that hydrological setting is key to observed differences in magnitude, timing, and chemical composition of DOC export between permafrost and nonpermafrost peatland types, and that these differences influence the export of DOC of larger catchments even when peatlands are minor catchment components. In many aspects, DOC export from a studied peatland permafrost plateau was similar to that of a forested upland catchment. Similarities included low annual export (2–3 g C m^?2) dominated by the snow melt period (~70%), and how substantial DOC export following storms required wet antecedent conditions. Conversely, nonpermafrost fens had higher DOC export (7 g C m^?2), resulting from sustained hydrological connectivity during summer. Chemical composition of catchment DOC export arose from the mixing of highly aromatic DOC from organic soils from permafrost plateau soil water and upland forest surface horizons with nonaromatic DOC from mineral soil groundwater, but was further modulated by fens. Increasing aromaticity from fen inflow to outlet was substantial and depended on both water residence time and water temperature. The role of fens as catchment biogeochemical hotspots was further emphasized by their capacity for sulfate retention. As a result of fen characteristics, a 4% fen cover in a mixed catchment was responsible for 34% higher DOC export, 50% higher DOC concentrations and ~10% higher DOC aromaticity at the catchment outlet during summer compared to a nonpeatland upland catchment. Expansion of fens due to thaw thus has potential to influence landscape C cycling by increasing fen capacity to act as biogeochemical hotspots, amplifying aquatic C cycling, and increasing catchment DOC export.     

岷江上游水文气象因子多尺度周期性分析

采用Dmey小波变换法对岷江上游杂谷脑流域1959年至2006年月径流量、月平均气温和月降水量不同时间尺度下的变化周期进行分析,探讨三者在长时间序列周期性变化中的相互响应,并根据主周期预测未来气温、降水和径流的变化趋势,结果表明:气温、径流和降水存在多尺度周期性变化,在不同的尺度周期中,表现出不同的冷暖、丰枯和干湿的振荡规律,总体表现为由小尺度无明显规律的剧烈振荡向大尺度有明显规律的振荡变化。3个要素同以8—12个月的小尺度为周期剧烈振荡,在较大时间尺度上,具有明显规律振荡变化的周期分别为气温500个月、径流150个月和降水120个月。受森林砍伐的影响,研究区域在1962—1988年期间径流对降水变化的周期性响应迟钝,而在1988—2006年期间基本同步。根据大尺度周期性波动趋势预测,未来十几年研究区域处于偏暖的年代际背景下,未来6—7a为多雨期,但径流量偏少。     

Seasonal changes in the chemical quality and biodegradability of dissolved organic matter exported from soils to streams in coastal temperate rainforest watersheds

The composition and biodegradability of streamwater dissolved organic matter (DOM) varies with source material and degree of transformation. We combined PARAFAC modeling of fluorescence excitation–emission spectroscopy and biodegradable dissolved organic carbon (BDOC) incubations to investigate seasonal changes in the lability of DOM along a soil-stream continuum in three soil types: bog, forested wetland and upland forest. The percent BDOC ranged from 7 to 38% across all sites, and was significantly greater in soil compared to streamwater in the bog and forested wetland, but not in the upland forest. The percent BDOC also varied significantly over the entire sampling period in soil and streamwater for the bog and forested wetland, as BDOC peaked during the spring runoff and was lowest during the summer months. Moreover, the chemical quality of DOM in wetland soil and streamwater was similar during the spring runoff and fall wet season, as demonstrated by the similar contribution of protein-like fluorescence (sum of tyrosine and tryptophan fluorescence) in soil water and in streams. These findings suggest that the tight coupling between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems is responsible for the delivery of labile DOM from wetland soils to streams. The contribution of protein-like fluorescence was significantly correlated with BDOC (p < 0.001) over the entire sampling period indicating DOM is an important source of C and N for heterotrophic microbes. Taken together, our findings suggest that the production of protein-rich, labile DOM and subsequent loss in stream runoff might be an important loss of labile C and N from coastal temperate watersheds.     

漓江上游典型森林植被对降水径流的调节作用

利用野外同步长期定位观测林外降雨、地表径流和河川径流的方法,对漓江上游典型森林植被的生态水文过程进行观测研究。结果表明:1)流域降水年内分配极不均匀,50a年降雨量总体变化趋势不明显。林冠截留受林外降雨特征的影响,也与植被类型密切相关。2)地表径流平均滞后时间为70 min。在连续降雨的情况下,降雨滞后效应不再明显,甚至出现地表径流与降雨同步的现象,小降雨可能产生大的地表径流,从而加大流域在雨季发生洪灾的风险。3)湿季径流系数略大于旱季,干季降水量减少,且森林植被消耗大量水分,减少了枯水期径流的产生,增大发生旱灾的风险。森林植被延长河川径流持续时间,使一次持续18 d的降水过程形成的径流,在降水停止后能延续24 d。降雨后退水持续时间与前期降水及后期降水叠加有关。目的为揭示漓江上游森林植被对降水径流的调节作用,客观评估漓江上游水资源潜力、加强流域水资源管理和森林经营提供科学依据。     

黄土高原森林植被对流域径流的调节作用

对黄土高原腹地子午岭典型森林流域与非森林流域年径流变化的对比分析结果表明,森林流域径流年内分配比非森林流域相对均匀,汛期（6～9月）总径流量减少了8.9mm（葫芦河比蒲河）和7.1mm（合水川比东川）,枯季径流与汛期降水及枯水季节降水的回归分析可见,森林植被能将雨季蓄积的部分降水转化为地下径流,增大枯水季节的径流量,但由于黄土区土层深度,植被蒸腾耗水强烈,森林植被对枯水期河川径流的调节作用十分有限,森林植被对10～12月径流总的补枯效应仅为1.69mm（葫芦河比蒲河）和0.5mm（合水川比东川）,对1～4月径流无调节作用,说明森林植被拦蓄的大部分降雨被植物吸收利用,消耗于蒸腾,从而揭示了森林植被对河川径流的削洪补枯效应及其机理。     

森林对水文过程影响研究进展

根据森林对水文过程的影响,森林水文学研究可以分为3个相互关联的方面：森林植被变化影响水量和水质定位试验研究;森林植被变化对水文循环机制的影响;旨在为资源管理和工程建设提供决策依据的基于物理过程分布式参数森林水文模型开发,定位试验研究不仅可以为森林水文模型参数化提供第一手资料,同时也可以揭示森林植被影响径流形成机制和进行径流成份的分割,径流形成机机制的研究则有助于改善基于物理过程模型的开发,模型研究反过来又可以为改进试验研究和径流形成机制研究提供指导。本文对以上3个方面的国内外研究进展进行了较为系统的概括。     

基于CMDAS驱动SWAT模式的精博河流域水文相关分量模拟、验证及分析

利用大气和水文模型定量描述陆表相关变量变化规律一直是大气科学和水文学界的研究热点。然而,由于我国西部地区站点匮乏,传统气象观测站点已不能满足大尺度地表分量高精度模拟分析的需求。建立SWAT模型中国大气同化驱动数据集(China Meteorological Assimilation Driving Datasets for the SWAT model,CMADS)驱动SWAT(Soil and Water Assessment Tool)模型(简称为CMADS+SWAT模式),选取传统气象站点稀缺的新疆精博河流域为靶区,完成流域各地表分量(如土壤湿度、雪深、融雪)校准、验证及其时空关系提取与分析。分析发现:CMADS数据集可很好地驱动、率定SWAT模式完成本地化工作。其中,CMADS+SWAT模式在月尺度上总体NSE效率系数均在0.659—0.942,日尺度也均在0.526—0.815。对流域内土壤湿度和融雪过程进行相关分析发现:精博河流域土壤湿度在年内3—4月份达到其第一次峰值,主要贡献来自于流域内高山融雪现象;融雪期结束后,流域降水量增加,伴随气温上升等现象导致土壤温度呈现波动态势,至10月中旬冷空气过境产生较大降水(雪),最终使土壤水转变为冻土,直至次年接近融雪期,土壤水再次增加直到融雪过程结束。一方面证明CMADS+SWAT模式可有效提高SWAT水文模型在我国西北干旱区(站点稀缺区域)的表现能力,另一方面理清了精博河流域相关地表分量(土壤湿度、蒸发等)时空演变规律。本研究对我国大气水文学科发展将起到一定的科学促进作用。     

雪被去除对川西亚高山云杉林土壤活性氮的影响

气候变化引发的季节性雪被改变可能对高寒森林土壤氮循环产生深刻影响.以遮雪棚去除雪被,研究了雪被去除样方和对照样方在不同关键时期(雪被初期、深雪被期和雪被融化期)土壤氮库和矿化速率的变化.结果表明: 季节性雪被对土壤具有良好的保温作用,雪被去除使得5 cm深度土壤平均温度和最低温度分别降低0.33和1.17 ℃,并明显增加了土壤冻结深度和冻融循环.土壤活性氮在不同雪被时期存在显著差异.雪被去除使得冬季土壤铵态氮、硝态氮和可溶性有机氮增加38.6%、23.5%和57.3%.此外,雪被去除也促进了融化期土壤硝化和矿化速率的增加.因此,未来气候变暖引起的雪被减少可能加快川西亚高山森林冬季土壤氮循环.     

Quantitative microbial faecal source tracking with sampling guided by hydrological catchment dynamics

The impairment of water quality by faecal pollution is a global public health concern. Microbial source tracking methods help to identify faecal sources but the few recent quantitative microbial source tracking applications disregarded catchment hydrology and pollution dynamics. This quantitative microbial source tracking study, conducted in a large karstic spring catchment potentially influenced by humans and ruminant animals, was based on a tiered sampling approach: a 31-month water quality monitoring (Monitoring) covering seasonal hydrological dynamics and an investigation of flood events (Events) as periods of the strongest pollution. The detection of a ruminant-specific and a human-specific faecal Bacteroidetes marker by quantitative real-time PCR was complemented by standard microbiological and on-line hydrological parameters. Both quantitative microbial source tracking markers were detected in spring water during Monitoring and Events, with preponderance of the ruminant-specific marker. Applying multiparametric analysis of all data allowed linking the ruminant-specific marker to general faecal pollution indicators, especially during Events. Up to 80% of the variation of faecal indicator levels during Events could be explained by ruminant-specific marker levels proving the dominance of ruminant faecal sources in the catchment. Furthermore, soil was ruled out as a source of quantitative microbial source tracking markers. This study demonstrates the applicability of quantitative microbial source tracking methods and highlights the prerequisite of considering hydrological catchment dynamics in source tracking study design.     

Phytoplankton response to changed nutrient level in Lake Peipsi (Estonia) in 1992–2001

To clarify the sediment yield processes following a disturbance by a forest fire in a mountainous catchment, and considering the hydrological and geomorphological processes in the headwater, we measured bedload sediment yield at rainfall events in disturbed and secondary forest catchments in the western part of Japan. The three catchments were under different hydrogeological conditions. The IK, TB and TY catchments were disturbed by forest fires in 2000, 1994, and 1978, respectively. In the IK catchment, although runoff response to rainfall was fastest with high peak flows, the catchment also had the highest base flow. Moreover, the annual sediment yield there was about ten times as high as in the other two catchments, and it was found that there was a steep linear curve in the relationship between precipitation and bedload sediment yield. This is thought to be caused by overland flow generation following water repellency on the slopes, and by the accumulated sediment that forms the thick soil layer on the valley bottom. On the other hand, in the TB catchment runoff experienced high peak flows at rainfall events and low base flows, and there was a gradual linear curve in the precipitation–sediment yield relationship. This might be the result of there being a thin soil layer on the hillslope and on the valley bottom because of successive erosion after the fire. In the TY catchment, runoff had a low peak flow at rainfall events and a high base flow; and the bedload sediment yield increased exponentially with increasing precipitation. Therefore, sediment yield in the TB catchment was more than that in the TY during storm events with precipitation of less than 100 mm, whereas it was the opposite during heavier rainfalls. It indicates that there is a thick soil layer on the slope and a thin soil layer on the valley bottom in the TY catchment following the recovering of vegetation, and that the sediment yield process predominates only during big rainfall events, only then does subsurface flow generate.     

中国森林生态系统地表径流调节特征

径流调节是森林生态系统重要生态服务功能之一,包含着大气、水分、植被和土壤等生物物理过程,其变化将直接影响区域气候水文、植被和土壤等状况,是区域生态系统状况的重要指示器。在区域尺度上评估森林生态系统地表径流特征,对于科学认识和合理保护森林生态系统水源涵养功能具有重要意义。以森林生态系统定位监测数据为基础,探讨地表径流与降水,径流系数与植被的关系,建立径流系数与植被的回归方程,分析全国森林生态系统地表径流调节特征。结果表明:(1)各森林类型地表径流与降水相关性显著,其对地表径流的影响为37%—76%。此外,径流系数与植被也显著相关,其对径流系数的解释能力为27%—47%。(2)基于植被覆盖数据,通过植被与径流系数回归方程估算全国森林生态系统的地表径流调节特征。全国各森林生态系统径流调节能力存在差异,强弱顺序为:落叶针叶林落叶阔叶林针阔混交林常绿针叶林常绿阔叶林。     

Contrasting nutrient exports from a forested and an agricultural catchment in south-eastern Australia

Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and total and inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations were determined over 3 years in headwater streams draining two adjacent catchments. The catchments are currently under different land use; pasture/grazing vs plantation forestry. The objectives of the work were to quantify C and nutrient export from these landuses and elucidate the factors regulating export. In both catchments, stream water dissolved inorganic nutrient concentrations exhibited strong seasonal variations. Concentrations were highest during runoff events in late summer and autumn and rapidly declined as discharge increased during winter and spring. The annual variation of stream water N and P concentrations indicated that these nutrients accumulated in the catchments during dry summer periods and were flushed to the streams during autumn storm events. By contrast, stream water DOC concentrations did not exhibit seasonal variation. Higher DOC and NO₃ ⁻ concentrations were observed in the stream of the forest catchment, reflecting greater input and subsequent breakdown of leaf-litter in the forest catchment. Annual export of DOC was lower from the forested catchment due to the reduced discharge from this catchment. In contrast however, annual export of nitrate was higher from the forest catchment suggesting that there was an additional NO₃ ⁻ source or reduction of a NO₃ ⁻ sink. We hypothesize that the denitrification capacity of the forested catchment has been significantly reduced as a consequence of increased evapotranspiration and subsequent decrease in streamflow and associated reduction in the near stream saturated area.     

泾河流域上游土石山区和黄土区森林覆盖率变化的水文影响模拟

泾河流域上游是黄土高原的重要水源地和退耕还林工程区,在较大空间尺度上定量评价区内森林覆盖增加的水文影响对科学指导林业生态环境建设、保障区域水安全和可持续发展均有重要意义。为了在尽量排除地形、土壤、气候等作用的基础上定量评价森林的影响,将泾河上游划分为土石山区和黄土区,分别制定了多种森林恢复情景,利用分布式流域生态水文模型(SWIM)模拟评价了森林覆盖率及其空间分布变化对流域年蒸散量、年产流量、年地下水补给量、年土壤深层渗漏量及日径流洪峰的影响。土石山区模拟结果表明,增加森林覆盖将增加流域蒸散和减少流域产流,如现有森林覆盖(占全流域面积比例为13.8%)情景与现有森林变为草地(占全流域面积比例为0)情景相比时,流域年蒸散量从445.4 mm变为427.7 mm(减少了17.4 mm和4%);年产流量从42.4 mm变为53.5 mm(增加了11.1 mm和26.3%),年地下水补给量从61.6 mm变为76.9 mm(增加了15.3 mm和24.8%),年深层渗漏量从72.9 mm变为88.3 mm(增加了17.7 mm和24.3%);平均森林覆盖率每增加10%,导致流域年蒸散量增加12.8 mm,年产流量减少8.0 mm,年地下水补给量减少11.1 mm。在比较干旱和土层深厚的黄土区,增加森林覆盖将同样增大流域蒸散和减少流域产流,但变化幅度明显小于降水相对丰富和土层浅薄的土石山区,平均森林面积增加10%导致流域年蒸散量增加9.0 mm,年产流量减少4.5 mm,年地下水补给量减少8.8 mm;此外,在较缓坡面造林的水文影响大于较陡坡面造林。从森林水文影响的年内变化来看时,森林覆盖率升高的水文影响在土石山区和黄土区也有差别,如土石山区5—7月份的蒸散显著增加,5—10月份的深层渗漏均有减少;而黄土区是蒸散量在5—10月均有增加,深层渗漏在7—10月份显著减少。另外,土石山区森林覆盖率增加对日径流峰值的影响不显著,而黄土区则能明显削弱,这可能主要是因土石山区的高石砾含量土壤的渗透性能明显高于黄土区的黄土,而黄土区的森林能够明显改善土壤入渗性能和减少地面径流形成。     

西南亚高山森林植被变化对流域产水量的影响

国内曾有许多研究认为,长江上游亚高山地区的森林具有增加流域年径流量的作用,所以多年来一直以此来指导该区域的森林恢复与经营实践.将以往的径流场和集水区的观测数据结合起来,应用加权平均插值方法,建立了森林采伐后产水量变化的时间序列;使用SEBAL模型、液流测定结果和水量平衡方程,根据以往研究结果,计算了各森林植被类型的年蒸散量和年产水量.分析结果表明:西南亚高山老龄暗针叶林蒸散低,具有较高的产水量;老龄林采伐后产水量增加,但随着次生植被的快速恢复,产水量增加的持续时间很短,6a后即恢复到原有水平;之后伴随着演替进入灌丛、次生阔叶林、针阔混交林或人工云杉林阶段,产水量会进一步下降并长期处于相对较低的水平,而且会持续百年以上.以往研究中该区森林可以增加年径流量的结论,只适用于其所研究的老龄暗针叶林,不适用于原始林采伐后恢复起来的天然次生林和人工营造的云杉林.在天然次生林和人工林占主导的区域,森林覆盖率增加导致产水量减少,人工林减少尤甚.为深入认识西南亚高山森林的生态水文功能,应采用配对集水区试验长期观测研究,才能为亚高山森林的恢复和经营管理提供决策支持.     

黄土高原不同植被覆盖对流域水文的影响

以山西省吉县蔡家川流域为对象,研究了植被覆盖类型对流域水文的影响.结果表明:不同植被覆盖的流域年径流系数分别为:林地流域1.6%～2.3%,以农、牧为主的流域3.1%～3.9%;各流域基流系数差异显著,人工林流域为零,次生林为主的流域1.0%～1.5%,以农、牧为主的流域2.5%～2.8%;在雨季人工林流域的径流总量是次生林流域的3.37倍、农地流域的1.9倍,而农地流域的基流量是次生林流域的2.2倍;短历时高强度降雨条件下,人工林流域、次生林流域地表径流量分别是农地流域的10.8倍和2.2倍;在历时较长的暴雨条件下,人工林流域单位面积上的洪峰流量是农地流域的3.4倍,次生林流域的6.9倍;在长历时、大雨量条件下,农地流域的径流量是次生林流域的1.8倍.水平梯田的水源涵养功能与次生林植被相当,次生林植被的水源涵养功能远好于人工植被,在水资源短缺的黄土高原应提倡植被的自然恢复.     

A net ecosystem carbon budget for snow dominated forested headwater catchments: linking water and carbon fluxes to critical zone carbon storage

Climate-driven changes in carbon (C) cycling of forested ecosystems have the potential to alter long-term C sequestration and the global C balance. Prior studies have shown that C uptake and partitioning in response to hydrologic variation are system specific, suggesting that a comprehensive assessment is required for distinct ecosystems. Many sub-humid montane forest ecosystems in the US are projected to experience increased water limitation over the next decades and existing water-limited forests can be used as a model for how changes in the hydrologic cycle will impact such ecosystems more broadly. Toward that goal we monitored precipitation, net ecosystem exchange and lateral soil and stream C fluxes in three semi-arid to sub-humid montane forest catchments for several years (WY 2009–2013) to investigate how the amount and timing of water delivery affect C stores and fluxes. The key control on aqueous and gaseous C fluxes was the distribution of water between winter and summer precipitation, affecting ecosystem C uptake versus heterotrophic respiration. We furthermore assessed C stores in soil and above- and below-ground biomass to assess how spatial patterns in water availability influence C stores. Topographically-driven patterns in catchment wetness correlated with modeled soil C stores, reflecting both long-term trends in local C uptake as well as lateral redistribution of C leached from upslope organic soil horizons to convergent landscape positions. The results suggest that changes in the seasonality of precipitation from winter snow to summer rain will influence both the amount and the spatial distribution of soil C stores.     

A season-specific,multi-site calibration strategy to study the hydrological cycle and the impact of extreme-flow events along an urban-to-agricultural gradient

Extreme-flow events have been a central point of interest in hydrology and recent developments suggest that their role could be critical in the overall functioning of watershed systems. The development of modelling techniques that can effectively reproduce the hydrological dynamics of watersheds during extreme events is one of the challenges of the contemporary modelling practice. In this study, we present a season-specific, multi-site calibration framework that accommodates the variability in the hydrological responses induced by the agricultural landscape changes during different periods of the year. Our case study is the Hamilton Harbour watershed in southern Ontario, Canada, where discharge data from three main tributaries and six gauging stations were available to constrain the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model. Two distinct values are assigned to the Curve Number for antecedent runoff condition II (CN2), relating surface runoff to precipitation as a function of land uses and soil characteristics, in order to reproduce flow patterns during the growing and dormant seasons. Overall, notwithstanding the model performance decline in the most urbanized catchment of Redhill Creek, our season-specific calibration strategy improved the predictive capacity of the model in the predominantly agricultural catchments of Grindstone Creek and Spencer Creek. Counter to our season-specific process characterization, an alternative calibration strategy postulating a differential watershed response, depending on the magnitude of individual precipitation events, appears to fair better in urbanized settings. The water budget displays significant disparities among the different land uses in the Hamilton Harbour watershed. Our analysis also suggests that the runoff generated from urban sites during the growing season (May–October), i.e., the period when the receiving waterbody is most sensitive to eutrophication, is six times higher than the average contribution from pasture, forest, and cropland areas. The potential implications of the on-going land-use and climate-change trends for the water cycle at both local and catchment scales are also discussed.     

天山北坡积雪消融对不同冻融阶段土壤温湿度的影响

积雪作为一种特殊的覆被,直接影响着土壤温度、土壤水分分布及其冻结深度、冻结速率等,影响当地的生态水文过程。利用2017年11月1日至2018年3月31日天山北坡伊犁阿热都拜流域的土壤含水率资料,划分土壤不同冻融阶段,结合积雪不同阶段,进而分析积雪消融对季节性冻土温湿度的影响。结果表明:在整个土壤冻融期间,土壤温湿度的变化取决于积雪深度、大气温度和雪面温度的高低,且与其稳定性有关。土壤冻结阶段,土壤温湿度持续下降,表层土壤温湿度受气温影响较大,且波动明显,而深层土壤的温湿度变化平缓;土壤完全冻结时,有稳定积雪覆盖,由于积雪的高反射性、低导热性,影响着地气之间的热量传递,因此土壤的温湿度变化较为平稳,积雪有一定的保温作用;冻土消融阶段,气温回升,积雪消融,地表出露,各层土壤温度随气温变化而变化,且越靠近地表,土壤温度越高,变幅越大,与冻结期完全相反。由于融雪水的下渗,土壤湿度快速增加。进一步分析积雪与土壤温湿度的相关性得出,积雪对土壤温湿度的影响分不同时期,对土壤温度的影响主要在积雪覆盖时,对土壤湿度的影响主要是在积雪消融时期,这对于研究该地生态水文循环及后续融雪性洪水的模拟与预报具有一定...     

Hydrology of Lake Atnsjøen and River Atna

The hydrological investigations in the Atna basin started in 1917 with discharge measurements at the outlet of Lake Atnsjøen. Ice data are available from the lake since 1950 and water temperature data from 1980. With the start of the FORSKREF program in 1986 the number of hydrological stations increased substantially and included also snow measurements. During the FORSKREF period 1986–98 the annual mean discharge was 8% lower than during the normal period 1931–60. The annual flood is highest during the snow melt in spring, an exception was 1987 when a rain flood in October was the annual high. The spring flood in early June 1995 was the largest ever recorded and had a 100–200 year return period. The water temperature is low above tree-line at 1000 m a. s. l., rarely exceeding 7–8?°C. The temperature increases gradually with decreasing altitude and is periodically above 15?°C at 400 m a. s. l. The Atna Lake is an important heat source for the river downstream. In this lake, wind mixing normally prevents the development of a strong summer thermocline. The lake usually freezes over in late November and has a stable ice cover of 50–90 cm thickness in early spring. The ice normally breaks up in late May; thus the mean ice-covered period is 6 months. The ice cover on the river is less stable and rather large ice-runs are common on the lower part of River Atna. The snow measurements are carried out in April in a small subbasin between 800 and 1200 m a. s. l. The snow cover is unevenly distributed due to strong wind transport, but the pattern is more or less the same from one season to another. The mean snow accumulation in this basin is equivalent to 205 mm of precipitation.