<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<p>Deviations in hydrologic processes due to wildfire can alter streamflows across the hydrograph, spanning peak flows to low flows. Fire-enhanced changes in hydrologic processes, including infiltration, interception, and evapotranspiration, and the resulting streamflow responses can affect water supplies, through effects on the quantity, quality, and timing of water availability. Post-fire shifts in hydrologic processes can also alter the timing and magnitude of floods and debris flows. The duration of hydrologic deviations from a pre-fire condition or function, sometimes termed hydrologic recovery, is a critical concern for land, water, and emergency managers. We reviewed and summarized terminology and approaches for defining and assessing hydrologic recovery after wildfire, focusing on statistical and functional definitions. We critically examined advantages and drawbacks of current recovery assessment methods, outline challenges to determining recovery, and call attention to selected opportunities for advancement of post-fire hydrologic recovery assessment. Selected challenges included hydroclimatic variability, post-fire land management, and spatial and temporal variability. The most promising opportunities for advancing assessment of hydrologic recovery include: (1) combining statistical and functional recovery approaches, (2) using a greater diversity of post-fire observations complemented with hydrologic modeling, and (3) defining optimal assemblages of recovery metrics and criteria for common hydrologic concerns and regions.</p>
</abstract>

Deviations in hydrologic processes due to wildfire can alter streamflows across the hydrograph, spanning peak flows to low flows. Fire-enhanced changes in hydrologic processes, including infiltration, interception, and evapotranspiration, and the resulting streamflow responses can affect water supplies, through effects on the quantity, quality, and timing of water availability. Post-fire shifts in hydrologic processes can also alter the timing and magnitude of floods and debris flows. The duration of hydrologic deviations from a pre-fire condition or function, sometimes termed hydrologic recovery, is a critical concern for land, water, and emergency managers. We reviewed and summarized terminology and approaches for defining and assessing hydrologic recovery after wildfire, focusing on statistical and functional definitions. We critically examined advantages and drawbacks of current recovery assessment methods, outline challenges to determining recovery, and call attention to selected opportunities for advancement of post-fire hydrologic recovery assessment. Selected challenges included hydroclimatic variability, post-fire land management, and spatial and temporal variability. The most promising opportunities for advancing assessment of hydrologic recovery include: (1) combining statistical and functional recovery approaches, (2) using a greater diversity of post-fire observations complemented with hydrologic modeling, and (3) defining optimal assemblages of recovery metrics and criteria for common hydrologic concerns and regions.

Hydrologic recovery after wildfire: A framework of approaches, metrics, criteria, trajectories, and timescales

Department of Civil Construction, and Environmental Engineering

Department of Forest Engineering, Resources, and Management

Journal of Hydrology and Hydromechanics

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Deviations in hydrologic processes due to wildfire can alter streamflows across the hydrograph, spanning peak flows to low flows. Fire-enhanced changes in...

Hydrologic recovery after wildfire: A framework of approaches, metrics, criteria, trajectories, and timescales

Published Online: Nov 16, 2022

Page range: 388 - 400

Received: Sep 09, 2022

Accepted: Oct 18, 2022

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/johh-2022-0033

Keywords
Recovery, Wildland fire, Hydrologic function, Statistical recovery, Functional recovery, Ecosystem services

© 2022 Brian A. Ebel et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Hydrologic recovery after wildfire: A framework of approaches, metrics, criteria, trajectories, and timescales

Published Online: Nov 16, 2022

Page range: 388 - 400

Received: Sep 09, 2022

Accepted: Oct 18, 2022

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/johh-2022-0033

KeywordsRecovery, Wildland fire, Hydrologic function, Statistical recovery, Functional recovery, Ecosystem services

© 2022 Brian A. Ebel et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
Recovery, Wildland fire, Hydrologic function, Statistical recovery, Functional recovery, Ecosystem services