The book comprises 12 chapters and 3 appendices. Subjects in the 12 chapters are arranged in two general groups. The first six chapters deal with the introduction and basic background in water and water resources, while the remaining six chapters address the impact of forests on water. Chapter 7 describes forests and forest characteristics important to water circulation and sediment movement. It serves as an introduction to the study of forest impacts on water resources - as a bridge connecting water and forests. The impacts - precipitation, vaporization, streamflow, and stem sediment - of forests on the hydrologic cycle are discussed separately in Chapters 8 through 11. Streamflow topics include water quantity, water quality, and stream habitat, while stream sediment topics include erosion processes, sediment predictions, and forest impacts. The stream habitat section in Chapter 10 ("Forests and stramflow") was not originally included in this book. Its inclusion is due to the suggestion of Dr. Younes Alila of the University of British Columbia and the increasing interest among forest hydrologists in aquatic environment in relation to the fish population, especially in the Pacific Northwest. Also, sediment predictions are becoming a management tool for controlling nonpoint sources of water pollution in forested watersheds. Basic prediction concepts and approaches are included in the text too. The chapters on streamflow and stream sediment are therefore much longer than the chapters on precipitation and vaporization. Chapter 12 deals with forest-hydrology research. It covers research issues, objectives, principles, and methodology along with a step-by-step numerical example of watershed calibration and assessment of treatment effects. The laborious presentation in Chapter 12 provides a foundation for those who might pursue graduate studies or engage in watershed research. The book's discussion of hydrologic measurements covers only precipitation, streamflow, and stream sediments. Subjects for each type of measurement include general background, available instruments, and sampling procedures. They are presented in the appendices for those who practice hydrology in the field.
