Watershed forest corridor

Watershed forest corridor

Watershed Corridor— a continuous natural corridor running along watersheds, mountain ridges, hills, and upper slopes. Its main purpose isto retain precipitation within the catchment area as much as possible, preventing the rapid flow of water down and ensuring uniform feeding of springs, streams and rivers.

In the systemDREVO Living MountainsThe watershed corridor is the first and most important element of the entire hydrological network.

"Every drop caught in the watershed becomes a future spring."

Main objectives

Maximum retention of rain and melt water.

Increased soil infiltration.

Replenishment of groundwater reserves.

Snow retention.

Erosion prevention.

Protection of river sources.

Formation of a stable forest microclimate.

Creation of ecological corridors for animals.

Main functions

Hydrological

precipitation retention;

reduction in the rate of surface runoff;

increased water seepage;

recharge of aquifers.

Soil protection

erosion prevention;

slope strengthening;

accumulation of humus;

development of soil biota.

Climate

cooling of the territory;

reduction of soil overheating;

increasing air humidity;

reduction in wind force.

Biological

continuous habitat;

animal migration;

seed dispersal;

development of mycorrhiza.

Corridor structure

Upper tree tier

Priority types:

beech;

fir;

larch;

ale;

cedar pines;

oak (under suitable conditions).

Middle tier

linden;

maple;

ash tree;

elm.

Undergrowth

hazel;

viburnum;

elderberry;

honeysuckle;

red;

hawthorn.

Soil cover

mosses;

ferns;

forest herbs;

lichens;

mushrooms.

Engineering solutions from DREVO

Micro Water Terraces

Small terraces follow the contours of the slope and reduce the rate of runoff.

Infiltration Swales

Infiltration ditches along horizontals:

collect rainwater;

direct it into the soil;

reduce erosion.

Stone Water Barriers

Low stone ridges:

retain water;

retain soil;

accumulate organic matter.

Deadwood Water Network

Some of the fallen trees are laid across the slopes.

Functions:

water retention;

accumulation of leaf litter;

development of fungi;

humus formation.

Living Sponge Forest

Creating a sponge forest.

Main elements:

thick forest litter;

raindrop;

developed mycorrhiza;

loose soil;

a large amount of organic matter.

Priority animals

The corridors are created taking into account the needs of:

bison;

deer;

roe deer;

sirn;

mountain goats;

bears;

lynx;

wolves;

badgers;

protein.

Animals participate in seed dispersal, maintaining the mosaic structure of vegetation and natural forest renewal.

Pollinators

Landing:

linden trees;

maples;

willows;

rowan;

berry bushes;

forest honey plants.

Continuous feeding routes are created for:

bees;

bumblebees;

butterflies;

wild pollinators.

Integration with DREVO

Stages of creation

Stage I — Analysis

definition of watershed;

hydrological modeling;

erosion mapping.

Stage II - Recovery

reforestation;

installation of micro-terraces;

construction of infiltration canals;

soil restoration.

Stage III – Biological enrichment

planting shrubs;

creating an environment for mycorrhiza;

restoration of pollinator populations;

the return of key animal species.

Stage IV – Monitoring

automatic stations;

unmanned control;

digital twin;

adaptive control.

Expected results

increase in groundwater reserves;

restoration of permanent flow of springs;

reduction of flood peaks;

reduction of erosion;

increasing forest resilience to drought;

increasing biodiversity;

carbon accumulation;

formation of a stable hydrological regime.

Key performance indicator

For everyoneWatershed Corridorare evaluated:

infiltration coefficient;

change in spring flow rate;

surface runoff velocity;

soil loss from erosion;

organic matter content in the soil;

moisture reserve in the soil profile;

area of ​​continuous forest cover;

biodiversity index.

The main principle

A watershed is a natural reservoir, and a forest is its management system.

In the conceptDREVO Living Mountains Watershed Corridorbecomes the foundation of the entire watershed system. The more water can be retained on ridges and upper slopes, the more stable the functioning of springs, rivers, floodplains, agriculture, and coastal ecosystems all the way to the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea.

Slope Corridor