Regularities of snow storage formation in bogged watershed of south-taigasubzone of Western Siberia

The results of field studies on essential characteristics of the snow cover (depth, density and snow storage) indiverse ecosystems of a small bogged watershed are given. They have demonstrated that the greatest irregularity in the snow distributionis characteristic for the ridge-pool and hummock-lacustrine microlandscapes. This is explained primarily by the snowdrift transport. Thegreatest snow layering of 1.5 to 3.0m depth is observed on windward and leeward slopes of forested ridges. In pools alternating withridges and on vast woodless spaces, the snow cover depth declines to 0-20 cm. The average long-term depth of the snow cover on theridge-pool complex is 69 cm, while the maximum depth is 360 cm, thus, being over 5 times greater than the average one. The leastcoefficient of snow storage variability is observed in mixed forests adjacent to the river channel (0.10-0.15), the greatest one is in theridge-pool and hummock-lacustrine complexes (0.40-0.70). The snow-accumulative role of microlandscapes is exhibited in the greatestextent in the ridge-pool complexes in less snowy winters, whereas in snowy winters it is less. Taking into account the dominating role ofthe ridge-pool complexes in watersheds of rivers flowing off from the Vasyugan Mire, the calculation for the snow storage volumeshould be differentiated in forecasting the spring flood volume with regard to the snowiness of the year. The synchronicity is observedin changes of the maximum snow accumulation in the forest-bog group of microlandscapes. No connections are established in the snowaccumulation of the forest adjacent to the river bed and that of open forestless sites. In the forest-bog group of microlandscapes, theaverage coefficient of snow accumulation is 1.16, in the group of pine-sphagnum complexes and in the ridge-pool complex it is 1.26.The average value of the snow accumulation coefficient for all mireless microlanscapes is 1.2. The significant trend is established in therow of solid precipitation at the Bakchar meteorological station (1985-2004), whereas in rows of snow storage it is not revealed.

Keywords

Authors

References