This code is associated with the publication: Smith-Tripp, S., A. Griffith, V. Pasquarella, J.H. Matthes. TBD. Impacts of a regional multi-year insect defoliation event on seasonal runoff ratios and instantaneous streamflow characteristics. In Review.
This analysis assesses the connection between defoliation in southern New England during a 2015-2017 outbreak of gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar) caterpillars and growing season (June-September) anomalies in watershed runoff ratio, water yield, and instaneous streamflow characterics derived from gage-specific flow duration curves.
The code is organized by:
- Load defoliation values extracted for 2015-2017 by overlaying sub-watershed shapefiles on Landsat data product.
- Download 15-minute streamflow data for 1995-2017 from USGS stream gages in the Southern New England region.
- Download daymet precipitation data for 1995-2017 co-located with the USGS stream gages.
- Process the streamflow and precipitation data into seasonal sums.
- Calculate runoff ratio, yield, and precipitation anomalies at each stream gage for the 2015-2017 time period compared to a 1995-2014 mean baseline period.
- Assess runoff anomaly ~ defoliation relationships.
- Calulate stream flow duration curves at each stream gage for the 2015-2017 period and compare to a 1995-2014 baseline flow duration curve.
- Assess FDC anomaly ~ defoliation relationships.