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Why do conifer forests often reduce streamflow more than hardwood forests?
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forestry
Trucks on a road transporting recently harvested logs near Sabah's border with Kalimantan in Borneo.
Conifer forests often reduce streamflow more than hardwood forests because of differences in their transpiration rates.
While both forest types influence the hydrologic cycle through canopy interception and evapotranspiration, coniferous species continue to transpire during the winter months. This sustained activity leads to greater total transpirational water losses compared to hardwood species, which typically shed their leaves and remain dormant during the winter. Consequently, when an area is restocked with conifers, the resulting decline in streamflow is more pronounced than in areas restocked with hardwoods.1