Natural Resources Research & Management
Natural Resources Research & Management
Competing demands from agriculture and population growth place increasing pressure on water supplies. This problem is especially acute when declining streamflows threaten biodiversity and water security. We explored how restoration of open-pine woodlands could be optimized as a nature-based solution to enhance water quantity. Specifically, we asked if forest management could improve low streamflows in the Ichawaynochaway Creek basin in southwest Georgia.
Converting dense, upland forests to open woodlands reduces tree density, encourages a grass-dominated understory, and favors trees with adaptations to drought. We evaluated how different forest management scenarios of longleaf pine and loblolly pine influence water yield. We also considered financial returns along with hydrological and ecological benefits that maximized restoration impacts. Our goal was to equip policymakers and practitioners to make informed decisions about natural resources based on economic and ecological reality and enhance the long-term viability of conservation efforts.
Our results indicate that restoring longleaf pine forests produces the greatest increase in streamflow (up to 3.8 million gallons per day) but came with higher costs. In contrast, moderate flow increases (up to 1.9 million gallons per day) could be achieved more cost-effectively by converting a smaller portion of the watershed’s upland forests to low-density loblolly pine savannas. These scenarios demonstrated higher cost efficiency than a full longleaf restoration. This suggests that fire-maintained, open-canopy pine woodlands – whether longleaf or loblolly – can increase water yield while supporting ecological goals.
Our findings offer a framework for integrating ecological restoration with hydrologic and economic planning. Optimization modeling can help prioritize restoration efforts and support the design of ecosystem service markets like the Georgia Flow Incentive Trust (GA-FIT). This study demonstrates the importance of science-based, strategic land use planning that balances economics with ecological needs.
Steven Brantley, steven.brantley@jonesctr.org
Jeffery Cannon, jeffery.cannon@jonesctr.org
English, C.J., Younger, S.E., Brantley, S.T. et al. 2025. Forest land cover optimization for water management in the Ichawaynochaway creek basin. Scientific Reports. doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-05677-8
This work was supported by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Conservation Effects Assessment Project-Grazing Lands, under agreement numbers NR193A750007C002 and NR213A750023C013.
Competing demands from agriculture and population growth place increasing pressure on water supplies. This problem is especially acute when declining streamflows threaten biodiversity and water security. We explored how restoration of open-pine woodlands could be optimized as a nature-based solution to enhance water quantity. Specifically, we asked if forest management could improve low streamflows in the Ichawaynochaway Creek basin in southwest Georgia.
Converting dense, upland forests to open woodlands reduces tree density, encourages a grass-dominated understory, and favors trees with adaptations to drought. We evaluated how different forest management scenarios of longleaf pine and loblolly pine influence water yield. We also considered financial returns along with hydrological and ecological benefits that maximized restoration impacts. Our goal was to equip policymakers and practitioners to make informed decisions about natural resources based on economic and ecological reality and enhance the long-term viability of conservation efforts.
Our results indicate that restoring longleaf pine forests produces the greatest increase in streamflow (up to 3.8 million gallons per day) but came with higher costs. In contrast, moderate flow increases (up to 1.9 million gallons per day) could be achieved more cost-effectively by converting a smaller portion of the watershed’s upland forests to low-density loblolly pine savannas. These scenarios demonstrated higher cost efficiency than a full longleaf restoration. This suggests that fire-maintained, open-canopy pine woodlands – whether longleaf or loblolly – can increase water yield while supporting ecological goals.
Our findings offer a framework for integrating ecological restoration with hydrologic and economic planning. Optimization modeling can help prioritize restoration efforts and support the design of ecosystem service markets like the Georgia Flow Incentive Trust (GA-FIT). This study demonstrates the importance of science-based, strategic land use planning that balances economics with ecological needs.
English, C.J., Younger, S.E., Brantley, S.T. et al. 2025. Forest land cover optimization for water management in the Ichawaynochaway creek basin. Scientific Reports. doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-05677-8
This work was supported by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Conservation Effects Assessment Project-Grazing Lands, under agreement numbers NR193A750007C002 and NR213A750023C013.
Steven Brantley, steven.brantley@jonesctr.org
Jeffery Cannon, jeffery.cannon@jonesctr.org