Characterization of regional air temperature and precipitation and its relationship to shallow groundwater resources in the ancient forest, British Columbia.

In the Inland Temperate Rainforest (ITR) of northeastern British Columbia, nearly 50% of the annual precipitation falls as snow. Persistence of soil moisture has implications for tree species survival and snowmelt is a vital component of the soil moisture regime in the ITR. Presented in this study are hydrometeorological data from 1 November 2011 to 31 August 2012 from two sites, the Ancient Forest and Lunate Creek, 110 km east of Prince George, British Columbia and are compared to the 1981-2010 climate norms at Prince George Airport. Shallow groundwater, surface water, and seasonal precipitation were collected for isotopic analysis to identify moisture sources for shallow groundwater. Soil moisture and shallow groundwater had minimal response to rainfall, but snowmelt comprises 40% of shallow groundwater. With changes in climate indicating a phase shift from snow to rain, the snowmelt contribution to groundwater, and thus available soil moisture, has the potential to diminish. --Leaf ii.